Arcana Coelestia # 4918
4918. 'That behold, there were twins in her womb' means the two essentials of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'twins' as the two - good and truth - dealt with in 3299; and from the meaning of 'the womb' as the place where good and truth have been conceived and are lying, and consequently the place where the essentials of the Church are lying. In the genuine sense 'the womb' means the inmost centre of conjugial love where innocence is present, for the womb corresponds to that love in the Grand Man. Now because conjugial love has its origin in the love of good and truth, which love is at the heart of the heavenly marriage, and because this marriage is heaven itself or the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom on earth is the Church, therefore 'the womb' also means the Church. For the Church exists where the marriage of good and truth exists. This explains why 'opening the womb' means the resulting doctrines taught by the Churches, 3856, as well as the ability to receive the truths and goods of the Church, 3967; while 'going out of the womb' means being born again or being regenerated, 4904, that is, becoming the Church since one who is born again or regenerated becomes the Church.
[2] Since 'going out of the womb' means rebirth, and therefore the Church, the Lord is called in the Word 'He who formed from the womb' and 'He who brought out of the womb', and those who have been regenerated and become the Church are said 'to have been carried from the womb', as in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah. your Maker. He who formed you from the womb, and who helps you. Isaiah 44:2.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, He who formed you from the womb. Isaiah 44:24.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah. who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to Him. Isaiah 49:5.
In David,
Jehovah who brought me out of the womb. Psalms 22:9.
In Isaiah,
Hearken to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been carried from the womb, and borne from the belly. Isaiah 46:3.
In David,
The wicked are alienated from the womb, and go astray from the belly, with lying words. Psalms 58:3.
Here 'being alienated from the womb' means alienation from the good fostered by the Church, and 'going astray from the belly' straying from the truth. In Hosea,
The pains of childbirth will come upon him, he is an unwise son, for now he does not present himself at the womb of sons. Hosea 13:13.
'Not presenting himself at the womb of sons' stands for not coming to the good of truth fostered by the Church.
[3] In the same prophet,
Their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, from the belly, and from conception. Hosea 9:11.
This means that the truth of the Church will perish fully - 'from birth' being that to which birth is given, 'from the belly' that which is undergoing gestation, 'from conception' that which is taking rise. In Isaiah,
I knew that you would certainly act treacherously, and that you were called [a man] of transgression from the womb. Isaiah 48:8.
This means that from the time when the Church first began he was like this. In John,
A great sign was seen in heaven - a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Carrying in the belly however, she cried out in labour, and was in anguish to give birth. Revelation 12:1-2.
'The woman' is the Church, 252, 253, 255. 'The sun' with which she was clothed is the good of love, 30-38, 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495, 4060, 4696; 'the moon' which was under her feet is the truth of faith, 30-38, 1529, 1530, 2120, 2495, 4696; 'the stars' are cognitions of good and truth, 2495, 2849, 4697 - there being 'twelve stars' because 'twelve' means all things, thus all aspects of faith, 577, 2089, 2129 (end), 2130 (end), 3272, 3858, 3913; 'carrying in the belly' is the truth of the Church that had been conceived; 'being in labour and in anguish to give birth' is the fact that it was received with difficulty.
Genesis 49
1
And Jacob called his sons, and said to them: Gather yourselves together that I may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days.
2
Gather yourselves together, and hear, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel your father:
3
Ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow: excelling in gifts, greater in command.
4
Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not: because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, and didst defile his couch.
5
Simeon and Levi brethren: vessels of iniquity, waging war.
6
Let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: "be- cause in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill they undermined a wall.
7
Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath because it was cruel: I Will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.
8
Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hands shall be on the necks of thy enemies: the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.
9
Juda is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?
10
The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.
11
Tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, 0 my son, to the vine. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.
12
His eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
13
Zabulon shall dwell on the sea shore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as Sidon.
14
Issachar shall be a strong ass lying down between the borders.
15
He saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute.
16
Dan shall judge his people like an- other tribe in Israel.
17
Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse's heels that his rider may fall backward.
18
I will look for thy salvation, 0 Lord.
19
Gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward.
20
Aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings.
21
Nephtali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty.
22
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold; the daughters run to and fro upon the wall.
23
But they that held darts provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.
24
His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.
25
The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth be- neath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26
The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.
27
Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil.
28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one, with their proper blessings.
29
And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people : bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite,
30
Over against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought to- gather with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in.
31
There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife: there also Lia doth lie buried.
32
And when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people."
