Arcana Coelestia # 4845
4845. 'Until Shelah my son is grown up' means until the time. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing up' as being of that age, and so as until the time; and from the representation of 'Shelah my son' as idolatry, dealt with above in 4825, 4826, and so as the Jewish religion which, compared with others, was idolatrous, 4825. Consequently the words 'until my son Shelah is grown up' mean until the time that the Jewish religion was able to accept internal things willingly, that is, the spiritual and celestial things of the representative Church, meant by 'Tamar', 4829, 4831, 4843.
Arcana Coelestia # 4829
4829. 'Judah took a wife' means the Church which was for his descendants. This is clear from the representation of Tamar, to whom 'a wife' refers here, as the Church, dealt with below. Its being for his descendants is meant by the fact that he took her for Er his firstborn, so as to have descendants from them.