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

Arcana Coelestia

Verses 21, 22. 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. 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. "And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die," signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation; "and God shall be with you" signifies the Divine providence of the Lord; "and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers," signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches; "and I give thee one portion above thy brethren," signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will would have more there; "which I took out of the hand of the Amorite," signifies by victory over evil; "with my sword," signifies by means of truth combating; "and with my bow," signifies from doctrine.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die. That this signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being perception (see n. 6220); from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which also above, n. 6225); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877); and from the signification of "dying," as being resurrection into life (n. 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221), and also as being the end of the former representation (n. 3253, 3259, 3276); which end is also here signified by "dying." For when one dies who had represented anything of the church, another succeeds who continues the representation in its order. Thus after Abraham died, the representative was continued in its order in Isaac, and afterward in Jacob, and after him in his sons; and so when Moses died, the representative succeeded in Joshua, and afterward in the judges in order, even to the kings, and so on.

And God shall be with you. That this signifies the Divine providence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of "God shall be with you," as being the Divine providence of the Lord; for when the Lord is with anyone, He leads him, and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good: this is the Divine providence. The reason why it is called the providence "of the Lord" is that it is said, "God shall be with you," and by "God" and by "Jehovah" in the Word is meant the Lord, for there is no other God besides Him; for He is the very Father and He is the very Son, for they are one; the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, as He Himself teaches in John 14:9-11 (see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035, 5663).

And shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. That this signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches, is evident from the signification of "land," as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577); and from the signification of "fathers," as being the men of the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches (n. 6075). It is said "to the state of both Ancient Churches," because the sons of Israel and their descendants, like those who belonged to the Ancient Churches, in every particular represented the Lord's kingdom, celestial and spiritual. The representative itself was also instituted; with the Jewish nation that of the celestial kingdom, and with the Israelitish that of the spiritual kingdom; but with that generation nothing but a mere representative could be instituted, and not anything of the church or kingdom of the Lord; for they desired to see and acknowledge in the representatives absolutely nothing but what was external, and not anything internal. Nevertheless in order that there might exist a representative, and thereby some communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, they were kept in externals; and it was then provided by the Lord that communication should exist by means of a mere external representative without an internal. This was the state to which the descendants of Jacob could be brought back; nevertheless in their external representatives there lay inwardly hidden Divine things; in the highest sense such as regarded the Lord's Divine Human; and in the relative sense such as regarded the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, and the church. This state of both Ancient Churches is signified by the words, "God shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers."

And I give thee one portion above thy brethren. That this signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will should have more there, is evident from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, who here are "Joseph" (as above, n. 6275), as being the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will (of which often above); and from the signification of "giving one portion above the brethren," as being to have more there, namely, in the church, which is signified by "land" (see n. 6304). The reason why the good of the will and the truth of the intellectual would have more there, is that these are the two essentials of the church; and therefore the birthright also was given to the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1).

Which I took out of the hand of the Amorite. That this signifies by victory over evil, is evident from the representation of the Amorite, as being evil (see n. 1857); and from the signification of "taking out of the hand," as being to acquire through victory. As regards the Amorites, be it known that by them is signified evil, and also by the Canaanites; and by the rest of the nations in that land which are mentioned in the Word are signified various kinds of evil and also of falsity. Such things were represented by the nations when the sons of Israel came into possession of the land of Canaan, for the reason that, while the sons of Israel represented heavenly things, those nations represented infernal things, and in this way the land of Canaan represented every state of the other life; and because the nations represented infernal things, they were given to the curse, and it was forbidden to enter into a covenant with those which remained. [2] That the sons of Israel seized and inhabited the land of those who represented the hells was a representative that about the time of the Lord's coming the infernals would have occupied a large part of heaven; and that by coming into the world and making the Human in Himself Divine the Lord would expel them and cast them down into the hells, and thus deliver heaven from them, and give it for an inheritance to those who would be of His spiritual kingdom. [3] That by the Amorite nation was represented evil in general, is plain from the passages where it is mentioned, as in Ezekiel: Jerusalem, thy tradings and thy generations were from the land of the Canaanite; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite (Ezek. 16:3, 45); as in the internal sense "father" signifies the good of the church, but in the opposite sense evil; and "mother" signifies the truth of the church, but in the opposite sense falsity, therefore it is said "thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite." [4] And in Amos: I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was sturdy as the oak. I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite (Amos 2:9, 10); here also the "Amorite" denotes evil, for the evil of the love of self is described by the "height of the cedars and the sturdiness of the oak." That the "Amorite" is evil in general, is because the whole land of Canaan was called "the land of the Amorite;" for it is said, "I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite." Again in the second book of Kings: Manasseh king of Judah hath done evil above all the evil that the Amorites did, who were before him (2 Kings 21:11). [5] That "with my sword" signifies by means of truth combating, is evident from the signification of "sword," as being truth combating (see n. 2799, 4499). And that "with my bow" signifies by means of doctrine, is evident from the signification of "bow," as being doctrine (n. 2686, 2709). [6] That the words "the portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow" were spoken by Israel on account of the internal sense, is very manifest, because Jacob did not take that portion from the Amorite with his sword nor with his bow, but bought it of the sons of Hamor, as is plain from the words in Genesis: Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. And he bought the portion of the field, where he had spread his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitah (Gen. 33:18, 19). That this field was the portion which he gave to Joseph, is evident from these words in Joshua: The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah; and they were for an inheritance to the sons of Joseph (Josh. 24:32). From this it is plain that that portion was bought, and that it was what was given to Joseph. [7] That the city of Shechem was not meant, which was near there, where Simeon and Levi slew every male, and which they took with the sword (Gen. 34), may be seen from the fact that Jacob abhorred that deed, and on that account cursed Simeon and Levi, and utterly put away from himself that deed, saying: Let not my soul come into their secret; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (Gen. 49:5-7). From all this it is now evident that these words, "one portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow," were said by him when he was in the prophetic spirit, for the sake of the internal sense.

