8732. 'And he went his way to his own land' means to the Divine Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'going to his own land' as to the former state, that is, to the Divine. Furthermore 'land' in the internal sense means the Church and also heaven, so that in the highest sense it means the Divine. As regards the meaning of 'land' in the internal sense as the Church, and so also the Lord's kingdom in heaven, see 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011. But as regards the meaning of 'land' in the highest sense as the Divine, the explanation for this is that 'Jethro' represented Divine Good, thus the Divine Himself; and going back to the Divine cannot be expressed in the historical narrative of the literal sense in any other way than by the words, 'going to his own land'. For spiritual meanings in the Word adapt themselves to whatever is being represented; yet the meaning which belongs properly to a word still remains. This is so with the meaning of 'land'. Its proper meaning is the Church, the reason for this being that those in heaven do not think of a land when 'land' is referred to in the Word; rather they think of the spiritual state of the nation in that land and so of religion as it exists there. When therefore a land where the Church exists is referred to they think of the Church there; along with the Church they also think of the Lord's kingdom, and consequently of heaven; and along with heaven they also think of the Divine there. But when the thing represented has all to do with some holy reality existing in the Church or in heaven, then that reality is to be understood by 'land' - such as love, charity, good, or faith. From this it is evident that the proper meaning of that word still remains. When for example good is meant, or love, or charity, its overall meaning as the Church still remains; for those virtues are the essential characteristics of the Church, and cause it to be the Church.

5577. 'In the land' means in the case of the integral parts of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' in the Word as the Church, and therefore here the integral parts of the Church; for whatever serves to mean the Church also means its integral parts since it is made up of these. The reason why in the Word 'the land' means the Church is that the land of Canaan was the one in which the Church had existed since most ancient times. Consequently when the expression 'the land' appears in the Word it is used to mean the land of Canaan; and when this particular land is meant one understands the Church. For when the expression 'the land' appears there, people in the spiritual world do not concern themselves with the idea of a land, only with the idea of the nation inhabiting it; yet not with an idea of that nation but with an idea of the essential nature of it. Consequently they concern themselves with an idea of the Church when 'the land', used to mean the land of Canaan, appears there.

[2] From this one may see how deluded those people are who believe - on the basis of prophetical utterances in the Old Testament, and in John in the New - that on the day when the last judgement takes place a new earth or land and a new heaven or sky are going to be created, when in fact nothing else than a new external Church is meant by 'a new earth' and a new internal Church by 'a new heaven'. These deluded people also believe that something other than the Church is meant when the expression 'the whole earth' is used in the Word. This shows how little understanding of the Word exists with those who imagine that the Word does not contain any meaning more holy than that shining out of the letter alone.

Regarding the existence of the Church in the land of Canaan since most ancient times, 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136.

Regarding 'the land' in the Word meaning the Church, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1928, 4447.

Regarding 'a new heaven and a new earth' meaning a new Church, internal and external, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355 (end), 4535.