4769. 'And killed a he-goat of the she-goats' means external truths received from delights. This is clear from the meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the Word as natural truths, that is, truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life, and also as external truths received from delights, dealt with below. Truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life are Divine truths such as are present in the literal sense of the Word, which form the basis of the teachings of the genuine Church. These truths are meant strictly speaking by 'the he-goat', and the delights which spring from them are meant by 'the she-goats'. This being so, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the genuine sense means those who know truths of this kind and enjoy the delights that spring from them. But in the contrary sense 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who know external truths, that is, appearances of truth drawn from the sense of the letter which go along with their delights of life, such as things delighting the body, which are generally called pleasures, and those delighting the mind, which are generally called honours and gains. People of this kind are meant in the contrary sense by 'a he-goat of the she-goats'. In short, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in this contrary sense means adherents to faith separated from charity, for these people take no other truths from the Word than those which are in agreement with their delights of life, that is, which accord with self-love and love of the world. And they reduce other truths to the same level by the use of interpretations, and in this way they present falsities as appearances of truth.

[2] This meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' as adherents to faith separated from charity may be seen in Daniel,

Behold, a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; ¹ and this goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. Out of one of the four horns there came forth one little hoary, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. Indeed, it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them; and it cast down truth to the earth. Daniel 8:5, 9-10, 12.

This refers to the state of the Church in general, not merely to the state of the Jewish Church but also to the state of the Church that followed it, the Christian one; for the Word of the Lord is all-embracing. When used in reference to the Jewish Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who considered internal truths to be worthless; but they did accept external truths, insofar as these were in accord with their loves, which were their desire to be the greatest and to be the wealthiest people. Consequently they did not think of their expected Christ or Messiah as anyone other than a king who would exalt them above all nations and peoples throughout the world and would make these subject to them as the meanest slaves. This was the level to which they reduced their love of Him. As for what love towards the neighbour was, they had no knowledge at all, except as being associated with others with whom they shared the exalted position referred to above and as enjoying material gain.

[3] But when used in reference to the Christian Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who possess external truths received from delights, that is, who adhere to faith separated from charity, for these people too have no interest at all in internal truths. If they do teach these it is solely so that they may thereby earn acclaim, be raised to exalted positions, and acquire material gains. These are the delights their hearts are set on when they utter truths with their lips. What is more, by wrong interpretations of the truths of genuine faith they make these accord with their own loves. From this one may see what the words in Daniel that are quoted above mean in the internal sense. The phrase 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity. The he-goat 'came from the west' means coming from evil, for 'the west' means evil, see 3708. It came 'across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground' means coming into the whole Church, for 'earth' or 'land' in the Word means nothing else than the earth where the Church exists, and so means the Church, 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4435, 4447. 'The horns' it had means powers derived from falsity, 2832, 'a conspicuous horn between the eyes' meaning power derived from reasoning about the truths of faith, as becomes clear from what has been shown regarding the eye in 4403-4421, 4523-4534. 'The one horn which grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' means the expansion of power derived from faith separated from charity even into states lit by the light of heaven - states of goodness and truth; for 'the south' means a state of light, see 3708, 'the east' a state of goodness, 1250, 3249, 3708, 'the glorious [land]' a state of truth, as is clear from various places in the Word. 'It grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them' means that such a thing happened to cognitions of good and truth, for 'the hosts of heaven, and the stars' means cognitions of good and truth, 4697. From this one may see what is meant by 'it cast down truth to the earth', namely that faith itself was cast down, which in essence is charity; for faith looks to charity because it stems from it. That which in the Ancient Church was called truth is in the new one called faith, 4690.

[4] 'He-goat' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel,

Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams and he-goats. Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture and tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures; you drink the water that has settled down ² and stir up the rest with your feet. You butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] till you have scattered them abroad. Ezekiel 34:17-18, 21.

