Spiritual Summary of GENESIS 19    previous  -  next  -  text  -  details  -  Genesis  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AC 2312. In this chapter, in the internal sense, by "Lot‘s is described the state of the Spiritual Church which is in the good of charity but in external worship: how in course of time it declines.

AC 2313. The First State of that church: that they are in the good of charity and acknowledge the Lord, and that from Him they are confirmed in good (verses 1 to 3); and are saved (verse 12). The Second State: that with them evils begin to act against goods, but they are powerfully withheld from evils and kept in goods by the Lord (verses 14 to 16). Their weakness is described (verse 17); that they are saved (verse 19). The Third State: that they no longer think and act from the affection of good, but from the affection of truth (verses 18 to 20); and that they are saved (verse 23). The Fourth State: that the affection of truth perishes, which is Lot’s wife becoming a pillar of salt (verse 26). The Fifth State: that an impure good, or a good of falsity, succeeds, which is Lot in the cave of the mountain (verse 30). The Sixth State: that even this good is still more adulterated and falsified (verses 31 to 33); and the truth likewise (verses 34, 35). That therefrom there is conceived and born a certain semblance of a church whose good, so called, is "Moab," and whose truth, also so called, is the "son of Ammon" (verses 36 to 38).

AC 2314. Further: in the internal sense, by the "inhabitants of Sodom" is described the state of those within the same church who are against the good of charity, and how in course of time evil and falsity increase with them until they have nothing but evil and falsity.

AC 2315. Their First State: that they are against the good of charity and against the Lord (verses 4, 5). Their Second State: that although informed concerning the good of charity and concerning the delights of its affections which they should enjoy, they are obstinate and reject good (verses 6 to 8). That they also endeavor to destroy the very good of charity itself, but that the Lord protects it (verses 9, 10). The Third State: that at last they become such that they cannot even see truth and good, still less that truth leads to good (verse 11). That they are possessed by evil and falsity, so that they cannot but perish (verse 13). The Fourth State: their destruction (verse 24); and that all goods and truths are separated from them (verse 25).

AC 2316. That the good are separated from the evil, and that the good are saved through the Lord‘s Human made Divine (verses 27-29).