9340. 'And I will set your boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary from one place to another', when it refers to spiritual truths, as the full range; from the meaning of 'the Sea Suph' as truths on the levels of the senses and of factual knowledge, which are the lowest levels of the human mind (the Sea Suph was the final boundary of the land of Egypt, and 'Egypt' means factual knowledge in both senses, that is, true factual knowledge and false, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 7926, 8146, 8148; in this instance true factual knowledge is meant since the subject is the full range of spiritual matters of faith among the children of Israel, who represented the spiritual Church, 4286, 4598, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805); and from the meaning of 'the Sea of the Philistines' as interior truths of faith. The reason why these truths are meant by 'the Sea of the Philistines' is that the sea where Tyre and Sidon lay was the boundary of the land of Philistia, and 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, while 'the land of Philistia' means the knowledge of interior matters of faith, 1197, 2504, 2726, 3463.

[2] Since 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, which is heaven and the Church, all places in the land therefore meant such things as form part of the Lord's kingdom, or heaven and the Church, which things are called celestial and spiritual, and are connected with the good of love to the Lord and the truths of faith in Him. For this reason the seas and rivers which were boundaries meant the final limits there, and therefore 'from sea to sea' or 'from river to river' meant the full range of those things, as may be seen in 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. From all this it becomes clear that 'the boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the range of spiritual things, which are matters of truth, from external ones to internal, thus truths ranging from factual ones to interior truths of faith. But the range of celestial things, which are aspects of the good of love, is described next by the words 'from the wilderness even to the River'. The fact that places belonging to the land of Canaan, including seas and rivers, mean such things in the Word, has been shown in explanations everywhere.

[3] What the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith is must be stated briefly. Truths which exist in the external man are called factual ones, but truths which exist in the internal man are called interior truths of faith. Factual truths reside in a person's memory, and when they are brought out from there they pass into the person's immediate awareness. But interior truths of faith are truths of life itself which are inscribed on the internal man, but few of which show up in the memory. These however are matters which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of more fully elsewhere. Factual truths and interior truths of faith were meant in Genesis 1:6-7 by the waters under the expanse and the waters above the expanse, 24; for the first chapter of Genesis deals in the internal sense with the new creation or the regeneration of a member of the celestial Church.

[4] The reason why 'Philistia', which also bordered on the land of Canaan as far as Tyre and Sidon, meant the interior truths of faith was that there also the representative Ancient Church had existed, as is evident from the remnants of Divine worship among them which are alluded to in historical sections and prophetical parts of the Word in which the Philistines and the land of Philistia are the subject, such as - in the prophetical parts - Jeremiah 25:20; Jeremiah 47:1-end; Ezekiel 16:27, 57; 25:15-16; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:5; Zechariah 9:6; Psalms 56:1; ¹ 60:8; 83:7; 108:9. The situation with the Philistines was the same as it was with all the nations in the land of Canaan, in that they represented the Church's forms of good and its truths, and also evils and falsities. When the representative Ancient Church existed among them they represented celestial things which were aspects of good and spiritual things which were matters of truth. But when they fell away from true representative worship they began to represent devilish things which were aspects of evil and hellish things which were matters of falsity. This is the reason why 'Philistia', like all the other nations belonging to the land of Canaan in the Word, means either forms of good and truths, or else evils and falsities.

[5] The fact that interior truths of faith are meant by 'the Philistines' is clear in David,

Glorious things are to be spoken in you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; also Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia. The latter was born here. ² Psalms 87:3-4.

'The city of God' means teachings presenting the truth of faith that are drawn from the Word, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, 5297; 'Tyre' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, and so does 'Ethiopia', 116, 117. From this it is evident that 'Philistia' means knowledge of the truths of faith.

[6] In Amos,

Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to Me, O children of Israel? Did I not cause Israel to come up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Amos 9:7.

This refers to the corruption and destruction of the Church after it had been established. 'The children of the Ethiopians' here are those in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they use to substantiate evils and falsities, 1163, 1164. 'The children of Israel from the land of Egypt' are those who had been brought to spiritual truths and forms of good by means of factual truths, 'the children of Israel' being people in possession of spiritual truths and forms of good, thus in the abstract sense spiritual truths and forms of good, see 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, and 'the land of Egypt' being factual truth, as shown above. The same is meant by 'the Philistines from Caphtor' and by 'the Syrians from Kir', to whom they are therefore likened. 'The Philistines from Caphtor' are people who had been brought to interior truths by means of exterior ones, but who perverted them and used them to substantiate falsities and evils, 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 3762, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313, whereas 'the Syrians from Kir' are those who were in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they likewise perverted, 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112.

