10105. And boil the flesh in a holy place. That this signifies the preparation of good for the uses of life through the truths of doctrine in enlightenment from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “boiling,” as being to prepare for the use of life by means of the truths of doctrine; from the signification of “flesh,” as being good (see n. 7850, 9127); and from the signification of “in a holy place,” as being from Divine enlightenment; for “a holy place” denotes where the Divine of the Lord is present, thus as applied to the truths of doctrine, where there is Divine enlightenment; because where the Divine of the Lord is present, there is enlightenment. That to “boil the flesh of the sacrifice” denotes to prepare good for the use of life by means of the truth of doctrine, is because flesh, by which is signified good, is thus prepared for the use of the body, consequently in the spiritual sense for the use of life. That the preparation is effected by means of the truths of doctrine, is plain, because these teach the use; and moreover by the “waters” in which the boiling is done, are signified truths (n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 5668, 8568, 9323).

[2] It is said by means of truths of doctrine in enlightenment from the Lord, because truths from the Word are to be fitted together into doctrine so as to serve for use, which is done by those who are in enlightenment from the Lord; and those are in enlightenment when they read the Word, who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, and for the sake of the good of life, and not those who seek it for the sake of self-glory, reputation, or profit, as ends. (That doctrine must be wholly from the Word, so that the Word may be understood, see n. 9025, 9409, 9410, 9424, 9430; and that those who collect doctrine from the Word must be in enlightenment from the Word, n. 9382, 9424.)

[3] That “to boil in water” denotes to reduce truths into doctrine, and thus prepare them for the use of life, appears at first sight strange and farfetched; but that such is nevertheless the signification can be seen from the passages in the Word where “boiling in water” is spoken of, and also where the “pot” is mentioned in which the boiling is done; as in the second book of Kings:

Elisha returned unto Gilgal, when there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his boy, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds, and shred them into the pot of pottage. As they were eating of the pottage, they cried out, O man of God there is death in the pot! Wherefore he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And then there was no evil thing in the pot (2 Kings 4:38-42).

This miracle, like all others in the Word, involves holy things of the church, which are opened by means of the internal sense. From this it is known that Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, in like manner as did Elijah; that the “sons of the prophets” denote those who teach truth from the Word; that the “pot” which was set on by order of Elisha, denotes the doctrine from it; and that a “wild vine” and the “gourds” from it denote falsities. From this it is plain what is meant by “death in the pot.” The “meal” which he cast into the pot denotes truth from good, and as the doctrine is amended by this truth, it came to pass that there was no evil thing in the pot. From this also it is plain that “to boil in a pot” denotes to collate into doctrine, and thus prepare for use. (That all the miracles in the Word involve holy things of the church, see n. 7337, 8364, 9086; that Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, n. 2762; that the “prophets” denote those who teach truths, thus abstractedly from persons the truth of doctrine, n. 2534, 7269; that a “vine” denotes the truth of the church, and “grapes” its good, n. 5113, 5117, 9277; consequently a “wild vine” and “wild gourds” denote falsities and evils; that “meal” denotes the genuine truth of faith from good, see n. 9995; that the “pottage,” which they were boiling, denotes a heap of doctrinal things, such as was that of the Jews, n. 3316.) From this it can be inferred what is meant by “boiling” and by a “pot.”

[4] In Ezekiel:

Utter a parable against the rebellious house. Set on the pot, set it on, and also pour water into it; gather the pieces into it, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; fill with the choice of the bones, and let the bones be boiled in the midst of it. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Woe to the city of bloods, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it (Ezekiel 24:3-7).

There is here described the Word such as it is as to doctrine, namely, that Divine truths from Divine good are therein; and then is described doctrine from the Word such as it was with the Jewish nation, full of unclean things and falsities.

The “pot” denotes doctrine; the “thigh,” the “shoulder,” and the “choice of the bones,” denote Divine truths from Divine good in successive order; the “city of bloods” denotes the Jewish nation relatively to the truth of doctrine with them, thus abstractedly from nation or person it denotes the doctrine which destroys good; the “scum” in it denotes what is external which favors filthy loves, and which, not being removed, the truth is defiled. From this also it is plain that a “pot” denotes doctrine, and that “to boil” denotes to prepare for use.

[5] In the same:

The spirit said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in the city, saying, It is not near to build houses; it is the pot, and we are the flesh (Ezekiel 11:2-3);

here also “the pot” denotes the doctrine of falsity from evil, for so the city is called where iniquity is devised, and wicked counsel is given. (That “city” also denotes doctrine, see n. 402, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, here such doctrine.)

[6] In Jeremiah:

Jehovah said, What seest thou? I said, I see a pot that is bubbling over, whose face is toward the north. Jehovah said, Out of the north shall evil be opened forth upon all the inhabitants of the land (Jeremiah 1:13-14);

here also “a pot bubbling over” denotes the doctrine of falsity from evil; the “north” denotes an obscure state in respect to the truth of faith, and also thick darkness from falsities (n. 3708); from this it is plain what this prophetic vision involves.