Here also 'he-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity, that is, those who set doctrine above life and at length have no interest at all in life. Yet it is life that makes the human being, not doctrine separated from life; and it is life that remains after death, not doctrine except insofar as this teaches about life. Of these people it is said that they feed off the good pasture and tread down the rest of the pastures with their feet, and that they drink the water that has settled down and stir up the rest with their feet; also that with their horns they butt the weak [sheep] till they have scattered them.

[5] From this one may now see which persons are meant by 'the he-goats', and which by 'the sheep', that the Lord speaks of in Matthew,

Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the he-goats; and He will peace the sheep at His right hand, out the he-goats at the left, etc. Matthew 25:32-33.

The fact that 'the sheep' means those who have charity and therefore have the truths of faith, and that 'the he-goats' means those who do not have any charity even though they have the truths of faith - that is, they are adherents to faith separated from charity - is plain from each detail in this passage, where such people are described.

[6] Which ones are the adherents to faith separated from charity, meant by 'the he-goats', and what kind of people they are, may be seen from the following two places: In Matthew,

Every tree that does not make good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. Matthew 7:19-23.

And in Luke,

Then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I to not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:25-27.

These are the ones who adhere to faith separated from charity and are called 'the he-goats'. But what is meant by 'he-goats' in the good sense, such as the ones used in sacrifices and those mentioned in various places in the Prophets, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.

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186. Further particular concerning regeneration.

Man is regenerated by the truths of faith, and by a life according to them (n. 1904, 2046, 9088, 9959, 10028). This is meant by the words of the Lord:

Unless a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).

"Water" signifies the truth of faith, and "spirit" a life according thereto (n. 10240). "Water" in the Word signifies the truth of faith (n. 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238). Spiritual purification, which is from evils and falsities, is effected by the truths of faith (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 9088, 10229, 10237). When man is regenerated, truths are inseminated and implanted in good, that they may become of the life (n. 880, 2189, 2574, 2697). What the quality of truths must be that they may be implanted in good (n. 8725). In regeneration truth is initiated and conjoined to good, and good reciprocally to truth (n. 5365, 8516). How this reciprocal initiation and conjunction is effected (n. 3155, 10067). Truth is implanted in good when it becomes of the will, since it then becomes of the love (n. 10367).

There are two states of the man who is regenerated; first, when he is led by truth to good; second, when he acts from good, and from good sees truth (n. 7992-7993, 8505-8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685[1-2], 8690, 8701, 8772, 9227, 9230, 9274, 9736, 10048, 10057, 10060, 10076). The quality of man's state when truth is in the first place, and good in the second (n. 3610). Hence it appears that when man is regenerating, he looks to good from truth; but when regenerated, he regards truth from good (n. 6247). Thus a turning over as it were takes place, in that the state of man is inverted (n. 6507).

But it is to be known, that when man is regenerating, truth is not actually in the first place and good in the second, but only apparently; but when man is regenerated, good is in the first place and truth in the second, actually and perceptibly (n. 3324-3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563,3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925-4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110). Thus good is the first and last of regeneration (n. 9337). Since truth appears to be in the first place and good in the second, when man is regenerating, or, which is the same thing, when man becomes a church, on account of this appearance it was a matter of controversy among the ancients, whether the truth of faith or the good of charity is the first-born of the church (n. 367[1-2], 2435).

The good of charity is actually the first-born of the church, but the truth of faith only apparently (n. 3325, 3494, 4925-4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080). "First-born" in the Word signifies the first of the church, to which priority and superiority belongs (n. 3325). The Lord is called the first-born, because in Him and from Him is all the good of love, of charity, and of faith (n. 3325).

Man ought not to return from the latter state wherein truth is regarded from good, to the former state, wherein good is regarded from truth, and why (n. 2454, 3650-3655, 5895, 5897, 7857, 7923, 8505-8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 9274, 10184[1-6]). Where these words of the Lord are explained:

Let not him who is in the field return back to take his garments (Matt. 24:18);

also,

Whosoever shall then be in the field, let him not return to those things which are behind him. Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:31, 32);

for this is signified by those words.

