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Arcana Coelestia, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1749-56], tr. by John F. Potts [1905-10], at sacred-texts.com

Arcana Coelestia

The thought appeared in this way among the spirits when I was a little withdrawn from the things of sense. But when the thought was in the things of sense, no such undulating sphere appeared; but it was all material, and not unlike external sight. In this case the man is said to think in the sensuous. But when he thinks interiorly, he is said to be withdrawn from the things of sense. That man can be withdrawn from things of sense was known to the ancients, and therefore also some of them have written about this state. They who think in things of sense are called sensuous, and the like spirits are adjoined to them. Such spirits scarcely apprehend more things with a man than those which come down to his sensation; for they are more gross than all other spirits. It has been observed that when a man is in what is sensuous, and is not elevated therefrom, he thinks of nothing else than what is of the body and of the world, and is not then desirous to know anything about what belongs to eternal life, and is even averse to hearing of that life. [2] That I might know that this is the case, I have sometimes been let down into what is sensuous, and then such things instantly presented themselves, and then also the spirits who were in that grosser sphere poured in base and scandalous things; but as soon as I was withdrawn from what is sensuous, such things were dissipated. In sensuous life are many who indulge in the pleasures of the body, and also those who have altogether rejected thought beyond what they see and hear, and especially those who have rejected thought about eternal life. Wherefore such persons make light of all such things; and when they hear of them, they loathe them. Spirits of this kind abound in the other life at the present day, for troops of them come from the world; and the influx from them prompts man to indulge his natural inclination, and to live for himself and the world, but not for others except insofar as they favor him and his pleasures. In order for a man to be uplifted from these spirits, he must think about eternal life.

Another influx has also been observed, which is not effected through the spirits who are with the man, but through others who are sent forth from some infernal society into the sphere of the man's life. These speak together about such things as are adverse to the man, from which there usually flows in what is troublesome, undelightful, sad, or anxious, with much variety. Such spirits have often been with me, and they who infused anxieties were felt in the province of the stomach, without my knowing whence these anxieties came. But they were always detected, and I then heard what they said among themselves, which were such things as were adverse to my affections. The avaricious have sometimes appeared in the same region, but a little higher, and infused anxiety from care for the future; and it was given me to chide them and tell them that they have relation to such things in the stomach as are undigested, have a bad smell, and thus are nauseous. I have also seen that they were driven away, and that then the anxiety entirely ceased, and this repeatedly, that I might know of a certainty that it came from them. Such is the influx with those who for no reason are oppressed with melancholy anxiety, and likewise with those who are in spiritual temptation. But in this latter case such spirits not only inflow in general, but also infernal spirits in particular call up the evils which the man has done, and pervert and put a wrong interpretation upon the goods. With these the angels then engage in combat. Into such a state comes a man who is being regenerated, whereby he is let down into his own; and this takes place when he immerses himself too much in worldly and bodily things, and when he is to be elevated to spiritual things.

In regard to the origin of the influx of evil from hell, the case is this. When a man first from consent, then from purpose, and at last from the delight of affection, casts himself into evil, then a hell is opened which is in such evil (for the hells are distinct from one another according to evils and all their varieties), and there afterward takes place an influx from that hell. When a man comes into evil in this way, it clings to him, for the hell in the sphere of which he then is, is in its very delight when in its evil; and therefore it does not desist, but obstinately presses in, and causes the man to think about that evil, at first occasionally, and afterward as often as anything presents itself which is related to it, and at last it becomes with him that which reigns universally. And when this takes place, he then seeks for such things as confirm that it is not an evil, and this until he wholly persuades himself; and then, insofar as he can, he studies to remove external bonds, and makes evils allowable and clever, and at last even becoming and honorable-such as adulteries, thefts effected by art and deceit, various kinds of arrogance and boasting, contempt for others, vituperations, persecutions under an appearance of justice, and the like. The case with these evils is like that with downright thefts, which when committed of set purpose two or three times, cannot be desisted from; for they continually cling to the man's thought.

Be it known further that the evil which enters into the thought does no harm to the man, because evil is continually infused by spirits from hell, and is continually repelled by angels. But when evil enters into the will, then it does harm, for then it also goes forth into act whenever external bonds do not restrain. Evil enters into the will by being kept in the thought, by consent, especially by act and the consequent delight.

I have often noticed that evil spirits put on especially man's persuasions and cupidities, and that when they put them on they rule the man despotically; for he who introduces himself into a man's cupidities, and into his persuasions, subjects the man to himself, and makes him his servant; whereas influx through angels takes place in accordance with the man's affections, which they gently lead and bend to good, and do not break, the very influx being tacit and scarcely perceptible, for it flows into the interiors, and continually acts by means of freedom.

Be it further known that all evil flows in from hell, and all good through heaven from the Lord. But the reason why evil is appropriated to a man is that he believes and persuades himself that he thinks and does it from himself, and in this way makes it his own. If he believed as is really the case, then evil would not be appropriated to him, but good from the Lord would be appropriated to him; for the moment that evil flowed in, he would reflect that it was from the evil spirits with him, and as soon as he thought this, the angels would avert and reject it. For the influx of the angels is into what a man knows and believes, but not into what a man does not know and does not believe; for their influx is not fixed anywhere except where there is something appertaining to the man. [2] When a man appropriates evil to himself in this way, he gets for himself a sphere of that evil, which sphere is that to which those spirits from hell adjoin themselves who are in the sphere of a like evil; for like is conjoined with like. The spiritual sphere with a man or a spirit is an exhalation flowing forth from the life of his loves, from which his quality is known at a distance. All in the other life are conjoined together in accordance with the spheres, and so also are the societies one with another; and according to their spheres they are also dissociated, for opposite spheres come into collision, and mutually repel each other. Therefore the spheres of the loves of evil are all in hell, and the spheres of the loves of good are all in heaven; that is, they who are in these spheres.

