AC GENESIS Chapter31

AC 3897. In accordance with the plan adopted it is now necessary to explain, as a preface to this chapter, what the Lord taught concerning the Last Judgment, or the last times of the church, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew.  Before the preceding chapter of Genesis there was explained what is contained in this chapter of Matthew from the nineteenth to the twenty-second verse.  Now follows what is contained in (Matthew 24:23-28).  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there, believe it not.  For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall give great signs and wonders, to lead astray if possible even the elect.  Behold I have told you before.  If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not out; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not.  For as the lightning cometh forth out of the east and appeareth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

AC 3898. What these words involve no one can know except from the internal sense--as that false Christs shall arise who shall give signs and wonders; and that if men should say that Christ is in the desert, they should not go out; and that if they should say that He is in the inner chambers, they should not believe it; and that the coming of the Son of man shall be as the lightning which cometh forth from the east and appeareth even unto the west; and also that wheresoever the carcass is, there also will the eagles be gathered together.  These things, like those which precede and that follow in this chapter, seem not to stand in any series as to the sense of the letter; but yet in the internal sense they are in a most beautiful series, which first becomes apparent when it is understood what is signified by ”false Christs;“ what by ”signs and wonders;“ what by the ”desert“ and the ”inner chambers;“ also what by the ”coming of the Son of man;“ and lastly what by the ”carcass“ and the ”eagles.“

[2] The reason why the Lord spoke in this manner was in order that the people might not understand the Word, lest they should profane it; for when the church has been vastated, as it then was with the Jews, if men understood it they would profane it; wherefore for the same reason the Lord also spoke by parables, as He Himself teaches in (Matthew 13:13-15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10).  For the Word cannot be profaned by those who do not know its mysteries; but by those who do (n. 301-303, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 3398, 3402) and more by those who appear to themselves learned than by those who seem to themselves unlearned.

[3] But the reason why the interiors of the Word are now being opened, is that the church at this day has been so far vastated (that is, is so devoid of faith and love) that although men know and understand, still they do not acknowledge, and much less believe (n. 3398, 3399), except a few who are in the life of good and are called the ”elect,“ who can now be instructed, and with whom a New Church is to be instituted.  But where these are, the Lord alone knows; there will be few within the church; it has been among the Gentiles that previous new churches have been set up (n. 2986).

AC 3899. In what precedes in this chapter of Matthew the successive vastation of the church has been treated of--that they should first begin no longer to know what good and truth are, but should dispute about them; next that they should despise them; thirdly that they should not acknowledge them; and fourthly that they should profane them (n. 3754).  The subject now treated of is the state of the church in respect to its quality at that time as to doctrine in general, and with those specifically who are in holy external worship, but in profane internal worship; that is, who with the mouth profess the Lord with holy reverence, but at heart worship themselves and the world, so that with them the worship of the Lord is a means of gaining honors and wealth.  In so far as these persons have acknowledged the Lord, and the heavenly life and faith, so far do they profane them when they become of such a character. This state of the church is now treated of, as may better appear from the internal sense of the Lord‘s words quoted above, which is as follows.

AC 3900. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there; believe it not; signifies an exhortation to beware of their doctrine.  ”The Christ“ is the Lord as to Divine truth, and hence as to the Word and as to doctrine from the Word.  That here the contrary is meant, namely, Divine truth falsified, or the doctrine of falsity is evident.  ”Jesus“ is Divine good, and ”Christ“ Divine truth, (n. 3004, 3005, 3008, 3009).

[2] For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets; signifies the falsities of that doctrine.  That false Christs” are doctrinal things from the Word falsified, or truths not Divine, is manifest from what has been said just above (n. 3010, 3732); and that “false prophets” are those who teach such falsities (n. 2534). In the Christian world they who teach falsities are especially those who have as their end their own pre-eminence, and the riches of the world; for they pervert the truths of the Word in their own favor; for when the love of self and of the world is the end, nothing else is thought of.  These are “false Christs and false prophets.” 

[3] And they shall give great signs and wonders; signifies things that confirm and persuade from external appearances and fallacies, by which the simple suffer themselves to be led astray.  That this is “giving signs and wonders,” will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. 

[4] To lead astray if possible even the elect; signifies those who are in the life of good and truth, and are consequently with the Lord.  These are they who in the Word are called the “elect.” In the company of those who veil over profane worship with what is holy, such are rarely seen; or if seen, they are not known; for the Lord hides them, and thus protects them.  For before they have been confirmed they suffer themselves to be easily led away by external sanctities; but after they have been confirmed they remain steadfast, being kept by the Lord in the company of angels, without knowing it; and it is then impossible for them to be led astray by that wicked crew. 

[5] Behold, I have told you before; signifies an exhortation to prudence, that is, to beware for they are among false prophets, who appear in sheep‘s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15). The “false prophets” are the sons of the age, who are more prudent in their generation (that is, more crafty) than the sons of light (Luke 16:8).  For which reason the Lord exhorts them in the words “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents and simple as doves” (Matt. 10:16).

[6] If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not; signifies that what they say about truth, and what they say about good, as well as many other things, are not to be believed. That this is what is signified, no one can see except the man who is acquainted with the internal sense.  That a mystery is contained in these words may be known from the fact that the Lord spoke them, and that without any other sense more interiorly hidden the words amount to nothing--namely, that if they should say that the Christ was in the desert they were not to go forth; and if they should say that He was in the inner chambers, they were not to believe it.  But it is vastated truth that is signified by the “desert;” and vastated good by the “inner chambers,” or secret recesses.  The reason why vastated truth is signified by the “desert,” is that when the church is vastated (that is, when there is no longer any Divine truth in it, because there is no longer any good, or love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor), it is then said to be a “desert,” or to be in a “desert;” for by a “desert” or “wilderness” is meant whatever is not cultivated or inhabited (n. 2708); also whatever has little life (n. 1927), as is then the case with truth in the church.  This shows that the “desert” here is a church in which there is no truth.

[7] But the “inner chambers,” or secret recesses, in the internal sense signify the church as to good, and also simply good.  The church that is in good is called the “house of God.” The “inner chambers,” and the things within the house, are goods. The “house of God” is Divine good; and a “house” in general, the good of love and charity, (n. 2233, 2234, 2559, 3142, 3652, 3720). The reason why that which men say about truth, and what they say about good, is not to be believed, is that they call falsity truth, and evil good; for they who regard themselves and the world as their end, understand nothing else by truth and good than that they themselves are to be adored, and are to receive benefits; and if they breathe forth piety, it is that they may appear in sheep’s clothing.

[8] Moreover as the Word spoken by the Lord contains innumerable things within it, and as “desert” or “ wilderness” is a word of wide signification, for all that is called a “wilderness” which is not cultivated and inhabited, and all interior things are called “inner chambers,” therefore by a “desert” is also signified the Word of the Old Testament, because this is regarded as abrogated; and by “inner chambers” the Word of the New Testament, because this teaches interior things, or those which concern the internal man.  So also the whole Word is called a “desert,” because it no longer serves for doctrinal things; and human institutions are called “inner chambers,” which, because they depart from the precepts and institutes of the Word, make the Word to be a “desert.” This is also known in the Christian world; for they who are in holy external and in profane internal worship, for the sake of innovations which look to their pre-eminence over all and their opulence above all as the ends in view, abrogate the Word, and this so far as not even to permit it to be read by others.  And although they who are not in such profane worship hold the Word to be holy, and permit it to be among the people, they nevertheless bend and explain all things therein in favor of their doctrinal matters, which causes the rest of what is in the Word, and which is not in accordance with their doctrinal matters, to be a “desert.” This may be sufficiently evident from the case of those who make salvation to consist in faith alone, and hold in contempt the works of charity.  All that the Lord Himself has spoken in the New Testament, and so many times in the Old, concerning love and charity, they make as a “desert;” and all the things that belong to faith without works, they make as “inner chambers.” It is manifest from this what is signified by the words, “If they say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not.”

[9] For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and appeareth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be; signifies that it was with the internal worship of the Lord as with lightning, which is instantly dissipated.  For by the “lightening” is signified that which is of heavenly light, and thus that which is preached about love and faith, because these are of heavenly light.  In the supreme sense the “east” is the Lord; and in the internal sense, the good of love, of charity, and of faith from the Lord (n. 101, 1250, 3249).  But the “west” in the internal sense is that which has gone down or has ceased to be; thus it signifies no acknowledgment of the Lord, nor of the good of love, charity, and faith; and so the lightning that cometh out of the east and appeareth even unto the west denotes dissipation.  The coming of the Lord is not according to the letter, that He is to appear again in the world; but it is His presence in everyone; and this exists whenever the gospel is preached and what is holy is thought of. 

[10] For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; signifies that confirmations of falsity by means of reasonings will be multiplied in the vastated church.  When the church is without the good and consequently without the truth of faith (that is, when it has been vastated), it is said to be “dead,” for its life is from good and truth; and hence when dead it is compared to a carcass.“ Reasonings concerning goods and truths that make these out to be nothing except in so far as they are apprehended, and confirmations of evil and falsity thereby, are the ”eagles,“ as is evident from that which now follows. That the ”carcass“ here is the church devoid of the life of charity and faith, is manifest from the words of the Lord in Luke, where He speaks of the consummation of the age:--

The disciples said, Where Lord? (that is, the consummation of the age, or the Last Judgment). And He said unto them, Where the body is, thither will the eagles also be gathered together (Luke 17:37).

”Body“ here stands in place of ”carcass,“ for it is a dead body that is meant, and it signifies the church for that the Judgment was to commence from the house of God or from the church, is evident from various passages in the Word.  This is what is signified in the internal sense by the Lord‘s words now adduced and unfolded.  That they are in a most beautiful series, although this does not appear in the sense of the letter, must be evident to anyone who contemplates them in their connection according to the explication.

AC 3901. The reason why the last state of the church is compared to ”eagles“ gathered together to a ”carcass,“ or to a ”body,“ is that by ”eagles“ are signified man’s rational things, which when predicated of the good, are true rational things; but when predicated of the evil, are false rational things or reasonings.  ”Birds“ in general signify man‘s thoughts, in both senses good and bad (n. 40, 745, 776, 866, 991, 3219); and every species has a special signification.  As eagles fly high and are sharp-sighted, they signify rational things.  That this is the case may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which in confirmation we may adduce the following.  First, where they signify true rational things; in Moses:--

Jehovah found His people in a desert land, and in emptiness, in wailing, in solitude: He led him about, He instructed him, he kept him as the pupil of the eye; as the eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth out her wings, taketh him, beareth him upon her wings (Deut. 32:10, 11).

Instruction in the truths and goods of faith is what is here described, and is compared to the ”eagle.“  The very process until man becomes rational and spiritual, is contained in the description and comparison.  The comparisons in the Word are all made by means of significatives thus here by the ”eagle,“ which is the rational. 

[2] In the same: Jehovah said to Moses:--

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and bare you up upon eagles wings, that I might bring you unto Myself (Exod. 19:3, 4);

denoting the same.  In Isaiah:--

They that wait upon Jehovah shall be renewed in strength, they shall mount up with strong wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isa. 40:31);

”to be renewed in strength“ is to grow as to the willing of good; and ”to mount up with strong wing as eagles“ is to grow as to the understanding of truth, thus as to the rational.  The subject is set forth here as elsewhere by two expressions, one of which involves the good which is of the will, and the other the truth which is of the understanding; and the case is the same with the expressions, ”they shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.“

[3] In Ezekiel:--

Speak a parable about the house of Israel, and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, A great eagle, with long pinions, full of feathers, that had embroidery, came upon Lebanon, and took a twig of the cedar; he carried it into a land of traffic, he set it in a city of spice merchants.  It grew, and became a spreading vine.  There was another great eagle, with great and many feathers; and behold this vine did bend its roots toward him, and sent forth its branches toward him, that he might water it from the beds of its plantations in a good field, by many waters; but it shall be laid waste.  He sent his ambassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and much people (Ezek. 17:2-9, 15).

The ”eagle“ first mentioned denotes the rational enlightened by the Divine; the ”eagle“ mentioned in the second place denotes the rational from what is man’s own, afterwards become perverted through reasonings from sensuous things and memory-knowledges.  ”Egypt“ denotes memory-knowledges, (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); ”horses“ the intellectual from them, (n. 2761, 2762, 3217).

[4] In Daniel:--

The vision of Daniel: Four beasts came up out of the sea, diverse one from another; the first was like a lion, and had eagle‘s wings.  I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand upon its feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it (Daniel 7:3, 4).

The first state of the church is what is here described by a ”lion that had eagle‘s wings;“ and the ”eagle’s wings“ here are rational things from what is man‘s own, on the taking away of which they were given rational and voluntary things from the Divine, which are signified by its ”being taken up from the earth, and made to stand upon its feet like a man, and having a man’s heart given to it.“

[5] In Ezekiel, in the description of the likeness of the faces of the four living creatures, or cherubs:--

They had the face of a man, and they four had the face of a lion on the right side, and they four had the face of an ox on the left side, and they four had the face of an eagle (Ezek. 1:10).

As for the wheels they were called Galgal, and everyone had four faces; the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle (Ezek. 10:13, 14).

In John:--

Round about the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind; the first living creature was like a lion; and the second living creature was like a calf; and the third living creature had a face as a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle (Rev. 4:6, 7).

That the living creatures thus seen signify Divine arcana, is evident; and consequently so does the ”likeness of their faces;“ but what arcana in particular are signified cannot be known unless it is known what in the internal sense is a ”lion,“ a ”calf,“ a ”man,“ and an ”eagle.“ That the ”face of an eagle“ is circumspection and consequently Providence is manifest; for the cherubs represented by the living creatures in Ezekiel signify the Providence of the Lord lest man should enter into the mysteries of faith from himself and his own rational (n. 308). This shows that when it is predicated of man, the ”eagle“ is in the internal sense the rational; and this for the reason that the eagle flies high, and from above has a wide view of the things that are below.

[6] In Job:--

Does the hawk fly by thine intelligence, and stretch her wings toward the south? Does the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? (Job 39:26, 27);

it is evident that the ”eagle“ here is reason, which is of intelligence.  Such was the signification of the ”eagle“ in the Ancient Church; for the book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church (n. 3540).  Almost all the books of that period were written by means of significatives; but in process of time the significatives have become so completely forgotten that it is not even known that ”birds“ in general denote thoughts, although they are so frequently mentioned in the Word and it appears quite plain that they have another meaning.

[7] That in the opposite sense an ”eagle“ signifies rational things that are not true, and thus false, is evident from the following passages.  In Moses:--

Jehovah shall bring upon thee a nation from far from the end of the earth, as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou hearest not, a nation hard in faces (Deut. 28:49, 50).

In Jeremiah:--

Behold he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us!  for we are laid waste (Jer. 4:13).

In the same:--

Thy boasting hath deceived thee, the pride of thy heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill; because thou makest thy nest as high as the eagle I will bring thee down from thence.  Behold he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread out his wings above Bozrah; and the heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs (Jer. 49:16, 22).

In the same:--

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles; they chased us upon the mountains; they laid wait for us in the wilderness (Lam. 4:19).

In Micah:--

Make thee bald, and poll thee for the sons of thy delights; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee (Micah 1:16).

In Obadiah:--

Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence (Obadiah 1:4).

In Habakkuk:--

I am stirring up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that marcheth through the breadths of the land to inherit dwelling-places that are not theirs.  Their horses are swifter than eagles  ; their horsemen come from far, they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour (Habakkuk 1:6, 8).

[8] By ”eagles“ in these passages is signified falsity induced by reasonings, which is induced from the fallacies of the senses and external appearances.  That by the ”Chaldeans“ in the Prophet last cited are signified those who are in a holy external, but interiorly in falsity, may be seen above (n. 1368); also that they who vastate the church are like Babylon (n. 1327); that the ”breadths of the land“ denote truths (n. 3433, 3434).  Vastation is signified by ”marching through the breadths of the land.“ Their ”horses“ are their intellectual things, which are similar (n. 2761, 2762, 3217).  What the ”eagle hastening to devour“ signifies, is thus evident, namely, the desolation of man in respect to truths; for the desolation of the church is there treated of.  Comparisons are here made with eagles; but as before said, the comparisons in the Word are made by means of significatives.  From all this we can now see what is signified by the comparison with the ”eagles that will be gathered together to the carcass.“

1. And Rachel saw that she did not bare to Jacob, and Rachel was zealous against her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me sons; and if not, I am dead.

2. And Jacob was kindled with anger against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God‘s stead, who withholdeth from thee the fruit of the belly?

3. And she said, Behold my maidservant Bilhah, come to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and I shall be built, even I, from her.

4. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid for a woman, and Jacob came to her.

5. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice, and hath given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan.

7. And she conceived again, and Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob.

8. And Rachel said, with the wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali.

9. And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing; and she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob for a woman.

10. And Zilpah Leah‘s handmaid bare Jacob a son.

11. And Leah said, A troop cometh; and she called his name Gad.

12. And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob.

13. And Leah said, In my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher.

14. And Reuben went in the days of wheat-harvest, and found dudaim in the field, and brought them unto Leah his mother.  And Rachel said to Leah, Give me I pray of thy son‘s dudaim.

15. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man, and wouldest thou take also my son’s dudaim?  And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son‘s dudaim.

16. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come to me, for hiring I have hired thee with my son’s dudaim; and he lay with her that night.

17. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bare Jacob a fifth son.

18. And Leah said, God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man; and she called his name Issachar.  19.  And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob.

20. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my man dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun.

21. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

23. And she conceived, and bare a son, and said, God hath gathered my reproach.

24. And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let Jehovah add to me another son.

25. And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, and I will go to my place and to my land.

26. Give me my females, and my children, for whom I have served thee, and I will go; for thou knowest my service, wherewith I have served thee.

27. And Laban said unto him, If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, I have tested it, and Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake.

28. And he said, Signify to me thy reward, and I will give it.

29. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy substance has been with me.

30. For it was little that thou hadst before me, and it hath burst forth into a multitude, and Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot; and now when shall I also be doing for mine own house?

31. And he said, What shall I give thee?  And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this word for me, I will return, and feed and keep thy flock.

32. I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my reward.

33. And my righteousness shall answer for me on the morrow, because thou comest upon my reward before thee; everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, stolen is this with me.

34. And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35. And he removed that day the he-goats that were partycolored and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, everyone that had white in it, and all the black among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36. And he set a way of three days between himself and Jacob; and Jacob fed the rest of Laban‘s flocks.

37. And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar, and hazel, and plane-tree, and peeled white peelings on them, laying bare the white that was upon the rods.

38. And he set the rods which he had peeled in the gutters, in the watering troughs, whither the flocks came to drink, over against the flocks; and they grew warm when they came to drink.

39. And the flocks grew warm at the rods, and the flocks brought forth partycolored, speckled, and spotted.

40. And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the partycolored and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put for himself droves for himself alone, and put them not unto Laban’s flock.

41. And it came to pass in every growing warm of the flock that came together first, that Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that it might grow warm at the rods.

42. And to the flock that came together later he did not set them; and those that came together later were Laban‘s, and those that came together first were Jacob’s.

43. And the man spread himself abroad exceeding greatly, and he had many flocks, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

AC 3902. In the preceding chapter by the four sons of Jacob from Leah there was described the state of the church, or of the man who is becoming a church, as to the ascent from the truth which is of faith to the good which is of love.  In this chapter, by Jacob‘s sons from the maidservants of Rachel and Leah, and from Leah, and lastly from Rachel, there is described the conjunction of natural truth with spiritual good through means, and this in the order in which it is effected in the man who is being regenerated.

AC 3903. After this conjunction there is described the fructification and multiplication of truth and good, which is signified by the flock that Jacob procured for himself by means of the flock of Laban.

AC 3904. Verses 1, 2. And Rachel saw that she did not bear to Jacob, and Rachel was zealous against her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me sons; and if not, I am dead.  And Jacob was kindled with anger against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who withholdeth from thee the fruit of the belly? ”And Rachel saw that she did not bear to Jacob,“ signifies that interior truth was not yet acknowledged; ”and Rachel was zealous against her sister,“ signifies indignation that it was not acknowledged as was external truth; ”and she said unto Jacob, Give me sons,“ signifies that there was a desire to have interior truths from the good of natural truth; ”and if not, I am dead,“ signifies that thus there would be no rising again; ”and Jacob was kindled with anger against Rachel,“ signifies indignation on the part of natural good; ”and he said, Am I in God‘s stead,“ signifies that it was impossible for it; ”who withholdeth from thee the fruit of the belly,“ signifies that this must be from the internal.

AC 3905. And Rachel saw that she did not bear to Jacob.  That this signifies that interior truth was not yet acknowledged, is evident from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth, or interior truth itself (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being to acknowledge in faith and also in act and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of natural truth (n. 3669, 3677, 3829), and in the whole of the preceding chapter.  The reason why ”to bear“ is to acknowledge in faith and also in act, is that by ”births“ in the Word are signified spiritual births (n. 1145, 1255, 3860, 3868). Spiritual birth is the acknowledgment of and faith in truth and good; here, the acknowledgment in faith and also in act, namely, of the interior truth represented by Rachel.  As nothing is acknowledged in faith until the man lives according to it, it is for this reason said, ”the acknowledgment in faith and also in act.“ Truths of faith which are not learned for the sake of doing, but only for the sake of knowing them, join themselves to the affections of evil and falsity; for which reason they are not of faith with the man who has learned them, but are interiorly contrary to faith.

AC 3906. And Rachel was zealous against her sister. That this signifies indignation that it was not acknowledged as was external truth, is evident from the signification of ”being zealous,“ as being expressive of indignation, and this because she did not bear as Leah did from the representation of Rachel, as being interior truth (n. 3905); and from the signification of a ”sister,“ who here is Leah, as being external truth. ”Leah“ is external truth, (n. 3793, 3819). With those who are being regenerated the case is this: They learn to know what internal truth is, but at first do not acknowledge it with such faith as to live according to it.  For internal truths are conjoined with spiritual affection, which cannot inflow until external truths have been adapted to correspondence with the internal.

[2] Take for example this internal truth: All good is from the Lord, and that which is of man’s own is not good.  In the beginning of regeneration this may be known, but yet is not acknowledged in faith and also in act; for to acknowledge it in faith and in act is to have a perception that it is so, and an affection to will it to be so; and this in every act of good; and is also to have a perception that good from what is man‘s own cannot but have regard for self, and thus to the preference of self above others, and consequently a contempt for others, and moreover a feeling of self-merit in the good that we do.  These things are within external truth before internal truth has been conjoined with it; and this cannot be conjoined until regard for self begins to cease, and regard for the neighbor begins to be felt.  From this it is evident what is meant by ”indignation that internal truth was not yet acknowledged as was external truth.“

AC 3907. And she said unto Jacob, Give me sons.  That this signifies a desire to have interior truths from the good of natural truth, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of natural truth (n. 3905); and from the signification of ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623); here interior truths because from Rachel, by whom is represented interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819).

AC 3908. And if not, I am dead.  That this signifies that thus there would he no rising again, is evident from the signification of ”dying,“ as being not to rise again into life.  In ancient times wives called themselves ”dead“ when they did not bring forth a son or a daughter; and they also believed themselves to be so, because no memory of them, or as it were no life, would be left to posterity.  Their so calling and believing themselves was indeed for worldly causes; but as every cause comes forth from a cause prior to itself, and thus everything of cause in the natural world from a cause in the spiritual world, so also does this.  The cause in the spiritual world was the heavenly marriage of good and truth, in which there are no other births than truths of faith and goods of charity. These there are ”sons and daughters,“ and are also signified by ”sons and daughters“ in the Word.  Whoever has not these births, that is, truths of faith and goods of charity, is as it were dead, that is, is among the dead who do not rise again to life or heaven.  From this we may see what is signified by these words of Rachel: ”If not, I am dead.“

AC 3909.  And Jacob was kindled with anger against Rachel. That this signifies indignation on the part of natural good, is evident from the signification of ”being kindled with anger,“ as being to be indignant; and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural.  It is said ”against Rachel,“ because the interior truth represented by Rachel could not as yet be acknowledged in faith and act by the good of the natural which is ”Jacob.“ That in the internal sense ”to be kindled with anger“ denotes to be indignant, is because every natural affection on ascending toward the interiors, or toward heaven, becomes more mild, and is at last changed into a heavenly affection.  For the things that stand forth in the sense of the letter (as here ”to be kindled with anger“) are relatively harsh, because they are natural and corporeal, but they become mild and gentle as they are elevated from the corporeal and natural man to the internal or spiritual man.  This is the reason why the literal sense is of this nature, being accommodated to the apprehension of the natural man; and why the spiritual sense is not of such a nature, being accommodated to the apprehension of the spiritual man.  This shows that ”to be kindled with anger“ signifies to be indignant. Real spiritual indignation (and especially celestial indignation) derives nothing from the anger of the natural man, but from the interior essence of zeal; which zeal does indeed appear in the outward form like anger, but in internal form is not anger, nor even the indignation of anger; but is a certain sadness that is attended with a prayerful wish that it be not so; and in a form still more interior it is merely a certain obscure feeling that breaks in on the celestial delight on account of something not good and true in another.

