119. And the blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews and they are not, signifies denunciation by those who think themselves to be in the knowledges of good and truth because they have the Word, and yet they are not. This is evident from the signification of "blasphemy," as being reviling and denunciation; and from the signification of "Jews," as being those who are in the knowledges of good and truth from the Word; for "Judah," in the highest sense of the Word, signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love, in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Word, and in the external sense doctrine from the Word, which is of the celestial church (See Arcana Coelestia, 3881, 6363). From this it can be seen that by the "blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews and they are not," is signified reviling and denunciation by those who say that they acknowledge the Lord, and are in His kingdom and in true doctrine, because they have the Word, and yet they are not; in general, those who say that they are in the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, and yet are in falsities and evils.

[2] Those who know nothing of the internal sense of the Word cannot know otherwise than that by "Judah" and "Jews," in the prophetical parts of the word, are meant Judah and the Jews; these, however are not there meant by their names, but all who are in the true doctrine of the church, thus who are in the knowledges of good and truth from the Word; and in the contrary sense, those who are in false doctrine, thus who have adulterated the truths and goods of the Word. That Judah and the Jews are not meant can be seen merely from this, that there is an internal sense in every particular of the Word, and also in the names of persons and places; and that nothing is treated of in this sense except what pertains to heaven and the church; such things, therefore, must also be signified by the names "Judah" and "Israel." And as with them a church was instituted in which all things were representative and significative of things heavenly, so by their names was signified that which essentially makes the church, namely, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself; in the internal sense His Word; and in the external sense doctrine from the Word, as was said above. From this it is clear how greatly those are mistaken who believe, according to the letter, that the Jews are to be brought back into the land of Canaan, and that they have been chosen and destined for heaven in preference to others; when yet but few from that nation are saved, since none are saved except those who believe in the Lord; and he who believes in the Lord in the world, believes in Him after death; but that nation has altogether rejected Him from its faith.

[3] That by "Judah" is meant the Lord in respect to His kingdom and the Word can be seen from the prophecy of Israel regarding his sons; when this is unfolded by the internal sense it is clear what each tribe represented in the church. It is clearly evident that the tribe of Judah represented the Lord's kingdom, or the church where the Word is; for it is said of Judah:

Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and upon Him shall the clinging of the people be; who shall bind to the vine the foal of His ass, and to the noble vine the son of His she-ass; whilst He shall have washed His garment in wine, and His vesture in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:9-11).

That these particulars signify the Lord's kingdom or the church, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where they are explained.

[4] He who knows that by "Judah" is meant in the highest sense the Lord, and in the internal sense His kingdom and the Word, and in the external sense doctrine from the Word, also in a contrary sense those who deny the Lord and adulterate the Word, can know what is signified by "Judah" in very many passages of the Word, as in the following:

Hear ye, O house of Jacob, called by the name of Israel, and who are come forth out of the waters of Judah (Isaiah 48:1).

The "house of Jacob" and "Israel" is the church; "to come forth out of the waters of Judah" signifies out of doctrine from the Word, for the church is from that. That "waters" denote the truths of doctrine out of the Word, see above (n. 71).

The sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye may remove them far from their borders. It shall come to pass in that day that all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and Judah shall sit to eternity (Joel 3:6, 18, 20).

"To sell the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Grecians" is to falsify the goods and truths of the church; "in that day" means when there is an end of that church and a new church has been established among the Gentiles; "all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters" signifies the abundance of truth and good from the Word, for those who are in the new church; that these are from the Word is signified by the "fountain going forth out of the house of Jehovah." From this it is evident that by "Judah," who "shall sit to eternity," is not meant Judah or the Jewish nation, but all those who are in good by means of truths from the Word.

[5] Like things are meant by "Judah" in the following passages:

I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them. And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall put over themselves one head, and they shall go up from the land; for great is the day of Jehovah ¹ (Hosea 1:7, 11).

Then many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that day; they shall be to Me for a people, for I will dwell in thee; then Jehovah shall make Judah an heritage in Himself, His portion upon the land of holiness, and shall again choose Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:11, 12).

Jehovah Zebaoth shall visit His flock, the house of Judah, and shall make them a horse of glory in war; I will render the house of Judah powerful (Zechariah 10:3, 6).

God shall save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah; and they shall dwell there, and inherit it; the seed also of His servants shall inherit it; and they that love the name of Jehovah shall dwell therein (Psalms 69:35, 36).

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains; that My chosen may possess it (Isaiah 65:9);

besides very many other places. That the Jewish nation is not meant in the Word in these and other places, where they are called "chosen" and "heirs," may be seen from what is cited respecting that nation from the Arcana Coelestia, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248). From this now can be seen what is signified by the "blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews, and they are not."

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3670. 'And He will give you the blessing of Abraham' means the joining of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as a joining together, dealt with above in 3660, 3667, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, dealt with in 2011, 3251, 3439. And as these words are addressed to Jacob, who is to represent the Divine Good and Truth of the Lord's Divine Natural, it is a joining together of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the Natural - this joining together being meant in the internal sense by 'He will give you the blessing of Abraham'. In the sense of the letter it is possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by 'the blessing of Abraham', and also by the words that follow, 'to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham'. This also is what these words are taken to mean by all who believe that the historical descriptions of the Word do not embody anything more heavenly and deeper than that. This is especially so with the Jewish nation, which also claims from that sense to hold a superior position to all other nations and peoples. Their forefathers understood those words in the same way, especially Jacob, who had that kind of disposition, as becomes clear from what has been stated just above in 3667. That is to say, he did not know Jehovah and was unwilling to acknowledge Him unless He conferred bodily and worldly benefits on him. The fact that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob were meant, but that Jacob represented the Lord's Natural which He was to make Divine is abundantly evident from the explanations given. The same applies to the character of any person who represents, whether evil or good; for the evil are no less able to represent, and have represented, the Lord's Divine, see 665, 1097, 1361.

[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which also exist at the present day. For all kings, no matter who they are or what they are like, represent the Lord through the kingly office itself residing with them; and in like manner all priests, no matter who they are or what they are like, do so through their priestly office. The kingly office itself and the priestly office itself are sacred, no matter who serves in them. Consequently the Word taught by someone evil is no less sacred; nor is the Sacrament of Baptism, or the Holy Supper, or similar ministrations any less so. From this it may also be seen that no king can possibly claim as his own the sacredness that goes with his kingly office, nor any priest the sacredness that goes with his priestly office. Insofar as he does claim it or attribute it to himself he brands himself with the sign of a spiritual thief, or the mark of spiritual theft. And insofar as he commits what is evil, that is, acts contrary to what is right and fair, and contrary to what is good and true, a king throws off his representation of the sacred kingly office, and a priest his representation of the sacred priestly office, and then represents the reverse of this. This explains why so many laws were laid down in the Jewish representative Church concerning the sacredness which was to be attached in particular to priests when ministering. More on this matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.