128

ses, Go up hence, thou and the people, whom thou | Lord Himself, as likewise by Moses, Aaron, and hast caused to go up out of the land of Egypt, David. —A. Č. 10,396.

into the land which I have sworn to Abraham,

served.

514. Inasmuch as the tribe of Judah was of this character more than the other tribes, and at this day, as formerly, account the rituals holy, which may be observed out of Jerusalem, and also have a holy veneration for their fathers, and a particular reverence for the Word of the Old Testament, and inasmuch as it was foreseen that Christians would almost reject that Word, and would likewise defile its internal things with things profane, therefore that nation has been hitherto preserved, according to the Lord's words in Matthew, chap. xxiv. 34; it would have been otherwise if Christians, as they were acquainted with things internal, had also lived internal men; in this case that nation, like other nations, would before many ages have been cut off.-A. C. 3479.

The Error that the Jews are again to be
chosen.

Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To thy seed will I give Why the Jews have been to this day preit. I will not go up in the midst of thee, because thou art a stiff-necked people; lest I consume thee in the way. When the people heard this evil word, they mourned, and they laid aside every one his ornament from upon him; and Moses took the tent, and stretched it for himself without the camp, by removing far from the camp; and Moses said to Jehovah, See, Thou sayest unto me, Cause this people to go up, when Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me; now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in thine eyes, make known to me, I pray, thy way, that I may know concerning Thee, that I have found grace in thine eyes; see also that this nation is thy people. He said therefore, My faces shall go until I shall give thee rest," Exod. xxxiii. It is here said that Moses caused the people to go up out of the land of Egypt; also afterwards, that they laid aside their ornament, and mourned, and that Moses stretched his tent without the camp, 515. The temper of that nation is such, that and that so Jehovah assented; thus manifestly that they themselves were urgent. Again: "Je- above all other nations they adore things external, hovah said unto Moses, How far will this people thus idols, and are altogether unwilling to know anger Me? and how far will they not believe in any thing about things internal; for they are the Me, on account of all the signs which I have done most avaricious of all nations, and avarice, such as in the midst of them? I will smite them with theirs, with whom gold and silver is loved for the pestilence, and will extinguish them, and will sake of gold and silver, and not for the sake of make thee into a nation greater and stronger than any use, is an affection the most earthly, and which them. But Moses supplicated, and Jehovah, being draws down the mind altogether into the body and entreated, said, I will be propitious according to immerses it therein, and closes the interiors to thy word; nevertheless I live, and the whole earth such a degree, that it is impossible for any thing shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah. For as of faith and love from heaven to enter. Hence it to all the men who have seen my glory, and my is evident how much they are mistaken, who besigns, which I have done in Egypt, and in the wil-lieve that that nation will be again chosen, or that derness, yet have tempted Me these ten times, the church of the Lord will again pass to them, neither have obeyed my voice, if they shall see the land which I have sworn unto their fathers, all that have angered Me shall not see it; in this wilderness shall their bodies fall together; but their children I will bring in," Numb. xiv. From this passage also it is evident, that Jehovah willed to extinguish them, consequently not to establish a church amongst them, but that they were urgent, and therefore it was done.-A. C. 4290.

512. They were urgent that a church might be instituted among them, but this for no other end than to be distinguished above all nations in the universal globe, for they were in self love more than them, and they could not be lifted to eminence over them by any thing else, than by Jehovah being amongst them, thus also by the church being amongst them, for where Jehovah is, that is the Lord, there the church is. That this was the end, is manifest from several passages in the Word, as also from these words in this chapter: "Moses said, Wherein shall it be made known at any time, that I have found favor in thine eyes, I and thy people? Is it not in thy going with us, and our being rendered excellent, I and thy people, above every people which is on the faces of the ground?" verse 16.-A. C. 10,535.

Why the Jews are called in the Word a holy
People.

513. The reason why that people is called in
the Word the people of Jehovah, the chosen and
beloved nation, is, because by Judah is there meant
the celestial church, by Israel the spiritual church,
and by all the sons of Jacob something of the
church; also by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the

the rest being rejected; when yet it would be an easier matter to convert stones than them to faith in the Lord. It is believed that the church will again pass to them, because in the propheticals of the Word, it is said in many passages that they are to return: but it is not known that by Judah, in those passages, by Jacob, and by Israel, is not meant that nation, but those with whom the church is.-A. C. 8301.

