Secrets of Heaven · Volume 2 · §§ 1194–1273

1194. Mizraim begat Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim. That these signify so many nations, by which so many rituals are signified, may be seen from what was shown above respecting Mizraim or Egypt (at verse 6, of this chapter), namely, that “Egypt” signifies memory-knowledge or matters of memory [scientiam seu scientifica]. They who are said to be begotten thereof could be no other or nothing else than rituals, and in fact rituals of external worship. For the Word of the Lord in its bosom and recess, that is, in its internal sense, never treats of other things than those which belong to His kingdom, and thus to the church; so that here the things that were born from memory-knowledges by reasonings are nothing else than rituals.

1195. That “Mizraim” or “Egypt” is memory-knowledge, was shown at verse 6 of this chapter. That “Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim” are so many rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, is evident from what has just been stated. Those are said to have rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, who explore spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings, and thereby devise a worship for themselves. The rituals of this worship, being from reasonings and memory-knowledges, are called rituals of memory-knowledge [ritualia scientifica],* wherein there was nothing spiritual and celestial, because they were from themselves. Hence came the idols of Egypt, and its magic. And because their rituals were from this origin, they totally rejected, nay, loathed and hated, the rites of the Ancient Church, as is evident from what is said in Gen. 43:32, 46:34; Exod. 8:22. Because these things are signified, they are said to be begotten of Mizraim, or of Egypt, that is, of memory-knowledges; and as their memory-knowledges were diverse, the derivative rituals also became different. These diversities, in general, are signified by so many nations. That such things are meant by the Ludim, or Lydians, appears in Jeremiah:

Egypt riseth up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are troubled; and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots, and let the mighty come forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow (Jer. 46:8-9).

The “rivers of Egypt” here are diverse memory-knowledges which are false; “to go up and cover the earth” is to enter into the things that pertain to the church or to faith by means of memory-knowledges; “to destroy the city” is to destroy truths; “Cush and Put” are knowledges; “the Lydians” are the rituals of memory-knowledge spoken of above; “to handle and bend the bow” is to reason.

* These Ritualia scientifica were evidently sacred rites that were so framed as to be the formal expressions of the learning of the nations in question, which learning consisted in a mere memory-knowledge of the correspondences and spiritual truths known in the Ancient Church. It is impossible to render the phrase into satisfactory English without a circumlocution. “Scientific rituals,” the usual rendering, is ludicrously misleading. [Reviser.]

1196. That “the Pathrusim and Casluhim” are nations so called, and that they signify doctrinals of rituals from a similar origin, which were only matters of memory-knowledge, is evident from what has been stated; and from their following in this manner in the series. Concerning the Pathrusim see in Isa. 11:11-12; Ezek. 29:13-15; 30:13-14; Jer. 44:1, 15.

1197. From whom went forth the Pelistim [Philistines]. That this signifies a nation thence derived, and that by this nation is signified a mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith and charity, is evident from the Word, where the Philistines are frequently mentioned. In the Ancient Church all those were called Philistines who talked much about faith, and declared that salvation is in faith, and yet had no life of faith. Therefore they preeminently were called “the uncircumcised,” which means those who are devoid of charity. That they were called “the uncircumcised” may be seen in 1 Sam. 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 2 Sam. 1:20, and in other places. Because they were such, they could not but make the knowledges of faith matters of memory; for the knowledges of spiritual and celestial things and the very mysteries of faith themselves become nothing but matters of memory, when the man who is skilled in them is devoid of charity. The things of the memory are like things dead unless the man is such that from conscience he lives according to them. When he does this, then at the same time as they are things of memory they are also things of life; and only then do they remain with him for his use and salvation after the life of the body. Knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones] are nothing to a man in the other life, even though he may have known all the arcana that have ever been revealed, unless they have affected his life.

[2] Such [as those described above] are everywhere signified by “Philistines” in the prophetical parts of the Word, and also in the historical, as for example, when Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines, and made a covenant with Abimelech, the king of the Philistines (Gen. 20:1 to the end; 21:22 to the end; 26:1-34). As the knowledges of faith are here signified by the Philistines, Abraham, because he represented the celestial things of faith, sojourned there, and entered into a covenant with them; and likewise Isaac, by whom were represented the spiritual things of faith; but not Jacob, because by him the externals of the church were represented.

[3] That the “Philistines” signify in general a mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith, and specifically those who make faith and salvation consist in knowledges alone, which they make matters of memory, may be seen in Isaiah:

Rejoice not thou whole Philistia, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be like a fiery flying serpent (Isa. 14:29).

Here “the root of the serpent” denotes memory-knowledges; “the basilisk,” evil from the derivative falsity; and “the fruit of a fiery flying serpent,” is their works, which are called “a fiery flying serpent” because they come of cupidities.

[4] In Joel:

What are ye to Me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Will ye render a recompense upon Me? very speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head. Inasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My desirable good things; the sons also of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Javanites, that ye might cause them to remove far from their border (Joel 3:4-6).

Here it is evident what is meant by the Philistines, and by “all Philistia,” or all “the borders” of it. “Silver and gold” here are the spiritual and celestial things of faith; “desirable good things” are the knowledges of them. That they “carried them into their temples,” is that they possessed and proclaimed them; and that they “sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem,” signifies that they had no love and no faith; “Judah” in the Word is the celestial of faith, and “Jerusalem” is the spiritual of faith thence derived, which were “removed far from their borders.” So also in other places in the Prophets, as in Jer. 25:20; 47:1 to the end; Ezek. 16:27, 57; 25:15-16; Amos 1:8; Obad. 19; Zeph. 2:5; Ps. 83:7; 87:4. And concerning the Caphtorim in Deut. 2:23; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7.

1198. That they “went forth” signifies that with them knowledges are mere memory-knowledges is evident from what has been stated. They are not said to have been “begotten” by those who were of Egypt, but to have “gone forth” from them, because they are not such as reason from natural memory-knowledges concerning spiritual and celestial things, and thereby frame doctrinals for themselves-like those treated of before-but they are such as learn the knowledges of faith from others, and know and retain them in the memory, with no other end in view than such as they have in learning other things which they care nothing about except merely to know them, and except for the reason that they may thereby be advanced to honors, or some other such reason. So distinct is this mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith from the memory-knowledge of natural things, that they have scarcely anything in common; and therefore it is said, not that they were “born,” but that they “went forth” from them. Such being the character of the “Philistines,” they cannot but pervert even the knowledges of faith by reasonings from them, and thence form for themselves false doctrinals; and therefore they are among those who can with difficulty be regenerated and receive charity, both because they are uncircumcised in heart, and because principles of falsity, and consequently the life of their understanding, prevent and oppose.

1199. Verse 15. And Canaan begat Zidon, his firstborn, and Heth. “Canaan,” here as before, signifies external worship in which there is nothing internal. “Zidon” signifies the exterior knowledges of spiritual things; and because they are the first things of such external worship, it is said that Zidon was “the firstborn of Canaan;” “Heth” signifies the exterior knowledges of celestial things.