Continuation about influx, and about the interaction of the soul and the body. That there is an influx from the spiritual world through angels and spirits into the affections and thoughts, has been given me to know so manifestly by the experience of many years, that nothing can be more manifest. I have felt the influx, not only as to the thoughts, but also as to the affections and when evils and falsities were flowing in, I was given to know from what hells they came; and when goods and truths, from what angels. This experience has consequently become so familiar to me that at last I have been able to know whence came every one of my thoughts and affections; and nevertheless my thoughts have been just like those which I had before.

This influx is effected by means of spirits and angels. The order of the influx is that evil spirits first flow in, and the angels disperse their action. That there is such an influx the man does not perceive, because his thought is kept in freedom by means of the equilibration between these two influxes, and because he does not attend to such things; nor could the evil know if they did attend, because with them there is no equilibrium between evil and good. But they who are in good can know it; and they also know from the Word that there is something within which fights against the evil and falsity with them, and that the spiritual man fights against the natural; thus the angels, who are in man's interiors and in his spiritual things, against the evil spirits who are in his exteriors and in his natural things; and it is also from this that the church is called militant. But the evil which flows into the thought from the evil spirits, does the man no harm if he does not receive it; but if he receives it and transfers it from the thought into the will, he makes it his own; and he then goes over to the side of the infernal spirits, and withdraws from the angels of heaven. This is what the Lord teaches when He says that the things which enter into a man do not make him unclean; but the things which go out of him, because these go forth from the heart, that is, from the will (Mark 7:14-23).

I have spoken with good spirits about the internal and the external man, saying that it is wonderful that few within the church believe (although they know it from the Word) that there is an internal man, distinct from the external, when yet they might know this from a slight daily inspection of their own thought and will, namely, from the fact that they often think interiorly otherwise than they do exteriorly; and what they think exteriorly, they let out into speech, into their faces, and into act; but not so what they think interiorly, for this they deeply hide, as is customary with dissemblers, hypocrites, and the deceitful. They who are in good may know this from the fact that they think they ought not to do so and so, rebuking themselves; from which it can be seen that there is an interior man, separate from the exterior. But the reason why they do not attend to this, or if they do attend do not perceive it is that they make life consist in the body; and also that when they immerse the whole thought in bodily and worldly things, insight into such subjects perishes, and even belief that the fact is so. This also it has been given me to know from experience. When I was in any heavenly idea, and dropped into thought about worldly and earthly things, instantly heavenly things perished so absolutely as scarcely to be acknowledged. The reason is that the things of the light of heaven become darkness when they fall into those which belong to the light of this world; for in themselves these two lights are contrary to each other. In order however that they may not be contrary, man is regenerated, and is also elevated from sensuous toward interior things; and insofar as he is elevated from sensuous things, so far he abandons evils and falsities. But he cannot be elevated unless he is in the good of faith and of life.

The interiors of man are distinct according to degrees by means of derivations, and according to these degrees are also the lights. The internal sensuous, which is nearest the sensuous things of the body, has the most gross light. This light it has been given me to discern by much experience, and I have noticed that whenever I sank into this light, falsities and evils of many kinds presented themselves, and even things scandalous against heavenly and Divine things, besides things filthy and foul. The reason is that this light rules in the hells, and by means of it chiefly do the hells flow into man. When a man is in this light, his thought is in nearly the same light as that in which is his external sight, and is then almost in the body. Men who are in this light are to be called the Sensuous, for they do not think beyond the sensuous things of the body. What is beyond these they neither perceive nor believe, believing only that which they see and touch. In this light are they who have not at all cultivated things interior, living in neglect and contempt of all things rational and spiritual; and in this light are especially the avaricious and adulterers, and they who have lived in mere pleasures and in disgraceful idleness, and who consequently think what is filthy, and often what is scandalous, about the holy things of the church.

In the light just referred to are as before said the hells, and in it also are some who are not so evil, that is, who have not been avaricious, adulterous, or voluptuous, but who have come into this light because they have not cultivated their rational. It was given me early one morning to see these spirits in a kind of twilight; they appeared in a public place, in crowds, carrying bags in which were crude materials, weighing them, and carrying them away. Some sirens were at that time not far off, and I heard them saying that they desired to be there, because they saw men with their eyes. For as sirens have been more adulterous than others, and also in opposition to all heavenly and spiritual things, they cannot see other spirits, except such as are in sensuous light, because they themselves are of the same character.

As the hells are in this sensuous light, therefore unless a man is elevated out of it, he must needs perish. He is elevated by means of the good of faith. There are also hells which are in a more subtle sphere, where are they who have been inwardly malignant, and have devised many arts for depriving others of their goods, and have contrived many treacherous plans in order to obtain dominion. But it was observed that this sphere flows into the external sensuous sphere, and this at the back where are the involuntary things of man. Hence the sensuous sphere is so strong.

When a man is being elevated toward interior things, he comes out of the gross sensuous light into a milder light, and at the same time is withdrawn from the influx of scandalous and filthy things, and is brought nearer to the things that belong to what is just and fair, because nearer to the angels who are with him, thus nearer to the light of heaven. This elevation from sensuous things was known to the ancients, even to the Gentiles, and therefore when the lower mind is withdrawn from sensuous things, their wise men said that it comes into interior light, and at the same time into a tranquil state, and into a kind of heavenly bliss; and from this they also concluded that the mind is immortal. Man is capable of being elevated still more interiorly, and the more interiorly he is elevated, the clearer is the light into which he comes; and at last he comes into the light of heaven, which light is nothing else than wisdom and intelligence from the Lord. The three heavens are distinguished in no other way than according to elevations toward interior things, thus also according to degrees of light; the third heaven, being in inmost things, is in the greatest light, thus in a wisdom which far surpasses the wisdom of the lower heavens.