516. Again, in Jeremiah: "Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith Jehovah, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people," xxxi. 27, 31, 33. By the days here spoken of as to come, and in which these things should take place, is evidently meant the coming of the Lord; wherefore it is not meant that a new covenant would then be made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, but with a new church about to be established by the Lord, which is meant by the house of Israel, and by the house of Judah, in whose inward parts the law was to be put, and in whose hearts it was to be written. That this did not take place with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, it is well known, for they entirely rejected all covenant with the Lord, in like manner as they do at this day. Covenant signifies conjunction with the Lord by love

to him, from which conjunction the law or divine | in many passages in the prophetic Wor where truth is put in them, both in doctrine and life, the captivity of the children of Israel and Judah, which is the law put in their inward parts, and and the bringing them back into their land are written in their hearts. To sow the house of Is- treated of. They also are here understood who rael and the house of Judah with the seed of man, were to be introduced from the earth into the and with the seed of beast, signifies to reform church, and thence into heaven, after the coming those who are of the new church, by the truths of the Lord, not only where the Christian religion is and goods pertaining to intelligence and affection; received, but also every where else. seed denoting truth, man intelligence, and beast 517. The two following passages may be sethe good of affection: that beast has this signifi- lected as examples of those from which the Jews cation, will be shown in what follows. Again, in persuade themselves, and from which also ChrisZechariah: "Yea, many people and strong na- tians believe, that the Jewish nation will return to tions shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jeru- the land of Canaan, and be saved in a special salem, and to pray before Jehovah. Thus saith manner. Thus, in Isaiah: "And they shall bring Jehovah of hosts; in those days it shall come to all your brethren for an offering unto Jehovah, out pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all lan- of all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and in guages of the nations, even shall take hold of the litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, as the with you; for we have heard that God is with you," children of Israel bring an offering in a clean viii. 22, 23. They who do not know that by a Jew vessel into the house of Jehovah. For as the new is understood those who are principled in love to heavens and the new earth which I will make, the Lord, and thence in truths of doctrine, may shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall easily be induced to believe that these things are your seed and your name remain," lxvi. 20, 22. said concerning the Jews, and their introduction By the new heaven and new earth are understood into the land of Canaan, and that all others who the heaven and the church to be formed of those desire to be saved shall then take hold of the who should be saved by the Lord, after the glorifiskirt of their raiment, praying that they may be cation of his humanity. The other passage is permitted to accompany them; but when it is found in the same prophet: "Thus saith the Lord known that these things are not said concerning Jehovah, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the any introduction into the land of Canaan and to Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: Jerusalem there, and that by a Jew are not under- and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and stood those who are of that nation, but that by thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Jerusalem is understood the new church to be es- And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their tablished by the Lord, and by a Jew, every one queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down who is principled in the good of love to the Lord, to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick and by the skirt of a Jew, truth derived from that up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that good, then it may be apprehended what all the cir- I am Jehovah; for they shall not be ashamed that cumstances related in that chapter signify, and these words in particular; for the subjects there treated of are the calling together and the accession of the Gentiles to the church, and by a Jew are understood those who acknowledge the Lord and love Him, and by taking hold of his skirt is signified the desire of knowing truth from him, and by ten men out of all the languages of the nations are understood all of whatever religion, ten men signifying all, and the languages of nations, their religious principles. From these considerations it is evident, how far they wander from the truth who believe that at the end of time the Jews will be converted to the Lord, and introduced into the land of Canaan. These are the same persons who believe that by land, by Jerusalem, by Israel, and by Judah, in the Word, are meant the land of Canaan, the city of Jerusalem, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation: but they who have hitherto so believed are to be excused, because they knew nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word, and were therefore ignorant that by the land of Canaan is signi- 518. That that nation would perish, if the Dified the church; by Jerusalem, the same as to vine should flow in with them, is evident. The doctrine; by Israel, those who are of the spiritual case herein is this: they who are in things external church; and by Judah, those who are of the ce- without an internal, thus in the loves of self and lestial church; likewise that where the introduc- of the world, are absolutely incapable of receiving tion of Judah and Israel into the land of Canaan, any thing divine; wherefore the internal with is treated of by the prophets, the introduction of them is kept closed: if the internal were opened the faithful into heaven and the church is under- with them, and the Divine flowed in, they would stood. This introduction took place, when the altogether perish; for their life is derived from Lord came into the world, for then all those who the loves of self and of the world, and there is a had lived in the good of charity, and worshipped perpetual opposition and contrariety between those God under a human form, and were reserved under loves and heavenly loves, and heavenly loves are heaven until the coming of the Lord, were intro- the Divine; wherefore from the influx of the Diduced into heaven after the Lord had glorified his vine their life would be extinguished. A. C. humanity. These are they who are understood 10,533.

