2088. Behold I will bless him; and will make him fruitful very exceedingly. That this signifies that they should be imbued and gifted with the goods of faith and with the derivative truths beyond measure, is evident from the signification of being “blessed,” of being “fruitful,” and of being “multiplied.” To be “blessed” signifies to be gifted with all goods (as shown in Part First, n. 981, 1096, 1420, 1422). To be “fruitful” denotes the goods of faith with which they should be gifted; and to be “multiplied” denotes the truths thence derived (as also shown in Part First, n. 43, 55, 913, 983).

[2] Who the celestial are, and who the spiritual, it would be too tedious to describe here, and they have been described already (as may be seen n. 81, 597, 607, 765, 2069, 2078, and in many other places). In general, the celestial are those who have love to the Lord, and the spiritual those who have charity toward the neighbor. (What the distinction is between having love to the Lord, and having charity toward the neighbor, may be seen above, n. 2023.) The celestial are those who are in the affection of good from good; but the spiritual are those who are in the affection of good from truth. In the beginning all were celestial, because they were in love to the Lord; and hence they received perception, by which they perceived good, not from truth, but from the affection of good.

[3] But afterwards, when love to the Lord was no longer such as it had been, spiritual men followed, those men being called spiritual who were in love toward the neighbor, or in charity. But love toward the neighbor, or charity, was implanted by means of truth; and thereby they received conscience, and acted in accordance with it, not from the affection of good, but from the affection of truth. Charity, with the spiritual, appears like the affection of good; but it is the affection of truth. From this appearance, charity is still called good; but it is the good of their faith. These are they who are meant by the Lord in John:

I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture; I am the good shepherd and I know Mine own, and am known of Mine; and other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd (John 10:9, 14, 16).

1420. And thou shalt be a blessing. That this signifies that all things both in general and in particular are from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “a blessing.” A “blessing” is predicated of all goods; in the external sense, of corporeal, worldly, and natural goods; in the internal sense, of spiritual and celestial goods. “To be a blessing,” is to be the source of all goods, and the giver of all goods. This can by no means be said of Abram, and hence it is evident that by Abram is represented the Lord, who alone is “a blessing.” In like manner in regard to what is said of Abraham hereafter:

Abraham shall surely become a great and numerous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 18:18);

of Isaac:

In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 26:4),

and of Jacob:

In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 28:14).

That nations cannot be blessed, and are not blessed, in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in their seed, but in the Lord, may be seen by everyone. This is clearly said in David:

His name shall endure forever; before the sun shall the name of his son endure; and all nations shall be blessed in him (Psalms 72:17); where the Lord is treated of. Again:

Thou shalt set him for blessings forever (Psalms 21:6); where also the Lord is treated of.

In Jeremiah:

The nations shall be blessed in Him, and in Him shall they glory (Jeremiah 4:2).

From these passages it is now evident that “a blessing” signifies the Lord, and that when He is called “a blessing,” it signifies that from Him are all celestial and spiritual things, which alone are goods; and because they alone are goods, they alone are truths; and therefore in proportion as there are celestial and spiritual goods in natural, worldly, and corporeal ones, in the same proportion these are goods, and are “blessed.”