5595. And Israel said. That this signifies perception from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being to perceive (of which above); and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (see n. 3654, 4598); and because Israel is spiritual good, he is also the internal spiritual church (n. 3305, 4286), for this church is a church from spiritual good. Spiritual good is truth that has become good; for truth becomes good when the man lives according to it, for it then passes into the will, and from the will into act, and becomes of the life; and when it becomes of the life it is no longer called truth but good. But the will which transforms truth into good is the new will in the intellectual part; it is this good that is called spiritual good. Spiritual good is distinguished from celestial good in that celestial good is implanted in man’s will part itself; but this subject has often been treated of before.

[2] That Jacob is not now called “Jacob,” as in the previous chapter (Genesis 42:36), but “Israel,” is because good is the subject treated of in this chapter, and truth in the preceding; wherefore in that chapter Reuben was the one to speak, by whom is represented the truth of doctrine of the church (see n. 3861, 3866, 4731, 4734, 4761, 5542), while in this chapter it is Judah who speaks, by whom is represented the good of the church (n. 3654, 5583). That good is now treated of is because this time the conjunction between the internal, which is Joseph, and the external, which is the ten sons of Jacob, is effected by means of the intermediate which is Benjamin; and the conjunction of the internal with the external is effected by means of good.

4598. And Israel journeyed. That this means the celestial spiritual of the natural at this time, is evident from the signification of “journeying,” as being what is successive or continuous (see n. 4375, 4554), here more toward interior things; and from the representation of “Israel” here, as being the celestial spiritual of the natural (n. 4286). What the celestial spiritual of the natural is, has been explained before, namely, that it is the good of truth, or the good of charity procured by means of the truth of faith. What advancement toward interior things is, is little known in the world. It is not an advancement into memory-knowledges, for this frequently exists without any advancement toward interior things, and very frequently with a departure from them. Neither is it an advancement into the judgment of manhood, for this also sometimes exists together with a departure from interior things. Nor is it an advancement into knowledges of interior truth, for these knowledges avail nothing unless the man is affected with them. An advancement toward interior things is an advancement toward heaven and the Lord by means of the knowledges of truth implanted in the affection of them, thus by means of affections.

[2] What is the nature of an advancement toward interior things is not apparent to anyone in this world; but in the other life it is plainly apparent, for there it is an advancement from a kind of mist into light, because they who are in exterior things alone are relatively in a mist, and by the angels are seen to be in one; whereas they who are in interior things are in light, and consequently are in wisdom, for the light there is wisdom; and wonderful to say, they who are in a mist cannot see those who are in light as in light, but they who are in light can see those who are in a mist as in a mist. As the subject here treated of is the advancement of the Lord’s Divine toward interior things, Jacob is here called “Israel,” but at other times he is called “Jacob,” as in the preceding verse of this chapter, and in the last verse.