wait for me,” xlix. 22, 23. Throughout the whole of this chapter the coming of the Lord is treated of, and also the salvation of those who receive him, as is evident from verses 6-9; consequently it is not the salvation of the Jews which is there treated of, much less their restoration to the land of Canaan. That the Jewish nation is not understood in the passages here adduced, may also appear from this circumstance, that it was the worst of all nations, and idolatrous in heart; and that they were not introduced into the land of Canaan, on account of any goodness and uprightness of heart, but on account of the promise made to their fathers, likewise that there were no truths and goods of the church with them, but only falsities and evils, and that they were therefore rejected and expelled from the land of Canaan; as is evident from all those passages in the Word, in which that nation is described. A. E. 433.

If the Internal were opened among the Jews they would perish.

Why the Jews were permitted to destroy other Nations.

519. That the Israelites and Jews destroyed the nations of the land of Canaan, was because the former represented spiritual and celestial things, and the nations represented infernal and diabolical things, which latter things can in no case be together with the former, for they are opposites. The reason why it was permitted them to destroy the nations was, because with them [the Israelites and Jews] there was not a church, but only the representative of a church, thus neither was the Lord present with them except only representatively; for they were in externals without an internal, that is, in worship representative of good and truth, but not in good and truth. To persons of such a character it is permitted to destroy, to kill, to give to slaughter and to the curse; but it is not permitted to those who are in externals and at the same time in internals, inasmuch as these must act from good, and good is from the Lord. That the Jews and Israelites were of such a character, Moses declares openly: "Say not in thine heart, when Jehovah thy God shall have driven the nations before thee, saying, on account of my justice Jehovah hath brought me to possess this land; not on account of thy justice and the rectitude of thy heart, because thou art a people stiff-necked," Deut. ix. 4, 5, 6. —A. C. 9320.

Wars, in the Word.

