4151. And Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. That this signified that they were of the affection of interior truth, is evident from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the signification of “stealing,” as being to take away that which is dear and holy (see n. 4112, 4113, 4133). By Rachel stealing the teraphim, or Laban’s gods, as narrated above, was signified the change of state represented by Laban as to truth (see n. 4111); and here and in what follows, this change of state is further described, as resulting from the fact that after the good represented by Laban had been separated from the good which is “Jacob,” it came through this separation into another state; for those truths which when the goods had been conjoined had appeared to the good represented by Laban as its own, were now perceived as if they had been taken away. This is the reason why Laban made complaint concerning them, and why he searched in the tents and did not find anything. For the truths signified by the teraphim in a good sense (n. 4111), were not his, but belonged to the affection of truth which is “Rachel.”

[2] How the case herein is cannot be seen except from what happens in the other life; for the things which there happen near a man appear to him as if they were in him; and the case is nearly the same with the spirits in the other life. When societies of spirits which are in mediate good are in company with angels, it then appears to them exactly as if the truths and goods which belong to the angels are theirs, and indeed they know no otherwise. But when they are separated, they then perceive that this is not the case; and they therefore complain, as believing them to be taken away by those in whose company they have been. This is what is here signified in the internal sense by what is narrated concerning the teraphim.

[3] Speaking generally, the case is that no one ever has good and truth which is his own, but all good and truth flow in from the Lord, both immediately, and also mediately through angelic societies; and yet it appears as if the good and truth were the man’s, to the intent that they may be appropriated to him, until he comes into a state to know, and then to acknowledge, and at last to believe, that they are not his, but the Lord’s. Moreover it is known from the Word, and thereby in the Christian world, that all good and truth are from the Lord, and that nothing of good is from man; nay, the doctrinals of the church which are from the Word declare that man cannot even strive after good of himself, and thus cannot will it, and therefore cannot do it-for doing good is from willing good-and that all faith also is from the Lord; so that a man can have no faith at all unless it flows in from the Lord.

[4] These things are declared by the doctrinals of the church, and are taught by preachings. But that few, nay, very few, believe it to be so, may be seen from the fact that they suppose all life to be in themselves, and scarcely any think that life flows in. All man’s life consists in the faculty of being able to think and of being able to will; for if the faculty of thinking and willing is taken away, nothing of life remains. And the veriest life consists in thinking good and willing good, and also in thinking truth, and in willing that which we think to be true. As it is in accordance with the doctrinals of the church which are from the Word that these things are not of man, but of the Lord, and that they flow in from the Lord through heaven, those who possess any judgment and are able to reflect, might conclude therefrom that all life flows in.

[5] The same is the case with evil and falsity. According to the doctrinals from the Word, the devil is continually endeavoring to seduce man, and is continually inspiring evil; and therefore when anyone commits a great crime; it is said that he has suffered himself to be led astray by the devil. And this is the real fact, although few if any believe it; for as all good and truth are from the Lord, so all evil and falsity are from hell, that is, from the devil, for hell is the devil. From this we can also see that as all good and truth flow in, so also do all evil and falsity, and consequently also all the thinking and willing of evil. As these also flow in, all who have any judgment and are able to reflect, can infer that all life flows in, although it appears as if it were in man.

[6] That this is the case has frequently been shown to spirits who had come recently from the world into the other life. But some of them have said that if all evil and falsity also flow in, nothing of evil and falsity can be attributed to them, and they are not in fault, because these come from another source. But they received for answer that they had appropriated evil and falsity by believing that they think and will of themselves; whereas if they had believed as the case really is, they would not then have appropriated the evil and falsity, for they would have believed all good and truth to be from the Lord; and if they had believed this, they would have suffered themselves to be led by the Lord, and therefore would have been in a different state; and then the evil which entered into their thought and will would not have affected them, because not evil but good would have gone out of them; for it is not the things that enter in, but those which go out that affect us; according to the Lord’s words in Mark 7:15.

[7] Many can know this, but few believe it. Even those who are evil can know, but still not believe it, for they desire to be in what is their own, and they love this to such a degree that when they are shown that everything flows in, they come into anxiety and urgently entreat that they may be permitted to live in what is their own, insisting that if this should be taken away from them, they could live no longer. Such is the belief even of those who know. These things have been said in order that it may be known how the case is with societies of spirits which are in mediate good, when they are conjoined with others and when they are separated from them; namely, that when they are conjoined, they know no otherwise than that the goods and truths are their own, although they are not theirs.

3793. Rachel came with the flock. That this signifies the affection of the interior truth which is of the church and of doctrine, is evident from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth; and from the signification of a “flock,” as being the church and also doctrine (n. 3767, 3768, 3783.) That it may be known how the case is with the representation of Rachel as being the affection of interior truth, and of Leah as being the affection of exterior truth, it shall be briefly stated that the natural which is represented by Jacob consists of good and truth, and that in this natural, as in all things of man and of universal nature in general and particular there must be the marriage of good and truth. Without this marriage nothing is produced-all production and all effect being therefrom. This marriage of good and truth, however, does not exist in man’s natural when he is born, because man alone is not born into Divine order; he does indeed possess the good of innocence and of charity, which in his earliest infancy flows in from the Lord, but there is no truth with which this good may be coupled. As he advances in years, this good which in infancy had been insinuated into him by the Lord is drawn in toward the interiors, and is there kept by the Lord, in order that it may temper the states of life which he afterwards puts on. This is the reason why without the good of his infancy and first childhood man would be worse and more fierce than any wild beast. When this good of infancy is being drawn in, evil comes in its place and enters into man’s natural, and with this evil falsity couples itself, and there takes place in the man the conjunction, and as it were the marriage, of evil and falsity. In order therefore that man may be saved, he must be regenerated, and evil must be removed, and good from the Lord insinuated, and according to the good which he receives, truth is insinuated into him, for the purpose of effecting the coupling, or as it were the marriage, of good and truth.

[2] These are the things represented by Jacob, and by his two wives, Rachel and Leah. Jacob therefore now puts on the representation of the good of the natural, and Rachel the representation of truth; but as all the conjunction of truth with good is wrought by means of affection, it is the affection of truth to be coupled with good that is represented by Rachel. Moreover in the natural, as in the rational, there is an interior and an exterior; Rachel representing the affection of interior truth, and Leah the affection of exterior truth. Laban, who is their father, represents the good of a common stock, but the collateral good, as before stated; which good is that which in a collateral line corresponds to the truth of the rational, which is signified by “Rebekah” (see n. 3012, 3013, 3077). Hence the daughters from this good represent the affections in the natural, for these are as daughters from this good as from a father. And as these affections are to be coupled with natural good, they represent the affections of truth; the one the affection of interior truth, and the other the affection of exterior truth.

[3] As regards the regeneration of man in respect to his natural, the case is altogether the same as it is with Jacob and the two daughters of Laban, Rachel and Leah; and therefore whoever is able to see and apprehend the Word here according to its internal sense, sees this arcanum disclosed to him. But no one can see this except the man who is in good and truth. Whatever perception others may have of things therein relating to moral and civic life, and however intelligent they may thereby appear, still they can see nothing of this nature so as to acknowledge it; for they do not know what good and truth are, but suppose evil to be good and falsity to be truth; and therefore the moment that good is mentioned, the idea of evil is presented; and when truth is mentioned, the idea of falsity; consequently they perceive nothing of these contents of the internal sense, but as soon as they hear them darkness appears and extinguishes the light.