1200. That “Canaan” signifies external worship in which there is nothing internal, was shown before where Canaan was treated of. The external worship which is called “Canaan” is such as was that of the Jews, both before and after the coming of the Lord. They had an external worship which they strictly observed, but yet were so ignorant of what is internal that they supposed that they lived only with the body. Of the nature of the soul, of faith, of the Lord, of spiritual and celestial life, of the life after death, they were entirely ignorant. And therefore in the time of the Lord very many of them denied the resurrection-as is evident in Matthew 22:22-33; Mark 12:18-28; Luke 20:27-41. When a man is such that he does not believe that he will live after death, he also disbelieves that there is anything internal which is spiritual and celestial; and such are they who live in mere cupidities, because they live a mere life of the body and of the world; especially those who are immersed in loathsome avarice. They nevertheless have worship, attend their synagogues, or their churches, and observe the ceremonies, some very strictly; but as they do not believe that there is a life after death, their worship cannot be other than external worship wherein is nothing internal-like a shell without a kernel, or a tree whereon is no fruit, and not even leaves. It is such external worship that is signified by “Canaan.” The other kinds of external worship,* treated of above, were worships that had internal things within.

* The Latin here, by a manifest slip, says “internal worship.” [Reviser.]

1201. That “Zidon” signifies exterior knowledges of spiritual things, is evident from the fact that it is called the “first-born of Canaan;” for the firstborn of every church, in the internal sense, is faith (n. 352, 367). But here, where there is no faith, because no internal things, there are nothing but exterior knowledges of spiritual things which are in the place of faith; thus knowledges such as existed among the Jews, which are knowledges not only of the rites of external worship, but also of many things, such as doctrinals, which belong to that worship. That this is the signification of “Zidon” is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Zidon were extreme borders of Philistia, and were moreover by the sea; and therefore by “Tyre” interior knowledges are signified, and by “Zidon” exterior knowledges, that is, of spiritual things-which is also evident from the Word. In Jeremiah:

On the day that cometh to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Zidon every helper that remaineth; for Jehovah will lay waste the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor (Jer. 47:4).

Here “the Philistines” denote the mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith and charity; “Tyre” denotes the interior knowledges, and “Zidon” the exterior knowledges, of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel:

What are ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and gold, and have carried into your temples My desirable good things (Joel 3:4-5).

Here “Tyre and Zidon” evidently denote knowledges, and are called “the borders of Philistia;” “silver and gold,” and “desirable good things,” are knowledges. In Ezekiel:

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Zidonian who has gone down with the slain into the pit. When he has been made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain with the sword; Pharaoh and all his crowd (Ezek. 32:30, 32).

“The Zidonians” here denote exterior knowledges, which without internal things are nothing but memory-knowledges and therefore they are named in connection with Pharaoh, or Egypt, by whom memory-knowledges are signified. In Zechariah:

Hamath also shall be bordered thereon; Tyre and Zidon, because she was very wise (Zech. 9:2).

The subject here is Damascus; “Tyre and Zidon” denote knowledges.

[3] In Ezekiel:

The inhabitants of Zidon and of Arvad were thy rowers; thy wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots (Ezek. 27:8).

Here “Tyre” denotes interior knowledges; wherefore her wise men are called “pilots;” and “Zidon” denotes exterior knowledges, and therefore her inhabitants are called “rowers;” for such is the relation of interior knowledges to exterior. In Isaiah:

Let the inhabitants of the isle be silent, the merchant of Zidon, that passes over the sea, they have replenished thee. And in great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river was her revenue, and she was the mart of nations. Be ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor caused virgins to grow up (Isa. 23:2-4).

“Zidon” here denotes exterior knowledges, which, because there is nothing internal in them, are called “the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river her revenue, the mart of the nations,” and also “the sea,” and “the stronghold of the sea;” and it is said that she doth not “travail and bring forth”-which could not be comprehended in the literal sense, but is all perfectly clear in the internal sense; as is the case with other passages in the Prophets. Because “Zidon” signifies exterior knowledges, it is said to be “a circuit about Israel,” that is, around the spiritual church (Ezek. 28:24, 26); for exterior knowledges are like a circuit round about.

1202. That Zidon is called “the firstborn of Canaan” because these knowledges are the foremost things of such external worship, wherein is no internal worship, has just been explained, in the preceding paragraph.

1203. That “Heth” signifies exterior knowledges of celestial things is consequently evident. It is customary in the Prophets for spiritual and celestial things to be joined together, that is, where spiritual things are treated of, celestial things are also treated of; for the reason that the one is from the other, and there is a certain want of perfection if they are not conjoined; so that there is an image of the heavenly marriage in each and all things of the Word. It is also evident from this, as well as from the Word in other places, that by “Zidon” are signified exterior knowledges of spiritual things, and by “Heth” exterior knowledges of celestial things, in both senses-that is to say, without internal things, and with internal things-and also simply exterior knowledges. Spiritual things, as has often been said before, are those which are of faith; and celestial things are those which are of love; and again, spiritual things are those which are of the understanding, and celestial things are those which are of the will. That “Heth” signifies exterior knowledges without internal, is evident in Ezekiel:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih unto Jerusalem, Thy tradings and thy nativity are of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite. Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that loatheth her man [vir] and her sons; and the sister of thy sisters, that loathed their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite (Ezek. 16:3, 45).

Here external worship without internal is “Canaan;” to “loathe husbands and sons,” is to reject goods and truths. Hence her mother is called “a Hittite.” But “Heth” is also taken in the Word for exterior knowledges of celestial things in a good sense, as are nearly all names of countries, cities, nations, and persons, for a reason already explained. Concerning this signification of “Heth,” by the Divine mercy of the Lord hereafter. Knowledges of spiritual things are those which have regard to faith, consequently to doctrine; and knowledges of celestial things are those which have regard to love, and thus to life.

1204. Verses 16-18. And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. And afterwards were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. “The Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite” were so many nations, by which are signified also so many different idolatries. “And afterwards were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad,” signifies that all other forms of idolatrous worship are derived from these.

1205. The Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite, were so many nations, and they also signify so many different idolatries. That idolatries were signified by these nations, is evident from many places in the Word, for they were the inhabitants of the land of Canaan who on account of their idolatries were cast out, and in part extirpated. But in the internal sense of the Word these nations are not signified, but the idolatries themselves in general, with whomsoever and wheresoever they are; specifically, among the Jews. For they who make worship consist merely in externals, and are entirely unwilling to know internal things, and when instructed reject them, are very prone to all these idolatries, as is clearly manifest from the Jews. In internal worship alone is there a bond that withholds man from idolatry; and when this ceases, there is nothing that restrains. There are however interior idolatries, as well as external ones. They who have external worship without internal rush into external idolatries; they who have external worship whose interiors are unclean rush into interior idolatries; and both these kinds of idolatries are signified by these nations. Interior idolatries are so many falsities and cupidities which men love and adore, and which are thus in place of the gods and idols that existed among the Gentiles. But what particular kinds of falsities and cupidities are those which are adored, and which are signified by these nations-the Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite-it would take too long to explain here; but of the Lord’s Divine mercy it will be told in the places where their names occur.