As it is with light, so also it is with the heat which is man's vital heat. This vital heat does not in the slightest degree derive its origin from the heat which is from the sun of this world; but from spiritual heat, which is love, and which proceeds from the Lord: the angels have this heat. Hence so far as man is in love, so far he is in vital heat. The body, however, is in the heat of the world, and so is the interior sensuous; but the vital heat flows into this heat and vivifies it. The purities and the grossnesses of this heat are circumstanced in the same way as are the lights. It is this heat which is meant by the holy fires in the Word, and therefore by these fires are there signified heavenly loves. But in the opposite sense it is this heat which is meant by the fires of hell, and therefore by these fires in the Word are signified infernal loves and their cupidities.

A man who in his earthly life has been elevated from sensuous things by means of the good of faith, is alternately in sensuous and in interior light; when he is in worldly cares, in company where external things flourish, and in pleasures, he is in sensuous life; in this state he shuns and is also averse to speaking and thinking about God, and about the things that belong to faith; and if he were then to speak and think on these subjects, he would make light of them, unless at the moment he were to be elevated by the Lord toward interior things. When the same man is not in worldly things, but in interior light, he thinks from what is just and fair; and if he is in a still more interior light, he thinks from spiritual truth and good. He who is in the good of life is elevated from one light into the other; and into the more interior light in an instant when he begins to think evilly; for angels are near him. This has been given to know by much experience, because I have frequently perceived the elevations, and at the same time the changes of state in respect to the affections, and in respect to the thoughts.

It will surprise you to hear that a great part of the learned are sensuous. The reason is that they have acquired their knowledge merely for the sake of reputation, in order that they may be promoted to honors and thereby to gain, but not with a view to become wise; for all the sciences in the learned world are means of becoming wise, and also means of becoming insane. When the learned are raised to honors, they afterward live sensuously, more than the simple; and they then believe it to be the part of simplicity to attribute anything to the Divine, and not to prudence and nature, and everything else to chance.

There were spirits with me who when they had lived in the world were called learned. They were let into the state of thought in which they had been when in the body, and their thought about spirits was communicated to me, which thought was of such a nature that they could never be brought to believe that a spirit enjoys any sensation; and everything else they had thought about spirits or souls after death was devoid of all quality. The reason was that they had made life consist in the body, and by means of matters of knowledge and of philosophy had confirmed themselves against the life of the spirit or soul after death; and thereby had closed interior things against themselves in such a manner that they could not possibly be elevated into them. After they had confirmed themselves against the things that belong to the life after death, if the veriest truths had then been told them, they would have treated them like the blind who see not, and like the deaf who hear not; and some of them would ridicule them; and this in exact proportion to their belief in their own preeminent wisdom. But the unlearned, who have been in the good of faith, are not of this character, for they have not confirmed themselves against the things of the church by means of any matters of knowledge and philosophy, and therefore their perception is broader and clearer; and because they have not closed interior things they are capable of receiving goods and truths.

There are also men who are more than sensuous, namely, corporeal, and are those who have wholly confirmed themselves against the Divine, and have ascribed all things to nature, and thus have lived without any regard for what is just and fair, except only in the outward form. These being inwardly like brute animals (although outwardly they appear like men) are more than sensuous, and in the other life appear to themselves and others as if they were corporeal. They have been seen by me in front near the right foot, rising up out of the deep, very hairy, and as it were rough and gross; and when they had risen up there appeared the semblance of a sword hanging over their heads. I spoke with them, and they said it appeared to them exactly as if they were in the body.

As regards the influx of angels with a man, it is not an influx of such thoughts as the man then has, but is according to correspondences; for the angels are thinking spiritually, whereas the man perceives this naturally; thus with the man the spiritual things fall into their correspondents, consequently into their representatives. For example, when a man speaks of bread, of seedtime, of harvest, of fatness, and the like, the thought of the angels is then about the goods of love and of charity; and so forth. I once dreamed a common dream, and when I awoke, I related all from beginning to end. The angels said that all things coincided exactly with those which they had spoken of among themselves; not that these were the same as I had dreamed, but things corresponding and representative, and it is the same in every single thing. I afterward talked with them about influx. Objects, however, such as a man sees with his eyes, do not appear before the spirits who are with the man, neither are words heard such as the man hears with the ear, but such as the man is thinking. That thought is wholly different from speech, is evident from the fact that man thinks in a moment more than he can utter in half an hour, because he thinks abstractedly from the words of language. From this may in some measure be known the nature of the interaction of the soul with the body, namely, that it is such as is the influx of the spiritual world into the natural world; for the soul or spirit of man is in the spiritual world, and his body is in the natural world: thus it is according to correspondences.

When the angels flow in, they adjoin affections also, and the very affections contain innumerable things within them; but of these innumerable things only a few are received by the man, in fact those only which are applicable to the things which are already in his memory. All the other things of the angelic influx encompass them, and keep them as it were in their bosom.

That there is angelic influx, and that without it man cannot live, has been given to know by experience. There are malignant spirits who have devised arts for hindering the angelic influx, but only in part. With me also they were permitted to do this, to the end that I might know from experience that the case is so. In proportion as they hindered the influx, the life of the thought fluctuated, and at last was the same as it is with those who are falling into a swoon. But I was instantly restored, and those spirits were cast down into their hell. They appeared to the left, in the plane of the crown of the head, where at first they were in concealment.

It is according to all appearance that the external senses, as the sight and hearing, flow into the thought, and excite ideas there; for it appears that objects, and also speech, move the senses, first the external, and then the internal senses. But this appearance, however strong, is nevertheless a fallacy; for what is external, being gross and material, cannot flow into and move what is internal, which is pure and spiritual: this is contrary to nature. It is the internal sense, that is, the sense of the spirit itself, which sensates through the external sense, and disposes the external sensory to receive objects according to its dictates; and therefore the sensories (as for instance the sensory of sight, or the eye) instantly accommodate themselves to all objects in accordance with the nature of these; which would not take place in the sensories unless there were an influx from within. For all the fibers and appendages, which are very numerous about every sensory or organ of sense, are in an instant determined suitably to the quality of the object; nay, into the organ itself there is instantly imparted a conformable state. I have often heard among spirits a discourse about this appearance, and it was as often replied by angels that influx by no means takes place from externals into internals, but always from internals into externals; and that this is according to order, contrary to which there can be no influx. Two or three times I have seen spirits separated from an angelic society because they had believed from the appearance that there exists an influx from externals into internals; thus that influx is physical and not spiritual. The reason of their separation was that according to this notion it might have been concluded that the hells, which are in externals, can flow into the heavens, which are in internals; and it might also have been concluded that the influx of life is not from the Lord, when yet everything of life flows in from Him, because He is in the inmost, and relatively to Him all things are external.

