AC GENESIS Chapter33

AC 4332. By way of preface to the preceding chapter there were unfolded the things foretold by the Lord in (Matthew 24:32-35), concerning His coming; by which is understood the last period of the former church and the first of a new church. The last period or end of the former church, and the first period or beginning of a new church, have been treated of thus far (n. 4056-4060, 4229-4231).  There are now to be unfolded the words that follow:

But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not the angels of the heavens, but My Father only. And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field one shall be taken, and one shall be left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left (Matthew 24:36-42).

AC 4333. What is signified by these words in the internal sense will appear from the following explication that there is described what the state will be when the old church is being rejected and the new is being set up.  That the rejection of the old church and the setting up of the new is what is meant by the ”consummation of the age,“ and by the ”coming of the Son of man,“ and in general by the Last Judgment, has been already repeatedly shown; and also that a Last Judgment has several times taken place on this globe: first, when the Lord‘s celestial church, which was the Most Ancient, perished in the antediluvians by an inundation of evils and falsities, which in the internal sense is the ”flood;“

[2] second, when the spiritual church, which was after the flood, and is called the Ancient, being spread over much of the Asiatic world, ceased of itself;

[3] third, when the representative of a church among the posterity of Jacob was destroyed, which took place when the ten tribes were carried away into perpetual captivity and dispersed among the nations; and finally when Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jews also were dispersed.  Because there was then a consummation of the age after the Lord’s coming, therefore also many things said by the Lord in the Evangelists concerning the consummation of that age are also applicable to the Jewish nation, and are likewise applied to them by many at this day.  Nevertheless the subject treated of in the above words is specifically and especially the consummation of the age now at hand,     namely, the end of the Christian Church, which is also treated of by John in the Apocalypse. This will be the fourth Last Judgment on this globe. What the words involve that are contained in (Matt. 24:36-42) adduced above, will appear from their internal sense, which is as follows.

AC 4334. But of that day and hour knoweth no one; signifies the state of the church at that time as to goods and truths, that it would not appear to anyone, neither on earth nor in heaven.  For by ”day and hour“ here is not meant day and hour, or time; but state as to good and truth.  That times in the Word signify states, (n. 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356); as also do ”days,“ (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785); and thence also hours, but specifically state.  That it is here state as to good and truth, is because the subject treated of is the church, for good and truth make the church. 

[2] Not the angels of the heavens, but My Father only; signifies that heaven does not know the state of the church as to good and truth specifically, but the Lord alone, and also when that state of the church will come.  That the Lord Himself is meant by the ”Father,“ (n. 15, 1729, 2004, 2005, 3690); and that the Divine Good in the Lord is what is called the ”Father,“ and the Divine Truth from the Divine Good ”the Son,“ (n. 2803, 3703, 3704, 3736); and therefore they who believe that the Father is one and the Son another, and who separate them from each other, do not understand the Scriptures. 

[3] For as they were in the days before the flood;  signifies the state of vastation of those who are of the church, which is compared to the state of vastation of the first or Most Ancient Church; the consummation of the age or Last Judgment of which is described in the Word by the ”flood.“ That by the ”flood“ is signified an inundation of evils and falsities and the consequent consummation of that age, (n. 310, 660, 662, 705, 739, 790, 805, 1120).  That ”days“ signify states, see above.

[4] Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;  signifies their state as to the appropriation of evil and falsity, and the consequent conjunction with these.  That ”to eat“ denotes the appropriation of good, and ”to drink“ the appropriation of truth, (n. 3168, 3513, 3596); thus in the opposite sense the appropriation of evil and falsity.  That ”to marry“ denotes conjunction with evil, and ”to give in marriage,“ conjunction with falsity, may be seen from what has been said and shown respecting marriage and conjugial love (n. 686, 2173, 2618, 2728, 2729, 2737, 2739, 2803, 3132, 3155), namely, that in the internal sense this is the conjunction of good and truth, but here in the opposite sense the conjunction of evil and falsity.  Whatever the Lord spoke, being Divine, is not the same in the internal sense as in the letter.  Thus eating and drinking in the Holy Supper do not signify in the spiritual sense eating and drinking, but the appropriation of the good of the Lord‘s Divine love (n. 2165, 2177, 2187, 2343, 2359, 3464, 3478, 3735, 4211, 4217).  And as when predicated of the church and the Lord’s kingdom the conjugial is the conjunction of the good of love with the truth of faith, therefore from this conjunction the Lord‘s kingdom is called in the Word the heavenly marriage. 

[5] Until the day that Noah entered into the ark; signifies the end of the former church, and the beginning of the new.  For by ”Noah“ is signified the Ancient Church in general which succeeded the Most Ancient after the flood (n. 773); and by the ”ark,“ the church itself (n. 639). ”Day,“ which is mentioned several times in these verses, signifies state, as shown just above. 

[6] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away signifies that the men of the church will not then know that they are inundated by evils and falsities, because on account of the evils and falsities in which they are they will not know what the good of love to the Lord is, and the good of charity toward the neighbor, and also what the truth of faith, and that this is from that love and charity, and is not possible except with those who live in this love and in this charity. They will also be ignorant that the internal is what saves and condemns, but not the external separate from the internal. 

[7] So shall the coming of the Son of man be signifies the Divine Truth, and that they will not receive it. It has been said before (n. 3897-3901), that the ”coming of the Son of man“ is the Divine Truth which will then be revealed (n. 2803, 2813, 3004-3009, 3704).

[8] Then shall two be in the field one shall be taken, and one shall be left; signifies those within the church who are in good, and those within the church who are in evil that they who are in good will be saved, and that they who are in evil will be condemned. That a ”field“ denotes the church as to good, see (n. 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317, 3766).

[9] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left signifies those within the church who are in truth, that is, in the affection of it from good, that they will be saved; and those within the church who are in truth, that is, in the affection of it from evil, that they will be condemned.  That in the Word ”to grind,“ and a ”mill“ have this signification, will be evident from what now follows.  From all this it is now evident that by these words is described what the state as to good and truth will be within the church when it is being rejected, and a new church is being adopted.

AC 4335. That in the Word by ”those who grind“ are meant those within the church who are in truth from the affection of good, and in the opposite sense those within the church who are in truth from the affection of evil, may be seen from the following passages.  In Isaiah:

Come down, and sit upon the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit in the earth, there is not a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans take a millstone and grind meal, uncover thy hair, make bare the foot, uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers (Isa.  47:1, 2);

the ”daughter of Babylon“ denotes those whose externals appear holy and good, but their interiors are profane and evil (n. 1182, 1326); the ”daughter of the Chaldeans,“ those whose externals appear holy and true, but their interiors are profane and false (n. 1368, 1816); ”to take a millstone and grind meal“ denotes to hatch doctrinal things from the truths which they pervert; for as meal is from wheat or barley, it signifies truths from good, but in the opposite sense truths which they pervert in order to mislead.  In Jeremiah:

I will destroy from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones and the light of the lamp; and this whole land shall be for a waste and a desolation (Jer. 25:10, 11).

[2] And in John:

Every craftsman of every craft shall not be found in Babylon any more, every voice of the millstone shall not be heard therein any more and the light of a lamp shall not shine therein any more and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall not be heard therein any more (Rev. 18:21-23);

”the voice of a millstone being heard no more in Babylon“ denotes that there will be no truth; and ”the light of a lamp shining no more,“ that there will be no intelligence of truth.  In Lamentations:

They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah princes were hanged up by their hand, the faces of the old men were not honored the young men were carried away to grind, and the children fall in the wood (Lamentations 5:11-14);

”the young men being carried away to grind“ denotes to hatch falsities by applying truths, and thus persuading.

[3] In uses.’

Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon‘ his throne, to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mills (Exod. 11:5);

the ”firstborn of Egypt“ denotes the truths of faith separated from the good of charity, which truths becomes falsities (n. 3325); the ”firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mills“ denotes the affection of such truth, whence come falsities.  These things were represented by these historicals.

[4] In the same:

He shall not take in pledge the mills or the millstone, for they are the soul of him that pledgeth (Deut. 24:6).

This law was enacted because by ”mills“ were signified doctrinal things, and by a ”millstone,“ the truths thereof, which are what are called the ”soul of him that pledgeth.“ It is manifest that this law would not have been given, nor would it have been said that it was his ” soul,“ unless mills and a millstone had a spiritual signification.

[5] That grinding derives its signification from representatives that come forth in the world of spirits, has been shown me; for I have seen there those who were as if grinding without any end of use, and merely for their own pleasure.  And as in such a case truths are devoid of their own affection from good, they do indeed appear as truths in the outward form; but as there is no internal in them, they are phantasms and if there is an evil internal, they are then employed to confirm the evil; and thus by application to evil they become falsities.

1. And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold Esau came, and with him four hundred men.  And he divided the children over unto Leah, and over unto Rachel, and over unto the two handmaids.

2. And he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after.

3. And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he drew near even unto his brother.

4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.

5. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these to thee?  And he said, The children whom God hath graciously bestowed upon thy servant.

6. And the handmaids drew near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

7. And Leah also and her children drew near, and they bowed themselves; and afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew near, and bowed themselves.

8. And he said, What to thee are all these camps which I met?  And he said, To find grace in the eyes of my lord.

9. And Esau said, I have much my brother, be to thee what is to thee.

10. And Jacob said, Nay I pray, if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand; for because that I have seen thy faces like seeing the faces of God, and thou hast accepted me.

11. Take I pray my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath graciously bestowed upon me, and because I have all. And he urged him, and he took it.

12. And he said, Let us journey, and go, and I will go close by thee.

13. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me, and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die.

14. Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant, and I will proceed slowly to the foot of the work that is before me, and to the foot of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

15. And Esau said, Let me set I pray with thee of the people who are with me.  And he said, Wherefore is this? let me find grace in the eyes of my lord.

16. And Esau returned in that day unto his way, unto Seir.

17. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his acquisition; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth.

18. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddanaram, and encamped to the faces of the city.

19. And he bought the portion of the field, where he had stretched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred kesitah.

20. And he erected there an altar, and he called it El Elohe Israel.

AC 4336. The subject here treated of in the internal sense is the conjunction of Divine good natural which is ”Esau,“ with the good of truth which is ”Jacob;“ thus the submission of the latter, and its insinuation into Divine good natural.  The process by which this is effected is described.  Lastly the acquisition of interior truths is treated of.

AC 4337. In the foregoing chapters, where ”Jacob“ is spoken of, the subject treated of in the internal sense was the acquisition of truth in the natural, which acquisition is made in order that this truth may be conjoined with good, for all truth is for the sake of this end.  ”Jacob,“ in the internal sense, is this truth, and ”Esau“ is the good with which the truth is to be conjoined. Before the conjunction is effected, truth appears to be in the first place; but after the conjunction, good is actually in the first place (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 3995).  This is also what is signified by the prophecy of Isaac to Esau:--

”Upon thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shall break his yoke from off thy neck“ (Gen. 27:40).

And this state is what is described in the present chapter. For this reason Jacob calls Esau his ”lord,“ and himself his ”servant“ (verses 5, 8, 13, 14).

[2] Be it known that Jacob here represents the good of truth.  But regarded in itself the good of truth is only truth; for so long as truth is in the memory only, it is called truth; but when in the will and thence in act, it is called the good of truth; for to do truth is nothing else. Whatever proceeds from the will is called good, for the essential of the will is love and the derivative affection; and everything that is done from love and its affection is named good.  Neither can truth be conjoined with the good that flows in through the internal man and is in its origin Divine (which is here represented by Esau), until the truth is truth in will and act; that is, the good of truth. For the good that flows in through the internal man and is in its origin Divine, flows into the will, and there meets the good of truth that has been insinuated through the external man.

