6367. 'A lion's cub is Judah' means innocence with innate strength. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lion' as the good of love and the truth from that good in their power, dealt with below, so that 'a lion's cub' is innocence with strength. The reason why with innate strength is meant is that here 'Judah' represents the celestial element of love, and the celestial element of love resides in the will part of the mind, 895, 917, 4493, 5117, and thus possesses innate strength. For a person is born into things that belong to the will part. That being so, members of the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, were born into the good of love, in the measure that good was present in their will. This then is why the strength is said to be innate. The reason 'a lion's cub' means innocence is that 'a lion' is the good of celestial love, and 'a cub', being so to speak its young child, accordingly means innocence.

[2] 'A lion' means the good of celestial love and the truth from that love in their power, and also in the contrary sense the evil of self-love in its power, as is clear from places in the Word where 'a lion' is mentioned. The good of celestial love is meant in John,

Behold, the Lion which is from the Tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals. Revelation 5:5.

Here the Lord is called 'the Lion' by virtue of the almighty power which His Divine Love and Divine Truth from that Love possess. There are also other places in the Word where Jehovah or the Lord is compared to a lion, as in Hosea,

They will go after Jehovah; He will roar like a lion, for He will roar, and respectfully [His] sons from the west ¹ will draw near. Hosea 11:10.

[3] Also in Isaiah,

Thus said Jehovah to me, As a lion roars, and a young lion over its prey, when there come up against him a full number of shepherds, by whose voice he is not dismayed, and by whose tumult he is not distressed, so Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.

Here the almighty power of Divine Good is compared to 'a lion', and the almighty power of Divine Truth from that Good is compared to 'a young lion'. For it says that 'Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill', and 'Mount Zion' means the Good of Divine Love and 'its hill' the Divine Truth from that Good, 795, 796, 1430, 4210.

[4] For the same reason the four living creatures in Ezekiel and in John, meaning cherubs, had the faces of a human being, lion, ox, and eagle: In Ezekiel,

The likeness of the faces of the four living creatures - [each of] the four had the face of a human being, and the face of a lion on the right side, and [each of] the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and [each of] the four had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14.

And in John,

Around ² the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a human being; the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Revelation 4:6-7.

The fact that the living creatures were cherubs is stated in Ezekiel to, which fact is also evident from the description of them in John, in which he says that they had 'eyes in front and behind'. The Lord's foresight and providence are meant by 'the cherubs', 308; and they had the face of a lion by virtue of the almighty power belonging to providence that Divine Truth from Divine Good possesses. So also with the cherubs around the new temple in Ezekiel 41:19.

[5] Celestial people in possession of the power supplied by the good and the truth from good which come from the Lord are meant by 'lions', as is evident in David,

There is no want to those fearing Jehovah. The young lions will lack and suffer hunger, but those seeking Jehovah will not lack any good thing. Psalms 34:9-10.

In the same author,

The [young] lions are roaring for plunder, and to seek from God their food. The sun rises, they are gathered together, and lie down in their dwelling-places. Psalms 104:21-22.

In Balaam's prophetic utterance,

At that time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, What has God been doing? See, a people will rise up like an old lion, and like a young lion will lift itself up. He will not rest until he has devoured the prey. Numbers 23:23-24.

[6] And further on,

When Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, he said, He crouches, he lies down like a lion, and like an old lion; who will rouse him? Numbers 24:2, 9.

The celestial is what is described here because celestial order is what the tribes represented by their encampments and was what Balaam saw in the spirit when he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, 6335. That order originates in Divine Good coming through Divine Truth from the Lord; and within that order resides all power, meant here by a crouching and recumbent lion.

[7] In Micah,

The remnant of Jacob will be with the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, will tread down and tear in pieces, ³ and there is no deliverer. Your hand will be lifted up over your enemies, and all your adversaries will be cut off. Micah 5:8-9.

Here 'a lion' and a young lion stand for celestial good and celestial truth, which are 'the remnant of Jacob'. They also stand for that good and truth in Isaiah 21:8; Jeremiah 25:38; Ezekiel 38:13; Zechariah 11:3. And that same good and truth were also represented by the lions at Solomon's ivory throne, two next to the armrests ⁴ and twelve on the six steps, 1 Kings 10:18-20, and by the lions on the panels of the ten pedestals made of bronze, 1 Kings 7:29, 36.

[8] In the contrary sense 'a lion' means the evil of self-love in its power, as is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

There will not be any lion there, and the savage of the wild animals will not go up on it; it will not be found there. But they will go free; thus the redeemed of Jehovah will return, and will come to Zion with song. Isaiah 35:9-10.

In Jeremiah,

Why has Israel become plunder? The young lions roar at him, they sound their voice; they turn his land into a waste. Jeremiah 2:14-15.

In the same prophet,

A lion has risen up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out; he has come from his place to turn the land into a waste. Jeremiah 4:7.

In the same prophet,

They did not know the way of Jehovah, the judgement of their God, therefore a lion from the forest has struck them down, and a wolf of the plains will devastate them. Jeremiah 5:4, 6.