66

spiritual wars, inasmuch as there is nothing said in the Word which is not inwardly spiritual, for the Word is divine, and what proceeds from the Divine is spiritual, and is terminated in what is natural. That the ancients also had a Word both prophetical and historical, which is now lost, appears in Moses, Numb. xxi., where the prophetical parts thereof are mentioned, which are there called Enunciations, and the historical parts also, which are called the Wars of Jehovah, verses 14 and 27; those histories are called the wars of Jehovah, because thereby are signified the wars of the Lord with the hells, as is the case also with the wars in the histories of our Word. Hence now it is that enemies, adversaries, opposers, persecutors, insurgents, and moreover all arms of war, as the spear, the buckler, the shield, the sword, the bow, arrows, the chariot, and others mentioned in the Word, signify such things as appertain to combat and defence against the hells. Thus again in Moses: When thou goest out to war against the enemy, and seest the horse and the chariot, many people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them, because Jehovah thy God is with thee. The priest shall say to them, when they draw near to the battle, Ye approach this day to the battle against your enemies, let not your heart soften, neither fear ye, neither tremble, nor be dismayed before them, for Jehovah, your God, goeth with you, to fight for you with your enemies, and to keep you," Deut. xx. 1, 2, 3, 4. He who does not 520. Forasmuch as Jehovah, that is, the Lord, know that there is a spiritual sense in every part ' defends man from the hells, that is, from the evils of the Word may suppose that nothing of a more and falses which thence continually arise, there- interior nature is here understood than what apfore He is called Jehovah Zebaoth, that is, Jeho- pears in the letter; howbeit, by war, as well in vah of armies, and by armies are signified the this as other passages, is signified spiritual war, truths and goods of heaven, and thence of the and hence by horse, chariot, and much people, are church, in every complex, whereby the Lord re-signified the falses of religion in which they conmoves the hells in general, and with every one in fide, and from which they fight against the truths particular; hence it is that it is attributed to Jeho- of the church; by horse, are signified the falses vah, that He fights and maintains warfare as a of the understanding and reasonings thence dehero and man of war in battles, as may appear rived, by chariot, falses of doctrine, and by much from the following passages: thus in Isaiah: "Je- people, falses in general; whether we say falses, hovah Zebaoth descendeth to fight upon Mount or those who are principled in falses, it amounts to Zion, and upon the hill thereof," xxx. 4: and in the same: that they shall not be afraid of them, Zechariah: "Jehovah shall go forth and fight nor tremble, because they are in the truths of the against the nations, according to the day of His church from the Lord, and because the Lord is in fighting in the day of battle," xiv. 3: and in Isa- these truths with man, and so from them fights for iah: "Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, as a man man against the hells, which are understood by of war He shall stir up zeal, He shall prevail over enemies in the spiritual sense, therefore it is said, His enemies," xlii. 13: and in Moses: "The war because Jehovah God is with you, and goeth with of Jehovah against Amalek from generation to you to fight for you with your enemies, and to generation," Exod. xvii. 16. These things are keep you.-A. E. 734. See also 1277. said, because by Amalek are signified those falses of evil which continually infest the truths and goods of the church. Moreover by wars, in the historical parts of the Word, as well those which 521. When therefore the Israelitish nation were are related in the books of Moses, as those in the in external things without internal, and yet somebooks of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the Kings, thing of a church was to be instituted among are also signified spiritual wars; as the wars them, it was on this account provided by the Lord, against the Assyrians, Syrians, Egyptians, Philis- that still communication with heaven might be eftines, and, in the beginning, against the idolatrous fected by representatives, which were the external nations in the land of Canaan beyond and on this things of worship with that nation; but this comside Jordan; but what they signify in particular munication was miraculously effected. But two can only be known from a particular knowledge of things were requisite that this might be effected; the quality of evil and the false signified by the first, that the internal with them should be altoAssyrians, the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, also by gether closed up; and secondly, that they might the Egyptians, Syrians, Philistines, and the rest: be in a holy external when in worship: for when for all the people and nations who waged war with the internal is altogether closed up, then the inthe sons of Israel, represented the hells, which ternal of the church and of worship is neither dewere desirous to offer violence to the church rep- nied nor acknowledged, being as it were none; resented by the sons of Israel: nevertheless the and in this case a holy external may be given and wars actually took place as they are described, also be elevated, because nothing opposes and but still they represented, and thence signified, hinders. On this account also that nation was in

Why, after the Lord's Coming, the Jews were

rejected from the Land of Canaan.

plenary ignorance concerning things internal, which are the things of love and of faith in the Lord, and of life eternal by them. But as soon as the Lord came into the world, and revealed Himself, and taught love and faith in Himself, then that nation, inasmuch as they heard those things, began to deny them, and thus could no longer be kept in such ignorance as before; therefore they were then driven out of the land of Canaan, lest they should defile and profane internal things by denial in that land, where all places, from the most ancient times, were made representative of such things as relate to heaven and the church. On this account, so far as at this day they are acquainted with things internal, and confirm themselves intellectually against them, and deny them, so far they can no longer be in a holy external, since what is negative not only closes up the internal, but also takes away what is holy from the external, thus every thing communicative with heaven.-A. C. 10,500.

trine it is said that the Lord is the Savior of mankind, that there is a resurrection after death, that there is a heaven and a hell, still few believe it: inasmuch as such is the state of this Church, its consum:nation is not far off. A. C. 2243.