AC 3910. And he said, Am I in God’s stead?  That this signifies that it was impossible for it, is evident from the signification of ”not being in God‘s stead,“ as being to be impossible; for ”God“ is named in the Word from ability or power; but ”Jehovah“ from being or essence (n. 300).  For this reason ”God“ is mentioned when the subject is truth, and ”Jehovah“ when it is good (n. 2769, 2807, 2822); for ability is predicated of truth when being is predicated of good; for good has power through truth, inasmuch as it is through truth that good performs everything that comes to pass.  From this we can see that by the words, ”am I in God’s stead?“ there is signified in the internal sense that it was impossible for it.

AC 3911. Who withholdeth from thee the fruit of the belly. That this signifies that this must be from the internal, is evident from the signification that results from the internal sense of the words for in the internal sense the ”fruit of the belly“ signifies the like as ”birth,“ namely, the acknowledgment of truth and good in faith and in act (n. 3905); and what is more, the consequent conjunction of truth and good.  This acknowledgment and conjunction cannot come forth from the external man, but from the internal; for all good inflows from the Lord through the internal man into the external, and there adopts the truths that are insinuated by means of the sensuous things of the external man, and causes the man to acknowledge them in faith and act, and causes them to be adjoined and thus appropriated to the man.  That all good inflows from the Lord through the internal man into the truths gathered in the memory of the external man, has been repeatedly shown before. This is what is meant by the explication of the words before us--that this must be from the internal.

AC 3912. Verses 3-5. And she said, Behold my maidservant Bilhah, come to her and she shall bear upon my knees, and I shall be built, even I from her.  And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid for a woman, and Jacob came to her.  And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.  ”And she said, Behold my maidservant Bilhah,“ signifies the affirming means there is between natural truth and interior truth; ”come to her,“ signifies that with this there is the faculty of conjunction; ”and she shall bear upon my knees,“ signifies acknowledgment in the affection of interior truth, from which there is conjunction; ”and I shall be built, even I, from her,“ signifies that thereby this affection has life; ” and she gave him Bilhah her hand-maid for a woman,“ signifies that the affirmative means was adjoined; ”and Jacob came to her,“ signifies that it was conjoined; ”and Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son,“ signifies reception and acknowledgment.

AC 3913. And she said, Behold my maidservant Bilhah. That this signifies the affirming means which there is between natural truth and interior truth, is evident from the signification of a ”maidservant“ and also of a ”handmaid“ as being the affection of the knowledges that belong to the exterior man (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849); and because this affection is the means for conjoining interior truths with natural or external truths, by ”handmaid“ is here signified the affirming means between them: and from the representation of Bilhah, as being the quality of this means.  By the handmaids given to Jacob by Rachel and Leah for women to the intent that they might bring forth offspring, nothing else was represented and signified in the internal sense, than such a thing as is of service here, for a means of the conjunction of interior truth with external truth; for by Rachel is represented interior truth, and by Leah external truth (n. 3793, 3819).  For by the twelve sons of Jacob are here described the twelve general or cardinal things by means of which while being regenerated or made a church, man is initiated into what is spiritual and celestial.  For when a man is being regenerated, or made a church (that is, when from a dead man he is becoming alive, or from corporeal heavenly), he is led by the Lord through many states.  These general states are what are designated by the ”twelve sons,“ and afterwards by the ”twelve tribes;“ for which reason the ”twelve tribes“ signify all things of faith and love, as may be seen above (n. 3858); for generals involve all the particulars and singulars, and these latter bear relation to the former.

[2] When a man is being regenerated, the internal man is to be conjoined with the external, consequently the goods and truths of the internal man with the goods and truths of the external; for from truths and goods man is man.  These cannot be conjoined without means.  Means are such things as derive something from the one side, and something from the other, and which are attended with the effect that in so far as the man accedes to the one, the other becomes subordinate.  These means are what are signified by the ”handmaids,“ the means on the part of the internal man by the handmaids of Rachel; and the means on the part of the external man by the handmaids of Leah.

[3] That there must be means of conjunction may be seen from the fact that of itself the natural man does not in the least agree with the spiritual man, but disagrees so far as to be altogether opposite. For the natural man regards and loves himself and the world; but the spiritual man does not regard himself and the world, except in so far as is conducive to the promotion of uses in the spiritual world; and thus regards its service and loves it from the use and end.  The natural man seems to himself to have life when he is elevated to dignities, and thus to super-eminence over others; but the spiritual man seems to himself to have life in humility, and in being the least.  Nor does he disregard dignities, provided that by them as means he can be of service to his neighbor, to the community, and to the church.  Yet he does not reflect for the sake of himself upon the dignities to which he is elevated, but for the sake of the uses which he regards as the ends.  The natural man is in his bliss when he is richer than others, and possesses the world‘s wealth; but the spiritual man is in his bliss when he is in the knowledges of truth and good, which are his riches; and still more when he is in the practice of good according to truths; and yet he does not despise riches, because by means of them he can be in that practice, and in the world.

[4] From these few considerations it is evident that the state of the natural man and that of the spiritual man are opposed to each other by their ends but that nevertheless they can be conjoined, which takes place when the things of the external man are made subordinate and subservient to the ends of the internal man.  In order therefore that a man may become spiritual, it is necessary for the things of the external man to be reduced to compliance; thus that the ends in favor of self and the world be put off; and ends in favor of the neighbor and the Lord’s kingdom be put on.  The former can by no means he put off and the latter put on, and thus the two he conjoined, except through means.  These means are what are signified by the ”handmaids,“ and in particular by the ”four sons“ born of the hand-maids.

[5] The first means is one that affirms or is affirmative of internal truth--that it is so.  When this affirmative comes, the man is in the beginning of regeneration; good is being worked by the internal, and causes the affirmation.  This good cannot inflow into what is negative, nor even into what is full of doubt, until this becomes affirmative.  But afterwards it manifests itself by affection, that is, by the man‘s being affected with truth, or beginning to be delighted with it; first in knowing it, and then in acting according to it.  Take for example the truth that the Lord is the salvation for the human race. Unless this is made affirmative by the man, all the things he has learned from the Word or in the church concerning the Lord, and that are in his natural memory among the memory-knowledges, cannot be conjoined with his internal man, that is, with what can be there of faith.  Thus neither can affection flow in, not even into the generals of that truth which are conducive to man’s salvation.  But when it becomes affirmative, innumerable things are added, and are filled with the good that flows in; for good continually flows in from the Lord, but where there is no affirmative, it is not received. An affirmative is therefore the first means, and is as it were the first abode of the good that flows in from the Lord.  The same is the case with all the other truths that are called truths of faith.

AC 3914. Come to her.  That this signifies that with this there is the faculty of conjunction, is evident from the signification of ”coming to anyone,“ when what is matrimonial is referred to, as being conjunction; here the faculty of conjunction with the affirmative; for the first of conjunction must be with the affirmative--that it is so.

AC 3915. And she shall bear upon my knees.  That this signifies acknowledgment in the affection of interior truth, from which there is conjunction, is evident from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being to acknowledge in faith and act (n. 3905); and from the signification of ”knees,“ or ”thighs,“ as being the things that belong to conjugial love (n. 3021); thus the things that belong to the conjunction of the truth of faith with the good of love; for this conjunction is the very conjugial principle in the Lord‘s kingdom.  Thus ”bearing upon my knees“ signifies an acknowledgment of the interior truth represented by Rachel.  The custom among the ancients of sons and daughters being acknowledged as legitimate who were born of handmaids by consent of the wife, and brought forth upon her knees in order that they might be acknowledged, was derived from the Ancient Church, whose worship consisted in rituals that were representative and significative of celestial and spiritual things.  In that church, because ”bearing“ signified the acknowledgment of truth, and ”knees“ conjugial love, thus the conjunction of good and truth from affection, such a ritual was accepted when the wife was barren, to the intent that she might not represent the dead who do not rise again to life (n. 3908).

[2] In the internal sense by these words there is signified a second degree of affirmation or acknowledgment, which is from affection; for in order that the conjunction may take place, there must be affection within the acknowledgment or affirmation; for all conjunction is effected by means of affection, because without affection truths have no life.  For example: to know the truths that the neighbor must be loved, and that charity consists in this, and in charity spiritual life, is bare memory-knowledge, unless attended with affection, that is, unless they are willed from the heart.  Without affection these truths do not live, and however well anyone knows them, he nevertheless does not love his neighbor, but himself more than him, and he is in natural life, but not in spiritual life.  It is natural affection that rules over spiritual affection, and so long as natural affection rules, the man is called ”dead,“ for he has a life contrary to heavenly life, and heavenly life is the veriest life.

AC 3916. And I shall be built, even I from her.  That this signifies that thereby this affection has life, is evident from the signification of ”being built“ as being not to die (n. 3908), and consequently to rise again, or live.

AC 3917. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid for a woman. That this signifies that the affirmative means was adjoined, is evident from the representation of Bilhah, and from the signification of ”handmaid,“ as being an affirmative means (n. 3913); and from the signification of ”giving for a woman,“ as being to adjoin.

AC 3918. And Jacob came to her. That this signifies that it was conjoined, is evident from the signification of ”coming or entering in unto“ anyone, when predicated of what is matrimonial, as being conjunction (n. 3914).

AC 3919. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.  That this signifies reception and acknowledgment, is evident from the signification of ”conceiving,“ as being reception; and from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being acknowledgment (n. 3860, 3868, 3905, 3911); for in the spiritual sense conceptions and births are receptions of truth from good, and the consequent acknowledgments.

AC 3920. Verse 6. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice, and hath given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan.  ”And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice,“ signifies in the supreme sense justice and mercy; in the internal sense, the holy of faith; and in the external sense, the good of life; ”and hath given me a son,“ signifies that this truth was acknowledged; ”therefore she called his name Dan,“ signifies its quality.

AC 3921. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice.  That this signifies in the supreme sense justice and mercy; in the internal sense, the holy of faith; and in the external sense, the good of life, is evident from the signification of ”God judging me,“ and from that of ”hearing my voice.“ That ”God judging me“ signifies the Lord’s justice, is evident without explication, as also that His ”hearing my voice“ is mercy for the Lord judges all from justice, and hears all from mercy.  He judges from justice because from Divine truth, and He hears from mercy because from Divine good; from justice He judges those who do not receive the Divine good; and from mercy He hears those who do.  But still when He judges from justice, it is also at the same time from mercy; for in all Divine justice there is mercy, as in Divine truth there is Divine good. But as these are arcana too deep to be told in a few words, they will of the Lord‘s Divine mercy be more fully explained elsewhere.

[2] That by ”God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice“ is meant in the internal sense the holy of faith, is because faith, which is predicated of truth, corresponds to the Divine justice; and the holy, which is good, to the Divine mercy of the Lord; and further, ”to judge“ or ”judgment“ is predicated of the truth of faith (n. 2235); and because it is said of God that He ”judged,“ it denotes what is good or holy. Thus it is evident that the holy of faith is what is signified by both these expressions together; and as this one whole is signified by both of them together, the two expressions are joined together by ”and also.“ That in the external sense the good of life is signified, is also from correspondence, for the good of life corresponds to the holy of faith.  That without the internal sense it cannot be known what is signified by ”God hath judged me and also hath heard,“ is evident from the fact that the expressions do not so cohere in the sense of the letter as to present one idea to the understanding.

[3] The reason why in this verse, and in the following down to ”Joseph,“ ”God“ is named, and in the preceding verses, ”Jehovah,“ is that in these verses the regeneration of the spiritual man is treated of, but in the preceding ones the regeneration of the celestial man; for ”God“ is named when the subject is the good of faith, which is of the spiritual man but ”Jehovah“ when the subject is the good of love, which is of the celestial man (n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822).  For by Judah, to when the narrative was brought down in the preceding chapter, there was represented the celestial man (n. 3881); but by Joseph, to whom it is continued in this chapter, the spiritual man, who is treated of in the (verses 23, 24).  That ”Jehovah“ was named when the narrative was brought down to Judah, may be seen in (verses 32, 33, 35) in the preceding chapter; that ”God“ is named where it is continued to Joseph, may be seen in (verses 6, 8, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23) of the present chapter; and ”Jehovah“ is again named afterwards, because the subject proceeds from the spiritual man to the celestial.  This is the secret which lies hidden in these words, and which no one can know except from the internal sense, and unless also he knows what the celestial man is, and what the spiritual.

AC 3922. And hath given me a son.  That this signifies that this truth was acknowledged, is evident from the signification of a ”son,“ as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147) and from the signification of ”giving a son,“ as being to give this truth, which is the same as to acknowledge it; for every truth that is acknowledged is given by the Lord.  ”Giving a son“ involves the same as ”bearing;“ and that ”bearing“ is acknowledgment may be seen above (n. 3905, 3915, 3919).

AC 3923. Therefore she called his name Dan.  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of a ”name“ and of ”calling a name,“ as being quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421).  The quality itself is within the name ”Dan,“ for he was so called from ”judging.“ But though the name was given to him from ”judging,“ it nevertheless involves what is signified by all these words of Rachel:  ”God hath judged me, and also hath heard my voice,“ that is, the good of life, and the holy of faith, and also in the supreme sense the justice and mercy of the Lord.  It is this general principle of the church that is signified by ”Dan,“ and that is represented by the tribe named from Dan.  This general principle is the first that is to be affirmed or acknowledged, before a man can be regenerated or made a church.  Unless these things are affirmed and acknowledged, the rest of the things both of faith and of life cannot possibly be receiveth, and therefore cannot be affirmed, still less acknowledged.  For he who affirms mere faith with himself, and not the holy of faith, that is, charity (for this is the holy of faith), and does not affirm this by the good of life, that is, by the works of charity, can no longer have a relish for the essence of faith, because he rejects it.  Affirmation together with acknowledgment is the first general principle with the man who is being regenerated, but is the last with him who has been regenerated; and therefore ”Dan“ is the first with hint who is to be regenerated, and ”Joseph“ is the last; for ”Joseph“ is the spiritual man himself. But ”Joseph“ is the first with him who has been regenerated, and ”Dan“ the last; because the man who is to be regenerated commences from the affirmation that it is so, namely, the holy of faith and the good of life.  But the regenerate man, who is spiritual, is in spiritual good itself, and from this he regards such affirmation as last; for with him the holy things of faith and goods of life have been confirmed.

[2] That ”Dan“ is the affirmative which must be the first thing when a man is being regenerated, may also be seen from other passages in the Word where ”Dan“ is named; as from the prophecy of Jacob, then Israel, respecting his sons:--

Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel; Dan shall be a serpent upon the way, an adder upon the path, that biteth the horse’s heels, and his rider falleth backward. I wait for thy salvation, O Jehovah (Gen. 49:16-18).

”Dan“ here denotes the affirmative of truth, concerning which it is said that it will be ”a serpent upon the way, and an adder upon the path,“ when anyone reasons about truth from sensuous things; ”biting the horse‘s heels,“ when it consults the lowest intellectual things or memory-knowledges, and draws conclusions from them; and that it is then led away from the truth, is signified by ”his rider falling backward;“ for which reason it is said, ”I wait for thy salvation, O Jehovah.“ That the ”serpent“ is the man who reasons from sensuous things and memory-knowledges concerning Divine arcana, may be seen above (n. 195-197); and that ”way“ and ”path“ signify truth (n. 627, 2333); and that the ”horse’s heels“ are the lowest intellectual things or memory-knowledges (n. 259); for a ”horse“ is the intellectual (n. 2761, 2762); the lowest part of which is the ”heel.“

[3] Again in the prophecy of Moses concerning the twelve tribes:--

Of Dan he said, Dan is a lion‘s whelp, he leapeth forth from Bashan (Deut. 33:22);

a ”lion“ in the internal sense of the Word signifies the truth of the church, from his strength, for truth is that which fights and conquers; hence a ”lion’s whelp“ denotes the first of truth, which is affirmation and acknowledgment.  It is said ”from Bashan,“ because it is from the good of the natural.  In Jeremiah:--

Wash thine heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved.  How long makest thou the thoughts of thine iniquity to lodge in the midst of thee? For a voice declareth from Dan, and causeth to hear iniquity from Mount Ephraim (Jer. 4:14, 15);

”from Dan,“ denotes the truth that is to be affirmed; ”from Mount Ephraim,“ that it is from the affection of it.

[4] In the same:--

Wait for peace, but there is no good; and for a time of healing, and behold terror.  The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighings of his strong ones the whole land trembled and they came and devoured the land and the fulness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein.  For behold I will send among you serpents, basilisks, against which there is no enchantment, and they shall bite you (Jer. 8:15-17);

”the snorting of horses heard from Dan“ denotes reasoning concerning truth from what is non-affirmative; the ”land that trembled,“ and their ”devouring the fulness thereof,“ denotes the church and all the things of the church; for they who reason concerning truth from what is non-affirmative (that is, negative) destroy all things of faith; the ”basilisk serpents“ denote reasonings, as above.

[5] In Ezekiel:--

Dan and Javan coming in gave bright iron in thy fairs; cassia and calamus were in thy trading (Ezek. 27:19);

where Tyre is the subject treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of truth and good (n. 1201).  ”Dan“ denotes the first truths that are affirmed; ”fairs“ and ”trading,“ the acquisitions of truth and good (n. 2967); the ”bright iron,“ natural truth which is the first (n. 425, 426); ”cassia and calamus,“ natural truth from which there is good.

[6] In Amos:--

In that day shall the fair virgins and the young men faint for thirst. They that swear by the guilt of Samaria, and have said, Thy God O Dan liveth; and the way of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and shall rise up no more (Amos 8:13, 14);

”thy God O Dan liveth, and the way of Beer-sheba liveth,“ denotes that they are in the denial of all things of faith and its doctrine. ”Way“ denotes truth, (n. 627, 2333); and ”Beer-sheba,“ doctrine, (n. 2723, 2858, 2859, 3466). That there is signified the denial of all things of faith, is because Dan was the last boundary of the land of Canaan, and Beer-sheba the first, that is, the midst or inmost of the land; for by the ”land of Canaan“ was represented and signified the Lord‘s kingdom, and thus the church (n. 1607, 3038, 3481), and accordingly all things of love and faith, because these are of the Lord’s kingdom and church.  Hence all things in the land of Canaan were representative, according to their distances, situations, and boundaries (n. 1585, 1866, 3686).

[7] The first boundary, that is, the midst or inmost of the land, was Beer-sheba, before Jerusalem became so, because Abraham was there, and also Isaac; but the last boundary, or the outermost of the land, was Dan; and hence when all things in one complex were signified, it was said, ”from Dan even to Beer-sheba;“ as in the second book of Samuel:--

To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba (2 Samuel 3:10).

In the same:--

All Israel gathering was gathered together from Dan even to Beer-sheba (2 Samuel 17:11).

And again:--

David said to Joab, Pass through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba (2 Samuel 24:2, 15).

And in the first book of Kings:--

Judah and Israel dwelt in security, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba (1 Kings 4:25).

By this expression are meant in the historic sense all things of the land of Canaan; but in the internal sense all things of the Lord‘s kingdom, and also all things of the church.

[8] The reason why as before said, ”Dan“ is the first boundary, and also the last, is that the affirmative of truth and good is the first of all things when faith and charity are beginning with man, and the last when man is in charity and thereby in faith.  It was from this also that the last lot fell to Dan when the land of Canaan was divided for inheritance (Josh. 19:40); for the lot was cast before Jehovah (Josh. 18:6); and hence it fell according to the representation of each tribe.

[9] And because the lot did not fall to Dan among the inheritances of the rest of the tribes, but beyond their borders (Judges 18:1), that tribe was omitted by John in (Revelation 7:5-8), where the twelve thousand that were sealed are mentioned; for they who are only in the affirmative of truth and also of good, and go no further, are not in the Lord’s kingdom, that is, among the ”sealed.“ Even the worst men are able to know truths and goods, and also to affirm them; but the quality of the affirmation is known from the life.

[10] ”Dan“ is also mentioned as a boundary in (Gen. 14:14); where Abraham is described as having pursued the enemy thus far, and where ”Dan“ has a similar signification.  The city called ”Dan“ was not indeed built by the posterity of Dan at that time, but afterwards (Josh. 19:47; Judges 18:29); yet even then it was called the first boundary with respect to entering into the land of Canaan, or the last with respect to going out; and the inmost of the land was Hebron, and afterwards Beer-sheba, where Abraham and Isaac dwelt.

AC 3924. Verses 7, 8.  And she conceived again, and Bilhah Rachel‘s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob.  And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. ”And she conceived again, and Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid bare,“ signifies here as before reception and acknowledgment; ”a second son to Jacob,“ signifies a second general truth; ”and Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed,“ signifies in the supreme sense own power; in the internal sense, temptation in which there is victory; in the external sense, resistance by the natural man; ”and she called his name Naphtali,“ signifies its quality.

AC 3925. And she conceived again, and Bilhah Rachel‘s handmaid bare.  That this signifies reception and acknowledgment, is evident from the signification of ”conceiving,“ as being reception; and from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being acknowledgment (n. 3319); and also from the signification of ”handmaid,“ as being a subserving means (n. 3913, 3917); for the subject here is a second general means that is of service for the conjunction of the internal man with the external.

AC 3926. A second son to Jacob.  That this signifies a second general truth, is evident from the signification of a ”son,“ as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147).  That the signification here is a general truth, is evident from what has been said above concerning the twelve sons of Jacob, and the twelve tribes named from them, as being the general things of the church, and accordingly the general things of faith and love, or of truth and good, which are signified and represented by them; and that in the opposite sense are also meant general things not of faith and love, but all things of falsity and evil, will appear hereafter.

AC 3927.  And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.  That this signifies in the supreme sense own power; in the internal sense, temptation in which there is victory; and in the external sense, resistance by the natural man, is evident from the signification of the ”wrestlings of God“ and of ”wrestling,“ as being temptations for temptations are nothing else than wrestlings of the internal man with the external, or of the spiritual man with the natural; for each desires to rule, and when dominion is in question, combat arises, which is here called ”wrestling.“ That ”to prevail“ is to overcome, is evident without explication.

[2] That in the supreme sense these words signify own power, is because the Lord, when He was in the world and in the human there, sustained all temptations from His own power, and conquered from His own power; differently from every man, who never sustains any spiritual temptation and conquers in it from his own power; for it is the Lord who sustains and conquers within him.  The Lord sustained the most grievous temptations, beyond all others, (n. 1663, 1668, 1690, 1737, 1787, 1789, 1812, 1813, 1815, 1820, 2776, 2786, 2795, 2813, 2816, 3318): That the Lord combated and conquered from His own power, (n. 1616, 1692, 1813, 3381): And that the Lord alone combats in man, (n. 1692).

[3] That in the internal sense the ”wrestlings of God“ and ”prevailing“ denote the temptations in which man conquers, is evident from what has been said just above.  But that in the external sense there is signified resistance by the natural man is because all temptation is nothing else; for as before said in spiritual temptations there is dispute about dominion, as to which shall have the supremacy, the internal man or the external; or what is the same, the spiritual man or the natural, for these are opposed to each other (n. 3913).  For when man is in temptations, his internal or spiritual man is ruled by the Lord through angels; but his external or natural man through infernal spirits; and the combat between them is that which is perceived by the man as temptation.  When a man is such in faith and life that he can be regenerated, he will conquer in temptations; but when he is such that he cannot be regenerated, he yields in temptations.  That there is resistance by the natural man, is signified by its being said that she ”wrestled with her sister;“ for by ”Leah,“ who is here the ”sister,“ is signified the affection of the external man; but by ”Rachel,“ the affection of the internal man (n. 3793, 3819).

AC 3928. And she called his name Naphtali.  That this signifies its quality, namely, the quality of the temptation in which there is victory, and also the quality of the resistance by the natural man, is evident from the signification of ”name,“ and of ”calling a name,“ as being quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421).  The quality itself is that which is signified by ”Naphtali,“ for he was named ”Naphtali“ from ”wrestling.“ Hence also by Naphtali is represented this second general truth of the church, for temptation is the means of the conjunction of the internal man with the external, because they are at variance with each other, but are reduced to agreement and correspondence by means of temptations.  The external man is indeed such that of itself it lusts for nothing else than corporeal and worldly things, these being the delights of its life.  But the internal man, when it is opened toward heaven and desires the things of heaven, such as it is with those who can he regenerated, then finds heavenly delight in these things, and while the man is in temptations there is a combat between these two kinds of delight.  This the man does not then know, because he does not know what heavenly delight is, and what infernal delight is; and still less that they are so entirely opposed to each other.  But the celestial angels cannot possibly be with man in his corporeal and worldly delight until this delight has been reduced to subservience, so that the corporeal and worldly delight is no longer sought as the end; but for the sake of the use of serving the heavenly delight (n. 3913).  When this has been effected, the angels can be with the man in both; but in this case his delight becomes bliss, and finally happiness in the other life.

[2] He who believes that before regeneration the delight of his natural man is not infernal, and that it is not possessed by diabolical spirits, is much mistaken, and does not know how the case is with man, namely, that before regeneration he is possessed as to his natural man by genii and infernal spirits, however much he may appear to himself to be like any other man; and even though he may be with others in what is holy, and may reason about the truths and goods of faith, and may indeed believe himself to be confirmed in them; yet if he does not perceive in himself anything of the affection of what is just and equitable in his employment, and of truth and good in company and in life, let him know that his delight is that of the infernals, for there is no other love in it than that of self and the world; and when this love makes his delight, there is in it no charity and no faith.  After this delight has become dominant, it is deadened and dissipated by no other means than the affirmation and acknowledgment of the holy of faith and of the good of life, which is the first means, signified by ”Dan,“ as shown above; and then by means of temptation, which is the second means, and is signified by Naphtali; for this means follows the other, for they who do not affirm and acknowledge the good and truth of faith and charity cannot come into any combat of temptation, because there is nothing within which offers resistance to the evil and falsity to which natural delight persuades.