That within the good of love which flows in from the Lord through angels is all truth, which truth would become manifest of itself if man lived in love to the Lord and in love toward the neighbor, is evident not only from the things that take place in heaven, but also from those which take place in lower nature; and from the latter, because they are in plain sight, I may draw some illustrations. [2] Brute animals are impelled to action in no other way than by means of the loves and the affections of these into which they have been created and afterward born; for every animal is carried whither his affection and love draw it; and this being so, they are also in all matters of knowledge that ever belong to their love; for they know from a love resembling conjugial love how to come together, cattle after their kind, and birds after their kind; birds know how to build their nests, lay their eggs, brood upon them, hatch their young, and how to feed them, and this without any instruction, merely from the love which resembles conjugial love, and from love toward their offspring, which loves have implanted in them all these matters of knowledge. In like manner they know what things to eat for food, and how to seek them. And, what is more wonderful, bees know how to seek their food from flowers of various kinds, and also to gather the wax with which they make their cells, wherein first they deposit their offspring, and then store up food; they also know how to provide for the winter; not to mention very many other things. All these matters of knowledge are included in their loves, and dwell there from their earliest origin. Into these they are born, because they are in the order of their nature into which they were created; and thereafter they are moved by a general influx from the spiritual world. [3] If man were in the order into which he was created, namely, in love toward the neighbor, and in love to the Lord (for these loves are proper to man), he above all animals would be born not only into matters of knowledge, but also into all spiritual truths and celestial goods, and thus into all wisdom and intelligence; for he is able to think of the Lord, and to be conjoined with Him through love, and thus to be elevated to what is Divine and eternal, which is not possible to brute animals. Thus in the supposed case man would be directed by no other than general influx from the Lord through the spiritual world. But as he is not born into order, but contrary to his order, he is therefore born into ignorance of all things; and for this reason it has been provided that he may afterward be reborn, and thus come into as much of intelligence and wisdom as he receives of good, and of truth through good, in freedom.

Spirits who reason much in the other life have little perception of what is true and good, and therefore they cannot be admitted into interior angelic societies; for nothing of intelligence can be communicated to them there. These spirits also have reasoned among themselves about the influx of all thoughts and affections, and said, "If this be so, no one can become guilty and suffer the penalty of any fault." But they received for answer that if a man would believe as the case really is, namely, that all that is good and true is from the Lord, and all that is evil and false is from hell, he then could not become guilty of any fault, nor could evil be imputed to him; but because he believes that it is from himself, he appropriates evil to himself, for this is the effect of his faith; and in this way evil adheres and cannot be separated from him; nay, such is man that he would be indignant if anyone should say that he thinks and wills from others, and not from himself.

It is an eternal truth that the Lord rules heaven and earth, and also that no one besides the Lord lives of himself, consequently that everything of life flows in-the good of life from the Lord, and the evil of life from hell. This is the faith of the heavens. When a man is in this faith (and he can be in it when he is in good), then evil cannot be fastened and appropriated to him, because he knows that it is not from himself, but from hell. When a man is in this state, he can then be gifted with peace, for then he will trust solely in the Lord. Neither can peace be given to any others than those who are in this faith from charity; for others continually cast themselves into anxieties and cupidities, whence come disquietudes. Spirits who desire to direct themselves, suppose that this would be to lose their own will, thus their freedom, consequently all delight, thus all life and its sweetness. This they say and suppose, because they do not know how the case really is; for the man who is led by the Lord is in freedom itself, and thus in delight and bliss itself; goods and truths are appropriated to him; there is given him an affection and desire for doing what is good, and then nothing is more delightful to him than to perform uses. There is given him a perception of good, and also a sensation of it; and there is given him intelligence and wisdom; and all these as his own; for he is then a recipient of the Lord's life. It is known in the learned world that the principal cause and the instrumental cause act together as a one: man, being a form recipient of the Lord's life, is an instrumental cause, and the life from the Lord is the principal cause. This life is felt in the instrumental cause as of it, when yet it is not of it.

There was a philosopher who ranked among the more celebrated and sane, and who died some years ago, with whom I have spoken about the degrees of life in man, saying that man consists of mere forms for receiving life, and that one form is more interior than another, but that one has come into existence and subsists from another; also that when the lower or exterior form is dissolved, the higher or interior form still lives. It was further said that all operations of the mind are variations of the form, which variations in the purer substances are in such perfection that they cannot be described; and that the ideas of thought are nothing else; and that these variations take place according to the changes of the state of the affections. How very perfect are the variations in the purer forms may be concluded from the lungs, which fold themselves variously and vary their forms according to every expression of speech, and to every note of a tune, and to every motion of the body, and also to each state of thought and affection; and what then must be the case with interior things, which, in comparison with so large an organ, are in the greatest perfection. The philosopher confirmed what was said, and declared that such things had been known to him when he lived in the world, and that the world should apply philosophy to such uses, and should not be intent on mere forms of words and disputes about these, and thus labor in the dust.

