1201. That 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things is clear from the fact that he is called 'Canaan's firstborn', for in the internal sense the firstborn of every Church is faith, see 352, 367. Here however, where faith does not exist because internal things are missing they are no more than exterior cognitions of spiritual things taking the place of faith, thus cognitions such as those with the Jews which are cognitions not only of the ceremonies of external worship but also of many other things belonging to that worship, such as matters of doctrine. That 'Sidon' has this meaning is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Sidon were the furthest limits of Philistia, and were in fact by the sea. 'Tyre' therefore meant interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' those which were exterior, and yet cognitions of spiritual things. This is also clear from the Word: in Jeremiah,

On the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

Here 'the Philistines' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity, 'Tyre' for interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' for cognitions of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel,

What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? You have taken My silver and gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

Here 'Tyre' and 'Sidon' clearly stand for cognitions and are called 'the borders of Philistia', for 'gold and silver' and 'good and desirable treasures' are cognitions. In Ezekiel,

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Sidonian, who have gone down with the slain ¹ into the pit. He was made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain' by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude. Ezekiel 32:30, 32.

Here 'the Sidonian' stands for exterior cognitions, which when devoid of things that are internal are nothing else than facts, and it is for this reason that he is mentioned along with Pharaoh, or Egypt, who means facts. In Zechariah,

Hamath also will border on it, Tyre and Sidon, for it is exceedingly wise. Zechariah 9:2.

This refers to Damascus. 'Tyre and Sidon' stands for cognitions.

[3] In Ezekiel,

The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots. Ezekiel 27:8.

Here 'Tyre' stands for interior cognitions, and therefore her wise men are called 'pilots', while 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions and her inhabitants are therefore called 'rowers', for such is the relationship of interior cognitions to exterior. In Isaiah,

The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. But on the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue, and was the merchandise of nations. Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea saying, I have not gone into labour, nor have I given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins. Isaiah 23:2-5.

Here 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions which, because they have nothing internal within them are called 'the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, her revenue, the merchandise of the nations', and also 'the sea, the stronghold of the sea', and 'one that does not go into labour and give birth'. What these expressions may mean could never be discerned in the literal sense, but their meaning is perfectly plain in the internal sense, as with everything else in the Prophets. Since 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions it is also referred to as the region surrounding Israel, which is the spiritual Church, Ezekiel 28:24, 26, for exterior cognitions are like a surrounding region.

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4738. 'So that he might therefore rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father' means so that it might lay claim to it for the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'rescuing out of their hands' as delivering, as above in 4732, and from the meaning of 'returning to his father' as laying claim to it for the Church; for Jacob, to whom 'father' refers here, represents the Jewish religion which sprang from the Ancient Church, as above in 4700, 4701. What was laid claim to for the Church was the Divine Truth concerning the Lord's Divine Human, for, as stated already, 'Joseph' means that truth specifically.

[2] To know more regarding this truth, it should be recognized that the Ancient Church acknowledged it, as also did the Primitive Christian Church. But there came a time when the papacy so extended its authority that it had control over every human soul; it exalted itself in the way the king of Babel is said to have done, in Isaiah,

You said in your heart. I will go up into the heavens, above the stars of God ¹ I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, I will go up above the heights of the clouds, and I will make myself like the Most High. Isaiah 14:13-14.

Then - at that time - Divinity was taken away from the Lord's Human, that is, His Divine was made distinct and separate from His Human.

[3] The way in which this distinction was decreed in a certain council ² has also been revealed to me. I saw some people appear on the right in front of me, some distance away on a level with the sole of my foot. They were talking among themselves, but I did not hear what about. I was told that they were some of those who had come together in the council when the decree was made regarding the Lord's two Natures - His Divine one and His Human one. Shortly after that I was allowed to talk to them. They said that those who had the greatest influence in the council and who held higher positions and had higher authority than the rest met together. They did so in a room that was dark, where they decided that both Divinity and Humanity should be attributed to the Lord, the main reason for their decision being that otherwise the papacy could not have remained in being. For if they had acknowledged that the Lord was one with the Father, as He Himself says, no one could then have been acknowledged as His vicar on earth. Schisms were developing at that time, which would have toppled and destroyed the power of the papacy, had they not made that distinction. To strengthen it they also assembled proof texts from the Word and swayed the rest of the council.

[4] Those who spoke to me added that by doing this they were able to have control in heaven and on earth. They knew from the Word that all power in heaven and on earth had been given to the Lord, and this power could not have been granted to any vicar [of Christ] if the Human too were acknowledged to be Divine. For they knew that no one was allowed to make himself equal to God and that that power existed essentially in the Divine, not in the Human unless it was granted to it as it was also subsequently granted to Peter. They said that by doing what they did they were then able to keep the schismatics quiet who were most astute, and were also able to strengthen the power of the papacy. From this it is clear that they invented the distinction they made purely for the sake of having control, and that therefore they had no wish to know that the gift of power to the Lord's Human in heaven and on earth demonstrates that His Human too is Divine. It is also clear that 'Peter', to whom the Lord gave the keys of heaven, does not mean the man Peter but faith rooted in charity, which is received from the Lord alone and is therefore a power that belongs to the Lord alone - see Preface to Genesis 22.

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