1441. That these things are meant by 'Shechem' becomes clear also from the fact that Shechem is so to speak the first stopping-place in the land of Canaan that one comes to when journeying from Syria, or Haran. And since 'the land of Canaan' means the celestial things of love it is clear that 'Shechem' means the first stage in the appearance of celestial things. When Jacob returned from Haran to the land of Canaan he likewise came to Shechem, as becomes clear from the following,

Jacob travelled on to Succoth and built a house for himself, and made shelters ¹ for his cattle; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-Aram; and he camped before the city. And he set up an altar there. Genesis 33:17-20.

Here also 'Shechem' means the first appearance of light. In David,

God has spoken in His holiness, I will exult, I will divide up Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and Ephraim is the strength of My head, Judah is My lawgiver, Moab is My washbasin, upon Edom I will cast My shoe, over Philistia I will make a loud noise. Psalms 60:6, 8; 108:7, 9.

Here also 'Shechem' has a similar meaning. That names, including Shechem therefore, mean nothing other than real things becomes quite clear from these prophetic utterances of David. Otherwise they would be scarcely more than a heap of names. References to Shechem becoming a city of refuge, Joshua 20:7, and also a priestly city, Joshua 21:21, and a place where the covenant was made, Joshua 24:1, 25, also embody the same.

Fußnoten:

Da die Zahl sieben heilig ist, hat die Zahl siebzig eine ähnliche Bedeutung. Dies ist der Fall bei den "sieben Zeitaltern", denn ein Zeitalter ist im Wort zehn Jahre. Wann immer etwas besonders Heiliges oder Sakrales ausgedrückt wurde, wurde der Ausdruck "siebzigmal sieben" verwendet, wie dort, wo der Herr sagte, "dass ein Mensch seinem Bruder nicht nur siebenmal, sondern siebzigmal siebenmal vergeben soll", wie in Matthäus 18,21-22. Das bedeutet, dass sie so oft vergeben sollen, wie er sich versündigt, also endlos oder ewig, was heilig ist.

(Verweise: Himmlischen Geheimnissen 433; Matthaeus 18:21, 18:21-22, 18:22)