8732. And he went to himself unto his own land. That this signifies to the Divine Itself, is evident from the signification of “going unto his own land,” as being to the former state, thus to the Divine. Moreover by “land” in the internal sense is signified the church, and also heaven; therefore in the supreme sense is signified the Divine. (That by “land” in the internal sense is signified the church, thus also the kingdom of the Lord in heaven, see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011.) That by “land” in the supreme sense is signified the Divine, is because Jethro represented the Divine good, thus the Divine Itself, the returning whereto cannot otherwise be expressed in the historic sense of the letter than by “going unto his own land.” For the significatives in the Word accommodate themselves to the thing represented, the signification which properly belongs to the expression still remaining, as for instance the signification of “land,” which properly signifies the church, for the reason that they who are in heaven do not think of land when it is read of in the Word, but of the spiritual state of the nation which is in the land, thus of the religion there; and therefore when a “land” is read of where the church is, then they have an idea of the church there; and when an idea of the church, they have also an idea of the Lord’s kingdom, consequently of heaven; and when an idea of heaven, they have also an idea of the Divine there. But when the thing represented treats of any other holy thing in the church or in heaven, then that thing can be understood by “land”—as love, charity, good, faith. Hence it is evident that the signification still remains which properly belongs to the expression; as when good is signified, or love or charity, still through all there remains the signification of the church; for these things are the essentials of the church, and make it to be the church.

2928. To the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. That this signifies by those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “people,” as being those who are in truths, thus the spiritual (see n. 1259, 1260); from the signification of the “land,” as being the church (see n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 at the end); and from the signification of the “sons of Heth,” as being those who are of the new spiritual church (n. 2913). The “people of the land” are sometimes mentioned in the Word where it treats of Israel and of Jerusalem, and by them in the internal sense is signified the spiritual church, or those who are of the spiritual church; for by “Israel” and by “Jerusalem” this church is meant. When Judah and Zion are treated of, the term “nation” is used, for by “nation” is signified the celestial church; and this church is meant by “Judah” and by “Zion.”

[2] That it is said the “people of the land” when Israel and Jerusalem are treated of (thus where it treats of the spiritual church), is evident from many passages in the Word; as in Ezekiel:

Say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord Jehovih to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the ground of Israel, They shall eat their bread in sadness, and shall drink their waters in devastation; that her land may be laid waste; the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate (Ezekiel 12:19-20); where in the internal sense Jerusalem and the ground of Israel denote the spiritual church; “bread” and “waters,” charity and faith, or good and truth; the “land,” the church itself, which is said to be “wasted” as to good, and “desolate” as to truth.

[3] In the same:

Gog and his multitude shall the house of Israel bury, that they may cleanse the land seven months; and all the people of the land shall bury them (Ezekiel 39:11-13);

“Gog” denotes external worship separate from internal, which is idolatrous (n. 1151); the “house of Israel,” the spiritual church in respect to good; the “people of the land,” the same in respect to truth; the “land,” the church itself. The “land” denotes the church for the reason that the land of Canaan represented the Lord’s kingdom and thus the church, for the Lord’s kingdom on earth is the church.

[4] In the same:

All the people of the land shall be for this oblation for the prince in Israel; and upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering. The people of the land shall bow themselves at the door of the gate in the sabbaths and in the new moons; and the people of the land shall enter, in the appointed feasts (Ezekiel 45:16, 22; 46:3, 9); where the New Jerusalem, that is, the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is treated of; they who are in it are the “people of the land;” the “prince” is truth Divine which is from the Lord.

[5] The sons of Heth are so called because by “sons” are signified truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623). Truths are predicated of the spiritual, because the spiritual are initiated into good by means of truths, that is, into charity by means of faith; and because they do good from the affection of truth, not knowing that it is good from anything else than because they are so instructed. Their conscience also is founded in these truths of faith (see n. 1155, 1577, 2046, 2088, 2184, 2507, 2715, 2716, 2718).