9061. He shall let him go free for his eye. That this signifies that it can no longer serve the internal man, is evident from the signification of “letting go free,” as being to dismiss from service; and from the signification of “for his eye,” which he had destroyed in the manservant, as being on account of the truth of faith extinguished in the external or natural man; for “the eye” denotes the intellectual, and consequently the truth of faith (see n. 9058, 9059), “to destroy” denotes to extinguish (n. 9060), and a “manservant” denotes the external or natural man (n. 9058). How the case herein is cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with the internal man relatively to the external man. The internal man cannot live a spiritual life unless the external man is in agreement; and therefore a man cannot be regenerated unless the natural man also is regenerated. From this it follows that if the truth of faith in the natural or external man shall be extinguished, it cannot any longer serve the internal man.

[2] It is the same with the external sight relatively to the internal sight. If the external sight has been injured, it cannot any longer serve the internal sight; for if the external sight distorts objects, the internal cannot see by means of it except with distortion. The case is the same with all the other members which are subject to the will, as with the arms, the hands, the fingers, the feet. If these are distorted, the will cannot act through them except in a distorted way. It is the same in the case of the natural or external man relatively to the internal man: if the memory-truths in the external or natural man are perverted or extinguished, the internal man cannot see truth, thus cannot think and perceive except pervertedly or falsely. From all this it is evident why the natural man must be regenerated in order that the man may be regenerated. (See also what has been shown above on this subject, n. 3286, 3321, 3469, 3493, 3573, 3620, 3623, 3679, 4588, 4618, 4667, 5165, 5168, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6299, 6564, 8742-8747, 9043)

4618. And Isaac expired and died. That this signifies resuscitation in the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of “expiring and dying,” as being resuscitation (see n. 3326, 3498, 3505) For when it is related in the Word that anyone “died,” the signification in the internal sense is the last of him and something new in another, thus continuation, as when it is related of the kings of Judah and Israel that they “died,” or of the high priests that they “died,” in the internal sense this denotes the end of the representation by them, and the continuation of it in another, thus resuscitation. Moreover they who are in the other life, and are with man when these things are being read, do not receive any idea of death, because there they do not know anything about dying. Hence instead of this they perceive continuance in another. Moreover, when man dies, he dies only as to his bodily part, which had served him for uses on earth, and continues his life as to his spirit in a world where bodily things are no longer of any use.

[2] The reason why by Isaac’s expiring and dying is signified resuscitation in the Divine natural, is that the rational has no life unless the natural corresponds to it (n. 3493, 3620, 3623). It is the same as with the sight of the eye-unless this has objects outside of itself which it sees, it perishes; and it is the same with the other senses. The case is also the same if the objects are altogether contrary, for these induce death; and it is the same as with the vein of a spring whose waters have no outflow, causing the spring to be choked. And it is the same also with the rational-unless there is reception of its light in the natural, its sight perishes, for the knowledges in the natural are the objects of sight to the rational; and if these objects are contrary to the light, that is, to the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, the sight of the rational also perishes, for it cannot flow into things contrary to itself. Hence it is that with those who are in evils and falsities the rational is closed, so that no communication with heaven is open through it except only as it were through chinks, in order that there may be the capacity of thinking, of reasoning, and of speaking. Consequently, in order that the natural may be conjoined with the rational, it must be prepared for the reception of it, which is effected by the Lord by means of regeneration; and then, when it is conjoined, the rational lives in the natural; for as before said the rational sees its objects in the natural, just as does the sight of the eye in the objects of the world.

[3] The rational has indeed a life in itself that is distinct from the life of the natural; but still the rational is in the natural like a man in his house, or like the soul in its body. The case is also the same with the heavens. The inmost or third heaven does indeed live distinct from the heavens which are below it, and yet unless there were a reception in the second or middle heaven, its wisdom would be dissipated. In like manner unless there were reception of the light and intelligence of this heaven in the lowest or first heaven, and of this finally in man’s natural, the intelligence of these heavens also would be dissipated, unless it were provided by the Lord that there should be reception elsewhere. Therefore the heavens have been so formed by the Lord that the one serves the other for reception; and finally man as to his natural and sensuous serves for the lowest reception, for herein the Divine is in the ultimate of order, and passes into the world. If therefore the ultimate agrees or corresponds with the things that are prior, the prior things are then together in the ultimate; for the things which are ultimate are receptacles of those which are prior to themselves, and therein all the successives are together. Hence it is evident what is meant by resuscitation in the Divine natural.