LEVITICUS 25
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Leviticus Chapter 25

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

1. There is instruction to the spiritual man that in the completed state of love to the Lord there is rest and peace, which is preceded by a full state of conflict against evil and victory over it, and in which the natural man enjoys its legitimate delights, vers. 1-7.
2. And as with the spiritual man, so with the celestial; in the completed state of regeneration he enters into a more intensified state of good and truth, in which there is perfect liberty, in which each yet comes into the possession of his own particular good, in which there is perfect justice, in which there is a full supply of all the necessaries of life, and in which he cannot be deprived of his good, because he is kept in it and delivered from evil by the Lord, vers. 8-24.
3. Concerning various laws which are to be observed by man during regeneration in order that he may be duly prepared to enter into the perfect heavenly state, all of which have reference to his fluctuating states, and thus to the alienation and redemption of truth and good with him in many different circumstances, vers. 25-55.

1.  The Lord speaking to Moses in Mount Sinai and saying denotes that there is revelation from the Lord by Divine Truth proceeding from Divine Good, 2001, 2951, 7010, 1822, 8399.

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2.  Speaking to the children of Israel, and saying to them, denotes influx with the man of the Spiritual Church, and also instruction, 2951, 10355; coming into the land given by the Lord denotes entering into the heavenly state, 3705; and keeping a Sabbath to the Lord denotes a state of rest and peace, 87.

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3.  Sowing the field and pruning the vineyard six years, and gathering the fruit thereof, denotes that this is preceded, while man is being regenerated, by a full state of conflict against evil, involving temptations as to the will, during which the knowledges of good are cultivated; and as to the understanding, during which the knowledges of truth are imbibed, and good works are performed from a principle of charity, 8888, 737, 9272-3, 9277.

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4.  In the seventh year there being a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord, the field not being sown and the vineyard not being pruned, denotes that when these states are completed the heavenly reception of good from the love thereof gives rest and peace, which is entirely from the Divine Love, neither does man then proceed from a state of truth to a state of good, either as to the Internal or External, 9274, 9272, 9277.

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5.  Not reaping that which grows of itself, and not gathering the grapes of the undressed vine, it being a year of solemn rest for the land, denotes that in this state neither does man appropriate any affection which springs from selfish love, nor any truth which is acquired from self-derived intelligence, because the state is one of perfect freedom from temptations, 9278, 9279.

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6.  By the Sabbath of the land being for food is denoted that good itself produces truths which nourish the soul, because the Sabbath signifies a state of good which is formed by truths, 8889; and good and truth are man's genuine spiritual food, 680; by " you " is denoted the spiritual man himself, and thus the Internal, ver. 2, 3654; by the servant and the maid are denoted the interior understanding and will, 2541, 2567; by a hired servant is denoted one who does good for the sake of reward, but in this case the exterior will of good, because used in a good sense, 8002; and by the stranger sojourning, or by the foreign resident sojourning, is denoted one who is a foreigner, but at the same time under instruction, and thus the exterior understanding, 8002.

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7.  By the cattle are denoted the sensual affections, 6049; by the beasts, or the living creatures that are in the land, are denoted corporeal affections, 46; it is said "sensual" and "corporeal" according to the series; and by all the increase thereof being for food is denoted that all the affections named enjoy their abundance of pleasures and delights in due subordination, 680.

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8.  Numbering seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and there being the days of seven sabbaths of years, even forty and nine years, denotes that the quality of the heavenly state of the man of the Celestial Church, 8802, is a more intensified state of good, internal and external, and also a more intensified state of truth, internal and external, as appears from the signification of the number seven, as denoting what is holy, 716; of years, as denoting states in particular, and of days, as denoting states in general, thus of the first twofold expression as relating to the internal man, and of the second as relating to the external, since they who are in internals are in particulars, and they who are in externals are in generals, 488, 3513, 3739; of the two pairs of double expressions, as denoting what relates to the will and understanding respectively, 683; and of forty-nine, like ninety-nine, as denoting incipient conjunction, 1988, 2252.

