4129. And Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the good now separated from the good represented by Jacob; from the signification of “pitching,” as being the state of this good (it is not said that he “pitched a tent,” because the state referred to was not a state of the holy of love, except by somewhat of that conjunction); from the signification of “brethren,” as being the goods with which the good signified by “Laban” had been consociated (see n. 4121); and from the signification of the “mountain of Gilead,” as being where there is the first and the last of conjunction (see n. 4117). From this it is manifest that by “Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead,” is signified the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction. What further is involved in the words that have now been explained, cannot be so well set forth to the apprehension, except from the things that happen in the other life, when societies of spirits and angels are adjoined to a man by the Lord, and are separated from him; such being the process of their adjunction and separation, in accordance with the order there existing. The steps of this process have been fully described in this chapter, but as they are wholly unknown to man, to set them forth in detail would be to speak mere arcana, some of which have been already stated, where the subject treated of was the conjunction and the separation of societies with a man in the process of regeneration. Suffice it to know that the arcana of this process are here contained in the internal sense, and that they are so great and of such a nature, that they cannot be fully set forth to the apprehension even as to one thousandth part of them.

4073. And Jacob sent, and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. That this signifies the adjunction of the affections of truth by the good now meant by “Jacob,” and application at the time when it departed, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural, often spoken of above; and from the representation of Rachel and Leah, as being the affections of truth that are adjoined to that good; “Rachel” the affection of interior truth; and “Leah” the affection of external truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). That “sending to these and calling them to the field unto his flock,” denotes to adjoin them to itself is manifest. “Field” signifies what is of good, and where there is good (n. 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317); and “flock” the goods and truths themselves which were now acquired, and to which the affections of truth meant by Rachel and Leah were applied when the good departed. Jacob in this chapter represents the good of the natural, in that it drew nearer to conjunction with the Divine (n. 4069), because it was in readiness to separate itself, and was in the act of separation, from the good signified by “Laban” (see what is said concerning Jacob above, n. 3775). For representations are according to the changes of state as to good and truth; and changes of state are according to the changes of spirits and angels who are in such good and truth, as was shown above (n. 4067).

[2] When the societies of spirits and angels which are in mediate good recede, then new societies which are in a more perfect good draw near. Man’s state is altogether according to the societies of spirits and angels in the midst of whom he is; such is his will, and such his thought. But his changes of state are quite different when he adjoins the societies to himself, or himself to them, from what they are when the societies are adjoined to him by the Lord. When he adjoins himself to them, he is in evil; but when they are adjoined to him by the Lord, he is in good. When he is in good, such good as serves for the reformation of his life flows in through the societies. What is here said in the internal sense respecting the good represented by Jacob, the affections of truth, which are “Rachel and Leah,” and the application of these when he departed from the good signified by “Laban,” is in exact accordance with the societies and their changes. From the societies the angels perceive the states the man has, thus the quality of his goods and truths, and consequently innumerable things which scarcely appear to the man as one general thing. Thus the angels are in the very causes, for they see and perceive the societies with the man, while the man is in the effects and does not see them, but has only an obscure perception of them, through some changes of state thence resulting; and sees nothing in regard to what is good and true, unless he is enlightened through angels by the Lord.