AC 4338. Verses 1-3.  And Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold Esau came, and with him four hundred men.  And he divided the children over unto Leah, and over unto Rachel, and over unto the too handmaids.  And he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after.  And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he drew near even unto his brother.  ”And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and saw,“ signifies the perception and attention of the good of truth, which is ”Jacob;“ ”and behold Esau came,“ signifies Divine good natural; ”and with him four hundred men,“ signifies the state; ”and he divided the children over unto Leah,“ signifies the arrangement of external truths under their affection;” “and over unto Rachel,” signifies the arrangement of interior truths under their affection; “and over unto the two handmaids,” signifies under the affection of things that are of service to these affections; “and he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after,” signifies order from the generals in which were the rest; “and be himself passed over before them,” signifies the universal, thus all things; “and bowed himself to the earth seven times,” signifies the submission of all things; “until he drew near even unto his brother,” signifies conjunction on the part of the good from truth, which is “Jacob.”

AC 4339. And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and saw.  That this signifies the perception and attention of the good of truth, which is “Jacob,” is evident from the signification of “lifting up his eyes and seeing,” as being perception and attention.  For lifting up the eyes is an external that corresponds to elevation of the mind (which is an internal), consequently to perception; and therefore “seeing” corresponds to attention. Jacob here represents the good of truth, (n. 4337).

AC 4340. And behold Esau came. That this signifies Divine good natural, is evident from the representation of Esau, as being Divine good in the natural (n. 3576).

AC 4341. And with him four hundred men. That this signifies its state, here the state of the conjunction of Divine good with truth in the natural, is because this conjunction is the subject treated of.  “Four hundred” in the Word signifies the state and duration of temptation (n. 1847, 2959, 2966); and as all the conjunction of good with truth is effected through temptations, therefore it is a state of temptations which is here meant. Goods are conjoined with truths through temptations, (n. 2272, 3318); and temptations come when good begins to act the first part, (n. 4248, 4249); and also the union of the Lord‘s Divine essence with His Human essence was effected through temptations, (n. 1737).

[2] The good itself which is to be conjoined with truth is not tempted, but the truth.  And moreover truth is not tempted by good, but by falsities and evils, and also by fallacies and illusions and the affection of these, which adhere to truths in the natural. For when good flows in, which is effected by an internal way, or through the internal rational man, the ideas of the natural man, formed from the fallacies of the senses and the derivative illusions, cannot endure its approach, for they are in disagreement with it, and hence comes anxiety in the natural, and temptation.  These are the things which are described in this chapter in the internal sense by Jacob’s coming into fear and thence into anxiety, and consequently into a state of submission and humiliation, when Esau came with four hundred men; for their conjunction is not effected in any other way. From this it may be seen that by the “four hundred men” is signified a state of temptations; by “four hundred,” this state itself, and by “men,” the rational truths which are conjoined with good when it flows into the natural. By “men” are signified intellectual and rational things, (n. 265, 749, 1007, 3134).

[3] But these things are such as fall into obscurity with man, for the reason that when he is living in the body, the distinction between the rational and the natural does not appear not at all to those who are not regenerate, and very little even to those who are regenerate.  For they do not react upon it, nor indeed do they care about it, for the knowledges of the interior things of man have been almost obliterated, and yet in old time these made the all of intelligence with men within the church.  These things may however in some degree appear from what has been shown before concerning the rational and its influx into the natural, namely, that the natural is regenerated through the rational (n. 3286, 3288), and that the rational receives truths before the natural (n. 9368, 3671).  These truths, which inflow with good from the rational into the natural, are what in the internal sense are signified by the “four hundred men” who came with Esau.

AC 4342. And he divided the children over unto Leah.  That this signifies the arrangement of external truths under their affection, is evident from the signification of “dividing over unto,” as being arrangement; from the signification of “children” or “sons,” as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of exterior truth (n. 3793, 3819).  Hence the “children” or “sons” here denote truths of exterior affection, consequently external truths.  Those truths are said to be external which are called sensuous truths, that is, those which flow in immediately from the world through the senses of the body.  But interior truths (which are signified by the children of Rachel) are those which are interiorly in the natural, and are more nearly under the view of the rational, and to which fallacies and their illusions do not so strongly adhere as they do to sensuous truths.  For the more interiorly truths go, the more are they purified from worldly and earthly things.

AC 4343. And over unto Rachel. That this signifies the arrangement of interior truths under their affection, is evident from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). Hence her “children” or “sons” here denote interior truths (n. 4342).

AC 4344. And over unto the two handmaids.  That this signifies under the affection of things that are of service to these affections, is evident from the signification of “handmaids,” as being the affections of memory-knowledges and of knowledges (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849), and as being means that are of service for the conjunction of the external and the internal man (n. 3913, 3917); and from the representation of Zilpah and Bilhah, who here are the “handmaids,” as being exterior affections that are of service as means (n. 3849, 3931).

AC 4345. And he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after. That this signifies order from more general things in which were all the rest, may be seen from what has been said just above respecting the signification of the “handmaids,” of “Leah,” of “Rachel,” and of their “children” namely, that the “handmaids” denote the affections of memory-knowledges and of knowledges; “Leah,” the affection of exterior truth; and “Rachel,” the affection of interior truth.  The affections of memory-knowledges and of knowledges are the most external, for memory-knowledges and knowledges themselves are things from which and in which are truths.  The affection of external truth follows from this, and is more interior, and the affection of interior truth is still more interior.  The more exterior they are, the more general also they are; and the more interior, the less general, and relatively are called particulars and singulars.

[2] With regard to generals, these are called generals because they consist of particulars, consequently because they contain particulars within them.  Generals without particulars are not generals, but are so called from particulars. The case herein is like that of a whole and its parts. A whole cannot be called a whole unless there are parts, for the whole consists of parts.  For in the nature of things there is nothing which does not come forth and subsist from other things, and because it comes forth and subsists from other things it is called a general, and the things of which it consists and from which it subsists are said to be particulars. External things are what consist of internal things, and therefore external things are relatively general.  It is so with man and his faculties; the more exterior these are, the more general they are; for they consist of things more interior, and these of inmost things in order.

[3] The body itself, and the things of the body, such as those called the external senses and the actions, are relatively the most general.  The natural mind and the things of this mind are less general, because more interior, and relatively are called particulars.  But the rational mind and the things of this mind are still more interior, and relatively are singulars. All this is manifest to the life when man puts off the body and becomes a spirit; for it is then manifest to him that his bodily things had been no other than the most general of the things of his spirit, and that the bodily things had come forth and subsisted from those of his spirit; thus that the things of the spirit had been relatively particulars. And when the same spirit becomes an angel (that is, when he is uplifted into heaven), it is manifest to him that the same things which he had previously seen and felt in general, and thus in obscurity, he now sees and feels in particular and in clearness; for he now sees and feels innumerable things which he had previously seen and felt as one.

[4] This is also evident from man himself during his life in the world the things which he sees and feels in infancy are most general; but those which he sees and feels in childhood and youth are the particulars of these generals; and those which he sees and feels in adult age are the singulars of these particulars.  For as a man advances in age, he insinuates particulars into the generals of infancy, and afterwards singulars into the particulars.  For he advances successively toward things more interior, and infills the generals with particulars, and the particulars with singulars. From this it may now be seen what is meant by “order from the generals in which were all the rest,” which is signified by his placing the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and her children after.

[5] When a man is being regenerated, or what is the same, when the truths in him are being conjoined with good, the case is similar, and this is the subject here treated of.  Then general affections with their truths (which here are the “handmaids” and their “children”), are first insinuated into good; then those less general (that is, those which are relatively particulars), which here are “Leah” and her “children;” and finally those still less general (that is, those which are relatively singulars), which here are “Rachel” and “Joseph.” For man then passes in like manner as it were through ages, first being in his infancy, and then in childhood and youth, and finally in adult age.

AC 4346. And he himself passed over before them.  That this signifies the universal, thus all things, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who here is “himself,” as being the good of truth, that is, truth in will and act (n. 4337). The good of truth is the universal of all things; for the generals, particulars, and singulars spoken of just above, belong to it, because they are in it.

AC 4347. And bowed himself to the earth seven times.  That this signifies the submission of all things, is evident from the signification of “bowing one‘s self to the earth,” as being an effect of humiliation (n. 2153), consequently submission.  The highest degree of submission is signified by “seven times,” and the submission of all things by “Jacob’s bowing himself;” for Jacob represents the universal of all things (n. 4346).

[2] As regards humiliation and submission, few know why this must be in presence of the Divine when man is in worship; and consequently they do not know what it effects.  They who are not in the knowledge of interior things cannot believe otherwise than that the Divine wills the humiliation and submission of man, as a man does who is in the lust of glory; and consequently that the Divine wills glory therefrom, and is affected with the glory which man ascribes to Him.  But the case is altogether different.  The Divine is not in any affection of glory, for what glory has the Divine from man?  But He wills humiliation and submission, not for His own, but for man‘s sake.  For when man is in humiliation he feels aversion for the evil and falsity in him (n. 2327, 2423, 3994), and thus removes them, and on their removal the Divine can flow in with good and truth.  Everyone may be aware of this in himself.  He who is of elated mind is in the love of self, and not only sets himself above others, but also cares nothing for the Divine, and consequently rejects the influx of good, and thence its conjunction with truths.  This is the genuine reason for man’s humiliation before the Divine.

[3] It is therefore manifest that good cannot be conjoined with truths, thus that man cannot be regenerated, unless he humbles and submits himself.  Humiliation and submission are predicated of truths because truths flow in through the external man, but good through the internal; and the things that inflow through the external man are attended with fallacies and the consequent falsities with their affections; whereas this is not the case with the things that inflow through the internal man, because it is the Divine that flows in through this, and comes to meet truths, in order that they may be conjoined. From this it is now manifest what is meant by the submission of all things, which is signified by Jacob‘s “bowing himself to the earth seven times, until he drew near even unto his brother.”

AC 4348. Until he drew near even unto his brother.  That this signifies conjunction on the part of the good from truth which is “Jacob,” is evident from the signification of “drawing near,” as being to conjoin himself; from the representation of Esau, who here is the “brother,” as being Divine good in the natural (n. 4337); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth (n. 4337).  How these things are circumstanced has been explained just above (n. 4347).

AC 4349. Verse 4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him; and they wept. “And Esau ran to meet him,” signifies the influx of Divine good natural, “and embraced him,” signifies the first conjunction of love; “and fell upon his neck,” signifies the second conjunction of all things in that universal; “and kissed him,” signifies interior conjunction from love; “and they wept,” signifies the effect.

AC 4350. And Esau ran to meet him. That this signifies the influx of Divine good natural, is evident from the signification of “running to meet,” as being influx; and from the representation of Esau, as being Divine good natural (n. 4337, 4340). That “to run to meet” here denotes influx, is because Divine good flows in through the internal man, and comes to meet the truth which is being insinuated through the external man, in order that they may be conjoined.  The same is also manifest from what follows; for it follows that he embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him; by which as will be seen is signified conjunction by love.

AC 4351. And embraced him. That this signifies the first conjunction of love, is evident from the signification of “to embrace,” as being affection (n. 3807).  And as affection is of love, and love looks to conjunction, it is therefore the conjunction of love which is here signified.  That it is the first conjunction of love, is because there follows that he fell upon his neck, and then that he kissed him, which signify closer and more interior conjunctions from love.  That embracing is an effect which flows from the conjunction of love, is manifest without further explication, and consequently that in the internal sense it denotes this conjunction; for the things of the internal sense are presented in the Word by those which are external.

AC 4352. And fell upon his neck.  That this signifies a second conjunction of all things which are in that universal, is evident from the signification of “to fall upon the neck,” as being closer conjunction, for it is a closer embrace.  Moreover by the “neck” is signified in the internal sense the influx and communication of the interiors with the exteriors, and the consequent conjunction (n. 3542, 3603).  That this denotes a conjunction of all things or with all things in that universal, is because Jacob, who is here meant by his, denotes the universal of all things in respect to truths (n. 4346).