A continuation will be found at the end of the following chapter. Genesis 49 1. And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather ye yourselves together, and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days. 2. Assemble yourselves and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hear unto Israel your father. 3. Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces, excellent in eminence, and excellent in power. 4. Light as water thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up on thy father's bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up on my couch. 5. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of violence are their swords. 6. Into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox. 7. Cursed be their anger for it was vehement, and their wrath for it was hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. 8. Judah, thy brethren shall celebrate thee, thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy father's sons shall bow down to thee. 9. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey my son thou art gone up; he bowed, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10. The scepter shall not be removed from Judah, and a lawgiver from between his feet, even until Shiloh come; and to him is the obedience of the peoples. 11. He binds his young ass unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes: 12. His eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are white with milk. 13. Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the seas, and he shall be at a haven of ships, and his side shall be toward Zidon. 14. Issachar is a bony ass, lying down between the burdens. 15. And he shall see rest that it is good, and the land that it is pleasant; and he shall bow his shoulder to bear, and shall be a servant to tribute. 16. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17. Dan shall be a serpent upon the way, an arrow-snake upon the path, biting the horse's heels, and his rider shall fall backward. 18. I wait for Thy salvation, O Jehovah. 19. Gad, a troop shall ravage him, and he shall ravage the heel. 20. From Asher, his bread is fat, and he shall yield the delights of a king. 21. Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving discourses of elegance. 22. Joseph is the son of a fruitful one, the son of a fruitful one over a fountain, of a daughter, she marches upon the wall. 23. And embitter him, and shoot at him, and hate him, the archers. 24. And he shall sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands are made strong by the hands of the mighty Jacob; from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel. 25. By the God of thy father, and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai, and He shall bless thee, with the blessings of heaven above, with blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 26. The blessings of thy father shall prevail above the blessings of my progenitors, even to the desire of the hills of an age: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren. 27. Benjamin is a wolf; he shall seize in the morning, he shall devour the spoil, and at even he shall divide the prey. 28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father spake to them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. 29. And he commanded them, and said unto them, I am being gathered unto my people; bury me unto my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite; 30. In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is upon the faces of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a sepulcher. 31. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah: 32. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the sons of Heth. 33. And Jacob finished commanding his sons, and he gathered up his feet unto the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his peoples.

The Contents In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense is not the descendants of Jacob, and what would befall them; but the truths of faith and the goods of love which the twelve tribes named from the sons of Jacob represent and signify.

It first treats of faith separated from charity, which is utterly rejected. This faith is "Reuben," "Simeon," and "Levi."

It then treats of the celestial church, which is the "tribe of Judah," and in the supreme sense there, of the Divine Human of the Lord.

Then of the rest of the tribes according to the states of good and truth which they represent.

Lastly of the celestial spiritual church 6332-1 which is "Joseph;" and here also in the supreme sense of the Divine Human of the Lord.

The Internal Sense From the things said by Jacob in this chapter it may be clearly seen that there is another sense in the Word than that which appears in the letter; for Jacob, who was then Israel, says that he will tell what shall befall his sons in the end of the days (verse 1), and yet the things he tells and that he predicts did not at all befall them; such as that the descendants of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi should be cursed more than the rest; and that Simeon and Levi should be divided in Jacob, and be scattered in Israel (verses but the contrary befell Levi, namely, that he was blessed, for the priesthood was allotted to him. [2] Neither did that befall Judah which is said of him, except that the representative of the church remained longer with him than with the rest of the tribes; and moreover such things are said of him as no one can know the meaning of, except from another sense which is hidden within, as that he should bow himself and couch as a lion; should bind his young ass unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; that he should wash his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes; that his eyes should be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (verses 9, 11, 12). All these things are of such a nature as to cause everyone to see that there is something within them that is known in heaven, and that cannot be made known to man, except from thence. [3] It is the same with what Israel said of the rest of his sons; as of Zebulun, that he should dwell at the haven of the seas and of ships, and that his side should be toward Zidon; of Issachar, that he should be a bony ass lying down between the burdens, stooping his shoulder to bear a burden; of Dan, that he should be a serpent in the way, an arrow-snake upon the path, biting the horse's heels, and that his rider will fall backward; and so on with the rest. From all this it is very evident that as already said the Word has an internal sense. The Word is given in order to unite heaven and earth, or angels with men; and therefore it has been so written that it may be spiritually apprehended by the angels, when naturally apprehended by man, and that in this way what is holy may flow in through the angels, by which means union is effected. Such is the Word in both the historical and the prophetical parts; but the internal sense is less apparent in the historical than in the prophetical parts, because the historical parts have been written in a different style, yet still by means of significatives. [4] The historical parts have been given in order that infants and children may thereby be initiated into the reading of the Word; for the historical parts are delightful, and rest in their minds, whereby communication is given them with the heavens; and this communication is grateful, because they are in a state of innocence and mutual charity. This is the reason why there is an historical Word. There is a prophetical Word, because when it is read, it is not understood by man except obscurely, and when it is understood obscurely by such men as there are now, it is perceived clearly by the angels, as it has been given me to know from much experience, of which by the Lord's Divine mercy elsewhere.

Verses 1, 2. And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather ye yourselves together, and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days. Assemble yourselves and hear ye sons of Jacob, and hear unto Israel your father. "And Jacob called his sons," signifies the setting in order of the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural; "and said, Gather ye yourselves together," signifies all of them in general together; "and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days," signifies the quality of the state of the church in the order in which they then were; "assemble yourselves," signifies that they should set themselves in order; "and hear, ye sons of Jacob," signifies the truths and goods in the natural; "and hear unto Israel your father," signifies a prediction about them by spiritual good; in the supreme sense, the Lord's foresight.

