NEUOFFENBARUNG← Secrets of Heaven · Volume 5 · Contents
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 piped 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 excremental 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 suspicions, 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. But these are of the middle sort.
[4] But those who have relation to the excremental 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
4055. The subject of the Grand Man, and of correspondence, will be continued at the end of the following chapter.
[END OF THE THIRD PART OR VOLUME OF THE ORIGINAL LATIN WORK.]
4056. CHAPTER 31
In volume 3, by way of preface to chapters 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30, there have been unfolded the things spoken and foretold by the Lord concerning the consummation of the age or Last Judgment, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, from the third to the twenty-eighth verse. The words which follow there in order remain to be explained, in this place the contents of verses 29, 30, and 31, where we read these words:
But immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the heavens even to the end thereof (Matt. 24:29-31).
4057. What the consummation of the age, or Last Judgment is, has already been explained, namely, that it is the last period of the Church. Its last period is said to be when there is no longer in it any charity and faith; and it has also been shown that there have been several such consummations, or last periods. The consummation of the first church was described by the flood; and the consummation of the second church by the extirpation of the nations in the land of Canaan, and also by the extirpations and cuttings off frequently described in the Prophets. The consummation of the third church is not described in the Word, but is foretold-that is, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jewish nation, with which was the church, over the whole world. The fourth consummation is that of the present Christian church, which is foretold by the Lord in the Evangelists, and also by John in Revelation, and which is now at hand.*
* This statement was published in the year 1752, five years before the Last Judgement on the Church in question. [REVISER.]
4058. In the foregoing verses of this chapter of Matthew there is described the successive vastation of the church; namely, that first they began not to know what good and truth are, but disputed about them; next that they treated them with contempt; in the third place that they did not acknowledge them at heart; and fourthly, that they profaned them. These states are described from the third to the twenty-second verse; and as the truth of faith and the good of charity were still to remain in the midst (that is, with some who are called the “elect”) the quality of the state of the truth of faith at that time is described in verses 23 to 28; and in the following verses, now to be explained, there is described the state of the good that is of charity and of love; and also the beginning of a New Church.
4059. From the particulars contained in these verses it is very manifest that they have an internal sense, and that unless this sense is understood, it is impossible to know what they involve-as that the sun shall be darkened, that the moon shall not give her light, that the stars shall fall from heaven, and that the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then that the Lord shall appear in the clouds of heaven, that His angels shall sound with a trumpet, and shall gather together His elect. He who knows not the internal sense of these words, must believe that such things are to come to pass; nay, that the world is to perish, with everything we behold in the universe. And yet that by the Last Judgment there is not meant any destruction of the world, but the consummation or vastation of the church in respect to charity and faith, may be seen above (n. 3353); and is plainly manifest from the words which follow in this same chapter of Matthew:
Then shall two men be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left; two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left (Matt. 24:40-41).
4060. Therefore that by the words now before us there is signified the state of the church at that time in respect to good (that is, as to charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord), is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows:
But immediately after the affliction of those days;
signifies the state of the church in respect to the truth of faith (concerning which just above). In the Word the desolation of truth in various places is called “affliction.” (That “days” are states may be seen above, n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785.) From this it is manifest that by these words is signified that after there is no longer any faith, there will be no charity. For faith leads to charity, because it teaches what charity is, and charity receives its quality from the truths of faith; but the truths of faith receive their essence and their life from charity, as has been repeatedly shown in the preceding volumes.
[2] The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light; signifies love to the Lord, which is the “sun;” and charity toward the neighbor, which is the “moon.” “To be darkened and not to give their light” signifies that they will not appear, and thus will vanish away. (That the “sun” is the celestial of love, and the “moon” the spiritual of love; that is, that the “sun” is love to the Lord, and the “moon” charity toward the neighbor, which comes forth through faith, may be seen above, n. 1053, 1529, 1530, 2120, 2441, 2495.) The reason why this is the signification of the “sun and moon,” is that in the other life the Lord appears as a sun to those in heaven who are in love to Him, and who are called the celestial; and as a moon to those who are in charity toward the neighbor, and who are called the spiritual (see n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643).
[3] The sun and moon in the heavens (that is, the Lord) is never darkened, nor does it lose its light, but it shines perpetually; and so neither is love to the Lord darkened with the celestial, nor does charity toward the neighbor lose its light with the spiritual, in the heavens; nor on earth with those with whom these angels are, that is, those who are in love and charity. Those however who are in no love and charity, but in the love of self and of the world, and consequently in hatred and revenge, bring that “darkening” upon themselves. The case herein is as it is with the sun of this world, which shines continuously; but when the clouds interpose, it does not appear (n. 2441).
[4] And the stars shall fall from heaven;
signifies that the knowledges of good and truth will perish. Nothing else is signified by “stars” when these are mentioned in the Word (n. 1808, 2849).
And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; signifies the foundations of the church, which are said to be “shaken” and “made to quake” when they perish. For the church on earth is the foundation of heaven, because the influx of good and truth from the Lord through the heavens finally terminates in the goods and truths that are with the man of the church. When therefore the man of the church is in such a perverted state as no longer to admit the influx of good and truth, the powers of the heavens are said to be “shaken.” For this reason it is always provided by the Lord that something of the church shall remain; and that when an old church perishes, a new one shall be set up again.
[5] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven;
signifies the appearing of Divine truth at that time; the “sign” signifies the appearing; the “Son of man,” the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2803, 2813, 3704). It was this appearing or this “sign,” concerning which the disciples asked when they said, “Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the consummation of the age” (verse 3). For they knew from the Word that when the age should be consummated, the Lord would come; and they learned from the Lord Himself that He would “come again,” by which they understood that the Lord would once more come into the world; not yet knowing that the Lord has come whenever the church has been vastated, not indeed in person, as when He assumed the human by birth and made it Divine; but by means of appearings-either manifest, as when He appeared to Abraham in Mamre, to Moses in the bush, to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan; or not so manifest, as by inspirations through which the Word was given, and afterwards through the Word; for the Lord is present in the Word, because all things in the Word are from Him and concerning Him, as may be seen from what has already been frequently shown. This latter is the appearing here signified by the “sign of the Son of man,” and which is described in this verse.
[6] And then shall all the tribes of the earth wail;
signifies that all who are in the good of love and the truth of faith shall be in grief. That “wailing” signifies this, may be seen in Zechariah 12:10-14; and that “tribes” signify all things of good and truth, or of love and faith, and consequently those who are in them, may be seen above (n. 3858, 3926). They are called the “tribes of the earth,” because those are meant who are within the church. (That the “earth” is the church may be seen above, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2928, 3355.)
[7] And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of the heavens with power and great glory;
signifies that the Word will then be revealed as to its internal sense, in which the Lord is; the “Son of man” is the Divine truth therein (n. 2803, 2813, 3704); the “cloud” is the literal sense; “power” is predicated of the good, and “glory” of the truth, therein. (That these things are signified by “seeing the Son of man coming in the clouds of the heavens,” see the preface to the eighteenth chapter.) This is the “coming of the Lord” here meant, and not that He will literally appear in the clouds. Now follows the subject of the setting up of a New Church, which takes place when the old one is vastated and rejected.
[8] He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great voice;
signifies election, not by visible angels, still less by trumpets, and by great voices; but by the influx of holy good and holy truth from the Lord through angels; and therefore by “angels” in the Word there is signified something of the Lord (n. 1925, 2821, 3039); here, there are signified things that are from the Lord and concerning the Lord. By the “trumpet” and the “great voice” there is signified evangelization, as elsewhere in the Word.
[9] And they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the heavens even to the end thereof;
signifies the setting up of a New Church. The “elect” are those who are in the good of love and of faith (n. 3755-3900); the “four winds” from which they shall be gathered together, are all states of good and truth (n. 3708); “from the end of the heavens to the end of them” denotes the internals and the externals of the church. Such therefore are the things signified by these words of the Lord.
GENESIS 31
1. And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken all that was our father’s; and from that which was our father’s hath he made all this abundance.
2. And Jacob saw the faces of Laban, and behold he was not at all with him as yesterday and the day before.
3. And Jehovah said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy nativity, and I will be with thee.
4. And Jacob sent, and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock.
5. And he said unto them, I see your father’s faces, that he is not at all toward me as yesterday and the day before; and the God of my father hath been with me.
6. And ye know that with all my strength I have served your father.
7. And your father hath deceived me, and hath changed my reward ten ways, and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me.
8. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy reward, then all the flock bare speckled; and if he said thus, The party-colored shall be thy reward, then all the flock bare party-colored.
9. And God hath taken away the acquisition of your father, and hath given it to me.
10. And it came to pass at the time that the flock grew warm, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were party-colored, speckled, and grizzled.
11. And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob; and I said, Behold me!
12. And he said, Lift up I pray thine eyes, and see all the he-goats which leap upon the flock, party-colored, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me; now arise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.
14. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Have we any longer a portion and inheritance in our father’s house?
15. Are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us, and devouring hath also devoured our silver.
16. For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, they are ours and our sons’; and now all that God hath said unto thee, do.
17. And Jacob arose, and lifted his sons and his women upon the camels.
18. And he carried away all his acquisition, and all his substance which he had gathered, the acquisition of his purchase, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19. And Laban was gone to shear his flock; and Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s.
