6541. And the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the grievous mourning in the threshing-floor Atad. That this signifies a perception of grief by the good of the church, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being a perception (n. 2150, 3764, 4723, 5400); from the signification of “inhabitant,” as being good (n. 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613); from the signification of “land,” here the land of Canaan, where was its “inhabitant the Canaanite,” as being the church (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705); from the signification of “mourning,” as being grief (n. 6539, 6540); and from the signification of the “threshing-floor Atad,” as being the first state, namely that of initiation (n. 6537, 6538). Hence it is plain that by the “inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the grievous mourning in the threshing-floor Atad,” is signified a perception of grief by the good of the church.

1413. To the land that I will cause thee to see. That this signifies the spiritual and celestial things that would be presented to view, is evident from the signification of “land” n. 662,1066), and here indeed of the land of Canaan, by which the Lord’s kingdom is represented, as may be seen from many other passages in the Word. The land of Canaan is therefore called the Holy Land, and also the heavenly Canaan. And because it represented the Lord’s kingdom, it also represented and signified the celestial and spiritual things that belong to His kingdom; here, those which belong to the Lord Himself.