[3] In other places in the Word where ”Naphtali“ is mentioned, there is signified man’s state after temptations as in the prophecy of Jacob, then Israel:--

Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving sayings of elegance (Gen. 49:21);

where a ”hind let loose“ denotes the affection of natural truth in the free state which exists after temptations; which state is also the quality that is in the temptations signified by ”Naphtali;“ for in temptations the struggle is concerning freedom. In like manner in the prophecy of Moses:--

To Naphtali he said, Naphtali is satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of Jehovah, he shall possess the west and the south (Deut. 33:23);

for the representations of the sons of Jacob and of the tribes are in accordance with the order in which they are named (n. 3862). And in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak:--

Zebulun a people that hath devoted his soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field (Judges 5:18);

where also in the internal sense the combats of temptations are treated of; and the man is among those who fear nothing of evil because they are in truths and goods; which is to be ”upon the high places of the field.“

AC 3929. Verses 9-11. And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing, and she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob for a woman. And Zilpah Leah‘s handmaid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh, and she called his name Gad.  ”And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing,“ signifies that no other external truths had been acknowledged; ”and she took Zilpah her handmaid,“ signifies an affirmative conjoining means; ”and gave her to Jacob for a woman,“ signifies that this effected conjunction; ”and Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bare Jacob a son,“ signifies acknowledgment; ”and Leah said, A troop cometh,“ signifies in the supreme sense omnipotence and omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works; ”and she called his name Gad,“ signifies its quality.

AC 3930. And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing. That this signifies that no other external truths had been acknowledged, is evident from the representation of Leah, as being external truth (n. 3793, 3819); and from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being to acknowledge in faith and act (n. 3905, 3915, 3919).  Hence Leah‘s ”standing still from bearing“ signifies in the internal sense that no other external truths had been acknowledged.

AC 3931. And she took Zilpah her handmaid.  That this signifies an affirmative conjoining means, is evident from the signification of a ”handmaid,“ as being an affirmative means that is of service for the conjunction of the external man with the internal (n. 3913, 3917).

AC 3932. And gave her to Jacob for a woman.  That this signifies that this means effected conjunction, is evident from the signification of ”giving for a woman,“ as being to conjoin (n. 3915, 3917).

AC 3933. And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bear Jacob a son.  That this signifies the acknowledgment of external truth, is evident from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being acknowledgment; from the signification of a ”handmaid,“ as being an affirmative conjoining means and from the signification of a ”son,“ as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147).

AC 3934. And Leah said, A troop cometh.  That this signifies in the supreme sense omnipotence and omniscience; in the internal sense, the good of faith; and in the external sense, works, is evident from the signification here of a ”troop.“ That a ”troop“ in the supreme sense is omnipotence and omniscience, is because a ”troop“ here is a multitude; and when ”multitude“ is predicated of the Lord‘s Divine, it denotes an infinite multitude, which is no other than omnipotence and omniscience. But omnipotence is predicated from the quantity which is of magnitude; and omniscience from the quantity which is of multitude.  Omnipotence also is predicated from infinite good, or what is the same, from the Divine love, and thus from the Divine will; but omniscience from infinite truth, or what is the same, from the Divine intelligence.  That in the internal sense a ”troop“ is the good of faith is from correspondence; for to the Lord’s Divine omnipotence corresponds the good which is of charity; and to His omniscience the truth which is of faith.

[2] That a ”troop“ in the external sense signifies works, is because these correspond to the good of faith; for the good of faith produces works, because the good of faith is not possible without works, just as thinking good and willing good are not possible without doing good.  The one is the internal, and the other the corresponding external.  Furthermore, in regard to works, unless they correspond to the good of faith they are neither works of charity nor works of faith; for they do not come from their internal, but are dead works, in which there is neither good nor truth; but when they correspond, they are then works either of charity or of faith.  Works of charity are those which flow from charity as from their soul; but works of faith are those which flow from faith. Works of charity exist with the regenerate man; and works of faith with him who has not yet been regenerated, but is being regenerated; the case being the same as it is with the affections of good and of truth; for the regenerate man does good from the affection of it, thus from willing good; but the man who is to be regenerated does good from the affection of truth, thus from knowing good. The nature of the difference has already been repeatedly shown. From this it is manifest what works are.

[3] Moreover in regard to works the good of faith is comparatively as are man‘s will and the derivative thought to his face, which is well known to be an image of his mind, that is, of his will and the derivative thought.  If the will and thought are not presented in the face as in their image, what is seen there is not the will and thought, but hypocrisy or deceit; because the man presents a face different from that which he wills and thinks.  The case is the same with every act of the body in respect to the interiors which are of the thought and will.  Man’s internal lives in his external by act or by acting.  If the act or acting is not according to his internal, it is a proof either that it is not his internal that is producing the act, but an impulse recurring from custom and habit; or else that it is something feigned, as in hypocrisy and deceit.  From this it is again manifest what works are; and from this it follows that he who makes profession of faith, and still more he who makes profession of the good of faith, and denies works, and still more if he rejects them, is devoid of faith, and yet more of charity.

[4] Such being the nature of the works of charity and faith, and as man is never in charity and faith unless he is in works, for this reason ”works“ are so frequently mentioned in the Word; as may appear from the following passages:--

Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of man, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works (Jer. 32:19).

In the same:--

Be ye converted everyone from his evil way, and make your works good (Jer. 35:15).

In the same:--

I will render to them according to their work, and according to the work of their hands (Jer. 25:14).

In Hosea:--

I will visit upon him his ways, and render to him his works (Hosea 4:8).

In Micah:--

The land shall be a desolation because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their works (Micah 7:13).

In Zechariah:--

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth: Be ye converted from your evil ways, and from your evil works.  As Jehovah Zebaoth thought to do unto us according to our ways, and according to our works, so hath He done to us (Zech. 1:4, 6).

In John:--

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow with them (Rev. 14:13).

[5] In the same:--

I saw the dead small and great stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged everyone according to their works (Rev. 20:12, 13).

Again:--

Behold I come quickly, and My reward is with me, to give to every man according to his works (Rev. 22:12).

In John the Evangelist:--

This is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved but he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they have been wrought in God (John 3:19-21).

In the same:

The world cannot hate you, but Me it hateth, because I testify of it that its works are evil (John 7:7).

Again:--

Jesus said to the Jews, If ye were Abraham‘s sons ye would do the works of Abraham.  Ye do the works of your father (John 8:39, 41).

Again:--

If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them (John 13:17).

[6] In Matthew:--

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works.  Whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:16, 19).

In the same:--

Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens; but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in the heavens.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and by Thy name have cast out demons, and in Thy name done many. mighty works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

In Luke:--

The master of the house shall answer and say to them, I know you not whence ye are then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in Thy presence, and Thou didst teach in our streets; but He shall say, I tell you I know you not whence ye are, depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:25-27).

In Matthew:--

Everyone that heareth My words, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man but everyone that heareth My words, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man (Matthew 7:24, 26).

In the same:--

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then shall He render to every man according to his works (Matthew 16:27).

[7] From these passages it is evident that works are what save man, and what condemn man; that is to say, that good works save, and evil works condemn; for in his works is man’s will.  He who wills good, does good; but he who does not do good, however he may say that he wills good, still does not will it when he does not do it.  This is as if he should say, I will it, but I do not will it.  And because the will itself is in works, and charity is of the will, and faith is of charity, it is manifest what of the will, or what of charity and faith, there is in a man, when he does not do good works; and especially when he does the contrary, or evil works.

[8] Moreover be it known that the Lord‘s kingdom commences in a man from the life which is of works, for he is then in the beginning of regeneration; but when the Lord’s kingdom is in a man, it terminates in works, and then the man is regenerate.  For his internal man is then within his external man in correspondence therewith; and his works are of his external man, while charity and the derivative faith are of his internal man; and therefore in this case his works are charity.  As the life of the internal man thus comes forth in the works of the external man, therefore the Lord in speaking of the Last Judgment (Matt. 25:32-46), recounts nothing but works, and says that those who have done good works shall enter into life eternal, and those who have done evil works into damnation.  From what has been said it is also evident what is signified by that which we read of John, that he lay at the breast and on the bosom of Jesus, and that Jesus loved him more than the rest (John 13:23, 25; 21:20); for by John were represented good works- (n. 2135a, 2760).  What the works of faith are, which from the resemblance may also be called its fruits and what the works of charity, will of the Lord‘s Divine mercy be stated more fully elsewhere.

AC 3935. And she called his name Gad.  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of a ”name“ and of ”calling a name,“ as being quality. The quality itself is signified by ”Gad;“ namely, the quality of the good of faith and of works.  By ”quality“ is signified everything whatever that is within; here, within the good of faith and within works; and these are things innumerable, for the quality varies in each individual, and is also the contrary in those who are not in the good of faith, and thus not in good works; which quality is also signified by ” Gad,“ when he is named in the opposite sense.  When the good of faith of the internal man, and the good works of the external man, correspond, they, as shown above, are a third general means, which is to be acknowledged in faith and in act before a man can enter into the Lord’s kingdom; that is, before he can by regeneration be made a church.

AC 3936. Verses 12, 13. And Zilpah Leah‘s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob.  And Leah said, In my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher.  ”And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob,“ signifies the acknowledgment of the second general truth; ”and Leah said, In my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed,“ signifies in the supreme sense eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, and in the external sense the delight of the affections; ”and she called his name Asher,“ signifies its quality.

AC 3937. And Zilpah Leah‘s handmaid bare a second son to Jacob.  That this signifies the acknowledgment of the second general truth, is evident from the signification of ”bearing,“ as being acknowledgment (n. 3911, 3915, 3919); from the signification of a ”handmaid,“ as being an affirmative means that is of service for the conjunction of the external man with the internal (n. 3913, 3917) from the signification of a ”son,“ as being truth, here a general truth (n. 3926) and from the representation of Jacob, and of Leah, and also of Zilpah.  This shows what is the internal sense of these words, namely, the acknowledgment of the second general truth that is of service as a means for conjoining the external man with the internal.

AC 3938. And Leah said, In my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed.  That this signifies in the supreme sense eternity; in the internal sense, the happiness of eternal life; and in the external sense, the delight of the affections, is evident from the signification of ”blessedness,“ and from the signification of ”the daughters will call me blessed.“ That ”blessedness“ in the supreme sense is eternity, cannot be seen except from the correspondence with the things in man; for things that are Divine, or that are infinite, are not apprehended except from finite things of which man can form some idea.  Without an idea derived from finite things, and especially an idea from the things of space and time, man can comprehend nothing of Divine things, and still less of the Infinite.  Without an idea of space and time man cannot have any thought at all (n. 3404); for in respect to his body he is in time, and thus in respect to his thoughts which are from the external senses; whereas the angels, not being in time and space, have ideas of state, and therefore spaces and times in the Word signify states (n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3827).

[2] There are two states, namely, a state that corresponds to space and a state that corresponds to time.  The state that corresponds to space is state as to being; and the state that corresponds to time is state as to coming forth  (n. 2625). For there are two things that make man, namely, being and coming forth.  Man’s being is nothing else than a recipient of the eternal which proceeds from the Lord; for men, spirits, and angels are nothing but recipients, or forms recipient, of life from the Lord.  The reception of life is that of which coming forth is predicated.  Man believes that he is, and this of himself; when yet it is not true that he is of himself; but that as before said, he comes forth.  Being is solely in the Lord, and is called ”Jehovah.“  From being, which is Jehovah, are all things which appear to be (sicut sint).  But the Lord‘s being, or Jehovah, can never be communicated to anyone; but solely to the Lord’s Human. This was made the Divine being, that is, Jehovah. The Lord is Jehovah as to both the Essences (n. 1736, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035).

[3] Coming forth also is predicated of the Lord; but only when He was in the world, where He put on the Divine.  But since He has become the Divine being, coming forth can no longer be predicated of Him, except as a something that proceeds from Him.  That which proceeds from Him is that which appears as the coming forth in Him; yet it is not in Him, but is from Him, and causes men, spirits, and angels to come forth; that is, to live.  In man, spirit, and angel, coming forth is living; and his living is eternal happiness.  The happiness of eternal life is that to which in the supreme sense eternity, which is from the Lord‘s Divine being, corresponds.  That the happiness of eternal life is that which is signified by ”blessedness “ in the internal sense, and by the delight of the affections in the external sense, is manifest without explication.

[4] But that which is here signified is the delight of the affections of truth and good that corresponds to the happiness of eternal life. All affections have their delights; but such as are the affections, such are the delights.  The affections of evil and falsity also have their delights; and before a man begins to be regenerated, and to receive from the Lord the affections of truth and good, these delights appear to be the only ones; so much so that men believe that no other delights exist; and consequently that if they were deprived of these, they would utterly perish. But they who receive from the Lord the delights of the affections of truth and good, gradually see and perceive the nature of the delights of their former life, which they had believed to be the only delights, that they are relatively vile, and indeed filthy.  And the further a man advances into the delight of the affections of truth and good, the more does he begin to regard the delights of evil and falsity as vile; and at last to hold them in aversion.

[5] I have sometimes spoken with those in the other life who had been in the delights of evil and falsity; and I have been permitted to tell them that they have no life until they are deprived of their delights.  But they said (as say such persons in the world) that if they should be deprived of them, nothing of life would be left them.  But I was permitted to reply that life then first begins, together with such happiness as there is in heaven, which in comparison with that of their former delights is unutterable.  But this they could not apprehend, because what is unknown is believed to be nothing.  It is the same with all in the world who are in the love of self and of the world, and therefore in no charity. They know the delight of these loves, but not the delight of charity.  Thus they are altogether ignorant of what charity is, and still more that there is any delight in charity; when yet the delight of charity is that which fills the universal heaven, and constitutes the blessedness and happiness there; and if you will to believe it, it constitutes the intelligence and wisdom also, together with their delights; for into the delights of charity the Lord inflows with the light of truth and the flame of good, and with the derivative intelligence and wisdom.  But falsities and evils reject, suffocate, and pervert these delights, and hence come folly and insanity.  From all this it is evident what is the nature and quality of the delight of the affections, and that it corresponds to the happiness of eternal life.

[6] The man of this age believes that if at the hour of death he merely has the confidence of faith, he can get into heaven no matter in what affection he may have lived during the whole course of his life.  I have sometimes spoken with those who have so lived, and have so believed.  When they come into the other life, they at first have no other idea than that they may enter into heaven, without any regard to their past life, in which they had put on the delight of the affection of evil and falsity from the loves of self and of the world, which had been their ends.  I have been permitted to tell them that everyone can be admitted into heaven, because heaven is denied by the Lord to no one; but whether they can live there they can know when admitted. Some who firmly believed that they could, have also been admitted.  But as the life there is that of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor, which constitutes all the sphere and happiness of the life there, on coming into it they began to be distressed, not being able to breathe in such a sphere, and they then began to perceive the filthiness of their affections, thus to feel infernal torment.  In consequence of this they cast themselves headlong down, saying that they desired to be far away, and marveling that that was heaven which to them was hell.  This shows what is the nature of the one delight, and what is that of the other; and that they who are in the delight of the affections of evil and falsity can by no means be among those who are in the delight of the affection of good and truth; and that these delights are opposite to each other, as are heaven and hell (n. 537-539, 541, 547, 1397, 1398, 2130, 2401).

[7] Furthermore, as regards the happiness of eternal life: during his life in the world the man who is in the affection of good and truth cannot perceive it, but a certain delight in its stead.  The reason of this is that while in the body he is in worldly cares and consequent anxieties that prevent the happiness of eternal life (which is deep within him) from then being manifested in any other way. For when this happiness inflows from within into the cares and anxieties that are with the man outwardly, it sinks down among the cares and anxieties there, and becomes a kind of obscure delight; but still it is a delight within which there is blessedness, and within this happiness.  Such is the happiness of being content in God. But when a man is divested of his body, and at the same time of these worldly cares and anxieties, the happiness which had lain hidden in obscurity within his interior man comes forth and reveals itself.

[8] As affection is so often spoken of, let us state what is meant by affection.  Affection is nothing else than love, but is what is continuous of it.  For from love a man is affected either with evil and falsity, or with good and truth.  As this love is present and is within all things in general and particular that belong to him, it is not perceived as love, but is varied according to its matter in hand, and according to the man’s states and their changes; and this continually in everything that he wills, thinks, and does.  It is this continuous of love that is called affection; and it is this continuous that reigns in a man‘s life and makes all his delight, and consequently his very life; for man’s life is nothing else than the delight of his affection; and thus is nothing else than the affection of his love.  Love is man‘s willing, and derivatively is his thinking, and thereby his acting.

AC 3939. And she called his name Asher:  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of ”calling a name,“ as being quality, as above.  The quality itself is that which Asher represents.  ”Asher“ in the original language means ”blessedness;“ but the name involves all that is signified by the words of his mother Leah ”in my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed,“ namely, the delight of the affections which corresponds to the happiness of eternal life.  This is the fourth general principle that conjoins the external man with the internal; for when a man perceives this corresponding delight within himself, his external man is then beginning to be conjoined with his internal man.  It is the delights of the affections of truth and good that conjoin them; for without the delights of the affections nothing is conjoined, because the man’s life is in them. All conjunction is through the affections, (n. 3024, 3066, 3336, 3849, 3909). By the ”daughters who call her blessed“ are signified churches. In the internal sense of the Word ”daughters“ signify churches (n. 2362). This was said by Leah because by the births from the handmaids are signified the general truths which are the means that are of service for conjunction, to the intent that the church may come forth in the man.  For when a man perceives this delight or affection, he is beginning to become a church; and this being the case this is said of the fourth or last son of the handmaids.

[2] ”Asher“ is often named in the Word, but by him, as well as by the other sons, is signified the quality then treated of, that is, the quality of those in that state which is the subject there treated of; and the quality is also according to the order in which the sons are named, being of one kind when the order begins with ”Reuben“ or faith, of another when it begins with ”Judah“ or celestial love, and of another when with ”Joseph“ or spiritual love; for the essence and quality of that which is first is derived and passes on into the things which follow.  This is the ground of their varying significations in the places where they are named.  Here, where their birth is treated of, the general principles of the church are signified by them; and consequently all things of faith and love that make the church; and this for the reason that in what goes before, the regeneration of man is treated of, or man‘s states before he becomes a church; and in the supreme sense the Lord, how He made His Human Divine; and thus the ascent of the ladder which was seen by Jacob in Bethel, even to Jehovah.

AC 3940. Verses 14-16. And Reuben went in the days of wheat-harvest, and found dudaim in the field, and brought them unto Leah his mother.  And Rachel said to Leah, Give me I pray of thy son’s dudaim.  And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man, and wouldest thou take also my son‘s dudaim?  And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son’s dudaim.  And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come to me, for hiring I have hired thee with my son‘s dudaim; and he lay with her that night. ”And Reuben went in the days of wheat-harvest,“ signifies faith as regards its state of love and charity; ”and found dudaim in the field,“ signifies the things that belong to conjugial love in the truth and good of charity and love; ”and brought them unto Leah his mother,“ signifies application to the affection of external truth; ”and Rachel said to Leah,“ signifies the perception of the affection of interior truth, and a longing for it; ”give me I pray of thy son’s dudaim,“ signifies of the things that belong to conjugial love, with which it might be mutually and alternately conjoined; ”and she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man?“ signifies that there is conjugial desire; ”and wouldest thou take also my son‘s dudaim?“ signifies that thus there would be withdrawn the conjugial relation of natural good with external truth; ”and Rachel said,“ signifies consent; ”therefore he shall be with thee tight for thy son’s dudaim,“ signifies that there should be conjunction; ”and Jacob came from the field in the evening,“ signifies the good of truth in a state of good, but in obscurity such as belongs to the natural; ”and Leah went out to meet him,“ signifies a longing on the part of the affection of external truth; ”and said, Thou must come to me,“ signifies that it should be conjoined therewith; ”for hiring I have hired thee with my son‘s dudaim,“ signifies that it was promised from forethought; ”and he lay with her that night,“ signifies conjunction.

AC 3941. And Reuben went in the days of wheat-harvest.  That this signifies faith as regards its state of love and charity, is evident from the representation of Reuben, as being the faith which is the first thing of regeneration (n. 3861, 3866); from the signification of ”days,“ as being states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785); and from the signification of ”wheat,“ as being love and charity, - to be explained in what follows; hence ”wheat-harvest“ is an advancing state of love and charity. The means of the conjunction of the external man with the internal have been described under the representation of the four sons of Jacob by the handmaids; and the subject now treated of is the conjunction of good and truth by means of the rest of the sons; and therefore the ”dudaim“ are first spoken of, by which this conjunction or conjugial relation is signified.  The reason why a ”wheat-harvest“ signifies an advancing state of love and charity, is that a” field“ signifies the church, and thus the things of the church; and the ”seeds“ sown in the field signify the things of good and truth; and the plants born from them, such as wheat, barley, and other grains, signify the things of love and charity, and also of faith.  The states of the church in regard to these things are therefore compared to ”seedtime“ and ”harvest,“ and are so called, as in (Genesis 8:22) (n. 932).

[2] That ”wheat“ denotes the things of love and charity, may also be seen from the following passages.  In Moses:--

Jehovah maketh him to ride on the high places of the earth, and feedeth him with the increase of the fields, and maketh him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat, and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape (Deut. 32:13, 14)

here in the internal sense the subject treated of is the Ancient Church and its state when it was set up; and all the things of love and charity and all the things of faith that were in it, are described by significatives.  The ”fat of the kidneys of wheat“ is the celestial of love and charity; and as ”fat“ or ” fatness“ signifies the celestial (n. 353), and ”wheat,“ love, they are frequently joined together in the Word, as also in David:--

O that My people were obedient to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways.  He should feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee (Ps. 81:13, 16).

And again in the same:--

Jehovah, He maketh thy border peace, and filleth thee with the fat of wheat (Ps. 147:14).

[3] That ”wheat“ is love and charity, may be seen in Jeremiah:--

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden down the portion of My field, they have made the portion of My field a wilderness of solitude. Wasters are come upon all the hills in the wilderness for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land even to the other end of the land no flesh hath peace.  They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns (Jer. 12:10, 12, 13);

”vineyard“ and ”field“ denote the church; the ”wilderness of solitude,“ its vastation; the ” sword that devoureth,“ the vastation of truth; ”no peace,“ no good that affects; sowing wheat,” the goods of love and charity; “ reaping thorns,” the evils and falsities of the love of self and of the world. A “vineyard” is the spiritual church, (n. 1069); and a “field” is the church as to good, (n. 2971); a “wilderness” is vastation, (n. 1927, 2708); a “devouring sword” is the vastation of truth, (n. 2799); and “peace” is good that affects, (n. 3780).

[4] In Joel:--

The field is wasted, the ground mourneth, for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth, the husbandmen were ashamed, the vine-dressers have howled, for the wheat and for the barley for the harvest of the field is perished.  Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar (Joel 1:10, 11, 13).

Everyone sees that the state of the vastated church is that which is here described; thus that “field” and “ground” are the church; the “corn”   its good, and the “new wine” its truth (n. 3580); and that the “wheat” is celestial love, and the “barley” spiritual love; and as the state of the church is treated of, it is said, “gird yourselves and lament, ye priests howl, ye ministers of the altar.”

[5] In Ezekiel, the Spirit of Jehovah said to the prophet:--

Take unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them into one vessel, and make thee bread thereof. With the ordure of man’s dung shalt thou make a cake before their eyes. Thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean (Ezek. 4:9, 12, 13);

where the profanation of good and truth is treated of; the “wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt” denote the kinds of good and its derivative truth; the “bread” or “cake” made thereof with the ordure of human dung,“ denotes the profanation of all of them.

[6] In John:--

I saw and behold a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand.  And I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny and hurt thou not the oil and the wine (Rev. 6:5, 6);

where the vastation of good and truth is treated of; a ”measure of wheat for a penny“ denoting the scarcity of love; and ”three measures of barley for a penny,“ the scarcity of charity.

[7] In Ezekiel:--

Judah and the land of Israel were thy merchants with wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balsam, they made thy tradings (Ezek. 27:17);

where the subject is Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; the goods of love and charity and their happinesses are the ”wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balsam;“ ”Judah“ is the celestial church, and the ”land of Israel,“ the spiritual church, from which those things are; ”tradings“ are acquisitions.

[8] In Moses:--

A land of wheat and barley, a land of vine and fig-tree and pomegranate, a land of olive, of oil, and of honey (Deut. 8:8);

describing the land of Canaan, which in the internal sense is the Lord‘s kingdom (n. 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 3038, 3705). The goods of love and charity are signified by the ”wheat and barley;“ and the goods of faith by the ” vine and the fig-tree.“

[9] In Matthew:--

Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).

John the Baptist thus speaks of the Lord; the ”wheat“ denotes the good of love and charity; the ”chaff,“ that in which there is nothing of good.  In the same:--

Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matthew 13:30);

the ”tares“ denote evils and falsities and the ” wheat,“ goods.  They are comparisons, but the comparisons in the Word are all made by means of significatives.

