3908. And if not, I am dead. That this signifies that thus there would be no rising again, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being not to rise again into life. In ancient times wives called themselves “dead” when they did not bring forth a son or a daughter; and they also believed themselves to be so, because no memory of them, or as it were no life, would be left to posterity. Their so calling and believing themselves was indeed for worldly causes; but as every cause comes forth from a cause prior to itself, and thus everything of cause in the natural world from a cause in the spiritual world, so also does this. The cause in the spiritual world was the heavenly marriage of good and truth, in which there are no other births than truths of faith and goods of charity. These there are “sons and daughters,” and are also signified by “sons and daughters” in the Word. Whoever has not these births, that is, truths of faith and goods of charity, is as it were dead, that is, is among the dead who do not rise again to life or heaven. From this we may see what is signified by these words of Rachel: “If not, I am dead.”