[2] The conjunction of good with truths in the natural is here described, with which the case is this: Good flows in through the internal man into the external, and there conjoins itself with the truths that have been insinuated through the external man. For the good that flows in through the internal is of love,  because there is not any spiritual and celestial good that is not of love, from this it is, and from this it is called good in man. The love itself which is in good and with good is that which conjoins.  Unless love were within and present, there could not possibly be any conjunction; for love is nothing else than spiritual conjunction, because this is effected by it.  The love is from no other source than the Lord, for He is the fountain and origin of all celestial and spiritual love, consequently of all the good thence derived.  This love is twofold-celestial and spiritual.  Celestial love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is love toward the neighbor, which is called charity. It is these loves from which is all celestial and spiritual good, and which conjoin themselves with the truths which are called the truths of faith; for the truths of faith regarded without love are only words without life; but through love, and thus through conjunction with the good of love, they receive life.  It may be seen from this, that there is never anything of faith except with those who are in the good of love, and that the faith is according to the love.

[3] And as there is never anything of faith except with those who are in the good of love, therefore neither is there any confidence or trust.  With all those who are not in love and charity, the trust or confidence which is called the trust or confidence of faith, is either spurious, or such as is also possible with diabolical spirits when they are in a state of fear or of anguish, or in a state of persuasion from the love of self and of the world.  But because at this day men have made faith saving without the goods of charity, and yet see from afar that the truths of faith cannot save, because these exist also with the wicked, therefore they acknowledge confidence and trust, and call this faith, not knowing what it is, and that it is possible even with the wicked, and that there is no spiritual confidence except that which flows in through the good of love and charity not at the time when the man is in fear and anguish, or in persuasion from the love of self and of the world, but when he is in a state of freedom; and not with any but those in whom good has been conjoined with truths, and inrooted by the previous course of life; thus not in sickness, misfortunes, perils of life, or when death is at hand. If this confidence or trust which appears in a state of compulsion would save a man, all mortals would be saved; for to this kind of confidence everyone is easily reduced, and there are none to whom the Lord, who wills the salvation of all, would not impart it.  But as regards the confidence or trust which is called faith  what this is, what is its nature and with whom it is found, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told elsewhere.

AC 4353. And kissed him.  That this signifies interior conjunction from love, is evident from the signification of “kissing,” as being conjunction from love (n. 3573, 3574, 4215), here interior conjunction.  In this verse the conjunction of the Divine good of the natural which is “Esau,” with the truth there which is “Jacob,” is treated of in general; but in what follows this conjunction is described specifically.  As regards the conjunction itself, it is this which effects man‘s regeneration; for man is regenerated by the fact that the truths in him are being conjoined with good, that is, that the things which belong to faith are being conjoined with those which belong to charity. The process is fully described in these and the following verses. The Lord is indeed the subject treated of how He made His natural Divine, consequently how He united Divine good to the truth in His natural.  But as man’s regeneration is an image of the Lord‘s glorification (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490), this regeneration is also treated of at the same time in the internal sense.  And as regeneration can fall into man’s idea, but not so fully the Lord‘s glorification, the latter may be illustrated by the former.

[2] It is manifest from what has been explained that the conjunction of good with truths (by which regeneration is effected) progresses more and more interiorly; that is, truths are successively conjoined more interiorly with good.  For the end of regeneration is that the internal man may be conjoined with the external, thus the spiritual with the natural through the rational.  Without the conjunction of both of these there is no regeneration.  Nor can this conjunction be effected until good has first been conjoined with truths in the natural; for the natural must be the plane, and the things that are in the natural must correspond.  This is the reason why when the natural is being regenerated, the conjunction of good with truths becomes successively more interior.  For the spiritual conjoins itself first with the things which are inmost in the natural, and then by means of these with those which are more exterior.  Nor can man’s internal conjoin itself with his external, unless the truth in the external becomes the good of truth, that is, truth in will and act (n. 4337); for then for the first time they can be conjoined, inasmuch as the Lord flows in with man through his internal man, and in fact through the good therein. This good can be conjoined with good in the external man, but not good with truth immediately.

[3] From this it may be seen that the truth in man must first become truth in will and act (that is, the good of truth), before the conjunction of the rational with the natural, or the internal man with the external, can take place. But how truth becomes the good of truth, must be evident to everyone who pays attention. All Divine truth regards these two precepts to love God above all things, and the neighbor as one‘s self.  It is these precepts from which and for the sake of which truths are, and to which truths tend, more nearly and more remotely.  Therefore when truths are put into act, they are insinuated successively into their beginning and their end, namely, into charity toward the neighbor, and into love to the Lord; and thereby truth becomes good, which is called the good of truth; and when this takes place, it can then be conjoined with the internal man, which conjunction becomes successively more interior, in proportion as more interior truths are implanted in this good.  Act precedes, man’s willing follows; for that which a man does from the understanding, he at last does from the will, and finally puts it on as a habit; and it is then insinuated in his rational or internal man.  And when it has been insinuated in this, the man no longer does good from truth, but from good; for he then begins to perceive therein somewhat of blessedness, and as it were somewhat of heaven.  This remains with him after death, and by means of it he is uplifted into heaven by the Lord.

AC 4354. And they wept.  That this signifies the effect, is evident from the signification of “weeping,” as being the effect of grief, and also the effect of joy (n. 3801), here, the effect of joy from the conjunction of good with truths through love.

AC 4355. Verses 5-7. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these to thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously bestowed upon thy servant. And the handmaids drew near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.  And Leah also and her children drew near, and they bowed themselves; and afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed themselves. “And he lifted up his eyes,” signifies perception; “and saw the women and the children,” signifies of the affections of truth and of the truths belonging thereto; “and said, Who are these to thee? signifies acknowledgment; ”and he said, The children whom God hath graciously bestowed upon thy servant,“ signifies truths from the Divine Providence; ”and the handmaids drew near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves,“ signifies sensuous memory-knowledges and their truths, and their submission; ”and Leah also and her children drew near, and they bowed themselves,“ signifies the affection of the truth of faith as to exterior things, and their truths, and their submissive introduction; ”and afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed themselves,“ signifies the affections of the truth of faith as to interior things, and their submissive introduction.

AC 4356. And he lifted up his eyes. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of ”lifting up the eyes,“ as being perception (n. 4083, 4339).

AC 4357. And saw the women and the children. That this signifies of the affections of truth, and of the truths belonging thereto, is evident from the signification of the ”women,“ here the handmaids, and of Leah and Rachel, as being the affections of truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, 4344); and from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373), here the truths that belong to the affections.

AC 4358. And said, Who are these to thee? That this signifies acknowledgment, may be seen from the fact that interrogations in the sense of the letter are not interrogations in the supreme sense; for the Lord, who is treated of in this sense, has no need to interrogate man, because He knows all things both in general and in particular. Hence this interrogation, ”Who are these to thee?“  signifies acknowledgment.  For by Esau is represented the Lord as to Divine good natural; and Divine good immediately acknowledges the truths that it conjoins with itself.  And moreover all good does this, for good cannot have being without what it calls truths, nor can truths without that which they call good.  They conjoin themselves of themselves; but such as the good is, such are the truths it conjoins with itself.  It is good that acknowledges them, and couples itself as a husband with a wife; for the conjunction of good with truths is marriage in the spiritual sense (n. 2508, 2618). Good acknowledges its own truth, and truth its own good, and they are conjoined, (n. 3101, 3102, 3161, 3179, 3180).

AC 4359. And he said, The children whom God hath graciously bestowed upon thy servant.  That this signifies truths from the Divine Providence, is evident from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 4357); and from the signification of the words, ”whom God hath graciously bestowed,“ as being from the Divine Providence; for whatever God bestows is of His Providence.

AC 4360. And the handmaids drew near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.  That this signifies sensuous knowledges and their truths, and their submission, is evident from the signification of ”handmaids,“ as being the affections of memory knowledges and of the knowledges which are of the external man (n. 4344), consequently sensuous memory-knowledges; from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 4357); and from the signification of ”bowing one‘s self,“ as being submission. The sensuous memory-knowledges signified by the ”handmaids“ are the  memory-knowledges of the external things of the world, and therefore are the most general of all knowledges (n. 4345), and are those which enter immediately through the external senses, and are perceived by the sense itself.  In these are all little children; and moreover they serve as planes to the knowledges of spiritual things, for spiritual things are founded upon natural, and are represented in them.  As truths are conjoined with good according to order, beginning with the more general (n. 4345), therefore it is here mentioned that the handmaids and their children bowed themselves, that is, submitted, first.

AC 4361. And Leah also and her children drew near, and they bowed themselves.  That this signifies the affection of the truth of faith as to exterior things, and their truths, and their submissive introduction, is evident from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of exterior truth (n. 3793, 3819), and therefore the affection of the truth of faith as to exterior things; from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths; and from the signification of ”bowing one’s self,“ as being submission; that is, submissive introduction into the Divine good natural which is represented by Esau.

AC 4362. And afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed themselves. That this signifies the affections of the truth of faith as to interior things, and their submissive introduction, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial spiritual (n. 4286); from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the signification of ”bowing one‘s self,“ as being submissive introduction (n. 4361). How these things are circumstanced has been explained above at (verse 2).

AC 4363. Verses 8-11. And he said, What to thee are all these camps which I met? And he said, To find grace in the eyes of my lord.  And Esau said, I have much, my brother, be to thee what is to thee.  And Jacob said, Nay I pray, if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand; for because that I have seen thy faces like seeing the faces of God, and thou hast accepted me.  Take I pray my blessing that is brought to thee, because God hath graciously bestowed upon me, and because I have all. And he urged him, and he took it. ”And he said, Whit to thee are all these camps which I met?“ signifies the special things which are thence derived; ”and he said, To find grace in the eyes of my lord,“ signifies grateful initiation; ”and Esau said, I have much, my brother, be to thee what is to thee,“ signifies tacit acceptance, in order that he might thus insinuate the affection of the good from truth; ”and Jacob said, Nay I pray,“ signifies the first beginning of affection; ”if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand,“ signifies the reciprocal of affection in order that it might he insinuated; ”for because that I have seen thy faces like seeing the faces of God, and thou hast accepted me,“ signifies the affection itself in the perception with which it was reciprocally insinuated; ”take I pray my blessing that is brought to thee,“ signifies the Divine things that were to be adjoined to Divine good natural; ”because God hath graciously bestowed upon me,“ signifies from Providence; ”and because I have all,“ signifies His spiritual riches; ”and he urged him, and he took it,“ signifies that from the good of truth this affection was insinuated by means of affection inspired by Divine good.

AC 4364. And he said, What to thee are all these camps which I met?  That this signifies the special things which are thence derived, is evident from the signification here of ”camps,“ as being special things; for they are those enumerated in the foregoing chapter (Gen. 32:14, 15), namely, two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milch camels and their colts, forty heifers and ten bullocks, twenty she-asses and ten foals; by which were meant goods and truths with their things of service, by means of which initiation might be effected (n. 4263, 4264), consequently special things.  The special things here referred to are nothing else than such as confirm truths as being true, and goods as being good.  They are accessory to the man’s thoughts and affections, that is, to the things which he knows and loves, and on account of which he favors and affirms a thing to be so.  The presents which in the church of olden time were given to kings and priests likewise involved such things.  It is well known that another is brought over to one‘s opinion, or to what we say is good and true, both by reasons and by affections; and it is these very confirmatory things that are meant by ”special things,“ and are here signified by ”camps;“ for which reason it is said that these camps were ”to find grace in the eyes of my lord;“ and afterwards, ”if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand.“

[2] The case is the same in spiritual things, or in matters of faith, when these are being conjoined with the good of charity.  Man believes that goods and truths flow in immediately from heaven, thus without mediums within him; but he is much mistaken.  The Lord leads everyone by means of his affections, and thus bends him by a tacit providence, for He leads him through freedom (n. 1937, 1947).  That all freedom is of affection or love, may be seen above (n. 2870, 2873); and hence all the conjunction of good with truth is effected in freedom, but not in compulsion (n. 2875-2878, 2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031).  When therefore man has been led in freedom to good, truths are then accepted and implanted, and he begins to be affected by them, and is thus introduced little by little into heavenly freedom.  When one who has been regenerated (that is, who loves his neighbor, and still more who loves the Lord) reflects upon his past life, he will find that he has been led by many things of his thought and by many of his affection.

