28. The Firstborn from the dead, signifies from whom is all good in heaven. This is evident from the signification of the "firstborn," as being, in reference to the Lord, Divine good in heaven, thus all good there. The "firstborn" signifies this, because by generations, in general and in particular, spiritual generations are signified, which are the generations of good and truth or of love and faith; from this it is, that by "father," "mother," "sons," "daughters," "sons-in-law," "daughters-in-law," and "son's sons," are signified goods and truths which generate and are generated in their order (Arcana Coelestia 10490), for in heaven there are no other nativities. This being so, by "firstborn" is not meant the firstborn, but the good of heaven and of the church, because this is in the first place. And since it is the Lord from whom all good in heaven is, He is called the "Firstborn." He is called "the Firstborn from the dead," because, when He arose from the dead, He made His Human to be Divine good by union with the Divine that was in Him from conception.

[2] This is why He is called "the Firstborn from the dead," and says of Himself in David:

I will make Him the Firstborn, high above the kings of the earth (Psalms 89:27).

What is meant by His being "high above the kings of the earth" will be seen in a subsequent article.

(That the Lord, when He departed from the world, made His Human Divine good, see Arcana Coelestia 3194, 3210, 6864, 7499, 8724, 9199, 10076; thus that He came forth from the Father and returned to the Father, n. 3194, 3210; and that after the union, the Divine truth, which is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, proceeds from Him, n. 3704, 3712, 3969, 4577, 5704, 7499, 8127, 8241, 9199, 9398, 9407. But this arcanum may be seen more fully explained in the small work on The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295; and in the passages there cited from the Arcana Coelestia 303-305.)

As the Lord in respect to the Divine Human is called "the Firstborn," for the reason that all good proceeds from Him, so all the firstborn in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah; so also the Levites were received in place of all the firstborn in Israel; for by the sons of Levi were represented those of the church who are in the good of charity: therefore also a double portion of inheritance was allotted to the firstborn; all this for the reason that the firstborn signified the good that is from the Lord, and in the highest sense, the Lord Himself in respect to the Divine Human from which is all good. For all things that were commanded in the Israelitish church were representative of Divine things, spiritual and celestial.

[3] That all the firstborn in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah appears from Moses, in the following passages:

Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is Mine (Exodus 13:2).

Thou shalt cause to pass over unto Jehovah all that openeth the womb, and every firstling that cometh of a beast, as many as thou hast, the males shall be Jehovah's (Exodus 13:12).

Thou shalt not delay to offer the firstfruits of thy produce, and the firstfruits of thy wine. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep; seven days it shall be with its dam: on the eighth day thou shalt give it Me. And ye shall be men of holiness unto Me (Exodus 22:29-31).

They were to give also the firstborn of beasts, because these, too, were representative; and because they represented they were also made use of in burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

(What the various beasts in these services represented, see Arcana Coelestia 1823, 3519, 9280, 9980, 10042. Why the Levites were accepted in place of all the firstborn in Israel, see Numbers 3:12, 13, 41, 45; 8:15-20, was, as was said above, because the "sons of Levi" represented, and therefore signified, the good of charity, and "Levi," in the highest sense, signified the Lord as to that good, see Arcana Coelestia 3875, 3877, 4497, 4502, 4503, 10017. A double portion of the inheritance was given to the firstborn, Deuteronomy 21:17, because a "double portion" signified the good of love, Arcana Coelestia 720, 1686, 5194, 8423)

3210. 'And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother' means the sanctuary of truth within the Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as that which is holy, dealt with in 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 2576, and so the sanctuary; and from meaning of 'Sarah his mother' as Divine truth, dealt with in 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065, 2904, from which the Divine Human was born, the Rational of which is represented by 'the son Isaac'. From this it is evident that 'Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother' means that rational Good guided Truth represented by Rebekah into the sanctuary of truth. What the sanctuary of truth is becomes clear from what has been stated above in 3194 about the Lord's Divine Human - that Good and Truth belong essentially to the Divine itself, but that the Lord's Divine Human came into existence from Divine Good and was born (as to the Divine itself, that is) from Divine Truth; or what amounts to the same, that the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) was Divine Good, but the Manifestation (Existere) of Him was Divine Truth. From this came Divine Rational Good to which He joined Divine Truth from the Human.

[2] It is impossible to say anything more about this very deep arcanum than this: Divine Good and Truth themselves within the Lord's Divine Human to which Truth from the Human was joined are what were meant by the Sanctuary or Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. The nature of that Good and Truth was represented by the objects within the Sanctuary, such as the golden altar, the table with the loaves of the presence, and the lampstand; and further within, by the Mercy Seat and the Ark; and within it, inmostly, by the Testimony which was the Law delivered from Sinai. This was the Holy of Holies itself or Sanctuary of Truth.