9338. 'And inherit the land' means when governed by good, thus when regenerated. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as receiving as an heir, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the land', at this point the land of Canaan, as the Lord's kingdom, thus heaven, dealt with in 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705, 3686, 4240, 4447, so that 'inheriting the land' means receiving heaven as an heir to it. The proper way to understand the word 'heir', when used in reference to heaven, is a person who has life from the Lord, 2658, 2851, 3672, 7212, thus who is governed by good received from the Lord, who therefore has been regenerated. The fact that a person is in heaven, and so has been regenerated, when he is governed by good received from the Lord, see 9274 and the places referred to there.

[2] The fact that 'inheriting' has this meaning, when used in reference to heaven, is evident in Matthew,

Then the King will say to those who are at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, possess as an inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:34-35, 40.

'Possessing as an inheritance the Lord's kingdom (or heaven)' is said here in regard to those governed by good; and the actual forms of the good of charity in their proper order are also enumerated. Finally it is said, 'Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me'. People are called the Lord's brothers if they are governed by good, 6756, thus also if they practise good; for good is the Lord present with a person. And this is why it says, 'Insofar as you did it to one of [the least of] these My brothers' (not simply 'brothers').

[3] In Revelation,

He who overcomes will receive all things by inheritance, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Revelation 21:7.

It says here of those who overcome that they will receive all things by inheritance; and because they are heirs they are called 'sons'. 'Overcoming' means using good and truth to fight with, for evil is overcome by means of good, and falsity by means of truth.

[4] In David,

God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it by inheritance; and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. Psalms 69:35-36.

Here 'possessing by inheritance' has regard to those governed by celestial good, and 'inheriting' to those governed by spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good is the good of charity towards the neighbour, 9277. In Isaiah,

He who trusts in Me will inherit the land, and will possess by inheritance My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13.

[5] From all this it is evident what was meant by the division of the land of Canaan into twelve inheritances for the twelve tribes of Israel, in Chapters 14-19 of Joshua, and in Chapter 47:13-end and Chapter 48 of Ezekiel. For 'the land of Canaan' meant the Lord's kingdom, or heaven, 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4240, 4447, and 'the twelve tribes' meant all forms of good and all truths in general and in particular, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335, 6337, 6397, 6640. 'Twelve inheritances' accordingly meant heaven with all its heavens and communities, which divide off one from the next on the basis of forms of the good of love and consequently of truths of faith, 7836, 7891, 7996, so that in the abstract sense [without reference to persons] those inheritances mean forms of good themselves which originate in the Lord and therefore are the Lord in heaven.

[6] For heaven is nothing other than Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good. The angels there are recipients of truth in good; and in the measure that they receive it they constitute heaven. Also - and this is an arcanum - the Lord dwells with an angel, and similarly with man, only in that which is His own with the angel or man; for the Divine must dwell in what is of God, not in what is of the self with anyone. This is meant by the Lord's words regarding His union with those governed by the good of love, in John,

On that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who loves Me keeps My word, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:20, 23.

And elsewhere in the same gospel,

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them that they may be one even as We are one, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:22, 26.

3336. 'And Esau despised the birthright' means that the good of life did not in the meantime attach any importance at all to priority of place. This is clear from the meaning of 'despising' as attaching no importance at all, from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of life, dealt with in 3300, 3322, and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as that which has priority of place, dealt with in 3325. That in the meantime or in the short term is meant, see 3324, 3325, 3330. From this it is evident that 'Esau despised the birthright' means that the good of life did not in the meantime attach any importance at all to priority of place. To grasp what is meant in the internal sense by these things that have been stated in this chapter regarding Esau and Jacob one's thought has to be removed completely from historical events, and so from the persons Esau and Jacob, and to be focused instead on the things which they represent, that is to say, on the good of the natural and its truth, or what amounts to the same, on the spiritual man, who is regenerated by means of truth and good. For in the internal sense of the Word names mean nothing other than real things. When the good of the natural and its truth are held in mind instead of Esau and Jacob, the manner in which a person is regenerated by means of truth and good is then evident, that is to say, how at first truth residing with him apparently occupies the prior and also higher position, when in fact good in itself is the prior and higher.

[2] To make it quite clear which one is prior to and higher than the other - truth or good - let a further brief comment be made. It is probably well known that nothing is ever able to enter the human memory and remain there unless there is some affection or love to attract it. If there were no affection, or what amounts to the same, no love, there would not be any discernment. It is to this affection or love to which the thing entering in links itself, and once linked to that affection it remains. This becomes clear from the consideration that when a like affection or love returns that thing reappears as well, presenting itself together with many others which, from a like affection or love, have entered in previously. This goes on repeatedly. This is the origin of a person's thought, and from his thought, of his speech. It is similar also when a thing returns, whether it is the objects of the senses, or the objects of thought, or the speech of another that causes it to return, then the affection also with which the thing had entered in is reproduced. This is something which experience teaches, and anyone may confirm it for himself if he stops to reflect.

[3] Matters of doctrine concerning truth as well enter the memory in a similar way and in the earliest stages it is the affections belonging to varying loves that bring them in, as stated above in 3330. Genuine affection which belongs to the good of charity, though not recognized at that time, is nevertheless present. And to the extent it is able to be present it is allied to matters of doctrine concerning truth from the Lord and also remains allied. When the time comes therefore when a person is able to be regenerated the Lord inspires the affection for good, and through that affection arouses the things that have been allied to that affection from Himself. In the Word these things are called remnants In that case by means of that affection for good the affections belonging to other loves are gradually removed, and so also are the things which have been linked to them. In this way the affection for good, or what amounts to the same, the good of life, starts to have dominion. It also had dominion before this but that could not be seen by the person himself, for to the extent someone is ruled by self-love and love of the world the good that belongs to genuine love is not apparent. From this one may now see what is meant in the internal sense by the historical details that have been told regarding Esau and Jacob.