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9.  Sending abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month denotes that thence the general perception of celestial good, or of love to the Lord, is derived to the spiritual man, 716, 8802, 2075, 851; and doing this on the day of atonement denotes when by the removal of evil the external man is brought into harmony with the internal, for then the perception of truth accompanies the perception of celestial good, 10042 II., 8802; while by ten is denoted a full state of remains, 3107, and by the seventh month is denoted a state of charity conjoined with faith, 851.

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10.  Hallowing the fiftieth year, and proclaiming liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof, denotes that then indeed is celestial love in its fullness and holiness, in which a state of perfect freedom prevails throughout the heavens, 2252, 8042, 892; it being a jubilee denotes "resulting from the marriage of good and truth in the inmost heaven," 8802; and returning every man to his possession, and every man to his family, denotes from which comes to each the realization of his own specific truth and good, 2028-9, 7833, 3239.

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11.  The fiftieth year being a jubilee denotes that in the middle heaven also is charity received in its fullness, 2252; not sowing nor reaping denotes that in this state there is no procedure from truth to good, 9274, 9272, 9277; and not reaping what grows of itself, nor gathering the grapes of the undressed vines, denotes no appropriation of merely natural good either as to the will or understanding, because the corn denotes good, 3580; the undressed vine denotes evidently truth without good, 1071, and gathering denotes appropriation, 9273.

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12.  It is a jubilee denotes that this is true also of the ultimate heaven, 2252; the inmost good of this heaven is the love of obedience, 9812; it being holy denotes the conjunction of good and truth in the life, 2146; and eating the increase thereof out of the field denotes that the man of that heaven appropriates that good when he practises the truth thereof, 2187, 3310.

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13.  In this year of jubilee every man returning to his possession denotes that, in this fullness of perfect love, in each heaven every one enjoys to eternity his own particular good, 2028, 2029, 7833, 3239.

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14.  Selling and buying anything, and not wronging one another, denotes that although good is communicated and received, mutually and reciprocally, there is no loss to any individual, 5886, 2967, 9196.

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15.  According to the number of years after the jubilee, buying of your neighbour, denotes that according to the quality of good in regeneration by the marriage of good and truth in his Inmost is each capable of enjoying the good of all, 10217, 8802, 2967; and according to the number of the years of the crops his selling to you denotes that according to each man's reception of good and truth conjoined from the Lord is he capable of communicating good to all, 10217, 5212, 5886.

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16.  According to the multitude of the years increasing the price thereof, and according to the fewness of the years diminishing it, denotes that according to the state of truth with each individual from his good is his power of use to the whole heaven, 6172, 6285, 2966-7; and "for the number of the crops does he sell to you " denotes that the quality of the truth with every one is according to his good, 10217, 5212, 5886.

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17.  Not wronging one another denotes that no one in heaven acts unjustly, 9196; fearing your God denotes to act according to truth from good, 2826⁵; and "I am the Lord your God" denotes that with him truth is the expression of his good, even as the Human of the Lord is the expression of the Divine, 2001, 3049.

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18.  Doing the Lord's statutes denotes that external worship is to be exactly according to internal, 2001, 7884; keeping His judgements and doing them denotes the same, the former statement having relation to the external man, and the latter to the internal, 8357; and dwelling in the land in safety denotes to be free from any encroachment of falsity, 4480, 10160.

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19.  The land yielding her fruit denotes that there is in the heavens no lack of uses, 3705, 7690; eating fully denotes that every one appropriates good from the Lord in all fullness, 2187; and dwelling therein safely denotes that no one is in danger from the incursion of evil, 4480, 10160, 683.

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20.  "And if we shall say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow nor gather in our increase," denotes that although, indeed, the angels are conscious in their state of good that they cannot receive it or appropriate it of themselves, because by "if we shall say" is signified the perception of the good man or the angel, 1822; "what shall we eat" signifies the thought with them that they cannot appropriate good of themselves, 2187; "in the seventh year" denotes in their full state of good, 9274; and not sowing nor gathering in denotes that of themselves they neither acquire truth nor appropriate good, 9272, 9273.