The influx of the angels is especially into the conscience of man: there is the plane into which they operate. This plane is in the interiors of man. Conscience is twofold, interior and exterior. Interior conscience is of spiritual good and truth; exterior conscience is of justice and equity. At the present day this latter conscience exists with many; but interior conscience with few. Nevertheless they who enjoy exterior conscience are saved in the other life; for they are of such a character that if they act contrary to what is good and true, or contrary to what is just and equitable, they are inwardly distressed and tormented; not because by so doing they suffer loss of honor, of gain, or of reputation; but because they have acted contrary to good and truth, or to justice and equity. But where these consciences do not exist, there is something else of a very low nature which sometimes counterfeits conscience, and which leads men to do what is true and good, and what is just and equitable, not from the love of these, but for the sake of self and their own honor and advantage. These persons also are distressed and tormented when adverse things befall them. But this conscience is no conscience, because it belongs to the love of self and of the world, and there is nothing in it which regards the love of God and of the neighbor; and therefore in the other life it does not show itself. Men of this description can also perform duties of considerable eminence, like those who enjoy genuine conscience; for in the external form they act in a similar way; but for the sake of their own honor and reputation; and therefore the more they fear the loss of these, the better do they perform public duties in favor of their neighbor and of their country; whereas those who do not fear the loss of these things are members of the commonwealth who are worthy only of rejection. They who are in this false conscience do not even know what conscience is, and when they are told by others what it is, they deride it and believe it to be the result of simplicity or of mental disorder. These things have been said in order that it may be known how the case is with influx, namely, that conscience is the plane into which the angels flow, and indeed into the affections of good and truth, and of justice and equity therein; and that in this way they hold the man bound, yet still in freedom.

There are many who enjoy an hereditary natural good, by virtue of which they feel delight in doing well to others, but who have not been imbued with principles of doing what is good, either from the Word, the doctrine of the church, or from their religiosity. Thus they could not be endowed with any conscience, for conscience does not come from natural or hereditary good, but from the doctrine of truth and good and a life in accordance therewith. When such persons come into the other life, they marvel that they are not received into heaven, saying that they have led a good life. But they are told that a good life from what is natural or hereditary is not a good life, but that a good life is from those things which belong to the doctrine of good and truth and the consequent life; for by means of these, men have principles impressed on them that concern what is true and good, and they receive conscience, which is the plane into which heaven flows. In order that such persons may know that this is the case, they are sent into various societies, and they then suffer themselves to be led astray into evils of every kind, by mere reasonings and the derivative persuasions that evils are goods and goods evils, and in this way they are persuaded in every direction, and are carried away like chaff before the wind; for they are devoid of principles, and also of a plane into which the angels may operate and withdraw them from evils.

The influx of the angels with a man is not noticed as is the influx of spirits, for that which inflows from the angels is not material, but is spiritual, and all appears like a stream of air (fluviatile aereum); from the interior angels, like a luminous one; and from the still more interior angels, like a flaming one. Of the Lord's Divine mercy more shall be said about this at the end of the following chapters.

It has sometimes happened that I was earnestly thinking about worldly things, and about such things as give great concern to most persons, namely, about possessions, the acquirement of riches, about pleasures, and the like. At these times I noticed that I was sinking down into what is sensuous and that in proportion as my thought was immersed in such things, I was removed from the company of the angels. By this it was also made plain to me that they who are deeply immersed in such cares cannot have interaction with those who are in the other life. For when such thoughts possess the whole of the mind, they carry the lower mind downward, and are like weights which drag it down; and when they are regarded as the end, they remove the man from heaven, to which he cannot be elevated except by means of the good of love and of faith. This was made still more manifest to me from the fact that once when I was led through the abodes of heaven, and was at the time in a spiritual idea, it happened that I suddenly began to sink into thought about worldly things, and then all that spiritual idea was dissipated and became as naught.

I have sometimes wondered why speech and action are not directed by means of particular spirits, as are thought and will; but I was instructed that speech follows from thought, and action from will, and that this flows from order, thus by means of general influx. Nevertheless spirits are allotted to each member of speech, and to each member of action; but these spirits are not aware of it. General influx is a continuous endeavor from the Lord through the universal heaven into everything pertaining to the life of man.