1206. Afterwards were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. That this signifies that all other forms of idolatrous worship are derived from these, is evident without explication.

1207. Verse 19. And the border of the Canaanite was from Zidon, in coming to Gerar, even unto Gaza, in coming to Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboiim, even unto Lasha. By “Zidon,” here as before, exterior knowledges are signified; by “Gerar” are signified the things that are revealed concerning faith; by “Gaza” the things that are revealed concerning charity; “the border of the Canaanites was from Zidon, in coming to Gerar, even unto Gaza,” signifies the extension of knowledges to truth and good, with those who have external worship without internal; “in coming to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, even unto Lasha,” signifies the falsities and evils in which they terminate.

1208. That by “Zidon” are signified exterior knowledges, is evident from what was shown above, at verse 15.

1209. That by “Gerar” are signified the things that have been revealed concerning faith, and thus in general faith itself, is evident from the passages where Gerar is mentioned (as Gen. 20:1; 26:1, 17), concerning which signification of “Gerar,” of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.

1210. That by “Gaza” are signified the things that have been revealed concerning charity, is evident from the fact that where spiritual things are treated of in the Word, celestial things also are treated of, conjointly (that is to say, when things of faith are treated of, so also are those of charity); and the same is also evident from the Word where “Gaza” is mentioned; and still further from the consideration that knowledges extend to faith, and even to charity, which is their furthest limit.

1211. The border of the Canaanites was from Zidon, in coming to Gerar, even unto Gaza. That this signifies the extension of knowledges with those who have external worship without internal, is evident from the signification of “Gerar” and of “Gaza.” Thus far do the boundaries of all knowledges that relate to worship extend, whether that worship be external or internal; for all worship is from faith and charity. What is not from these is not worship, but is idolatry. As Canaan, that is, external worship and its derivations, is the subject here treated of, the boundaries and extensions meant are those not of worship, but of knowledges.

1212. In coming to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, even unto Lasha. That these signify the falsities and evils in which they terminate, can be seen from the signification of the same in the historical and prophetical parts of the Word. There are, in general, two origins of falsities; one is the cupidities that belong to the love of self and of the world; the other is knowledges [cognitiones et scientifica], through reasonings; and the falsities which thus originate, when they would domineer over truths, are signified by “Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.” That falsities and evils from them are the boundaries of external worship which is without internal, anyone may see. In such worship there is nothing but what is dead; and therefore whichever way the man who is in such worship turns, he sinks into falsities. There is nothing internal that leads and keeps him in the way of truth, but only what is external, which carries him whithersoever cupidity and phantasy lead. As Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim are mentioned in both the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, what each specifically signifies, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be there explained.

1213. Verse 20. These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations. “The sons of Ham” signify derivations of doctrinals and of worships from the corrupt internal worship which is “Ham;” “according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations,” signifies according to the genius of each, in particular and in general; “according to their families,” is according to their morals; “according to their tongues,” is according to their opinions; “in their lands,” is in general relatively to their opinions; “in their nations,” is in general relatively to their morals.

1214. That “the sons of Ham” signify derivations of doctrinals and of worships from the corrupt internal worship which is “Ham,” is evident from the signification of “sons,” as being doctrinals; and from the signification of “Ham,” as being corrupt internal worship; concerning which before.

1215. According to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations. That this signifies according to the genius of each, in particular and in general, was explained above (at verse 5), where the same words occur, but in another order. The subject there was the sons of Japheth, that “From these were dispersed the isles of the nations, in their lands, everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations,” signified external worships in which there was internal. In that passage therefore the things that belong to doctrine take precedence; but here those which belong to morals, or to life.

1216. That “according to their families” is according to their morals; that “according to their tongues” is according to their opinions; that “in their lands” is in general relatively to their opinions; and that “in their nations” is in general relatively to their morals, can be seen from the signification of each term in the Word-that is, of “family,” “tongue,” “land,” and “nation”-concerning which see what was said above, at verse 5.

1217. Verse 21. And there was born to Shem also; he is the father of all the sons of Eber; the elder brother of Japheth. By “Shem” is here signified the Ancient Church in general; “there was born to Shem,” signifies that a new church sprang from the Ancient Church; by “Eber” is signified this new church, which is to be called the Second Ancient Church; “he is the father of all the sons of Eber,” signifies that this second Ancient Church, and what belonged to this church, sprang from the prior Ancient Church as from its father; “the elder brother of Japheth,” signifies that its worship was external.

1218. That by “Shem” is here signified the Ancient Church in general, is evident from the fact that the subject here treated of is Eber, whom Shem now bears reference to; and from his being called in this verse “the elder brother of Japheth.”

1219. That “there was born to Shem” here signifies that a new church sprang from the Ancient Church, is evident from the contents of this verse, which treat of Eber, by whom that new church is meant, of which hereafter.

1220. That by “Eber” a new church is signified, which is to be called the Second Ancient Church, is evident from what follows, where Eber is specifically treated of. Eber is mentioned here because that new church was from him. How the case was with Eber and with this second church, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told hereafter.

1221. He is the father of all the sons of Eber. That this signifies that this second Ancient Church, and what belonged to this church, sprang from the prior Ancient Church, as from its father, will likewise be seen from what follows concerning Eber, and concerning this church; for Eber is treated of from verses 24 to 30 of this chapter, and from verse 11 to the end of the following chapter.

1222. The elder brother of Japheth. That this signifies that its worship was external, is evident from the signification of “Japheth,” as being the external church, concerning which in the preceding chapter, in the 18th and following verses; and above, in this chapter, verses 1 to 5. Here “Shem, the elder brother of Japheth” signifies specifically that the internal church and the external church are brothers; for such is the relation of internal worship to external worship in which there is internal. It is a blood-relationship, for in each the principal is charity. But the internal church is the elder brother, because it is prior and interior. “The elder brother of Japheth” here involves also that the second Ancient Church, called “Eber,” was as a brother to the first Ancient Church. For by “Japheth,” in the internal sense, nothing else is signified than external worship in which there is internal, in whatever church; thus also the worship of this new Ancient Church, which was chiefly external. Such is the internal sense of the Word that the historicals of the literal sense are not attended to when universals, which are abstract from the literal sense, are regarded; for they look toward one another in a contrary manner.* Hence “the elder brother of Japheth” here signifies, in the internal sense, the worship of the new Ancient Church, that it was external. Unless this were signified, it would be needless to say here that he was the elder brother of Japheth.

* That is, when we look at the historicals we lose sight of the universals, and when we look at the universals we lose sight of the historicals. [Reviser.]

1223. Verse 22. The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. By “Shem” is signified here as before, an internal church; by “the sons of Shem,” the things that are of wisdom; “Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram” were so many nations, by which are signified things that are of wisdom-by “Elam” faith from charity, by “Asshur” the derivative reason, by “Arpachshad” the derivative memory-knowledge, by “Lud” the knowledges of truth, by “Aram” the knowledges of good.

