6425. By the hands of the mighty Jacob. That this signifies by the omnipotence of the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from the signification of “hands,” as being power (of which just above, n. 6424), and in the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, omnipotence (n. 878, 3387, 4592, 4933); and from the signification of the “mighty Jacob,” as being the Lord’s Divine natural, thus His Divine Human (see n. 1893, 3305, 3576, 3599, 4286, 4538, 6098, 6185, 6276). That it is the Lord who is meant by the “mighty Jacob,” is evident also in David:

Who sware to Jehovah, he vowed unto the mighty Jacob, Surely I will not come into the tent of my house until I find out a place for Jehovah, the habitations of the mighty Jacob (Psalms 132:2-3, 5).

And in Isaiah:

That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty Jacob (Isaiah 49:26).

Again:

Hear O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen, I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy sons; this one shall say, I am Jehovah’s, and that one will call Himself by the name of Jacob, and another will write with his hand Jehovah’s, and will surname himself with the name of Israel (Isaiah 44:1, 3, 5).

That “Israel” also in the supreme sense denotes the Lord, is evident in Hosea:

When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1).

That it is the Lord who is here meant by “Israel” is evident in Matthew:

Joseph went with the boy into Egypt, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son (Matthew 2:14-15).

4598. And Israel journeyed. That this means the celestial spiritual of the natural at this time, is evident from the signification of “journeying,” as being what is successive or continuous (see n. 4375, 4554), here more toward interior things; and from the representation of “Israel” here, as being the celestial spiritual of the natural (n. 4286). What the celestial spiritual of the natural is, has been explained before, namely, that it is the good of truth, or the good of charity procured by means of the truth of faith. What advancement toward interior things is, is little known in the world. It is not an advancement into memory-knowledges, for this frequently exists without any advancement toward interior things, and very frequently with a departure from them. Neither is it an advancement into the judgment of manhood, for this also sometimes exists together with a departure from interior things. Nor is it an advancement into knowledges of interior truth, for these knowledges avail nothing unless the man is affected with them. An advancement toward interior things is an advancement toward heaven and the Lord by means of the knowledges of truth implanted in the affection of them, thus by means of affections.

[2] What is the nature of an advancement toward interior things is not apparent to anyone in this world; but in the other life it is plainly apparent, for there it is an advancement from a kind of mist into light, because they who are in exterior things alone are relatively in a mist, and by the angels are seen to be in one; whereas they who are in interior things are in light, and consequently are in wisdom, for the light there is wisdom; and wonderful to say, they who are in a mist cannot see those who are in light as in light, but they who are in light can see those who are in a mist as in a mist. As the subject here treated of is the advancement of the Lord’s Divine toward interior things, Jacob is here called “Israel,” but at other times he is called “Jacob,” as in the preceding verse of this chapter, and in the last verse.