The Fourth, or Christian Church. 523. This church, namely, the Christian, in its essence is the same, as to internal form, with the representative church; but the representatives and significatives of that church were abrogated after the Lord came into the world, by reason that all and single things represented Him, and consequently those things which are of his kingdom, for these are from Him, and, to use the expression, are Himself. But between the most ancient church and the Christian, the difference is such as between the light of the sun by day, and the lumen of the moon and the stars by night; for to see goods by an internal or prior way, is like seeing in the day by the light of the sun, whereas to see by an exterConsummation of the above-named Churches. the lumen of the moon or stars. Nearly the like nal or posterior way, is like seeing in the night by 522. What consummation is, may be compre- difference was between the most ancient church hended from the different Churches; the Most and the ancient, only that they of the Christian Ancient Church, which was called Man, was the church were capable of being in a fuller lumen, if most celestial of all; this in process of time so they had acknowledged internal things, or had degenerated from the good of love, that at length believed and done the truths and goods which the nothing celestial was left remaining, and then was Lord taught. The good itself is the same to each, its consummation, which is described by the state but the difference is the seeing it in the clear or inof those before the flood. The Ancient Church, the obscure: they who see in the clear, see innuwhich was after the flood, and was called Noah, merable arcana, almost as the angels in heaven, and was less celestial; this also in process of time and are also affected with what they see: but they so departed from the good of charity, that nothing who see in the obscure, scarcely see any thing of charity was left remaining, for it was partly without a doubt, and also the things which they changed into magic, partly into idolatry, and partly see, mix themselves with shades of night, that is, into something dogmatic separate from charity, with falses; nor can they be interiorly affected and then was its consummation. Another church thereby. A. C. 4489. succeeded, which was called the Hebrew Church, and which was still less celestial and spiritual, exercising a sort of holy worship which consisted in external rites; this Church in process of time was variously deformed, and that external worship was changed into idolatrous worship, and then was its consummation. A fourth Church was afterwards restored amongst the posterity of Jacob, which had nothing celestial and spiritual, but only its representative; wherefore that Church was a Church representative of things celestial and spiritual, for they did not know what their rites represented and signified: but it was instituted, in order that there night still be some connection between man and heaven, such as exists between the representatives of good and truth, and good and truth itself. This Church at length so fell away into falses and evils, that every rite became idolatrous, and then was its consummation. Wherefore, after this successive decay of the Churches, when in the last of them the connection between mankind and heaven was altogether broken asunder, insomuch that mankind must have perished because there was no Church, as a medium of connection, and bond of union; then the Lord came into the world, and by the uniting of the Divine Essence with the human in Himself, He joined heaven with earth, and at the same time established a new Church, which was called the Christian Church, which at first was in the good of faith, and the members lived in charity among themselves as brethren; but this Church, in process of time, and through the operation of divers causes, fell away, and at this day is become such, that it is not even known that the fundamental of faith is love to the Lord, and charity towards the neighbor; and although from doc

524. The Christian church is one with the church instituted with the Jews, only the latter was external, but the former was internal. — A. C. 4868.

525. The Lord abolished the representatives themselves because the greatest part of them had respect to Himself, for the image must vanish when the effigy itself appears. He established therefore a new church, which should not be led, as the former, by representatives to things internal, but which should know them without representatives; and in the place thereof he enjoined only some external things, namely baptism and the holy supper; baptis n that by it they might remember regeneration, and the holy supper that they might thereby remember the Lord and his love toward the universal human race, and the reciprocal [love] of man to Him.-A. C. 4904.

526. It is known in the church, that all the worship amongst the Israelitish and Jewish nation was merely external, and that it shadowed forth th internal worship which the Lord opened, and that thus worship, before the coming of the Lord, consisted in types and figures, which represented tru worship in its just effigy. The Lord himsel, indeed, appeared amongst the ancients; for I}] · said to the Jews, "Abraham, your father, exulted that he might see my day, and he saw and rejoiced; I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am." John viii. 56, 58. But because the Lord then was only represented, which was done by means of angels, therefore all the things of the church with them were made representative; but after He cam into the world, those representations vanished; the interior reason of which was, because the Lord, in the world, put on also the Natural Divine, and