2811. And Abraham built there the altar. That this signifies the preparation of the Lord’s Human Divine, is evident from the signification of an “altar,” and of “building an altar.” “Altars” signified all worship in general, because they were the primary things of the worship of the representative church (n. 921); and as they signified all worship in general, they signified the Lord’s Divine Human, for the Lord’s Divine Human is all worship and all doctrine; so much so as to be worship itself and doctrine itself; as may be seen also from the Holy Supper, which succeeded to altars, or to burnt-offerings and sacrifices (n. 2165, 2187, 2343, 2359), and which is the primary thing of external worship, because it is the Lord’s Divine Human which is there given. That to “build an altar” is to prepare the Human Divine, is evident from the above, and thus without explication. The final preparation of the Lord’s Human Divine for undergoing the last degrees of temptation is treated of in this verse, and is described by Abraham laying the wood in order, binding Isaac his son, and placing him on the altar upon the wood.

2807. Abraham said, God will see for Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son. That this signifies the reply that the Divine Human will provide those who are to be sanctified, is evident from the signification of “seeing for Himself,” when predicated of God, as being to foresee and provide; for “seeing,” in the proximate internal sense, is to understand (n. 2150, 2325); in a still more internal sense it is having faith (n. 897, 2325); but in the supreme sense it is foreseeing and providing; and also from the signification of the “lamb for a burnt-offering,” as being those from the human race who are to be sanctified (see just above, n. 2805). That the spiritual are here meant by the “lamb for a burnt-offering,” is manifest from what follows. The beasts for the burnt-offering and sacrifice signified various things: a lamb one thing, a sheep another, a kid and a she-goat another, a ram and a he-goat another; so also an ox, a bullock, and a calf, and the young of doves, and turtledoves. That each signified a different thing is plainly evident from its being expressly defined which kind should be sacrificed on the several days, and at each festival; as at expiations, cleansings, inaugurations, and at other times. These kinds would by no means have been so expressly pointed out, unless each one had a special signification.

[2] It is manifest that all the rites or external kinds of worship that existed in the Ancient Church, and afterwards in the Jewish, represented the Lord, and especially the burnt-offerings and sacrifices, because among the Hebrew nation these were the principal things of worship. And because they represented the Lord, they at the same time also represented those things which are the Lord’s with men, namely, the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith, consequently the men themselves who are celestial or spiritual, or who ought to be. Hence it is that by the “lamb” here are signified the spiritual, that is, they who are of the Lord’s spiritual church. That by “God will see for Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son,” is signified that the Divine Human will provide, is evident from the fact that it is not here said that “Jehovah” will see, but that “God” will see. When both are named, as in this chapter, by “Jehovah” is then meant the same as by the “Father,” and by “God” the same as by the “Son,” and thus here the Divine Human; and this because the spiritual man is treated of, who has salvation from the Divine Human, as may be seen above (n. 2661, 2716).