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21.  The Lord commanding His blessing in the sixth year, and it bringing forth fruit for three years, denotes that they also know that they have conjunction with the Lord by influx and correspondence, 5486, 3514, 3017, through the work of regeneration and the purification that follows, 8888, 8891, and are convinced that they are capable of doing good from the Lord in every state of their angelic life, 913.

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22.  By the eighth year is denoted that their eternal life is continually renewed from the Lord, 2044, 9227; by sowing and eating of the fruits is denoted that hence they have power to cultivate truths and appropriate good from Him, 9272, 2187; by the old store is denoted the good of remains from the Lord to eternity, 5299, 5370, 1854; by the ninth year is denoted threefold conjunction with the Lord, 2075, 2788¹⁰; and by eating the old store until the fruits come in is denoted that good is perpetually communicated by the Lord, 913, 5299, 5370, l854.

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23.  The land not being sold in perpetuity denotes that good received in heaven from the Lord can never be alienated, 3705, 4758; the land being the Lord's denotes that good is continually the gift of the Lord, 3705; and the children of Israel being strangers and sojourners with Him denotes that the angels continually receive all good internal and external from Him, 8002.

    It is to be observed here that the Hebrew words rendered in the text "strangers and sojourners" are in the last reference translated "sojourners and foreign residents," and that as sojourners were in closer relationship with the Israelites than foreign residents, since the former were under instruction and the latter were not, therefore the sojourners denote what is respectively internal, and the foreign residents what is respectively external.

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24.  Granting a redemption for the land in all the land of your possession denotes that in all the heavens this is acknowledged by them; and also that they are continually withheld from evil and kept in good by the Lord, 3705, 8002, 2966, 10218.

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25.  "If your brother be waxen poor " denotes when with the man of the Spiritual Church truth is deficient, although he may be in good, 2360, 9209⁷; selling some of his possessions denotes the alienation of good and truth, for the time being, in states of temptation, 3705, 4758; it is said in states of temptation for the time being because good from the Lord is not really alienated with him who is being regenerated, ver. 23; and his next of kin coming and redeeming that which his brother had sold denotes protection and preservation by the Lord by virtue of the principle of good and the restoration of alienated truth or good through victory in temptation, 37032, 2937, 2966.

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26.  "If a man have no one to redeem it" denotes one who is not in the principle of good, 37032; becoming rich denotes to be furnished with abundance of truths, 10227; and finding sufficient to redeem it denotes through which afterwards he does the work of repentance, and thus becomes actually receptive of good from the Lord, 2937, 2966, 10152.

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27.  Counting the years of the sale thereof denotes that the quality of his good will be according to the quality of the truths implanted in good by regeneration, 10217, 3705, 4758, 2937; restoring the surplus to the man to whom he sold it denotes the acknowledgement that the good of which the Lord had made him capable, and which he had alienated, is really from the Lord alone, through those in the heavenly society who had in the meantime preserved it in its general form, 9087, 9097, 2966, 3705, 4758; and "he shall return to his possession" denotes that he will come fully into his own specific good, 3705.

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28.  Not being able to get it back for himself denotes that his state is such that regeneration is delayed, 9087, 9097, 2966, 3705; that which he has sold denotes what has been alienated, and continues to be alienated, through defect of truths, 4758; that which he has sold remaining in the hand of him that bought it until the year of jubilee denotes that then such alienated truth or good shall be preserved by the Lord for him until revelation is made in consequence of the full conjunction of good and truth in his inmost degree, 3705, 4758, 878, 2964, 2966, 8802; and it going out in the jubilee, and his returning to his possession, denotes that on account of that conjunction good shall flow in from that Lord, and truth shall be enjoyed therewith in the external man, 8802, 2028, 2029, 7833, 3239.

