6229. God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan. That this signifies the Divine appearing in the natural in a former state, is evident from the signification of “God Shaddai,” as being the Divine, for the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, was called “Shaddai” (see n. 3667, 5628), and that He was Jehovah, or the Lord, thus the Divine, may be seen from what is said in Genesis 28:13, 20; from the signification of “appeared unto me,” as being that He appeared; from the signification of “Luz,” as being the natural in a former state (n. 4556); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the church (of which above). Hence it is plain that by “God Shaddai appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan” is signified the Divine appearing in the natural, where is the truth of the spiritual church.

4556. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, signifies the natural in its former state, and “this is Bethel” signifies the Divine natural, as is evident from the signification of “Luz” as being the natural in its former state, or that very natural which was human. That this was made Divine is signified by, “this is Bethel.” (That “Bethel” is the Divine natural may be seen above, n. 4089, 4539.) So also in other places in the Word where “Bethel” is named it is likewise said, “Luz, this is Bethel,” and “Bethel, beforetime Luz,” as in Joshua:

The boundary of the lot of the sons of Benjamin between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph went forth to Luz, to the side of Luz southward, this is Bethel (Josh. 18:11, 13).

And in the book of Judges:

The house of Joseph went up to Bethel, and spied out Bethel; and the name of the city beforetime was Luz (Judg. 1:22-23).