AC 3942. and found dudaim in the field.  That this signifies the things of conjugial love in the truth and good of charity and love, is evident from the signification of ” dudaim,“ as being the things that belong to conjugial love; and from the signification of the ”field,“ as being the church, and consequently the truth of faith and good of charity, because these make the church (n. 368, 2971, 3196, 3310, 3500, 3508, 3766).  What the ”dudaim“ were, the translators do not know.  They suppose them to have been fruits or flowers, to which they give names according to their several opinions.  But of what kind they were it does not concern us to know, but merely the fact that among the ancients who were of the church, all fruits and flowers were significative; for they knew that universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom (n. 3483); and that all the things in its three kingdoms are representative; and that each thing represents some specific thing in the spiritual world, and therefore also each fruit and flower.  That by the ”dudaim“ there is signified the conjugial of good and truth, may be seen from the series of things here in the internal sense; as well as from the derivation of that word in the original language; for it is derived from the word dudaim, which means loves and conjunction by means of them.  That ”dudaim“ comes from this, and that it signifies that which is conjugial is evident from the following words:--

In the morning we will arise to the vineyards we will see whether the vine hath blossomed and hath put forth the grape, whether the pomegranates have put forth flowers there I will give thee my loves (dudim) the dudaim have given forth a scent (Song of Solomon 7:12, 13).

All this shows what is signified by the ”dudaim.“

[2] As regards the book in which this passage is found, and which is called The Song, it is not among those called ”Moses and the Prophets,“ because it has not the internal sense; but it was written in the ancient style, and is full of significatives collected from the books of the Ancient Church, and of many things which in the Ancient Church signified celestial and spiritual love, and especially conjugial love.  That this is the nature of that book is also evident from the fact that in its literal sense are many things not decorous, which is not the case with the books called ”Moses and the Prophets;“ but as within it there have been collected together such things as are significative of celestial and of conjugial love, it appears as if it possessed a certain mystic meaning.

[3] From this signification of the ”dudaim“ we can now see that by ”Reuben found them in the field“ there is signified the conjugial that is in the truth and good of love and charity; that is to say, that which can be conjoined.  For in the spiritual sense the conjugial principle is nothing else than that truth which can be conjoined with good, and that good which can be conjoined with truth.  From this also comes all conjugial love (n. 2728, 2729, 3132); and therefore genuine conjugial love is not possible except with those who are in good and truth, and thus are together in the heavenly marriage.

AC 3943. And brought them unto Leah his mother.  That this signifies application to the affection of external truth, is evident from the signification of ”bringing,“ as here being application; and from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of external truth (n. 3793, 3819).

AC 3944. And Rachel said to Leah.  That this signifies the perception of the affection of interior truth, and a longing for it, is evident from the signification of ”saying,“ as being to perceive (n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819).  That the signification is the affection of and the longing for this truth, is also evident from what presently follows; for Rachel says, ”Give me I pray of thy son‘s dudaim.“

AC 3945. Give me I pray of thy son’s dudaim.  That this signifies the affection of and longing for the things of conjugial love, with which it might be mutually and alternately conjoined, is evident from the signification of the ”dudaim,“ as being the things of conjugial love (n. 3942).  That the signification is affection and longing, is also evident (n. 3944). Conjugial love is conjunction mutually and alternately, (n. 2731).

AC 3946. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man?  That this signifies that there is a conjugial longing, is evident from the signification of ”taking a man“ who is also another‘s (as here Jacob, who was also Leah’s), as involving mutual love between them.  Hence it is that by these words, ”Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man?“ there is signified conjugial longing.

AC 3947.  And wouldest thou take also my son‘s dudaim?  That this signifies that thus would be withdrawn the conjugial of natural good with external truth, is evident from the signification of ”taking,“ as being here to withdraw; from the signification of the ”dudaim,“ as being what is conjugial (n. 3942); and from the signification of a ”son,“ as being truth, (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147); here, external truth, because it is Leah who says it; and that” Leah“ is external truth has been shown above.

AC 3948. And Rachel said, Therefore he shall be with thee tonight for thy son’s dudaim.  That this signifies consent that it should be conjoined, is evident without explication.

AC 3949. And Jacob came from the field in the evening.  That this signifies the good of truth in a state of good, but in obscurity such as belongs to the natural, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth of the natural (n. 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829); from the signification of a ”field,“ as being the church as to good (n. 2971), and thus good; and from the signification of the ”evening,“ as being obscurity (n. 3056, 3833).

AC 3950. And Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come to me.  That this signifies a longing on the part of the affection of external truth, to be conjoined therewith, is evident from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of external truth, as shown above.  That the signification is a longing to be conjoined, is evident without explication.

AC 3951.  For hiring I have hired thee with my son‘s dudaim. That this signifies that it was thus promised from forethought is evident from the signification of ”hiring to hire“ as being that which is promised; as is also evident from what goes before.  That it is from foresight, is because all the conjunction of truth with good, and of good with truth, in man, is effected from foresight; that is, from the Lord’s Providence.  For the subject here treated of is the conjunction of good with truth, and of truth with good, and thus the good that is appropriated to man.  For good is not good in man until it has been conjoined with truth.  And as all good comes from the Lord, that is, all the appropriation of good through its conjunction with truth, it is therefore here said, from foresight.” The Lord‘s Providence is especially concerned with this conjunction.  By means of it man becomes man, and is distinguished from the brute animals; and he becomes man in so far as he receives of it; that is, in so far as he permits the Lord to effect it.  This therefore is the good that is with man; and no other good that is spiritual and that remains to eternity, is possible.

[2] Moreover the goods of the external man, which so long as the man lives in the world are the delights of life, are good only in so far as they pace inwardly of this good.  For example, the good of riches.  In so far as riches have spiritual good within them, that is, in so far as they have as their end the good of the neighbor, the good of our country or the public good, and the good of the church, so far they are good.  But they who conclude that the spiritual good of which we are speaking is not possible in a condition of worldly opulence, and who therefore persuade themselves that to make room for heaven they must divest themselves of such things, are much mistaken. For if they renounce their wealth, or deprive themselves of it, they can then do good to no one, nor can themselves live in the world except in misery and thus can no longer have as their end the good of the neighbor, and the good of their country, nor even the good of the church, but themselves only, that they may be saved, add become greater than others in the heavens. Moreover when they divest themselves of worldly goods, they expose themselves to contempt, because they make themselves of low estimation in the sight of others, and consequently useless for performing services and discharging duties.  But when they have the good of others as their end, they then have also as an end, or as means, a state of being in the capability of effecting this end.

[3] The case herein is precisely as it is with the nutrition of a man, which has as its end that he may have a sound mind in a sound body.  If a man deprives his body of its nourishment, he deprives himself also of the condition needed for his end; and therefore he who is a spiritual man does not despise nourishment, nor even its pleasures; and yet he does not hold them as his end, but only as a means that is of service to his end.  From this as an example we can judge of all other things.

AC 3952.  And he lay with her that night.  That this signifies conjunction, is evident without explication.  The reason why the foregoing matters have been unfolded in the internal sense merely as to the significations of the words, is that they are of such a nature that they cannot be comprehended unless they are set forth in one series. For the subject treated of is the conjunction of truth with good and of good with truth, which conjunction is the conjugial as understood in the spiritual sense; that is, the conjunction which makes the heavenly marriage with man and in the church.  The arcana of this heavenly marriage are described in the above verses, and are there revealed as follows.  As before shown the heavenly marriage is that of good with truth and of truth with good, yet is not between good and truth of one and the same degree, but between good and truth of a lower and of a higher degree, that is, not between the good of the external man and the truth of the same, but between the good of the external man and the truth of the internal; or what is the same, not between the good of the natural man and its truth, but between the good of the natural man and the truth of the spiritual man.  This conjunction is that which makes the marriage.

[2] It is the same in the internal or spiritual man; the heavenly marriage there is not between the good and the truth in that man; but between the good of the spiritual man and the truth of the celestial man; for the celestial man is relatively in a higher degree.  Nor is there a heavenly marriage between the good and the truth in the celestial man; but between the good of the celestial man and the truth Divine which proceeds from the Lord.  From this it is also evident that the Divine marriage itself of the Lord is not between the good Divine and the truth Divine in His Divine Human, but between the good of the Divine Human and the Divine Itself, that is, between the Son and the Father; for the good of the Lord’s Divine Human is that which is called in the Word the “ Son of God,” and the Divine Itself is called the “Father.”

[3] These are the arcana contained in the internal sense in what is said concerning the dudaim. Everyone can see that there must be some arcanum therein, for to relate that Reuben found dudaim in the field, and that Rachel longed for them, and in return for them promised that their man should be with Leah; and that Leah went to meet Jacob when he came from the field in the evening, and said that she had hired him with the dudaim, these things would be too trivial to make any part of the history in the Word, unless there was something Divine hidden within them.  But what Divine thing is meant no one can know unless he knows what is signified by the sons of Jacob and by the tribes named from them and unless he also knows the series of the subject in the internal sense; and moreover unless he knows what the heavenly marriage is, for this is what is treated of, namely, that it is the conjunction of the good in the external man with the affection of truth in the internal man.

[4] But in order to the better understanding of this arcanum, I may illustrate it further.  The truths of the external man are the memory-knowledges and doctrinal things that the man first learned from his parents, and also from his teachers, then from books, and finally by his own study.  The good of the external man is the pleasure and delight that he perceives in these things. The memory-knowledges, which are truths, and the delights, which are good, are conjoined together but they do not make in him the heavenly marriage, for with those who are in the love of self and of the world, and thence in evil and falsity, the memory-knowledges, and even the doctrinal things, are conjoined with delights but it is with the delights of these loves, for with these even truths can be conjoined. And yet such persons are out of the heavenly marriage.  But when the pleasure or the delight that is the good of the external or natural man is from spiritual love, that is, from love toward the neighbor, toward our country or the state, toward the church and the Lord‘s kingdom, and still more when it is from celestial love, which is love to the Lord; and when these flow in from the internal or spiritual man into the delight of the external or natural man and make it; then this conjunction with the memory-knowledges and doctrinal things of the external or natural man constitutes with him the heavenly marriage.  This is not possible with the evil, but only with the good, that is, with those who have these things as their end. But see how the case is with the influx of the internal or spiritual man into the external or natural man, (n. 3286, 3288, 3314, 3321).

[5] As soon as these things have become known, it is possible to know what is signified by each of the things that have been explained above in regard merely to the internal sense of the words as that Reuben (who is the truth of faith, which is the first of regeneration) found dudaim; that he brought them to his mother Leah (who is the affection of external truth); that Rachel (who is the affection of interior truth) longed for them, and that they were given her; that Leah therefore lay with her man Jacob (who is the good of truth in the natural man) also, in what follows, that there were born to Jacob by Leah the sons Issachar and Zebulun, by whom are signified and represented the things of conjugial love, and thus of the heavenly marriage; and then that Joseph was born, by whom is signified and represented the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, which is the marriage itself that is treated of.

AC 3953.  Verses 17, 18. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bare Jacob a fifth son.  And Leah said, God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man; and she called his name Issachar. “And God hearkened unto Leah,” signifies the Divine love; “and she conceived and bare Jacob a fifth son,” signifies reception and acknowledgment; “and Leah said, God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man,” signifies in the supreme sense the Divine good of truth and truth of good; in the internal sense, celestial conjugial love; and in the external sense, mutual love; “and she called his name Issachar,” signifies its quality.

AC 3954.  And God hearkened unto Leah.  That this signifies the Divine love, is evident from the signification of “hearkening” to anyone, when predicated of God or the Lord, as being the Divine love; for hearkening to anyone is doing what he prays for and desires.  As this is from Divine good, and Divine good comes from the Divine love, by “hearkening” to anyone is signified in the supreme sense the Divine love.  For with the internal sense of the Word the case is that when the sense of the letter ascends toward heaven, and thus enters into the sphere where the thought is from the Lord and concerning the Lord and what belongs to the Lord, it is at last so perceived by the angels; for the internal sense is the Word to the angels, whereto the sense of the letter serves as a plane or means of thinking.  For the sense of the letter cannot come to the angels, because it treats in most places of worldly, earthly, and corporeal things, of which the angels cannot think, because they are in spiritual and celestial things, and thus far above what is earthly.  For this reason a Word has been given that can serve man and at the same time the angels.  In this the Word differs from every other writing.

AC 3955.  And she conceived and bare Jacob a fifth son.  That this signifies reception and acknowledgment, is evident from the signification of “conceiving,” as being reception; and of “bearing,” as being acknowledgment (n. 3860, 3868, 3905, 3911, 3919).

AC 3956. And Leah said, God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man.  That this signifies in the supreme sense the Divine good of truth and truth of good; in the internal sense, celestial conjugial love; and in the external sense, mutual love, may be seen from the signification of “reward.”  “Reward” is frequently mentioned in the Word, but few know what it there signifies.  It is known in the churches that by the goods which man does he can merit nothing, for they are not his, but the Lord‘s; and that meriting or merit looks to man, and thus conjoins itself with the love of self, and with the thought of pre-eminence over others, and consequently with contempt for others.  For this reason works done for the sake of reward are not good in themselves, because they do not spring from the genuine fountain; that is, from charity toward the neighbor.  Charity toward the neighbor has within it the desire that it should be as well with him as with ourselves; and with the angels, that it should be better with him than with themselves.  Such also is the affection of charity; and therefore it is averse to all self-merit, and consequently to all the doing of good that looks to reward.  To those who are in charity, the reward consists in being able to show kindness, and in being allowed to do so, and in the kindness being accepted.  This is the delight, nay, bliss itself that is enjoyed by those who are in the affection of charity.  From this it is evident what that “reward” is that is mentioned in the Word, namely, the delight and bliss of the affection of charity; or what is the same, the delight and bliss of mutual love (n. 3816); for the affection of charity, and mutual love, are the same thing. (n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400). From all this it is evident that by reward“ in the external sense is here signified mutual love.

[2] That in a sense still higher, or in the internal sense, by ”reward“ is signified celestial conjugial love, may be seen from the things that have been said above concerning the heavenly marriage (n. 2618, 2739, 2741, 2803, 3024, 3132, 3952), namely, that it is the conjunction of good and truth; and that mutual love is from this conjunction, or from this marriage (n. 2737, 2738). It is evident from this that ”reward“ in the internal sense is celestial conjugial love.

[3] That in the supreme sense ”reward“ is the Divine good of truth and truth of good, is evident from the fact that the heavenly marriage is thence derived; for this union is in the Lord, and proceeds from Him; and when it inflows into heaven, it makes the conjugial of good and truth, and thereby mutual love.  From what has now been said and from what goes before, it is evident what is signified in the internal sense by these words of Leah: ”God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man;“ for by the ”handmaid“ is signified an affirmative means that serves for the conjunction of the external and the internal man (n. 3913, 3917, 3931). Thus before those things which are signified by the sons of the handmaids are affirmed and acknowledged, there cannot come forth any conjunction of good and truth, and thus not any mutual love; for these affirmations necessarily come first. This is what is meant by these words now before us.

AC 3957. And she called his name Issachar.  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of ”calling a name,“ as being the quality (n. 3923, 3935); for Issachar was named from ”reward,“ and hence the name involves what has been said above concerning reward, and at the same time what is signified by the rest of Leah’s words.  As by ”Issachar“ is meant ” reward;“ and as in the external sense reward” is mutual love; and in the internal sense, the conjunction of good and truth, it may be well to state that very few at the present day in the Christian world know that “reward” has this meaning, for the reason that they do not know what mutual love is, and still less that good must be conjoined with truth in order that man may be in the heavenly marriage. I have been permitted to speak on this subject with very many in the other life who were from the Christian world, and with the more learned also; but wonderful to say, scarcely anyone of those with whom I have been permitted to speak knew anything about it, when yet they might of themselves have known much about such things if they had only been willing to use their reason.  But as they had not been solicitous about the life after death, but only about life in the world, such things had no interest for them.

[2] The things which they might have known of themselves had they chosen to use their reason, are the following:  First, that when man is divested of his body, he comes into the full exercise of a much more enlightened understanding than when living in the body, for the reason that while he is in the body, corporeal and worldly things occupy his thoughts, which induce obscurity; but when he is divested of the body, such things do not interfere, and it is with him as with those who are in interior thought by abstraction of the mind from the things of the outward senses.  From this they might know that the state after death is much more clear-sighted and enlightened than the state before death; and that when a man dies, he passes comparatively from shade into light, because he passes from the things of the world to those of heaven, and from the things of the body to those of the spirit.  But wonderful to say, although they are able to understand all this, they nevertheless think the contrary, namely, that the state of life in the body is relatively clear, and that the state of life after being divested of the body is relatively obscure.

[3] The Second thing that they may know if they will use their reason, is that the life which man has procured for himself in the world follows him; that is, he is in such a life after death.  For they may know that without dying altogether no one can put off the life which he has acquired from infancy; and that this life cannot be changed into another in a moment, still less into an opposite one. For example: he who has acquired a life of deceit, and has found in this the delight of his life, cannot put off the life of deceit, but is still in that life after death.  He who is in the love of self, and thereby in hatred and revenge against those who do not serve him, and those who are in other such evils, remain in them after the life of the body; for these are the things which they love, and which constitute the delights of their life, and consequently their veriest life; and therefore such things cannot be taken away from them without at the same time extinguishing all their life.  And so in other cases.

[4] The Third thing which a man may know of himself, is that when he passes into the other life he leaves many things behind which have no place there, such‘ as cares for food, for clothing, for a place of abode, and also for gaining money and wealth, as well as for being exalted to dignities, all of which are so much thought of by man in the life of the body; but in the other life are succeeded by others that are not of this earthly kingdom.

[5] Therefore the Fourth thing a man can know is that he who in the world has thought solely of such worldly things, so that he has been wholly possessed by them, and has acquired delight of life in them alone, is not fitted to be among those whose delight is to think about heavenly things, that is, about the things of heaven.

[6] From this follows also a Fifth thing; namely, that when the externals of the body and the world are taken away, the man is then such as he has been inwardly; that is, he so thinks and so wills.  If his thoughts have inwardly been deceits, machinations, aspiration for dignities, for gains, and for fame thereby; if they have been hatreds and revenges and the like, it can be seen that he will still think such things, thus the things that belong to hell, however much he might for the sake of the before mentioned ends have concealed his thoughts from men, and thus appeared outwardly to be worthy, while leading others to believe that he had not such things at heart. That all such externals, or simulations of worth, are also taken away in the other life, may likewise be known from the fact that outward things are put off together with the body, and are no longer of any use.  From this everyone may conclude for himself what kind of a man he will then appear to the angels.

[7] The Sixth thing that may be known is that heaven, or the Lord through heaven, is continually working and inflowing with good and truth; and that if there is not then in men, in their interior man which lives after the death of the body, some recipient of good and truth, as a ground or plane, the good and truth that flow in cannot be received; and for this reason man while living in the body ought to be solicitous to procure such a plane within himself; but this cannot be procured except by thinking what is good toward the neighbor, and by willing what is good to him, and therefore doing what is good to him, and thus by acquiring the delight of life in such things.  This plane is acquired by means of charity toward the neighbor, that is, by means of mutual love; and is what is called conscience.  Into this plane the good and truth from the Lord can inflow, and be received therein; but not where there is no charity, and consequently no conscience; for there the inflowing good and truth pass through, and are turned into evil and falsity.

[8] The Seventh thing that a man can know of himself, is that love to God and love toward the neighbor are what make man to be man, distinct from brute animals; and that they constitute heavenly life, or heaven; while their opposites constitute infernal life, or hell.  But the reason why a man does not know these things is that he does not desire to know them, because he lives the opposite life, and also because he does not believe in the life after death; and likewise because he has taken up with principles of faith, but none of charity; and consequently believes in accordance with the doctrinal teachings of many, that if there is a life after death, he can be saved by faith, no matter how he has lived, even if his faith is received in his dying hour.

AC 3958. Verses 19, 20.  And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob.  And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my man dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun.  “And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob,” signifies reception and acknowledgment; “and Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my man dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons,” signifies in the supreme sense the Divine Itself of the Lord and His Divine Human; in the internal sense, the heavenly marriage; and in the external sense, conjugial love; “ and she called his name Zebulun,” signifies the quality.

AC 3959.  And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob.  That this signifies the reception and acknowledgment of truth, is evident from the signification of conceiving,“ as being to receive and of ”bringing forth,“ as being to acknowledge (n. 3955) and from the signification of a son,” as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373).

AC 3960. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry, now will my man dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.  That this signifies in the supreme sense the Divine Itself of the Lord and His Divine Human; in the internal sense, the heavenly marriage; and in the external sense, conjugial love, is evident from the signification of “dwelling with,” and also from the rest of the words Leah then spoke. The reason why “dwelling with,” or “cohabitation,” is in the supreme sense the Divine Itself of the Lord and His Divine Human, is that the Divine Itself, called the “ Father,” is in the Divine Human, called the “Son of God,” mutually and alternately, according to the words of the Lord Himself in John:--

Jesus saith, Philip, he that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father. Believe Me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in  Me (John 14:9-11; 10:38).

That this union is the Divine marriage itself, may be seen above (n. 3211, 3952).  Yet this union is not cohabitation, but is expressed by cohabitation“ in the sense of the letter; for things which are one are presented as two in the sense of the letter, as the Father and the Son; and even as three, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and this for many reasons, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere.

[2] That ”dwelling together,“ or cohabitation,” in the internal sense is the heavenly marriage, is from the same cause; for this marriage comes forth from the Divine marriage, which is the union of the Father and the Son, or of the Divine Itself of the Lord with His Divine Human.  The heavenly marriage is that which is called the Lord‘s kingdom, and also heaven; and this because it comes forth from the Divine marriage, which is the Lord.  This then is what is signified in the internal sense by “cohabitation,” and hence it is that heaven likewise is called the “habitation of God,” as in Isaiah.“

Look down from the heavens, and behold from the habitation of Thy holiness and of Thy adornment where is Thy zeal and Thy mighty acts? the yearning of Thy bowels, and Thy compassion’s toward me, have restrained themselves (Isa. 63:15)

the ”habitation of holiness“ denotes the celestial kingdom; and  the ”habitation of adornment,“ the spiritual kingdom.”  Habitation“ in this passage comes from the same word as that from which ”dwelling together“ and ” Zebulun“ are derived in the passage under consideration.

[3] The reason why ”dwelling together“ or ” cohabitation“ in the external sense is conjugial love, is that all genuine conjugial love comes forth from no other source than the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth; and this from the Divine marriage, which is the Lord as to His Divine Itself and His Divine Human. The heavenly marriage is from the Divine good which is in the Lord and the Divine truth which is from Him, (n. 2508, 2618, 2803, 3132); from it is conjugial love, (n. 2728, 2729); they who are in genuine conjugial love dwell together in the inmosts of their life, (n. 2732); and thus in the love of good and truth, for these are the inmosts of their life; conjugial love is the fundamental love of all the loves, (n. 2737-2739); there is a marriage of good and truth in heaven, in the church, in everyone in it, and in everything in nature, (n. 718, 747, 917, 1432, 2173, 2516, 2712, 2758); this marriage is in everything in the Word, (n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712); and thus in the supreme sense the Lord Himself is therein; by ”Jesus Christ“ is signified the Divine marriage, (n. 3004).

[4] These are the things signified not only by ”dwelling together,“ or by the words, ”now will my man dwell with me,“ but also by those which go before - ”God hath endowed me with a good dowry;“ by the former however the truth of good is signified; and by the latter, the good of truth; both together making the heavenly marriage. And as this is the conclusion, it is said: ”because I have borne him six sons;“ for ”six“ here signify the same as ”twelve,“ namely, all things of faith and love; the half of a number and its double having the same signification in the Word, when the subject is similar.

AC 3961.  And she called his name Zebulun.  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of ”calling a name,“ as denoting the quality.  He was named” Zebulun“ from ”dwelling together,“ and hence the name involves what has been said above about ”dwelling together“ (n. 3960); and at the same time what is signified by the rest of Leah‘s words.

AC 3962. Verse 21. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.  ”And afterwards she bare a daughter,“ signifies the affection of all these general truths; and also the church of faith in which there is good; ”and called her name Dinah,“ signifies its quality.

AC 3963. And afterwards she bare a daughter.  That this signifies the affection of all these general truths; and also the church of faith in which there is good, is evident from the signification of a ”daughter,“ as being affection, and also the church (n. 2362); but the affection of what, and what kind of church, appears from what is added, as the celestial church when ”Zion“ is added, which is called the ”daughter of Zion,“ and the spiritual church when ”Jerusalem“ is added, which is called the ”daughter of Jerusalem;“ and so in other cases. Here, where nothing is added, the church of faith in which there is good is signified by ”daughter;“ for up to this point the general truths of faith within which there is good have been described, and their reception and acknowledgment; these truths being signified by the ”ten sons“ of Jacob; and as immediately after them a daughter is said to have been born, it is evident from the series that this means the church in which are all these truths.