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29.  A man selling a dwelling-house in a walled city denotes the alienation of good with any one established in the doctrine of the church by which he is defended, 2233, 4758, 402, 6419; having power to redeem it for a whole year after it is sold denotes that by victory in temptation he may recover that state of good while he is in the state of probation, although it has been alienated, 2966, 2906, 4758; and having the right of redemption for a full year denotes because he is still in the liberty of choice between good and evil, 2966, 2906, 683. Observe here that the liberty of choice between good and evil appertains only to the state of probation denoted by the full year, HH 479, 480.

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30.  Not being redeemed within the space of a year denotes redemption not effected in the probationary state, 2966, 2906; the house in that walled city being made sure in perpetuity to him that bought it throughout his generations denotes that that good shall be confirmed to him who by regeneration acquired it, 2232, 6419, 402, 984, 2964, 1041; and it not going out in the jubilee denotes that good cannot be appropriated in the Judgement by him who alienated or rejected, 8802.

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31.  The houses of the villages which have no wall round about them being reckoned with the fields of the country denotes that those who are in good outside the church, and who are not protected by true doctrine, are among the Gentiles who are in good, 2233, 3271, 7407, 620; and their being redeemed and going out in the jubilee denotes that such persons are capable of instruction in truths when revelation is made in the Judgement, because with them good is conjoined with truth in the inmost degree, 2966, 8802.

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32.  The cities of the Levites denote truths derived from good, 402, 6716; the houses of the cities of their possession denote good which is embodied in truth, 2233, 402, 6716; and the Levites redeeming them at any time denotes that they are continually in the capacity of redeeming alienated truth and good, 6716, 2966, 3705, 2233, 9150.

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33.  One of the Levites redeeming denotes wherever good is active by truth, 6716, 2966; the house that was sold and the city of his possession going out in the jubilee denotes that then in the Judgement, when good is fully conjoined to truth inmostly, both alienated good and alienated truth are restored, 2233, 402, 2029, 2966, 8802; and the houses of the cities of the Levites being their possession among the children of Israel denotes that good which is embodied in truth, when confirmed, is the essential life of the man of the Spiritual Church, 2233, 402, 6716, 2028, 2029, 3654.

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34.  The field of the suburb of their cities not being sold because it is their perpetual possession denotes that external good with him who is internally in truth and good fully conjoined cannot be alienated by ascribing it to himself; for he perceives that it is entirely from the Lord, 7407, 6078, 402, 4758, 6148, 2029.

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35.  "If your brother be waxen poor and his hand fail with you " denotes those in the external church who are deficient in truths, and thus lack power to do good, 1222, 2360, 9209, 878; to uphold him clearly denotes to support him, 3901², 6343; and living as a stranger and a sojourner denotes that in the meantime such persons either act from natural good without truths, or are in the course of instruction in good and truth, 8002.

    According to what is said in the note under ver. 23, we ought to read in this verse, "a sojourner and a stranger, or foreign resident," instead of "a stranger and a sojourner," which, of course, would reverse the statement of the internal sense; that is, "such persons are either in the course of instruction in good and truth, or act from natural good without truths." Certainly the context, in the spiritual sense, seems to require that, both here and in ver. 23, what is relatively internal should precede what is relatively external.

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36.  Taking no usury of him, nor increase, denotes that good is not to be done for the sake of reward, or from worldly and selfish motives, 9210; fearing your God denotes that the external man is to be aided from a sense of holy fear grounded in love and truth, 2826; and "that your brother may live with you" denotes in order that harmony may be maintained, 1222, 290.

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37.  Not giving him your money upon usury, nor giving your victuals for increase, denotes that it is unlawful to do good for the sake of reward either from worldly or selfish motives, 9210.

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38.  "I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God," denotes because the Lord acts from pure love and truth, and has redeemed the spiritual man from all such motives, in order that he may receive good from the Lord, and thereby also truth, 2001, 2966, 3705.

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39.  "If your brother be waxen poor with you and sell himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a bond-servant," denotes that the external man which is without truth is not to be controlled, when he submits himself to the spiritual man, merely from selfish motives, 1222, 9209, 6142, 6143, 8974.

