2326. 'And he rose up to meet them' means acknowledgement, and also a feeling of charity. This becomes clear from the fact that Lot acknowledged that they were angels the moment they arrived; but the men of Sodom did not do so - of whom it is recorded in verse 5, 'They cried out to Lot and said, Where are the men who came to you in the night? Bring them out to us-that we may know them'. In the internal sense the words of the present verse mean that those inside the Church with whom the good of charity exists acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding meant by 'the two angels'; but those with whom the good of charity does not exist do not acknowledge them. That the same words also embody a feeling of charity is also clear from the fact that Lot, who represents those with whom the good of charity exists - indeed 'Lot' means good itself that stems from charity - invited the two angels into his house.

358. 'The face ¹ falling' means change taking place as to interiors. This is clear from the meaning of 'the face' and from the meaning of 'falling'. Among the ancients the face meant internal things, for it is through the face that internal things shine forth. What is more, people in most ancient times were such that the face was in complete accord with internal things, so that anyone could see from another person's face the character of his disposition or mind (animus aut mens). They considered it something monstrous to express one thing in the face and to be thinking another; pretence and deceit in those times were abhorrent. Consequently the face meant things that were internal. When charity shone out of the face, the face was said to be 'lifted up', but when the reverse happened the face was said to 'fall'. This also explains why the Lord is referred to as lifting up His face upon man, as in the Blessing in Numbers 6:26 and Psalms 4:6, which means the Lord's gift of charity to man. What 'the falling of the face' means is clear in Jeremiah,

I will not cause My face to fall upon you, for I am merciful, said Jehovah. Jeremiah 3:12.

By 'Jehovah's face' is meant mercy. When He 'lifts up His face' on anyone, He is from His mercy imparting charity to him. The reverse is the case when He 'causes His face to fall', that is, when man's face falls.

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