1224. From all this it is evident what these names signify in the internal sense, namely, that the Ancient Church, which was internal, was endowed with wisdom, intelligence, memory-knowledge, and the knowledges of truth and of good. Such things are contained in the internal sense, although here are only names from which nothing else appears in the literal sense than that there were so many origins or fathers of nations, thus nothing doctrinal, much less anything spiritual and celestial. Such is the case also in the Prophets, where, whenever a series of names occurs, which in the internal sense signify actual things, they follow one another in a beautiful order.

1225. That by “Shem” is signified an internal church, has been stated and shown in the preceding chapter, at the 18th and following verses.

1226. That by “the sons of Shem” are signified the things that are of wisdom, is evident merely from Shem’s being an internal church, the sons of which are none other than things of wisdom. Everything is called wisdom that is begotten of charity, because it comes by means of charity from the Lord, from whom is all wisdom, for He is wisdom itself. Hence comes true intelligence, and hence comes true memory-knowledge, and hence comes true knowledge, which are all sons of charity, that is, sons of the Lord through charity. And because they are sons of the Lord through charity, wisdom is predicated of each of them, for wisdom is in each of them, and they draw their life from it, and this in such a manner that neither intelligence, nor memory-knowledge, nor knowledge, has life except from the wisdom which is of charity, which is of the Lord.

1227. That “Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram” were so many nations, is evident from the historical and prophetical parts of the Word where they are mentioned. And that they signify things that are of wisdom, is evident from what has been said just above, and from what follows. Among these nations there was an internal church; with others, who were called sons of Japheth, there was an external church; with those who were called sons of Ham there was a corrupted internal church; and with those who were sons of Canaan there was a corrupted external church. Whether it be said internal and external worship, or an internal and an external church, it is quite the same.

1228. That by “Elam” is signified faith from charity, is evident from the essence of an internal church. A church is internal when charity is the principal of it, from which it thinks and acts. The first offspring of charity is none other than faith; for faith is from it, and from no other source. That “Elam” is faith from charity, or the faith itself which constitutes an internal church, is evident also in Jeremiah:

The Word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four ends of the heavens, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. And I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their soul; and I will bring evil upon them, My fierce anger, and I will send the sword after them till I have consumed them. And I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes. But it shall come to pass in the latter days that I will bring back the captivity of Elam (Jer. 49:34-39).

[2] In this passage “Elam” denotes faith, or what is the same thing, an internal church, become perverted and corrupt; and then the same restored. Just as in the Word, Judah, Israel, and Jacob, are frequently spoken of-by whom churches are signified-by “Judah” a celestial church, by “Israel” a spiritual church, by “Jacob” an external church; of which become perverted it is said in like manner that they should be scattered, and then, being scattered by their enemies, they should be gathered again and brought back from their captivity, by which is meant the creation of a new church. So here it is said of Elam, or the internal church perverted and corrupt, that it should be scattered, and afterwards that it should be brought back; and then that Jehovah should set His throne in Elam, that is in the internal church, or in the internals of the church, which are nothing else than the things of faith from charity.

[3] In Isaiah:

The burden of the desert of the sea. It cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto Me; the treacherous one dealeth treacherously: and the waster layeth waste. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Madai; all the sighing thereof I will make to cease (Isa. 21:1-2).

Here the laying waste of the church by Babel is spoken of; “Elam” is the internal church; “Madai” is the external church, or external worship in which is internal. That Madai is such a church, or such worship, is shown at verse 2 of this chapter, where Madai is said to be a son of Japheth.

1229. That by “Asshur” is signified reason, is evident from what was shown above, at verse 11 of this chapter.

1230. That by “Arpachshad” is signified memory-knowledge, cannot be so well confirmed from the Word, but is evident from the series of things that precede and that follow.

1231. That by “Lud” are signified the knowledges of truth, is evident from the fact that the knowledges of truth are from that source, that is, from the Lord through charity, and thus through faith, by means of reason and of memory-knowledge. So also in Ezekiel:

Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war; they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thine honor (Ezek. 27:10).

This is said of Tyre. “Lud and Put” denote knowledges, which are said to be in her army and to be her men of war, because they serve in defending truths with the aid of reason. This also is to “hang the shield and helmet.” That “Put” signifies the exterior knowledges of the Word, may be seen above, at verse 6 of this chapter.

1232. That by “Aram,” or Syria, are signified the knowledges of good, follows; and is seen also from the Word, as in Ezekiel:

Aram was thy trader, in the multitude of thy works; in chrysoprase, crimson, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and carbuncle; they gave them in thy tradings (Ezek. 27:16),

where Tyre is treated of, or the possession of knowledges; and “works, chrysoprase, crimson, broidered work, fine linen, coral, and carbuncle,” here signify nothing else than the knowledges of good. In Hosea:

Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept guard; and by a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he kept. Ephraim hath provoked to anger with bitternesses (Hos. 12:12-14).

“Jacob” here denotes the external church, and “Israel,” the internal spiritual church; “Aram,” the knowledges of good; “Egypt,” memory-knowledge that perverts; “Ephraim,” intelligence perverted. What these signify in series cannot be seen from the literal sense, but only from the internal sense, where names signify actual things of the church, as has been said. In Isaiah:

Behold Damascus is rejected from being a city, and is become a ruinous heap. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Aram shall be as the glory of the sons of Israel (Isa. 17:1, 3).

“The remnant of Aram” here denotes the knowledges of good, which are called “the glory of Israel.” “Aram,” or Syria, in the opposite sense, denotes the knowledges of good perverted; for it is a usual thing in the Word that the expressions are used in both senses (Isa. 7:4-6; 9:11-12; Deut. 26:5).

1233. Verse 23. And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. “Aram” here, as before, signifies the knowledges of good; “the sons of Aram” are the derivative knowledges, and that which comes of these knowledges; “Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash,” signify so many kinds of these knowledges.

1234. That “Aram” signifies the knowledges of good, has been shown just above. That “the sons of Aram” are the derivative knowledges, and the things which are of knowledges, follows. These derivative knowledges are natural truths; and the things which are of knowledges are the things done according to them. That these things are signified cannot be so well confirmed from the Word, because these are not among the names that are frequently mentioned. Only Uz is mentioned, in Jeremiah 25:20, and Lam. 4:21. It follows then that “Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash” signify so many kinds of these knowledges, and of deeds according thereto.

1235. Verse 24. And Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah begat Eber. “Arpachshad” was a nation so called, by which is signified memory-knowledge; “Shelah” likewise was a nation so called, by which is signified that which is derived from this memory-knowledge; by “Eber” also a nation is signified, the father of which was Eber, one who was called by this name, by whom there is signified a second Ancient Church, which was separate from the former one.

1236. That “Arpachshad” was a nation so called, and that by it is signified memory-knowledge, is evident from what was said of it just above, at verse 22.