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40.  Being with his master as a hired servant and a sojourner, or, more correctly, as a hired servant and a foreign resident, denotes that although even in religion he acts for the sake of reward, or from natural disposition only, 8002; and serving until the year of jubilee denotes that this is permitted for the time being, and may continue during the state of probation, 8802.

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41.  His going out at the jubilee, he and his children with him, denotes that when good and truth are fully conjoined in the inmost with the spiritual man, then the natural man shall be free as to good and as to truth, 8802, 489, 2966; and returning to his own family and to the possessions of his fathers denotes that, like the spiritual man, he will act from spiritual motives as to both will and understanding, 7833, 3239, 2028, 2029.

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42.  Being the Lord's servants, which He brought forth out of the land of Egypt; and not being sold as bondmen, denotes that the natural man is redeemed by the Lord from merely natural affection, and ought not to be alienated and governed by the spiritual man from selfish love, 7038, 8866, 4758, 8974.

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43.  Not ruling over him with rigour, but fearing your God, denotes that he is not to be governed by truth apart from good, but by truth conjoined with good, 6148, 4180.

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44.  By bondmen and bondmaids of the nations round about are denoted natural powers and affections which are evil, 8890, 1868; and by buying of them for bondmen and bondmaids is denoted that such may be controlled by the fear of punishment, 7998, 7999, 3718.

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45.  By the children of the strangers that sojourn are denoted those in falsities from the evils of the natural man, and who are under instruction, 1147, 8002; by "of them shall you buy and of their families which are with you, which they have begotten in your land," denotes that such may be controlled by an appeal to their selfish fears and motives, 7998, 7999, 3718, 1215, 1145, 1708; and by their being a possession is denoted that they may be the means of promoting good and truth which are received by connection with the church; and that thus such persons may in the meantime be subordinate, 2028, 2029.

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46.  Making them an inheritance for their children after them denotes that thus, too, in the course of regeneration, the natural affections may be controlled by the spiritual powders, and may become truly subordinate, 1799, 1802; "of them shall you take your bondmen for ever" denotes that, indeed, the natural powers are continually subordinate, 2567⁷; and not ruling over your brethren the children of Israel, one over another with rigour, denotes that the natural powers which are subordinate willingly from spiritual motives are not to be controlled from selfish motives, or from truth without good, 4286, 6148, 4180.

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47.  By a sojourner a stranger, or by a sojourner a foreign resident, is denoted one who is under instruction, and is thus in truth without good, and at the same time acts from natural disposition only, 8002; to be waxen rich denotes to have abundance of the knowledges of good and truth, 10227; a brother denotes the man of the external church, 1222; to be waxen poor denotes to be deficient in truths, 10227; and selling himself to the sojourner, the stranger, denotes that thus good and truth are alienated, and evils and falsities have power, through such natural dispositions prevailing, 4758.

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48.  "After that he is sold, he may be redeemed; one of his brethren may redeem him," denotes that yet redemption is possible to those who thus suffer; for they may be saved by obedience to the truth of simple good which they love, 4758, 2966, 1222.

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49.  His uncle or his uncle's son denotes collateral external good or truth, 3612, 489; any that is near of kin denotes any kind of good which is congenial "to their state, 3703²; " if he be waxen rich" denotes that if the knowledges of truth and good increase with them, 10227; and being redeemed denotes deliverance from evil through the application of the truth to life, 2966.

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50.  Reckoning with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the year of jubilee denotes that such redemption is to be worked out in the course of regeneration during the state of probation, 10217, 2937, 4758, 8802, 2252; the price of his sale being according to the number of years denotes that the quality of their life will be according to the good of truth in successive states, 2966; and according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him denotes according to the predominance of selfish motives in the acquisition of good will be the delay, 8002.

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51.  If there be many years, his giving back, according to them, the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for, denotes that according to these influences they will acknowledge that they were delivered from evil and kept in good by means of Divine Truths freely given to them by the Lord, 2966, 10217.