20. And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean, in that he told him not that he was fleeing.
21. And he fled, he and all that he had; and he arose and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
22. And it was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob was fled.
23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a way of seven days, and joined him in the mountain of Gilead.
24. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil.
25. And Laban came up with Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead.
26. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen my heart, and hast carried away my daughters as captives of the sword?
27. Wherefore hast thou concealed thyself to flee? and hast stolen me? and hast not told me? And I would have sent thee away with gladness, and with songs, with timbrel, and with harp.
28. And thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters; now thou hast acted foolishly.
29. Let my hand be to God to do you evil! And the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob from good even to evil.
30. And now going thou hast gone, because longing thou hast longed toward thy father’s house; wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid, for I said, Perchance thou wilt take away thy daughters from me by force.
32. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live before our brethren; search thou what is with me, and take it to thee. And Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
33. And Laban came into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two handmaids, and found them not; and he went out of Leah’s tent, and came into Rachel’s tent.
34. And Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the camel’s straw, and sat upon them; and Laban felt about all the tent, and found them not.
35. And she said to her father, Let there not be anger in the eyes of my lord, that I cannot rise up before thee, for the way of women is upon me. And he searched and found not the teraphim.
36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? What is my sin, in that thou hast hotly pursued after me?
37. Whereas thou hast felt about all my vessels, what hast thou found of all the vessels of thy house? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, and let them judge between us two.
38. These twenty years have I been with thee, thy sheep and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39. The torn I brought not unto thee, I bare the loss of it, from my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
40. Thus I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the cold in the night, and my sleep has been chased from mine eyes.
41. These twenty years have I served thee in thy house, fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock, and thou hast changed my reward ten ways.
42. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen my misery and the weariness of my hands, and judged yesternight.
43. And Laban answered, and 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 is mine; and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their sons which they have borne?
44. And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap, and they did eat there upon the heap.
47. And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
48. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day; therefore he called the name of it Galeed;
49. And Mizpah; for he said, Jehovah watch between me and thee, for we shall be hidden a man from his fellow.
50. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take women over my daughters, there is no man with us; see God is witness between me and thee.
51. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee.
52. This heap be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap to me, and this pillar, for evil.
53. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us, the God of their father; and Jacob swear by the Dread of his father Isaac.
54. And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.
55. And in the morning Laban arose early, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban departed and returned to his place.
4061. THE CONTENTS.
The subject here treated of in the internal sense is the separation of the good and truth represented by Jacob and his women, from the good signified by “Laban,” in order that the former might be conjoined with the Divine from a direct Divine stock; and also the state of both as regards the separation.
4062. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
Verses 1-3. And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken all that was our father’s; and from that which was our father’s hath he made all this abundance. And Jacob saw the faces of Laban, and behold he was not at all with him as yesterday and the day before. And Jehovah said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy nativity, and I will be with thee. “And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying,” signifies the truths of the good signified by “Laban,” of what quality they were relatively to the good acquired thereby by the Lord in the natural; “Jacob hath taken all that was our father’s,” signifies that all things of the good now meant by “Jacob” had been given Him therefrom; “and from that which was our father’s hath he made all this abundance,” signifies that He gave it to Himself; “and Jacob saw the faces of Laban,” signifies a change of state with that good, when the good meant by “Jacob” receded; “and behold he was not at all with him as yesterday and the day before,” signifies the state altogether changed toward the good signified by “Jacob,” although nothing was taken away from it, but that it had its own as before, except the state in respect to conjunction; “and Jehovah said unto Jacob,” signifies the Lord’s perception from the Divine; “return unto the land of thy fathers,” signifies that He should now betake Himself nearer to good Divine; ” and to thy nativity,” signifies that He should betake Himself to the derivative truth; “and I will be with thee,” signifies that it would then be Divine.
4063. And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying. That this signifies the truths of the good signified by “Laban,” of what quality they were relatively to the good acquired thereby by the Lord in the natural, is evident from the signification of “sons,” as being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the representation of Laban, as being collateral good of a common stock (n. 3612, 3665, 3778), and thus such goods as may serve for the introducing of genuine goods and truths (n. 3974, 3982, 3986e); here, the good that had so served, for its separation is treated of. Jacob’s “hearing the words” involves in the internal sense what their quality was relatively to the good acquired by the Lord in the natural, as may be seen from what now follows; for they were words of indignation, and declared that Jacob had taken all that was their father’s, and Jacob saw the faces of Laban, that he was not as yesterday and the day before. (That Jacob represents the Lord’s natural, and in the foregoing chapter the good of truth therein, may be seen above, n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829, 4009.)
[2] How the case is with the good signified by “Laban” relatively to the good of truth represented by Jacob, may be seen from what has been stated and shown in the foregoing chapter. This may be further illustrated by the states of man’s regeneration, which in the representative sense is also here treated of. When a man is being regenerated, he is kept by the Lord in a kind of mediate good. This good serves for introducing genuine goods and truths; but after these have been introduced, it is separated from them. Everyone who has learned anything about regeneration and about the new man, can understand that the new man is altogether different from the old; for the new man is in the affection of spiritual and heavenly things, and these produce its delights and pleasantnesses; whereas the old man is in the affections of worldly and earthly things, and these produce its delights and pleasantnesses; consequently the new man has regard to ends in heaven, but the old man to ends in the world. From this it is manifest that the new man is altogether different and diverse from the old.
[3] In order that a man may be brought from the state of the old man into that of the new, the concupiscences of the world must be put off, and the affections of heaven must be put on. This is effected by innumerable means, which are known to the Lord alone, and many of which have also been made known by the Lord to angels; but few if any to man. Nevertheless all of them both in general and particular have been made manifest in the internal sense of the Word. When therefore a man, from being the old man is made a new one (that is, when he is being regenerated), it is not done in a moment, as some believe, but through a course of years; nay, during the man’s whole life, even to its end; for his concupiscences have to be extirpated, and heavenly affections have to be insinuated; and the man has to be gifted with a life which he had not before, and of which indeed he knew scarcely anything. Seeing therefore that the man’s states of life have to be so greatly changed, it must needs be that he is long kept in a kind of mediate good, that is, in a good which partakes both of the affections of the world, and of the affections of heaven; and unless he is kept in this mediate good, he in no wise admits heavenly goods and truths.
[4] This mediate or middle good is what is signified by “Laban and his flock.” But man is kept in this middle good no longer than until it has served this use; but this having been served, it is separated. This separation is treated of in this chapter. That there is an intermediate good, and that it is separated after it has subserved its use, may be illustrated by the changes of state which every man undergoes from infancy even to old age. It is known that a man’s state is of one kind in infancy, of another in childhood, another in youth, another in adult age, and another in old age. It is also known that a man puts off his state of infancy with its toys when he passes into the state of youth; that he puts off his state of youth when he passes into the state of young manhood; and this again when he passes into the state of mature age; and at last this state when he passes into that of old age. And if one will consider he may also know that every age has its delights, and that by these he is introduced by successive steps into those of the age next following; and that these delights had served the purpose of bringing him thereto; and finally to the delight of intelligence and wisdom in old age.
[5] From all this it is manifest that former things are always left behind when a new state of life is put on. But this comparison can serve only to show that delights are means, and that these are left behind when the man enters into the state next following; whereas during man’s regeneration his state becomes altogether different from his former one; and he is led to it, not in any natural manner, but by the Lord in a supernatural manner; nor does anyone arrive at this state except by the means or media of regeneration, which are provided by the Lord alone, and thus by the mediate good of which we have been speaking. And when the man has been brought to that state in which he has no longer worldly, earthly, and corporeal things as his end, but those which are of heaven, then this mediate good is separated. To have anything as the end is to love it more than anything else.
4064. Jacob hath taken all that was our father’s. That this signifies that all things of the good meant by “Jacob” had been given him therefrom (namely, from that mediate good) may be seen without explication. But that they had not been so given to him, is manifest from what follows. It was the sons of Laban who said this.
4065. And from that which was our father’s hath he made all this abundance. That this signifies that He gave them to Himself, is evident from the signification of “making abundance,” as being to give to Himself; for in the supreme sense this is predicated of the Lord, who never took anything of good and truth from another, but only from Himself. Other good that was related to His maternal human had indeed served Him as a means; for Laban, by whom that good is signified, was the brother of Rebekah, who was Jacob’s mother; but by that mediate good He procured for Himself those things whereby He made His natural Divine by His own power. It is one thing to acquire something from a means, and another to acquire it by a means. The Lord acquired good by a means, because He was born a man, and derived from the mother an hereditary which was to be expelled; but He did not acquire good from a means, because He was conceived of Jehovah, from whom He had the Divine; and He therefore gave Himself all the goods and truths which He made Divine. For the Divine Itself has need of none, not even of that mediate good; except that He willed that all things should be done according to order.
4066. And Jacob saw the faces of Laban. That this signifies a change of state with that good when the good meant by “Jacob” receded, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural, and from the representation of Laban, as being mediate good (concerning which frequently above); and from the signification of “faces,” as being the interiors (n. 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573), here, changes of the interiors, or what is the same, changes of state; for it is said, “he saw his faces, and behold he was not at all with him as yesterday and the day before.” The reason why in the Word the interiors are signified by “face,” is that the interiors shine forth from the face, and present themselves in the face as in a mirror, or in an image; and hence the faces or countenance signifies states of the thoughts and states of the affections.