It is known from the Word that there was an influx from the world of spirits and from heaven into the prophets, partly by dreams, partly by visions, and partly by speech; and also with some into the very speech and into the very gestures, thus into the things that belong to the body; and that at the time they did not speak from themselves, nor act from themselves, but from the spirits who were then in possession of their bodies. At such times some of them behaved like insane persons, as did Saul when he lay naked; others when they wounded themselves; others when they put horns on themselves, and others in similar ways. [2] And as I longed to know in what manner these men were actuated by spirits, I was shown by means of a living experience. To this end I was for a whole night possessed by spirits, who so took possession of my bodily things that I had only a very obscure sensation that it was my own body. When these spirits came, they appeared like little clouds heaped together into various forms, for the most part pointed; the little clouds were black. In the morning I saw a chariot with a pair of horses, in which a man was being conveyed. Afterward I saw a horse on which someone was sitting, who was thrown off from the horse backward, and there lay while the horse was kicking. Afterward another was seen seated on a horse. They were noble horses. [3] After these things were seen, the angels told me what they signified, namely, that the chariot in which the man was, signified the spiritual sense that was in the prophetical things that were uttered, and which these represented; that the horse which threw his rider and kicked, signified the Jewish and Israelitish people with whom were these things, that people being solely in externals, and therefore the intellectual rejected them, and as it were by kicking put them away; and that the other sitting on the horse signified the intellectual with those who are in the internal sense of the prophetic Word. [4] From this state, in which I was during the night until morning, I was instructed how the prophets, through whom spirits spake and acted, were possessed; namely, that the spirits had possession of their bodies, insomuch that scarcely anything was left except that they knew that they existed. There were certain spirits appointed to this use, who did not desire to obsess men, but merely to enter into the man's bodily affections; and when they entered into these, they entered into all things of the body. The spirits who were usually with me said that I was absent from them while I remained in this state. [5] The spirits who possessed my body, as formerly the bodies of the prophets, afterward talked with me, and said that at the time they knew no otherwise than that they had life as when in the body, besides saying much more. I was told further that there were also other influxes with the prophets, to enable them to be at their own disposal, and to use their own thought, only that spirits spake with them, for the most part at that time within them; but that this influx was not into the thought and the will, but was merely a discourse that came to their hearing.

That hell through its spirits continually injects evil and falsity, and that these spirits pervert and extinguish truths and goods, and that the Lord through the angels continually averts, removes, mitigates, and moderates these efforts, has been made so familiar to me by the almost continual experience of many years, that I cannot even think of any doubt. But in order that the angels may be able to avert the influxes from hell, there must be in the man truths of faith joined to good of life into which they may flow. These must be the plane into which they may operate. But if a man have no such things, he is carried away by hell, and then the Lord through angels rules him as to externals, which are called external bonds, which belong to the man's own prudence, in order that he may appear in external form as a lover of his neighbor and his country; but only for the sake of his own honor, of his own advantage, of reputation for the sake of these, of the fear of the penalties of the law, and also of death. These are the external bonds by which a man is ruled, when there are no internal bonds which are of conscience. But these external bonds are of no avail in the other life, for they are taken away from the man, and when they are taken away he appears such as he had been inwardly.

How difficult it is for man to believe that spirits know his thoughts, was made evident to me by the following circumstance. Before I spoke with spirits it happened that a certain spirit said a few words to me about that of which I was thinking. It amazed me that a spirit should know this; because I supposed that such things were hidden, and known only to God. Afterward, when I began to speak with spirits, I was indignant that I could not think anything that they did not know, and because this would be troublesome to me. But after I had been accustomed to it for a few days it became familiar to me. At last I found that spirits not only perceive all things of man's thought and will, but also many more things than the man himself perceives; and that the angels perceive still more, namely the intentions and ends, from the first through the middle to the last; and that the Lord knows not only the quality of the whole man, but also what his quality will be to eternity. From this it is evident that nothing whatever is hidden; but that what a man inwardly thinks and plots is in the other life made manifest as in clear day.

A continuation about influx and the interaction of the soul and the body will be found at the end of the following chapter. Genesis 48 1. And it came to pass after these words, that one said unto Joseph, Behold thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4. And He said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and will cause thee to be multiplied, and will make of thee a company of peoples; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an eternal possession. 5. And now thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, they are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6. And thy generation, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine; upon the name of their brethren they shall be called in their inheritance. 7. And I, in my coming from Paddan, Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan, in the way, when there was still a tract of land to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem. 8. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph, and said, Whose are these? 9. And Joseph said unto his father, These are my sons, whom God hath given me here. And he said, Take them I pray unto me, and I will bless them. 10. And the eyes of Israel were heavy with old age; he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy faces; and lo God hath made me see thy seed also. 12. And Joseph brought them away from his thighs; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand on Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand on Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14. And Israel put forth his right hand, and put it upon Ephraim's head, and he was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, he put forth his hands crosswise; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15. And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers walked, Abraham and Isaac, the God who feedeth me since I am unto this day, 16. The Angel who redeemeth me from all evil, bless the boys; and let my name be called in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow unto a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he laid hold of the hand of his father to remove it from upon Ephraim's head upon Manasseh's head. 18. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19. And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great; and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. 20. And he blessed them in this day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. 22. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

The Contents In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense is the intellectual of the church, which is from truth, and its will, which is from good. The intellectual of the church is "Ephraim," and the will of the church is "Manasseh."

That in the church the truth of faith which is of the intellectual is apparently in the first place, and the good of charity which is of the will is apparently in the second, is signified by Israel's putting his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and his left upon the head of Manasseh.

The Internal Sense Verses 1, 2. And it came to pass after these words, that one said unto Joseph, Behold thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. "And it came to pass after these words," signifies what follows from what has gone before; "that one said unto Joseph," signifies an eminent perception; "Behold thy father is sick," signifies what is successive of regeneration; "and he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim," signifies the will of the church and the intellectual of the church born from the internal; "and one told Jacob," signifies a perception from the truth of the natural; "and said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee," signifies concerning the presence of the internal; "and Israel strengthened himself," signifies new forces through spiritual good; "and sat upon the bed," signifies that this was turned to the natural.

