Spiritual Meaning of

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The signification of covenant, is conjunction. That where mention is made of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Word, in the spiritual sense these men are not meant, can be seen from the fact that names never penetrate into heaven, but only what is signified by those who are named, thus the things themselves, their quality and their states, which are of the church and of the Lord's kingdom, and which are of the Lord Himself.

[2] And moreover the angels in heaven never determine their thoughts to the individual persons, for this would be to limit the thoughts, and to withdraw them from the universal perception of the things, from which is angelic speech. Hence what the angels speak in heaven is unutterable to man, and far above his thought, which is not extended to universals, but confined to particulars. When therefore we read this:--

the angels perceive the Lord's presence and the appropriation of the truth and good which proceed from His Divine Human. Also when we read that Lazarus was taken up into Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22); the angels perceive that he was taken up into heaven where the Lord is present. Hence also it can be seen that by the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the internal sense is meant conjunction through the Lord's Divine Human.

[3] That the Divine Human is a covenant, that is, conjunction itself, can be seen from many passages in the Word, as:--

[4] In these passages the Lord is plainly treated of, and the conjunction of the human race with the Divine Itself of the Lord through His Divine Human. It is known in the church that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Mediator, and that no one can come to the Divine Itself, which is in the Lord and is called the Father, except through the Son, that is, through the Divine Human. Thus the Lord as to the Divine Human is the conjunction. who can comprehend the Divine Itself by any thought? and if he cannot comprehend It in thought, who can be conjoined with It in love? but everyone can comprehend the Divine Human in thought, and be conjoined with It in love.

[5] That a covenant denotes conjunction can be seen from the covenants made between kingdoms, n that by these they are joined together; and that there are stipulations on each side, which are to be kept, in order that the conjunction may be inviolate. These stipulations or compacts are also called a covenant. The stipulations or compacts which in the Word are called a covenant, are on the part of man, in a close sense, the ten commandments, or Decalogue; in a wider sense they are all the statutes, commandments, laws, testimonies, precepts, which the Lord enjoined from Mount Sinai through Moses; and in a sense still more wide they are the books of Moses, the contents of which were to be observed on the part of the sons of Israel. On the part of the Lord the covenant" is mercy and election.

[6] That the ten commandments of Decalogue are a covenant, is evident from the following passages:--

And because the two tables of stone, on which the ten commandments were written, were stored up in the ark (Exod. 25:16, 21, 22; 31:18; 32:15, 16, 19; 40:20), therefore the ark was called the ark of the covenant (Deut. 31:9, 24-26; Josh. 3:3, 6, 14; 4:7; Judg. 20:27; 2 Sam. 15:24; 1 Kings 8:21). In the last passage cited, Solomon thus speaks:--There I have set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah which He made with our fathers. And in John:--

[7] That all the judgments and statutes which the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel, were called the covenant, as were also the books of Moses themselves, is evident from the following passages:--

the things which are here called a covenant were the many in regard to sacrifices, feasts, and unleavened bread.

[8] That a covenant denotes conjunction through love and faith, is evident from these passages:--

to put a law in the midst of them, and to write it on their heart, is to endow with faith and charity; through faith and charity the conjunction is made which is described by the words, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will no more turn away from them; and I will do well to them; and I will put My fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from Me (Jer. 32:40); conjunction through love, which is the covenant, is signified by, I will put My fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from Me.

[9] In Ezekiel:--

here conjunction through love and faith, which are a covenant, is described by a sanctuary in the midst of them, and by a habitation with them, and by the words, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

speaking of Jerusalem, whereby is signified the Ancient Church; that to enter into a covenant that thou shouldest be Mine, is marriage, or spiritual conjunction, is plain. As a covenant signifies conjunction, a wife is also called a wife of the covenant (Mal. 2:14); and conjunction among brethren is called the covenant of brethren (Amos 1:9). By covenant is also signified conjunction in David:

[10] That the compact of a covenant on the part of the Lord is mercy and election, is evident in these passages:

to have respect unto them is of mercy; to make them fruitful and multiply them is to endow them with charity and faith; they who are endowed with these gifts are called the elect; so that these are words of election; and also the words they shall be for a peculiar treasure.

[11] Signs of a covenant existed also in the representative church, and were such as reminded of conjunction, Circumcision was such a sign (Gen. 17:11); for circumcision signified purification from filthy loves, on the removal of which, heavenly love is insinuated, through which is conjunction, The Sabbath is also called an eternal covenant (Exod. 31:16). It is said also that the show-bread should be to the sons of Israel for an eternal covenant (Lev. 24:8 ) and especially the blood, as is evident from these passages:--

Blood was a covenant, or the token of a covenant, because it signified conjunction through spiritual love, that is, through charity toward the neighbor; therefore when the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, He called His blood the blood of the new covenant (Matt. 26:28). From all this it can now be seen what is meant by a covenant in the Word in the internal sense.

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