[3] What is here specifically meant by the special things which are thence derived, may be seen more clearly from examples.  Let the truth which is to be insinuated into good be this that man has life after death.  This truth is not accepted unless it is confirmed by special things, as by these that a man can think not only of the things he sees and feels, but also of those which he does not see and feel; that he can also be affected by them; that he can be conjoined with them by affection, consequently with heaven, nay, with the Lord Himself; and that he who can be conjoined with the Divine, can never die. These and many more such things are the special things which first occur, before this truth is being insinuated into good, that is, before it is fully believed.  This truth does indeed first submit itself, but still the special things cause it to be accepted.

[4] Take as another example the truth that man is a spirit, and that he is clothed with a body while he lives in the world.  This also is a truth which is to be insinuated into good; for unless it has been so insinuated, the man cares nothing for heaven, for he then thinks of himself as he does of the brute animals.  But this truth cannot be insinuated except by means of special things, as by these that the body which he carries about serves for uses in this world, namely, that he may see the things that are in the world with material eyes, and may act by material muscles, thereby having powers that are adapted to the heavy things in the world; and that nevertheless there is something more interior which thinks and wills of which the body is the instrument or material organ; and that a man’s spirit is himself, or the man himself, who acts and feels through these organic forms; and that he can confirm this by many of his own experiences if he is once in the belief that the case is so. All these are special things, which are set forth in advance, and which cause the truth itself that is in question to be insinuated into good; and they are derived from it. It is these and similar things that are here signified by the ”camps.“

AC 4365. And he said, To find grace in the eyes of my lord. That this signifies grateful initiation, may be seen without explication; for ”to find grace“ denotes that they may be accepted, and things which are accepted are gratefully initiated, that is, are insinuated.

AC 4366. And Esau said, I have much, my brother, be to thee what is to thee. That this signifies tacit acceptance, in order that he might thus insinuate the affection of the good from truth, may be seen from this refusal, in that it involves assent; for he nevertheless accepted. In anyone‘s refusing and at the same time accepting, the end sometimes is that affection may be insinuated; and moreover this is thereby increased, and thus passes from thinking well into willing well. In spiritual life man is led by the Lord by things nearly like those by which a man leads others in civil life, in which it is usual to refuse to accept, to the end that the giver may act from affection; thus not from thinking only, but also from willing. For if the favor should not be accepted, the end in view would be lost; and therefore the end urges the giver to think of it still more intently, and thus to will it from the heart.

[2] The reason why this kind of thing does not appear in spiritual life as in civil life, is that there are few in whom good is being conjoined with truths, that is, who are being regenerated; and moreover the few who are being regenerated do not reflect upon such things; nor can they do so, for they do not know what spiritual good is, because they do not know what charity is and what in the genuine sense the neighbor is.  And as they do not know these things, neither can they have an interior idea of the truth that belongs to faith.  And moreover they separate spiritual life from civil life so widely, that they would not dare to draw any idea of the one from the other. That the two correspond, and that spiritual life is represented in civil life, they know not at all, and some do not even allow any comparison; when yet the case really is that no idea can be had of spiritual life except from the things that are in civil life; and therefore if the latter is set aside, the former falls to the ground, until at last it is no longer believed in as may be plainly evident from the fact that it is no longer believed that spirits and angels associate and converse together as men do, and reason in like manner as men do about what is honorable and becoming, just and fair, and good and true, and this much more perfectly; still less that they see, hear, and explore one another, join together in societies, dwell together, and many other like things.

AC 4367. And Jacob said, Nay I pray.  That this signifies the first beginning of affection, may be seen from what was said just above, namely, that refusing to accept a present insinuates affection, which is here manifested by his saying, ”Nay I pray.“  From this it is evident that these words denote the first beginning of affection.

AC 4368. If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand.  That this signifies the reciprocal of affection in order that it might he insinuated, is evident from what precedes and what follows.  For the subject treated of is the conjunction of good with truths in the natural, consequently the insinuation of affection from good into truth. That the refusal of the present sent by Jacob was for this purpose that affection might be insinuated into truth, was shown above (n. 4366); and therefore by the words immediately preceding, ”Nay I pray,“ is signified the first beginning of affection (n. 4367).  Hence by these words, ”If I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand,“ is signified the reciprocal of affection in order that it might be insinuated; for he says this from good will, that is, from affection. Hence in what follows it is said that he ”urged him.“

[2] By the reciprocal of affection, which is insinuated by the good which is Esau into the truth which is Jacob, there is meant the affection of truth.  For there are two affections which are heavenly the affection of good, and the affection of truth. The affection of truth originates solely from good. The affection itself comes from this source; for truth has no life from itself, but receives life from good; and therefore when a man is affected by truth, this is not from truth, but from the good that flows into the truth, and produces the affection itself.  This is what is here meant by the ”reciprocal of affection in order that it might be insinuated.“ It is known that there are many within the church who are affected by the Word of the Lord, and who bestow much pains on the reading of it; but still there are few who have as their end that they may be instructed in the truth, for most remain in their own dogma, the confirmation of which from the Word is their sole aim.  These seem to be in the affection of truth, but are not; for those alone are in the affection of truth who love to be instructed about truths, that is, to know what the truth is, and to search the Scriptures for this end.  No one is in this affection except the man who is in good, that is, who is in charity toward the neighbor, and still more he who is in love to the Lord.  With these good itself flows into truth, and produces the affection, for the Lord is present in this good.  This may be illustrated by the following examples.

[3] They who are in the good of genuine charity, and read the words which the Lord spake to Peter:  I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matt. 16:15-19); these (namely those who are in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity) love to be taught what is meant by these words; and when they hear that by the rock there upon which the church will be built (and consequently by Peter) is signified the faith of charity, and that it is in this way that the keys for opening and shutting heaven are given to this faith (n. 2760), they then rejoice and are affected by this truth, because in this way the Lord alone, the source of faith, has this power.  But they who are not in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity, but in the affection of truth from some other good, and especially if from the love of self and of the world, are not affected with this truth, but are made sad, and are also made angry, because they desire to claim this power for the priesthood.  They are made angry because they are thus deprived of dominion; and they are made sad because they are deprived of respect.

[4] Take also as an example those who are in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity: if these hear that charity makes the church, but not faith separated from charity, they receive this truth with joy; whereas they who are in the affection of truth from the love of self and of the world do not receive it.  Moreover when those who are in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity hear that love toward the neighbor does not begin from self, but from the Lord, they rejoice; whereas they who are in the affection of truth from the love of self and of the world, do not receive this truth, but sharply maintain that this love begins from themselves. Thus they do not know what it is to love the neighbor as one’s self. They who are in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity rejoice when they hear that heavenly blessedness consists in doing good to others from good will, and not for the sake of any selfish end; whereas they who are in the affection of truth from the love of self and of the world, do not desire this, nor even apprehend it.

[5] When they who are in the affection of truth from the good of genuine charity are instructed that the works of the external man are nothing unless they proceed from the internal man, and thus from good willing, they receive this with joy; whereas they who are in the affection of truth from the love of self and of the world laud the works of the external man, but care nothing for the good willing of the internal man, and in fact do not know that the good willing of the internal man remains after death, and that the works of the external man separate from it are dead, and perish. And the case is the same with everything else.  From these examples it is evident that the truths of faith can never be conjoined with anyone unless he is in the good of genuine charity; thus with nothing but good; and also that every genuine affection of truth is from this good. Everyone can see this confirmed from his daily experience, namely, that they who are in evil do not believe, but that they believe who are in good.  From this it is plainly evident that the truth of faith is conjoined with good, and never with evil.

AC 4369. For because that I have seen thy faces like seeing the faces of God, and thou hast accepted me.  That this signifies the affection in the perception with which it was reciprocally insinuated, is evident from the signification of ”seeing faces like the faces of God,“ as being affection in perception; for by the ”faces“ are signified the interiors (n. 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066), and by the ”faces of God,“ all good (n. 222, 223); and when this flows in it gives affection in perception; and from the signification of ”accepting me,“ as being affection insinuated. That the signification is affection insinuated, is evident from what has been said just above about the insinuation of affection; thus from the series.

AC 4370. Take I pray my blessing that is brought to thee. That this signifies the Divine things that were to be adjoined to Divine good natural, is evident from the signification here of the ”blessing,“ as being the things that were mentioned in the foregoing chapter (Gen. 32:14, 15); by which were signified Divine goods and truths With their things of service for effecting initiation (n. 4263, 4264), and that were to be adjoined to Divine good natural (n. 4364).

AC 4371. Because God hath graciously bestowed upon me. That this signifies from Providence, is evident from the signification here of these words, as being Providence (n. 4359).

AC 4372. And because I have all.  That this signifies His spiritual riches, is evident from the signification of ”his having all,“ as being here the Lord‘s spiritual riches; for what he had was flocks and herds, by which as before shown are signified goods and truths, and these are what are called spiritual riches. Spiritual riches are predicated of truth, and their uses of good.

AC 4373. And he urged him, and he took it. This signifies that from the good of truth this affection was insinuated by means of affection inspired by Divine good, (n. 4364). The affection itself of truth inspired in the good by the Divine good is attested by his urging him (n. 4366).  As further regards the affection of truth which is treated of in these verses, be it known that this appears to be from truth, and thus in truth, and yet it is not from truth, but from good; for truth has nothing of life in it except that which is from good.  Its appearing as if it were from truth, is comparatively circumstanced as is the life that is in the body, and yet is not of the body, but of the soul.  Nor is it of the soul, but through the soul from the first of life (that is, from the Lord), although it appears as if it were of the body.  It is also circumstanced as is an image in a mirror, which appears in the mirror, when yet it is of the inflowing form.

[2] To those who keep the mind in the mere historicals, it does not indeed appear that the internal sense of these and the foregoing words is of such a nature, for they think of Esau and Jacob, and of the gift that was sent forward; not knowing that by Esau is represented Divine good in the natural, and by Jacob the truth which is to be conjoined with the Divine good there; and that by their friendly conference is here signified affection inspired into truth by good.  And yet when these things are being read by man the angels understand these historicals in no other way; for the angels have no other idea than a spiritual one, and with them the historical sense is turned into this idea.  In this way do angelic thoughts correspond with human thoughts.  It is such perpetual correspondences that make the Word holy and Divine; for thus by ascent the literal sense becomes spiritual, and this even to the Lord, where it is Divine.  This is inspiration.