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52.  And if there remain but a few years to the year of jubilee, reckoning with him according to them the price of his redemption, denotes that if his state be such that the full conjunction of truth with good is less remote, their quality will still be according to the degree of the acknowledgement that their life is from the Lord, 2966, 10217.

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53.  Being with him as a servant hired year by year; and not ruling with rigour over him, denotes that in proportion to the influence of selfish motives in successive states shall their general state be; nor shall the natural man be allowed to prevail over the spiritual man, 8002, 487, 488, 6148, 4180.

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54.  If he be not redeemed by these means, going out in the year of jubilee, he and his children with him, denotes that if such natural men who are in good are not fully redeemed from the power of falsities in the church by these experiences, yet in the Judgement, because they are in good, the truth will be conjoined therewith in the inmost in all fullness, and mutually and reciprocally, 2966, 8802, 2252, 489.

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55.  The children of Israel being the servants of the Lord denotes that the men of the Spiritual Church are internally and externally the servants of the Lord, 3654, 1713, 7038; being brought forth out of the land of Egypt denotes that the Lord has redeemed both those who are internal men and those who are external, 8866; and "I am the Lord your God " denotes that He is to be worshiped as the only source of good conjoined with truth in the man of the church, 2001.

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It will appear very clearly to the reflecting mind that this chapter and the two which follow it are the culmination of the series in the internal sense of the whole book of Leviticus. For the subject now before us is the fullness of the regeneration of man in every respect and of every degree. Let us, then, consider it carefully.

It is well known to Christians generally that the ordinary Sabbath, or day of rest, is representative of the completion of regeneration, when all spiritual conflict is over; and on that account heaven itself has been called an eternal Sabbath. And it is indeed an eternal Sabbath, for there man is in an eternal state of rest from all temptations, and of the eternal worship of the Lord in consequence. But it is not to be imagined, as some have done, that the state of peace and rest in heaven is a perpetual state of inactivity, or that the angels are for ever employed in the services of the sanctuary, or in praising and worshiping the Lord externally. This is far from the truth. The peace and rest of heaven is freedom from spiritual warfare, and the worship there which is perpetual is the worship of a good life in the performance of uses of various kinds, from the delight of being useful, and with the wisdom which properly discerns the quality of genuine use. While at the same time it is quite reasonable to conclude that there are seasons, or states of angelic life, wherein people assemble for the united glorification of the Lord, for instruction in Divine things, and for the expression of mutual love in a common realization that all good is from the Lord, and that He accepts the praises of His children because they are a real expression of their genuine appreciation of His Divine Wisdom and Love, which He constantly enables them to reciprocate, and not because praise or worship is delightful to Him from any consideration of self-glory. For surely even the angels themselves are not delighted with praise and honour and glory for the sake of such things, but rather turn away from them, since they know so well that all real blessings are from the Lord, and that to be delighted with honours simply is the sure indication of the lurking love of ourselves. Much less, then, does the Divine Being seek for praise and glory.

But now, if the ordinary Sabbath denotes the perfect heavenly state, much more does the sabbatical year, or the jubilee. In a word, they denote the intensification of the heavenly state, and from a certain point of view the general Sabbath, and the other two actually represent the state of the lowest, the middle and the highest heavens, as adequately appears from all the contents of this chapter.

But there were three things that took place in this sabbatical year, two of them being mentioned in this account, namely, the cessation of sowing and reaping, and the giving of the spontaneous produce of the ground to the poor and to the animals, while the third, which was a release from all debts, is enjoined in Deut 15:1-3. Let us, then, consider the spiritual import of these three enactments. First, the six years in which there might be sowing and reaping, and other hard work in the field and vineyard, as we have seen, signify man's states of spiritual conflict, and the seventh year a state of rest and peace; but this is not all that is involved, because the six years of sowing and reaping also signify the state in which we are led by the cultivation of our minds in truths, and the adoption of good principles, from the love of knowledge, and the practice of good under a sense of duty, to a genuine love of the Lord and the neighbour; and the seventh year denotes the perfect realization of that love, and consequently the cessation of the former state, 9271. And, of course, the state of conflict and the state of cultivation are co-extensive. But, it may be thought, is there no cultivation of the mind in the heavenly state? Certainly there is, but then, instead of acquiring knowledge and developing our powers that we may become good, we shall do these things as the effects of a particular love of good, and thus with the object of becoming more and more perfect, so to express it, in our ow⁷n function and in general usefulness.