[2] Whether we speak of the church of faith in which there is good, or of the spiritual church, it is the same and also if we speak of the affection of all, that is, of all these general truths; for the church exists from the affection of truth in which there is good, and the affection of good from which is truth; but not from the affection of truth in which there is not good, nor from the affection of good from which is not truth.  They who say that they are of the church, being in the affection of truth and not in the good of truth, that is, who do not live according to truths, are much mistaken. These are outside the church, although within its congregation; for they are in the affection of evil, with which truth cannot be conjoined.  Their affection of truth is not from the Lord, but from themselves; for they have regard to themselves, to the intent that by the knowledges of truth they may gain reputation, and thereby honors and wealth; but they have no regard to the church, nor to the Lord’s kingdom, and still less to the Lord.  But they who are in the affection of good from which there is not truth, are not of the church, although within its congregation; for they are in natural and not spiritual good, and suffer themselves to be led into every kind of evil and falsity, if only the appearance of good is induced upon the evil, and the appearance of truth upon the falsity (n. 3470, 3471, 3518).

AC 3964. And called her name Dinah.  That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of a ”name“ and of ”calling a name,“ as being the quality.  The quality which Dinah represents and signifies is all that which is of the church of faith in which there is good, as described just above.  The same is also evident from the derivation of her name, for in the original language ”Dinah“ means ”judgment.“ ”Judgment“ in the Word is predicated of the truth of faith, (n. 2235); and ”judging“ in the internal sense is the holy of faith, and in the external sense the good of life, (n. 3921). These things belong to the church.

AC 3965.  Verses 22-24. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.  And she conceived, and bare a son, and said,  God hath gathered my reproach.  And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let Jehovah add to me another son.  ”And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her,“ signifies foresight and providence; ”and opened her womb,“ signifies the capacity to receive and acknowledge; ”and she conceived, and bare a son,“ signifies reception and acknowledgment; ”and said, God hath gathered my reproach; and she called his name Joseph, saying, Let Jehovah add to me another son,“ signifies in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine spiritual; in the internal sense, the spiritual kingdom, or the good of faith; and in the external sense, salvation, also fructification and multiplication.

AC 3966.  And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her.  That this signifies foresight and providence, is evident from the signification of ” remembering,“ when as here predicated of God, as being foresight, for ”remembering“ is looking toward anyone and that in the supreme sense to see” is foresight may be seen above (n. 3863) and from the signification of “ hearkening to” anyone, when predicated of God, as being providence (n. 3869).

AC 3967. And opened her womb.  That this signifies the capacity to receive and acknowledge, is evident from the signification of “opening the womb,” as being to give capacity to conceive and bring forth; thus in the internal sense the capacity to receive and acknowledge, namely, the goods of truth and the truths of good.  That “conceiving and bringing forth” denote reception and acknowledgment, has been repeatedly shown above.

AC 3968. And she conceived, and bare a son.  That this signifies reception and acknowledgment, may be seen above (n. 3919, 3925, 3955, 3959).

AC 3969. And said, God hath gathered my reproach.  And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let Jehovah add to me another son. That this signifies in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine spiritual; in the internal sense, the spiritual kingdom, or the good of faith; and in the external sense, salvation, also fructification and multiplication, is evident from the representation of Joseph in the Word; and from the signification of “ God hath gathered my reproach,” and also of “ Let Jehovah add to me another son;” for he was named “Joseph” from “gathering” and “adding.” “God hath gathered my reproach,” signifies that Rachel was now no longer barren, and thus was not “dead,” as she said of herself to Jacob (verse 1), (n. 3908). For by Rachel is represented the affection of interior truth, or the interior man as to truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819).  The interior man is as it were dead as to truth and good, if the exterior or natural man does not correspond to it in respect to goods and truths (n. 3493, 3620, 3623).

[2] These must be conjoined with each other, so as to be not two, but together one man.  This conjunction cannot come forth until the natural or external man has been prepared, that is, until it has received and acknowledged the general truths signified by the ten sons of Jacob by Leah and the handmaids; and until the good of the natural man has been conjoined with the truths therein, which conjunction is signified by the last son of Jacob by Leah, namely, by Zebulun, who was so called from “dwelling together” (n. 3960, 3961).  After this conjunction has been effected, the interior man and the exterior enter into the heavenly marriage, spoken of above (n. 3952).  The reason why they do not enter into it before, is a great secret for it is the good of the interior man which then conjoins itself with the good of the exterior, and by means of this with the truth therein; and likewise the good of the interior man by means of the affection of the truth therein, conjoins itself with the good of the exterior man, and also with the truth therein; thus immediately and mediately. Concerning immediate and mediate conjunction, (n. 3314, 3573, 3616). As the interior man is then first conjoined with the exterior, and as before this conjunction has been effected the interior man is as it were null, and thus is as it were dead, it is therefore said, “God hath gathered my reproach.” This then is what is signified by the “reproach” which God is said to have “gathered,” that is, to have taken away, or from which He is said to have delivered her.

[3] But by the words which follow: “Let Jehovah add to another son,” from which Joseph was named, another arcanum is signified, which is this.  By Joseph there is represented the Lord‘s spiritual kingdom, thus the spiritual man for this kingdom is in every spiritual man.  There are two things that constitute the spiritual man, namely, charity and faith; or what is the same, good and truth.  The charity from which is faith, or the good from which is truth, is that which is represented by Joseph; and the faith in which is charity, or the truth in which is good, is that which is signified by “another son,” and is represented by Benjamin, concerning whom in (Gen. 35:16-18).  Thus “Joseph” is the celestial spiritual man; and “Benjamin” the spiritual celestial.  What is the difference between these two may be seen from what has been very frequently said before concerning the good from which is truth, and the truth in which is good.  This then is what is signified by Rachel’s other words: “Let Jehovah add to me another son.” But these arcana cannot be seen except by those who are in the charity of faith; for these are as to their interiors in the light of heaven, in which light there is also intelligence.  But they cannot be seen by those who are only in the light of the world, for in this light there is not intelligence, except in so far as the light of heaven is within it.  To the angels, who are in the light of heaven, these are among the most common things.

[4] From all this we can now see that by these words, “God hath gathered my reproach,” and “Let Jehovah add to me another son,” in the supreme sense is signified the Lord as to the Divine spiritual; and in the internal sense, the Lord‘s spiritual kingdom, or the good of faith; for this is the spiritual in that kingdom.  But that in the external sense by these words is signified salvation, also fructification and multiplication, is because this follows (n. 3971). The Lord’s spiritual kingdom as already repeatedly stated and shown, consists of those who are in charity and thereby in faith. It is distinct from the Lord‘s celestial kingdom, for this contains those who are in love to the Lord, and thereby in charity.  These constitute the third or inmost heaven; but those who are spiritual constitute the second or interior heaven.

[5] The reason why “God” is first mentioned “God hath gathered my reproach,” and then “Jehovah” - “Let Jehovah add to me another son,” is that the former name regards the ascent from truth to good, but the latter the descent from good to truth; for the spiritual man is in the good of faith (that is, in good from which there is truth); but before he becomes spiritual he is in the truth of faith (that is, in truth in which there is good); for “God” is used when the subject is truth; but “Jehovah” when it is good (n. 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921).

[6] That by Joseph is represented the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, or the spiritual man, and thus the good of faith, may also be seen from the passages in the Word where he is mentioned; as in the prophecy of Jacob, then Israel:--

Joseph is the son of a fruitful one, the son of a fruitful one by a I fountain, of a daughter, she marcheth upon the wall  the archers shall sorely grieve him and shall shoot at him, and shall hate him but he shall abide in the strength of his bow and the arms of his hands shall be made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel; by the God of thy father, and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai, and he shall bless thee with blessings of heaven from above, with blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb the blessings of thy father shall prevail over the blessings of my progenitors even to the desire of the everlasting hills; they shall be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of the Nazarite of his brethren (Gen. 49:22-26).

In these prophetic words there is contained in the supreme sense a description of the Lord‘s Divine Spiritual; and in the internal sense, of His spiritual kingdom.  What each particular involves shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be stated in the explication of that chapter.

[7] So in the prophecy of Moses:--

To Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that lieth beneath and for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and for the precious things of the increase of the months and for the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills; and for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof and the good will of him that dwelt in the bush they shall come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of the Nazarite of his brethren (Deut. 33:13-17).

[8] As Israel represented the Lord‘s spiritual church (n. 3305, 3654), therefore Jacob, then Israel, before his death said to Joseph:--

I Thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon.  The angel who hath redeemed me from all evil bless the lads, that my name may be named upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land (Gen. 48:5, 16).

For there are two things that constitute the spiritual church-the understanding and the will, of which the understanding is represented by Ephraim, and the will by Manasseh.  From this it is evident why Joseph’s two sons were adopted by Jacob, then Israel, and were acknowledged as his own.  “Ephraim” is also frequently mentioned in the Word, especially the prophetic Word, and by him is there signified the intellectual of truth and good, which belongs to the spiritual church.

[9] In Ezekiel:--

Jehovah said, Son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah and for the sons of Israel his companions and take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel his companions and join them for thee one to another, into one stick, that they both may become one in thy   hand. Thus said the Lord Jehovah, Behold,    I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will put them with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.  And I will make them one nation in the land, in the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, and they shall no more be divided into two kingdoms again (Ezek. 37:16, 17, 19, 22).

The Lord‘s celestial and spiritual kingdoms are here treated of.  The celestial kingdom is “Judah” (n. 3654, 3881, 3921) the spiritual kingdom is “Joseph;” and it is said that these kingdoms shall not be two, but one.  They were also made into one by the coming of the Lord into the world.

[10] The spiritual were saved by the Lord’s coming, (n. 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834). It is the spiritual of whom the Lord speaks in John:--

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, and one Shepherd (John 10:16).

This is what is signified by the “two sticks, of Judah and Joseph, which shall be joined together into one, and shall be one in the Lord‘s hand.”  For the celestial constitute the third heaven, which is the inmost; but the spiritual the second heaven, which is the interior; and they are there one, because the one flows into the other (that is, the celestial into the spiritual), the spiritual kingdom being as a plane to the celestial, and in this way they have been firmly co-established.  For the Divine celestial in “the third or inmost heaven is love to the Lord; and the celestial spiritual there is charity.  This charity is the chief thing in the second or interior heaven, where the spiritual are.  This shows what is the nature of the influx, and also of the co-establishment by means of the influx.  ”Wood“ signifies good, both the good of love to the Lord, and the good of charity toward the neighbor (n. 2784, 2812, 3720).  For this reason it was commanded that Judah and Joseph should be ”written upon sticks of wood,“ which should ”become one.“

[11] So in Zechariah:--

I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will cause them to dwell, for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not left them; for I Jehovah am their God, and I will answer them (Zech. 10:6)

here again the subject is the two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual (the celestial being ”Judah,“ and the spiritual ”Joseph“), and the salvation of the spiritual.

[12] In Amos:--

Thus said Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live.  Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it.  Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate it may be that Jehovah God Zebaoth will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph (Amos 5:4, 6, 15);

where also the spiritual are signified by ” Joseph;“ the ”house of Israel“ is the spiritual church (n. 3305, 3654); ”Joseph“ is the good of this church, and it is therefore said, ”Jehovah said unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph.“

[13] In David:--

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth.  Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Thy might, and come and save us (Ps. 80:1-3);

here also in like manner ”Joseph“ is the spiritual man; ”Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh“ are the three constituents of that church.

[14] Again:--

Lift up the song and give the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery blow the trumpet in the new moon, in the festival, on the day of our feast; for this is a statute for Israel, a judgment to the God of Jacob; he appointed it to Joseph for a testimony, when be went out against the land of Egypt; I heard a language that I knew not (Ps. 81:2-5);

that ”Joseph“ here is the spiritual church, or the spiritual man, is manifest from every word and expression; for in the Word there are terms that express spiritual things, and others that express celestial things, and this with uniformity throughout.  In this passage there are words that express spiritual things; as ”song,“ ”timbrel,“ the ”“harp with the psaltery,” “blowing the trumpet in the new moon, in the festival on the day of our feast.” From this also it is manifest that the subject is the spiritual church, which is “Joseph.”

[15] In Ezekiel:--

Thus said the Lord Jehovah, This shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel; the lines shall be to Joseph (Ezek. 47:13);

where the subject is the Lord’s spiritual kingdom; and it is therefore said, “the lines shall be to Joseph” The Lord‘s Divine Spiritual is that which is also called His “royalty;” for the Lord’s “royalty” is His Divine truth; and His “priesthood” is His Divine good (n. 2015, 3009, 3670).  The Lord‘s royalty itself is that which is represented by Joseph, in his being made king in the land of Egypt, which representation shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be treated of in its place.

[16] As regards the Lord‘s Divine Spiritual, or the Divine truth, which in the supreme sense is represented by Joseph, it is not in the Lord, but is from the Lord; for the Lord is nothing but Divine good; but the Divine truth proceeds from the Divine good.  To speak comparatively, this is like the sun and its light; the light is not in the sun, but proceeds from it; or it is like a fire, the light of which is not in the fire, but proceeds from the fire.  The Divine good itself is also compared in the Word to the “sun,” and to “fire,” and is likewise called the “sun” and “fire.” The Lord’s celestial kingdom lives from the good which proceeds from the Lord; but His spiritual kingdom from the truth thence derived; and therefore in the other life the Lord appears to the celestial as a sun; but to the spiritual as a moon (n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643).  Both heat and light proceed from the sun, the heat being - to speak comparatively the good of love, which is also called celestial and spiritual heat; and the light, the truth thence derived, which is also called spiritual light (n. 3636, 3643).  But within the celestial heat and spiritual light that in the other life proceed from the Lord as a sun, there are the good of love and the truth of faith, thus wisdom and intelligence (n. 1521-1523, 1542, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862); for all that which proceeds from the Lord is living.

[17] From this we can see what the Divine Spiritual is; and whence comes the spiritual kingdom, and the celestial kingdom; and that the spiritual kingdom is the good of faith, that is, charity, which flows in from the Lord immediately, and also mediately through the celestial kingdom. The Divine Spiritual that proceeds from the Lord is called in the Word the “spirit of truth,” and is holy truth; not being of any spirit, but of the Lord through a spirit sent by Him; as may be seen from the words of the Lord Himself in John:--

When He, the Spirit of Truth, shall come, He will guide you into all the truth for He shall not speak from Himself but what things soever He shall hear, these shall He speak; and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come.  He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you (John 16:13, 14).

AC 3970.  Verses 25, 26. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, and I will go to my place, and to my land.  Give me my females, and my children, for whom I have served thee, and I will go; for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee. “And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph,” signifies the acknowledgment of the spiritual represented by Joseph; “that Jacob said unto Laban,” signifies the good of natural truth to the collateral good from a Divine origin, by means of which there is a conjunction of the interiors; “ send me away, and I will go to my place, and to my land,” signifies that there was then a longing of the natural represented by Jacob, for a state of conjunction with the Divine of the rational; “give me my females,” signifies that the affections of truth belonged to the natural; “and my children,” signifies that so did the truths thence derived; “ for whom I have served thee,” signifies from His own power; “and I will go,” signifies conjunction with the Divine rational; “for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee,” signifies labor and study by His own power.

AC 3971. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph. That this signifies the acknowledgment of the spiritual represented by Joseph, is evident from the signification of “bearing,” as being to acknowledge (n. 3905, 3911, 3915, 3919); from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819) and from the representation of Joseph, as being the spiritual kingdom, thus the spiritual man (n. 3969), and consequently the Spiritual; for the Spiritual, being from the Lord, is that which makes the spiritual man, and also the spiritual kingdom.  In what is related of Jacob‘s sons by the handmaids and Leah, the reception and acknowledgment of general truths has been treated of, and at last their conjunction with the interior man, and thus man’s regeneration even till he is made spiritual; “Joseph” being this spiritual man.  In what now immediately follows, the fructification and multiplication of truth and good are treated of, which are signified by the “flock” that Jacob procured for himself by means of the flock of Laban; for after there has been effected the conjunction of the interior man with the external, or of the spiritual man with the natural, there takes place a fructification of good and a multiplication of truth; for this conjunction is the heavenly marriage in man, and these are born from it.  From this also it is that fructification and multiplication are signified by “Joseph” in the external sense (n. 3965, 3969). “Fructification” is said of good; and “multiplication” of truth, (n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847).

AC 3972. That Jacob said unto Laban.  That this signifies the good of natural truth to the collateral good from a Divine origin, by which there is a conjunction of the interiors, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of natural truth (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829); and from the representation of Laban, as being collateral good from a Divine origin (n. 3612, 3665, 3778).  That the conjunction of the interiors is effected through this good, has been repeatedly explained before (n. 3665, 3690).  This good is signified by the “flock of Laban,” through which Jacob procured for himself his own flock.

AC 3973.  Send me away, and I will go to my place, and to my land.  That this signifies that there was then a longing of the natural represented by Jacob for a state of conjunction with the Divine of the rational, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who speaks these words, as being the good of natural truth (n. 3972); from the signification of “place,” as being state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387); and from the signification of “land” here, as being the Divine of the rational; for by “my land” is meant his father Isaac and his mother Rebekah, as it was to them he desired to be sent and to go. “Isaac” is the Divine rational as to good, (n. 2083, 2630, 3012, 3194, 3210); and also “Rebekah” is Divine truth conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, (n. 3012, 3013, 3077). That a longing for conjunction is signified, is evident from the affection contained in the words.

AC 3974.  Give me my females.  That this signifies that the affections of truth belonged to the natural; and that “and my children” signifies that so did the truths hence derived, is evident from the signification of “females,” or “women,” as being the affections of truth; his “woman Leah,” the affection of external truth and “Rachel,” the affection of interior truth; and from the signification of “children,” as being the derivative truths; for by “sons” are signified truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and by the “children” that were born from the females, the derivative truths.  It was a statute among the ancients that the females given to servants should be the masters with whom they served, and also the children born of them; as is evident in Moses:--

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve, and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If his master give him a woman and she shall bear him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall be her master‘s, and he shall go out with his body (Exod. 21:2, 4).

As this was a statute in the Ancient Church also, and was thus known to Laban, he therefore claimed for himself both the females and the children of Jacob, as is plain in the following chapter:--

Laban said unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that thou seest, it is mine (Gen. 31:43);

and because Jacob knew this, he said to Laban, “Give me my females and my children.” But that statute, as stated by Moses in the place cited, represented the right of the internal or rational man that it has acquired over the goods and truths of the external or natural man; for by a manservant was represented the truth of the natural such as it is in the beginning, before genuine truths are being insinuated. The truth acquired in the beginning is not truth, but appears as truth, and yet as before shown it serves as a means for introducing genuine truths and goods; and therefore when goods and truths have been insinuated by it, or by its service, it is dismissed, and the genuine goods and truths thus procured are retained.  It was for the sake of this representation that this law concerning the servants was delivered.

[2] But as regards Jacob, he was not a bought servant, but was from a more distinguished family than Laban.  He bought for himself by his own service the daughters of Laban, and thus also the children born of them; for these were his wages.  Laban’s thought in regard to them therefore was not in accordance with the truth.  Moreover, by a “Hebrew servant” was signified truth that serves for introducing genuine goods and truths, and by his “woman” the affection of natural good.  With Jacob it was otherwise.  By him is represented the good of natural truth; and by his “ females” the affection of truth.  Neither is that represented by Laban which is represented by the “master” in the law cited respecting a Hebrew servant, namely, the rational; but collateral good (n. 3612, 3665, 3778); which is such that it is not genuine good, but appears to be genuine, and is of service for introducing truths (n. 3665, 3690), which therefore were Jacob‘s.

[3] These things here advanced are indeed such as to fall into the comprehension of extremely few; because very few know what the truth and good of the natural are, and that they are distinct from the truth and good of the rational.  Still less is it known that goods and truths not genuine, and which yet appear to be genuine, may serve for introducing genuine goods and truths, especially in the beginning of regeneration.  Nevertheless as these are the things contained in the internal sense of these words, and in the internal sense also of those which follow respecting Laban’s flock, from which Jacob procured a flock for himself, they are not to be passed over in silence.  There may be some who will comprehend them.  They who are in the desire of knowing such things, that is, who are in the affection of spiritual good and truth, are enlightened in regard to such matters.

AC 3975. For whom I have served thee. That this signifies from His own power, is evident from the signification of “serving,” as being labor and study (n. 3824, 3846), and which when predicated of the Lord, signifies His own power; for from His own power the Lord procured for Himself Divine goods and Divine truths, and made His Human Divine (n. 1616, 1749, 1755, 1921, 2025, 2026, 2083, 2500, 2523, 2632, 2816, 3382).

AC 3976. And I will go.  That this signifies conjunction with the Divine rational, is evident from the signification of “going;” that is, to his place and to his land (n. 3973); by which is signified a longing for conjunction with the Divine of the rational.

AC 3977. For thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee.  That this signifies labor and study by His own power, may be seen from what has been said and adduced just above (n. 3975); thus without further explication. What these things involve further, is manifest from what has been said above (n. 3974), and also from what follows.

AC 3978. Verses 27-30. And Laban said unto him, If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, I have tested it, and Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake; and he said, Signify to me thy reward, and I will give it.  And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy substance has been with me; for it was little that thou hadst before me, and it hath burst forth into a multitude, and Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot; and now when shall I also be doing for mine own house? “And Laban said unto him,” signifies perception from the good which is signified by “Laban;” “If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes,” signifies a strong inclination; “I have tested it, and Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake,” signifies from the Divine, for the sake of the good of the natural, to which it was to be of service; “and he said, Signify to me thy reward, and I will give it,” signifies that it would of itself give that which was desired; “and he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee,” signifies that it knew its mind (animus) and its power; “and how thy substance has been with me,” signifies that this also was from the Divine; “for it was little that thou hadst before me,” signifies that its good was barren before it was conjoined; “and it hath burst forth into a multitude,” signifies fruitfulness thereafter; “and Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot,” signifies that it was from the Divine which the natural had; “and now when shall I also be doing for mine own house?” signifies that now its own good shall be made fruitful therefrom.

AC 3979.  And Laban said unto him.  That this signifies perception from the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the representation of Laban, as being collateral good from the Divine (n. 3612, 3665, 3778).  That perception from this good is signified by the words “Laban said unto him,” is because by persons in the Word are not signified persons, but actual things; in the supreme sense the Divine things that are in the Lord; and in the internal sense, such things in man as are being treated of; thus by two persons, two things in the same individual.

AC 3980. If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes.  That this signifies a strong inclination, is evident from the signification of “finding grace in the eyes” of anyone, as being a strong inclination.  Strong inclination is predicated of the good which is signified by “Laban,” when it desires to be present.  He who reflects, or is able to reflect, upon the affections of good and truth in himself, and also upon their delight and pleasure, will notice a strong inclination for the one in preference to the other; but without reflection these and the like things do not appear.

AC 3981. I have tested it, and Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake. That this signifies that it was from the Divine, for the sake of the good of the natural, to which it was to be of service, is evident from the signification of “testing that Jehovah hath blessed,” as being to know for certain that it is from the Divine. That it was for the sake of the good of the natural, to which it was to be of service, is signified by “for thy sake;” for “Jacob” is the good of natural truth (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829); and “Laban” is the collateral good which serves (as before shown passim); see also (n. 3982, 3986).

AC 3982. And he said, Signify to me thy reward, and I will give it.  That this signifies that it would of itself give that which was desired, may be seen without explication.  What has been said thus far is of such a nature as cannot be unfolded to the understanding in a clear manner, not only because the mind cannot be turned away in a moment from the historicals about Laban and Jacob to the spiritual things that are treated of in the internal sense (for the historical meaning always adheres and fills the idea, and yet must become null in order that what is not historical may be comprehended in a series and connection), but also because it is necessary to have a clear notion of the goods represented by both Laban and Jacob; and it must be remembered that the good represented by Laban is of such a nature as to be useful merely to introduce genuine goods and truths; and that when it has performed this useful service it is left behind.  The quality of this good has already been described.  It is like what is immature in unripe fruits, by means of which the juice is introduced; and when it has served this purpose it is afterwards absorbed, and the fruit ripens by means of other fibers, and at last by those of the genuine juice.

[2] It is known that a man learns many things in infancy and childhood for the sole use that by them as means he may learn those which are more useful; and successively by these such as are still more useful, until at last he learns those of eternal life; and when he learns these, the former are almost blotted out.  In like manner when a man is being born anew by the Lord, he is led by various affections of good and truth which are not affections of genuine good and truth, but are of use merely to enable us to apprehend these, and then to enable us to become imbued with them; and when this has been done the previous affections are forgotten and left behind, because they had served merely as means.  The case is the same with the collateral good signified by “Laban,” in respect to the good of truth signified by “Jacob,” as well as by the “flock” of each.

[3] These are the arcana contained in these words and in those which follow; but they are delivered in an historical form in order that the Word may be read with delight, even by children and by simple-minded persons, to the end that when they are in holy delight from the historical sense, the angels who are with them may be in the holiness of the internal sense; for this sense is adapted to the intelligence of the angels, while the external sense is adapted to that of men.  By this means there is a consociation of man with the angels, of which the man knows nothing at all, but only perceives a kind of delight from it that is attended with a holy feeling.

AC 3983. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee.  That this signifies that it had known its mind (animus), and its power, may be seen from the series of things in the internal sense.  That to know anyone‘s quality is to know his mind, is manifest.  And that knowing anyone’s quality in his service, or “how I have served,” is to know his power, may be seen from the signification here of “serving,” as being one‘s own power (n. 3975, 3977); for by Jacob is represented the Lord’s Divine natural as to the good of truth, which has power. From this it follows that “how thy substance   has been with me” signifies that this also was from the Divine.