1237. That “Shelah” likewise was a nation, and that by it is signified that which is derived from this memory-knowledge, follows, because it is said that “Arpachshad begat Shelah.”

1238. That by “Eber” is signified a nation also, whose father was Eber, one who was called by this name, is to be understood in this way. Those mentioned hitherto were the nations among whom the Ancient Church existed, and were all called sons of Shem, of Ham, of Japheth, and of Canaan, because by Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan are signified the various worships of the church. Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan never existed as men; but because the Ancient Church specifically, and in general every church, is such that it is true internal, corrupt internal, true external, and corrupt external, therefore the above-mentioned names were given in order that all the differences in general might be referred to them and their sons, as to their heads. Moreover the nations here named originally had such worship; and therefore are called the sons of one of the sons of Noah. And for the same reason also, such worships themselves are signified by the names of these nations in the Word.

[2] This first Ancient Church, signified by Noah and his sons, was not confined to a few, but extended over many kingdoms, as is evident from the nations mentioned, namely, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, Arabia, Lybia, Egypt, Philistia as far as Tyre and Sidon, and the whole land of Canaan, on this side and beyond Jordan. But afterwards in Syria a kind of external worship began, which from thence spread itself widely around, over many countries, especially over Canaan, and which was different from the worship of the Ancient Church. And as something of a church thus arose that was separate from the Ancient Church, there sprang up thence as it were a new church, which may therefore be called the Second Ancient Church. The first institutor of this was Eber, and therefore this church is called after Eber. At that time, as has been said before, all were distinguished into households, families, and nations. Each nation acknowledged one father, from whom also it was named, as is seen in various places in the Word. Thus the nation which acknowledged Eber as its father was called the Hebrew nation.

1239. That by “Eber” is signified a second Ancient Church that was separate from the former, is evident from what has just been said.

1240. Verse 25. And unto Eber were born two sons; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Eber was the first institutor of the second Ancient Church, and by him this church is signified; unto him “were born two sons,” by whom are signified the two kinds of worship, namely, internal and external. His two sons were called “Peleg” and “Joktan;” by “Peleg” is signified the internal worship of that church, and by “Joktan” its external worship; “for in his days was the earth divided,” signifies that a new church then arose, “the earth” here as before signifying the church; “his brother’s name was Joktan” signifies the external worship of that church.

1241. As to Eber being the first institutor of the second Ancient Church, by whom this church is signified, the case is this. The first Ancient Church, so widely spread as has been stated, especially through the Asiatic world, in process of time degenerated-as is usual with all churches everywhere-and was adulterated by innovators, as to both its external and its internal worship, and this in various places; and especially by the fact that all things significative and representative which the Ancient Church had from the mouth of the Most Ancient Church-which all bore reference to the Lord and His Kingdom-were turned into things idolatrous, and by some of the nations into things magical. That the whole church might not go to ruin, it was permitted by the Lord that significative and representative worship should be somewhere reestablished, which was done by Eber. This worship consisted chiefly in externals. The externals of worship, in addition to the priestly offices and what pertained to them, were high places, groves, statues, anointings, and many other things called statutes. The internals of worship were doctrinal things handed down from the time before the flood, especially from those who were called “Enoch,” who collected the perceptive findings of the Most Ancient Church, and made doctrinal things therefrom. These were their Word; and from these internals and those externals came the worship of this church, a worship set up anew by Eber, but added to, and also changed. Especially did they begin to exalt sacrifices above other rites. In the true Ancient Church sacrifices had been unknown, except among some of the descendants of Ham and Canaan, who were idolaters, and with whom they were permitted to prevent them from sacrificing their sons and daughters. From all this the quality of this second Ancient Church, instituted by Eber and continued among his posterity who were called the Hebrew nation, is manifest.

1242. That by the two sons of Eber, who were named Peleg and Joktan, the two kinds of worship of that church, internal and external, are signified-by Peleg the internal worship and by Joktan the external worship-is evident especially from this, that in the internal sense this second Ancient Church is signified by Eber and the Hebrew nation, and that in every church there is an internal and an external. For without the internal it is not and cannot be called a church, but an idolatry. Therefore, “sons” being here predicated of the church, it is evident that by one son the internal of the church is signified, and by the other the external; as in various other places in the Word; and as is signified by Adah and Zillah, the two wives of Lamech (see n. 409); by Leah and Rachel; by Jacob and Israel, of whom hereafter; and by others. The posterity of Joktan is treated of in this chapter; that of Peleg in the following chapter.

1243. For in his days was the earth divided. That this signifies that a new church then arose, is now consequently evident; for by “the earth” nothing else than the church is signified, which has been clearly shown above (n. 662, 1066).

1244. And his brother’s name was Joktan. That this signifies the external worship of that church, has been shown just above. That external worship is called a “brother” may be seen above, at verse 21 of this chapter, where it is said of Shem that he was the elder brother of Japheth. This is why the name “brother” is here added.

1245. Verses 26-29. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah. And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah. And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba. And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. These were so many nations of the family of Eber, by which are signified so many rituals.

1246. That these were so many nations, of the families of Eber, may be seen from the state in which they lived at that period. In the most ancient time, as has been said before, nations were distinguished into families, and these into households. Each nation acknowledged one father, from whom it was named. As they were multiplied, the sons of the one father in like manner constituted households, families, and nations; and so on. So it was with these sons of Joktan, as we may see it was with the sons of Jacob, who afterwards when multiplied constituted tribes, each one of which acknowledged one of the sons of Jacob, from whom it was named, as its father; and yet all taken together were from Jacob, and were called Jacob. Just so these nations were from Eber, and were called Hebrews.

1247. That by these nations are signified so many rituals, is evident from the fact that in the Word names never signify anything else than actual things; for in its internal sense the Word relates only to the Lord, to His Kingdom in the heavens and on earth, and consequently to the church and the things of the church. Such is the case with these names. And as Joktan, a son of Eber, signifies the external worship of this new church, as was said before, so his sons can signify nothing else than things of external worship, which are rituals, and in fact so many kinds of rituals. But what these kinds of rituals are, it is impossible to say, because they are determined by their relation to the worship itself, and until this is known nothing can be said about its rituals; nor would it be of any use to know them. Neither do the names recur in the Word, except Sheba, Ophir, and Havilah; and they are not of this stock; for the Sheba and Havilah elsewhere spoken of in the Word were of those who are called sons of Ham, as is evident at verse 7 of this chapter; and the case is the same with Ophir.

1248. Verse 30. And their dwelling was from Mesha, in coming unto Sephar, a mountain of the east. By these words is signified the extension of the worship, even from the truths of faith to the good of charity. “Mesha” signifies truth; “Sephar,” good; “a mountain of the east,” charity.

