8054. And it shall be when Jehovah shall have brought thee unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. That this signifies the region of heaven occupied by those who are in evil and falsity, is evident from the signification of “the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,” as being heaven, here the region of heaven occupied by those who are in evil and falsity. (That “the land of Canaan” denotes the Lord’s kingdom in heaven and earth, or the church, see n. 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4116, 4240, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 5757, 6516.) Evils and falsities are signified by the nations here named-evil from the falsity of evil by “the Canaanite” (n. 4818); falsity from which is evil by “the Hittite” (n. 2913); evil and the derivative falsity by “the Amorite” (n. 1857, 6306); idolatry in which is something of good by “the Hivite” (n. 6860); and idolatry in which there is something of truth by “the Jebusite” (n. 6860). (That before the coming of the Lord the region of heaven into which they who were of the spiritual church would come, was occupied by evils and falsities, see n. 6858.)

[2] As to what further concerns this subject, be it known that before the Lord’s coming heaven was not distinguished into three heavens, namely into the inmost or third, the middle or second, and the ultimate or first, as it was after the Lord’s coming; but was one. The spiritual heaven was not yet formed. The region where the spiritual heaven was to be, was occupied by those who were in falsity and evil, but who could be kept in some truth and good by external means, especially by means of ideas of eminence and dignity, just as is the case in the world, where they who are in evil and falsity are nevertheless obliged to as it were think and speak truths, and as it were will and do goods, by external means, which are honors and gains. The reason why this region of heaven was then occupied by such spirits, was that good ones were lacking, and they who were of the spiritual church had not as yet been prepared, and yet every place had to be filled by spirits, in order that there might be continuity from the Lord down to man, for without continuity man would have perished. At this day also there are some regions of heaven occupied by such; but they who are there are withheld by a strong force from the doing of evils. Immediately above the head are they who deceive and seduce by means of innocence; but above them are the celestial from the Most Ancient Church, who keep them in bonds with such force that they cannot possibly occasion what is evil to anyone. Behind the back part of the head there is also at this day a region which had been a region of heaven, that is occupied by the evil; and another in front toward the left.

[3] There is also a continual endeavor on the part of the evil to invade the places where the good are, and they actually do invade them as soon as they are not filled by the good, which endeavor it has often been granted me to notice. These regions are thus occupied when the evil are increased and the good diminished in the world; for in this case evil spirits come near to man, and good spirits recede from him; and insofar as these recede, so far the regions nearest to man are occupied by the evil. When this condition becomes general, the inhabitants of these regions are completely changed. Much is the case when the church is near its end, for then evil and falsity prevail. But about the end of the church the evil are cast down, and the regions they had occupied are given to the good, who in the meantime have been prepared for heaven. This is meant by these words in John:

There was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels; but they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven (Revelation 12:7-8).

This state of heaven was represented by the land of Canaan, in that the nations occupied it; and by the sons of Israel, in that they cast those nations out from it; for by the “land of Canaan” is signified the Lord’s kingdom, thus heaven and the church, as can be seen from the passages cited above.

4818. And Judah saw there a daughter of a man, a Canaanite. That this signifies the affection of evil from the falsity of evil, is evident from the signification of a “daughter,” as being the affection of good (n. 2362), and in the opposite sense the affection of evil (n. 3024); and from the signification of a “man,” as being one who is intelligent, and in the abstract sense truth, but in the opposite sense one who is not intelligent, and falsity, as just above (n. 4816); and from the signification of a “Canaanite,” as being evil (n. 1573, 1574). From this it is evident that by a “daughter of a man a Canaanite” is signified evil which is from the falsity of evil. What evil from the falsity of evil is, will be shown below.