The process of the regeneration of man described, and how it is effected (n. 1555, 2343, 2490, 2657, 2979, 3057, 3286, 3310, 3316, 3332, 3470, 3701, 4353, 5113, 5126, 5270, 5280, 5342, 6717, 8772-8773, 9043, 9103, 10021, 10057, 10367). The arcana of regeneration are innumerable, since regeneration continues during the whole life of man (n. 2679, 3179, 3584, 3665, 3690, 3701, 4377, 4551-4552, 5122, 5126, 5398, 5912, 6751, 9103, 9258, 9296-9297, 9334). Scarcely any of these arcana come to the knowledge and perception of man (n. 3179, 9336). This is what is meant by the words of the Lord:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

Concerning the process of the regeneration of the man of the spiritual church (n. 2675, 2678-2679, 2682). And concerning the process of regeneration of the man of the celestial church, with the difference (n. 5113, 10124).

The case of the regenerate man is similar to that of an infant, who first learns to speak, then to think, afterwards to live well, until all those things flow from him spontaneously, as from himself (n. 3203, 9296-9297). Thus he who is regenerated is first led by the Lord as an infant, then as a boy, and afterwards as an adult (n. 3665, 3690, 4377-4379, 6751). When man is regenerated by the Lord, he is first in a state of external innocence, which is his state of infancy, and is afterwards successively led into a state of internal innocence, which is his state of wisdom (n. 9334-9335, 10021, 10210). The nature and quality of the innocence of infancy, and of the innocence of wisdom (n. 1616, 2305-2306, , 34944563, 4797, 5608, , 930110021). A comparison between the regeneration of man, and the conception and formation of an embryo in the womb (n. 3570, 4931, 9258). Therefore "generations and nativities" in the Word signify spiritual generations and nativities, which belong to regeneration (n. 613, 1145, 1255, 2020, 2584, 3860, 3868, 4070, 4668, 6239, 10204). The regeneration of man illustrated by the germinations in the vegetable kingdom (n. 5115-5116). The regeneration of man represented in the rainbow (n. 1042-1043, 1053).

The internal or spiritual man, and the external or natural man, must each of them be regenerated, and the one by means of the other (n. 3868, 3870, 3872, 3876-3877, 3882). The internal man must be regenerated before the external, since the internal man is in the light of heaven, and the external man in the light of the world (n. 3321, 3325, 3469, 3493, 4353, 8746, 9325). The external or natural man is regenerated by means of the internal or spiritual (n. 3286, 3288, 3321). Man is not regenerate before the external or natural man is regenerated (n. 8742-8747, 9043, 9046, 9061, 9325, 9334). The spiritual man is shut unless the natural man is regenerated (n. 6299). And it is as it were blind as to the truths and goods of faith and love (n. 3493, 3969, 4353, 4588). When the natural man is regenerated the whole man is regenerated (n. 7442-7443). This is signified by "the washing of the disciples' feet," and by these words of the Lord:

He that is washed hath no need to be washed except as to his feet, and the whole is clean (John 13:9, 10; n. 10243).

"Washing" in the Word signifies spiritual washing, which is purification from evils and falsities (n. 3147, 10237, 10241). And "feet" signify those things that are of the natural man (n. 2162[1-16], 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952). Therefore "to wash the feet," is to purify the natural man (n. 3147, 10241).

How the natural man is regenerated (n. 3502, 3508-3509, 3518, 3573, 3576, 3579, 3616, 3762, 3786, 5373, 5647, 5650-5651, 5660). The quality of the natural man when it is regenerated, and when it is not regenerated (n. 8744-8745). So far as the natural man does not combat with the spiritual man, so far the man is regenerated (n. 3286). When a man is regenerated, the natural man perceives spiritual things by influx (n. 5651).

The sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, is not regenerated at this day, but man is elevated above it (n. 7442). All who are regenerated are actually elevated from the sensual into the light of heaven (n. 6183, 6454). The nature and quality of the sensual man may be seen in the extracts above (n. 50).

