4242. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau. That this signifies the first acknowledgment of good as being in the higher place, may be seen from the signification here of “commanding the messengers to say,” as being reflection and the consequent perception that it is so (see n. 3661, 3682), consequently acknowledgment; and from the representation of Esau, as being good (n. 4234, 4239). That good was in the higher place is signified by his not calling Esau his “brother,” but his “lord,” and also (as follows) by his calling himself his “servant,” and afterwards speaking in the same manner. (That while man is being regenerated truth is apparently in the first place and good in the second; but good in the first place and truth in the second when he has been regenerated, may be seen above, n. 1904, 2063, 2189, 2697, 2979, 3286, 3288, 3310, 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3509, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3579, 3603, 3701.) This is also what is meant by the prophetic utterance of Isaac the father to Esau his son:

By thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck (Genesis 27:40).

It is the inversion of state foretold in these prophetic words which is treated of in the present chapter.

3562. And he felt him. That this signifies all perception, is evident from the signification of “feeling,” as being an inmost and complete perception (see above, n. 3528, 3559), here, all perception, because the perception of all things is from that which is inmost, that is, they who are in inmost perception are in the perception of all things which are beneath; for the things which are beneath are nothing but derivations and compositions therefrom, inasmuch as the inmost is the all in all of the things beneath it; for unless whatever is beneath is from things interior; or what is the same, from things superior, as an effect from its efficient cause, it does not come into existence. And this shows why the end makes a man happy or unhappy in the other life; for the end is the inmost of every cause, insomuch that unless the end is in the cause, nay, unless it is the all thereof, the cause is not; and in like manner the end is the inmost of every effect, for the effect is from such cause; and because this is so, whatever pertains to man derives its being from the end which is in him, and hence in the other life his state is such as is his end (see n. 1317, 1568, 1571, 1645, 1909, 3425). From this it may be seen that as feeling signifies inmost perception, it therefore signifies all perception.