8241.

In Jehovah, and in His servant Moses. That this signifies the Lord as to the Divine good, and as to the Divine truth proceeding from Him and ministering, is evident from the fact that by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the Lord (see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6281, 6303, 6945, 6956); and indeed the Lord as to the Divine good (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 4402, 6905); from the representation of Moses, as being the Divine truth proceeding from Him (see n. 6752, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382). It is said “the Lord as to the Divine good and as to the Divine truth,” because Divine good is in the Lord, and Divine truth is from the Lord; Divine good is to Divine truth as the fire of the sun is to the light from it; the light not being in the sun, but from the sun. And from the signification of “servant,” as being one who ministers. That he is called a “servant” who is of service, thus who ministers, see n. 7143; and that on this account the Lord as to the Divine Human, when He was in the world, is called in the Word a “servant,” n. 3441; for He then ministered, as He Himself also says: “Whosoever would become great among you must be your minister; and whosoever would be first must be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45).

1823. Take a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years. That this signifies the representatives of the celestial things of the church, is evident from the signification of the same animals in the sacrifices. No one who thinks sanely can believe that the various animals which were sacrificed signified nothing but sacrifices; or that an ox and a bullock or a calf signified the same as a sheep, a kid, and a she-goat, and these the same as a lamb; and that a turtledove signified the same as young pigeons; the fact being that every animal had its own special signification. This may be sufficiently evident from the fact that in no case was one offered instead of another; and that those are expressly named which were to be used in the daily burnt-offerings and sacrifices, those on the Sabbaths and festivals, those used in free-will offerings, vows, and peace-offerings, those in expiation of guilt and sin, and those in purifications; which would never have been so unless something special had been represented and signified by each animal.

[2] But what was signified by each particular kind would be too tedious to explain here; it is sufficient to know now that celestial things were signified by the animals, and spiritual things by the birds; and by each kind, some special celestial or spiritual thing. The Jewish Church itself, and all things relating to it, were representative of such things as are of the Lord’s kingdom, where there is nothing but what is celestial and spiritual, that is, nothing but what is of love and of faith; as may also be sufficiently evident from the signification of the clean and useful beasts, explained above (n. 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776). As in the Most Ancient Churches these were significative of heavenly goods, they afterwards became representative in the church, when worship merely external, which was also representative, was valued and acknowledged.

[3] As the state of the church is here treated of, and it is foretold what that state is to be, this was shown to Abram by similar representatives, exactly as is here related; but still such things are signified in the internal sense, as indeed everyone may know and think; for what would be the need of taking a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, of dividing them into two parts, and placing them so, unless everything had been significative? But what these things signified may be seen from what follows.