Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 12:7-8
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AC 1445. Verse 7. And Jehovah was seen of Abram, and said, To thy seed will I give this land. And there he built an altar to Jehovah, who was seen of him. "Jehovah was seen of Abram," signifies that Jehovah appeared to the Lord while yet a child; "and said, To thy seed will I give this land," signifies that celestial things should be given to those who should have faith in Him; "and there he built an altar to Jehovah, who was seen of him," signifies the first worship of His Father from the celestial of love.

AC 1446. Jehovah was seen of Abram. That this signifies that Jehovah appeared to the Lord while yet a child, is evident from the things that precede; also from the very representation of the Lord by Abram; and also from the order, in that He attained to celestial things, then to perception, from which there follows that Jehovah was seen.

AC 1447. And said, To thy seed will I give this land. That this signifies that celestial things should be given to those who should have faith in Him, is evident from the signification of "seed," and from the signification of "land." That "seed" signifies faith in the Lord, was shown above (n. 255, 256); and that "land" signifies celestial things, was also shown above, at (verse 1) of this chapter (n. 620, 636, 662, 1066). In the sense of the letter, by "the seed of Abram" is meant his posterity from Jacob, and by "land" is meant the land of Canaan itself, which would be given them for a possession, so that they might represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord’s kingdom and church, and that the Representative Church might be instituted among them, and because the Lord was to be born there; but in the internal sense nothing else is signified by "seed" than faith in the Lord, and by "land" nothing else than celestial things, and in the present passage that celestial things should be given those who should have faith in Him. What is meant by having faith in the Lord has already been shown repeatedly.

AC 1448. And there he built an altar to Jehovah who was seen of him. That this signifies the first worship of His Father from the celestial of love, is evident from the signification of "an altar," as being the principal representative of worship (n. 921).

AC 1449. Verse 8. And he removed from thence into the mountain on the east of Bethel, and spread his tent; having Bethel toward the sea, and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to Jehovah, and called on the name of Jehovah. "He removed from thence into the mountain on the east of Bethel," signifies the Lord‘s fourth state when a child, namely, the progression of the celestial things of love, signified by being transferred to a mountain on the east of Bethel; "and spread his tent," signifies the holy things of faith; "having Bethel toward the sea, and Ai on the east," signifies that His state was still obscure; "and there he built an altar to Jehovah," signifies the external worship of His Father from that state "and called on the name of Jehovah," signifies the internal worship of His Father from that state.

AC 1450. And he removed from thence into the mountain on the east of Bethel. That this signifies the Lord’s fourth state when a child, is evident from what precedes and from what follows, and also from the order itself. The order was that the Lord should first of all be imbued from infancy with the celestial things of love. The celestial things of love are love to Jehovah and love to the neighbor, and innocence itself in these. From these, as from the veriest fountains of life, flow all other things both in general and particular, for all other things are merely derivations. These celestial things are insinuated into man chiefly in his state of infancy up to childhood, and in fact without knowledges; for they flow in from the Lord, and affect him, before the man knows what love is and what affection is; as may be seen from the state of infants, and afterwards from the state of early childhood. These things in man are the remains which have been spoken of several times; and which are insinuated by the Lord and stored up for use in after life (n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 660, 661). As the Lord was born as are other men, He was also introduced according to order into celestial things, and in fact by degrees from infancy to childhood, and afterwards into knowledges; and how the case was with Him in regard to these is described in this verse, and is represented in what follows by Abraham‘s sojourn in Egypt.

AC 1451. That to be "removed into the mountain on the east of Bethel" signifies the progression of the celestial things of love, is evident from the signification of a "mountain," as being what is celestial, as has been shown above (n. 795, 796); and from the signification of "the east," as being Jehovah Himself as to love; for He is the East itself, as has also been shown above (n. 101, and elsewhere); and also from the signification of "Bethel," as being the knowledge of celestial things. Celestial things are insinuated into man both without knowledges, and with knowledges; celestial things without knowledges from infancy up to childhood, as said just above; but celestial things with knowledges from childhood onward to adult age. And as the Lord was to advance into the knowledges of celestial things, which are signified by "Bethel," it is here said that Abram passed over thence to a mountain on the east of Bethel.

AC 1452. And spread his tent. That this signifies the holy things of faith, is evident from the signification of a "tent," as being the holy of love, and consequently the holy of faith from love, as before shown (n. 414). That "he spread his tent," there signifies that this was now beginning.

AC 1453. Having Bethel toward the sea, and Ai on the East, signifies that the Lord’s state was still obscure, that is to say, in regard to the knowledges of celestial and spiritual things; for it is one thing to be in celestial things, and another to be in the knowledges of celestial things. Infants and children are in celestial things more than adults, because they are in love toward their parents, and in mutual love, and also in innocence; but adults are in the knowledges of celestial things more than infants and children, while very many of them are not in the celestial things of love. Before man is instructed in the things of love and faith, he is in an obscure state, that is, in regard to knowledges; which state is here described by having Bethel toward the sea, that is on the west, and Ai on the east. By "Bethel," as has been said, is signified the knowledges of celestial things; but by "Ai" the knowledges of worldly things. The knowledges of celestial things are said to be "on the west" when they are in obscurity, for in the Word "the west" signifies what is obscure; and the knowledges of worldly things are said to be "on the east" when they are in clearness, for relatively to the west, the east is clearness. That the west and the east have this signification needs no confirmation, for it is evident to every one without confirmation.

AC 1454. And he built an altar to Jehovah. That this signifies the external worship of His Father from that state, is evident from the signification of "an altar," as being the principal representative of worship (n. 921).

AC 1455. And called on the name of Jehovah. That this signifies the internal worship of His Father from that state, is evident from the signification of "calling on the name of Jehovah" (n. 440). Everybody can see that it is external worship to build an altar to Jehovah, and internal to call on the name of Jehovah.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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