AC 4374. Verses 12-16.  And he said, Let us journey, and go, and I will go close by thee.  And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me, and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die.  Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant, and I will proceed slowly to the foot of the work that is before me, and to the foot of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.  And Esau said, Let me set I pray with thee of the people that are with me. And he said, Wherefore is this? let me find grace in the eyes of my lord. And Esau returned in that day unto his way, unto Seir. ”And he said, Let us journey, and go,“ signifies what is successive; ”and I will go close by thee,“ signifies that they are to be conjoined; ”and he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender,“ signifies truths which have not yet acquired Divine life; ”and that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me,“ signifies goods both interior and natural which have not as yet acquired Divine life; ”and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die,“ signifies delay and what is successive, and that otherwise they would not live, thus that they are to be prepared for conjunction; ”Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant,“ signifies a more general presence; ”and I will proceed slowly,“ signifies a successive state of preparation; ”to the foot of the work that is before me,“ signifies according to generals; ”and to the foot of the children,“ signifies according to the truths therein; ”until I come unto my lord unto Seir,“ signifies until they could be conjoined; ”Seir“ denotes the conjunction in the natural of spiritual things with celestial; ”and Esau said, Let me set I pray with thee of the people that are with me,“ signifies that some things from the truth of good should be conjoined; ”and he said, Wherefore is this? let me find grace in the eyes of my lord;“ signifies enlightenment from presence more interiorly; ”and Esau returned in that day unto his way, unto Seir,“ signifies the state then of Divine good natural to which the goods of truth were adjoined; ”way“ denotes the good of truth relatively.

AC 4375. And he said, Let us journey, and go.  That this signifies what is successive (namely, of the conjunction of good with truth), is evident from the signification of ”to journey,“ and ”to go,“ which plainly involve progression to further things; for progression and what is successive are contained in the internal sense of the things which now follow.

AC 4376. And I will go close by thee.  That this signifies that they are to be conjoined, is evident from the signification of ”going close by thee,“ as being adjunction, here therefore that they are to be conjoined (namely, good with truths).

AC 4377. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender.  That this signifies truths which have not yet acquired Divine life, is evident from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of ”tender,“ as being things recent, thus things that have acquired some life, but not yet genuine; here, not yet Divine, because the subject treated of is the Lord’s glorification as to the Divine natural.  These things may be illustrated by the things that take place with a man who is being regenerated, for man‘s regeneration is an image of the Lord’s glorification.  A man who is being regenerated, like the man who is born, passes through the ages-infancy, childhood, youth or early manhood, and adult age; for a man who is being regenerated is born anew.  When he is an infant, the truths in him have indeed life, but not yet spiritual life.  It is only general truths without particulars and singulars with which good is then conjoined; consequently there is only exterior conjunction, not interior. Interior conjunction is effected successively, as the man advances into the following ages.  It is the state of this infancy which is signified by the children being tender, and also by the words which now follow: ”and the flocks and the herds are suckling with me, and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die.“

AC 4378. And that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me.  That this signifies goods both interior and natural, which as yet have not acquired Divine life, is evident from the signification of ”flocks,“ as being interior goods (n. 2566, 3783); and from the signification of ”herds,“ as being exterior or natural goods (n. 2566, 2180, 2781); and from the signification of ”suckling,“ as being also recent goods, here spiritual goods that are being born in the natural. For in the state of infancy (in relation to the regeneration of man) spiritual things are in potency within; for spiritual life develops successively from one age to another, as from an egg. The age of infancy is as an egg to the age of childhood, and the age of childhood is as an egg to the age of youth and early manhood, and this as an egg to adult age; so that man is as it were being born continually.  From this it is evident what is meant by goods both interior and natural which as yet have not acquired Divine life, and which are here signified by the flocks and the herds that are suckling. See also what was said concerning the state of infancy, (n. 4377).

AC 4379. And if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die.  That this signifies delay and what is successive, and that otherwise they would not live, thus that they are to be prepared for conjunction, may be seen from the series itself. For in the things that precede, the subject treated of has been the conjunction of good with truths in general, but here it is concerning the same specifically.  The very process of the insinuation of truth into good is here described in the internal sense. What its nature is, may indeed in some measure appear from the explication in general, but not as to its arcana, which are innumerable. These arcana are manifest only to those who are in the light of heaven, and in some rude image to those who are in the light of the world, when into this light is admitted the light of heaven.  This may be sufficiently evident from the fact that when a man is being born again he passes through the ages of life as does one who is born naturally and that the state which precedes is always as an egg relatively to the following one; thus that he is continually being conceived and born; and this not only when living in the world, but also to eternity when he comes into the other life; and yet he can never be perfected further than to be as an egg relatively to the things that still remain, which are without limit.  From all this it is evident how innumerable are the things which take place in connection with man‘s regeneration, yet of which scarcely any are known to man; thus how great are the things here contained in the internal sense, in which the subject treated of is the state and manner of the successive insinuation of good into truths.

AC 4380. Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant. That this signifies a more general presence, is evident from the signification of ”passing on before“ anyone, as here (where the conjunction of good with truths is treated of) being a more general presence.  For in regeneration (which is effected by means of the conjunction of good with truths) it is good which acts, and truth which suffers itself to be acted upon; and when good has applied itself to truths and has conjoined itself with them a little, then truth appears to react. Yet it is not truth, but the good that is conjoined or adjoined to it, which reacts through the truth.  This adjunction is what is meant by a more general presence. It is said ”the conjunction of good with truths,“ but there is meant the man in whom are good and truth; for these cannot be predicated without a subject, which is man.  In heaven they think and speak in this way by means of abstract things, for the reason that they do not attribute good and truth to themselves, but to the Lord; and because good and truth from the Lord fill the whole heaven.  To speak in this way was also familiar to the ancients.

AC 4381. And I will proceed slowly.  That this signifies a successive state of preparation, may be seen from the signification here of ”proceeding slowly“ (where the subject treated of is the insinuation of good into truth, and its reception by truth), as being what is successive of preparation.

AC 4382. To the foot of the work that is before me.  That this signifies according to generals, may be seen from the things that precede.  By the ”foot of the work“ is meant the things said above, namely, that the children are tender, and that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me, and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die. That by these words is signified according to generals, is evident from the things there said.  ”The foot of the work,“ and then ”the foot of the children,“ are spoken of because by ”foot“ is signified the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280); and the natural is here treated of

AC 4383. And to the foot of the children.  That this signifies according to the truths therein, is evident from the signification of ”children“ or ”sons,“ as being truths.  The truths therein are the truths in the generals, for the generals are those things which above (n. 4378) were compared to an egg; because in generals there are contained particulars, and in these singulars (n. 4325, 4329, 4345). In the first state, namely in that of infancy, there are particulars and in these singulars in potency; but they afterwards become productive, and put themselves forth in act, and so on successively.  They who are being regenerated are led in this way by the Lord, for they are imbued with generals within which are those things which follow, which also come forth successively, and this in an order and series incomprehensible; for all things both in general and in particular are foreseen by the Lord, even what they will be to eternity.  For this reason no other general truths are conjoined with good in the man who is being regenerated, than such as can have particular truths fitted into them, and within these singular ones.

[2] But still these particulars, nay, the singulars of the particulars, are nothing but generals relatively to those which exist beyond them; for there are indefinite things yet in every single entity. The angels (who notwithstanding that relatively to man they are in wisdom so great that there are unutterable things which they know and perceive) also confess that they know only the relatively most general things, and that those which they do not know are indefinite they dare not say infinite, because there is no relation and no ratio between the finite and the infinite! From this we can also infer of what nature is the Word, which being Divine, from its first origin contains within itself infinite things; and consequently unutterable things that belong to angelic wisdom; and finally only such things as are adapted to human comprehension.

AC 4384. Until I come unto my lord unto Seir.  That this signifies until they could be conjoined (namely, the truth which is Jacob with the good which is Esau), may be seen from the signification of ”Seir,“ as being the conjunction in the natural of spiritual things with celestial things, that is, of the truth which is of faith with the good which is of charity.  The good with which truth is conjoined in the natural, and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine natural as to good conjoined with the truth therein, is what is properly signified by ”Seir“ in the following passages in the Word.  In the prophecy of Moses regarding the sons of Israel:

Jehovah came from Sinai, and arose from Seir unto them; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came from the ten thousands of holiness (Deut. 33:2).

In the prophecy of Balaam:

I see Him, but not now I behold Him, but not nigh; there shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and Edom shall be an inheritance, and Seir shall be an inheritance, of his enemies, and Israel shall perform strength (Num. 24:17, 18).

In the song of Deborah and Barak:--

O Jehovah, when Thou wentest forth out of Seir, when Thou departedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai before Jehovah the God of Israel (Judges 5:4, 6),

In Isaiah:--

He crieth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night?  Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night (Isa. 21:11, 12).

Besides these passages in regard to Seir, see also those cited above (n. 4240).

AC 4385. And Esau said, Let me set I pray with thee of the people that are with me. That this signifies that some things from the truth of good should be conjoined, is evident from the signification of ”to set with thee,“ as being to conjoin; and from the signification of ”the people that are with me,“ as being some things from the truth of good. That ”people“ denote truths, see above (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581) hence ”the people that are with me“ denote the truths of good. What the truths of good are, has already been stated several times. They are those truths which proceed from good, and which the good that flows in through the internal man into the external has with it.  That these truths were signified by the ”four hundred men“ whom Esau had with him, may be seen above (n. 4341); here therefore are meant some of these truths, for it is said, ”of the people that are with me.“

AC 4386. And he said, Wherefore is this? let me find grace in the eyes of my lord. That this signifies enlightenment from presence more interiorly, may be seen from all that this formula of submission involves; for by it nearest presence is refused, but a remote presence is assented to; which is the same as presence more interiorly, from which comes enlightenment.

AC 4387. And Esau returned in that day unto his way, unto Seir.  That this signifies the state then of the Divine good natural to which the goods of truth were adjoined, is evident from the signification of ”day,“ as being state (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462), whence his returning in that day denotes the state which it then put on; from the representation of Esau, as being Divine good natural (n. 4340); from the signification of ”way,“ as being truth in the will and act (n. 4337, 4353); and from the signification of ” Seir,“ as being the conjunction of truth with good (n. 4384); from all which, brought together into one sense, it is evident that by these words is signified the state then of Divine good natural to which the goods of truth were adjoined.

[2] That these things are signified by these words is by no means apparent from their historical sense, but nevertheless these are the things involved in the spiritual or internal sense. For heaven, which is in man, that is, the angels who are with him, care nothing whatever for worldly historicals, neither do they know what Esau was, nor Seir, and neither do they think of the day which Esau returned, nor of the way to Seir; but from the spiritual things which correspond to them they receive ideas, and instantly draw from them such a sense; for this is effected by the correspondences, which are circumstanced almost as when anyone is speaking in a foreign tongue, and his hearer instantly understands the meaning as if from his own; nor is he hindered by the words having a foreign sound and articulation.  So is it with the internal sense of the Word, which coincides altogether with the universal language in which the angels are, or with the spiritual speech of their thought. Their speech is spiritual, because their thought is from the light of heaven, which is from the Lord.

AC 4388. Verses 17-20.  And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his acquisition; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth And Jacob came to Shalem, a city‘ of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddan-aram, and encamped to the faces of the city.  And he bought the portion of the field, where he had stretched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred kesitah.  And he erected there an altar, and he called it El Elohe Israel.  ”And Jacob journeyed to Succoth,“ signifies the state of the life of good from truth at that time; ”and built him a house,“ signifies the increase of good from truth in that state; ”and made booths for his acquisition,“ signifies likewise of those things which are in general, an increase in good from truth then; ”therefore he called the name of the place Succoth,“ signifies the quality of this state; ”and Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem,“ signifies the interior truths of faith which are of tranquillity; ”which is in the land of Canaan,“ signifies in the Lord‘s kingdom; ”when he came thither from Paddan-aram,“ signifies after the former state; ”and encamped to the faces of the city,“ signifies application; ”and he bought the portion of the field,“ signifies the appropriation of good from that truth; ”where he had stretched his tent,“ signifies what is holy; ”from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father,“ signifies the origin of that truth from a Divine stock from another source; ”for a hundred kesitah,“ signifies what is full; ”and he erected there an altar,“ signifies interior worship; ”and he called it El Elohe Israel,“ signifies that it was from the Divine Spiritual.

