5373. And all the earth came into Egypt. That this signifies that goods and truths were brought into the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of the “earth.” The signification of “earth” or “land” in the Word is various: in general it signifies the church, and hence the things belonging to the church, which are goods and truths; and because it signifies the church, it signifies also the man of the church, for he is the church in particular; and because it signifies the man of the church, it signifies that in him which is the man, namely, the mind. Hence it is that by the “land of Egypt” is occasionally above signified the natural mind. In this passage, however, the land of Egypt is not meant, but the earth in general, consequently the things of the church, which are goods and truths. (That the signification of “land” or “earth” is various may be seen above, n. 620, 636, 2571; and that in general it signifies the church, n. 566, 662, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 3404, 4447, 4535)

[2] That by “all the earth coming to Egypt” is signified that goods and truths were brought into memory-knowledges is evident from the signification of “Egypt” in the proper sense, as being memory-knowledge, consequently matters of memory-knowledge (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); and that the memory-knowledges signified in a good sense by “Egypt” are those of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966). That this is the internal sense of these words is plain not only from the signification of the word “earth” or “land” when the land of Egypt is not meant, and from that of “Egypt” in the proper sense, and from its being said, “all the earth came” [venerunt] in the plural, but also from the very connection of things in the internal sense; for in this connection it now follows that the truths and goods of remains are brought into memory-knowledges.

[3] For the case is this: during man’s regeneration as to the natural, goods and truths are one and all brought together into memory-knowledges. Those which are not in the memory-knowledges there, are not in the natural; for the natural mind, as regards that part of it which is subject to the understanding, consists solely of memory-knowledges. The memory-knowledges that belong to the natural are the ultimates of order, and things prior must be in ultimates in order to come into existence and to appear in that sphere; and besides this all prior things tend to ultimates as to their boundaries or ends, and come into existence together therein as causes do in their effects, or as higher things do in lower as in their vessels. The memory-knowledges of the natural are such ultimates. Hence it is that the spiritual world is terminated in man’s natural, in which the things of the spiritual world are representatively presented. Unless spiritual things were presented representatively in the natural, thus by such things as are in the world, they would not be apprehended at all. From all this it is evident that during the regeneration of the natural all interior truths and goods, which are from the spiritual world, are brought into memory-knowledges, in order that they may appear.

1733. Possessor of the heavens and the earth. This signifies the conjunction of the internal man or Jehovah with the interior and the exterior man, as appears from the signification of “heaven and earth.” That which is interior in man is called “heaven;” and that which is exterior is called “earth.” The reason why “heaven” signifies that which is interior in man, is that a man as to his interiors is an image of heaven, and so is a kind of little heaven. Primarily the Lord’s interior man is heaven, because the Lord is the all in all of heaven, and thus is heaven itself. It follows from this that the exterior man is called the earth. For the same reason also, by the “new heavens” and the “new earth,” spoken of in the Prophets and in Revelation, nothing else is meant than the Lord’s kingdom, and everyone who is a kingdom of the Lord, or in whom the Lord’s kingdom is. That “heaven and earth” signify these things may be seen, as to “heaven,” n. 82, 911; and as to “earth,” n. 82, 620, 636, 913.

[2] That here “God Most High, Possessor of the heavens and earth,” signifies the conjunction in the Lord of the internal man with the interior and exterior man, may be seen from the fact that as to His internal man the Lord was Jehovah Himself; and because the internal man or Jehovah led and instructed the external, as a father his son, therefore relatively to Jehovah He is called, as to the external man, the “Son of God;” but relatively to the mother, He is called the “Son of Man.” The Lord’s internal man, which is Jehovah Himself, is what is here called “God Most High;” and before plenary conjunction or union was effected, it is called “Possessor of the heavens and earth,” that is, Possessor of all things which are in the interior and the exterior man; for these, as before said, are here meant by “the heavens and the earth.”