And Jacob called his sons. That this signifies the setting in order of the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural, is evident from the signification of "calling," as being to set in order, for the reason of calling them together was that the truths of faith and goods of charity might be presented in this orderly arrangement; and from the representation of Jacob and his sons, as being the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural. (That Jacob represents these in general, may be seen, n. 3509, 3525, 3546, 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829, 4234, 4273, 4337, 5506, 5533, 5535, 6001, 6236; and also his sons, or the tribes named from them, the same in particular, n. 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060.) As regards the setting in order of the truths of faith and of the goods of love, which is here signified, and is presented in the internal sense in this chapter, be it known that the twelve tribes of Israel represented in general all truths and goods in one complex, thus all the truths and goods which proceed from the Lord, and consequently those which are in heaven, and of which heaven consists. And because they are all represented in general, they are also represented severally in particular; for generals contain in them particulars, as wholes contain parts. [2] The lights in heaven are varied in accordance with the goods and the derivative truths, and the states of intelligence and wisdom, in accordance with the lights; and it was from this that the light sparkled and quivered through the Urim and Thummim, and this with variety in accordance with the state of the matter about which the interrogation was made. This took place because the twelve tribes, by which were signified all truths and goods in general, were marked on that breastplate, that is, on the Urim and Thummim, for there was a single precious stone for each tribe. The reason why they were precious stones was that they signified spiritual and celestial truths (n. 114, 3720); and the gold in which they were set signified good (see n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658). This is the secret that was signified by the Urim and Thummim. [3] That the twelve tribes had such a signification, is plain from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned; especially from the inheritance of the tribes in the land of Canaan, described in Joshua, and from their inheritance in the Lord's kingdom, described in the last chapters of Ezekiel, where we read of the new earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new temple; and in John in Revelation (Rev. 7:4-8); also from the order in which they encamped in the wilderness, which was of such a nature that they thereby represented truths and goods in their genuine order. Hence the prophetic utterance of Balaam: When Balaam lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, the spirit of God came upon him. And he gave forth an enunciation, and said, How good are thy tabernacles O Jacob! thy habitations O Israel! As the valleys are they planted, as gardens beside the river, as sandalwood trees which Jehovah hath planted, as cedars beside the waters (Num. 24:2-6). (See also the things shown about the tribes and their ordering in n. 2129, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060, 4603.)

And said, Gather ye yourselves together. That this signifies all in general together, is evident from the signification of "gathering," as being that they should be together, here all the truths of faith and the goods of love which are signified by the twelve sons of Jacob (see n. 6335).

And I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days. That this signifies the quality of the state of the church in the order in which they then were, is evident from the signification of "telling what shall befall," as being to communicate and to foretell; and from the signification of the "end of the days," as being the last of the state in which they are together. For "days" are states (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850); and the "end" is the last; thus the "end of the days" is the last of the state, namely, that in which truths and goods in general, when in their order, are together. The reason why it is the state of the church which is signified, is that the truths and goods which are represented by Jacob and his sons are what constitute the church; therefore by Jacob is represented the church (n. 4286, 4439, 4514, 4520, 4680, 4772, 5536, 5540); and so also by his sons (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). That the quality of the state is meant, is because the representation of the truths and goods of the church is according to the order in which the sons of Jacob or the tribes are mentioned in the Word (n. 3862, 3926, 3939). One quality is signified when Reuben is mentioned first, for when Reuben is mentioned first the quality begins from faith; but when Judah is mentioned first, then the quality begins from love; and it is different still when some other one is mentioned first. The quality is also varied according to the order in which the rest of the tribes are mentioned after these. Hence come forth innumerable, nay, infinite, variations, and more so when the truths and goods in general which are signified by the twelve tribes also take on specific variations, each truth and good innumerable ones, which causes each of them to receive in general another face; and still more so when these specific truths and goods take on innumerable singular variations; and so on. That infinite variations thus arise may be illustrated by many things in nature. Hence then it is that the twelve tribes have a different signification when mentioned in one order in the Word, from what they have when mentioned in another; thus they have a different signification in this chapter from what they have elsewhere.

Assemble yourselves. That this signifies that they should set themselves in order, is evident from the signification of "assembling," as being to be set in order, for in the spiritual sense "to be assembled" has no other meaning, because truths and goods cannot be assembled unless they are also set in order. For the universal influx which proceeds from the Lord effects this, because it contains within it all the singulars down to the veriest ones; and it is all these taken together which are the universal influx that reduces into order all things in the heavens. When the universal influx is doing this, it appears as if the very goods and truths set themselves in order, and as if they flow into order of their own accord. This is the case with the universal heaven, which is in order, and is continually kept in order by the universal influx from the Lord. It is also the case with the societies in heaven in general, and likewise with the societies in particular; for as soon as angels or spirits assemble, they are forthwith disposed into order as of themselves, and thus constitute a heavenly society, which is an image of heaven. This would never take place unless the universal influx which proceeds from the Lord contained within it the veriest singulars of all, and unless all these were in the most perfect order. If there were any universal influx from God without singulars, as many suppose, and a man, spirit, or angel were to direct himself in singulars, instead of order there would be confusion of all things; neither would there be a heaven, a hell, the human race, or even nature. This may be illustrated by many things with man, as that unless his thoughts were ordered universally and at the same time singularly by the affections of love, it would be impossible for them to flow rationally and analytically. So likewise with the actions: unless the soul in universal and in singular flowed into the viscera of the body, nothing could take place in the body with order and regularity; but when the soul flows in singularly and thus universally, then all things are set in order as of themselves. These things have been said to the intent that it may be known what is meant by truths and goods setting themselves in order.

And hear, ye sons of Jacob. That this signifies the truths and goods in the natural, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, as being the truths and goods of the church in the natural (of which above, n. 6335).

And hear unto Israel your father. That this signifies a prediction about them by spiritual good, in the supreme sense the Lord's foresight, is evident from the signification of "hearing," namely, what shall happen in the end of the days, as being prediction; and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (see n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); and because prediction is signified in the internal sense by "hearing what shall befall in the end of the days," the foresight of the Lord is signified in the supreme sense, for all prediction is from the Lord's foresight. Its being said that the "sons of Jacob should hear to Israel," signifies that they who are of the church should hear the Lord, that is, should hear Him in the Word, and what He there teaches with respect to the truths of faith and the goods of love, and what He predicts with respect to those who are in such truth and good as are signified by one or another son of Jacob; as what He teaches and predicts about those in faith separate from charity, here signified by "Reuben," "Simeon," and "Levi;" or about those in celestial good, signified by "Judah;" also about those in spiritual good, signified by "Joseph;" thus also about those who are in such things as are signified by the rest of the sons.