In Nahum,

Where is the dwelling-place of lions, and the feeding-place ⁵ of the young lions, where the lion walked, the old lion, the lion's cub, and there is no one making them afraid? The lion tears in pieces enough for the cubs, and strangles for his old lionesses, and fills his caves with plunder, and his dwelling places with what he has pounced on. Behold, I am against you, said Jehovah Zebaoth, and I will burn her chariot in the smoke; but the sword will devour your young lions, and I will cut off your plunder from the earth. Nahum 2:11-13.

This refers to Nineveh.

In all these places 'a lion' stands for the power that the evil of self-love possesses, when it destroys and lays waste. 'A lion' has a like meaning in Jeremiah 12:8; 49:19; 50:17, 44; 51:38; Ezekiel 19:2-9; 32:2; Joel 1:6; Zephaniah 3:3; Psalms 57:4; 58:6; 91:13; Revelation 13:2.

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1886. PREFACE to Genesis 16

[Each chapter in Volume Two of the Latin (Chapters 16-21) was published separately. This Preface therefore may be said to belong before Chapter 16 only. Another Preface occurs before Chapter 18.]

Volume One consisted of an explanation of fifteen chapters of Genesis, stating what these contain in the internal sense. Adjoined to each chapter also were things I have been allowed in the Lord's Divine mercy to see and hear in the world of spirits and in the angelic heaven. Now comes Volume Two in which such matters are going to be appended in a similar way to each chapter. That which will be appended to this Chapter 16 is concerned with 'Visions and Dreams', including those that are prophetical which are described in the Word. I know few people will believe that anyone is able to see the things that manifest themselves in the next life and is consequently able to report anything on the state of souls after death; for few believe in the resurrection, indeed fewer of the learned than of the simple do so. It is true that they speak of it with their lips, for the reason that the doctrine of faith teaches that they will rise again; nevertheless they deny it in their hearts.

[2] In fact some go on to declare quite openly that they will not believe it until somebody rises from the dead, and they see, hear, and touch that person. If this were to be done however it would have to be done for every individual - though in fact no one like this who is a denier at heart would be persuaded by it, but thousands of objections would enter in, which would harden his mind in its negative attitude. Others however say that they will indeed rise again, but on Judgement Day, regarding which they have adopted the idea that at that time all things in the visible universe are going to perish. Yet because people have been awaiting that day for so many centuries, they too are in doubt. What is meant by the Last Judgement spoken of in the Word will be stated briefly, in the Lord's Divine mercy, at the end of Chapter 17 below.

[3] From this it may be seen what people are like in the Christian world at the present day. The Sadducees referred to in Matthew 22:23 and following verses openly denied any resurrection, yet they did better than those at the present day who, though they say that they do not deny it because, as has been stated, the doctrine of faith teaches it, do nevertheless at heart deny it, so that their words are contrary to their belief, and their belief contrary to their words. To prevent them confirming themselves any further in that false notion however I have been allowed, in the Lord's Divine mercy, while still in the physical body in the world, to be in the spirit in the next life - for a human being is a spirit clothed with a body. In that world I have been allowed to talk to souls who have risen again not long after their decease. Indeed I have been allowed to talk to almost everyone who has died and with whom I was acquainted during their lifetime, and also day by day for several years now to talk to spirits and angels, and to see the remarkable things in that world which have never entered anyone's imagination. And in none of these experiences have I been in any way deluded.

[4] Because so many people assert that they will believe if someone comes back to them from the next life it now remains to be seen whether, despite the hardness of their hearts, they will be persuaded. This I can say quite definitely, that those entering the next life from the Christian world are the worst of all for hating the neighbour, hating faith, and denying the Lord - for in that life what is in the heart declares itself, not what is simply on the lips. They are also worse adulterers than all others. And because heaven is thereby beginning to be taken away from those inside the Church, it becomes clear, as I have also been permitted to know quite definitely, that the last times are at hand. With regard to the internal sense of the Word - what it is, and the nature of it - please see what has been stated and shown in Volume One, in 1-5, 64-66, 167, 605, 920, 937, 1143, 1224, 1404, 1405, 1408, 1409, 1502 (end), 1540, 1659, 1756, especially in 1767-1777, 1869-1879, and in 1783, 1807; and in this Volume in 1886-1889 inclusive.

In this chapter Hagar and Ishmael are the subject, but what Hagar and Ishmael represent and mean in the internal sense nobody has known up to the present time. Nor could it have been known because until today the world, even the learned world, has imagined that the historical narratives of the Word are no more than history including within themselves nothing deeper. And although people have said that every jot is divinely inspired they have not meant by that anything more than this, that those narratives serve to disclose certain historical facts from which some specific point may be deduced that can be included in the doctrine of faith - of use to those who instruct and to those who learn - and that because they are divinely inspired they have a Divine impact on human minds and do more good than any other kind of historical narration. But regarded in themselves historical narrations can do little to lead to a person's change for the better and nothing whatever to bring him to eternal life; for in the next life the things that belong to history cease to be remembered. For what benefit would it be to those in that life if they knew about Hagar the servant-girl being given by Sarai to Abram? Or if they knew about Ishmael, or for that matter about Abram? To enter heaven and experience its joy, that is, eternal life, souls have no need of anything except that which is the Lord's and which derives from Him. It is for the sake of these things that the Word exists, and these are the things which it contains interiorly.