4538. And God said unto Jacob. That this signifies the perception of natural good, such as Jacob now represents, from the Divine, is evident from the signification in the historicals of the Word of “to say,” as being to perceive (n. 1602, 1791, 1815, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509), wherefore that “God said” denotes perception from the Divine; and from the representation of Jacob, who here in the supreme sense is the Lord as to natural good. In the preceding pages it has been shown what Jacob represents in the Word; and as he represents various things, the subject shall be briefly explained.

[2] In the supreme sense Jacob represents in general the Lord’s Divine natural. But as the Lord glorified His natural, it was different in the beginning from what it was in the progression, and at the end. Therefore Jacob represented various things, namely, in the beginning the Lord’s natural as to truth, in the progression the Lord’s natural as to the good of truth, and at the end the Lord’s natural as to good. For the Lord’s glorification proceeded from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as has already been frequently shown. Now as this is the end, Jacob represents the Lord as to natural good. (See what has already been shown on these points, namely, that in the supreme sense Jacob represents the Lord’s Divine natural, in the beginning as to truth, n. 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3576, 3599; and in the progression, the Lord’s Divine natural as to the good of truth, n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 4234, 4273, 4337.) The reason why Jacob now represents the Lord’s Divine natural as to good, is that this is the end, as before said.

[3] This was the process when the Lord made His natural Divine, and the process is similar also when the Lord regenerates man; for it pleased the Lord to make His Human Divine in the same order as that in which He makes man new. It is for this reason that it has been repeatedly stated that man’s regeneration is an image of the Lord’s glorification (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402). When the Lord makes man new He first instructs him in the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith man does not know what the Lord is, what heaven is, and what hell is, nor even that they exist; and still less does he know the innumerable things relating to the Lord, to His kingdom in heaven, and to His kingdom on earth, that is, to the church; neither does he know what and of what nature are the things opposite to these, which relate to hell.

[4] Before he has learned these things, he cannot know what good is, by which is not meant civil good and moral good, for these are learned in the world by means of laws and statutes, and by reflections upon the morals of men, and therefore the nations outside the church also know such things; but by good is meant spiritual good, which good is called in the Word charity; and this good is in general to will and do good to others for no selfish reason, but from the delight of the affection. This good is spiritual good, and to it no man can attain except by means of the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord by means of the Word and preachings of the Word.

[5] After a man has been instructed in the truths of faith, he is gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and also from willing to do it. This truth is called the good of truth, for the good of truth is truth in will and act; and it is called the good of truth because the truth which has been of doctrine then becomes of the life. At last, when the man perceives delight in willing good and in doing it from will, it is no longer called the good of truth, but good; for he is then regenerate, and no more wills and does good from truth, but truth from good; and the truth which he then does is also as it were good, for it derives its essence from its origin, which is good. From all this it is evident why and whence it is that Jacob in the supreme sense represents the Lord’s natural as to good. The reason why Jacob here represents this good, is that in the internal sense further progress is now treated of, namely, toward the interior things of the natural, which are “Israel” (n. 4536). No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to these interior things until the truth with him has become good.

3212. And Isaac was comforted after his mother. That this signifies a new state, is evident from the signification of “receiving comfort,” as being a new state; for a state of consolation is new; and that it succeeded to the foregoing is signified by “after his mother.” This new state is the state of glorification of the rational; as before in respect to good, so now in respect to truth. The rational was glorified when it was made Divine in respect to both.

[2] That the Lord as to the human was made new, that is, glorified (or what is the same, was made Divine), no one can possibly conceive (thus neither believe) who is in worldly and corporeal loves; for he is altogether ignorant what the spiritual and celestial is, nor indeed is he willing to know. But he who is not in worldly and corporeal loves, is capable of perceiving this, for he believes that the Lord is one with the Father, and that from Him proceeds all that is holy; consequently that He is Divine even as to the Human; and whoever believes, perceives in his own way.

[3] The state of the Lord’s glorification may in some manner be conceived from the state of the regeneration of man, for the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the the Lord, (n. 3043, 3138). When man is being regenerated, he is then becoming altogether another, and is being made new; therefore also when he has been regenerated, he is called “born again,” and “created anew.” Then, although he has a similar face and a similar speech, yet his mind is not similar; his mind, when he is regenerate, is open toward heaven, and there dwells therein love to the Lord and charity toward his neighbor, together with faith. It is the mind that makes a man another, and a new man. This change of state cannot be perceived in the body of man, but in his spirit, the body being merely the covering of his spirit; and when it is put off, then his spirit appears, and this (provided he has been regenerated) in altogether another form, for it then has the form of love and charity in beauty inexpressible (n. 553), instead of its pristine form, which was that of hatred and cruelty with a deformity also inexpressible. This shows what a regenerate person is, or one who is born again, or created anew; namely, that he is altogether another, and is a new man.

[4] From this image it may in some measure be conceived what the glorification of the Lord is. He was not regenerated as a man is; but became Divine, and this from the very Divine Love itself, for He was made the Divine Love itself. What his form then was, was made apparent to Peter, James, and John when it was given them to see Him, not with the eyes of the body but with the eyes of the spirit, namely-that His countenance shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2); and that this was His Divine Human is evident from the voice which then came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son” (verse 5). That the “Son” is the Divine Human, may be seen above (n. 2628).