Verses 3, 4. Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces, excellent in eminence, and excellent in power (valore). Light as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up on thy father's bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up on my couch. "Reuben, my firstborn," signifies faith which is apparently in the prior place; "thou art my strength," signifies power in good by means of faith; "and the beginning of my forces," signifies that through it is the first power in truth; "excellent in eminence, and excellent in power," signifies the glory and sovereignty thence derived; "light as water," signifies that faith alone has not such things; "thou shalt not excel," signifies that it has no glory or sovereignty; "because thou wentest up on thy father's bed," signifies because when separated from the good of charity it has a foul conjunction; "then profanedst thou it," signifies that if conjoined with evil it is profane; "he went up on my couch," signifies because it has contaminated spiritual good in the natural.

Reuben, my firstborn. That this signifies faith which is apparently in the prior place, is evident from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in the understanding (see n. 3861, 3866), and confession of the faith of the church in general (n. 4731, 4734, 4761); and from the signification of "firstborn," as being to be in the prior place (see n. 3325); (but that faith is in the prior place only apparently, may be seen above, n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 6256, 6269, 6272, 6273).

Thou art my strength. That this signifies power in good by means of faith, is evident from the representation of Reuben, who here is "thou," as being faith in the understanding (see n. 6342); and from the signification of "strength," as being the power that is in good. As regards power, namely, the power of thinking and willing, of perceiving, of doing what is good, of believing, and of dissipating falsities and evils, it is all from good through truth; good is the principal, and truth is only the instrumental (see n. 3563, 4931, 5623). That there is signified the power that is in good, is because "strength" signifies this power, whereas "forces" signify the power of truth; hence it is that by "the beginning of my forces," as presently follows, is signified the first power in truth; for the word by which "forces" are expressed in the original, is in the Word predicated of truth; but the word by which "strength" is expressed, is predicated of good. [2] That the Word is holy, and in its interiors most holy, is very evident from the fact that in every detail of the Word there is the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of good and truth, thus heaven; and that in every detail of the inmost sense there is the marriage of the Lord's Divine Human with His kingdom and church; nay, in the supreme sense there is the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord. These most holy things are in every detail of the Word-a manifest proof that the Word has descended from the Divine. That this is so may be seen from the fact that where mention is made of good, mention is made of truth also; and where the internal is spoken of, the external also is spoken of. There are also words which constantly signify good, and words which constantly signify truth, and words which signify both good and truth; and if they do not signify them, still they are predicated of them, or involve them. From the predication and signification of these words it is plain that, as before said, in every detail there is the marriage of good and truth, that is, the heavenly marriage, and in the inmost and supreme sense the Divine marriage which is in the Lord, thus the Lord Himself. [3] This appears everywhere, but not evidently except in passages where there are repetitions of the same thing, with only a change of words, as in this chapter, where it is said of Reuben, "Thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces;" also, "excellent in eminence, and excellent in power." Here "strength" relates to good, and "forces" to truth; and "excellent in eminence" to truth, and "excellent in power" to good. So in the following verse, of Reuben: "Thou wentest up on thy father's bed; then thou profanedst it; he went up on my couch." So in what follows with respect to Simeon and Levi: "Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement, and their wrath, for it was hard; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (verse 7); where "anger" signifies a turning away from good, and "wrath" a turning away from truth; and "Jacob" is the external of the church, and "Israel" is its internal. Also with respect to Judah: "Thy brethren shall celebrate thee; thy father's sons shall bow down to thee" (verse 8). Again: "He binds his young ass unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes" (verse 11). With respect to Zebulun: "He shall dwell at the haven of the seas, and he shall be at the haven of ships" (verse 13). With respect to Dan: "He shall be a serpent upon the way, an arrow-snake upon the path" (verse 17). [4] Like things frequently occur in the Psalms and in the prophets, as in Isaiah: Babel shall not be inhabited to eternity, neither shall it be inhabited even to generation and generation. Her time is near, and it shall come, and her days shall not be prolonged (Isa. 13:20, 22). Seek ye from above in the book of Jehovah, and read ye; no one of these shall be missing, the one shall not long for the other; for with the mouth He hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them. And the same hath cast the lot for them, and the hand hath distributed to them by rule. They shall possess it even eternally, to generation and generation shall they dwell therein (Isa. 34:16, 17); and so in a thousand other passages. He who does not know that the expressions in the Word are significative of spiritual and celestial things, and that some are said of good, and some of truth, cannot but believe that such expressions are mere repetitions, said merely to fill up, and therefore in themselves useless; and from this it is that they who think wrongly about the Word, regard such expressions as ground for contempt; when yet the veriest Divine things are stored therein, namely, the heavenly marriage, which is heaven itself; and the Divine marriage, which is the Lord Himself. This sense is the "glory" in which the Lord is, and the literal sense is the "cloud" in which is this glory (Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:27. See the preface to Genesis 18, and also n. 5922.)

