Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 35:27-29
[2] As regards the conjunction of the natural and the rational treated of in the following verses, be it known that the rational receives truths and goods sooner and more easily than the natural (n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3368, 3498, 3513). For the rational is purer and more perfect than the natural, because it is interior or higher, and viewed in itself it is in the light of heaven, to which it is adapted. This is the reason why the rational receives the things of this light (namely, truths and goods, or what is the same, the things of intelligence and wisdom), sooner and more easily than the natural. But the natural is grosser and more imperfect, because it is exterior or lower, and viewed in itself it is in the light of the world; which light has nothing of intelligence and wisdom within it except in so far as it receives it through the rational from the light of heaven. The influx of which the learned of the present day speak, is nothing else.
[3] But with the natural the case is this: From the earliest infancy and childhood the natural receives its quality from the things which flow in from the world through the external senses, and by and from these the man acquires an intellectual. But as he is then in the delights of the love of self and of the world, and consequently in cupidities, both from inheritance and from actual life, the intellectual which he then acquires is filled with such things, and whatever favors his delights he then regards as goods and truths, and the result is that the order of the goods and truths in the natural is inverted, or is opposite to heavenly order. When the man is in this state, the light of heaven does indeed flow in through the rational, for it is from this that he has the ability to think, to reason, to speak, and to act becomingly and as a good citizen in the outward form; but still the things which are of light, and that conduce to his eternal happiness, are not in the natural, because the delights which rule there are repugnant to them, for the delights of the love of self and of the world are in themselves diametrically opposite to the delights of the love of the neighbor, and consequently to those of love to the Lord. The man may indeed know the things of light or of heaven, but he cannot be affected with them, except in so far as they conduce to his winning honors and gaining wealth, and thus except in so far as they favor the delights of the love of self and of the world.
[4] From this it may appear that the order in the natural is wholly inverted, or opposite to heavenly order, and therefore when the light of heaven flows in through the rational into the natural, it must needs be either reflected back, or suffocated, or perverted Hence then it is that the natural must be regenerated before it can he conjoined with the rational. For when the natural has been regenerated, the things which flow in from the Lord through heaven, thus through the rational into the natural, are received, because they agree. For the natural is nothing else than a receptacle of good and truth from the rational, or through the rational from the Lord. By the natural is meant the external man, which is also called the natural man, and by the rational is meant the internal man. These things have been premised in order that it may be known how the case is with what follows, in which the subject treated of is the conjunction of the natural with the rational.
. To Mamre Kiriath-arba. That this signifies its state, is evident from the signification of "Mamre," as being the quality and quantity of that to which it is adjoined (n. 2970); and from the signification of "Kiriath-arba, as being the church as to truth (n. 2909), thus truth. Hence by "Mamre Kiriath-arba" is signified the state of the natural as to truth, and by "Hebron" its state as to good, of which below. . This is Hebron. That this signifies the state when they were conjoined, is evident from the signification of "Hebron," as being the good of the church (n. 2909), here the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine natural; for those things which in the internal sense signify something of the church, in the supreme sense signify something of the Lord‘s Divine, for the reason that all that which makes the church is from the Lord. That "Hebron" signifies the state when they were conjoined (namely, the rational and the natural), is because Isaac was there, by whom is represented the Lord’s Divine rational; and Jacob came thither, by whom is represented His Divine natural, and by his coming thither is signified conjunction (n. 4612). It is said, "Mamre Kiriath-arba, this is Hebron," because the Divine natural is conjoined with the good of the rational by means of good, for Isaac represents the Lord‘s Divine rational as to good (n. 3012, 3194, 3210), whereas Rebekah represents it as to truth (n. 3012, 3013, 3077), and Rebekah is not here mentioned. . Where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. That this signifies Divine life together, is evident from the signification of "sojourning," as being life (n. 1463, 2025); and from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine Itself (n. 1989, 2011, 3245, 3251, 3439, 3703, 4206, 4207); and from the representation of Isaac, as being His Divine rational (n. 1893, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630, 2774, 3012, 3194, 3210, 4180). As the conjunction of the Divine natural with the Divine rational is the subject here treated of, Abraham and Isaac are named, and it is said that they "sojourned" there, in order that Divine life together may be signified, that is, together with the Divine natural, which is "Jacob." And because the Divine Itself, the Divine rational, and the Divine natural are one in the Lord, it is therefore said, "where also Abraham and Isaac sojourned (peregrinatus)" in the singular, and not (peregrinati) in the plural. . And the days of Isaac were. That this signifies the state of the Divine rational at this time, is evident from the signification of "days," as being states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785); and from the representation of Isaac as being the Divine rational (n. 4615). . A hundred years and eighty years. That this signifies the quality of the state, may be seen from the fact that all numbers in the Word signify things (n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1965, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495); thus a "hundred years and eighty years" signify the quality of the thing, or the quality of the state which is treated of. That a "hundred" denotes a full state may be seen above (n. 2636), and "eighty," temptation (n. 1963), here, by means of temptations; besides other things which cannot be known For numbers have their signification from the more simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication, as this number from twelve and fifteen, and also from others still more simple. . And Isaac expired and died. That this signifies resuscitation in the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of "expiring and dying," as being resuscitation (n. 3326, 3498, 3505) For when it is related in the Word that anyone "died," the signification in the internal sense is the last of him and something new in another, thus continuation, as when it is related of the kings of Judah and Israel that they "died," or of the high priests that they "died," in the internal sense this denotes the end of the representation by them, and the continuation of it in another, thus resuscitation. Moreover they who are in the other life, and are with man when these things are being read, do not receive any idea of death, because there they do not know anything about dying. Hence instead of this they perceive continuance in another. Moreover when man dies, he dies only as to his bodily part, which had served him for uses on earth, and continues his life as to his spirit in a world where bodily things are no longer of any use.[2] The reason why by Isaac‘s expiring and dying is signified resuscitation in the Divine natural, is that the rational has no life unless the natural corresponds to it (n. 3493, 3620, 3623). It is the same as with the sight of the eye unless this has objects outside of itself which it sees, it perishes; and it is the same with the other senses. The case is also the same if the objects are altogether contrary, for these induce death; and it is the same as with the vein of a spring whose waters have no outflow, causing the spring to be choked. And it is the same also with the rational unless there is reception of its light in the natural, its sight perishes, for the knowledges in the natural are the objects of sight to the rational; and if these objects are contrary to the light, that is, to the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, the sight of the rational also perishes, for it cannot flow into things contrary to itself. Hence it is that with those who are in evils and falsities the rational is closed, so that no communication with heaven is open through it except only as it were through chinks, in order that there may be the capacity of thinking, of reasoning, and of speaking. Consequently, in order that the natural may be conjoined with the rational, it must be prepared for the reception of it, which is effected by the Lord by means of regeneration; and then, when it is conjoined, the rational lives in the natural; for as before said the rational sees its objects in the natural, just as does the sight of the eye in the objects of the world.
[3] The rational has indeed a life in itself that is distinct from the life of the natural; but still the rational is in the natural like a man in his house, or like the soul in its body. The case is also the same with the heavens. The inmost or third heaven does indeed live distinct from the heavens which are below it, and yet unless there were a reception in the second or middle heaven, its wisdom would be dissipated. In like manner unless there were reception of the light and intelligence of this heaven in the lowest or first heaven, and of this finally in man’s natural, the intelligence of these heavens also would be dissipated, unless it were provided by the Lord that there should be reception elsewhere. Therefore the heavens have been so formed by the Lord that the one serves the other for reception; and finally man as to his natural and sensuous serves for the lowest reception, for herein the Divine is in the ultimate of order, and passes into the world. If therefore the ultimate agrees or corresponds with the things that are prior, the prior things are then together in the ultimate; for the things which are ultimate are receptacles of those which are prior to themselves, and therein all the successives are together. Hence it is evident what is meant by resuscitation in the Divine natural.
. And was gathered unto his peoples. That this signifies that it was now among the things which are of the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of "being gathered unto his peoples," as being, in regard to representatives, that this one is treated of no longer (n. 3255, 3276); thus here that it is among the things which are of the Divine natural (n. 4618). When anyone died the ancients said that "he was gathered to his peoples," and thereby meant in the proximate sense that he was among his own in the other life. For during his bodily life every man is as to his spirit in company with spirits and angels, and also comes among the same after death (n. 1277, 2379). This is what was meant by the "peoples" to whom he is gathered But in the internal sense of the Word, where the goods and truths of the church or of the Lord‘s kingdom are treated of, by "being gathered to one’s people" is signified to be among the truths and goods which agree or correspond. All the heavenly societies are in truths and goods, but as the truths and goods there are related as by the relationships and connections of earth, with every shade of difference (n. 685, 917, 3815, 4121), therefore their "peoples" are the truths in which are the concordant societies, or the societies which are in these truths. "Peoples" denote truths, (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581). . Old and sated of days. That this signifies newness of life, is evident from the signification of "old," as being the putting off of a former state and the putting on of a new one (n. 2198, 3016, 3254, 3492), here therefore newness of life; and from the signification of "sated of days," as being a full state. . And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. That this signifies that it rose again in the good and good of truth of the natural, is evident from the signification of "being buried," as being resurrection (n. 2916, 2917), and as being a state of representation resuscitated in another (n. 3256); from the representation of Esau, as being the Lord‘s Divine natural as to good (n. 3302, 3576, 4241); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the Lord’s Divine natural as to the good of truth (n. 4273, 4337, 4538). From all this and from what was said above (n. 4618) it is manifest that by Esau and Jacob his sons burying him is signified that it rose again in the good and good of truth of the natural. That "being buried" is in the internal sense rising again, is because when the body has died the soul rises again. Hence when "burial" is mentioned in the Word the angels do not think of the body which is cast off, but of the soul which rises again; for they are in spiritual ideas, thus in the things that belong to life; and therefore all things that belong to death in the natural world, signify such things as belong to life in the spiritual world.