And then, the heavenly life involves, secondly, freedom in the enjoyment of all good things internal and external, or spiritual and natural, as the series shows; or, in other words, freedom in the natural man as well as the spiritual for the appropriation of every good thing (vers. 5-7). And thirdly, a further state of freedom is denoted by the release from debts, which signifies that "every state of obedience to truth acknowledged to be from the Lord becomes a state of obedience from the love of good; that compulsory obedience from a principle of truth ceases, because love is now the motive for every action; and that where charity prevails freedom from self-compulsion follows" (Deut 15:1-3). But of this we shall speak fully in the future.

Coming to the second section, we have now to consider the Jubilee, which represents the perfect state of the celestial man, or heaven, and thence also that of the spiritual man, or heaven in certain particulars, as appears from the manner in which the series is constructed and arranged. For the latter depends upon the former; and what applies to the one relates also to the other, as well as, more remotely, to the perfected natural man, or to the ultimate heaven. This is represented by the blowing of the trumpet, by doing so on the day of atonement, and on the tenth day of the seventh month. Why is this? It is because revelation or a clearer perception of Divine things always follows the removal of evil, and especially the plenary removal of evil, since good then flows in from the Lord, remains are brought forth, and the state of faith is full and complete.

But look at the result, and try to realize how joyful it is. There is perfect freedom for the whole man; there is full conjunction with the Lord in the inmost, and thence outwardly; and the full enjoyment of all good things on the natural plane. And that is why it is three times said to be a jubilee. And how finely does the return of every one to his own possessions symbolize the realization by each of his own good. Heaven is a grand man, and each angel there has his own function in it, nor will he ever desire to abandon it. There has, indeed, been all through life the selling and the buying, that is, the parting with what we ought to have kept, and the acquiring of what could only for a time be ours, all depending, however, on a mysterious union of right feeling and thought in the deep recesses of our inward life. We have been very poor spiritually, and yet very rich, without knowing it. But now we have returned to our home and our property, and we shall never more lose them. And there will be no injustice in our jubilee, and no one will do wrong to his brother, because our life will be complete in love and intelligence (ver. 17). And notice the next two periods; for they assure us that no falsity and evil will trouble us in heaven, and that there will be full enjoyment. But the points that follow to the end of the section are exceedingly interesting. The angels, or the celestial of every degree, are conscious of their dependence on the Lord, and know that He will give them all things necessary; that their good cannot be alienated, or become the good of some one else; that it is the Lord's; that they have no good and knowledge of themselves; and that they can continually acknowledge this. These are all states of the perfected man, and states for which the yet imperfect may well strive.

We now come to the consideration of the various laws described in the second half of this interesting chapter, which, internally, are laws relating to regeneration. And in the first section there are two distinct cases, namely, the poor brother redeemed by his kinsman, and the one who has no kinsman, the former denoting him who is in good and alienates it during regeneration, and the latter him who is in truth without good and does the same. But we alienate good and truth when we give way to evil; and we are liable to do this either when we are making progress, or before we have begun to do so; and the law teaches what happens in each case. But who is the kinsman that redeems? It is the Lord operating through our inmost state as to good, and thus through the general good of our own angelic society, 3703². Every man, however, has a capacity for good, if he chooses to exercise it, since all have been redeemed, and can therefore choose between good and evil, 2966; and hence, in the second case, the poor man grown rich has that power, and may make a proper use of his truths by acknowledging the Lord and doing the work of repentance, and in this way appearing to redeem himself. But observe the process described in ver. 27, and remark how it agrees generally with the teaching that "the price of redemption is also predicated of reception with man, with whom it is as great as the degree of reception," 2966. And that restoring the surplus to the man to whom he sold it denotes "the acknowledgement that the good of which the Lord had made him capable is really from the Lord alone, through those in the heavenly society who had in the meantime preserved it in its general form," appears from 8685, where it is shown that there is influx from the Lord, both immediate and mediate, with man when he comes into the state of his own good, that is, immediately from Himself and mediately through heaven, and that before this, or "in the meantime," there is only immediate influx. Thus, then, we may see how the regenerated man realizes his state of good in and through his own heavenly society. And this explanation also shows how it is the same in the case of delayed regeneration, as described in ver. 28.