4067. And behold he was not at all with him as yesterday and the day before. That this signifies the state altogether changed toward the good signified by “Jacob,” from which however nothing was taken away, but it had its own as before, except the state as to conjunction, may be seen from the fact that “his being not at all with him as yesterday and the day before,” denotes a state altogether changed toward Jacob (that is, toward the good signified by “Jacob”); and from what precedes, in that from Laban (that is, from the good signified by “Laban”) nothing had been taken away, but that it had its own as before.
[2] In order that it may be comprehended how the case is in regard to the goods and truths in man, what is known to scarcely anyone must be revealed. It is indeed known and acknowledged that all good and all truth are from the Lord; and it is also acknowledged by some that there is an influx, but of such a nature that man is not aware of it. Yet as it is not known, at least is not acknowledged at heart, that there are spirits and angels around man, and that his internal man is in the midst of them, and is thus ruled by the Lord, it is little believed, although said. There are innumerable societies in the other life that are disposed and set in order by the Lord according to all the genera of good and truth; and there are societies in the opposite that are disposed according to all the genera of evil and falsity; insomuch that there is not any genus of good and truth, nor any species of that genus, nor indeed any specific variety, which does not have such angelic societies, or to which there are not angelic societies that correspond. Nor on the other hand, is there any genus of evil and falsity, nor any species of that genus, nor indeed any specific variety, to which there are not diabolical societies that correspond. In a society of such is every man as to his interiors (that is, as to his thoughts and affections) although he is not aware of it. Everything that a man thinks and wills is from this source, insomuch that if the societies of spirits and angels in which he is were taken away, he would that moment have no thought and no will, and would even fall down absolutely dead. Such is the state of man, although he believes that he has all things from himself, and that there is neither a hell nor a heaven; or that hell is far removed from him, and heaven also.
[3] Moreover the good in a man appears to him as what is simple or one, and yet is so manifold, and consists of things so various, that the man cannot possibly explore so much as its generals. It is the same with the evil in a man. Such as is the good in a man, such is the society of angels with him; and such as is the evil in a man, such is the society of evil spirits with him. The man summons these societies to himself, that is, he places himself in a society of such spirits; for like is associated with like. For example: the man who is avaricious summons to himself societies of like spirits who are in the same cupidity. The man who loves himself in preference to others, and who despises others, summons those who are like himself. He who takes delight in revenge summons such as are in a like delight; and so in all other cases. These spirits communicate with hell, and the man is in the midst of them, and is altogether ruled by them, insomuch that he is not at his own disposal, but is at theirs, although from the delight and consequent freedom that he enjoys he supposes that he directs himself. But the man who is not avaricious, or who does not love himself in preference to others, nor despise others, and who does not take delight in revenge, is in a society of similar angels, and is led by the Lord by their means, and indeed by means of his freedom, to all the good and truth to which he suffers himself to be led; and in proportion as he suffers himself to be led to more interior and more perfect good, in the same proportion he is brought to more interior and perfect angelic societies. The changes of his state are nothing else than changes of societies. That this is the case is evident to me from the continuous experience of many years, whereby the fact has become as familiar to me as is that which has been familiar to a man from his infancy.
[4] From all this it is now evident how the case is with man’s regeneration, and with the mediate delights and goods by means of which he is brought by the Lord from the state of his old man to the state of his new man-namely, that this is effected by means of angelic societies, and by changes of them. Mediate goods and delights are nothing else than such societies, which are applied to man by the Lord, to the intent that by their means he may be introduced to spiritual and celestial goods and truths; and when he has been brought to these, the societies are separated, and more interior and more perfect ones are adjoined to him. Nothing else is meant by the mediate good signified by “Laban,” and by the separation of that good, which is the subject treated of in this chapter.
4068. And Jehovah said unto Jacob. That this signifies the Lord’s perception from the Divine, is evident from the signification in the historicals of the Word of “saying,” as being to perceive (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509). That “Jehovah” is the Lord, may be seen above (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2921, 3023, 3035). From this it is evident that by “Jehovah said,” is signified the Lord’s perception from the Divine.
4069. Return unto the land of thy fathers. That this signifies that He should now betake Himself nearer to good Divine, is evident from the signification of the land of the fathers, as here being good Divine, because it is predicated of the Lord; for the “land” (namely, Canaan), signifies the Lord’s kingdom (n. 1607, 3481), and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine Human, because this flows in and produces His kingdom (n. 3038, 3705); and a “father” denotes good (see n. 3703). And as the goods and truths had now been procured whereby the Lord was to make His natural Divine, which goods and truths were represented by Jacob’s tarrying with Laban, and by his acquisitions there, it follows that by his “returning to the land of his fathers” is signified to betake Himself nearer to good Divine.
4070. And to thy nativity. That this signifies that He should betake Himself nearer to the derivative truth, is evident from the signification of “nativity,” as being the truth which is from good. For all truth is born from good; it has no other origin; and it is called truth because it is of good, and because it confirms that from which it is, namely, good. Hence the signification of “nativity” in this passage. (That the nativities or births are those of faith may be seen above, n. 1145, 1255; and that “to bring forth” denotes to acknowledge in faith and act, n. 3905, 3915.)
4071. And I will be with thee. That this signifies that it would then be Divine, is evident from the fact that Jehovah spoke; and by “Jehovah” is meant the Lord, as above (n. 4068), thus the Divine. To be with him in whom this is, or who is this, is to be Divine. The supreme sense, which is concerning the Lord, is such that there appears a division in the sense of the letter; but in the supreme internal sense there is unity.
4072. Verses 4-13. And Jacob sent, and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. And he said unto them, I see your father’s faces, that he is not at all toward me as yesterday and the day before; and the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that with all my strength I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and hath changed my reward ten ways, and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me. If he said thus, The party-colored shall be thy reward, then all the flock bore party-colored, speckled, and grizzled. And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob; and I said, Behold me! And he said, Lift up I pray thine eyes, and see all the he-goats which leap upon the flock, party-colored, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me; now arise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity. “And Jacob sent, and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,” signifies the adjunction of the affections of truth by the good now meant by “Jacob,” and application at the time when it departed; “and he said unto them, I see your father’s faces, that he is not at all toward me as yesterday and the day before,” signifies a change of state in the good signified by “Laban;” “and the God of my father hath been with me,” signifies that all things which He had were from the Divine; “and ye know that with all my strength I have served your father,” signifies that it was of His own power; “and your father hath deceived me; and hath changed my reward ten ways,” signifies the state of good toward Himself, when of Himself He applied the things of that good, and its very great change; “and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me,” signifies that still it could not hinder; “if he said thus, The speckled shall be thy reward, then all the flock bore speckled,” signifies His freedom, and that in His freedom those things were taken by the Lord, even to evils that were adjoined to the goods; “and if he said thus, The party-colored shall be thy reward, then all the flock bore party-colored,” signifies the same in the case of the falsities that were adjoined; “and God hath taken away the acquisition of your father, and hath given it to me,” signifies that these were from the Divine; “and it came to pass at the time that the flock grew warm,” signifies the ardor of affection that they might be conjoined; “that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream,” signifies the perception of natural good in obscurity; “and behold the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were party-colored, speckled, and grizzled,” signifies the effect that the natural good meant by “Jacob” should be imbued with such things from that source; “and the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob; and I said, Behold me!” signifies perception from the Divine, and presence in that obscure state; “and he said, Lift up I pray thine eyes,” signifies attention thereto from that which was His own; “and see all the he-goats which leap upon the flock, party-colored, speckled, and grizzled,” signifies that such things should be introduced; “for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee,” signifies the own of the good signified by “Laban,” that it is not such as to act from itself; “I am the God of Bethel,” signifies the Divine in the natural; “where thou anointedst a pillar,” signifies where the good of truth is, and its boundary; “where thou vowedst a vow unto me,” signifies what is holy; “now arise,” signifies elevation; “go forth out of this land,” signifies separation from that good; “and return unto the land of thy nativity,” signifies conjunction with the Divine good of truth.
4073. And Jacob sent, and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. That this signifies the adjunction of the affections of truth by the good now meant by “Jacob,” and application at the time when it departed, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural, often spoken of above; and from the representation of Rachel and Leah, as being the affections of truth that are adjoined to that good; “Rachel” the affection of interior truth; and “Leah” the affection of external truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). That “sending to these and calling them to the field unto his flock,” denotes to adjoin them to itself is manifest. “Field” signifies what is of good, and where there is good (n. 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317); and “flock” the goods and truths themselves which were now acquired, and to which the affections of truth meant by Rachel and Leah were applied when the good departed. Jacob in this chapter represents the good of the natural, in that it drew nearer to conjunction with the Divine (n. 4069), because it was in readiness to separate itself, and was in the act of separation, from the good signified by “Laban” (see what is said concerning Jacob above, n. 3775). For representations are according to the changes of state as to good and truth; and changes of state are according to the changes of spirits and angels who are in such good and truth, as was shown above (n. 4067).