AC 4389.  And Jacob journeyed to Succoth.  That this signifies the state of the life of good from truth at that time, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth; here the good from truth then from the things adjoined to it from the good which is ”Esau,“ which things have been treated of; from the signification of ”journeying,“ as being the order and practices of life (n. 1293), thus the state of the life; and from the signification of ”Succoth,“ as being the quality of this state (n. 4391, 4392).

AC 4390. And built him a house. That this signifies the increase of good from truth in that state, is evident from the signification of ”building a house,“ as being to instruct the external man in intelligence and wisdom (n. 1488).  And as intelligence belongs to truth, and wisdom to good, by ”building a house“ is here signified the increase of good from truth. A ”house“ denotes good, (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3142, 3652, 3720). What the good of truth is, has been already stated (n. 4337, 4353), namely, that it is truth in will and act. This truth is what is called good, and the conscience which is from this good is called a conscience of truth. This good which is from truth increases in proportion as the man exercises charity from willing well, thus in proportion and in such a manner as he loves the neighbor.

[2] The reason why good and truth are mentioned so frequently in the explications, is that all things in heaven, and consequently all in the Lord‘s church, bear relation to good and truth.  Speaking generally these two include all things that belong to doctrine and to life; truths, all things that belong to doctrine; and goods, all things that belong to life.  Moreover it is a universal fact that the human mind has no other objects than those which are of truth and good; its understanding, those which are of truth; and its will, those which are of good.  Hence it is evident that truth and good are terms of the widest signification, and that their derivations are unutterable in number.  This is the reason why truth and good are so often mentioned.

AC 4391. And made booths for his acquisition.     That this signifies likewise in general an increase in good and truth then, is evident from the signification of ”acquisition,“ as being goods and truths in general; and from the signification of ”making booths“ or tents, as being like that of building a house, namely, to receive an increase of good from truth, with the difference that ”building a house“ is less general, thus is more interior; and ”making booths“ or tents is more general, thus more external.  The former was for themselves (that is, for Jacob, his women and children), the latter was for the servants, the flocks, and the herds.  ”Booths“ or ”tents“ in the Word properly signify the holy of truth, and are distinguished from tabernacles, which are also called,” tents,“ by the fact that the latter signify the holy of good (n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 4128).  In the original language the former are called ”Succoth,“ but the latter ”Ohalim.“ The holy of truth is the good which is from truth.

[2] That this is the signification of the booths or tents which are called ”Succoth,“ is evident also from the following passages in the Word.  In David:

Jehovah God rode upon a cherub and did By, and was carried upon the wings of the wind; He made darkness His hiding place, and His surroundings His tent (succoth), darkness of waters, clouds of the heavens (Ps. 18:11, 12).

And again:

He bowed the heavens when He came down, and thick darkness was under His feet; and He rode upon a cherub and did By, and was carried upon the wings of the wind; and He put darkness round about Him for tents (succoth), bindings of the waters, clouds of the heavens (2 Sam. 22:10-12);

where the subject treated of is Divine revelation or the Word. To ”bow the heavens when He came down“ denotes to hide the interiors of the Word; ”thick darkness under His feet“ denotes that the things which appear to man are relatively darkness (such is the literal sense of the Word). To ”ride upon a cherub“ denotes that it was so provided; to ”put darkness round about Him for tents,“ or ”His surroundings for His tent,“ denotes the holy of truth in its hiding place, namely, within the literal sense; the ”bindings of the waters“ and ”clouds of the heavens,“ denote the Word in the letter. The ”clouds of the heavens“ denote the Word in the letter, (n. 2135a, 4060).

[3] The like is signified by these words in Isaiah:

Jehovah will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and over her convocations, a cloud by day, and a smoke and the shining of a flame of fire by night; for over all the glory there shall be a covering. And there shall be a tent (succah) for a shade by day, and for refuge and hiding against flood rain (Isa. 4:5, 6)

a ”cloud“ here also denotes the literal sense of the Word; and ”glory,“ the internal sense; as also in (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27); a ”tent“ here also denotes the holy of truth.  Interior truths are said to be in ”hiding,“ for the reason that if they had been revealed, they would in that case have been profaned (n. 3398, 3399, 4289); which is also set forth by these words in David:

Thou hidest them in the hiding place of Thy faces from the ensnaring counsels of a man; Thou hidest them in a tent (succah) by reason of the strife of tongues (Ps. 31:21).

[4] That a ”tent“ denotes the holy of truth is evident also in Amos:

In that day will I set up the tent (succah) of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches, and I will set up the ruins, and I will build according to the days of eternity (Amos. 9:11);

to ”set up the tent of David that is fallen,“ denotes to restore the holy of truth after it has perished; ”David“ denotes the Lord relatively to Divine truth (n. 1888), for a ”king“ denotes Divine truth (n. 2015, 2069, 3009).  As a ”tent“ signified the holy of truth, and ”dwelling in tents,“ the derivative worship, therefore the feast of tents, which is called the ”feast of tabernacles,“ was instituted in the Jewish and Israelitish Church (Lev. 23:34, 42, 43; Deut. 16:13, 16); where also this feast is called the ”feast of Succoth,“ or ”of tents.“

AC 4392. Therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. That this signifies the quality of this state, is evident from the signification of ”calling a name,“ as being the quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421); and from the signification of ”place,“ as being state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321).  The quality of this state is what” Succoth“ involves, namely, the quality of the state of the holy in truth from good at that time.  For ”Succoth“ means ”tents,“ and ”tents“ signify the holy of truth (n. 4391). ”Succoth“ signifies the like also in David:

I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth; Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of My head; Judah is My lawgiver (Ps. 60:6, 7; 108:7, 8).

AC 4393. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem.  That this signifies the interior truths of faith which are of tranquillity, is evident from the signification of ” Shalem,“ as being the tranquillity of peace; and from the signification of a ”city of Shechem,“ as being interior truths of faith (n. 4430). A ”city“ denotes truth in faith, (n. 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216). That ”Shalem“ signifies the tranquillity of peace, may be seen in David:

In Judah is God known, His name is great in Israel; in Shalem also is His tent, and His dwelling place in Zion; there brake He the live coals of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war (Ps. 76:1-3);

where it is evident that ”Shalem“ denotes the tranquillity of peace, for it is said that ”He there brake the live coals of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war;“ and also from its signification in the original language, for ”Shalem“ means tranquillity and perfection. What the tranquillity of peace is, see (n. 1726, 3696). In this peace there are interior truths; that is, those who are in interior truths in faith and in life.  But so long as men are in exterior truths, and especially when they are coming from exterior into interior truths, the state is then untranquil, for then there are temptation combat,. The same is also here represented by Jacob, in that after he had been in fear and anxiety on account of Esau, he had now arrived at a state of tranquillity.

AC 4394. Which is in the land of Canaan. That this signifies in the Lord’s kingdom, is evident from the signification of the ”land of Canaan,“ as being the Lord‘s kingdom (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705). When a man is in interior truths in faith and in life, he is in the Lord’s kingdom, and in a state of tranquillity, and then looks at exterior things as one who looks from a high hill upon a tempestuous sea.

AC 4395. When he came thither from Paddan-aram.  That this signifies after the former state, is evident from the signification of ”when he came thither,“ as being after; and from the signification of ”Paddan-aram,“ as being the knowledges of good and truth (n. 3664, 4107, 4112), but exterior knowledges, which serve to introduce genuine goods and truths; for Laban was there, by whom is represented the affection of such good (n. 3612, 3665, 3778, 3974, 3982, 3986, 4063, 4189, 4206).  It is therefore said, ”when he came thither from Paddan-aram,“ because there was a coming from external truths and goods to interior ones; thus from the former state to this one.

AC 4396. And encamped to the faces of the city.  That this signifies application (namely, to the goods of that truth), is evident from the signification of ”encamping,“ as properly being an arranging according to order (n. 4236), but here application; for ”to encamp“ here signifies fixing a settlement with his herds and flocks, which also were above called a ”camp“ (n. 4364); and from the signification of ”to the faces of the city,“ as being to the goods of that truth, for the ”face“ signifies the interiors (n. 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066), consequently the affections of good and truth, which shine forth from the face. A ”city“ denotes truth, (n. 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216).

AC 4397. And he bought the portion of the field.  That this signifies the appropriation of good from that truth, is evident from the signification of ”buying,“ as being to appropriate to one‘s self; and from the signification of the ”portion of the field,“ as being the good which is from that truth. A ”field“ denotes the church as to good, thus good, (n. 2971, 3196, 3317, 3500, 3508, 3766).

AC 4398. Where he had stretched his tent.  That this signifies what is holy, is evident from the signification of a ”tent,“ as being what is holy (n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3210).

AC 4399. From the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father.  That this signifies the origin of that truth from a Divine stock from another source, will appear from what is to be said in the following chapter, where Hamor and Shechem are treated of.

AC 4400. For a hundred kesitah. That this signifies what is full, is evident from the signification of a ”hundred,“ as being a full state (n. 2636), consequently what is full. But properly by a ”hundred“ is here signified much, for the subject treated of is the appropriation of good from interior truths, which are signified by the ”sons of Hamor the father of Shechem“ (n. 4399).  By the ”kesitah,“ which were coins, in the internal sense are signified such truths.  This word is also derived from a word which means ”truth“ (Ps. 60:6).  The conjunction of good with these truths will be spoken of below (n. 4402).

AC 4401. And he erected there an altar. That this signifies interior worship, is evident from the signification of ”erecting an altar,“ as being worship. For an altar was the principal representative of the Lord (n. 921, 2777, 2811), and hence also the principal thing in worship. By worship is here meant interior worship from the Divine Spiritual, which subject now follows.

AC 4402. And he called it El Elohe Israel. That this signifies from the Divine Spiritual (namely, interior worship), is evident from the signification of ”El Elohe“, explained in what follows; and from the signification of ”Israel,“ as being the spiritual (n. 4286, 4292). As regards what has been said from (verse 17) of this chapter thus far, the case is this: In this chapter in the supreme sense the subject treated of is the Lord, how He made His natural Divine. But as the things which exist in the supreme sense concerning the Lord surpass the ideas of man‘s thought (for they are Divine), I may illustrate them by such things as fall more nearly into the ideas, namely, by the manner in which the Lord regenerates man’s natural; for in the internal sense the regeneration of man as to his natural is also here treated of, because the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490). For the Lord glorified Himself, that is, made Himself Divine, according to Divine order; and according to such order He also regenerates man, that is, makes him celestial and spiritual. Here it is explained how He makes man spiritual, for ”Israel“ signifies the spiritual man.

[2] The spiritual man is not the interior rational man, but the interior natural. The interior rational man is what is called the celestial man.  What the difference is between the spiritual and the celestial man has already been frequently stated.  A man is made spiritual by having the truths in him conjoined with good, that is, the things of faith conjoined with those of charity, and this in his natural. Exterior truths are there first Conjoined with good, and afterwards interior truths.  The conjunction of exterior truths in the natural was treated of in this chapter from (verses 1 to 17); and the conjunction of interior truths with good, from (verse 17-20). Interior truths are not conjoined with good in any other way than by enlightenment flowing in through the internal man into the external man.  From this enlightenment Divine truths are manifest only in a general manner, comparatively as innumerable objects are seen by the eye as one obscure thing without distinction. This enlightenment from which truths are manifest only in a general manner, was signified by Esau‘s words to Jacob, ”Let me set I pray with thee of the people that are with me;“ and by Jacob’s answer, ”Wherefore is this? let me find grace in thine eyes“ (n. 4385, 4386).

