5136. 'Out of the land of the Hebrews' means from the Church; that is to say, evil caused celestial things to be alienated from it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of the Hebrews' as the Church, 'the land of the Hebrews' being in this case the land of Canaan, for this was the place from which Joseph was taken away. The reason why in the Word 'the land of Canaan' means the Church is that the Church had existed there since most ancient times, first the Most Ancient Church, which came before the Flood; then the Ancient Church, which came after the Flood; after that the second Ancient Church, which is called the Hebrew Church; and at length the Jewish Church. So that the Jewish Church might be established there Abram was commanded to move from Syria to that land, where he received the promise that the land would be given as an inheritance to his descendants. This explains why in the Word 'land' or 'earth' means the Church, and 'the whole land' - an expression found in various places - the universal Church, and why 'a new heaven and a new earth' means a new Church, internal and external.

[2] The reason the Church existed there continuously since most ancient times was that the member of the Most Ancient Church, who was celestial, was the kind of person who saw within every single object in the world and on earth something representative of the Lord's kingdom. Worldly and earthly objects were the means that enabled him to think about heavenly realities. This was where all the representatives and meaningful signs known subsequently in the Ancient Church had their origin, for these had been gathered together by the people meant by 'Enoch', and preserved for the use of others descended from them, 519, 521, 2896. This was how it came about that each specific place, and also each specific mountain or river in the land of Canaan, where the most ancient people lived, came to be representative, as did all the surrounding kingdoms. Now because the Word could not be written unless representatives and meaningful signs were used, including those connected with places, those consecutive dispensations of the Church were to that end kept in existence in the land of Canaan. But after the Lord's Coming the Church was transferred elsewhere because representatives were now done away with. From all this it is evident that the land of Canaan, called the land of the Hebrews here, means the Church.

[3] But see what has been presented already on these matters - in the following places:

The Most Ancient Church, the one before the Flood, existed in the land of Canaan, 567, 3686, 4447, 4454.

Part of the Ancient Church, the Church after the Flood, existed there, 3686, 4447.

The second Ancient Church, called the Hebrew Church, also existed there, 4516, 4517.

Abram was therefore commanded to go there, and the land was given to his descendants, 3686, 4447.

Consequently the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447.

This explains why in the Word 'the land' means the Church, 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355, 4447, 4535.

4191. 'And Jacob said to his brothers' means people who perform works that are inherently good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'brothers' as goods, dealt with in 3815, 4121, in this case people performing works that are inherently good, who, as shown above in 4189, are the gentiles. For all who are governed by good are joined to the Lord's Divine, and because they are joined to Him they are called 'brothers' by the Lord, as in Mark,

Jesus looking around on those who were sitting around Him said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. Mark 3:31, 34-35.

Every joining together is effected through love and charity, as anyone may recognize, for a joining together spiritually is nothing other than love and charity. Love to the Lord, it is evident, causes one to be joined to Him; and so does charity towards the neighbour, as is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

This refers to charitable works.