[2] When the societies of spirits and angels which are in mediate good recede, then new societies which are in a more perfect good draw near. Man’s state is altogether according to the societies of spirits and angels in the midst of whom he is; such is his will, and such his thought. But his changes of state are quite different when he adjoins the societies to himself, or himself to them, from what they are when the societies are adjoined to him by the Lord. When he adjoins himself to them, he is in evil; but when they are adjoined to him by the Lord, he is in good. When he is in good, such good as serves for the reformation of his life flows in through the societies. What is here said in the internal sense respecting the good represented by Jacob, the affections of truth, which are “Rachel and Leah,” and the application of these when he departed from the good signified by “Laban,” is in exact accordance with the societies and their changes. From the societies the angels perceive the states the man has, thus the quality of his goods and truths, and consequently innumerable things which scarcely appear to the man as one general thing. Thus the angels are in the very causes, for they see and perceive the societies with the man, while the man is in the effects and does not see them, but has only an obscure perception of them, through some changes of state thence resulting; and sees nothing in regard to what is good and true, unless he is enlightened through angels by the Lord.
4074. And he said into them, I see your fathers faces, that he is not at all toward me as yesterday and the day before. That this signifies a change of state in the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from what was said above (see n. 4067) where the same words occur.
4075. And the God of my father hath been with me. That this signifies that all things which He had were from the Divine, is evident from the fact that the “God of His father,” when predicated of the Lord, is the Divine which He had; and that “hath been with me,” signifies that all things which He had were from the Divine. When the Lord made the human in Himself Divine, He too had around Him societies of spirits and angels, for He willed that all things should be done according to order; but He summoned to Himself such as might be of service, and changed them at His good pleasure; yet He did not take from them and apply to Himself anything of good and truth, but only from the Divine. In this manner He also reduced into order both heaven and hell, and this by successive steps, until He had fully glorified Himself. That the societies of spirits and angels were capable of being of use, and yet that He took nothing from them, may be illustrated by examples.
[2] The societies which are such as to believe that good is from themselves, and thereby to place merit in goods, were of service to Him by introducing Him into memory-knowledge concerning such good, and thence into wisdom concerning good that is devoid of self-merit, such as is that which is from the Divine. This knowledge and the derivative wisdom were not from those societies, but were obtained by their means. Take another example: the societies which believe themselves to be very wise, and yet reason about good and truth, and about everything as to whether it is so, are for the most part societies of the spiritual; and these societies were of service to Him by introducing Him into knowledge in regard to such persons, and how greatly they are relatively in shade, and that unless the Lord should have mercy on them they would perish; and also into knowledge of many more things from the Divine, which were not from these societies, but by means of them.
[3] Take as yet another example the societies which are in love to God, and believe that if they look to the Infinite, and worship a hidden God, they can be in love to Him; when yet they are not so, unless by some idea they make that Infinite finite, or present the hidden God as visible within themselves by finite intellectual ideas; for otherwise it would be a looking into thick darkness, and embracing with love that which is therein, whence there would arise many fanciful and undigested conceits, in accordance with each man’s ideas. Such societies were also of service to Him by introducing Him into a knowledge of the quality of their interiors, and also of the quality of their love, and likewise into pity that they too could not be saved unless the Lord’s human should become also Divine, for them to look upon. This wisdom was not from these societies, but by their means from the Divine. The case was the same with everything else. From this it is evident how the case stands with the matter now under consideration-that nothing was taken from the good signified by “Laban,” but that all things which the Lord had were from the Divine, that is, from Himself.
4076. And ye know that with all my strength I have served your father. That this signifies that it was from His own power, is evident from the signification of “serving,” as being study (see n. 3824, 3846); but as being His own power when predicated of the Lord (see n. 3975, 3977); and still more so when it is said, “with all my strength.”
4077. And your father hath deceived me, and hath changed my reward ten ways. That this signifies the state of good toward Himself, when of Himself He applied the things of that good, and its very great change, is evident from the signification of “father,” here Laban, as being mediate good (concerning which above); from the signification of reward,” as being from Himself (see n. 3996, 3999); and from the signification of “ten ways,” as being a very great change. “Ten” denotes very great (n. 1988); and “ways,” changes. The very state of that good, when the Lord of Himself applied the things which were of that good, is referred to and implied as being changed. If now instead of the good signified by “Laban,” such a society of spirits and angels as are in such good is thought of, it is manifest how the case stands. The societies do not easily recede from him with whom they have been; but when he with whom they are recedes, they are indignant, and behave themselves in like manner as did Laban here toward Jacob; nay, if they perceive that any good has come to the man through their means, they say that it came to him from them; for in their indignation they speak from evil.
[2] The case is similar with every man who is being regenerated, namely, that societies are applied to him by the Lord which serve for introducing genuine goods and truths, not from themselves, but by their means; and when he who is being regenerated is transferred to other societies, those who had previously been with him are indignant. But these things do not appear to the man, because he does not believe that he is in the company of spirits and angels; but they appear manifestly to the angels, and to those also to whom of the Lord’s Divine mercy it is granted to speak with them, and to be among them as one of them. By this means it has been given me to know that such is the case.
[3] The spirits lament greatly that man does not know this, nor even that they are with him; and still more that many deny not only their presence, but also that there is a hell and a heaven. This however they ascribe to man’s stupidity; the fact being that man has not the least of thought, nor the least of will, which does not come from the Lord by influx through spirits; and it is by them as means that the Lord governs the human race, and each person in particular.
4078. And God hath not suffered him to do evil with me. That this signifies that still it could not hinder, is evident from the signification of “not suffering to do evil,” when predicated of the Lord, as being not to be able to hinder. For nothing can do evil to the Divine, but its influx can be hindered. All evil does this; and from this it is manifest what is here signified by “doing evil.”
4079. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy reward, then all the flock bore speckled. That this signifies His freedom, and that in His freedom those things were taken by the Lord, even to evils adjoined to the goods, is evident from the state of the matter in the internal sense, which is that He had freedom to change the reward, and thus that in His freedom those things were taken. That these were taken even to evils that were adjoined to the goods, is evident from the signification of the “speckled,” as being goods with which evils are mingled (see n. 3993, 3995, 4005).
4080. And if he said thus, The party-colored shall be thy reward, then all the flock bore party-colored. That this signifies the same in the case of the falsities that were adjoined, is evident from what has just been said; and from the signification of the “party-colored,” as being truths that are scattered over and mingled with evils (see n. 4005); consequently falsities.
4081. And God hath taken away the acquisition of your father, and hath given it to me. That this signifies that these were from the Divine, is evident from what was said and shown above (n. 4065, 4075).
4082. And it came to pass at the time that the flock grew warm. That this signifies the ardor of affection that they might be conjoined, is evident from the signification of “growing warm,” as being the ardor of affection and its effect (see n. 4018, 4019); thus that they (that is, goods and truths) should be conjoined.
4083. That I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream. That this signifies the perception of natural good in obscurity, is evident from the signification of “lifting up the eyes,” as being to think and also to intend (see n. 2789, 2829, 3198), thus to perceive; and from the signification of “in a dream,” as being in obscurity (n. 2514, 2528). The good of the natural is “Jacob.”
4084. And behold the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were party-colored, speckled, and grizzled. That this signifies the effect that natural good meant by “Jacob” should be imbued with such things from that source, may be seen from what has been said on these subjects in the preceding chapter; for by means of the flock of Laban there went to Jacob the party- colored, speckled, and spotted, that is, such things as are signified thereby.
4085. And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob; and I said, Behold me! That this signifies perception from the Divine, and presence in that obscure state, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (concerning which often above); and from the signification of the “angel of God,” as being from the Divine; for an “angel,” when mentioned in the Word, signifies something of the Lord, that is, something of the Divine (see n. 1925, 2319, 2821, 3039); for the reason that an angel does not speak from himself, but from the Lord, especially when he speaks in a dream, as here to Jacob. Moreover the angels are of such a disposition as to be indignant if anything of good and truth that they speak is attributed to them; and insofar as they can they remove such an idea from others, especially from man; for they know and perceive that all the good and truth which they think, will, and effect, are from the Lord, and thus from the Divine. From this it may be seen that by “angels” in the Word there is signified something of the Lord (that is, what is Divine)-and from the signification of “in a dream,” as denoting in obscurity (see n. 2514, 2528). Presence in the natural, and therein obscurity, is signified by Jacob’s answer.
4086. And he said, Lift up I pray thine eyes. That this signifies attention thereto from that which was His own, is evident from the signification of “lifting up the eyes,” as being to think and intend (see n. 2789, 2829), and thus to attend to. That here the signification is that which was from His own, is manifest from its being said, “Lift up thine eyes and see” and also from the series.
4087. And see all the he-goats which leap upon the flock, party-colored, speckled, and grizzled. That this signifies that such things should be introduced, thus that He should be imbued with such things, is evident from what has been said just above (n. 4084), where similar words occur.
4088. For I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. That this signifies the own of the good signified by “Laban,” that it is not such as to act from itself, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being mediate good, often spoken of before. That its own is not such as to act from itself, is signified by the words, “I have seen all that he doeth unto thee.” That this is the signification is evident from a mental view of the subject in the internal sense, and also from the societies which are in such good, for from these the quality of this good can be manifestly seen, because they are societies of spirits which serve as means and for communication (see n. 4047). These are not such as to do much from themselves and their own, but suffer themselves to be led by others, thus to good by angels, and to evil by evil spirits; as is also apparent in the story here told of Laban, especially from what follows. All this shows what is meant by the own of the good signified by “Laban,” in that this good is not of such a nature as to act of itself. The internal contents of these verses (6-12), have been unfolded only in a summary manner, because they are similar to those which have been treated of in the foregoing chapter, where they have been explained more fully.
