10507. And now go, lead the people unto that which I said to thee. That this signifies that this nation is to represent the church, and not that the church is in it, is evident from the signification of “leading the people unto the land of Canaan,” as being to cause that there be a church, for by the “land of Canaan” is signified the church, and in the spiritual sense by “leading the people unto it” is signified to institute the church among them; for that nation was led into that land to the end that it might become a church; but here it denotes merely to represent it, because it is said, “lead the people unto that which,” and not “unto the land.” (That with the Israelitish and Jewish nation there was not a church, but only the representative of a church, see n. 4281, 4288, 4311, 4500, 4899, 4912, 6304, 7048, 9320; and that the “land of Canaan” denotes the church, n. 3686, 3705, 4447, 5136, 6516; and that consequently “land” or “earth” in the Word denotes the church, see at the places cited in n. 9325)