Man is regenerated by influx into the knowledges of good and truth which he has (n. 4096-4097, 4364). When man is regenerated, he is introduced through mediate goods and truths into genuine goods and truths, and afterwards the mediate goods and truths are left, and the genuine succeed in their place (n. 3665, 3686, 3690, 3974, 4063, 4067, 4145, 6384, 9382). Then another order is induced amongst truths and goods (n. 4250-4251, 9931, 10303). They are disposed according to ends (n. 4104). Thus according to the uses of spiritual life (n. 9297). They who are regenerated undergo many states, and are continually brought more interiorly into heaven, thus nearer to the Lord (n. 6645). The regenerate man is in the order of heaven (n. 8512). His internal is open into heaven (n. 8512, 8513). Man by regeneration comes into angelic intelligence, which, however, lies concealed in his interiors so long as he remains in the world, but is opened in the other life, and his wisdom is then like that of the angels (n. 2494, 8747). The states as to enlightenment of those who are regenerated described (n. 2697, 2701-2704). By regeneration man receives a new understanding (n. 2657). How the case is with respect to the fructification of good, and the multiplication of truth, with those who are regenerated (n. 984). With a regenerate person truths from good form as it were a constellation by successive derivations, and continually multiply themselves round about (n. 5912). With a regenerate person, truths from good are disposed into such order, that the genuine truths of good, from which, as their parents, the rest proceed, are in the middle, whilst the rest succeed in order according to their relationship and affinities, even to the ultimates, where there is obscurity (n. 4129, 4551-4552, 5134, 5270). With a regenerate person truths from good are arranged in the form of heaven (n. 3316, 3470, 3584, 4302, 5704, 5709, 6028, 6690, 9931, 10303); and in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the article Concerning the Form of Heaven, according to which are the consociations and communications there (n. 200-212); and Concerning the Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven (n. 265-275).

With a regenerate person, there is a correspondence between spiritual things and natural things (n. 2850). His order of life is altogether inverted (n. 3332, 5159, 8995). He is altogether a new man as to his spirit (n. 3212). He appears like the unregenerate man as to externals, but not as to internals (n. 5159). Spiritual good, which is to will and to do good from the affection of the love of good, can only be given to man by means of regeneration (n. 4538). Truths, which enter with affection, are reproduced (n. 5893). Truths, so far as they are deprived of life from the proprium of man, are so far conjoined to good, and receive spiritual life (n. 3607, 3610). So far as evils from the love of self and the love of the world are removed, so far there is life in truths (n. 3610).

The first affection of truth with the man who is regenerated is not pure, but is purified successively (n. 3089, 8413). Evils and falsities, with the man who is regenerated, are removed slowly, and not quickly (n. 9334-9335). The evils and falsities of the proprium of man still remain, and are only removed by regeneration (n. 865, 868, 887, 929, 1581, 2406, 4564, 8206, 8393, 8988, 9014, 9333-9336, 9445, 9447-9448, 9451-9454, 9938, 10057, 10060). Man can never be so far regenerated as to be called perfect (n. 894, 5122, 6648). Evil spirits dare not assault the regenerate (n. 1695). They who believe the justification taught in the church, know little of regeneration (n. 5398).

Man must have freedom, to be capable of being regenerated (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145-3146, 3158, 4031, 8700). Man is introduced into heavenly freedom by regeneration (n. 2874-2875, 2882, 2892). There is no conjunction of good and truth by compulsion, and thus no regeneration (n. 2875, 2881, 4031, 8700). Other particulars respecting freedom as it regards regeneration, may be seen in the doctrine above, where it treats of Freedom.

He who is regenerated, must necessarily undergo temptations (n. 3696[1-5], 8403). Because temptations take place for the sake of the conjunction of good and truth, and also on account of the conjunction of the internal and the external man (n. 4248, 4272, 5773).