[7] In Jeremiah,

... because of the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that is left, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

The subject in Jeremiah 47 is the laying waste of the Church's truths of faith, interior truths of faith being meant by 'the Philistines' and exterior truths by 'the remnants of the island of Caphtor'.

[8] In Joel,

What have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Swiftly I will return your recompense upon your own head, inasmuch as you have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

'All the borders of Philistia' stands for all the interior and the exterior truths of faith; 'carrying silver and gold, and good and desirable treasures into their temples' stands for perverting truths and forms of good, and profaning them by putting them together with evils and falsities. For the meaning of 'silver and gold' as truths and forms of good, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 8932.

[9] In Obadiah,

At that time those in the south will be the heirs of the mountain of Esau, and of the plain of the Philistines, and they will become the heirs of the field of Ephraim; but Benjamin [will be the heir] of Gilead. Obad. verse 19.

This refers to the establishment of the Church; but spiritual things are implied by the names. 'Those in the south' are people who dwell in the light of truth, 1458, 3195, 3708, 5672, 5962; 'the mountain of Esau' is the good of love, 3300, 3322, 3494, 3504, 3576; 'the plain of the Philistines' is the truth of faith, 'the plain' being also that which constitutes matters of doctrine about faith, 2418; 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'Benjamin' is the Church's spiritual-celestial truth, 3969, 4592, 5686, 5689, 6440; and 'Gilead' is the corresponding exterior good, 4117, 4124, 4747.

[10] In Isaiah,

He will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, together they will plunder the sons of the east. Isaiah 11:12, 14.

Here 'Israel' and 'Judah' are not used to mean Israel and Judah; rather, 'Israel' means those who are governed by the good of faith, and 'Judah' those who are governed by the good of love. 'Flying down onto the shoulder of the Philistines' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior truths of faith; and 'plundering the sons of the east' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior forms of the good of faith, for 'the sons of the east' are people who are governed by forms of the good of faith and with whom cognitions or knowledge of good exists, 3249. 3762. For the meaning of 'plundering' as receiving and taking into possession, see what has been shown in 6914, 6917, regarding the plundering of the Egyptians by the children of Israel.

[11] Since 'the land of Philistia' meant knowledge of the interior truths of faith, and since Abraham and Isaac represented the Lord, and the sojourning of these two in places meant instruction received by the Lord in the truths and forms of the good of faith and love, which belong to God's wisdom, therefore - to provide a figurative representation of this - Abraham was commanded to sojourn in Philistia, Genesis 20:1-end, and so too was Isaac, Genesis 26:1-24. Therefore also Abimelech king of the Philistines made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis 21:22-end, and also with Isaac, Genesis 26:26-end. Regarding all this, see the explanations to those chapters.

Fußnoten:

205. He that hath the key of David. That this signifies who has power by means of Divine truth is evident from the signification of key, as being the power of opening and shutting, in this case heaven and hell; for it follows, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth. Hence by key is here meant the power of saving (as may be seen above, n. 86), because to open heaven, and to shut hell, is to save; also from the representation of David, as being the Lord as to Divine truth. The reason why by David in the Word is meant the Lord, is, that in the Word the Lord is represented as to Divine truth by kings, and by priests as to Divine good, and especially by king David, because he had much care respecting the things of the church, and also wrote the Psalms. (That by kings in the Word is signified Divine truth, and by priests Divine good, may be seen above, n. 31. And, moreover, that by all names of persons and places in the Word spiritual things are signified, which are things pertaining to the church and to heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102.) The reason why it is said, he that hath the key of David is, because by David, as just said, is represented the Lord as to Divine truth; and the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth from Divine good by means of Divine truth; for, in general, good has no power without truth, neither has truth any power without good, for good acts by means of truth. This is why Divine good and Divine truth proceed unitedly from the Lord, and in proportion as they are thus received by the angels, in the same proportion have the angels power: this, therefore, is the reason why the key of David is mentioned. (That all power pertains to truth from good may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, where the power of the angels of heaven is treated of; and also n. 539, in the same work.)

[2] That by David in the Word is meant the Lord is clearly evident from several passages where he is named in the prophets; as in Ezekiel:

"They shall be to me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and my servant David king over them, that they may all have one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the earth, they and their sons, and the sons of their sons even to eternity; and David my servant shall be a prince to them to eternity" (37:23-25).

Again, in Hosea:

"The sons of Israel shall return and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and with fear shall they come to Jehovah and to his goodness in the end of days" (3:5).