AC 3984. For it was little that thou hadst before me.  That this signifies that its good was barren unless it was conjoined, may also be seen from the series in the internal sense.  For the quality of the good represented by Laban, before it had been conjoined with the good of truth, which is “Jacob,” is described as having been of little use, that is, barren.  But how the case is with these things, will appear from what now follows.

AC 3985. And it hath burst forth into a multitude.  That this signifies fruitfulness thereafter, is evident from the signification of “bursting forth into a multitude,” as being fruitfulness; that is, after it had been conjoined.

AC 3986. And Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot.  That this signifies that it was from the Divine which the natural had, is evident from the signification of “Jehovah blessing,” as being to endow with good (n. 3406) and that this is conjunction (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584); thus “Jehovah blessing” signifies to be endowed with Divine good through conjunction; here, with the good of the natural, which is represented by Jacob.  It is the natural that is signified by the “foot.” That the “foot” is the natural may be seen above (n. 2162, 3147, 3761), and the same will appear from the correspondence of the Grand Man with everything in man, as show“ at the end of the chapters. From this it is evident that by Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot,” is signified from the Divine which the natural had.

[2] The arcanum which lies concealed within these words and in those which immediately precede, is know“ to few, if any, and is therefore to be revealed.  The goods that are in men, as well within the church as without it, are absolutely various, so various that the good of one man is never precisely like that of another.  The varieties come forth from the truths with which the goods are conjoined; for all good has its quality from truths, and truths have their essential from goods.  Varieties come forth also from the affections of everyone‘s love; which are enrooted in and appropriated to a man by his life.  Even in the man who is within the church there are few genuine truths, and still fewer in the man who is without the church; so that the affections of genuine truth are rare among men.

[3] Nevertheless they who are in the good of life, that is, who live in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, are saved.  That these can be saved is because the Divine of the Lord is in the good of love to God and in the good of charity toward the neighbor; and where the Divine is within, there all things are disposed into order, so that they can be conjoined with the genuine goods and genuine truths that are in the heavens.  That this is the case may be seen from the societies that constitute heaven, which are innumerable, and all of which in both general and particular are various in respect to good and truth, and yet all taken together form One Heaven; being circumstanced as are the members and organs of the human body, which, although everywhere various, nevertheless constitute one man.  For a one that is formed of many is never constituted of units of exactly the same pattern; but of varying things harmoniously conjoined.  Every one is composed of various things harmoniously conjoined; and the case is the same with the goods and truths in the spiritual world, which, although various, so that they are never precisely the same with one as with another, nevertheless make a one from the Divine through love and charity. For love and charity are spiritual conjunction; and their variety is heavenly harmony, which makes such concord that they are a one in the Divine, that is, in the Lord.

[4] Moreover the good of love to God and the good of charity toward the neighbor, however various may be the truths and the affections of truth, are nevertheless receptive of genuine truth and good; for they are so to speak not hard and resisting, but are as it were soft and yielding, suffering themselves to be led by the Lord, and thus to be bent to good, and through good to Him.  Very different is the case with those who are in the love of self and of the world.  These do not suffer themselves to be led and bent by the Lord and to the Lord, but resist stiffly, for they desire to lead themselves; and this is still more the case when they are in principles of falsity that have been confirmed.  So long as they are of this character they do not admit the Divine.

[5] From all this it is now evident what is signified in the internal sense by the words which Jacob spoke to Laban; for by ”Laban“ is signified such good as is not genuine, because genuine truths have not been implanted in it; but yet it is of such a nature that these can be conjoined with it, and that the Divine can be in it.  Such good is wont to exist in young children before they have received genuine truths; and also in the simple within the church, who know few truths of faith, and yet live in charity; and such good also exists among the upright Gentiles, who are in holy worship of their gods. By means of such good, genuine truths and goods can be introduced, as may be seen from what has been said about little children and the simple within the church (n. 3690); and about the upright Gentiles outside of the church (n. 2598-2603).

AC 3987. And now when shall I also be doing for mine own house? That this signifies that now its own good shall be made fruitful therefrom, is evident from the signification of a ”house,“ as being good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652); and here of ”my house,“ as being the good signified by ”Jacob.“ That ”to do for this house“ signifies that the good therefrom is to be made fruitful, is manifest from the subject being the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth; for by ”Joseph,“ the last born, this fructification is signified (n. 3965, 3969, 3971); and by the ”flock“ that Jacob procured for himself by means of Laban’s flock, as now follows, this signification is described.  That good is not fructified nor truth multiplied until the conjunction of the external man with the internal has been effected, may be seen from the fact that it is of the interior man to will good to another, and thereby to think good; but of the external man to do good, and thereby to teach good.  Unless doing good is conjoined with willing good, and teaching good with thinking good, there is no good in the man; for the evil can will evil and do good, and also think evil and teach good, as everybody can know. Hypocrites and profane persons are in this study and art more than others, so much so indeed that they can palm themselves off as angels of light, when yet they are devils within; from all which it is evident that good can be made fruitful with no one, unless doing good is conjoined with willing good, and teaching good with thinking good; that is, unless the external man is conjoined with the internal.

AC 3988. Verses 31-33. And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this word for me, I will return, and feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my reward.  And my righteousness shall answer for me on the morrow, because thou comest upon my reward before thee; everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, stolen is this by me. ”And he said, What shall I give thee?“ signifies knowledge; ”and Jacob said,“ signifies reply; ”thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this word for me,“ signifies that it should be brought on the part of the good which is from truth; ”I will return, and feed and keep thy flock,“ signifies that the good signified by Laban is to be applied to use; ”I will pass through all thy flock this day,“ signifies that He perceives the quality of all the good; removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted,” signifies that all the good that is His will be separated wherewith there is mingled evil (signified by the “speckled”), and falsity (signified by the “spotted”) “and every black one among the lambs,” signifies an own that is innocent, which belongs to the good signified by “Laban;” “and the spotted and speckled among the goats,” signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His; “and this shall be my reward,” signifies that it was from Himself; “and my righteousness shall answer for me,” signifies the Divine holiness which He had; “on the morrow,” signifies to eternity; “because thou comest upon my reward before thee,” signifies what is His own; “everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats,” signifies what is not from the good signified by “Laban” mingled with evil and falsity in the goods of truth; “and black among the lambs,” signifies the first state of innocence; “stolen is this by me,” signifies that it was not His.

AC 3989. And he said, What shall I give thee?  That this signifies knowledge, may be seen from its being an entreaty and inquiry in order to know what and how much he wished to have for his hire or reward.  And Jacob said, that this signifies reply, is evident without explication.

AC 3990. Thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this word for me.  That this signifies that it should be brought on the part of the good which is from truth, is evident from the signification of “not giving anything,” as being not to be brought by the good represented by Laban; but by the good represented by Jacob, which is the good of truth (n. 3669, 3677, 3829).  But that which was to be brought is described in what follows.

AC 3991. I will return, and feed and keep thy flock.  That this signifies that the good represented by Laban is to be applied to use, namely, to introduce genuine goods and truths, as shown above, is evident from the signification of a flock,“ here that of Laban, as being the good represented by him.  ”To return and feed and keep his flock,“ is to apply this good to use, as is evident also from what follows; for by that flock Jacob acquired his own, because it served him as a means, and thus for use.

AC 3992. I will pass through all thy flock this day.  That this signifies that He perceives the quality of all the good, is evident from the signification of a ”flock,“ as being good (n. 343, 3518); and from the signification of ”passing through it all,“ as being to know and perceive its quality.

AC 3993. Removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted.  That this signifies that all the good and truth that is His will be separated wherewith there is mingled evil (signified by the ”speckled“), and falsity (signified by the ”spotted“), is evident from the signification of ”removing,“ as being to separate; and from the signification of a ”flock“ (here one of goats and lambs), as being goods and truths (n. 1824, 3519).  That there are arcana in these and the following verses of this chapter, may be seen from many of the things being such as would not be worthy of mention in the Divine Word, unless there were within them things more arcane than appear in the letter; as that Jacob asked for his reward or hire the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the black among the lambs; that he then placed in the gutters rods of hazel and plane-tree with the bark peeled off to the white before the flocks of Laban when they grew warm, and that as regards the lambs, he set the face of the flock toward the variegated and the black in Laban‘s flock; and that he thus became rich, not by a good but by an evil art.  In these things there does not appear anything Divine, whereas all things of the Word both in general and in particular, down to the smallest jot, are Divine. Moreover to know all this is not of the slightest avail for salvation and yet the Word, being Divine, contains within it nothing that is not conducive to salvation and eternal life.

[2] From all this, and the like things elsewhere, everyone may conclude that some arcanum is contained within, and that each one of the particulars, notwithstanding its being of such a character in the letter, yields things more Divine within.  But what they yield within cannot possibly appear to anyone, except from the internal sense; that is, unless he knows how these things are perceived by the angels, who are in the spiritual sense while man is in the historic natural sense. And how remote these two senses appear from each other, although most closely conjoined, may be clearly seen from the particulars already explained and from all the rest.  The arcanum itself contained in this and the following verses of this chapter, can indeed be known in some degree from what has been already said concerning Laban and Jacob, namely, that ”Laban“ is such good as can serve to introduce genuine goods and truths, and that ”Jacob“ is the good of truth.  But as few persons know what the natural is that corresponds to spiritual good, and still fewer what spiritual good is, and that there must be a correspondence between them; and as still fewer know that a kind of good which only appears to be good is the means of introducing genuine goods and truths, the arcana that treat of these things cannot be easily explained to the apprehension, for they fall into the shade of the understanding, and it is as if one were speaking in a foreign language, so that however clearly the matter may be set forth, the hearer does not understand.  Nevertheless it is to be set forth, because that which the Word stores up in its internal sense is now to be opened.

[3] In the supreme sense the subject here treated of is the Lord, how He made His natural Divine; and in the representative sense the natural in man, how the Lord regenerates it, and reduces it to correspondence with the man that is within; that is, with him who will live after the death of the body, and is then called the spirit of the man, which when released from the body takes with it all that belongs to the outward man, except the bones and the flesh.  Unless the correspondence of the internal man with the external has been effected in time, or in the life of the body, it is not effected afterwards.  The conjunction of the two by the Lord by means of regeneration is here treated of in the internal sense.

[4] The general truths that man must receive and acknowledge before he can be regenerated have been treated of heretofore--being signified by the ten sons of Jacob and Leah and the hand-maids-- and, after the man has received and acknowledged these truths, the conjunction of the external man with the interior, or of the natural with the spiritual signified by ”Joseph“ is treated of.  And now in accordance with the order the subject treated of is the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth, which come forth for the first time when this conjunction has been effected, and precisely so far as it is effected. This is what is signified by the ”flock“ that Jacob acquired by means of the flock of Laban.  By ”flock“ here is signified good and truth, as elsewhere frequently in the Word; and by the ”flock of Laban,“ the good represented by Laban, the nature of which has been already stated.  The ”flock of Jacob“ signifies the genuine good and truth procured by means of the good represented by Laban, and there is here described the manner in which these genuine goods and truths are acquired.

[5] But this cannot by any means be comprehended unless it is known what is signified in the internal sense by ”speckled,“ by ”spotted,“ by ”black,“ and by ”white,“ which therefore must now be explained in the first instance.  That which is speckled and spotted is that which is composed of black and white; and in general ”black“ signifies evil, and specifically what is man’s own, because this is nothing but evil.  But ”dark“ signifies falsity, and specifically the principles of falsity.  ”White“ in the internal sense signifies truth, properly the Lord‘s righteousness and merit, and derivatively the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man.  This white is called ”bright white,“ because it shines from the light that is from the Lord. But in the opposite sense ”white“ signifies man‘s own righteousness, or his own merit; for truth without good is attended with such self-merit, because when anyone does good, not from the good of truth, he always desires to be recompensed, because he does it for the sake of himself; whereas when anyone does truth from good, this good is then enlightened by the light that is from the Lord.  This shows what is signified by ”spotted,“ namely, the truth with which falsity is mingled; and what by ”speckled,“ namely, the good with which evil is mingled.

[6] Actual colors are seen in the other life, so beautiful and resplendent that they cannot be described (n. 1053, 1624); and they are from the variegation of light and shade in white and black.  But although the light there appears as light before the eyes, it is not like the light in this world.  The light in heaven has within it intelligence and wisdom; for Divine intelligence and wisdom from the Lord are there presented as light, and also illumine the universal heaven (n. 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3339-3341, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862).  And in like manner although the shade in the other life appears as shade, it is yet not like the shade in this world; for the shade there is absence of the light, and accordingly is lack of intelligence and wisdom.  As therefore the white and black there come forth from a light that has intelligence and wisdom within it, and from a shade that is lack of intelligence and wisdom, it is evident that by ”white“ and ”black“ are signified such things as have been stated above.  Consequently as colors are modifications of light and shade in whites and blacks, as in planes, it is the variegations thus produced that are called colors (n. 1042, 1043, 1053).

[7] From all this we can now see that that which is ”speckled,“ that is, that which is marked and dotted all over with black and white points, signifies the good with which evil is mingled and also that that which is ”spotted“ signifies the truth with which falsity is mingled.  These are the things that were taken from the good of Laban in order to serve for introducing genuine goods and truths.  But how these can serve this purpose is an arcanum which can indeed be presented clearly before those who are in the light of heaven, because as before said within this light there is intelligence; but it cannot be clearly presented before those who are in the light of the world, unless their light of the world has been enlightened by the light of heaven, as is the case with those who have been regenerated; for every regenerate person sees goods and truths in his natural light from the light of heaven, because the light of heaven produces his intellectual sight, and the light of the world his natural sight.

[8] A few words shall be added to further explain how the case herein is. In man there is no pure good, that is, good with which evil is not mingled; nor pure truth, with which falsity is not mingled.  For man’s will is nothing but evil, from which there continually flows falsity into his understanding; because, as is well known, man receives by inheritance the evil successively accumulated by his progenitors, and from this he produces evil in an actual form, and makes it his own, and adds thereto more evil of himself.  But the evils with man are of various kinds; there are evils with which goods cannot be mingled, and there are evils with which they can be mingled; and it is the same with the falsities.  Unless this were so, no man could possibly be regenerated.  The evils and falsities with which goods and truths cannot be mingled, are such as are contrary to love to God and love toward the neighbor; namely, hatreds, revenges, cruelties, and a consequent contempt for others in comparison with one‘s self; and also the consequent persuasions of falsity.  But the evils and falsities with which goods and truths can be mingled, are those which are not contrary to love to God and love toward the neighbor.

[9] For example: If anyone loves himself more than others, and from this love studies to excel others in moral and civic life, in memory-knowledges and doctrinal things, and to be exalted to dignities and wealth in preeminence to others, and yet acknowledges and adores God, performs kind offices to his neighbor from the heart, and does what is just and fair from conscience; the evil of this love of self is one with which good and truth can be mingled; for it is an evil that is man’s own, and that is born hereditarily; and to take it away from him suddenly would be to extinguish the fire of his first life.  But the man who loves himself above others, and from this love despises others in comparison with himself, and hates those who do not honor and as it were adore him, and therefore feels a consequent delight of hatred in revenge and cruelty--the evil of such a love as this is one with which good and truth cannot be mingled, for they are contraries.

[10] To take another example: If anyone believes himself to be pure from sins, and thus washed clean, as one who is washed from filth by much water; when such a man has once performed repentance and has done the imposed penance, or after confession has heard such a declaration from his confessor, or after he has partaken of the holy supper--if he then lives a new life, in the affection of good and truth, this falsity is one with which good can be mingled.  But if he lives a carnal and worldly life, as before, the falsity is then one with which good cannot be mingled.

[11] Again: The man who believes that a man is saved by believing well, and not by willing well; and yet wills well and in consequence does well--this falsity is one to which good and truth can be adjoined; but not so if he does not will well and therefore do well.  In like manner if anyone is ignorant that man rises again after death, and consequently does not believe in the resurrection; or if he is aware of it, but still doubts, and almost denies it, and yet lives in truth and good--with this falsity also good and truth can be mingled; but if he lives in falsity and evil, truth and good cannot be mingled with this falsity, because they are contraries and the falsity destroys the truth, and the evil destroys the good.

[12] Again: The simulation and cunning that have what is good as their end, whether it is that of the neighbor, or that of our country, or of the church, are prudence; and the evils that are mixed up with them can be mingled with good, from and for the sake of the end.  But the simulation and cunning that have evil as their end, are not prudence, but are craft and deceit, with which good can by no means be conjoined; for deceit, which is an end of evil, induces what is infernal upon all things in man both in general and in particular, places evil in the middle, and rejects good to the circumference; which order is infernal order itself. And it is the same in numberless other cases.

[13] That there are evils and falsities to which goods and truths can be adjoined, may be seen from the mere fact that there are so many diverse dogmas and doctrines, many of which are altogether heretical, and yet in each there are those who are saved; and also that the Lord‘s church exists even among the Gentiles who are out of the church; and although they are in falsities, nevertheless those are saved who live a life of charity (n. 2589-2604); which could by no means be the case unless there were evils with which goods, and falsities with which truths, can be mingled.  For the evils with which goods and the falsities with which truths can be mingled, are wonderfully disposed into order by the Lord; for they are not conjoined together, still less united into a one; but are adjoined and applied to one another, and this in such manner that the goods together with the truths are in the middle and as it were in the center, and by degrees toward the circumferences or circuits are such evils and falsities.  Thus the latter are lighted up by the former, and are variegated like things white and black by light from the middle or center. This is heavenly order. These are the things that are signified in the internal sense by the ”speckled“ and the ”spotted.“

AC 3994. And every black one among the lambs.  That this signifies an own that is innocent that belongs to the good signified by ”Laban,“ is evident from the signification of ”black,“ as being what is man’s own (n. 3993); and from the signification of a ”lamb,“ as being innocence.  As regards an own that is innocent, signified by the ”black among the lambs,“ the case is this.  In all good there must be innocence in order that it may be good. Charity without innocence is not charity; and still less is love to the Lord possible without innocence.  For this reason innocence is the very essential of love and charity, consequently of good.  An own that is innocent is to know, acknowledge, and believe, not with the mouth but with the heart, that nothing but evil is from one‘s self, and that all good is from the Lord; and therefore that what is man’s own is nothing but blackness; that is to say, not only the own of his will, which is evil, but also the own of his understanding, which is falsity.  When man is in this confession and belief from the heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth, and insinuates into him a heavenly own, which is white and lustrous.  No one can ever be in true humility unless he is in this acknowledgment and belief from the heart; for he is then in annihilation of self, nay, in the loathing of self, and thus in absence from self; and in this manner he is then in a state capable of receiving the Divine of the Lord.  It is by this means that the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.

[2] Such is the own that is innocent, which is here signified by the ”black among the lambs“ that Jacob chose for himself; but the white among the lambs is the self-merit that is placed in goods. ”White“ is merit, (n. 3993). This Jacob did not choose, because it is contrary to innocence; for he who places self-merit in goods, acknowledges and believes that all good is from himself; because in the goods he does he has regard to himself, and not to the Lord, and accordingly demands recompense on account of his merit.  Such a one therefore despises others in comparison with himself, and even condemns them, and consequently in the same proportion recedes from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth.  From all this it is now evident that charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord are impossible unless there is innocence within them consequently that no one can come into heaven unless there is something of innocence in him according to the Lord‘s words:--

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17);

by a ”little child“ here and elsewhere in the Word is signified innocence. Infancy is not innocence, but innocence dwells in wisdom, (n. 2305, 3494): What the innocence of infancy is, and what the innocence of wisdom, (n. 2306, 3183): What man’s own is when vivified by the Lord with innocence and charity, (n. 154): Innocence causes good to be good, (n. 2526, 2780).

[3] ”Lambs“ signify innocence may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following may be adduced in confirmation.  In Isaiah:--

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isa 11:6);

where the subject treated of is the Lord‘s kingdom, and the state of peace and innocence therein.  The ”wolf“ denotes those who are against innocence; and the ”lamb,“ those who are in innocence.  Again in the same Prophet:--

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s bread.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the mountain of My holiness (Isa 65:25);

where the ”wolf“ as above denotes those who are against innocence; and the ”lamb,“ those who are in innocence.  As the ”wolf“ and the ”lamb“ are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent forth:--

Behold I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

In Moses:--

He maketh him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan (Deut. 32:13, 14);

here in the internal sense the celestial things of the Ancient Church are treated of, and the ”fat of lambs“ denotes the charity of innocence.

[4] In the original language ”lambs“ are expressed by various names, by which are signified the different degrees of innocence; for as before said, in all good there must be innocence to make it good; consequently there must be the same in truth.  ”Lambs“ are here expressed by the same word that is used for ”sheep“ (Lev. 1:10; 3:7; 5:6; 17:3; 22:19; Num. 18:17); and it is the innocence of the faith of charity that is signified.  Elsewhere they are expressed by other words, as in Isaiah:--

Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion (Isa. 16:1).

By still another word in the same Prophet:--

The Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him; He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall gather the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that give suck (Isa. 40:10, 11);

where to ”gather the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom,“ denotes those who are in charity in which there is innocence.

[5] In John:--

When Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, He said to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.  He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep (John 21:15, 16).

”By Peter“ here and elsewhere is signified faith (n. 2135A, 2760, 3750); and as faith is not faith unless it is from charity toward the neighbor, and thus from love to the Lord; and as charity and love are not charity and love unless they are from innocence, for this reason the Lord first asks Peter whether he loves Him, that is, whether there is love in the faith, and then says, ”Feed My lambs,“ that is, those who are in innocence.  And then, after the same question, He says, ”Feed My sheep,“ that is, those who are in charity.

[6] As the Lord is the innocence itself which is in His kingdom, the all of innocence being from Him, He is called the ”Lamb;“ as in John:--

The next day John the Baptist seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36).

And in the Revelation:--

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen (Apoc. 17:14; 5:6; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 14, 17; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1, 4; 19:7, 9; 21:22, 23, 26, 27; 22:1, 3).

That in the supreme sense the paschal lamb is the Lord, is well known; for the passover signified the Lord‘s glorification, that is, the putting on of the Divine in respect to the Human; and in the representative sense it signifies man’s regeneration; and the paschal lamb signifies that which is the essential of regeneration, namely, innocence; for no one can be regenerated except by means of the charity in which there is innocence.

[7] As innocence is the primary thing in the Lord‘s kingdom, and is the celestial itself there, and as the sacrifices and burnt-offerings represented the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord’s kingdom, therefore the very essential of the Lord‘s kingdom, which is innocence, was represented by lambs.  For this reason a perpetual or daily burnt-offering was made of lambs, one in the morning, and another in the evening (Exod. 29:37-39; Num. 28:3, 4), and a double one on the Sabbath days (Num. 28:9, 10), and of still more lambs on stated festivals (Lev. 23:12; Num. 28:11, 17, 19, 27; 29). The reason why a woman in child-bed, after the days of her cleansing were accomplished, was to offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and the young of a pigeon or a turtle-dove (Lev. 12:6), was that the effect of conjugial love might be signified.  Conjugial love is innocence (n. 2736); and also because innocence is signified by ”infants.“

AC 3995. And the spotted and speckled among the goats.   That this signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His, is evident from the signification of ”spotted,“ as being falsity; and from the signification of ”speckled,“ as being evil; as shown above (n. 3993); and from the signification of ”she-goats,“ as being the good of truth, or the charity of faith (n. 3519).  That all this will be His, is also signified by what follows--”and it shall be my reward.“

[2] A few words as to what the good of truth is, or the charity of faith.  When a man is being regenerated the truth which is of faith apparently comes first, and the good which is of charity apparently follows but when the man has been regenerated, then the good which is of charity manifestly takes the precedence, and the truth which is of faith manifestly follows. The former is the appearance, and the latter the real truth, (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701). For when a man is being regenerated, he does what is good from the truth he has learned, because from truth he learns what is good; nevertheless it is the good within that effects this.  For good flows in from the Lord by an internal way, that is, by the way of the soul; but truth flows in by an external way, or by the way of the senses, which is that of the body.  The truth that enters by the latter way is adopted by the good that is within, and is conjoined with it, and this even until the man has been regenerated.  A  revolution then takes place, and truth is done from good. From this it is evident what the good of truth is, and what the truth of good.  This is the reason why so many now say that the goods of charity are the fruits of faith; for so it appears in the beginning of regeneration, and from the appearance they draw this conclusion.  Nor do they know otherwise, because there are few who are being regenerated, and no one can know this except the man who has been regenerated, that is, who is in the affection of good, or in charity.  From the affection of good, or from charity, this can be clearly seen, and also perceived; but they who have not been regenerated do not even know what the affection of good, or charity, is; but reason about it as about something that is foreign to them, or outside of them; for which reason they call charity the fruit of faith, when yet faith is from charity.  However, it is not very important for the simple to know which is prior and which posterior, provided they live in charity; for charity is the life of faith.

[3] By ”cattle“ here are meant not only lambs, but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, although only lambs and she-goats are mentioned; and this because by ”lambs“ is signified innocence; and by ”she-goats,“ the charity of faith; for these are the things here treated of in the internal sense. For this reason ”spotted“ is expressed in the original language by a word that also means ”lambs“ (Isa. 40:10, 11); and ”speckled“ by a word that also means a ”herdman“ (2 Kings 3:4; Amos 1:1).

AC 3996. And this shall be my reward.  That this signifies that it was from Himself, is evident from the signification of ” reward,“ as being what was his, that is, Jacob’s, on account of his service; and that these things signify from His own power, or what is the same, from Himself, may be seen above (n. 3975, 3977, 3982).