And the beginning of my forces. That this signifies that through it is the first power in truth, is evident from the signification of the "beginning of forces," as being the first power; and as "forces" are predicated of truth, it is the first power in truth that is signified, in like manner as in Isaiah: Jehovah giveth strength to the wearied one, and to him that hath no forces He multiplieth power (Isa. 40:29); where "strength" is predicated of good, and "forces" of truth, and "power" of both. How it is to be understood that through faith there is power in good, and the first power in truth, which is signified by "Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces," shall be briefly told. All the power in the spiritual world is from good through truth. Without good, truth has no power whatever, for truth is like a body, and good is like the soul of this body, and in order that the soul may do anything, it must be by means of the body. Hence it is plain that truth without good has no power whatever, just as the body without the soul has no power; for the body is then a carcass, and so also is truth without good. [2] When the faith of truth through good is first born, the power appears to be in truth. This power is what is called the "first power in truth through faith," and is signified by the "beginning of forces," as also elsewhere in the Word where "birthright" is treated of; as in David: He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the beginning of forces in the tents of Ham (Ps. 78:51). And in another place: He smote all the firstborn in their land, the beginning of all their forces (Ps. 105:36). Also in Deuteronomy: He shall acknowledge the firstborn son of the hated one, to give him two parts of all that shall be found for him; in that he is the beginning of his forces, the right of the birthright is his (Deut. 21:17). [3] As by the "firstborn" is signified in the genuine sense the good that is of charity, but in the sense according to the appearance the truth that is of faith (see n. 3325, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930), and as these two are the foundations of the church, therefore by the ancients the firstborn was called the "strength of the father, and the beginning of his forces." That such was the signification is plainly evident from the fact that every firstborn belonged to Jehovah or the Lord, and that in the stead of all the firstborn the tribe of Levi was accepted and the priesthood given to it. [4] Scarcely anyone in this world can know what is the nature of the power that is in truth from good; but it is known to those who are in the other life; thus by revelation thence. They who are in truth from good, that is, in faith from charity, are in power through truth from good. In this power are all the angels, and from this the angels are called in the Word "powers;" for they are in the power of restraining evil spirits, one angel being able to restrain a thousand all at once. They exercise their power chiefly when with man, in defending him at times against many hells, and this in a thousand and a thousand ways. [5] They have this power by means of the truth that is of faith from the good that is of charity; but as they have their faith from the Lord, it is the Lord alone who is the power in them. This power which is through faith from the Lord is meant by the Lord's words to Peter: Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matt. 16:18, 19). This was said to Peter, because by him was represented faith (see preface to Gen. 22, and also n. 3750, 4738, 6000, 6073); and by "Peter," wherever in the Word he is called "Peter," as here, is signified in the internal sense, faith, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to faith.

Excellent in eminence, and excellent in power (valore). That this signifies that glory and sovereignty are thence derived, is evident from the signification of "excelling in eminence," as being glory, for he who is in eminence is in glory; and from the signification of "excelling in power," as being sovereignty, for he who is in power is in sovereignty. "Glory" in this passage has reference to the truth that is of faith (see n. 5922), and "sovereignty" to the good that is of charity; therefore it is said that hence is glory and sovereignty, namely, from the truth of faith and the good of charity (of which just above).

Light as water. That this signifies that faith alone has not such things, namely, glory and sovereignty, is evident from the signification of "being light as water," as being to be of no weight or power. That faith alone is meant, that is, faith separated from charity, is plain from what follows about Reuben and Simeon and Levi; here also under these names faith separated or alone is treated of.

Thou shalt not excel. That this signifies that it has no glory or sovereignty, is evident from the signification of "not excelling," namely, in eminence and power (as just above, to which this refers), in that such faith has neither glory nor sovereignty.

Because thou wentest up on thy father's bed. That this signifies, because when separated from the good of charity it has a foul conjunction, is evident from the signification of "going up on a father's bed," as being to have a foul conjunction, namely, that faith separated from the good of charity has this. For if faith in doctrine or in the understanding, here represented by Reuben, is not initiated into good and conjoined therewith, it is either dissipated and made null, or is initiated into and conjoined with what is evil and false, which is the foul conjunction that is signified, for it then becomes profane. That this is so may be seen from the fact that faith can have a dwelling-place nowhere else than in good, and if it has no dwelling-place there, it must either become null, or be conjoined with evil. This is very evident from those in the other life who have been in faith alone and in no charity, in that their faith is there dissipated; but if it has been conjoined with evil, their lot is with the profane. [2] In the Word, "adulteries" in the internal sense signify adulterations of good, and "whoredoms" signify falsifications of truth (see n. 2466, 3399); but the foul conjunctions called the forbidden degrees (see Lev. 18:6-24), signify various kinds of profanation. That here also profanation is signified, is plain, for it is said "thou wentest up on thy father's bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up on my couch." That this means the profanation of good by faith separated, may be seen above (n. 4601), where this wicked deed of Reuben is treated of. [3] With faith alone, or separated from charity, the case is this. If it is conjoined with evil (which takes place when anyone first believes the truth that is of faith, and especially when he first lives according to it, and afterward denies it and lives contrary to it), it then becomes profane; for thus the truth that is of faith and the good that is of charity are first inrooted in the interiors by means of doctrine and life, and afterward are called forth thence and conjoined with evil. In the other life the worst lot of all awaits the man with whom this takes place; for with such a man good cannot be separated from evil, and yet in the other life they are kept separate; neither has such a man any remains of good stored up in his interiors, because they have utterly perished in evil. The hell of such is to the left in front at a great distance, and those who are there appear to the angelic sight like skeletons, with scarcely any life. In order therefore to prevent the profanation of good and truth, a man who is such that he does not suffer himself to be regenerated (which is foreseen by the Lord) is withheld from faith and charity, and is permitted to be in evil and from this in falsity, for then he cannot profane. (See what has been said and shown before about profanation, n. 301-303, 571, 582, 593, 1001, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402, 3489, 3898, 4289, 4601.)

Then profanedst thou it. That this signifies that if conjoined with evil faith is profane, is evident from what has been said just above (n. 6348).

He went up on my couch. That this signifies that it contaminated spiritual good in the natural, is evident from the signification of "going up on a couch," as being to contaminate by profaning (of which just above, n. 6348); and from the representation of Israel, on whose couch he went up, as being spiritual good in the natural (n. 6340).

Footnotes

6332-1 The Latin here is "de Ecclesia Coelesti Spiritualis, quae Josephus." Literally translated this would read, "Of the celestial of the spiritual church, which is Joseph." But this is ambiguous, and would by most readers be understood to refer to the celestial principle or degree of the spiritual church, whereas it really refers to the degree called "the celestial of the spiritual" which is represented by Joseph. This is clear in the Latin as it stands. In order therefore to avoid all obscurity it has seemed best to slightly vary the rendering, and thus make it clear, while also harmonizing it with the expression used by Swedenborg himself in n. 6417, where speaking of the very same thing he says that it signifies "the spiritual church." The "celestial of the spiritual" which is represented by Joseph is the highest part of the spiritual kingdom of heaven and of the spiritual church on earth, and therefore Joseph stands well for the spiritual church in general, as Judah does for the celestial church.