[7] In Zechariah:

In that day every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to Jehovah Zebaoth, and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and shall boil in them (Zech. 14:21);

here “pot” signifies the doctrine of charity and of faith, thus the doctrine of truth from good; “Jerusalem” denotes the church of the Lord; “they who sacrifice” denote those who are in Divine worship. From this it is evident that “to boil in pots” denotes to prepare for the use of spiritual life.

[8] In Moses:

Every vessel of pottery in which is boiled the flesh of a sacrifice of guilt and of sin shall be broken; but if it hath been boiled in a vessel of brass, this shall be scoured and rinsed in water (Leviticus 6:28).

The earthen vessel in which the boiling was done denotes falsity which does not cohere with good; “a vessel of brass” denotes a doctrinal matter in which is good; the “boiling” of the flesh of the sacrifice of guilt and sin in them, denotes preparation for purification from evils and the falsities thence derived. From this it is evident what was represented by the injunction that every earthen vessel should be broken, and that a vessel of brass should be scoured and rinsed in waters.

4493. And they circumcised every male, all that went out of the gate of his city. That this signifies accession to external things, is evident from the signification of “circumcising every male,” as being to be initiated thereby into the representatives and significatives of the descendants of Jacob in respect to the external alone (see n. 4486); and from the signification of “going out of the gate of the city,” as being to recede from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, concerning which just above (n. 4492). And because recession from their own doctrine and accession to externals are both signified, it is therefore twice said, “all that went out of the gate of his city.” But it is not at the same time said also, as elsewhere, “they that go into it,” because by “going in” is signified accession to doctrine, and recession from externals, whereas here the contrary is signified.

[2] It is necessary to say how the case herein is. The men of the Most Ancient Church, of the remains of which were Hamor and Shechem with their families, were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church; for the men of the Most Ancient Church had a will in which there was soundness, but not so the men of the Ancient Church. Therefore with the men of the Most Ancient Church the Lord could inflow through the will, thus by an internal way; but not so with the men of the Ancient Church, in whom the will had been destroyed; but with these He inflowed into the understanding, thus not by an internal way, but by an external way, as before said (n. 4489). To inflow through the will is to inflow through the good of love, for all good is of the will part; but to inflow through the understanding is to inflow through the truth of faith, for all truth is of the intellectual part. When the Lord regenerated the men of the Ancient Church He formed a new will in their intellectual part.

(That goods and truths were implanted in the will part of the men of the Most Ancient Church, may be seen, n. 895, 927, but in the intellectual part of the men of the Ancient Church, n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 2124, 2256, 4328: That a new will is formed in the intellectual part, n. 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 4328: That there is a parallelism between the Lord and the good that is with man, but not between the Lord and the truth with man, n. 1831, 1832, 2718, 3514 ence the men of the Ancient Church were in comparative obscurity, n. 2708, 2715, 2935, 2937, 3246, 3833.) From all this it is evident that the men of the Most Ancient Church were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church.

[3] It was for this reason that the men of the Most Ancient Church were internal men and had no externals of worship, and that the men of the Ancient Church were external men and had externals of worship; for the former saw external things through internal ones as in the light of the sun by day, and the latter saw internal things through external ones as in the light of the moon and stars by night. Therefore also in heaven the Lord appears to the former as a sun, but to the latter as a moon (n. 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495, 4060). In these explications the former are they who are called “celestial,” but the latter “spiritual.”

[4] To illustrate the difference let us take an example: If a man of the Most Ancient Church had read the historic or prophetic Word, he would have seen its internal sense without any previous instruction or explication, and this so fully that the celestial and spiritual things of this sense would have at once occurred to him, and scarcely anything in the sense of the letter; thus the internal sense would have been in clearness to him, but the sense of the letter in obscurity. He would be like one who hears another speaking and gets the meaning without attending to the words. But if a man of the Ancient Church had read the Word he could not have seen its internal sense without previous instruction or explication; thus the internal sense would have been in obscurity to him, but the sense of the letter in clearness. He would be like one who hears another speaking and is intent upon the words while not attending to the meaning, which is thus lost to him. But when a man of the Jewish Church reads the Word, he apprehends nothing beyond the sense of the letter, he is not aware that there is any internal sense, and also denies it; and at the present day the case is the same with a man of the Christian Church.

[5] All this shows what was the difference between those represented by Hamor and Shechem (who being of the remains of the Most Ancient Church were in internals and not in externals), and those signified by the sons of Jacob (who were in externals and not in internals); and it shows further that Hamor and Shechem could not accede to externals and accept those among the sons of Jacob without their internals being closed; thus causing their eternal destruction.

[6] This is the secret reason why Hamor and Shechem with their families were slain, which otherwise would not have been permitted. But this does not exculpate the sons of Jacob from having committed an enormous crime. They knew nothing of this secret reason, and it was not the end they had in view. Everyone is judged according to his end or intention, and that their intention was fraudulent is plainly stated in the thirteenth verse (Genesis 34:13); and when any such crime is permitted by the Lord, it is evil men and their infernal instigators who are the authors of it. Nevertheless all the evil which the evil intend and do to the good is turned by the Lord into good, as in the present instance, in that Hamor and Shechem with their families were saved.