4089. I am the God of Bethel. That this signifies the Divine in the natural, is evident from the signification of “Bethel,” as being good in the ultimate of order (see n. 3729), consequently in the natural; for this is the ultimate of order, because celestial and spiritual things are terminated therein. From this it is evident that the “God of Bethel” is the Divine in the natural. As “Bethel” signifies good in the natural, it also signifies the knowledges of celestial things there, for these are of good.
4090. Where thou anointedst a pillar. That this signifies where the good of truth is and its boundary, is evident from the signification of a “pillar,” as being a holy boundary, and thus the ultimate of order, and therefore truth (n. 3727); and from the signification of “anointing” (that is, of pouring oil upon the head of the pillar, which was done by Jacob), as being to make truth good (n. 3728).
4091. Where thou vowedst a vow unto me. That this signifies what is holy, is evident from the signification of “vowing a vow,” as being to will that the Lord should provide; and in the supreme sense, in which it is predicated of the Lord, as being that He does provide (n. 3732); and because whatever the Lord provides proceeds from Him, and whatever proceeds from Him is holy, therefore by “vowing a vow” is here signified what is holy. That “vowing a vow” signifies that which proceeds from the Lord, and therefore that which is holy, at first sight appears too remote; but this is because it is a man who vows a vow by which he binds himself to something, or imposes something upon himself in relation to the Divine, in case he obtains his wish. But when it is the Divine Itself, or the Lord, of whom this is predicated, it is not then any vow, but is a willing and providing, that is, a doing. What therefore the Divine or the Lord does, proceeds from Him; and whatever proceeds from Him is holy.
4092. Now arise. That this signifies elevation, is evident from the signification of “arising,” which wherever mentioned involves elevation (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927; also what elevation is, n. 3171).
4093. Go forth out of this land. That this signifies a separation from that good, namely, from that signified by “Laban,” is evident without explication.
4094. And return unto the land of thy nativity. That this signifies conjunction with the Divine good of truth, is evident from the signification of “returning to the land,” as being to betake Himself nearer to good Divine (n. 4069); and from the signification of “nativity,” as being truth (n.4070). From this it is manifest that by “returning to the land of his nativity,” is signified conjunction with the Divine good of truth.
4095. Verses 14-16. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Have we any longer a portion and inheritance in our father’s house? Are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us, and devouring hath also devoured our silver. For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, they are ours and our sons’; and now all that God hath said unto thee, do. “And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him,” signifies the reciprocity of the affections of truth; “Have we any longer a portion and inheritance in our father’s house?” signifies the first state of their separation from the good signified by “Laban;” “are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us,” signifies that it had estranged them, so that they no longer belonged to it; “and devouring hath also devoured our silver,” signifies that it would consume the truth of those affections if they were not separated; “for all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, they are ours and our sons’,” signifies that all things were from His own power, and that nothing was given by anyone, by flowing in from His Divine into that which He took to Himself therefrom; “and now all that God hath said unto thee, do,” signifies the Lord’s providence.
4096. And Rachel and Leah answered, and said unto him. That this signifies the reciprocity of the affections of truth, is evident from the signification of “answering” when assent is given, as being what is reciprocal (see n. 2919), and as being reception (n. 2941, 2957); and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth; and of Leah, as being the affection of external truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). In the internal sense of what has gone before the subject treated of has been the good of the natural, which is signified by “Jacob,” when it was being separated from the mediate good, which is “Laban,” and how this good of the natural adjoined to itself the affections of truth, which are signified by “Rachel and Leah.” The subject now treated of is the reciprocal application to good of these affections of truth. This application is contained in the internal sense of the words which Rachel and Leah now say.
[2] But these things are of such a nature that they do not fall into any understanding except that which has been instructed, and which perceives delight in the memory-knowledge of such things, and which therefore has spiritual knowledges as its end. Others care nothing for such things, and cannot even apply their minds to them. For they who have worldly and earthly things as their end, cannot withdraw their senses from them; and even if they did so, they would perceive what is undelightful; in which case they would be departing and withdrawing from the things they have as their end, that is, which they love. Let anyone who is of such a nature put himself to the test, as to whether he desires to know how good adjoins itself to the affections of truth; and how the affections of truth apply themselves to good; and whether knowing this is irksome to him or not; and he will say that such things are of no benefit to him, and that he apprehends nothing about them.
[3] But if such things are told him as relate to his business in the world, even though they are of the most abstruse character, or if he be told the nature of another man’s affections, and how he may thereby join the man to himself by adapting himself both mentally and orally, this he not only apprehends, but also has a perception of the interior things connected with the matter. In like manner he who studies from affection to investigate the abstruse things of the sciences, loves to look and does look into things still more intricate. But when spiritual good and truth are in question, he feels the subject irksome and turns his back on it. These things have been said in order that the quality of the existing man of the church may be known.
[4] But how the case is with good when it adjoins truths to itself by affections, and with truths when they apply themselves to it, cannot so well appear when the idea or thought is directed to good and truth, but better when it is directed to the societies of spirits and angels through which these flow in; for as before said (n. 4067), man’s willing and thinking come from these societies, that is, flow in from them, and appear as if they were in him. To know how the case herein is from the societies of spirits and angels, is to know it from causes themselves; and to know it from the heaven of angels is to know it from the ends of these causes. There are also historical things which adjoin themselves, and illustrate these things, causing them to appear more plainly.
[5] The internal sense treats of the adjunction of good to truths, and of the application of these latter, in the natural; for as often before said Jacob is the good in the natural, and his women are the affections of truth. The good which is of love and charity flows in from the Lord, and does so through angels who are with man; but not into anything else in him than his knowledges. And as good is there fixed, the thought is kept in the truths of the knowledges; and from these many things are called up which are related and are in agreement; and this until the man thinks that it is so, and until he wills it from affection because it is so. When this is being done, good conjoins itself with truths, and the truths apply themselves in freedom; for all affection causes freedom (n. 2870, 2875, 3158, 4031).
[6] Even then, however, doubts and sometimes denials are excited by the spirits who have been joined to the man; but insofar as affection prevails, so far he is led to the affirmative, and he is then confirmed in truths by these very things. When good flows in in this manner, it is not perceived that it comes through angels, because it flows in so interiorly, and into the man’s obscurity which he has from worldly and corporeal things. Be it known however that good does not flow in from the angels, but through the angels from the Lord; and this all the angels confess, and therefore they never claim for themselves any good, and are even indignant when anyone attributes it to them. From all this then, as from causes themselves, it may be seen how the case is with the adjoining of good to truths, and with the application of these latter, which are the subjects here treated of in the internal sense.
4097. Have we any longer a portion and inheritance in our father’s house? That this signifies the first state of their separation from the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of the words, “Have we any longer a portion and inheritance?” as being, Have we any longer any conjunction? And from the signification of “our father’s house,” as being the good represented by Laban. From this it results that by these words is signified the first state of their separation from the good signified by “Laban.” For the first state is that the mind is held in doubt; the second state is that the doubt is dispelled by reasons; the third is affirmation; and the last is acting. In this manner good together with truths insinuates itself from the intellectual part into the will part, and is appropriated.
4098. Are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us. That this signifies that it had estranged them so that they no longer belonged to it, is evident from the signification of “being counted strangers,” as being to be estranged; and from the signification of “selling,” as being so to estrange that they would no longer belong to it.
4099. And devouring hath also devoured our silver. That this signifies that it would consume the truth of those affections if they were not separated, is evident from the signification of “devouring,” as being to consume; and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954). It is evident that “our silver” denotes the truth of those affections, for as often before shown, the affections of truth are represented by Rachel and Leah. What these things involve cannot be known, unless it is known how the case is with the goods and truths which are insinuated by means of a mediate good, or unless it is known of what nature are the societies of spirits which serve as mediate good. The societies of spirits which serve as mediate good are those which are in worldly things; but the societies of angels which serve for introducing the affections of truth are not in worldly but in heavenly things.
[2] These two kinds of societies are in action about a man who is being regenerated; and insofar as he is initiated by the angels into heavenly things, so far are the spirits who are in worldly things removed; and unless they are removed, truths are dissipated. For worldly things and heavenly things are in agreement in man when heavenly things rule over worldly ones; but they are in disagreement when worldly things rule over heavenly things. When they are in agreement, truths are multiplied in the man’s natural; but when they are in disagreement truths are diminished, and even consumed, because worldly things darken heavenly things, and so consequently place them in doubt; but when heavenly things have rule, they throw light upon worldly things, and place them in clear light, and dispel doubts. Those things rule which are loved above all others. All this shows what is meant by the truth of affections being consumed if these were not separated; which is signified by “devouring he hath also devoured our silver.”
4100. For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, they are ours and our sons’. That this signifies that all things were from His own power (and that nothing was given by anyone) by flowing in from His Divine into that which He took to Himself therefrom, is evident from what has been said and explained above (n. 4065, 4075, 4081).
4101. And now all that God hath said unto thee, do. That this signifies the Lord’s providence, is evident from the signification of “doing all that God hath said,” as being to obey; but when predicated of the Lord, it signifies to provide; for He does not act from another, but from Himself; neither does God say to Himself that He should “do;” but He says, that is, acts, from Himself.