AC 3997. And my righteousness shall answer for me.  That this signifies the Divine holiness the Lord had, is evident from the signification of ”righteousness,“ as being predicated of good (n. 612, 2235); but when, as here, it is predicated of the Lord, it signifies the Divine holiness; for all spiritual and celestial good proceeds from the Divine holy of the Lord.

AC 3998. On the morrow.  That this signifies to eternity, is evident from the signification of the ”morrow.“ When ”yesterday,“ ”today,“ or ”to-morrow“ is mentioned in the Word, eternity is signified in the supreme sense; ” yesterday“ signifying from eternity; ”today,“ eternity and ”to-morrow,“ to eternity. ”Today“ signifies eternity, (n. 2838). For the times mentioned in the Word signify states; as ”ages,“ ”years,“ ”months,“ ”weeks,“ ”days,“ and ”hours,“ as has often been shown.  With the Lord however there are no states; but everything is eternal and infinite.  This shows that by ”tomorrow“ is signified to eternity.

AC 3999. Because thou comest upon my reward before thee.  That this signifies what is His own, is evident from the signification of ”reward,“ when predicated of the Lord, as being what is His own; that is, acquired by His own power (n. 3975, 3977, 3982, 3996).

AC 4000. Everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats.  That this signifies what is not from the good meant by ”Laban,“ mingled with evil and falsity in the goods of truth, is evident from what was said above (n. 3993, 3995), where similar words occur.

AC 4001. And black among the lambs.  That this signifies the first state of innocence, is evident from the signification of ”black,“ as being what is man‘s own; and from the signification of a ”lamb,“ as being innocence (n. 3994).  That the ”black in the lambs“ here signifies the first state of innocence, is because at first the own of the man who is being regenerated reigns; for he supposes that he does what is good from his own, and also he must do it as if from his own, in order that he may be endowed with a heavenly own (n. 1712, 1937, 1947, 2882, 2883, 2891).  This is the reason why by the ”black among the lambs“ is here signified the first state of innocence.

AC 4002. Stolen is this by me.  That this signifies that it was not his, is evident without explication.  In the sense of the letter this expression does indeed sound somewhat harsh; but when it passes toward heaven, it loses its harshness, and becomes gentle and mild.  A similar expression occurs in Matthew:--

Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through (Matthew 24:42, 43).

And in John:--

If thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Rev. 3:3).

In the same:--

Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments (Rev. 16:15).

These expressions are used concerning the Lord; ”as a thief“ merely signifies that which is unlooked for and unexpected. In the internal sense ”to steal“ denotes to claim for self that which is the Lord’s, namely, good and truth; and as in the beginning of regeneration all do this, and as this is the first state of innocence (n. 4001), the expression is milder than it sounds in the letter.  Consequently, ”stolen is this by me“ signifies that it was not his.

AC 4003. Verses 34-36. And Laban said, Behold I would it might be according to thy word.  And he removed that day the he-goats that were party-colored and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, everyone that had white in it, and all the black among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set a way of three days between himself and Jacob; and Jacob fed the rest of Laban‘s flocks. ”And Laban said, Behold I would it might be according to thy word,“ signifies consent; ”and he removed that day the he-goats that were party-colored and spotted,“ signifies that those truths of good were separated that were scattered over and mingled with the evils and falsities that were proper to the good signified by ”Laban;“ ”and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted,“ signifies their goods in which evils and falsities were mingled; ”everyone that had white in it,“ signifies truth; ”and all the black among the lambs,“ signifies the own of innocence; ”and gave them into the hand of his sons,“ signifies that they were given to truths; ”and he set a way of three days between himself and Jacob,“ signifies that their state was altogether separated; ”and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks,“ signifies that from what was left he took those goods and truths that could be conjoined.

AC 4004. And Laban said, Behold I would it might be according to thy word.  That this signifies consent, is evident without explication.

AC 4005. And he removed that day the he-goats that were party-colored and spotted.  That this signifies that those truths of good were separated that were scattered over and mingled with the evils and falsities that were proper to the good signified by ”Laban,“ is evident from the signification of ”removing,“ as being to separate; and from the signification of ”he-goats,“ as being the truths of good; and from the signification of ”party-colored,“ as being things scattered over and mingled with evils and from the signification of ”spotted,“ as being things that are scattered over and mingled with falsities. ”He-goats“ are here mentioned, and then ”she-goats,“ for the reason that ”he-goats (capri)“ signify the truths of good; and ”she-goats,“ the goods of truth; the difference between which is described above (n. 3995).

[2] An accurate distinction is made in the Word between the males and the females, as is evident from the sacrifices and burnt offerings, in relation to which a specific command was given as to what should be offered, whether a he-lamb or a she-lamb, whether a she-goat or a he-goat, whether a sheep or a ram, and so on; from all which it may be seen that one thing was signified by the male, and another by the female.  By the ”male“ in general is signified truth; and by the ”female“ good.  Here therefore by the ”he-goats“ are signified the truths of good; and by the ”she-goats“ presently mentioned, the goods that are adjoined to them.  And as the difference between these is of such a nature, it is also said that he removed the party-colored he-goats, but not the speckled ones, as is said of the she-goats; for ”party-colored“ signifies truth scattered over and mingled with evils; whereas ”speckled“ signifies good scattered over and mingled with evils (n. 3993). Truth mingled with evils is properly of the understanding, but good mingled with evils is properly of the will.  This is the difference.  That all these are from the good signified by ” Laban“ is evident, because they were from Laban‘s flock; for by a ”flock“ in the Word is signified good and truth, or what is the same, those who are in good and truth, and who are therefore of the Lord’s church.

[3] This arcanum cannot be explained further, because it cannot become plain except to an apprehension instructed in truths and goods, and at the same time enlightened.  For it must be known what the truths of good are, and what the goods that are from them; and also that from the one good here represented by Laban so many various things can be separated. They who have no knowledge of these subjects do not know that in every good there are innumerable things, so many in fact that they can scarcely be classified into general kinds by the most learned man.  For there are goods that are procured by means of truths; there are truths born from these goods; and again goods procured by means of these truths. There are also truths born of goods, and this also in a series; there are goods that are mingled with evils; and truths that are mingled with falsities, as described above (n. 3993); and the minglings and temperings of these are so various and manifold as to exceed myriads of myriads; and they are also varied according to all the states of life; and the states of life are varied in general in accordance with the man‘s age, and specifically in accordance with his affections of all kinds.  From this it may in some measure be apprehended that from the good of Laban there could he separated so many various things; of which some were adjoined to the truths signified by the sons of Jacob; some were left behind; and from these others were derived. But as before said these things are of such a nature as not to fall into the understanding unless it is instructed and at the same time enlightened.

AC 4006. And all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted.  That this signifies their goods, in which evils and falsities were mingled, is evident from the signification of ”she-goats,“ as being the goods of truth (n. 3995); here, the goods that had been adjoined to the truths (n. 4005); from the signification of ”speckled,“ as being the goods with which evils are mingled; and from the signification of ”spotted,“ as being the truths with which falsities are mingled (n. 3993, 3995).

AC 4007. Everyone that had white in it.  That this signifies in which there is truth, is evident from the signification of ”white,“ as being truth, but properly the Lord’s righteousness and merit, and derivatively the Lord‘s righteousness and merit in man (n. 3301, 3993).  The reason why ”white“ has this signification, is that the light of heaven, which is from the Lord and is the source of brightness and whiteness, signifies truth; and therefore that which is enlightened by that light, and becomes shining and bright, is that which is called the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man.  They who from good acknowledge and receive the Lord‘s righteousness, and reject their own righteousness, are they who are specifically signified by ”righteous,“ concerning whom the Lord says in Matthew:--

The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

[2] That ”shining or bright white“ has this signification, is evident also from other passages in the Word; as in Moses:--

His eyes shall be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Gen. 49:12);

speaking of Judah, by whom is represented the Lord as to the Divine of His love; and in the internal sense, the celestial kingdom; and thus the celestial man (n. 3881).  The ”eyes being redder than wine“ signifies the Divine Wisdom; and the ”teeth whiter than milk,“ the Divine righteousness.  In David:--

Thou shalt purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Ps. 51:7);

”to wash,“ and ”to be made whiter than snow,“ denotes to be purified from sins by the reception and putting on of the Lord’s righteousness.  In John:--

In the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man; His head and His hairs were white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire (Rev. 1:13, 14).

[3] In the same:--

Thou hast a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.  He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments (Rev. 3:4, 5).

In the same:--

I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white garments that thou mayest be clothed (Rev. 3:18).

Again:--

There were given to every soul under the altar white robes (Rev. 6:9-11).

Again:--

I saw them standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes.  And one of the elders said unto me, Who are these clothed in white robes? and whence came they?  And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest.  And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the lamb (Rev. 7:9, 13, 14).

Again:--

Angels clothed in linen white and shining, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles (Rev. 15:6).

Again:--

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown (Rev. 6:2).

And again:--

Afterwards I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse.  His armies in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean (Rev. 19:11, 14).

[4] In all these passages by ”white“ is signified the truth of faith; the ”white garments“ and ”white robes“ being nothing else.  But the truth of faith does not belong to those who believe that they have faith of themselves, and thus are wise from themselves; but to those who believe they have faith and wisdom from the Lord, for to these are faith and wisdom given because they ascribe nothing of truth and good to themselves, still less believe that they have merit through the truths and goods they possess; and less still that they are justified thereby; but only by ascribing them to the Lord; thus all things to His grace and mercy.  This is ”putting on white garments;“ and is also ”being made white in the blood of the Lamb.“ There are two things that are put off by all who enter into heaven, namely, their own and the consequent confidence, and the merit of self or of their own righteousness; and they put on a heavenly own which is from the Lord, and the Lord‘s merit or righteousness; and the more they put on these, the more interiorly do they come into heaven.  These two things are specifically signified by ”red“ and by ”white;“ by ”red,“ the good of love which they then have; and by ”white,“ the truth of faith.

AC 4008. And all the black among the lambs.  That this signifies an own that is innocent, is evident from what has been said above (n. 3994), where are the same words.

AC 4009. And gave them into the hand of his sons.  That this signifies that the truths and goods that were separated were given to truths, is evident from the signification of ”sons,“ as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 2623, 3373).  ”To give into their hand“ is to give to their authority and disposal, for by the ”hand“ is signified power (n. 878, 3387).  The truths here signified by ”sons“ are those called sensuous, because they are of the senses and are the outermost things of the natural mind.  For man’s natural communicates on the one side with the sensuous things of the body, and on the other side with the rational things of the rational mind.  By these intermediates there is effected as it were an ascent from the sensuous things that are of the body and that have been opened toward the world, to the rational things that are of the rational mind and that have been opened toward heaven; and also a descent from these, that is, from heaven to the world; but this is effected in man only.  This ascent and descent is that which is treated of in the internal sense of these chapters; and in order that each and all things may be presented representatively, the rational is represented by Isaac and Rebekah; the natural by Jacob and his two women; and the sensuous by their sons.  But because in the sensuous, as in the ultimate of order, prior things exist together, as before shown every son represents some general in which they are.

AC 4010. And he set a way of three days between himself and Jacob.  That this signifies that their state was altogether separated, is evident from the signification of ”setting a way,“ as being to be separated; from the signification of ”three,“ as being what is last, complete, or the end (n. 1825, 2788), and thus altogether separated; and from the signification of ”days,“ as being states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462).

AC 4011. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban‘s flocks.  That this signifies that from what was left he took those goods and truths that could be conjoined, is evident from the signification of ”flocks,“ as being goods and truths (n. 343, 2566, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783).  That ”to feed the rest of the flocks“ denotes to take from what was left those goods and truths that could be conjoined, is evident from what follows, for there this is the subject treated of.

AC 4012. Verses 37-40. And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar, and hazel, and plane-tree, and peeled white peelings on them, laying bare the white that was upon the rods.  And he set the rods which he had peeled in the gutters, in the watering troughs, whither the flocks came to drink, over against the flocks; and they grew warm when they came to drink.  And the flocks grew warm at the rods, and the flocks brought forth party-colored, speckled, and spotted.  And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the party-colored, and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put for himself droves for himself alone, and put them not unto Laban’s flock.  ”And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar,“ signifies the power proper to natural good; ”and hazel, and plane-tree,“ signifies the derivative power of natural truths; ”and peeled white peelings on them, laying bare the white that was upon the rods,“ signifies a disposition into order by the interior power of truth; ”and he set the rods which he had peeled in the gutters,“ signifies further preparation; ”in the watering troughs, whither the flocks came to drink,“ signifies the affections of truth; ”over against the flocks; and they grew warm when they came to drink,“ signifies even to ardor of affection, that they might be conjoined; ”and the flocks grew warm at the rods,“ signifies the effect from His own power; ”and the flocks brought forth party-colored, speckled, and spotted,“ signifies that thereby natural good itself had such things from the mediate good signified by ”Laban;“ ”and Jacob separated the lambs,“ signifies as to innocence; ”and set the faces of the flock toward the party-colored,“ signifies to truths scattered over with evils and falsities; ”and all the black,“ signifies to such a state; ”in the flock of Laban,“ signifies in the good signified by ”Laban;“ ”and he put for himself droves for himself alone,“ signifies the separation of the goods and truths by His own power; ”and put them not unto Laban‘s flock,“ signifies absolute separation from the good signified by ”Laban.“

AC 4013. And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar.  That this signifies the power proper to natural good, is evident from the signification of a ”rod,“ as being power; and from the signification of ”poplar,“ as being the good of the natural.  A ”rod“ is frequently mentioned in the Word, and everywhere signifies power, both from its being used by shepherds for exercising power over their flocks, and from its serving for the support of the body, and as it were for the right hand; for by the ”hand“ is signified power (n. 878, 3387).  And as this was the signification of a ”rod,“ rods were in ancient times used by kings, and hence the royal badge was a short staff, and also a scepter.  Nor were rods used by kings only, but also by priests and prophets, that they also might by their rods signify the power that belonged to them, as for instance did Aaron and Moses.  This was the reason why Moses was so frequently commanded to stretch out his rod, and at other times his hand, when miracles were being performed; for Divine power was signified by the ”rod;“ and by the ”hand.“ It was because a ”rod“ signifies power that the Egyptian magi made use of it when they performed their magical miracles; and it is from this that magicians are now represented with rods in their hands.  All this shows that ”rods“ signify power.

[2] But in the original language the rods used by shepherds, and also by kings, as well as those of priests and prophets, are expressed by another word; here, by a word that denotes a traveller’s staff, and also a shepherd‘s rod, as may be seen from other passages (Gen. 32:10; Exod. 12:11; 1 Sam. 17:40, 43; Zech. 11:7, 10).  In the present case the rod is not spoken of as supporting the hand, but as a stick cut from a tree, namely, from a poplar, a hazel, and a plane-tree, to set in the watering-troughs before the faces of the flock; but still it has the same signification, for by it is described in the internal sense the power of natural good, and derivatively of natural truths.

[3] As regards the poplar, of which the rod was made, be it known that trees in general signify perceptions and knowledges, perceptions when predicated of the celestial man, but knowledges when predicated of the spiritual man (n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972).  Hence trees specifically signify goods and truths, for these pertain to perceptions and knowledges.  Some kinds of trees, such as olives and vines, signify the interior goods and truths that are of the spiritual man; and some kinds, such as the poplar, hazel, and plane, signify the exterior goods and truths that are of the natural man.  And as in ancient times each tree signified some particular kind of good and truth, the worship held in groves was in accordance with the kinds of trees (n. 2722). The poplar here mentioned is the white poplar, so called from its whiteness from which comes its name.  For this reason the ”poplar“ signified the god that is from truth; or what is the same, the good of truth; as also in (Hosea 4:13); but there falsified.

AC 4014. And hazel, and plane-tree.  That this signifies the derivative power of natural truths, is evident from the signification of the ”hazel“ and the ” plane-tree,“ as being natural truths.  That this is the signification of these trees cannot be so evident from other places in the Word, as they are not named elsewhere, except the ”plane-tree“ in Ezekiel:--

The cedars in the garden of God did not hide him, the fir-trees were not like his boughs, and the plane-trees were not as his branches, nor was any tree like unto him in his beauty (Ezek. 31:8);

where the subject treated of is the knowledges and rational things that appertain to the man of the spiritual church.  The ”garden of God“ is the spiritual church; the ”cedars“ are rational things the ”fir-trees“ and ”plane-trees,“ are natural things; the ”fir-trees,“ natural things as to good; and the ”plane-trees,“ as to truth.

AC 4015. And peeled white peelings on them, laying bare the white that was upon the rods.  That this signifies a disposition into order by the interior power of truth, is evident from the signification of ”peeling“ and of ”peelings,“ as being the removal of exterior things in order that interior ones may come to light, thus barings or strippings; from the signification of ”white,“ as being truth (n. 3993, 4007); and from the signification of a ”rod,“ as being power (n. 4013); here, interior power, because upon the rods under the bark. Disposition into order by the interior power of truth, is the power of the interior man acting into the exterior, or of the spiritual man into the natural for all disposition into order of the good and truth in the natural man comes from the spiritual man (that is, through the spiritual man from the Lord), and in fact through the truth therein; for the Lord inflows into the good of the spiritual or interior man; and through the truth therein into the natural man; but not immediately through the good, until the man has been regenerated; and therefore all the disposition into order in the natural man is effected by the interior man.  The natural, or natural man, cannot possibly be disposed into order (that is, be regenerated) in any other way. That this is done by the interior man is evident from the acknowledgment of truth, which unless it is made by the interior man is not acknowledgment; and also from conscience, which is the acknowledgment of truth by the interior man; and also from perception.  As disposition into order is effected by the interior man by means of truth, power is predicated of truth, and also the ”rod“ by which power is signified; as well as the ”hand,“ by which also power is signified (n. 3091); as may be confirmed by very many passages in the Word.  Not that there is power in truth from itself, but in good; and thus in truth from good; that is, in truth through good from the Lord.  This shows to some extent what is meant by the disposition into order of the interior power of truth.  In the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, His own power is signified; for the Divine has its own power, because this is from no other.

AC 4016. And he set the rods that he had peeled in the gutters.  That this signifies further preparation, is evident from what follows; for it there treats of the effect of the interior power of truth in the natural, power being signified by the ”rods“ (n. 4013, 4015); disposition into order by the interior man, by ”peeling“ (n. 4015); and the good of truth in the natural by the ”gutters“ (n. 3095).

AC 4017. In the watering troughs, whither the flocks came to drink.  That this signifies the affections of truth, is evident from the signification of ”water,“ as being knowledges and memory-knowledges, which are the truths of the natural man (n. 28, 2702, 3058); from the signification of ”drinking troughs“ or ”watering troughs,“ which as being containants of water, are in the internal sense the goods of truth, goods being the containants of truth (n. 3095); and from the signification of ”coming to drink,“ as being the affection of truth. That ”coming to drink“ is the affection of truth, is because it involves thirst; for ”thirst“ in the Word signifies appetite and desire, and thus the affection of knowing and imbibing truth, and this because ”water“ signifies truth in general; whereas ”hunger“ signifies appetite, desire, and thus the affection of becoming imbued with good; and this because ”bread,“ which is used for food in general (n. 2165), signifies good.  Thus it is evident that these words signify the affections of truth.

AC 4018. Over against the flocks; and they grew warm when they came to drink.  That this signifies even to ardor of affection that they might be conjoined, is evident from the signification of ”growing warm in coming to drink,“ as being the ardor of affection.  That ”growing war“”’ signifies ardor, is manifest; and that “coming to drink” signifies the affection of truth, may be seen just above (n. 4017).  That “over against the flocks” signifies that they might be conjoined (namely, the truths and goods in the natural), is because it involves looking upon, and the affection excited thereby, for in this manner are spiritual things conjoined.  Moreover all the implantation of truth and good, and also all conjunction, is wrought by means of affection. Truths and goods that are learned, but with which the man is not affected, do indeed enter into the memory, but adhere there as lightly as a feather to a wall, which is blown away by the slightest breath of wind.

[2] With the things which enter into the memory the case is this: Those which enter without affection fall into its shade; but those which enter with affection come into its light; and the things that are in light there are seen and appear clearly and vividly whenever a similar subject is called up; but not so those which lie hid round about in the shade.  Such is the effect of the affection of love.  It may be seen from this that all the implantation of truth, and the conjunction thereof with good, is effected by means of affection; and the greater the affection, the stronger the conjunction.  The “ardor of affection” is here inmost affection.

[3] But truths cannot be implanted in good and conjoined with it, except by means of the affections of truth and good, which affections well forth as from their fountains, from charity toward the neighbor, and from love to the Lord. But evils and falsities are implanted and conjoined by means of the affections of evil and falsity, which affections well forth as from their fountains, from the love of self and of the world. This being the case; and as the subject here treated of in the internal sense is the conjunction of good and truth in the natural man, therefore here and in what follows mention is made of the growing warm of the flock when they came to drink, by which such things are signified.

AC 4019. And the flocks grew warm at the rods.  That this signifies the effect from His own power, is evident from the signification of “growing warm” as being the effect, that is, of the affection (n. 4018); and from the signification of the “rods,” as being His own power (n. 4013, 4015).

AC 4020. And the flocks brought forth party-colored, speckled, and spotted.  That this signifies that thereby natural good had such things from the mediate good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of “bringing forth,” as being acknowledgment and conjunction (n. 3911, 3915); from the signification of “party-colored,” as being the truths with which evils are mingled (n. 4005); from the signification of “speckled,” as being the goods with which evils are mingled; and from the signification of “spotted,” as being the truths with which falsities are mingled (n. 3993, 3995, 4005). Such are the things here signified, and which coming from the good signified by “Laban” accrued to the good of natural truth represented by Jacob.

AC 4021. And Jacob separated the lambs.  That this signifies in respect to innocence, is evident from the signification of “lambs,” as being innocence (n. 3994).  It is said “in respect to innocence,” because in what now follows the subject treated of is the disposition into order of the good and truth of the natural, that it may receive and apply innocence.

AC 4022. And set the faces of the flock toward the party-colored.  That this signifies to truths that are scattered over with evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of “party-colored,” as being truth that is scattered over and mingled with evils (n. 4005, 4020).

AC 4023. And all the black. That this signifies to such a state, namely, that which is signified by the “black in the lambs”, concerning which state see (n. 3994, 4001).

AC 4024. In the flock of Laban.  That this signifies in the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of a “flock,” and from the representation of Laban, as being good, namely, mediate good, by means of which the natural has goods and truths.

AC 4025. And he put for himself droves for himself alone. That this signifies the separation of the goods and truths by His own power, is evident from the signification of “droves,” or of the “flock,” as being goods and truths; and from the signification of “putting for himself, for himself alone,” as being to separate those things which have been procured by His own power.  In the supreme sense here the subject treated of is the Lord, how He made His natural Divine, and this from His own power, but still by means according to order.  The goods and truths that He made Divine in Himself are here the “droves, which he put for himself, for himself alone.”

AC 4026. And put them not unto Laban‘s flock.  That this signifies absolute separation from the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from what has now been said, and thus without further explication.  For goods and truths Divine were altogether separated from the goods and truths that derive anything from what is human, because they are beyond them, and become infinite.

AC 4027.  The things which have been here unfolded as to the internal sense of the words, are too interior and too arcane to admit of being clearly set forth to the understanding.  For the subject treated of in the supreme sense is the Lord, how He made His natural Divine; and in the representative sense, how He makes man’s natural new when He regenerates him. All these things are here fully presented in the internal sense.

[2] The things here contained in the supreme sense concerning the Lord, how by His own power He made the natural in Himself Divine, are such as surpass even the angelic understanding.  Something of them may be seen in the regeneration of man, because man‘s regeneration is an image of the Lord’s glorification (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490).  Of this regeneration man may have some idea (no one however except the man who has been regenerated), but only an obscure idea so long as he lives in the body; for the corporeal and worldly things in which even such a man is, continually cast shadows on his mind and keep it in lower things.  But they who have not been regenerated can have no apprehension of the matter, being without knowledges because without perceptions; nay, they know nothing whatever of what regeneration is, nor do they believe that it is possible.  They do not even know what the affection of charity is by means of which regeneration is effected; and therefore they do not know what conscience is still less what the internal man is; and less still what is the correspondence of the internal man with the external.  The words they may indeed know, and many do know them, but they are ignorant of the thing.  Seeing therefore that even the idea of these things is wanting, however clearly the arcana here contained in the internal sense should be set forth, it would still be like presenting something to sight in the dark, or telling something to the deaf. Moreover the affections of the love of self and of the world that reign with them do not permit them to know, nor even to hear such things for they immediately reject them, nay, spew them out.  Very different is the case with those who are in the affection of charity.  These are delighted with such things; for the angels with them are in their happiness when the man is in them, because they are then in things that treat of the Lord, in whom they are; and also in those which treat of the neighbor and his regeneration.  From the angels (that is, through the angels from the Lord) delight and bliss flow in with the man who is in the affection of charity while reading these things, and more so when he believes what is holy to be within them, and still more when he apprehends anything of that which is contained in the internal sense.