[2] Here something must first be said about the origins of the tribe of Judah, for they are described in this chapter. There are three origins of this tribe, or of the Jewish nation-one from Shelah, the son of Judah, by his Canaanite wife; another from Perez, and the third from Zerah, the sons of Judah by Tamar his daughter-in-law. That the whole Jewish nation was from these three sons of Judah is evident from the enumeration of the sons and grandsons of Jacob who came with him into Egypt (Genesis 46:12); and also from their classification according to families, in Moses:

The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites (Numbers 26:20; 1 Chron. 4:21);

this shows what the origin of that nation was, namely, that one third of them was from the Canaanite mother, and that two thirds of them were from the daughter-in-law; consequently that all were from an illegitimate connection, for marriages with the daughters of the Canaanites were strictly forbidden (as is evident from Genesis 24:3; Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; 1 Kings 11:2; Ezra 9:1-15 10:1-44 d to lie with one’s daughter-in-law was a capital offense, as is evident in Moses:

If a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought confusion; their bloods shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:12).

Judah’s referring this deed with his daughter-in-law to the levirate law in which an ordinance is made regarding the brother, but by no means regarding the father (as appears from verse 26 of this chapter), implies that his sons by Tamar should be acknowledged as the sons of Er his firstborn, who was born of the Canaanite mother, and who was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and was therefore caused to die (verse 7); for those who were born first to the husband’s brother were not his by whom they were conceived, but his whose seed they raised up, as is evident fromDeuteronomy 25:5-6, and also from verses 8 and 9 of this chapter. Moreover, those who were born of Tamar were born of fornication; for Judah thought when he went unto her that she was a harlot (verses 15-16, 21). This shows whence and of what quality was the origin of the Jewish nation, and that they spoke falsely when they said, “We were not born of fornication” (John 8:41).

[3] What this origin involves and represents is plain from what follows, namely, that their interiors were of such a quality, or had such an origin. Judah’s marrying a Canaanite involves an origin from the evil which is from the falsity of evil, for this is signified in the internal sense by “a daughter of a man, a Canaanite;” his lying with his daughter-in-law involves and represents damnation from falsified truth from evil, for everywhere in the Word whoredom signifies the falsification of truth (n. 3708). Evil from the falsity of evil is evil of life from false doctrine which has been hatched by the evil of the love of self (that is, by those who are in this evil), and confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word. Such is the origin of evil with the Jewish nation, and such is its origin with some in the Christian world, especially with those who in the Word are meant by Babylon. This evil is of such a nature that it closes every way to the internal man, insomuch that nothing of conscience can be formed therein; for the evil which a person does from false doctrine, he believes to be good, because he believes it to be true; and therefore he does it freely and with delight, as allowable. Thus heaven is so closed to him that it cannot be opened.

[4] The quality of this evil may be shown by an example. With those who from the evil of the love of self believe that Jehovah has chosen a single nation only, and that all the rest of mankind are relatively slaves, and so vile that they may be killed at pleasure or be cruelly treated—as the Jewish nation believed, and at this day the Babylonish nation also believes—and confirm this belief from the sense of the letter of the Word, then whatever evil they do from this false doctrine and others built upon this as a foundation, is evil from the falsity of evil, and destroys the internal man, preventing any conscience from ever being formed therein. These are they spoken of in the Word who are said to be “in bloods,” for they are in cruel rage against the whole human race which does not adore their articles of faith, and thus themselves, and does not offer its gifts upon their altars.

[5] Take another example: with those who from the evil of the love of self and of the world believe that there must be someone as the Lord’s vicar on earth, who has the power of opening and shutting heaven, and thus of ruling over the minds and consciences of all, and who confirm this falsity from the sense of the letter of the Word, whatever of evil they do from this belief is evil from the falsity of evil, which in like manner destroys the internal man with those who from this evil claim for themselves this power, and in this way rule; and this evil is destructive to such a degree that they no longer know what the internal man is, nor that anyone has conscience, consequently they no longer believe that there is any life after death, nor that there is a heaven or a hell, no matter how they may speak of these things.

[6] This evil, as regards its quality, cannot be distinguished by men in the world from other evils, but in the other life it is known by the angels as in clear day; for evils and falsities are manifest in that life as to their distinctions of quality and origin, which are innumerable; and according to the genera and species of these also are the distinctions of the hells. Concerning these innumerable differences man knows scarcely anything; he merely believes that evil exists, but what its quality is he does not know, and this for the sole reason that he does not know what good is, and this because he does not know what charity is; for if he had known the good of charity he would have known also the opposites or evils, with their distinctions.