4102. Verses 17, 18. And Jacob arose, and lifted his sons and his women upon the camels. And he carried away all his acquisition, and all his substance which he had gathered, the acquisition of his purchase, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. “And Jacob arose,” signifies the elevation of the good meant by “Jacob;” “and lifted his sons and his women upon the camels,” signifies the elevation of truths and of the affections of them, and their orderly arrangement in generals; “and he carried away all his acquisition and all his substance which he had gathered,” signifies the separation of the truth and good derived from what was Laban’s; “the acquisition of his purchase,” signifies the things acquired by these from other sources; “which he had gathered in Paddan-aram,” signifies the knowledges of truth and good in the natural; “to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan,” signifies in order to be conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, to the intent that His human might be made Divine.
4103. And Jacob arose. That this signifies the elevation of the good meant by “Jacob,” is evident from the signification of “arising,” as involving elevation (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural (often spoken of before), here, the good which is drawing nearer to the Divine, because it was to be separated from the mediate good, or “Laban” (n. 4073). By the elevation which is signified by “arising,” is meant a drawing nearer to the Divine. As regards man, he is said to be “elevated” when he draws nearer to heavenly things, and this because heaven is believed to be elevated, or on high; but this is so expressed from the appearance, for heaven and consequently the things of heaven (that is, heavenly and spiritual things) are not on high, but are within (see n. 450, 1735, 2148). And therefore man is in heaven as to his interiors when he is in spiritual love and faith.
4104. And lifted his sons and his women upon the camels. That this signifies the elevation of truths and of the affections of them, and their orderly arrangement in generals, is evident from the signification of “sons,” as being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623); from the signification of “women,” here Rachel and Leah and also the handmaids, as being the affections of truth, of knowledges, and of memory-knowledges, as shown before; and from the signification of “camels,” as being general memory-knowledges in the natural (see n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145).
[2] He who does not know how the case is with representations and correspondences, cannot believe that these words, “he lifted his sons and his women upon the camels,” have such a signification; for they appear to him too remote from such matters to involve and contain within themselves any such spiritual meaning, for he thinks about sons, women, and camels. But the angels, who see and perceive all such things spiritually, do not think about sons, but when “sons” are mentioned they think of truths; nor do they think about women, but when “women” are mentioned they think of the affections of truth, of knowledges, and of memory-knowledges; nor do they think about camels, but instead they think of general things in the natural. For such is the correspondence of all these things; and such is angelic thought; and wonderful to say such is the thought of the internal spiritual man while living in the body, although the external man is entirely unaware of it. For the same reason, when a man who has been regenerated dies, he comes into the like thought, and can think and speak with angels, and this without instruction; which would be quite impossible unless he had had such interior thought. That the thought is of this character comes from the correspondence of natural and spiritual things; and from this it is evident that although the literal sense of the Word is natural, it nevertheless contains within itself and every particular of it spiritual things; that is, such as are of the interior or spiritual thought and the derivative speech; or in other words, such as exist in the thought and speech of the angels.
[3] As regards the elevation of truths and of the affections of them, and their orderly arrangement in generals, the case is this: The truths and the affections are elevated when the things of eternal life and of the Lord’s kingdom are set before those which belong to life in the body and to the kingdom of the world. When a man acknowledges the former as the principal and primary, and the latter as the instrumental and secondary, then with him truths and the affections of them are elevated; for in the same proportion the man is carried away into the light of heaven, within which there are intelligence and wisdom; and in the same proportion the things which are of the light of the world become to him images and as it were mirrors in which he sees the things of the light of heaven. The contrary happens when the man sets the things of the life of the body and of the kingdom of the world before those of eternal life and the Lord’s kingdom; as when he believes that the latter have no existence because he does not see, them, and because no one has come from there and made them known; and also when he believes that if they do exist, nothing worse will happen to him than to others; and when he confirms himself in these ideas, and lives the life of the world, and utterly despises charity and faith. With such a man, truths and the affections of them are not elevated, but are either suffocated, or rejected, or perverted; for he is in natural light, into which nothing of heavenly light inflows. From all this it is evident what is meant by the elevation of truths and of the affections of them.
[4] As regards their orderly arrangement in generals, this is a necessary consequence; for insofar as a man sets heavenly things before worldly ones, so far are the things in his natural arranged in order according to the state of heaven, so that as before said they appear therein as images and mirrors of heavenly things, for they are corresponding representatives. It is the ends that effect the arrangement into order, that is, the Lord through the ends in the man. For there are three things that follow in order, namely, ends, causes, and effects. Ends produce causes, and through causes, effects. Such therefore as are the ends, such come forth the consequent causes, and such the consequent effects. Ends are the inmost things with man; causes are middle or mediates, and are called mediate ends; and effects are ultimates, and are called last or ultimate ends. Effects are also what are called generals. From all this it is evident in what consists orderly arrangement in generals, namely, that when the things of eternal life and of the Lord’s kingdom are regarded as the end, all the middle ends or causes, and all the ultimate ends or effects, are arranged in order in accordance with the end itself; and this in the natural, because the effects are there; or what is the same, the generals are there.
[5] Every man of adult age who possesses any judgment, and will give the matter any consideration, is able to know that he is in two kingdoms, namely, in a spiritual kingdom and in a natural kingdom; and also that the spiritual kingdom is interior, and the natural kingdom exterior; and consequently that he can set one before the other, that is, he can regard one as the end in preference to the other; and thus that the one which he regards as his end, or prefers, rules with him. If therefore he regards the spiritual kingdom as his end, and prefers it (that is, the things that belong to this kingdom), he then acknowledges as the principal and primary, love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor, and consequently all things that confirm this love and charity, and are said to be of faith; for these belong to that kingdom; and in this case all things in his natural are arranged and set in order in accordance therewith, in order that they may be subservient and obedient. But when a man has as his end and sets first the natural kingdom (that is, the things it contains), he then extinguishes all that is of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, and all that is of faith, insomuch that he makes them of no account whatever; but makes the love of the world and of self, and all that belongs thereto, to be everything. When this is the case, all things in his natural are arranged in order in accordance with these ends, thus in utter contrariety to the things of heaven; and in this way he makes hell in himself. To regard as an end is to love, for every end is of the love, because whatever is loved is regarded as the end.
4105. And he carried away all his acquisition, and all his substance which he had gathered. That this signifies the separation of the truth and good derived from what was Laban’s, is evident from the signification of “carrying away,” as being to separate; from the signification of “acquisition,” as being truth; and from the signification of “substance,” as being good. “Which he had gathered,” has regard to Laban and his flock, by means of which they had been procured. The reason why “acquisition” denotes truth, and “substance” good, is that in the original language “acquisition” is a word which also signifies cattle in general, and by “cattle” specifically are signified truths, when by “flocks” are signified goods; and by “substance” is signified the resources from which all these are procured. For when two things of nearly similar signification are mentioned in the Word, the one is predicated of truth, and the other of good, on account of the heavenly marriage of truth and good in every particular of the Word (see n. 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712).
4106. The acquisition of his purchase. That this signifies the things procured by these from other sources, is evident from the signification of “acquisition,” as being truths (concerning which above); and from the signification of “purchase,” as being things procured from another source; for the acquisitions that were bought were from another source, but yet were from those that had been procured by means of the flock of Laban.
4107. Which he had gathered in Paddan-aram. That this signifies the knowledges of good and truth in the natural, is evident from the signification of “Paddan-aram,” as being the knowledges of good and truth (see n. 3664, 3680).
4108. To go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. That this signifies in order to be conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, to the intent that His human might be made Divine, is evident from the representation of Isaac, as being the Divine rational (see n. 1893, 2066, 2083, 2630); and specifically the Divine good of the rational (n. 3012, 3194, 3210); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the Lord’s celestial kingdom (see n. 1607, 3481), and in the supreme sense, that is, when predicated of the Lord, His Divine Human (n. 3038, 3705). This shows that by the words, “to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan,” is signified in order to be conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, to the intent that His human might be made Divine.
[2] As regards the conjunction of the rational and the natural in man, be it known that the rational is of the internal man and the natural of the external; and that their conjunction produces the human, of such a quality as is the conjunction, and that there is conjunction when they act as a one; and they act as a one when the natural ministers and is subservient to the rational. With man this is impossible unless it is done by the Lord; but with the Lord it was done by Himself.
4109. Verses 19-21. And Laban was gone to shear his flock; and Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s. And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean, in that he told him not that he was fleeing. And he fled, he and all that he had; and he arose and passed over the river, and set his faces toward the mountain of Gilead. “And Laban was gone to shear his flock,” signifies a state of use and of an end of good, which is the “flock of Laban;” “and Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” signifies a change of the state signified by Laban in respect to truth; “and Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean,” signifies a change of the state signified by Laban in respect to good (“Laban the Aramean” here denotes as before such good as does not contain Divine truth and good); “in that he told him not that he was fleeing,” signifies by the separation; “and he fled, he and all that he had,” signifies separation; “and he arose,” signifies elevation; “and passed over the river,” signifies a state wherein is conjunction; “and set his faces toward the mountain of Gilead,” signifies good therein.
4110. And Laban was gone to shear his flock. That this signifies a state of use and of an end of good, which is the “flock of Laban,” is evident from the signification of “shearing,” as being use, and thus end, for use is end (concerning which below); and from the signification of “a flock,” as being good (n. 343, 2566). This shows that a state of use and of end is signified by “going to shear.” The subject here treated of is the separation of the mediate good which is “Laban,” from the good procured by it which is “Jacob;” but how the case is with this separation cannot be known except from the societies of the spirits who are in that good, and from whom it flows in with man, in regard to which I may state from experience the facts which follow.