It is said, "they shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king," because by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, which is the Divine as Being (esse), and by David a king, the Lord as to Divine truth, which is the Divine Manifestation (existere). (That by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 732, 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4253, 4402, 7010, 9167, 9315.)

[3] In Zechariah:

"Jehovah shall preserve the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem may not extol itself above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah protect the inhabitant of Jerusalem; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (12:7, 8, 10; 13:1).

The coming of the Lord is here treated of, and the salvation of those who belong to His spiritual kingdom. By the tents of Judah is meant the celestial kingdom; and by the house of David and the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is formed of those in heaven and on earth who are in Divine truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine good (as may be seen just above).

From these considerations it is plain that these words mean that those two kingdoms should act as one, nor should one exalt itself above the other (concerning these two kingdoms, see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28). That by Judah is signified the Lord as to celestial love, and the celestial kingdom of the Lord, may be seen above (n. 119). And that by Jerusalem is signified the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166). The same is therefore signified by the house of David; therefore it is there said, "the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah;" by God also is meant the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167); similarly by the angel of Jehovah (see above, n. 130, 200). David and his house have also a similar signification in the following passages.

[4] In Isaiah:

"Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and a legislator to the nations" (55:3, 4).

These things are said concerning the Lord, who is here signified by David. In David:

"In the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth: I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn to David my servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation; and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, O Jehovah, and thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones" (Psalms 89:2-5).

These things also are spoken of the Lord, and not of David; for it is said, "I have sworn to David my servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and build up thy throne to generation and generation"; which is not applicable to David, whose seed and throne are not established to eternity, and yet Jehovah sware; and an oath from Jehovah is irrevocable confirmation by the Divine (see Arcana Coelestia 2842). By the seed of David, in the spiritual sense, are meant those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and, in an abstract sense, truths themselves which are from good (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, 3373, 3380, 10249, 10445), and by throne is meant the spiritual kingdom of the Lord (n. 5313, 6397, 8625). The reason why David is here called a servant, as also above in Ezekiel is, that the term servant is used in the Word of all persons and things that serve and minister (see Arcana Coelestia 3441, 7143, 8241), and the Divine truth proceeding serves and ministers to the Divine good from which it proceeds. That it is the Lord as to Divine truth, or that it is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which is meant by David, is clear; for it is said, "in the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth, and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones." That they are also called holy who are in Divine truths, may be seen just above.

[5] Again:

"I will not profane my covenant; and what is pronounced by my lips will I not change. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me, as the moon to eternity, as a faithful witness in the clouds" (Psalms 89:34-37).

That these things are said of the Lord, is evident from the whole of the psalm; for His coming is there treated of, and afterwards the rejection of Him by the Jewish nation. That the Lord is there treated of, and that He is meant by David, is evident from these words in the same Psalm:

"I have found David my servant; with the oil of my holiness have I anointed him. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall call me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I also will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. I will set his throne as the days of the heavens" (vers. 20, 25-27, 29).

By David, by anointed, and by king, as in other passages of the Psalms, the Lord is meant. This may be seen clearly by those who understand the Word spiritually, but obscurely by those who understand it only naturally. The same is clear in the same:

"Thy priests shall be clothed with justice, and thy saints shall sing for joy; for thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed; there will I make the horn of David to bud: I will ordain a lamp for mine anointed, upon himself shall his crown flourish" (Psalm 132:9, 10, 17, 18).

Here also the Lord is meant by David and by anointed; for He is treated of in this Psalm; as is plain from what goes before, where it is said:

"He sware unto Jehovah, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob; lo, we have heard of it at Ephratah" (Bethlehem). "We will go into his habitations, we will worship at his footstool" (ver. 2, 4-7).

[6] In order that David might represent the Lord as to Divine truth, the Lord willed to be born of the house of David, and also to be called the son of Jesse; but when He put off the Human from the mother, and put on that from the Father, which is the Divine Human, He was then no longer David's son. This is meant by the words of the Lord to the Pharisees: Jesus said to the Pharisees,

"What think ye of the Christ? whose Son is he? They said unto him, David's. He saith unto them, How then doth David by the spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footsool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matthew 22:42-45; Luke 20:41-44).

That the Lord glorified His Human, that is, put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295, 298-310.) Hence it is that He was not the son of David, just as He was not the son of Mary, whom therefore He did not call His mother, but "woman" as may be seen, Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31 to the end; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:4, 19:25, 26. That the same is meant by the keys given to Peter as by the key of David - that the Lord has all power, and that He has this power by means of His Divine truth, will be seen in the article which now follows.