4240. Unto the land of Seir. That this signifies celestial natural good, is evident from the signification of the “land of Seir,” as being in the supreme sense the Lord’s celestial natural good. The reason why the “land of Seir” has this signification, is that Mount Seir was a boundary of the land of Canaan on one side (Josh. 11:16-17); and all boundaries, such as rivers, mountains, or lands, represented those things which were ultimates (n. 1585, 1866, 4116); for they put on their representations from the land of Canaan, which was in the midst, and represented the Lord’s heavenly kingdom, and in the supreme sense His Divine Human (see n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705). The ultimates, which are boundaries, are those things which are called natural; for it is in natural things that spiritual and celestial things are terminated. Thus is it in the heavens; for the inmost or third heaven is celestial, because it is in love to the Lord; the middle or second heaven is spiritual, because it is in love toward the neighbor; and the ultimate or first heaven is celestial and spiritual natural, because it is in simple good, which is the ultimate of order there. It is similar with the regenerate man, who is a little heaven. From all this can now be seen whence it is that the “land of Seir” signifies celestial natural good. Esau also, who dwelt there, represents this good, as was shown above; and hence the same is signified by the land where he dwelt; for lands take on the representations of their inhabitants (n. 1675).

[2] From all this it is now evident what is signified in the Word by “Seir.” As in Moses:

Jehovah came from Sinai, and arose from Seir unto them, He shone forth from Mount Paran and He came from the ten thousands of holiness (Deuteronomy 33:2-3).

In the song of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:

O Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds also dropped water, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai, before Jehovah the God of Israel (Judg. 5:4-5 (Judges 5:6).

In the prophecy of Balaam:

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh; there shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise up out of Israel; and Edom shall be an inheritance; Seir also shall be an inheritance of his enemies, and Israel maketh strength (Numbers 24:17-18).

Everyone can see that in these passages “Seir” signifies something of the Lord, for it is said that Jehovah “arose from Seir,” that He “went forth out of Seir, and marched out of the field of Edom,” and that “Edom and Seir shall be an inheritance.” Yet what of the Lord it signifies, no one can know except from the internal sense of the Word; but that it is the Lord’s Divine Human, and specifically the Divine natural as to good, may be seen from what has been said above. To “arise,” and to “go forth out of Seir” denote that He made even His natural Divine, in order that from this also there might be light, that is, intelligence and wisdom; and that in this way He might become Jehovah, not only as to His Human Rational, but also as to His Human Natural; and therefore it is said, “Jehovah arose from Seir,” and “Jehovah went forth out of Seir.” (That the Lord is Jehovah may be seen above, n. 1343, 1736, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035.) The “prophecy concerning Dumah” in Isaiah involves a like meaning:

He calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night; watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night (Isaiah 21:11-12).

[3] By the “land of Seir” in the relative sense is properly signified the Lord’s kingdom with those who are out of the church, that is, with the Gentiles, when the church is being set up among them, on the former or old church falling away from charity and faith. That those who are in darkness then have light is evident from many passages in the Word. This is properly signified by “arising from Seir,” and “going forth out of Seir, and marching out of the field of Edom,” and by “Seir being an inheritance;” as also by the above words in Isaiah: “He calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night;” “the morning cometh” denotes the Lord’s advent (n. 2405, 2780), and the consequent enlightenment to those who are in night (that is, in ignorance), but enlightenment from the Lord’s Divine natural (n. 4211). As most of the things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so likewise has “Seir;” as in Ezekiel 25:8-9; 35:2-15, and occasionally in the historicals of the Word.

3705. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it. That this signifies the good in which He was, that it was from what was His own, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being here the good of the natural, concerning which in what follows; from the signification of “whereon thou liest,” as being that in which He was; and from the signification of “giving it to thee,” as being from what was His own; concerning which also in what follows. That the “land” signifies the good of the natural which will hereafter be represented by Jacob, is because by the “land of Canaan” is signified the Lord’s kingdom (see n. 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 1866); and because it signifies the Lord’s kingdom, it also in the supreme sense signifies the Lord (see n. 3038); for the Lord is the all in all of His kingdom, and whatever there is not from Him, and does not look to Him, is not of His kingdom. The Lord’s kingdom is also signified in the Word by “heaven and earth” (n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118); but in this case its interior is signified by “heaven,” and its exterior by “earth” (n. 82, 1411, 1733, 3355); consequently in the supreme sense “heaven” signifies the Lord as to His Divine rational, and “earth” as to his Divine natural; here therefore “the land whereon thou liest” signifies the good of the natural, in which He was and which was to be represented by Jacob. That “Jacob” denotes the Lord as to the Divine natural has already been frequently stated.

[2] Moreover, that the signification of “land” is various, see above (n. 620, 636, 1067, 2571, 3368, 3379); and this for the reason that Canaan, which is called the “holy land,” signifies the Lord’s kingdom in general; and when mention is made of “heaven” together with “land” (or “earth”), then, as before said, “heaven” signifies what is interior, and “earth” what is exterior; and consequently it also signifies the Lord’s kingdom on earth, that is, the church; and therefore it also signifies the man who is a kingdom of the Lord, or who is a church. Thus in such a man “heaven” signifies what is interior, and “earth” what is exterior; or what is the same, “heaven” signifies the rational, and “earth” the natural; for the rational is interior with man, and the natural exterior. And as “earth” has these significations, it also signifies that which makes man a kingdom of the Lord, namely, the good of love which is from the Divine; from all which it is evident how various are the significations of “earth” (or “land”) in the Word.

[3] That “to thee will I give it” signifies that it was from what was His own, may be seen from the signification of “giving,” in the Word, when it is predicated of the Lord; for as before shown, the Lord is Divine good and also Divine truth; and the former is what is called “Father,” and the latter “Son”; and whereas Divine good is of Himself, consequently His own, it follows that by “giving to thee,” when said by Jehovah, and predicated of the Lord, is signified that it is from what is His own. This shows what is signified in the internal sense by what the Lord so often said, that the Father “gave” to Him, that is, that He Himself gave to Himself; as in John:

Father, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee; even as Thou gavest Him authority over all flesh; that whatsoever Thou hast given Him, to them He should give eternal life. I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have accomplished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are from Thee; for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given them. I pray for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine; and all things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine (John 17:1-10); where by the Father “having given” is signified that they were from Divine good which was His; thus from what was His own.

[4] From all this it is evident how deep an arcanum lies concealed in each word that the Lord spoke; also how much the sense of the letter differs from the internal sense, and still more from the supreme sense. The reason why the Lord so spoke, was that man, who at that time was in total ignorance of any Divine truth, might still in his own way apprehend the Word, and thus receive it; and the angels in their way; for they knew that Jehovah and He were one, and that the “Father” signified the Divine good; hence also they knew that when He said that the Father “gave” to Him, it was that He Himself gave to Himself, and that thus it was from what was His own.