And it came to pass after these words. That this signifies what follows from what has gone before, is evident from the signification of "words," as being things (as already shown); thus "after these words" denotes what follows from what has gone before.

That one said unto Joseph. That this signifies an eminent perception, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3509, 5687); that it is an eminent perception is because the subject treated of in what follows is the intellectual and the will of the church, thus its truth and good, and this from influx through the internal celestial, which is "Joseph."

Behold thy father is sick. That this signifies what is successive of regeneration, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being resurrection into life, and regeneration (see n. 3326, 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036); hence "to be sick," which precedes, denotes what is progressive toward regeneration, thus what is successive of regeneration. That "dying" denotes regeneration, and "being sick" what is successive of regeneration, cannot but appear too remote to be believed; but he who knows anything about angelic thought and speech will acknowledge that it is so. The angels know nothing of death, nor of sickness, and therefore have no idea of them, but in their place, when man reads of them, they have the idea of the continuation of life and of resurrection; and this because when man dies, he puts off only that which had served him for use in the world, and enters into the life in which he had been with his spirit. This is the idea that presents itself to the angels when "dying" and "being sick" are read of, and likewise the idea of regeneration, because this is resurrection into life; for before this the man had been spiritually dead; but when he has been regenerated he becomes alive and a son of the resurrection. If when he lives in the body, the man himself longs for heaven, he thinks no otherwise of death and the sickness which precedes it than as being resurrection into life; for when he thinks about heaven, he withdraws himself from the idea of the body, especially when he is sick and comes near to death. From this it is plain that the spiritual idea of the death of the body is that of newness of life; therefore when the subject of resurrection or regeneration is considered in heaven, and this idea flows down and is determined into such things as are of the world, it falls only into such as these. Thus is it with the Word, which as to each and all things has descended from the Lord and passed through heaven down into the world; in the descent it has clothed itself with forms adapted to apprehension in the three heavens, and at last with a form adapted to the apprehension of man, which is the literal sense.

And he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim. That this signifies the will and the intellectual of the church born from the internal, is evident from the representation of Manasseh, as being the new will in the natural, and its quality (concerning which see n. 5354e); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the new intellectual in the natural, and its quality (n. 5354); that they were born from the internal is signified by their being the sons of Joseph, by whom is represented the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877). [2] It is necessary to explain what is meant by the intellectual and the will of the church. The intellectual of the church is to perceive from the Word what the truth of faith is, and what the good of charity. It is known that the literal sense of the Word is of such a nature that whatever tenet a man embraces, he confirms from that sense; and this because the things of the literal sense of the Word are general vessels which receive truths, and because the quality of these vessels does not appear as through a transparency until they have received truths; thus because they are only generals, which must first be learned by man, in order that he may receive the particulars and singulars in a fit and proper manner. That the literal sense of the Word is of such a nature that whatever tenet a man embraces he confirms from that sense, is very manifest from so many heresies which have existed in the church, and still do so, each of which is confirmed by its partisans from the literal sense of the Word, and so confirmed that they thoroughly believe it to be true; and thereafter if they were to hear from heaven the very truth, they would not receive a bit of it. [3] The reason is that they have not the intellectual of the church; for the intellectual of the church consists in a man's perceiving, when he reads the Word and carefully compares one passage with another, what is to be believed, and what is to be done. This intellectual is to be found in such men only as are enlightened by the Lord, and who in the Christian world are also called the enlightened; and this enlightenment is to be found in such men only as desire to know truths, not for the sake of reputation and glory, but for the sake of life and use. This very enlightenment is received by the intellectual in a man, for it is the intellectual which is enlightened. This is very evident from the fact that they who have little of the intellectual cannot possibly see such things from the Word; but have faith in those whom they believe to be enlightened. Be it known further that they who have been regenerated, receive from the Lord an intellectual capable of being enlightened. It is the light of heaven from the Lord which flows into the intellectual and enlightens it; for the intellectual has its light, its sight, and consequently its perception, from no other source. [4] But this intellectual, which is called the intellectual of the church, is more interior than the intellectual which comes from mere memory-knowledges, for it is a perception that the thing is so, not from the dictate of memory-knowledges and philosophy, but from the dictate of the Word in its spiritual sense. For example, they who are in the intellectual of the church are able clearly to perceive that the Word everywhere teaches that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor are essentials of the church; and that the life of man remains after death; and that his life is from his loves; also that faith separate from charity is not faith; and that faith avails nothing for eternal life except insofar as it is joined to the good of love to the Lord and to the good of charity toward the neighbor; consequently that these and faith must be conjoined together for there to be spiritual life. That these are truths can be clearly perceived by those who have the intellectual enlightened, but not at all by those who have not this. [5] It is believed that those have an intellectual in the things of the church who are skillful in confirming the tenets or doctrinals of their own church by many things, and this even to persuasion that it is so, and who also are skillful in dexterously confuting many heresies. But this is not the intellectual of the church; for to confirm a tenet is not of the intellectual, but of ingenuity in the sensuous, and it is sometimes found in the worst of men, and can also be done by those who believe nothing whatever, and also by those who are in very falsities. Nothing is more easy than for all such persons to confirm whatever they please, even to the point of persuading the simple. But the intellectual of the church is to perceive and see, before any tenet is confirmed, whether it is true or not, and then to confirm it. [6] This is the intellectual which is represented by Ephraim; but the good of the church, which is represented by Manasseh, is the good of charity which is insinuated by the Lord into the man of the church by means of the truths of faith; for these, together with the good of charity, are what flow into the intellectual and enlighten it, and also make the intellectual and the will constitute one mind. That both the intellectual and the will are born from the internal, may be seen from what has frequently been said and shown above; for all the affection of good and truth, by which comes enlightenment, flows from no other source, and thus is born from no other source, than the internal; that is, through the internal from the Lord.