[3] The subject here treated of is the influx of the Lord into the good of the internal man, and indeed through the good into the truth therein; also the influx therefrom into the external or natural man, and the affection of good and truth into which the influx takes place; and also the reception of truth and its conjunction with the good therein; and likewise the good that serves as a means, here signified by “Laban” and his “flock.”  Concerning these subjects the angels, who are in the internal sense of the Word, or to whom the internal sense is the Word, see and perceive innumerable things of which scarcely anything can come to man‘s understanding; and that which does come to it falls into his obscurity-which is the reason wily these things are not explained more particularly.

AC 4028. Verses 41, 42. And it came to pass in every growing warm of the flock of those that came together first, that Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that it might grow warm at the rods.  And to the flock that came together later he did not set them; and those that came together later were Laban’s, and those that came together first were Jacob‘s.  “And it came to pass in every growing warm of the flock of those that came together first,” signifies the things that were spontaneous; “that Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that it might grow warm at the rods,” signifies things called forth and conjoined by His own power; “and to the flock that came together later he did not set them,” signifies things that are compulsory; “and those that came together later were Laban’s,” signifies that these things were left behind; “and those that came together first were Jacob‘s,” signifies that the spontaneous things, or those which were from his freedom, were conjoined.

AC 4029. And it came to pass in every growing warm of the flock that came together first.  That this signifies those things which were spontaneous, is evident from the signification of “growing warm,” as being the ardor of affection and its effect (n. 4018, 4019); from the signification of “flock,” as being truth and good; and from the signification of “those that came together first,” as being things spontaneous. That “those that came together first” signify things spontaneous, is evident from the connection of things in the internal sense, and also from the fact that whatever is from affection is spontaneous, especially that which is from the ardor of affection, which is signified by “growing warm,” for which reason their growing warm is spoken of twice in this verse and also from the derivation of the word in the original language, as meaning conjunction by the inmost of love.  Moreover the conjunction of truth and good in the natural is here treated of, which is not effected except by what is spontaneous, that is, in freedom. This shows that “in every growing warm of the flock of those that came together first,” or “in every growing warm of those of the flock that came together first,” signifies truths and goods which are spontaneous or from freedom, or what is the same, those which are from the utmost affection. Everything which is of love or affection is free, (n. 2870); also all conjunction of truth and good takes place in freedom, and that there is no conjunction in what is compulsory, (n. 2875, 3145, 3146, 3158); and therefore all reformation and regeneration are effected by means of freedom, (n. 1937, 1947, 2876-2881); if this could he effected by means of what is compulsory, all would be saved (n. 2881).

AC 4030. That Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that it might grow warm at the rods.  That this signifies things called forth and conjoined by His own power, is evident from the signification of “rods,” as being power; and when predicated of the Lord, His own power (n. 4013, 4015); and from the signification of “putting them before the eyes of the flock in the gutters that it might grow warm,” as being to call forth that they might be conjoined--as is evident from what has been said above concerning the signification of these words (n. 4018).

AC 4031. And to the flock that came together later he did not set them.  That this signifies things that are compelled, is evident from the signification of “coming together later.” That “coming together first” signifies that which is spontaneous or free, has been shown above (n. 4029).  That “coming together later” signifies that which is compulsory or not free, is thereby evident, and also from the connection of things in the internal sense; as well as from the fact that “growing warm” is not here spoken of, as it is of those that came together first; for by “growing warm” is signified affection, and there the ardor of affection.  Whatever is not from affection is from what is not spontaneous, or not free, for everything spontaneous or free is of affection or love (n. 2870). The same is evident also from the derivation of the expression in the original language, as meaning deficiency; for when ardor of affection is deficient, then freedom ceases; and what is then done is said to be not free, and at last compulsory.

[2] That all the conjunction of truth and good is effected in freedom, or from what is spontaneous, and consequently all reformation and regeneration, may be seen from the passages cited above (n. 4029); and consequently that in the absence of freedom (that is, by compulsion) no conjunction, and thus no regeneration, can be effected. What freedom is, and whence it is, see (n. 2870-2893). He who while reasoning concerning the Lord’s Providence, man‘s salvation, and the damnation of many, is not aware that no conjunction of truth and good, or appropriation, and thus no regeneration, can be effected except in man’s freedom, casts himself into mere shades, and consequently into grave errors. For he supposes that if the Lord wills, He can save everyone, and this by means innumerable--as by miracles, by the dead rising again, by immediate revelations, by the angels withholding men from evil and impelling them to good by an open strong force, and by means of many states, on being led into which a man performs repentance, and by many other means.

[3] But he does not know that all these means are compulsory, and that no man can possibly be reformed thereby.  For whatever compels a man does not impart to him any affection; or if it is of such a nature as to do this, it allies itself with the affection of evil.  For it appears to infuse something holy, and even does so; but when the man‘s state is changed, he returns to his former affections, namely, evils and falsities, and then that holy thing conjoins itself with the evils and falsities, and becomes profane, and is then of such a nature as to lead into the most grievous hell of all.  For the man first acknowledges and believes, and is also affected with what is holy, and then denies, and even holds it in aversion. They who once acknowledge at heart, and afterwards deny, are those who profane, but not they who have not acknowledged at heart, (n. 301-303, 571, 582, 593, 1001, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402, 3898). For this reason open miracles are not wrought at the present day, but miracles not open, or not conspicuous; which are such as not to inspire a sense of holiness, or take away man’s freedom; and therefore the dead do not rise again, and man is not withheld from evils by immediate revelations, or by angels, or moved to good by open force.

[4] Man‘s freedom is what the Lord works in, and by which he bends him; for all freedom is of his love or affection, and therefore of his will (n. 3158). If a man does not receive good and truth in freedom, it cannot be appropriated to him, or become his.  For that to which anyone is compelled is not his, but belongs to him who compels, because although it is done by him, he does not do it of himself.  It sometimes appears as if man were compelled to good, as in temptations and spiritual combats; but that he has then a stronger freedom than at other times, may be seen above (n. 1937, 1947, 2881).  It also appears as if man were compelled to good, when he compels himself to it; but it is one thing to compel one’s self, and another to be compelled.  When anyone compels himself, he does so from a freedom within; but to be compelled is not from freedom.  This being the case, it is evident into what shades, and thus into what errors, those are able to cast themselves who reason concerning the Providence of the Lord, the salvation of man, and the damnation of many, and yet do not know that it is freedom by which the Lord works, and by no means compulsion; for compulsion in things of a holy nature is dangerous, unless it is received in freedom.

AC 4032.

AC 4033. And those that came together later were Laban‘s. That by this is signified that these compulsory things were left behind; and that by those that came together first were Jacob’s is signified that things spontaneous, or those that are from freedom, were conjoined, is evident from what has been said just above (n. 4029, 4031).  By compulsory things are here signified those that were not conjoined, and that could not be conjoined; and by things spontaneous are signified those that had been conjoined, and also such as could be conjoined.  That the latter also are meant is because things spontaneous are according to the affections and their quality.  After the good signified by “Laban” and his “flock” has subserved the uses spoken of above, it is then separated.  This separation is treated of in the following chapter.

AC 4034. Verse 43. And the man spread himself abroad exceeding greatly, and he had many flocks, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.  “And the man spread himself abroad exceeding greatly,” signifies multiplication; “and he had many flocks,” signifies the consequent interior goods and truths; “and maidservants, and menservants,” signifies the mediate goods and truths; “and camels, and asses,” signifies the truths of good, exterior and external.

AC 4035. And the man spread himself abroad exceeding greatly.  That this signifies multiplication (namely, of good and truth), is evident from the signification of “spreading himself abroad,” as being to be multiplied; that it was immeasurably is signified by “exceeding greatly.”

AC 4036. And he had many flocks.  That this signifies the consequent interior goods and truths, is evident from the signification of “flocks,” as being goods and truths (n. 343); and that these are interior, see above (n. 2566, 3783).

AC 4037. And maidservants, and menservants.  That this signifies the mediate goods and truths (that is, the natural goods and truths themselves), is evident from the signification of “maidservants,” as being the affections of the natural, and therefore its goods (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849); and from the signification of “menservants,” as being memory-knowledges, which are the truths of the natural man (n. 2567, 3019, 3020, 3409).

AC 4038. And camels, and asses.  That this signifies the truths of good, exterior and external, is evident from the signification of “camels,” as being general memory-knowledges of the natural man (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145), (general memory-knowledges are the lower or more exterior truths of good)--and from the signification of “asses,” as being still lower, that is, the external, truths of natural good (n. 2781).  What the interior goods and truths are; also the mediate ones; and likewise the exterior and external ones, may be seen from what was said above (n. 4009).

[2] Speaking generally, there are in man three things, namely, the corporeal, the natural, and the rational.  The corporeal is the outermost, the natural is the intermediate, and the rational is the interior. So far as one of these reigns in man above another, he is said to be either corporeal, or natural, or rational, These three parts of man communicate in a wonderful manner; the corporeal with the natural, and the natural with the rational.  When first born man is merely corporeal, but within has the capacity of being perfected.  Afterwards he becomes natural, and at last rational; from which it may be seen that there is communication of one part with another.  The corporeal communicates with the natural by means of the senses, and does so in a distinct and separate manner by those which belong to the understanding, and by those which belong to the will, for both of these faculties must be perfected in man in order that he may become and may be a man.  The senses of sight and hearing are especially those which perfect his intellectual faculty; and the other three senses have especial regard to the will.  By means of these senses man‘s corporeal communicates with his natural, which as before said is the middle part.  For the things that enter by the senses, place themselves in the natural as in a kind of receptacle, which is the memory. The delight, the pleasure, and the desire therein, belong to the will, and are called natural goods; and the memory-knowledges belong to the understanding, and are called natural truths.

[3] By means of the things just spoken of, man’s natural communicates with his rational, which as before said, is the interior part.  Such things as elevate themselves from the natural toward the rational, also place themselves in the rational, as in a kind of receptacle, which is the interior memory (n. 2469-2480). What is blessed and happy therein belongs to the will, and is of rational good; and the interior mental views of things and perceptions belong to the understanding, and the things that belong to these are called rational truths.  These three are what constitute man, and there are communications among the three.  The external senses are the means by which man‘s corporeal communicates with his natural; and the interior senses are those by which man’s natural communicates with his rational.  And therefore those things in the natural that partake of the external senses, which are proper to the body, are those which are called the exterior and external truths of good; but those which partake of the internal senses which are proper to his spirit, and which communicate with the rational, are what are called interior goods and truths.  Those which are between the two, and partake of both, are what are called mediate goods and truths. These three are in order from the interiors, and are what are signified in the internal sense by “flocks, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

AC 4039. The correspondence of the heart and lungs with the Grand Man, or heaven, was treated of at the end of the preceding chapter.  Here the subject to be treated of is the correspondence of the cerebrum and the cerebellum, and of the medullas connected with them.  But before entering upon this correspondence, some things must be premised concerning the form of the brain in general, whence it is, and what it represents.

AC 4040. When the brain is denuded of the skull and the integuments that encompass it, there are seen therein wonderful circumvolutions and foldings, within which are situated the substances called cortical.  From these run out fibers which constitute the medulla of the brain.  These fibers proceed thence through the nerves into the body, and there perform functions in accordance with the orders and determinations of the brain.  All these things are in exact accordance with the heavenly form; for such a form is impressed by the Lord on the heavens, and thence on the things that exist in man, and especially on his cerebrum and cerebellum.

AC 4041. The heavenly form is amazing, and quite surpasses all human intelligence; for it is far above the ideas of the forms that a man can possibly conceive of from worldly things, even with the aid of analysis.  All the heavenly societies are arranged in order in accordance with this form, and wonderful to say there is a gyration according to these forms, of which angels and spirits are not sensible. This is like the daily movement of the earth round its axis, and its annual movement round the sun, which its inhabitants do not perceive. It has been shown me of what nature is this heavenly form in the lowest sphere it was like the form of the circumvolutions seen in the human brains. This flow (that is, these gyrations) it was given me perceptibly to see, and this continuously for several days; and in this way I was assured that the brain is formed in accordance with the form of the flow of heaven. But the interior things therein, which do not appear to the eye, are in accordance with the interior forms of heaven, which are quite incomprehensible; and I was told by the angels that from this it can be seen that man has been created according to the forms of the three heavens and that in this way the image of heaven has been impressed upon him, so that man is a little heaven in the least form; and that this is the source of his correspondence with the heavens.

AC 4042. Hence then it is that through man alone is there a descent from the heavens into the world, and an ascent from the world into the heavens.  It is the brain and its interiors through which the descent and ascent is effected; for there are the very beginnings, or the first and the last ends, from which each and all of the things of the body flow forth and are derived.  There also is the source of the thoughts of the understanding, and of the affections of the will.

AC 4043. The reason why the still more interior forms, which are also more universal, are as before said not comprehensible, is that when forms are mentioned, they carry with them the idea of space and also of time; and yet in the interiors, where heaven is, nothing is perceived by spaces and times, because these belong to nature, but by states and their variations and changes.  But as the variations and changes cannot as before said be conceived by man without the aid of such things as are of form, and without such things as are of space and time, when yet these do not exist in the heavens, it may be seen how incomprehensible these things are, and also how unutterable. And as all human words, by means of which these things must be uttered and comprehended, involve natural things, they are inadequate to express them.  In the heavens such things are presented to view by means of variations of heavenly light and heavenly flame, which are from the Lord; and this in such and so great a fulness, that thousands and thousands of perceptions could scarcely fall into anything that is perceptible by man. And yet the things that are taking place in the heavens are represented in the world of spirits by means of forms to which the forms seen in the world bear some resemblance.

AC 4044. Representations are nothing but images of spiritual things in natural ones, and when the former are rightly represented in the latter, the two correspond.  Yet the man who knows not what the spiritual is, but only the natural, is capable of thinking that such representations and derivative correspondences are impossible, for he might say to himself, How can the spiritual act upon the material?  But if he will reflect upon the things taking place in himself every moment, he may be able to gain some idea of these matters; namely, how the will can act upon the muscles of the body, and effect real actions; also how thought can act upon the organs of speech, moving the lungs, trachea, throat, tongue, and lips, and thus produce speech; and also how the affections can act on the face, and there present images of themselves, so that another often thereby knows what is being thought and felt.  These examples may give some idea of what representations and correspondences are.  As such things are now presented in man, and as there is nothing that can subsist from itself, but only from some other, and this again from some other, and finally from the First, and this by a nexus of correspondences, they who enjoy some extension of judgment may draw the conclusion that there is a correspondence between man and heaven; and further, between heaven and the Lord who is the First.

AC 4045.  As there is such a correspondence, and as heaven is distinguished into many lesser heavens, and these into still lesser ones, and everywhere into societies, there are heavens that bear relation to the cerebrum and cerebellum in general, and in these heavens there are those who relate to the parts or members in the brains those who relate to the dura mater, to the pia mater, to the sinuses, and also to the corpora and the cava there, as the corpus callosum, the corpora striata, the lesser glands, the ventricles, the infundibulum, and so forth; so that the quality of those who relate to the one part or the other has been disclosed to me, as may be seen from what follows.

AC 4046. There appeared a number of spirits at a middle distance above the head, who acted in common by a kind of beating of the heart; but it was as it were a reciprocal undulation downward and upward, with a kind of cold breathing on my forehead.  From this I was able to conclude that they were of a middle sort, belonging both to the province of the heart and to that of the lungs, and also that they were not interior spirits.  The same spirits afterwards presented a flaming light, gross but yet luminous, which first appeared under the left side of the chin, afterwards under the left eye, and then above the eye, but it was dim and yet flaming, not shining white.  From these things I was enabled to know their quality, for lights indicate affections, also degrees of intelligence.

[2] When I afterwards applied my hand to the left side of the skull or head, I felt a pulsation under the palm, undulating in a similar manner downward and upward; from which indication I knew that they belonged to the brain.  When I asked who they were, they were not willing to speak.  It was said by others that they do not willingly speak.  Being at last compelled to speak, they said that if they did so their quality would be disclosed.  I perceived that they were of those who constitute the province of the dura mater, which is the general integument of the cerebrum and the cerebellum.  It was then disclosed of what quality they were, for I was permitted to know this by speaking with them.  They were (as before when they had lived as men) those who had thought nothing about spiritual and heavenly things, nor had they spoken about them; because they were such as to believe in nothing except that which is natural, and this because they had not been able to penetrate further, but yet had not confessed this unbelief.  Nevertheless like others they had worshiped the Divine, had said their prayers, and had been good citizens.

[3] There were afterwards others who also flowed into the heart beat, but by an undulation not downward and upward, but crosswise; and others who flowed in not with a reciprocating action, but more continuously; and also others under whose action the beating jumped from one place to another.  It was said that these had relation to the outer lamella of the dura mater, and that they were of those who had thought of spiritual and heavenly things solely from such things as are objects of the external senses, not conceiving of interior things in any other manner. These were heard by me as of the female sex.  They who reason concerning the things of heaven, or the spiritual things of faith and love, from outward things of sense, and therefore from what is worldly and earthly, in so far as they make them a one and confound them together, wend their way more and more outward, even to the outer skin of the head, which they represent.  Nevertheless provided they have led a good life, these are within the Grand Man, although in its extremes or outermost parts for everyone is saved who is in the life of good from the affection of charity.

AC 4047.  There appeared others also above the head, whose common action inflowing above the head flowed crosswise from the front backward.  And there appeared also others, whose inflowing action was from each temple toward the middle of the brain.  It was perceived that these were those who belong to the province of the pia mater, which is the second integument, more closely investing the cerebrum and cerebellum, and communicating with these by the emission of threads.  The quality of these I was permitted to know from their speech, for they spoke with me. They were (as they had been in the world) such as did not trust much to their own thought, and therefore did not determine themselves to any fixed and certain thought respecting holy things, but depended on the belief of others, not canvassing whether it was true.  That this was their quality was also shown me by the influx of their perception into the Lord‘s prayer when I was reading it.  For the quality of all spirits and angels whatever may be known from the Lord’s prayer, and this by the influx of the ideas of their thought and of their affections into the contents of the prayer. From this was perceived the quality of these spirits, and furthermore that they could serve the angels as mediums; for there are intermediate spirits between the heavens through whom there is communication.  For their ideas were not closed, but were readily.  opened so that they suffered themselves to be acted upon, easily admitting and receiving influx.  Moreover they were modest and peaceful, and said that they were in heaven.

AC 4048. There was one who spoke to me close to my head, and I perceived from the sound that he was in a state of tranquillity like that of a kind of peaceful sleep.  He inquired about this and that, but with so much prudence that a waking person could not display more.  I perceived that the interior angels spoke through him, and that he was in a state to perceive and bring forth what they said.  I asked about that state, and told him that he was in such a state.  He replied that he speaks nothing but what is good and true, and that he takes notice whether there is anything else, and that if anything else inflows he does not admit it or utter it.  As regards his state, he said that it was peaceful, as was also given me to perceive by communication.  I was told that such are they who relate to the sinuses, or larger bloodvessels in the brain and that those who were like him relate to the longitudinal sinus, which is between the two hemispheres of the brain, and is there in a quiet state, however much the brain may be in tumult on both sides of it.

AC 4049. There were some above the head a little toward the front, who spoke with me, speaking pleasantly and inflowing quite gently. They were distinguished from others by the circumstance that they had a constant desire and longing to come into heaven.  It was said that such are they who relate to the ventricles or larger cavities of the brain, and who belong to that province.  The reason was also added-that it is the nature of the better kind of lymph which is there to return into the brain, for which it has therefore such an endeavor.  The brain is heaven, and this endeavor is that desire and longing. Such are the correspondences.

AC 4050. A certain face was first seen by me above an azure window, but presently withdrew itself within.  I then saw a little star near the region of the left eye, and afterward a number of ruddy little stars that sparkled with white. Afterwards I saw the walls of a house, but no roof, the walls being only on the left side; and lastly I saw as it were the starry heaven. As these things were seen in a place where there were evil ones, I supposed that some hideous sight would be presented to me. but the wall soon disappeared, together with the starry heaven, and then there appeared a well, out of which came forth as it were a bright white cloud or vapor; and something also seemed to be pumped up out of the well.

[2] I asked what these things signified and represented, and was told that it was a representation of the infundibulum in the brain, above which is the brain itself, which was signified by the starry heaven; and that what was next seen was that vessel, signified by the well and called the infundibulum; and that the cloud or vapor arising from it was the lymph that passes through and is pumped out of it; and that this lymph is of two kinds, namely, that mixed with the animal spirits, which is among the useful lymphs; and that mixed with serosities, which is among the excrementitious lymphs.

[3] I was next shown the quality of those who belong to this province, but only those of the viler sort, whom I also saw running about hither and thither, applying themselves to those whom they saw, paying attention to everything, and reporting to others what they heard; and being prone to suspicious, impatient and restless, in close resemblance to the lymph which is therein, and is borne hither and thither; their reasonings being the fluids there which they represent.  Out these are of the middle sort.

[4] But those who have relation to the excrementitious lymphs, are they who drag down spiritual truths to earthly things, and there defile them - as for example, those who when they hear anything about conjugial love apply it to whoredoms and adulteries, and thus drag down the things of conjugial love to these; and the same with everything else.  These appeared in front at some distance to the right. But those who are of the good sort are similar to those described just above in (n. 4049).

AC 4051.  There are societies which relate to that region in the brain which is called the isthmus, and there are also spirits who relate to the little knots of fibers in the brain, of a glandular appearance, from which there flow forth fibers for various functions; which fibers act as a one in those beginnings or glandules, but diversely in their extremities. One society of spirits to whom such things correspond was brought before me, concerning which I may state that the spirits came in front, and addressed me, saying that they were men. But I was permitted to reply that they were not men endowed with bodies, but were spirits, and thus also men; because everything of the spirit conspires to that which is of man, even to a form like a man endowed with a body, for the spirit is the internal man; and also because men are men from intelligence and wisdom, and not from form; and therefore good spirits, and still more angels, are men more than those who are in the body, because they are more in the light of wisdom.  After this reply they said that there were many in their society, and yet not one in it like another.  But as it seemed to me impossible that in the other life there could be a society of those who were unlike, I conversed with them about it, and was at last instructed that, though they were unlike, they were nevertheless consociated in respect to their end, which to them was one. They said further that their nature was such that each one acted and spoke in a manner unlike that of any other, and yet they were alike in will and thought.  This they also illustrated by an example: when anyone in the society says of an angel that he is the least in heaven, and another says that he is greatest, and a third that he is neither least nor greatest, and this with great variety, their thoughts nevertheless act as a one, because the one who desires to be least is the greatest, and is relatively the greatest for this reason; and yet there is neither least nor greatest, because they do not think of pre-eminence; and it is the same with everything else.  Thus are they consociated in first principles, but act diversely in the extreme or outermost things.  They applied themselves to my ear and said that they were good spirits, and that such was their manner of speaking.  It was said of them that it is not known whence they come, and that they are of the wandering societies.

AC 4052.  Moreover such is the correspondence of the brain with the Grand Man, that they who are in the first principles or beginnings of good have relation to those things in the brain which are the beginnings, and are called the glands or cortical substances; whereas they who are in the first principles of truth relate to those things in the brains that flow out from these beginnings, and are called fibers; and yet with this difference - that those who correspond to the right side of the brain are those who are in the will of good and thereby in the will of truth; whereas those who correspond to the left side of the brain are those who are in the understanding of good and truth and thereby in the affection of them.  This is because those in heaven who are at the Lord‘s right hand are those who are in good from the will; whereas those who are at His left hand are those who are in good from the understanding. The former are those who are called the celestial; and the latter those who are called the spiritual.

AC 4053.  Hitherto no one has known that there are such correspondences, and I am well aware that men will marvel when they hear of them; and this because they do not know what the internal man is, and what the external, and that the internal man is in the spiritual world, and the external in the natural; and that it is the internal man that lives within the external, and that flows into it and directs it And yet from this fact, as well as from what has been adduced above in (n. 4044), it is possible to know that there is an influx, and that there is a correspondence. That such is the case is most fully known in the other life, and also that what is natural is nothing else than a representation of the spiritual things from which it comes forth and subsists; and that the representation by the natural is precisely in accordance with its correspondence.

AC 4054.  The brain, like heaven, is in the sphere of ends which are uses; for whatever flows in from the Lord is an end looking to the salvation of the human race. This end is that which reigns in heaven, and thereby reigns likewise in the brain; for the brain, which is where the mind is, looks to ends in the body, in order that the body may subserve the soul, so that the soul may be happy to eternity. But there are societies that have no end or purpose of use, except to be among friends, male and female, and to have pleasures there, thus seeking their own gratification only, and making much of themselves exclusively, whether at home or publicly, it being all for the same end. Of such spirits there are at this day more societies than anyone could believe. As soon as they approach, their sphere begins to work, and extinguishes in others the affections of truth and good; and when these have been extinguished, then these spirits are in the pleasures of their friendship. These are the obstructions of the brain, and induce on it stupidity. Many societies of such spirits have been with me, and their presence was perceived by a dullness, sluggishness, and loss of affection; and I have sometimes spoken with them. They are pests and banes, although in the civic life of this world they had appeared good, delightful, witty, and also talented; for they know the proprieties of society, and how to insinuate themselves thereby, especially into friendships. What it is to be a friend to good, or what the friendship of good is, they neither know, nor desire to know. A sad lot awaits them; for at last they live in squalor, and in such stupidity that scarcely any human apprehension remains.  For it is the end that makes the man, and such as is the end, such is the man; consequently such is his human after death.

AC 4055. The subject of the Grand Man, and of correspondence, will be continued at the end of the following chapter.

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