9987. And this is the word that thou shalt do to them. That this signifies a law of order, is evident from the signification of a “word,” as being Divine truth, and hence a law of order (of which below). In the general sense a “word” signifies an utterance of the mouth, or a speech; and as a speech is a thought of the mind uttered by means of words, therefore a “word” signifies the thing that is being thought; and from this, in the original tongue, everything that really exists, and is anything, is called a “word.” But in an eminent sense the “Word” is Divine truth, for the reason that everything which really exists, and which is anything, is from Divine truth. Therefore it is said in David:

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the army of them by the breath of His mouth (Psalms 33:6); where “the word of Jehovah” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; “the breath of the mouth of Jehovah” denotes the life thence derived; “the heavens made by it, and all the army of them,” denote the angels insofar as they are receptions of Divine truth. That “the heavens” denote the angels is because these constitute heaven; and as the angels are receptions of Divine truth, therefore by “angels” in the abstract sense are signified Divine truths which are from the Lord (see n. 8192); and that in the same sense “the army of the heavens” denotes Divine truths (see n. 3448, 7236, 7988).

[2] From this it can be seen what is signified by “the Word” in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us, and we saw His glory (John 1:1, 3, 14).

That the Lord is here meant by “the Word” is plain, for it is said that “the Word was made flesh.” The Lord is “the Word,” because when He was in the world, the Lord was Divine truth itself; and when He departed out of the world, the Divine truth proceeded from Him (see the places cited in n. 9199, 9315).

[3] That in the supreme sense “the Word” denotes the Lord as to Divine truth, or what is the same, that “the Word” denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, is evident from many passages, as in David:

They cried unto Jehovah, and He sent His Word, and healed them (Psalms 107:19-20).

Ye have not the Word of the Father abiding in you, because whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not, and ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life (John 5:38, 40).

I have given them Thy word, therefore the world hateth them, sanctify them in Thy truth; Thy word is truth (John 17:14, 17).

He that sat on the white horse was clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And He had upon His garment and upon His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:13, 16).

From these and other passages it is evident that the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is “the Word,” and in the supreme sense the Lord as to Divine truth, for it is said that “the name of Him who sat on the white horse is the Word of God,” and that “He is King of kings and Lord of lords;” and as “the Word” denotes Divine truth, it is said that “He was clothed in a garment dipped in blood,” for by “garment” is signified truth (n. 9952), and by “blood” truth from good. (See this more fully explained in n. 2760-2762.)

[4] Hence all truth which is from the Divine is called the “word,” as in Joel:

Jehovah uttered His voice before His army; for His camp is very great, for countless is he that doeth His word (Joel 2:11); where the “voice which Jehovah utters” denotes truth from the Divine (n. 9926); the “camp of Jehovah” denotes heaven (see n. 4236, 8193, 8196). From this it is evident that “countless is he that doeth His word” denotes one who does truth Divine.

In Matthew:

When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and heedeth it not, the evil one cometh and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart. He that was sown upon stony places, is he that heareth the word and straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root. He that was sown among thorns, is he that heareth the word, but the care of the age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. He that was sown in good ground, is he that heareth the word and payeth attention, and from this bringeth forth fruit (Matthew 13:19-23).

That “the word” here denotes truth Divine is evident without explication. It is said “the word of the kingdom,” because it is the truth of heaven and the church, for “the kingdom” denotes heaven and the church.

[5] From this it can be seen that “words” denote Divine truths which are from the Lord; as in John:

The words that I speak unto you, are spirit and are life (John 6:63).

Therefore also the commandments of the Decalogue are called the “ten words” (Exodus 34:28). That “the word” denotes a law of order, is because the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord makes order in the heavens, insomuch that it is order there. Hence the laws of heavenly order are Divine truths (n. 1728, 1919, 2258, 2447, 4839, 5703, 7995, 8513, 8700, 8988). The law of order which is signified by “word” in this chapter is the way in which the Lord glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, for this is the subject here treated of in the internal sense; and from this in the relative sense the regeneration of man is treated of, for the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the the Lord, (n. 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 4402, 5688). That this is the law of order in especial, is because the Lord as to the Divine Human is Order in the heavens, and because everyone who is being regenerated is brought into this order; wherefore they who are in this order are in the Lord.

3245. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. That this signifies in the supreme sense all Divine things in the Divine rational, and in the relative sense the celestial things of love in the Lord’s celestial kingdom, is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord as to the Divine Itself (concerning which see above); and from the representation of Isaac, as being the Lord as to the Divine rational (concerning which also see above); and because in the internal sense the Lord is both “Abraham” and “Isaac,” and the Lord made His rational Divine from His own Divine; hence it is that the words “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac” signify all Divine things in the Divine rational. The things which precede and those which follow have regard to this fact-that in the Lord’s rational all things were made Divine. For in the internal sense, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are treated of, the subject is the Lord’s Human, and how it was made Divine.

[2] There are two things which properly constitute the Human, namely, the rational and the natural; the Lord’s rational was represented by Isaac, and His natural by Jacob; the Lord made them both Divine; how He made the rational Divine is contained in what was said of Isaac, but how He made the natural Divine is contained in what is said of Jacob in what follows. But this latter (that is, the natural) could not be made Divine until the rational had been made Divine, for by means of the rational the natural was made so; hence therefore it is that by the words before us are signified all Divine things in the Divine rational.

[3] Moreover all and each of the things which in the internal sense treat of the Lord, treat also of His kingdom and church, for the reason that the Divine of the Lord makes His kingdom. Therefore where the Lord is treated of, His kingdom is treated of also (n. 1965); but the internal sense concerning the Lord is the supreme sense, while the internal sense concerning His kingdom is the relative sense. The relative sense of these words-that Abraham gave all to Isaac-is that the celestial things of love are given to the Lord’s celestial kingdom. For in the relative sense by “Isaac” is signified the celestial kingdom, inasmuch as by the rest of Abraham’s sons (that is, those whom he had by Keturah) is signified the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, as shown above; and the same is signified by Ishmael, concerning whom hereafter.