And one told Jacob. That this signifies a perception from the truth of the natural, is evident from the signification of "telling," as being perception (see n. 3608, 5601); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the truth of the natural (see n. 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3599, 3775, 4009, 4234, 4520, 4538, 6001).

And said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee. That this signifies the presence of the internal, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (see n. 6177); and from the signification of "coming to" anyone, as being presence (see n. 5934, 5941, 5947, 6063, 6089). That "Joseph" is here the internal, and in other places the internal celestial, is in application to those things which are beneath in the natural; when it is applied to the lower things of the natural which are represented by Jacob, it is then called the "internal," and in like manner when it is applied to Pharaoh; but when it is applied to the interior things of the natural, which are represented by Israel, and also by his ten sons, it is then called the "internal celestial," and "internal good," and this on account of the influx.

And Israel strengthened himself. That this signifies new forces through spiritual good, is evident from the signification of "strengthening himself," as being to receive new forces; and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good from the natural (see n. 4286, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833). That it is through spiritual good, is because in what immediately precedes, Jacob is called "Jacob," and here "Israel," for it is said, "One told Jacob, and said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself;" for "Israel" is spiritual good from the natural; but "Jacob" is the truth of the natural; and the truth of the natural, which is of faith there, is confirmed (or strengthened) by means of spiritual good, which is the good of charity. "Israel" is also the internal of the church, and "Jacob" its external (see n. 4286, 4292, 4570). The external of the church is strengthened and receives forces from no other source than its internal. In the internal of the church are they who are in the good of charity, which is the good of faith, and also the good of truth, and likewise spiritual good, which are "Israel;" but in the external of the church are they who are in the truth of faith, and not as yet manifestly in good, but in whose truth there is nevertheless good; this truth is "Jacob."

And sat upon the bed. That this signifies that this was turned to the natural, is evident from the signification of "bed," as being the natural (see n. 6188). "Israel's sitting upon the bed" denotes that spiritual good was turned to the natural, because by "Israel's bowing himself on the head of the bed" (Gen. 47:31) was signified that spiritual good turned itself to those things which are of the interior natural (n. 6188); and therefore by his removing himself thence and sitting upon the bed is signified that spiritual good turned itself to the natural. What is meant by turning to the interior natural, and to the exterior, cannot be stated to the apprehension, because very few know that the natural is interior and exterior, and that the thought is now in the one and now in the other; and they who do not know this, do not reflect upon it, and consequently cannot have acquired knowledge of it by any experience. And yet this is common with everyone, but with a difference; for the thought is now elevated to what is higher, and now is again let down to what is lower; thus the thought of man now looks upward, and now looks downward. [2] Besides, everyone can see that Israel's bowing himself on the head of the bed, and afterward sitting upon the bed, are matters too slight to be mentioned in the most holy Word, unless they enfolded some secret which can be disclosed only by means of the internal sense, consequently only by a knowledge of what each word signifies in the spiritual sense, that is, in the sense in which are the angels. For the angels do not, like man, think from the objects of the world, of the body, and of the earth, but from those of heaven; and what the difference is between these two classes of objects is especially evident from the correspondences treated of at the end of several chapters.

Verses 3-7. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me. And He said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and will cause thee to be multiplied, and will make of thee a company of peoples; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an eternal possession. And now thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, they are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy generation which thou begettest after them shall be thine; upon the name of their brethren they shall be called in their inheritance. And I, in my coming from Paddan, Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan, in the way, when there was still a tract of land to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem. "And Jacob said unto Joseph," signifies the communication of the truth of the natural with the internal; "God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan," signifies the Divine appearing in the natural in a former state; "and blessed me," signifies prediction about vivification; "and He said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and will cause thee to be multiplied" signifies vivification through the good of charity and the truth of faith; "and will make of thee a company of peoples," signifies increase indefinitely; "and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an eternal possession," signifies the Lord's kingdom for those who are in that good and truth; "and now thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt," signifies good and truth in the natural from the internal; "before I came unto thee into Egypt," signifies before the truth of the natural was in the memory-knowledges there; "they are mine," signifies that they are in me; "Ephraim and Manasseh," signifies the intellectual and the will of the church; "as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine," signifies that they shall be truth and the good of truth; "and thy generation which thou begettest after them," signifies interior truths and goods, which are afterward; "shall be thine," signifies that they shall be in the rational which is from the internal; "upon the name of their brethren they shall be called in their inheritance," signifies that they would be of the quality of the truths and goods of the church, and together among them; "and I, in my coming from Paddan," signifies from a state of knowledges; "Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan," signifies the end of the former affection of interior truth; "in the way, when there was still a tract of land," signifies what is intermediate; "to come unto Ephrath," signifies the spiritual of the celestial in the former state; "and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath," signifies the rejection of that state; "the same is Bethlehem," signifies in its place a state of new affection of truth and good.

