2981. The same is Hebron. That this signifies that this is a new church, is evident from the signification of “Hebron,” as being the spiritual church (concerning which see above in this chapter, n. 2909). It was there said, “Kiriath-arba, the same is Hebron,” for the reason that by “Kiriath-arba” is signified the church as to truth, and by “Hebron,” the church as to good; but here Kiriath-arba is no longer mentioned, but Hebron, because the regenerated man is treated of, who no longer acts from truth, but from good (as said above, n. 2979).

1437. And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. That this signifies that He thus advanced to the celestial things of love, is evident from the signification of “the land of Canaan.” That the land of Canaan represents the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens and on earth, is evident from many things in the Word. The reason is that the Representative Church was instituted there, in which all things both in general and in particular represented the Lord and the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom. Not only were the rites representative, but everything connected with them, as well the persons who ministered, as the things by which they ministered, and also the places of the ministration. As the Representative Church was there, the land was called the Holy Land, although it was anything but holy, for it was inhabited by the idolatrous and the profane. This then is the reason why by “the land of Canaan,” here and in what follows, are signified the celestial things of love; for the celestial things of love, and these alone, are in the Lord’s kingdom, and constitute His Kingdom.