An examination of the next section, however, shows that it refers to the redemption of alienated good with those who are relatively more external; but the essential truth of it evidently is that there can only be redemption during the natural life, or during the state of probation, which is denoted by a whole year. The state of probation is that in which every one is in the liberty of choosing between good and evil; and that state is limited to the natural life, because it is the ultimate; and it must always be remembered that regeneration, like creation, is from the operation of first or highest principles, and the co-operation of last or lowest principles, and cannot be effected in any other way. See, concerning this truth, HH 470-483, where it is confirmed from Scripture, from reason and from experience. But it is said of the Levites that their cities or houses might be redeemed at any time, that is, according to the literal sense, beyond the stipulated year; and this might seem to be a contradiction of the general truth. And yet it is not so, because, in this connection, the Levite denotes one who is already in good to some extent, or in the good of truth, as it is sometimes called, and thus one who is making progress; and the expression "at any time," therefore, must be interpreted to mean in any state during the period of probation, which period is also represented by the years between one jubilee and another, as is evident from the signification of the jubilee. And also it is further said of the Levites that the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold at all, to denote that external good cannot be alienated where there is full conjunction of good and truth internally, because this conjunction is what the jubilee represents, as we have seen.

But it is not necessary to extend these notes, as the various laws which follow, relating to masters and their servants, all have relation to the jubilee; and it will be sufficient to make some general remarks in conclusion. Now it appears very clearly from the directions here given that it is not according to Divine Order, nor consistent with the character of the Divine Love, that men should make slaves of their fellow-men, and thus that the Israelites were not allowed to have bond-servants, and buy and sell them, because it was agreeable to the will of the Lord, but because it was their natural disposition so to act; and the laws here prescribed were evidently intended to regulate, moderate and soften their merely natural love. For it is just the same in these cases as in the permission granted to divorce their wives. It was on account of the hardness of their hearts (Matt 19:8). And this we the more easily understand even from the plain teaching of the Lord in the Gospels, which is confirmed by the revelation of the internal sense.

For that sense teaches that although there are certainly distinctions like that of masters and servants in the heavens, yet there all government is that of mutual love, the masters loving the servants and directing and guiding them from love, and the servants loving the masters and yielding obedience from love. And this is a very different kind of government from that which arises out of the love of dominion arising from selfish love, which desires to keep all in subjection from the lust of having power and of possessing the wealth of all the world. And from this consideration we cannot fail to see how highly beneficial are all the spiritual laws here named and insisted upon. And particularly is it to be observed that those who are, either for the time being or permanently, in selfish love as a governing principle cannot be governed through love to the Lord and the neighbour, which they have not realized, or may never wish to realize, and therefore are compelled by their own fear of suffering to live according to order on their own plane of life. And when they do this, which no doubt each does finally, it is just to believe that they no longer suffer. For it is the Lord Himself who governs the infernals as well as the angels, and His government in both cases is the government of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, which has no other end than the formation of heaven and its preservation from the human race.

While, therefore, we are still in the probationary state let us choose, and confirm ourselves in the choice, that we will surely be governed by heavenly love, and also minister from that love to the eternal well-being of every human soul, according to his state, even by becoming images and likenesses of the Lord in this respect, as well as in every other.

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