And Jacob said unto Joseph. That this signifies the communication of the truth of the natural with the internal, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being perception (of which above, n. 6220), and also communication (see n. 3060, 4131), for that which is perceived by another is communicated; from the representation of Jacob, as being the truth of the natural (of which just above, n. 6223); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (of which also above, n. 6224).

God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan. That this signifies the Divine appearing in the natural in a former state, is evident from the signification of "God Shaddai," as being the Divine, for the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, was called "Shaddai" (see n. 3667, 5628), and that He was Jehovah, or the Lord, thus the Divine, may be seen from what is said in Genesis 28:13, 20; from the signification of "appeared unto me," as being that He appeared; from the signification of "Luz," as being the natural in a former state (n. 4556); and from the signification of the "land of Canaan," as being the church (of which above). Hence it is plain that by "God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan" is signified the Divine appearing in the natural, where is the truth of the spiritual church.

And blessed me. That this signifies a prediction about vivification, is evident from the signification of "blessing," as here being a prediction about vivification; for the blessing was that He would make him fruitful, and multiply him, and make him a company of peoples, and give the land to his seed after him for an eternal possession; all which are predictions about vivification. Not that the posterity of Jacob were vivified; but they who are in the truth of faith and the good of charity; for these are "Jacob" and "Israel" in the internal sense.

And He said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and will cause thee to be multiplied. That this signifies vivification through the good of charity and the truth of faith, is evident from the signification of "being made fruitful," as being said of the good of charity, and of "being multiplied," as being said of the truths of faith (see n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847). As these are what make man live, vivification is predicated of them.

And will make of thee a company of peoples. That this signifies increase indefinitely, is evident from the signification of a "company of peoples," as being truths from good without limit; for "peoples" signify truths (see n. 1259, 1260, 3295), and "company," abundance. Hence "to make a company of peoples" is to cause truths to increase in abundance; that it is indefinitely is because all things in the spiritual world which proceed from the Infinite, as do truths and goods, are capable of being multiplied and increasing indefinitely. That is called indefinite which cannot be defined and limited by number; nevertheless what is indefinite is finite relatively to what is infinite, and so finite that there is no ratio between the two. [2] That truths and goods can increase indefinitely comes from the fact that they proceed from the Lord, who is infinite. That truths and goods are of this nature, may be seen from the fact that the universal heaven is in truth and good, and yet no one is in exactly the same truth and good as another. This would still be the case if heaven were a thousand and a thousand times greater. The same may be seen from the fact that the angels are being perfected to eternity, that is, they continually grow in good and truth, and yet cannot arrive at the grade of any perfection, because there always remains an indefinite scope; for truths are indefinite in number, and each truth has an indefinite scope within it; and so on. [3] This is still more evident from things in nature: though men should increase in number indefinitely, still no one would have the same face as another, nor the same internal face, that is, the same mind, and not even the same tone of voice; hence it is plain that there is an indefinite variety of all things, and that there is never one thing the same as another. This variety is still more indefinite in the truths and goods that belong to the spiritual world; because one thing in the natural world corresponds to thousands and thousands in the spiritual world; and therefore the more interior things are, the more indefinite they are. [4] That there are such indefinite things pertaining to all things in the spiritual world, and also in the natural world, is because they come forth from the Infinite, as was said above; for unless they so came forth they would never be indefinite; and therefore from the indefinite things in both worlds it is very evident that the Divine is infinite.

And I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an eternal possession. That this signifies the Lord's kingdom for those who are in this good and truth, is evident from the signification of the "land," here the land of Canaan, as being the Lord's kingdom (n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447); from the signification of "seed," as being the truth of faith and the good of charity (n. 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3038, 3310; that the "seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" are those who are in goods and truths, and are called the "sons of the kingdom," see above n. 3373); and from the signification of an "eternal possession," as being to have the Lord's life. These are the "sons of the kingdom."

And now thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt. That this signifies good and truth in the natural from the internal, is evident from the representation of Manasseh and Ephraim, who here are the "two sons," as being the will and the intellectual of the church in the natural, born from the internal (of which above, n. 6222), and because good is of the will, and truth is of the intellectual, by the same are signified the good and truth of the church; from the signification of "who were born to thee," namely, to Joseph, as being from the internal; and from the signification of the "land of Egypt," as being the natural mind, in which are the memory-knowledges of the church (of which above, n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301), and as being the natural (n. 6147).

Before I came unto thee into Egypt. That this signifies before the truth of the natural was in the memory-knowledges there, is evident from the signification of "before I came unto thee," as being before it was; from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the truth of the natural (see n. 6223); and from the signification of "Egypt," as being memory-knowledges in the natural (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 6004). That by Jacob and his sons coming into Egypt was represented that truths were to be insinuated into the memory-knowledges of the church, was shown in the two preceding chapters (n. 6004).

They are mine. That this signifies that they are in me, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the truth of the natural (of which below); and from the representation of Manasseh and Ephraim, as being the will and the intellectual of the church in the natural (see n. 5354, 6222). That these words, "they are mine," denote that they are in me, is because Jacob is the truth of the natural, thus also the natural as to truth, and in the natural are the intellectual and the will which are represented by Ephraim and Manasseh; and therefore as they are in this natural, by their "being mine" is signified that they are in me. That "Jacob" is the natural, in the supreme sense the Lord's Divine natural, may be seen above (n. 3305, 3509, 3525, 3576, 4009, 4538, 4570, 6098), and in the relative sense truth in the natural, thus also the natural as to truth (n. 3509, 3525, 3546); and as "Jacob" in general is truth in the natural, therefore his "ten sons" are the truths of the church there in particular (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512), thus now also the "sons of Joseph." By Pharaoh also is represented the natural, yet not as to truths, but as to memory-knowledges, which are lower, and into which truths can be initiated and insinuated, which was represented by the coming of Jacob and his sons into Egypt.