[3] The spiritual man is relatively in obscurity, (n. 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 3833).  It is this spiritual man who is represented by Israel (n. 4286).  The spiritual man is so called from the fact that the light of heaven, in which is intelligence and wisdom, flows into those things in man which are of the light of the world, and causes the things which are of the light of heaven to be represented in those which are of the light of the world, and thereby to correspond.  For regarded in itself the spiritual is the Divine light itself which is from the Lord, consequently it is the intelligence of truth and the wisdom thence derived.  But with the spiritual man this light falls into the things which are of faith in him, and which he believes to be true; whereas with the celestial man it falls into the good of love.  But although these things are clear to those who are in the light of heaven, they are nevertheless obscure to those who are in the light of the world, thus to most people at this day, and possibly so obscure as to be scarcely intelligible; and yet as they are treated of in the internal sense, and are of such a nature, the opening of them is not to be dispensed with; the time is coming when there will be enlightenment

[4] The reason why the altar was called EL Elohe Israel, and by it was signified interior worship from the Divine Spiritual, is that in the supreme sense ”El Elohe“ is the same as the Divine Spiritual, and so also is ”Israel.“ ”Israel“ denotes the Lord as to the Divine Spiritual, and in the representative sense the Lord‘s spiritual church, or what is the same, the man who is spiritual, (n. 4286, 4292). In the original tongue ”El Elohe“ means ”God God,“ and strictly according to the words, ”God of gods.“ In the Word, Jehovah or the Lord is in many places called ”El,“ in the singular, also ”Eloah;“ and He is likewise called ”Elohim,“ in the plural; sometimes both in one verse, or in one series.  He who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot know why this is so. That ”El“ involves one thing, and ”Eloah“ another, and ”Elohim“ another, everyone may judge from the fact that the Word is Divine, that is, derives its origin from the Divine, and that it is thereby inspired as to all the words, nay, as to the least point of all.

[5] What ”El“ involves when mentioned, and what ”Elohim,“ may be seen from what has been occasionally shown above, namely, that ”El Elohim“ or ”God“ is mentioned when truth is treated of (n. 709, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287).  Hence it is that by ”El“ and ”Elohim“ in the supreme sense is signified the Divine Spiritual, for this is the same as the Divine truth, but with the difference that by ”El’ is signified truth in the will and act, which is the same as the good of truth (n. 4337, 4353, 4390).  The expression “Elohim” is used in the plural, because by truth Divine are meant all truths which are from the Lord.  Hence also angels are sometimes called in the Word “ Elohim” or “gods” (n. 4295), as will also appear from the passages adduced from the Word below. Now as in the supreme sense “El” and “Elohim” signify the Lord as to truth, they also signify Him as to power; for truth is that of which power is predicated, because good acts by truth when it exerts power (n. 3091, 4015).  Therefore wherever power from truth is treated of in the Word, the Lord is called “El” and “Elohim,” that is, “God.” Hence also it is that in the original language “El” also signifies one who is powerful.

[6] That “El” and “Elohim” or “God,” are mentioned in the Word where the Divine Spiritual is treated of, or what is the same, the Divine truth, and hence the Divine power, may be still more evident from the following passages. In Moses:

God said unto Israel in the visions of the night, I am the God of gods (El Elohe) of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation (Gen. 46:2, 3);

as these words were spoken to Israel, whom He would make a great nation, and thus the subject treated of is truth and its power, it is here said “El Elohe,” which in the proximate sense signifies “God of gods.” That in the proximate sense “Elohim” denotes “gods,” because predicated of truths and the derivated power, is also evident in the same:

Jacob built there an altar, and called the place El-Beth-El, because there the Elohim were revealed unto him, when be fled before his brother (Gen. 35:7).

And also elsewhere:

Jehovah your God, He is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God (El), powerful and formidable (Deut. 10:17);

where “God of gods” is expressed by “Elohe Elohim,” and afterwards “God” by “El,” to whom greatness and power are ascribed.

[7] In David:

Jehovah is a great God (El), and a great King above all gods (Elohim). In His hand are the searchings out of the earth; and the strengths of the mountains are His (Ps. 95:3, 4);

here “God” or “El” is used because the subject treated of is the Divine truth and the derivative power; and also “gods,” because the subject treated of is also the truths thence derived; for in the internal sense a “king” signifies truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670). Hence it is evident what a “great king above all gods” involves. The “searchings out of the earth” also denote the truths of the church, which are called the “strengths of the mountains” from the power from this good.  In the same:

Who in heaven shall compare himself to Jehovah? who among the “on‘ of the gods (Elim) shall be likened to Jehovah I God (El) mighty in the secret of the holy ones. O Jehovah God Zebaoth, who is as Thou the strong Jah? (Ps. 89:6-8).

Here the ”sons of the gods“ or ” of Elim,“ denote truths Divine, of which it is evident that power is predicated; for it is said a ”God (El) mighty, Jehovah God of Armies, who is strong as Thou?“

[8] So in another place in David:

Give unto Jehovah, O ye sons of the gods, give unto Jehovah glory and strength (Ps. 29:1)

In Moses:

They fell upon their faces, and said, God of gods (EL Elohe) of the spirits of all flesh (Num. 14:22).

In David:

I said, ye are gods (Elohim) and ye are all sons of the Most High (Ps. 82:6; John 10:34);

where they are called ”gods“ from truths, for ”sons“ are truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2628, 3373, 3704). Again:

Confess ye to the God of gods (Elohe Elohim); confess ye to the Lord of lords (Ps. 136:2, 3).

In Daniel:

The king will act according to his own pleasure, and will puff himself up, and will exalt himself above every god (El), and above the God of gods (El Elohim) will speak wondrous things (Daniel 11:36);

from this it is evident that in the proximate sense ”El Elohe“ is ”God of gods,“ and that in the internal sense ”gods“ are predicated of the truths which are from the Lord.

[9] It is said ”El,“ or ”God,“ in the singular, where the subject treated of is the power which is from the Divine truth, or what is the same, from the Lord’s Divine Spiritual, as may be seen from the following passages.  In Moses:

Let my hand be as God (El) to do evil to thee (Gen. 31:29).

And again:

Neither is there a hand for God (El) (Deut. 28:32).

And in Micah:

Neither is there a hand for God (El) (Micah 2:1).

”A hand for God“ denotes that there may be power. ”Hand“ denotes power, (n. 878, 3387); and ”hand“ is predicated of truth, (n. 3091). In David:

I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers; He shall call Me, Thou my Father, my God (El), the rock of my salvation (Ps. 89:25, 26);

speaking of power from truths.  Again:

The wicked saith in his heart, God (El) hath forgotten, He hath hidden His faces, He will never see: arise, Jehovah God (El), lift up Thy hand wherefore doth the wicked despise God (Elohim)? (Ps. 10:11-13);

denoting the same.

[10] Again:

Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God (El), my rock (Ps. 18:2);

where power is treated of.  In Isaiah:

The residue shall return, the residue of Jacob, to the powerful God (El) (Isa. 10:21).

Again:

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, God (El), Mighty, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).

Again:

Behold the God (El) of my salvation, I will trust, and not be afraid; for He is my strength (Isa. 12:2).

Again:

I am God (El) yea, from this day, I am He, and there is none that can rescue out of My hand, I am doing, and who shall withdraw it? (Isa. 43:12, 13);

said of power.  In Jeremiah:

God (El) the great, the powerful, whose name is Jehovah of Armies (Jer. 32:18).

In the second book of Samuel:

With my God (El) I will leap over a wall. God (El), His way is perfect,‘ the discourse of Jehovah is pure. Who is God (El) save Jehovah? who is a rock save our God (Elohim)? God (El) is the strength of my refuge (2 Samuel 22:30-33).

[11] In Moses:

God (El) is not a man that He should lie, or the son of man that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do? or hath He spoken, and shall He not establish? He brought them forth out of Egypt, He hath as it were the strengths of a unicorn in that time it shall be said to Jacob and Israel, What hath God (El) wrought? (Num. 23:19, 22, 23);

where in the internal sense power and truth are treated of. And again:

God (El) who brought him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strengths of a unicorn; He shall consume the nations His enemies, and shall break their bones, and shall crush his darts (Num. 24:8).

That ”horns“ and ”strengths of a unicorn“ signify the power of truth from good, see (n. 2832).  Not to mention many other passages. As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also have ”god“ and ”gods,“ which names are used when falsity and power from falsity are treated of; as in Ezekiel:

The gods (Elim) of the strong shall speak to him in the midst of hell (Ezek. 32:21).

In Isaiah:

Ye have been in heat in the gods (Elim) under every green tree (Isa. 57:5);

where the term ”gods“ is used from falsities.  In like manner in other places.

AC 4403. Of what quality spirits were, and to what province of the body they belonged, it has also been given me to observe and know from their position and place with me, and also from the plane in which they were, and from their distance therein. Those who were seen near me were for the most part subjects of entire societies; for societies send spirits from themselves to others, and through these spirits they perceive the thoughts and affections, and thus effect communication. But concerning these so-called Subjects that is, emissary spirits something shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be said in particular. The following facts have been observed in connection with these emissary spirits. Those who appear above the head, and near it, are those who teach, and who also easily suffer themselves to be taught. Those who are under the back of the head are those who act silently and prudently. Those who are near the back act similarly, with a difference.  Those who are at the chest or breast are those who are in charity.  Those who are at the loins are those who are in conjugial love.  Those who are at the feet are those who are natural, and those who are at the soles of the feet are the more gross of this kind.  But those who are at the face vary in genius, according to their correspondence with the sensories of this part, those for instance who are at the nostrils are those who excel in perception, those who are at the ears are those who obey, and those who are at the eyes are those who are intelligent and wise, and so on.

AC 4404. The external senses, which are five, namely, touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, have each of them a correspondence with the internal senses.  But at this day correspondences are known to scarcely anyone because it is not known that there are any correspondences, and still less that there is a correspondence of spiritual things with natural, or what is the same, of the things of the internal man with those of the external.  As regards the correspondence of the senses, speaking generally the sense of touch corresponds to the affection of good, the sense of taste to the affection of knowing, the sense of smell to the affection of perceiving, the sense of hearing to the affection of learning, and also to obedience, and the sense of sight to the affection of understanding and of being wise.

AC 4405. The reason why the sense of sight corresponds to the affection of understanding and being wise, is that the sight of the body corresponds precisely to the sight of its spirit, thus to the understanding.  For there are two lights, one which is of the world from the sun, the other which is of heaven from the Lord.  In the light of the world there is no intelligence, but there is intelligence in the light of heaven.  Hence in so far as those things with man which are of the light of the world are illumined by those which are of the light of heaven, thus in so far as these two classes of things correspond to each other, so far the man understands and is wise.

AC 4406. As the sight of the eye corresponds to the understanding, for this reason sight is attributed to the understanding also, and is called intellectual sight. Moreover the things which a man observes are called the objects of this sight; and also in ordinary discourse we say that things are ”seen“ when they are understood; and light and enlightenment, and the consequent clearness, are also predicated of the understanding; and on the other hand, so are shades and darkness, and the consequent obscurity. It is on account of the correspondence that these and the like things have come into common speech among men; for man‘s spirit is in the light of heaven, and his body is in the light of the world, and the spirit is that which lives in the body, and also is that which thinks.  Hence many things that are interior have fallen in this way into words.

AC 4407. The eye is the noblest organ of the face, and communicates more immediately with the understanding than do the rest of man’s organs of sense. It is also modified by a more subtle atmosphere than the ear, and therefore the sight penetrates to the internal sensory, which is in the brain, by a shorter and more interior way than does the speech which is perceived by the ear.  Hence also it is that certain animals, being devoid of understanding, have as it were two subsidiary brains within the orbits of their eyes, for their intellectual depends on their sight.  But with man this is not the case, for he enjoys the use of an ample brain, in order that his intellectual may not depend on the sight, but the sight on the intellectual.  That the sight of man depends on the intellectual is very evident from the fact that his natural affections portray themselves representatively in the face, but his more interior affections, which pertain to the thought, appear in the eyes, from a certain flame of life and a consequent vibration of light, which flashes out in accordance with the affection in which is the thought; and this a man knows and observes, without being taught by any science, for the reason that his spirit is in society with spirits and angels in the other life, who know this from a plain and clear perception. Every man as to his spirit is in society with spirits and angels, (n. 1277, 2379, 3644, 3645).

