7046. 'And caused it to touch his feet' means a demonstration of the actual nature of the natural then. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to touch' as demonstrating, for a thing can be demonstrated by means of the sense of touch; and from the meaning of 'feet' as the natural, dealt with in 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4951. A demonstration of the actual nature of the natural means a demonstration of the inner character of that nation, which can be seen when the shell of their outward behaviour is removed. What is within a person in the world cannot be seen until his shell is removed. In the case of the evil their outward actions are altogether different from their inner will and thought. For a person can give an impression of being honourable; he can give an impression of being righteous, and also of being governed by Christian good, which is charity - so effectively that people think he is like that inwardly. He is also driven to do this by fear that he may suffer the loss of gain, reputation, and position, be subject to punishments under the law, or suffer loss of life. But when such fears have been removed and his inner self governs his actions, then like a madman he plunders another person's goods, and lusts for murder and blood, even of fellow citizens, as happens in civil wars. The fact that a person can be like this inwardly may be seen still more plainly in the wicked in the next life, since externals are removed from them and internals laid bare, regarding which see 7039. That removal reveals that very many who seemed to be like angels in the world are devils.

[2] This great discrepancy between what exists inwardly and what exists outwardly is a sign that a person is entirely perverted. With him who has honesty, righteousness, and goodness within him no such discrepancy exists; he speaks as he thinks, and thinks as he speaks. It is altogether different with those who have no honesty, righteousness, or goodness within them. With them there is a discrepancy between interiors and exteriors. That is what the Jewish nation was like, as described by the Lord in these words in Matthew,

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the exterior of the cup and the plate but the interiors are full of pillage and lack of restraint. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the interior of the cup and the plate, in order that the exterior may be made clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make yourselves like white-washed sepulchres, which outwardly do indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and of all uncleanness. So too do you outwardly appear righteous to men (homo) but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 13:25-28.

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.