Ephraim and Manasseh. That this signifies the intellectual and the will of the church, may be seen above (n. 5354, 6222).

As Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine. That this signifies that they shall be truth and the good of truth, is evident from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in the understanding, and the truth of doctrine whereby men can attain to the good of life (see n. 3861, 3866), thus in general the truth of the intellectual; and from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will, consequently truth in act, which is the good of faith or the good of truth (n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5626, 5630), thus in general the good that belongs to the new will. That the like are represented by Ephraim and Manasseh, is evident; but as Reuben profaned his representative (n. 4601), and Simeon defiled his (see n. 4497, 4502, 4503), and as on this account they were cursed (see the following chapter, verses 3-7), therefore they lost their birthright, and in their stead Ephraim and Manasseh the sons of Joseph were acknowledged as the firstborn (1 Chron. 5:1). Nevertheless the representative still remained with Reuben and Simeon, for it matters not what may be the quality of the person who represents (n. 665, 1097, 4281); that is to say, there remained the representative of faith in the understanding with Reuben, and the representative of faith in the will with Simeon; but with Ephraim there was the representative of the intellectual of the church, and with Manasseh of the will of the church.

And thy generation which thou begettest after them. That this signifies interior truths and goods, which are afterward, is evident from the signification of "generation," as being the things that belong to faith and charity (see n. 613, 2020, 2584), thus truths and goods; and from the signification of "after them" as being the interior things which are afterward. That interior things are signified is because the things which are begotten from the internal afterward, are more interior; for those things which have been begotten previously serve successively for producing those which are begotten afterward more interiorly, for the internal elevates the natural to itself by degrees. This is plain from the generation of all things of the intellectual in man; for man is first sensuous, afterward he becomes more and more interior, even until he becomes intellectual. It is the same with the new generation which is effected by means of faith and charity. Hence it is that man is perfected by degrees (see what was said above about the successive elevation toward the interiors when man is being regenerated, n. 6183). [2] That "generation" in the Word signifies the things that belong to faith and charity, is because no other generation than a spiritual one can be understood in the internal sense. This generation is also meant in David: They shall fear a fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous (Ps. 14:5); the "generation of the righteous" denotes truths from good, for "righteousness" is predicated of good. In Isaiah: They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for terror; they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah (Isa. 65:23). Again: Who hath wrought and done it? Who calleth the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am the same (Isa. 41:4). In Ezekiel: Thy tradings and thy generations are of the land of the Canaanite; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother was a Hittite. As to thy generations, in the day when thou wast born thy navel was not cut off, and thou wast not washed with waters for My sight (Ezek. 16:3, 4); speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem, where it is very manifest that "generations" are generations in a spiritual sense. [3] Again in Isaiah: Awake as in the days of eternity, the generations of eternities (Isa. 51:9); the "days of eternity" denote the state and time of the Most Ancient Church, of which "eternity" is predicated because it was in the good of love to the Lord, to which good, because it is immediately from the Lord, "eternity" is ascribed; "generations of eternities" are the goods thence derived. [4] So in Moses: Remember the days of eternity, understand the years of generation and generation (Deut. 32:7); where the "days of eternity" denote the state and time of the Most Ancient Church which was before the flood, and was a celestial church; the "years of generation and generation" denote the state and time of the Ancient Church which was after the flood, and was a spiritual church; which churches are here treated of. [5] And in Joel: Judah shall abide to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation (Joel 3:20); "eternity" is here predicated of Judah, because by Judah is represented the celestial church (n. 3881); and "generation and generation" is predicated of Jerusalem, because by "Jerusalem" is signified the spiritual church (n. 402). [6] In Isaiah: My righteousness shall be to eternity, and My salvation to generation of generations (Isa. 51:8); where "eternity" is predicated of the good of love, for "righteousness" is predicated of this good (n. 612, 2235); and "generation," of the good of faith. [7] And in David: Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all eternities, and Thy dominion to all generation and generation (Ps. 145:13); where the sense is the same; for unless "eternity" is predicated of what is celestial, and "generation" of what is spiritual, only one would be mentioned; both would be a useless repetition. [8] The things that belong to a state of faith are also signified by the command that a bastard should not come into the congregation of Jehovah to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:2); an Ammonite and a Moabite not even to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3), and that an Edomite and an Egyptian might come into the congregation of Jehovah in the third generation (Deut. 23:8). So in the commandment of the Decalogue, in that Jehovah God would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and fourth generation with respect to those who hate Him (Exod. 20:5). [9] That "generations" denote the things of faith and charity, is because in the spiritual sense no other generations can be meant than those which are of regeneration, or of one who is regenerate; in like manner as the "births," "childbearings," and "conceptions" in the Word: that these terms denote the births, childbearings, and conceptions of faith and charity (n. 1145, 1255, 3860, 3868, 4668, 5160, 5598).