1249. That by these words is signified the extension of the worship, even from the truths of faith to the good of charity; and that “Mesha” signifies truth, and “Sephar” good, cannot indeed be confirmed from the Word, because no mention is made of Mesha and Sephar in the Prophets. Still, this may be seen from its being the conclusion from what goes before, and especially from the fact that “a mountain of the east” is the final thing to which the words that go before bear reference, and in the Word by “a mountain of the east” is signified charity from the Lord-as will be shown in what follows-and the same may be seen from the fact that all things of the church have charity in view, as their finality or end. From all which it follows that “Mesha” signifies truth, or the terminus from which the progression commences [terminus a quo]; and that “Sephar” signifies good, and thereby charity, which is “a mountain of the east,” or the terminus to which the progression tends [terminus ad quem].

1250. That “a mountain of the east” signifies charity, and in fact charity from the Lord, is evident from the signification of a “mountain” in the Word, as being love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor, as has been shown before (n. 795). And that “the east” signifies the Lord, and things celestial from Him, which are of love and charity, may be seen above (n. 101), as well as from the following passages. In Ezekiel:

The cherubim lifted up their wings, and the glory of Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east of the city (Ezek. 11:22-23).

Here “the mountain which is on the east” signifies nothing else than what is celestial, which is of love and charity, and which is of the Lord, for it is said that “the glory of Jehovah stood” thereon. Again:

He brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh to the way of the east; and behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east (Ezek. 43:1-2),

where “the east” has a like signification.

[2] Again:

He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary which looketh toward the east, and it was shut. And Jehovah said unto me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it, but Jehovah the God of Israel shall enter in by it (Ezek. 44:1-2).

Here likewise “the east” denotes what is celestial, which is of love, which is of the Lord alone. And again:

When the prince shall make a freewill offering, a burnt-offering, and peace-offerings, a freewill offering unto Jehovah, one shall open for Him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall make his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, as he shall do on the Sabbath day (Ezek. 46:12),

in like manner denoting what is celestial, which is of love to the Lord.

[3] And in another place:

He brought me back unto the door of the house, and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the face of the house was toward the east (Ezek. 47:1, 8),

speaking of the New Jerusalem “the east” denotes the Lord, and thus the celestial, which is of love; “waters” are things spiritual. The same is signified in the passage before us by “a mountain of the east.” Moreover they who dwelt in Syria were called “sons of the east,” concerning which, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.

1251. Verse 31. These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations. “These are the sons of Shem,” signifies derivations from internal worship, which is “Shem;” “according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations,” signifies according to the genius of each in particular and in general; “according to their families,” is according to their differences in respect to charity; “according to their tongues,” is according to the differences in respect to faith; “in their lands,” is in general relatively to the things that are of faith; “in their nations,” is in general relatively to the things that are of charity.

1252. That these things are signified, needs no further confirmation; for they are the same words as occur above (verse 20); see what is said there. The significations of the terms, as here of the “families, tongues, lands, and nations,” are determined by the relation of the terms to the things of which they are predicated. There they are predicated of Ham, or of corrupt internal worship; but here of Shem, or of true internal worship; and therefore the “families and nations” there relate to the morals, and the “tongues and lands” to the opinions, of a corrupt internal church; while here the “families and nations” relate to the charity, and the “tongues and lands” to the faith, of a true internal church. Concerning the signification of “nations and families,” see what follows in this chapter.

1253. Verse 32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their nativities, in their nations. “These are the families of the sons of Noah,” signifies the worships of the Ancient Church in particular; “according to their nativities,” signifies in proportion as they could be reformed; “in their nations,” signifies the worships of that church in general.

1254. These are the families of the sons of Noah. That this signifies the worships of the Ancient Church in particular, is evident from the signification of a “family,” and of “the families of the sons,” as being worships, and in fact the species of the worships. The nations named in the preceding verses of this chapter signify nothing else than various worships of the Ancient Church, and therefore the families of which the nations consisted must signify the same. In the internal sense no other families can be meant than those of things spiritual and celestial.

1255. According to their nativities. That this signifies in proportion as they could be reformed, is evident from the signification of a “nativity,” as being reformation. While a man is being born again, or regenerated, by the Lord, each and all things that he receives anew are nativities or births. So here, as the subject is the Ancient Church, the nativities signify in proportion as they could be reformed. As regards the reformations of the nations, they were not all in the same worship, nor in the same doctrine, for the reason that they were not all of the same genius, and were not all similarly educated and instructed from infancy. The principles which a man imbibes from infancy the Lord never breaks, but bends. If they are things that the man esteems holy, and are such as are not contrary to Divine and natural order, but are in themselves matters of indifference, the Lord lets them alone, and suffers the man to remain in them. So it was with many things in the second Ancient Church, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.

1256. In their nations. That these nations signify the various worships of that church in general, is evident from what has been said before about nations, and from what follows.

1257. And from these were spread abroad the nations in the earth after the flood. “From these were spread abroad the nations in the earth,” signifies that from them came all the worships of the church in respect to goods and evils, which are signified by “the nations;” “the earth” is the church; “after the flood,” signifies from the beginning of the Ancient Church.

1258. And from these were spread abroad the nations in the earth. That this signifies that from them came all the worships of the church in respect to goods and evils, and that these are meant by the “nations,” is evident from the signification of “nations.” By a nation, as has been explained before, are meant many families together. In the Most Ancient and in the Ancient Church, the many families which acknowledged one father constituted one nation. But as to “nations” signifying in the internal sense the worships of the church, and this in respect to the goods or evils in the worship, the case is this: when families and nations are viewed by the angels, they have no idea of a nation, but only of the worship in it; for they regard all from the quality itself, that is, from what they are. The quality or character of a man, from which he is regarded in heaven, is his charity and faith. This anyone may clearly apprehend if he considers that when he looks at any man, or any family, or nation, he thinks for the most part of what quality they are, everyone from that which is dominant in himself at the time. The idea of their quality comes instantly to mind, and in himself he estimates them from that. Still more is this the case with the Lord; and, from Him, with the angels, who cannot but regard a man, a family, and a nation, from their quality in respect to charity and faith. And hence it is that in the internal sense by “nations” nothing else is signified than the worship of the church, and this in respect to its quality, which is the good of charity and the derivative truth of faith. When the term “nations” occurs in the Word, the angels do not abide at all in the idea of a nation, in accordance with the historical sense of the letter, but in the idea of the good and truth in the nation that is named.

1259. Further, as regards nations signifying the goods and evils in worship, the case is this. In the most ancient times, as has been stated before, men lived distinguished into nations, families, and households, in order that the church on earth might represent the Lord’s kingdom, wherein all are distinguished into societies, and these societies into greater ones, and these again into still greater societies, and this according to the differences of love and of faith, in general and in particular, concerning which see n. 684, 685. Thus these in like manner are distinguished as it were into households, families, and nations. And hence it is that in the Word “houses, families, and nations” signify the goods of love and of the derivative faith; and an accurate distinction is there made between “nations” and “people.” A “nation” signifies good or evil, and a “people” truth or falsity, and this so constantly as never to vary, as may be seen from the following passages.

[2] In Isaiah:

In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto it shall the nations seek, and His rest shall be a glory. In that day the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to acquire the remnant of His people, which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah (Isa. 11:10-12).

