4289. That by “Let me go, for the dawn ariseth,” is signified that what is representative would depart from the posterity of Jacob, before they came into the representatives of the land of Canaan, is evident from the series of things in the internal historical sense, in which Jacob’s posterity are treated of. Their state in respect to the things of the church is also described in the Word by evening, by night, and by morning or dawn—by the latter when they came into the land of Canaan, consequently into the representative of a church there. The case herein is that the representative of a church could not be instituted among them until they had been altogether vastated, that is, until they had no knowledge of internal things; for if they had had a knowledge of internal things they could have been affected by them, and thus would have profaned them. For holy things (that is, internal truths and goods) can be profaned by those who know and acknowledge them, and still more by those who are affected by them, but not by those who do not acknowledge them. But see what has been previously said and shown about profanation, namely: That those can profane holy things who know and acknowledge them, but not those who do not (n. 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 3398, 3898): That those who are within the church can profane holy things, but not those who are without (n. 2051): That therefore so far as is possible those are withheld from the acknowledgment and belief of good and truth who cannot remain therein permanently (n. 3398, 3402): That these are also kept in ignorance lest they should profane (n. 301-303vvv2): What danger there is from the profanation of holy things (n. 571, 582): That worship becomes external lest what is internal should be profaned (n. 1327, 1328): And that therefore internal truths were not disclosed to the Jews (n. 3398).

[2] It was therefore provided by the Lord that the genuine representative of a church (that is, what is internal) should depart from the posterity of Jacob before they came into the representatives of the land of Canaan, insomuch that they did not know anything at all concerning the Lord. They did indeed know that the Messiah was to come into the world, but to the end that He should exalt them to glory and eminence over all nations of the whole earth—not to save their souls to eternity. Neither did they know anything about the heavenly kingdom, nor about the life after death, and not even about charity and faith. In order that they might be reduced to this ignorance they were kept some hundreds of years in Egypt; and when they were called out thence, they did not know even the name of Jehovah (Exodus 3:12-14). Moreover, they had lost all the worship of the representative church, insomuch that after the commandments of the Decalogue had been promulgated before them from Mount Sinai, within a month they fell back to the Egyptian worship, which was that of a golden calf (Exodus 32).

[3] And because the brood that had been brought out of Egypt was of such a character, they all perished in the wilderness. For nothing more was required of them than to keep the statutes and precepts in the outward form, because this was to act as the representative of a church; but those who had grown up in Egypt could not be reduced to this; yet their children could, although with difficulty, in the beginning by miracles, and afterwards by fears and captivities, as is manifest from the books of Joshua and Judges. From this it is evident that all genuine or internal representation of the church had departed from them before they came into the land of Canaan, where the external representative of the church was begun among them in full form. For the land of Canaan was the veriest land of all where the representatives of the church could be presented, because all the places and all the boundaries of this land had been representative from ancient times (see n. 3686).

3402. He that toucheth this man and his woman, dying he shall die. That this signifies that Divine truth and Divine good are not to be opened, and are not even to be approached in faith, from the danger of eternal damnation if they should be profaned, is evident from the signification of “touching this man and his woman,” as being to approach the Divine truth and Divine good which are represented by Isaac and Rebekah. Truth is here mentioned in the first place, and good in the second, because those are treated of who are in the spiritual church, who are able to adulterate and even profane truth, but not good, and for this reason it is said “man and woman” (n. 915, 2517); and also from the signification of “dying he shall die,” as being eternal damnation, which is spiritual death; here, from profanation, which is the subject treated of.

[2] (That it is of the Lord’s providence that no one should be admitted into good and truth-that is, into the acknowledgment and affection thereof-any further than he can remain in them, on account of the danger of eternal damnation, may be seen above, n. 3398.) The case with good and truth, as before stated and shown, is that in a man these betake themselves inward insofar as he is in evil and falsity; consequently that the angels who are with him from heaven insofar retire; and diabolical spirits from hell insofar approach. And the converse also is true. The removal of good and truth, consequently of the angels, from the man who is in evil and falsity is not apparent to him, because he is then in the persuasion that evil is good, and that falsity is truth, and this from the affection of them and the consequent delight; and when he is in this state it is impossible for him to know that good and truth have been removed from him. Good and truth, or the angels, are said to be removed from man when he is not affected by them, that is, when he is no longer delighted with them, but on the contrary is affected by the things that are of the love of self and the love of the world, that is, when these alone delight him.

[3] To know good and truth, that is, to hold them in the memory, and to talk about them, is not to possess them; but to possess them is to be affected by them from the heart; neither does anyone possess good and truth when he is affected by them for the sake of thereby gaining reputation and wealth; for in this case he is not affected by good and truth, but by honor and gain, and he makes the former the means of obtaining the latter. In the other life the goods and truths that such persons have known, and have even preached, are taken away from them, and there remains the love of self and of the world, from which is their life. From this it is evident how the case is with good and truth, namely, that no one is allowed to approach them with affection and faith, unless he is of such a character that he can continue in them to the end of his life. But they who profane are those who cannot be withheld from them.