9294. And the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits of thy works, which thou sowedst in the field. That this signifies the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of the implantation of truth in good, is evident from the signification of “a feast,” as being the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving (of which above, n. 9286, 9287); from the signification of “the harvest,” as being the fruitification of truth, and thus the implantation of it in good; from the signification of “the first fruits,” or the beginnings of the works, as being those things which are the last of instruction and the first of life (of which below); from the signification of “sowing,” as being instructing (n. 9272); and from the signification of “the field,” as being the church as to good, thus the good of the church (n. 2971, 3500, 3766, 7502, 9139, 9141). From all which it is evident that by “the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits of thy works which thou hast sown in the field,” is signified the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of the implantation of truth in good.

[2] That these things are signified by this feast, is evident from what was said above (n. 9286), namely, that three feasts were instituted on account of the liberation of man from damnation, thus on account of his regeneration; for by regeneration man is liberated from hell and introduced into heaven. And therefore the first feast, which was called “the feast of unleavened things,” signifies purification from falsities; consequently this second feast signifies the implantation of truth in good; and the third feast, the implantation of good. For during man’s regeneration he is first purified from the falsities which spring from the evil of the loves of self and of the world, which is effected by his receiving instruction concerning evil, hell, and damnation, and also concerning good, heaven, and eternal happiness; and by his thus suffering himself to be withheld from doing, willing, and thinking evils. When the soil has been thus prepared, then the truths of faith are sown, for before this they are not received. But the truths which are sown must be implanted in good, because they have no soil anywhere else, nor can they strike root anywhere else. They are implanted in good when the man wills the truth, loves it, and does it. This state of regeneration, or of liberation from damnation, is signified by this feast, which is called “the feast of the harvest of the first fruits of thy works;” for “harvest” signifies truths producing good.

[3] When truths have been implanted in good, the man is no longer led of the Lord by means of truths, but by means of good, which is effected when he wills good and does good from the affection of love, that is, from charity. This state of regeneration, or of liberation from damnation, is signified by the third feast, which is called “the feast of ingathering.”

[4] These three feasts were also called “the feast of the passover,” “the feast of weeks,” and “the feast of tabernacles” (see Exodus 34:18-23; Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 16:1-17). Similar things to those represented by these three feasts were represented by the bringing out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, by their introduction into the land of Canaan, and by their dwelling there. For by the bringing out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt the like was represented as by the first feast, which was called “the passover.” That this is so may be seen from what has been shown concerning the passover (n. 7093, 7867, 7995); for the bringing out of the sons of Israel, on account of which this feast was instituted, signified the liberation of those who were of the spiritual church from the falsities whereby they were infested (n. 7240, 7317, 9197).

[5] And by the introduction of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan the like was represented as by this second feast, which was called “the feast of the firstfruits of works,” and also “the feast of weeks,” namely, the implantation of truth in good; for “the land of Canaan” denotes the church in respect to good, thus the good of the church (n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4240, 4447, 4517, 5136, 6516); and abstractedly from persons “the sons of Israel” denote spiritual truths (n. 5414, 5879, 5951).

[6] The like was represented by the dwelling of the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan as by the third feast, which was called “the feast of the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and of the ingathering from the threshing-floor and the wine-press,” called also “the feast of tabernacles,” namely, the implantation of good, and therefore life in heaven. From all this it is now evident why the three feasts were instituted, namely, that it was for the sake of the bringing out from hell of the human race, that wishes to receive new life from the Lord, and their introduction into heaven. This was effected by the Lord through His coming into the world.

3670. And He will give thee the blessing of Abraham. That this signifies the conjunction of the Divine Itself with the good and truth of the natural, is evident from the signification of a “blessing,” as being conjunction (n. 3660, 3667); and from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine Itself which is called the “Father” (concerning which see n. 2011, 3251, 3439). And inasmuch as these words are spoken to Jacob, by whom there would be represented the Lord’s Divine natural as to the Divine good and truth therein, therefore the conjunction of the Divine Itself with the good and truth of the natural is what is signified, in the internal sense, by “He will give thee the blessing of Abraham.” In the sense of the letter, it is the possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by the “blessing of Abraham,” and also by the words which follow: “to cause thee to inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham;” and according to this sense do all apprehend the words who believe that the historicals of the Word do not contain within them things more heavenly and secret: and especially so do the Jewish nation, who on the strength of these words claim for themselves privileges above every other nation and people. Their fathers understood the words in the same manner, and especially were they so understood by Jacob, whose quality is evident from what was said just above (n. 3667), in that he would not have known Jehovah, nor have been willing to acknowledge Him, unless He had given him corporeal and worldly blessings. But that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob was meant, and that by Jacob is represented the Lord as to the natural which He would make Divine, is abundantly manifest from the explications given above. That it is immaterial what is the quality of the man who represents, as to whether he is evil or good, and that evil men equally with good men can represent and have represented the Lord’s Divine, may be seen above (n. 665, 1097, 1361).

[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which exist even to this day; for all kings, whoever they may be, and of whatever quality, by the royalty itself that appertains to them represent the Lord; in like manner all priests, whoever and of whatever quality they may be, by the priestly office itself. The royal and the priestly office itself is holy, whatever be the quality of him who ministers therein; and this is the reason why the Word taught by an evil man is equally holy, and also the sacrament of baptism and the Holy Supper, and other such things. And from this it is also evident that no king can possibly claim for himself anything of the sanctity that belongs to his royalty; nor any priest anything of the sanctity that belongs to his priesthood. Insofar as either claims anything thereof to himself, or attributes it to himself, so far he brands himself with the character of a spiritual thief, or with the mark of spiritual theft; and also insofar as he does evil, that is, acts contrary to what is just and equitable, and contrary to what is good and true, so far a king puts off the representative of holy royalty, and a priest the representative of holy priesthood, and represents the opposite. For this reason in the representative Jewish Church there were so many laws enjoined concerning the holiness in which priests especially should be during their ministration-on which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy, more will be said in what follows.