Here “peoples” denote the truths, and “nations” the goods, of the church; and there is a manifest distinction made between them. The subject treated of is the Lord’s kingdom and the church, and in a universal sense every regenerate man. The signification of the names is as stated above; and by “Israel” is signified the spiritual things of the church, and by “Judah” its celestial things. Again:

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast magnified gladness for it (Isa. 9:2-3).

The “people” here denote truths, and therefore are said to “walk in darkness,” and to “see light;” the “nation” denotes goods.

[3] And again:

What answer shall be made to the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and in her shall the wretched ones of His people confide (Isa. 14:32).

Here likewise the “nation” denotes good, and “people” truth. And again:

Jehovah Zebaoth will swallow up in this mountain the faces of the covering, of the covering over all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations (Isa. 25:7).

Here a new church is spoken of, or the church of the nations; “peoples” denote its truths, and “nations” its goods. Again:

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation that keepeth faithfulnesses may enter in (Isa. 26:2),

where “nation” manifestly denotes goods. Again:

All the nations shall be gathered together, and the peoples shall be assembled (Isa. 43:9).

This also is said of the church of the nations; “nations” denoting its goods, and “peoples” its truths. And because they are distinct from each other, both are treated of; otherwise there would be a vain repetition. Again:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Behold I will lift up Mine hand to the nations, and will exalt My ensign to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and shall carry thy daughters upon their shoulder (Isa. 49:22).

This is said of the Lord’s kingdom; and the “nations” in like manner denote goods, and the “peoples” truths.

[4] Again:

Thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the nations, and they shall inhabit the desolate cities (Isa. 54:3);

treating of the Lord’s kingdom, and of the church which is called the church of the nations. That the “nations” denote the goods of charity, or, what is the same, those in whom there are goods of charity, is evident from its being said that the “seed”- or faith-“shall inherit” them; “cities” denote truths. Again:

Behold I have given Him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and lawgiver to the peoples. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knewest not, and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee (Isa. 55:4-5).

This is said of the Lord’s kingdom; “peoples” denote truths; “nations” goods. Those in the church who are endowed with the good of charity are “nations,” and those who are endowed with the truths of faith are “peoples;” for goods and truths are predicated according to the subjects in whom they are. Again:

Nations shall walk to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Then thou shalt see and flow together, and thine heart shall be amazed and be enlarged; because the multitude of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the army of the nations shall come unto thee (Isa. 60:3, 5);

treating of the Lord’s kingdom, and of the church of the nations. “Nations” here denote goods; “kings,” who belong to peoples, truths.

[5] In Zephaniah:

The remains of My people shall spoil them, and the residue of My nation shall inherit them (Zeph. 2:9).

In Zechariah:

Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Armies in Jerusalem (Zech. 8:22).

“Jerusalem” denotes the Lord’s kingdom, and the church; “peoples” those who are in the truths of faith; “nations” those who are in the good of charity; and therefore they are mentioned distinctively. In David:

Thou wilt deliver Me from the contentions of the people; Thou wilt set Me for the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known shall serve Me (Ps. 18:43).

Here likewise the “people” denote those who are in truths; and the “nations” those who are in good; and they are both mentioned because they constitute the man of the church. Again:

The peoples shall confess Thee, O God, all the peoples shall confess Thee, the nations shall be glad and shall exult, because Thou shalt judge the peoples in uprightness, and shalt lead the nations into the land (Ps. 67:4-5).

Here “peoples” manifestly denote those who are in the truths of faith; and “nations” those who are in the good of charity.

[6] In Moses:

Remember the days of eternity, understand the years of generation and generation; ask thy father, and he will show thee; thine elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, and separated the sons of man, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel (Deut. 32:7-8).

This is said of the Most Ancient Church, and of the Ancient Churches, which are “the days of eternity, and the years of generation and generation;” and in which they who were in the good of charity were called “nations,” to whom an inheritance was given; and they who were in the derivative truths of faith were called “sons of man,” and afterwards “peoples.” It was because the goods of the church are signified by “nations,” and its truths by “peoples,” that it was said concerning Esau and Jacob, while they were yet in the womb,

Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels (Gen. 25:23).

From these passages it may now be seen what the church of the nations is, in its genuine sense. The Most Ancient Church was a true church of the nations, and so afterwards was the Ancient Church.

[7] Because those who are in charity are called “nations,” and those who are in faith “peoples,” the priesthood of the Lord is predicated of nations-because of things celestial, which are goods-and His royalty of peoples-because of spiritual things, which are truths. This was also represented in the Jewish Church, where before they had kings they were a nation, but after they received kings they became a people.

1260. Because in the Most Ancient and in the Ancient Church, nations signified goods, or good men, therefore in the opposite sense they signify evils, or evil men. In like manner peoples, because they signified truths, in the opposite sense signify falsities. For in a depraved church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity. Hence comes the signification of “nations” and of “peoples” in this opposite sense in many places in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezek. 20:32; and in many other places.

1261. As nations signified goods, so also did families, for each nation consisted of families; and so in like manner did households, for each family consisted of a number of households. (Concerning a “household” or “house,” see above, n. 710.) “Families,” however, signify goods when predicated of nations, and truths when predicated of peoples, as in David:

All the families of the nations shall bow themselves before Thee; for the kingdom is Jehovah’s, and He is the ruler over the nations (Ps. 22:27-28).

Again:

Give unto Jehovah, ye families of the peoples, give unto Jehovah glory and strength (Ps. 96:7).

In the verse now before us, and also in the preceding verse of this tenth chapter of Genesis, “families” are predicated of goods, because they were families of the nations.

1262. From what has been said it may now be seen that by “the earth” is here signified the church; for when “earth” (or “land”) is mentioned, there cannot but be a perception of the nation or people there; and when a nation or people is perceived, there must be a perception of their quality. Hence by “the earth” nothing else is signified than the church, as has been shown before (n. 662, 1066).

1263. That “after the flood” signifies from the beginning of the Ancient Church, is evident from the fact that the flood was the end of the Most Ancient Church and the beginning of the Ancient Church, as was shown before (n. 705, 739, 790).

1264. From all this it may now be seen that although in this chapter mere names of nations and families occur, yet it contains, in general, not only all the differences of worship as regards the goods of charity and truths of faith that were in the Ancient Church, but also all that are in any church; in fact it contains more than any man could ever believe. Such is the Word of the Lord.

1265. CONCERNING THE ANTEDILUVIANS WHO PERISHED.

At some height above the head there were a number of spirits who inflowed into my thoughts and kept them as it were bound, so that I was in very much obscurity. They pressed heavily upon me. The spirits about me were likewise held as it were bound by them, so that they could scarcely think, except that which inflowed from those spirits, and this to such a degree as to excite their indignation. It was said that the spirits in question were of those who had lived before the flood; but not of those called Nephilim, and who perished, for they were not so strongly persuasive.