Shall be thine. That this signifies that they shall be in the rational, which is the internal, is evident from the fact that the internal celestial which is represented by Joseph, is in the rational (see n. 4286, 4963); and therefore by "being thine" is signified that they shall be in the rational, as before by "being mine" was signified that they should be in the natural, in which is the truth of the natural which is represented by Jacob (n. 6236). What the rational is shall be briefly told. The intellectual of the internal man is called "rational," but the intellectual of the external man is called "natural;" thus the rational is internal, and the natural is external; and they are perfectly distinct from each other. But a truly rational man is no other than he who is called a celestial man, and who has perception of good, and from good perception of truth; whereas he who has not this perception, but only the knowledge that a thing is true because he is so instructed, and from this has conscience, is not truly a rational man, but is an interior natural man. Such are they who are of the Lord's spiritual church. They differ from the celestial as the light of the moon differs from the light of the sun; and therefore the Lord appears to the spiritual as a moon, but to the celestial as a sun (see n. 1521, 1529-1531, 4060, 4696). [2] Many in the world suppose that a rational man is one who can reason acutely about many things, and so join his reasonings together that his conclusions may appear like truth; but this is found in the very worst of men, who are able to reason skillfully and persuade that evils are goods, and that falsities are truths; and the reverse. But he who reflects can see that this is vicious phantasy, and not what is rational. The rational consists in inwardly seeing and perceiving that good is good, and from this that truth is truth; for the sight and perception of such men are from heaven. That they who are of the Lord's spiritual church are interiorly natural, is because they only acknowledge as truth that which they have received from their parents and masters, and afterward have confirmed in themselves; and do not see inwardly, and perceive, whether it is true from any other source than that they have confirmed it in themselves. It is otherwise with the celestial; and it is from this that the latter are rational, but the former interiorly natural. The internal celestial which is represented by Joseph, is in the rational; whereas the spiritual good which is represented by Israel, is in the interior natural (n. 4286); for it is the spiritual who are represented by Israel, and the celestial who are represented by Joseph.

Upon the name of their brethren they shall be called in their inheritance. That this signifies that they would be of the quality of the truths and goods of the church, and together among them, is evident from the signification of a "name," and of "being called by name," as being the quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421); from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, who here are the "brethren," as being the intellectual and the will of the church (n. 3969, 5354, 6222), thus truth and good (n. 6234); and from the signification of "in their inheritance," as being together among them.

And I, in my coming from Paddan. That this signifies from a state of knowledges, is evident from the signification of "Paddan-aram," as being the interior knowledges of truth and good (see n. 3664, 3680, 4107); thus "Paddan" is a state of knowledges.

Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan. That this signifies the end of the former affection of interior truth, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being to cease to be such (see n. 494), and as being the end of the former representation (n. 3253, 3259, 3276, 5975); and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819).

In the way, when there was still a tract of land. That this signifies what is intermediate, may be seen without explication.

To come unto Ephrath. That this signifies the spiritual of the celestial in the former state, is evident from the signification of "Ephrath," as being the spiritual of the celestial in the former state (see n. 4585, 4594).

And I buried her there in the way to Ephrath. That this signifies the rejection of that state, is evident from the signification of "burying," as being rejection (n. 4564); and from the signification of "Ephrath," as being the spiritual of the celestial in the former state (n. 6245).

The same is Bethlehem. That this signifies in its place a state of new affection of truth and good, is evident from the signification of "Bethlehem," as being the spiritual of the celestial in a new state (see n. 4594), thus a state of new affection of truth and good; for the spiritual of the celestial is the truth of good, thus the affection of truth from good. It is necessary to say how the case is with the contents of this verse in the internal sense. The subject treated of is the rejection of a former affection of truth, and the reception of a new one. The former affection of truth exists while man is being regenerated, but the latter, which is the new one, when he has been regenerated. In the former state the man is affected with truth for the sake of the end that he may become intelligent, but in the latter state that he may become wise; or what is the same, in the former state he is affected with truth for the sake of doctrine, but in the latter for the sake of life; when for the sake of doctrine, then from truth he looks to good; but when for the sake of life, he from good looks to truth. Thus the latter state is the inverse of the former; and therefore the former state is rejected while the man is being regenerated; and the latter, which is a new state, is received. Moreover relatively to the latter new state, the former state is impure; for when a man is affected with truth for the sake of doctrine in order that he may become intelligent, he is also at the same time affected with reputation and glory. This affection cannot then but be present, and it is also permitted as being introductory, because the man is of such a nature. But when he is affected with truth for the sake of life, he then rejects glory and reputation as ends, and embraces the good of life, that is, charity toward the neighbor.

Verses 8, 9. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph, and said, Whose are these? And Joseph said unto his father, These are my sons, whom God hath given me here. And he said, Take them I pray unto me, and I will bless them. "And Israel saw the sons of Joseph," signifies a perception about the intellectual and the will of the church; "and said, Whose are these?" signifies and about their origin; "and Joseph said unto his father," signifies an answer from within; "These are my sons, whom God hath given me here," signifies that they were from the internal in the natural; "and he said, Take them I pray unto me," signifies that they should accede to spiritual good; "and I will bless them," signifies a prediction about good and truth.

And Israel saw the sons of Joseph. That this signifies a perception about the intellectual and the will of the church, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being perception (see n. 2150, 3764, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, as being the intellectual and the will of the church, born from the internal, which is "Joseph" (n. 5354, 6222).

And said, Whose are these? That this signifies, and about their origin, namely, a perception, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being perception (see n. 6220); and from the signification of "Whose are these?" as being about their origin; for in the internal sense an interrogation denotes knowledge from perception (n. 2693, 6132).