[2] There are good spirits, there are spirits of a middle sort, and there are evil spirits, who are adjoined to man during his regeneration, to the end that by their means he may be introduced into genuine goods and truths, and this by the Lord by means of angels; but they are such spirits or societies of spirits as are not in agreement with the person to be regenerated, except for a time; and therefore, when they have performed their use, they are separated. Their separation is effected in various ways-that of the good spirits in one way, that of the spirits of a middle sort in another way, and that of the evil spirits in still another way. The separation of the good spirits is effected without their being aware of it, for they know that of the Lord’s good pleasure it is well with them wherever they may be, or whithersoever they may be by Him transferred. But the separation of the spirits of a middle sort is effected by many means, even until they withdraw in freedom. For they are remitted into the state of their good, and therefore into a state of use and of the consequent end, in order that they may perceive therein their delight and their bliss. But inasmuch as they had found pleasure in their previous association with the regenerating man, they are by turns brought to it and sent away from it, until at last they feel discomfort in any further stay, and so withdraw in freedom. The evil spirits also are indeed removed in freedom, but in a freedom which only appears to them as freedom. They are adjoined for the purpose of introducing opposing ideas and feelings which are to be rejected, in order that the man may be the better confirmed in truths and goods; and when he begins to be confirmed in these, they perceive a discomfort in remaining, and a delight in separation, and in this manner they are separated in a freedom that comes of their delight. Such is the case with the separation of the spirits from a man when he is being regenerated, and consequently with the changes of his state as to good and truth.
[3] That “to shear a flock” denotes to perform use, is evident from the fact that in the internal sense the “shearing of a flock” is nothing else than use, for wool is obtained thereby. That “sheepshearing” denotes use, is also plain from these words in Moses:
Every firstling male which is born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto Jehovah thy God; thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thine ox, nor shear the firstling of thy flock; but thou shalt eat it before Jehovah thy God year by year in the place which Jehovah shall choose (Deut. 15:19);
where “not to shear the firstling of the flock” denotes not to make a household use from it. As “sheep-shearing” signified use, it was in those days an office and function of distinction to shear the flock and to be present at the shearings, as may be seen from what is said of Judah, that “he sheared his flock” (Gen. 38:12, 13); and of the sons of David, in the second book of Samuel:
It came to pass after two years of days, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baalhazor, which is in Ephraim; and Absalom called all the king’s sons; and Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants, go with thy servant (2 Sam. 13:23-24).
4111. And Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s. That this signifies a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth, is evident from the signification here of “stealing” as being to take away what is dear and holy, thus to change the state; from the signification of the “teraphim,” as being truths (concerning which below); and from the signification of “father,” here Laban, as being the good signified by him (concerning which above); “father” also signifies good (n. 3703). From all this it is evident that by “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” is signified a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth.
[2] What these things involve may also be seen from the state of spirits when they are being separated. The states of spirits in respect to good and truth are in accordance with the societies in which they are; for as before shown all thought inflows through others, and proximately through those with whom the subjects of the thought are in society; and therefore when these are removed from one society and are sent into another, the states of their thoughts and affections are changed, and consequently their state as to truth and good. But if they are sent into unaccordant societies, they have a sense of discomfort, and consequently a sense of restraint, and therefore they are separated from those societies and are carried away into accordant ones. It is for this reason that the evil cannot be present or stay in societies of the good, nor the good in societies of the evil; and that all spirits and angels have been distinguished into societies in accordance with the affections which are of love. But every affection of love contains within it manifold and various things (n. 3078, 3189, 4005); and yet one thing is regnant, so that each spirit can be in a number of societies, but still strives continually toward that one which is of his reigning affection, and is at last brought into it.
[3] As regards the good signified by “Laban,” and its change of state, so long as it was with the good represented by Jacob, it was nearer the Divine, for “Jacob” is that good in the natural; and as it was nearer the Divine, it was also then in a more perfect state of truth and good; but when it was separated from this good, it came into another state both as to truth and as to good. For speaking generally, the changes of state in the other life are nothing else than approaches to the Divine and removals from the Divine. From this it is now manifest what is meant by the change of state when the good signified by “Laban” was being separated.
[4] That “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” signifies a change of state as to truths, is because by the “teraphim” are meant his gods, as is evident from what follows, for Laban says to Jacob:
Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered, With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live before our brethren (Gen. 31:30, 32);
and in the internal sense “gods” signify truths, for which reason in the Word “God” is named when the subject is truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822).
[5] The teraphim were idols that were used when they consulted or inquired of God, and because the answers which they received were to them truths Divine, truths were therefore signified by “teraphim,” as in Hosea:
The sons of Israel sat many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without ephod and teraphim (Hos. 3:4);
“ephod and teraphim” denote the truths Divine they received by the answers, for when they inquired of God, they put on the ephod (1 Sam. 23:9-12). In Zechariah:
The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and the dreams speak vanity (Zech. 10:2);
where also the “teraphim” denote answers, but in that state iniquitous ones.
[6] And because such things were signified by “teraphim,” they were found with some, although they were forbidden; as with Micah, in the book of Judges:
Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and filled the hand of one of his sons, that he might become his priest. And some of the Danites said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image and a molten image? And when these went into the house of Micah, they took the graven image, the ephod and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest’s heart was good, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image. And Micah followed the sons of Dan, and said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? (Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 18, 20, 24).
Michal also, David’s wife, had them, as related in the first book of Samuel:
And Michal took the teraphim, and laid them in the bed, and covered them with a garment. And Saul’s messengers came, and behold, the teraphim were in the bed (1 Sam. 19:13, 16).
That nevertheless they were idols, which were forbidden, is manifest from what is said of them elsewhere (1 Sam. 15:23; 2 Kings 23:24; Ezek. 21:26).
4112. And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean. That this signifies a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to good, is evident from the signification of “stealing,” as being to take away what is dear and holy, and thus to change the state (as just above, n. 4111); from the signification of the “heart,” as being that which proceeds from the will; and when the will is a will of good, the “heart” denotes good (see n. 2930, 3313, 3888, 3889); and from the representation of Laban, as being mediate good, which is now being separated; and because it is being separated, Laban is now called “the Aramean,” as also in the following verse, n. 24; for “Laban the Aramean” denotes such good, in which there is not Divine good and truth as before. The reason why this is signified, is that Aram, or Syria, was separated from the land of Canaan by the river Euphrates, and was therefore outside the land of Canaan, by which in the internal sense is signified the Lord’s kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine Human (see n. 4108). “Aram” and “Syria” specifically signify the knowledges of truth and good (n. 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680), and this because the Ancient Church was there also, and the remains of it continued there a long time, as is evident from Balaam, who was from that country, and who had knowledge of Jehovah and also prophesied concerning the Lord. But after idolatry had grown there, and Abram had been called away, and the representative church had been instituted in the land of Canaan, Aram or Syria put on the representation of a region out of the church, or separate from the church, and therefore remote from the things of the Lord’s kingdom; although still retaining its signification of the knowledges of good and truth. The reason why Jacob is said to have “stolen the heart of Laban” by not telling him that he would flee, is that a change of state as to truth was spoken of just above, and here therefore a change of state as to good; for where truth is treated of in the Word, good is also treated of, because of the heavenly marriage of good and truth in every particular of the Word (n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712).
4113. In that he told him not that he was fleeing. That this signifies by the separation, is evident without explication. By “Jacob stole the heart of Laban, in that he told him not that he was fleeing,” is meant in the historical sense that Jacob deprived Laban of the hope of getting possession of all things that were his, and reduced him to a state of distress. For Laban had believed that because Jacob served him, all things that were Jacob’s became his; not only his daughters who were Jacob’s wives, and their sons, but also his flocks, according to the known and received law of that time, as found 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 wife, and she bear him sons and daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out with his body (Exod. 21:2, 4).
That he had so thought, is manifest from Jacob’s words in what follows in this chapter:
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty (Gen. 31:42);
and from Laban’s:
Laban answered and 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 is mine (Gen. 31:43);
not considering that Jacob was not a bought servant, nor indeed a servant at all, and that he was of a more noble family than he, and also that he had received as his reward both his wives and his flock; so that the law did not apply to Jacob. Now as Jacob by his fleeing had deprived Laban of this hope, and thus had reduced him to a state of distress, it is said that he “stole the heart of Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was fleeing.” But by these words in the internal sense is signified the change by the separation of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to good. Concerning change of state by separation, see what has been said just above (n. 4111).
4114. And he fled, he and all that he had. That this signifies separation, is evident from what has just been said, and without further explication.
4115. And he arose. That this signifies elevation, is evident from what has been said above concerning the signification of “arising” (n. 4103).
4116. And he passed over the river. That this signifies a state wherein is conjunction, is evident from the signification of the “river,” here the Euphrates, as being conjunction, namely, with the Divine. The “river” has this signification here, because it was the boundary of the land of Canaan on that side; and all the boundaries of the land of Canaan represented and thence signified what was last and what was first; what was last because there there was an ending, and what was first because there there was a beginning; for all boundaries are of such a nature as to be last to those who are going out, and first to those who are entering in. As Jacob was now entering in, that river was his first boundary, and consequently denotes conjunction, namely, in the supreme sense, with the Divine; for by the land of Canaan in the internal sense there is signified the Lord’s celestial kingdom (n. 1607, 3481); and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine Human (n. 3038, 3705). From this it is evident what is here signified by Jacob’s passing over the river. (That all things in the land of Canaan were representative in accordance with their distances, situations, and boundaries, may be seen above, n. 1585, 3686; and that so were the rivers which bounded it, as the river of Egypt, the Euphrates, and the Jordan, n. 1866.)