AC 4408. That there is a correspondence of the sight of the eye with intellectual sight, plainly appears to those who reflect; for the objects of the world, all of which derive something from the light of the sun, enter through the eye, and bestow themselves in the memory, and this evidently under a like visual figure, for whatever is produced therefrom is seen inwardly. This is the source of man‘s imagination, the ideas of which are called by philosophers material ideas.  When these objects appear still more interiorly they present thought, and this also under some visual figure, but more pure, the ideas of which are called immaterial, and also intellectual. That there is an interior light, in which there is life, and consequently intelligence and wisdom, and that this light illumines the interior sight, and meets the things which have entered in through the external sight, is very evident; and also that the interior light operates according to the disposition of the things present there from the light of the world.  The things that enter through the hearing are also inwardly turned into forms like those of the visual images that come from the light of the world.

AC 4409. As the sight of the eye corresponds to intellectual sight, it also corresponds to truths, for all things that are of the understanding bear relation to truth, and likewise to good, in this way that a man may not only know what is good, but also be affected by it. moreover all things of the external sight also bear relation to truth and to good, because they bear relation to the symmetries of objects, consequently to their beauties and the derivative charms.  A clearsighted observer can see that each and all things in nature bear relation to truth and to good, and thereby he can also know that universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom.

AC 4410. It has become evident to me from much experience that the sight of the left eye corresponds to truths which are of the understanding, and the right eye to affections of truth, which are also of the understanding; and consequently that the left eye corresponds to the truths of faith, and the right eye to the goods of faith. The reason why there is such a correspondence is that in the light which is from the Lord there is not only light, but also heat, the light itself being the truth which proceeds from the Lord, and the heat being the good.  It is from this, and also from the influx into the two hemispheres of the brain, that there exists such a correspondence; for those who are in good are on the Lord‘s right hand, and those who are in truth are on His left hand.

AC 4411. each and all things that are in the eye have their correspondences in the heavens, such as the three humors, the aqueous, the vitreous, and the crystalline; and not the humors only, but also the coats, and indeed every part.  The more interior things of the eye have correspondences more beautiful and more pleasant, but in a different manner in each heaven. When the light which proceeds from the Lord flows into the inmost or third heaven, it is there received as the good which is called charity; and when it flows into the middle or second heaven, both mediately and immediately, it is received as the truth which is from charity; but when this truth flows into the lowest or first heaven, mediately and immediately, it is received substantially, and appears there as a paradise, and in some places as a city in which are palaces.  Thus do the correspondences succeed one another even to the external sight of the angels.  It is similar with man, in his ultimate which is the eye this truth is presented materially by the sight, the objects of which are those of the visible world.  The man who is in love and charity, and consequently in faith, has his interiors of this quality, for he corresponds to the three heavens, and is a little heaven in effigy.

AC 4412. There was a certain person whom I had known in the bodily life, but whom I had not known in respect to his animus and interior affections.  He spoke with me several times in the other life, but for a while at a distance.  He usually showed himself by means of pleasant representatives, for he could present things which excited delight, such as colors of every kind and beautiful colored forms, could exhibit infants beautifully decorated like angels, and very many similar things that were pleasant and delightful.  He operated by a gentle and soft influx into the coat of the left eye.  By such means be insinuated himself into the affections of others, with the end to please and delight their life.  I was told by the angels that they who belong to the coats of the eye are of such a character, and that they communicate with the paradisal heavens, where truths and goods are represented in a substantial form, as stated above (n. 4411).

AC 4413. That the light of heaven has within it intelligence and wisdom, and that it is the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good from the Lord that appear as light before the eyes of the angels, it has been given me to know by a living experience.  I was taken up into a light that sparkled like the light radiating from diamonds; and while I was kept in it, I seemed to myself to be withdrawn from bodily ideas and to be brought into spiritual ideas, thus into those things which belong to the intelligence of truth and of good.  The ideas of thought which originated from the light of the world then appeared to be remote from me, and as it were not belonging to me, although they were present obscurely; and by this it was given me to know that in so far as anyone comes into the light of heaven, so far he comes into intelligence.  It is for this reason that the more intelligent the angels are, the greater and the brighter is the light in which they are.

AC 4414. The differences of light in the heavens are as many as are the angelic societies which constitute heaven, nay, they are as many as are the angels in each society.  The reason is that heaven is ordered in accordance with all the differences of good and truth, thus in accordance with all states of intelligence and wisdom, and consequently in accordance with the various receptions of the light which is from the Lord.  The result is that nowhere in the universal heaven is the light exactly the same as it is anywhere else in heaven, but on the contrary it differs according to the various ways in which it is tempered with a flaming or with a bright white quality, and also according to the various degrees of its intensity; for intelligence and wisdom are nothing but an eminent modification of the heavenly light which is from the Lord.

AC 4415. Souls newly arrived, or novitiate spirits that is, those who have been in the other life but a few days since the death of the body are very much surprised to find that there is light in the other life, for they carry with them the ignorance that supposes light to be exclusively from the sun and material flame. Still less do they know that there is any light which illumines the understanding, for in the bodily life they have not observed this, and even still less that this light confers the capacity to think, and by its influx into forms which are from the light of the world presents all things that are of the understanding. If these spirits have been good they are taken up into heavenly societies to be instructed, and are passed from one society to another, in order that they may perceive by living experience that there is light in the other life, and this more intense than is ever found in the world; and that they may at the same time take notice that in so far as they are in the light there, so far they are in intelligence.  Some who were taken up into the spheres of heavenly light spoke with me from thence, and confessed that they had never believed in any such thing, and that the light of the world is relatively darkness.  From that light they also looked through my eyes into the light of the world, and perceived it as nothing but a dark cloud, and in pity said that such is the light in which are men.  From what has been said it may also be seen why the angels of heaven are called in the Word ”angels of light;“ and also that the Lord is the Light, and consequently is the life for men (John 1:1-9; 8:12).

AC 4416. The quality of spirits in the other life is evident from the light in which they are, for as before said the light in which they see corresponds to the light by which they perceive.  They who have known truths and have also confirmed them with themselves, and yet have lived a life of evil, appear in a snowy light, but cold, like the light of winter; and when they approach those who are in the light of heaven, their light is then completely darkened, and becomes pitch-dark; and when they remove themselves from the light of heaven, there succeeds a yellow light as from sulphur, in which they appear like specters, and their truths like phantasms.  For their truths had been those of persuasive faith, which is of such a nature that they had believed because believing led to honor, gain, and reputation, and it was all the same to them what the truth was, provided it was received.

[2] But they who are in evil and thence in falsities, appear in a light like that of a charcoal fire. This light becomes quite dusky in the light of heaven; but the very lights from which they see are varied in accordance with the falsity and evil in which they are. This showed very plainly why those who lead a life of evil can never have faith in Divine truths from a sincere heart; for they are in that smoky light which, when heavenly light falls upon it, becomes dark to them, so that they see neither with their eyes nor with their mind; and besides they then fall into agonies, and some into a kind of swoon.  Hence it is that the evil cannot possibly receive truth, but only the good.

[3] The man who leads a life of evil cannot believe that he is in such a light, because he cannot see the light in which his spirit is, but only that in which is the sight of his eyes and from this his natural mind.  But if he could see the light of his spirit, and could make proof of what it would become if the light of truth and good from heaven were to flow into it, he would then very well know how far he is from receiving the things which are of this light, that is, those which are of faith, and how much further he is from becoming imbued with those which are of charity, thus how far distant he is from heaven.

AC 4417. I was once conversing with spirits concerning life that no one has any life from himself, but from the Lord, although he may seem to live from himself (n. 4320). First of all we spoke of what life is, namely, that it is to understand and to will; and as all understanding bears relation to truth, and all willing to good (n. 4409), that the intelligence of truth and the will of good are life.  But some reasoning spirits made reply (for there are spirits who are to be called reasoners, because they reason about everything as to whether it is so, and such are for the most part in obscurity in regard to all truth), and said that those who are in no intelligence of truth and will of good nevertheless live, and in fact they preeminently believe that they live.  But it was given to answer them that the life of the evil does indeed appear to them like life, but nevertheless it is the life which is called spiritual death, as they might know from the consideration that as to understand truth and to will good are life from the Divine, it follows that to understand falsity and to will evil cannot be life, because evils and falsities are contrary to life itself.

[2] To convince them they were shown the quality of their life, which when seen appeared like the light from a coal fire mingled with smoke.  When they are in this light, they cannot but suppose that the life of their thought and of their will is the only life there is, and this the more from the fact that the light of the intelligence of truth, which is that of life itself, cannot appear to them at all, for the moment they come into this light their own light becomes dark, so that they can see nothing at all, thus neither can they perceive anything.  They were further shown what was then the state of their life, by the withdrawal of the delight they had from what is false, which in the other life is effected by separating the associate spirits. On this being done they appeared with ghastly faces, like those of the dead, so that they might have been called images of death.  But as regards the life of animals, of the Lord’s Divine mercy this subject shall receive particular treatment.

AC 4418. They who are in the hells are said to be in darkness, but this is because they are in falsities; for as light corresponds to truth, so darkness corresponds to falsities.  As already said, they are in a light like that from a charcoal fire and of a sulphurous yellow, and this light is what is meant by ”darkness;“ for according to their light, and consequently according to their sight from it, is their understanding, because the two things correspond to each other.  It is called darkness also because these lights become darkness in the presence of heavenly light.

AC 4419. There was a spirit present with me whose extensive knowledge during his earthly life had occasioned him to believe that he was wiser than anyone else, which had resulted in his contracting the evil that wherever he was he wanted to direct everything.  He was sent to me by a certain society to serve them as a subject, that is, for communication (n. 4403); and also that they might get rid of him, because he was troublesome through his wanting to direct them from his own intelligence.  While he was with me it was given me to speak to him about intelligence from self, which I said so greatly prevails in the Christian world that it is believed that all intelligence is from this source, and therefore none is from God; although when people are speaking from their doctrinal beliefs they say that everything true and good is from heaven, thus from the Divine, consequently all intelligence, for this is of truth and good. But as the spirit would not attend to these things I said that he would do well to withdraw, because the sphere of his intelligence infested me; but being in the persuasion that he was pre-eminently intelligent, he would not do so

[2] He was then shown by angels what is the nature of intelligence from self, and what the nature of intelligence from the Divine, and this by means of lights, for in the other life such things are presented to view in a wonderful manner by means of variations of light. Intelligence from self was shown by a light which appeared as a fatuous light, surrounded by a dark border, and extending but a little distance from its focus; and it was further shown that this light is at once extinguished when it is looked at by an angelic society, exactly as is a fatuous light in the light or daytime of the sun.  He was then shown what is the quality of intelligence from the Divine, and this also by means of a light which was brighter and more full of light than the noonday light of the sun, and which also extended itself to every distance and terminated as does the light of the sun in the universe; and it was said that intelligence and wisdom enter from all sides into the sphere of this light, and cause truth and good to be perceived by an almost unlimited mental view; but this in accordance with the quality of the truth from good.

AC 4420. From all this it is evident that the things in man which are of the light of the world correspond to those which are of the light of heaven; consequently that the sight of the external man, which is of the eye, corresponds to the sight of the internal man, which is of the understanding; and also that in the other life the quality of the intelligence shows itself by means of lights.

AC 4421. A continuation concerning correspondence with the eye and with light will be found at the end of the following chapter.

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