1266. The antediluvians who perished are in a certain hell beneath the heel of the left foot.* There is a kind of misty rock with which they are covered, that is projected from their direful phantasies and persuasions, and by which they are separated from the other hells, and are kept away from the world of spirits. They are in the continual effort to rise out of it, but cannot get beyond the effort; for they are of such a nature that if they should come into the world of spirits, they, by their direful phantasies and the exhalations and venom of their persuasions, would take away the faculty of thinking from all the spirits they met, except the good. And unless the Lord, by His coming into the flesh, had liberated the world of spirits from this nefarious crew, the human race would have perished; for no spirit could have been with man, and yet if spirits and angels are not with man, he cannot live a moment.

* The author speaks of places in the spiritual world as being situated in accordance with their correspondence to the human body. [Reviser.]

1267. Those of them who obstinately try to emerge from that hell are cruelly treated by their companions; for they are possessed with deadly hatred against all, even against their companions. Their greatest delight consists in holding each other in subjection, and as it were in butchering each other. Those who more resolutely persist in the endeavor to force their way out, are sent down still deeper under the misty rock; for it is their innate crazy ardor to destroy all, that leads them on; hence their efforts to emerge. They wrap all they meet in a cloth, in order to take them captive, and cast them into a certain sea, as it appears to them, or otherwise treat them savagely.

1268. I was led, guarded, toward that misty rock. (To be led to such spirits is not to be led from place to place, but it is effected by means of intermediate societies of spirits and angels, the man remaining in the same place; and yet it appears to him as a letting down.) As I came near the rock I was met with a coldness which gripped the lower region of my back. From there I spoke with them about their persuasions, and about what they had believed in the life of the body as regards the Lord. They answered that they had thought much about God, but had persuaded themselves that there is no God, but that men are gods, and thus they themselves were gods; and that they had confirmed themselves in these persuasions by their dreams. Their phantasies against the Lord will be spoken of below.

1269. That I might know still better what kind of men they were, it was permitted by the Lord that some of them should come up into the world of spirits. Before this took place a beautiful child appeared, clothed in shining white raiment; afterwards, in an open doorway, there appeared another child in a green garment; and then two maidservants with white headdresses. But what these things signified was not disclosed to me.

1270. Presently some were let out of that hell; but the Lord made such a disposition by means of intermediate spirits and angels that they could do me no harm. Out of that deep they came in front, and appeared to themselves to be working their way toward the front, as it were through caverns in the rock, and so upward. At last they appeared from above to the left, in order that from there, and thus from a distance, they might inflow into me. I was told that they were permitted to inflow into the right side of the head, but not into the left side; and from the right side of the head into the left side of the chest; but by no means into the left of the head, for if this occurred I should be destroyed, because they would then flow in with their persuasions, which are direful and deadly; whereas if they flowed into the right of the head, and thence into the left of the chest, it would be by means of cupidities. Such is the case with influx.

[2] Their persuasions are of such a nature that they extinguish all truth and good, so that those into whom they flow can perceive nothing whatever, and after that cannot think; and therefore the other spirits were removed. When they began to flow in I fell asleep. Then while I slept they flowed in by means of cupidities, and this with such violence that if awake I could not have resisted them. In my sleep I was sensible of the vehemence of it, which I cannot describe, save that I afterwards remembered that they tried to kill me by a suffocating afflatus, which was like a terrible nightmare. Then, waking, I observed that they were near me; and when they perceived that I was awake, they fled away to their own place above, and flowed in from thence.

[3] When they were there they appeared to me as if they were being wrapped up in a cloth, such as was spoken of before (n. 964). I thought they were being thus wrapped up, but it was others whom they were wrapping up. This is effected by means of phantasies; but yet the spirits against whom they thus work by phantasies know not but that they are really being wrapped up. It appeared as if those whom they thus wrapped up rolled down a certain rocky declivity. But those who were thus wrapped up were released and set at liberty. They were spirits who were unwilling to withdraw, and who were thus preserved by the Lord, for otherwise they would have been suffocated-although they would have revived again, but after great suffering. The spirits from that hell then went back by the rocky declivity; and there was heard from thence a sound of boring, as if many great boring instruments were at work; and it was perceived that it was from their intensely cruel phantasies against the Lord that such a sound came. They were afterwards cast down through dark caverns into their hell beneath the misty rock. While they were in the world of spirits, the constitution or order of the sphere there was changed.*

* See Spiritual Experiences, n. 3367. [Reviser.]

1271. After this, there were certain deceitful spirits who desired that these might emerge, and inspired them to say that they were nothing, so that they might steal out. Then a tumult was heard in that hell, as of a great turbulent uprising, which was a commotion among those who desired to force their way out, and therefore it was again permitted that some of them should rise up, and be seen in the same place as the former were. From there, aided by those deceitful genii, they attempted to pour into me their deadly persuasive influence; but in vain, because I was protected by the Lord. Yet I plainly perceived that their persuasive influence was suffocating. They believed themselves to be all-powerful, and able to take away life from everyone. And because they believed themselves to be all-powerful, they were thrust down by a little child, at whose presence they tottered and faltered, so that they cried out that they were in anguish, and this so sorely that they betook themselves to supplications. The deceitful spirits were also punished, first being almost suffocated by the antediluvians, and then being glued together, to make them desist from such doings; but after a time they were set free.

1272. It was afterwards shown me how their women were dressed. They wore upon the head a round black hat, projecting turret-like in front, and had a small face, whereas the men were shaggy and hairy. It was shown me also how they gloried in the great number of their children; and that they had their children with them wherever they went, who walked before them in a curved line. But they were told that the brutes also, even the worst, all have a love for their young; and that this is no evidence that there is anything good in them; but that if they had loved children, not from their love of themselves and their own glory, but that human society might be augmented, for the common good; and especially if they had loved them in order that heaven might thereby be multiplied, thus for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom, then their love for children would have been genuine.

1273. CHAPTER 11

CONCERNING THE SITUATION OF THE GRAND MAN; AND ALSO CONCERNING PLACE AND DISTANCE IN THE OTHER LIFE

Souls newly arrived from the world, when about to leave the company of the spiritual angels to go among spirits, and so at length to come into the society in which they had been while they lived in the body, are led about by angels to many mansions or abodes, that is, to societies which are distinct and yet conjoined with others; in some of which they are received, while in other cases they are led to still other societies, and this for an indefinite time, until they come to the society in which they had been while they lived in the body; and there they remain. From this moment they experience a new beginning of life. If the man is a dissembler, a hypocrite, or deceitful, who can assume a fictitious state, and a seemingly angelic disposition, he is sometimes received by good spirits; but after a short time he is dissociated, and then wanders about, without the angels, and begs to be received, but is rejected, and sometimes punished, and at last he is carried down among the infernals. Those who are taken up among angels after being vastated, also change their societies, and when they pass from one society to another they are dismissed with courtesy and charity, and this until they come into the angelic society which accords with the distinctive quality or genius of their charity, piety, probity, or sincere courtesy. I in like manner have been led through such “mansions,” and those who dwelt there conversed with me, that I might know how the case was in regard to this matter. It was given me at the time to reflect on the changes of place, and to see that they were nothing else than changes of state, my body remaining in the same place.