4117. And set his faces toward the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies good therein, is evident from the signification of a “mountain,” as being the celestial of love, that is, good (n. 795, 1430), with which there was conjunction. “Gilead” signifies its quality. As the river was the boundary, and as before said the first of conjunction was there, therefore the “mountain of Gilead,” which was on the hither side of the Jordan, signifies the good with which this first of conjunction took place.
[2] The land of Gilead, where the mountain stood, was within the limits of the land of Canaan as understood in a broad sense. It was on the hither side of the Jordan,* and passed as an inheritance to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and especially to the half tribe of Manasseh; and as the inheritances extended thus far, it is said that it was within the limits of the land of Canaan as understood in a broad sense. That it passed as an inheritance to them, is evident in Moses (Num. 32:1, 26-41; Deut. 3:8, 10-16; Josh. 13:24-31). Therefore when the land of Canaan was presented in one complex, it was said, “from Gilead even unto Dan,” and in another sense, “from Beersheba even unto Dan,” for Dan also was a boundary (n. 1710, 3923). As regards the expression “from Beersheba even unto Dan,” see above (n. 2858, 2859). “From Gilead even unto Dan” is found in Moses:
Moses went up from the plains of Noah upon Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho; and Jehovah showed him all the land of Gilead even unto Dan (Deut. 34:1-2);
and in the book of Judges:
Gilead dwelleth in the passage of the Jordan; and Dan, why shall he fear the ships? (Judg. 5:17).
[3] Because Gilead was a boundary, it signified in the spiritual sense the first good, which is that of the senses of the body; for it is the good or the pleasure of these into which the man who is being regenerated is first of all initiated. In this sense is “Gilead” taken in the Prophets, as in Jer. 8:20, 22; 22:6; 46:11; 50:19; Ezek. 47:18; Obad. 19; Micah 7:14; Zech. 10:10; Ps. 60:7; and in the opposite sense in Hos. 6:8; 12:12.
* That is, on the side next Syria, where Jacob at present was, and thus was really “beyond Jordan,” in the ordinary sense of the expression. [REVISER.]
4118. Verses 22-25. And it was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a way of seven days, and joined him in the mountain of Gilead. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil. And Laban came up with Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead. “And it was told Laban on the third day,” signifies the end; “that Jacob was fled,” signifies separation; “and he took his brethren with him,” signifies goods in place of those which it had lost; “and pursued after him,” signifies continued ardor of conjunction; “a way of seven days,” signifies the holy of truth; “and joined him in the mountain of Gilead,” signifies somewhat of conjunction thereby; “and God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night,” signifies the obscure perception of that good when left to itself; “and said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil,” signifies that there was no longer any communication; “and Laban came up with Jacob,” signifies something of conjunction; “and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain,” signifies the state of the love in which was the good now meant by “Jacob”; “and Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead,” signifies the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction.
4119. And it was told Laban on the third day. That this signifies the end of the conjunction, is evident from the signification of the “third day,” as being that which is last, and also that which is complete, and thus the end (see n. 1825, 2788), and also the beginning (n. 2788); for the end of a state of conjunction is the beginning of the following state, which is one of separation, and is here signified by the “third day.”
4120. That Jacob was fled. That this signifies separation, is evident from the signification of “fleeing,” as being to be separated (see n. 4113, 4114).
4121. And he took his brethren with him. That this signifies goods in place of those which it had lost, is evident from the signification of “brethren,” as being goods (see n. 2360, 3160, 3303, 3459, 3803, 3815). By “brethren” in the internal sense are signified those who are in similar good and truth, that is, in a similar affection of good and truth. For in the other life all are consociated in accordance with the affections, and those who are consociated constitute a brotherhood. Not that they call themselves brethren, but that they are brethren by conjunction. In the other life it is good and truth that produce that which on earth is called relationship by blood and by marriage; and therefore there is a correspondence between the two things; for regarded in themselves goods and truths acknowledge no other father than the Lord, for they are from Him alone. Hence all who are in goods and truths are in brotherhood; but still there are degrees of relationship according to the quality of the goods and truths. These degrees are signified in the Word by “brothers,” “sisters,” “sons-in-law,” “daughters-in-law,” “grandsons,” “granddaughters,” and by other family names.
[2] On earth they are so named with reference to a common parentage, however they may differ in regard to affections; but this brotherhood or relationship is dissipated in the other life, and unless they have been in similar good on earth, they there come into other brotherhoods. At first indeed they for the most part come together, but in a short time are separated; for in that world it is not wealth that keeps men together, but as just said, affections, the quality of which is then manifest as in clear day, and also the kind of affection which one has had toward another.
And as these are manifest, and as everyone’s affection draws him to his society, those who have been of a discordant disposition are dissociated; and all the brotherhood and friendship which had been of the external man are obliterated on both sides, and that which is of the internal man remains. That by “he took his brethren with him” are signified goods in place of those which it had lost, is because as before said when one society is separated from another, it comes to a different society, and therefore to other goods in place of the former (n. 4077, 4110, 4111).
4122. And pursued after him. That this signifies a continued ardor of conjunction, is evident from the signification here of “pursuing,” as being a continued ardor of conjunction. In the internal sense the subject here treated of is the separation of mediate good from genuine good, after the mediate good had served its use. In this sense the process of separation is fully described, but it is of such a nature that it cannot even be observed by man to have any existence; and yet to the angels it is very manifest, together with innumerable varieties; for in the man who is being regenerated, and with whom they are present as ministers, they see and perceive in this manner all the changes of his state; and according to them and by means of them from the Lord they lead him to good, insofar as the man suffers himself to be led; and because the process is of such great use in heaven, it is treated of so much at length here. Hence also it may appear what is the quality of the internal sense, namely, that it is the angelic Word.
4123. A way of seven days. That this signifies the holy of truth, is evident from the signification of a “way,” as being truth (n. 627, 2333); and from the signification of “seven,” as being what is holy (n. 395, 433, 716, 881). Here the signification is that there was the ardor of conjunction, that is, of conjoining itself with the holy of truth.
4124. And joined him in the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies somewhat of conjunction thereby, is evident from the signification of “joining,” as being conjunction; and from the signification of the “mountain of Gilead,” as being the good which is the first of conjunction (see n. 4117). Thus by “he joined him in the mountain of Gilead” is signified somewhat of conjunction.
4125. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night. That this signifies the obscure perception of that good when left to itself, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being mediate good, as shown above, who is called “the Aramean” when separated from the good represented by Jacob (n. 4112); and from the signification of a “dream by night,” as being what is obscure (n. 2514, 2528). The perception in this obscurity is signified by “God coming in a dream by night.”
4126. And said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil. That this signifies that there was no longer any communication, is evident from the signification of “speaking from good even to evil,” as being to speak good and think evil, and from this at last to speak evil and do evil; for he who thinks evil, at last speaks it and does it. He who is such is no longer conjoined with another, because it is thought and will which conjoin, but not words. In the world indeed words conjoin, but only when the hearer believes that the speaker also thinks good and wills good. But in the other life all thought is manifest, for it is communicated by a certain sphere (which is a spiritual sphere) that proceeds from the person and makes manifest of what kind of disposition (that is, of what kind of will and thought) he is; and conjunction is therefore effected in accordance with this sphere. From this it is manifest that by the words, “lest thou speak from good even to evil,” is signified in the internal sense that there was no longer any communication.
4127. And Laban came up with Jacob. That this signifies something of conjunction, may be seen from what is said above (n. 4124).
4128. And Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain. That this signifies the state of the love in which was the good now meant by ” Jacob,” is evident from the signification of a “tent,” as being the holy of love (see n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312); and of “pitching a tent,” as being the state of that love; and from the signification of “mountain,” as being good (as above, n. 4117); here, the good now meant by “Jacob” (concerning which see above, n. 4073).
4129. And Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the good now separated from the good represented by Jacob; from the signification of “pitching,” as being the state of this good (it is not said that he “pitched a tent,” because the state referred to was not a state of the holy of love, except by somewhat of that conjunction); from the signification of “brethren,” as being the goods with which the good signified by “Laban” had been consociated (see n. 4121); and from the signification of the “mountain of Gilead,” as being where there is the first and the last of conjunction (see n. 4117). From this it is manifest that by “Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead,” is signified the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction. What further is involved in the words that have now been explained, cannot be so well set forth to the apprehension, except from the things that happen in the other life, when societies of spirits and angels are adjoined to a man by the Lord, and are separated from him; such being the process of their adjunction and separation, in accordance with the order there existing. The steps of this process have been fully described in this chapter, but as they are wholly unknown to man, to set them forth in detail would be to speak mere arcana, some of which have been already stated, where the subject treated of was the conjunction and the separation of societies with a man in the process of regeneration. Suffice it to know that the arcana of this process are here contained in the internal sense, and that they are so great and of such a nature, that they cannot be fully set forth to the apprehension even as to one thousandth part of them.
Emanuel Swedenborg · Clowes / Potts English edition · Source edition · German edition.