2851. And thy seed shall inherit the gate of thine enemies. That this signifies that charity and faith shall succeed in the place where evil and falsity were before, is evident from the signification of “inheriting,” as being to receive the Lord’s life (see n. 2658); here, to succeed in the place, because when charity and faith are in the place where evil and falsity were before, then the Lord’s life succeeds there; from the signification of “seed,” as being charity and faith (see n. 1025, 1447, 1610, 1941); from the signification of a “gate” (explained in what follows); and from the signification of “enemies,” as being evils and falsities, or what is the same, those who are in evil and falsity: in the internal sense of the Word these are signified by “enemies” and “foes.”

[2] As regards the signification of a “gate,” there are in general two gates with every man; the one opens toward hell, and is opened to the evils and falsities therefrom; in this gate are infernal genii and spirits; the other gate opens toward heaven, and is opened to good and the truths therefrom; in this gate are angels. There is thus a gate which leads to hell, and a gate which leads to heaven. The gate of hell is opened to those who are in evil and falsity, and only through chinks round about above does anything of the light from heaven enter, by means of which they are able to think and reason; but the gate of heaven is opened to those who are in good and the truth therefrom.

[3] For there are two ways which lead into man’s rational mind-a higher or internal one, through which good and truth from the Lord enter, and a lower or external one, through which evil and falsity come up from hell. The rational mind itself is in the middle, and to it these ways tend. That mind, from the goods and truths which are in it, is compared in the Word to a city, and is called a “city.” And because it is compared to a city, and is called a “city,” gates are attributed to it, and it is often described as being besieged and stormed by enemies, that is, by evil genii and spirits; and as being defended by angels from the Lord, that is by the Lord. The infernal genii and spirits, with their evils and falsities, cannot come further than to the lower or outer gate, and in no case into the city. If they could get into the city, or into the rational mind, all would be over with the man. But when they come so far as to seem to themselves to have taken that city by storm, it is then closed, so that good and truth no longer flow into it from heaven except as was said some little through chinks round about. From this it is that such persons no longer have anything of charity or anything of faith, but make good consist in evil, and truth in falsity. From this also it is that they are no longer truly rational, although they seem to themselves to be so (n. 1914, 1944). And it is from this that they are called dead men, although they believe that they are more alive than others (n. 81, 290 at the end). These things are so because the gate of heaven is closed to them. That it is closed to them manifestly appears and is perceived in the other life; as also on the other hand that the gate of heaven is open to those who are in good and truth.

[4] As regards the “gate of enemies” in particular, which is treated of in this verse, it is with man in his natural mind. When man is wholly natural, or not regenerate, evils and falsities occupy the gate; or what is the same, evil genii and spirits flow into it with cupidities of evil and persuasions of falsity (see n. 687, 697, 1692); but when man becomes spiritual, or is being regenerated, then the evils and falsities, or what is the same, the evil genii and spirits, are driven away from the gate, or from the mind; then goods and truths, or charity and faith, take their place; which things are signified by its being said, “thy seed shall inherit the gate of thine enemies.” This takes place in particular with every man when he is being regenerated; and in like manner in the other life with those who come into the Lord’s kingdom; and it also takes place in the general body, or in the church, which is composed of many.

[5] This was represented by the sons of Israel expelling the nations from the land of Canaan. The latter is meant in the literal sense where it is said, “thy seed shall inherit the gate of thine enemies;” but in the internal sense are signified the things which have been told. Hence in ancient times it became customary to speak thus when blessing those who were entering into marriage; as is also manifest from the benediction of Laban to his sister Rebekah, when she was going away betrothed to Isaac:

Our sister, be thou thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed inherit the gate of those that hate thee (Genesis 24:60).

[6] That such things are signified in the Word by the “gate of enemies” or of “those that hate,” may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

I will kill thy root with famine, and I will slay them that remain of thee. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou art melted away, O Philistia, all of thee, for there cometh a smoke out of the north (Isaiah 14:30-31);

to “kill the root with famine, and to slay them that remain,” denotes to take away the goods and truths which had been stored up interiorly by the Lord. That “they that remain” mean these, may be seen above (n. 468, 530, 560-562, 661, 798, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284). The “gate” denotes access to the interiors, or to the rational mind; the “city,” that mind, or what is the same, the goods and truths in it (n. 402, 2268, 2450, 2451, 2712); “Philistia” denotes the memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith, or what is the same, those who are in the memory-knowledge of them, but not in the goods of faith (n. 1197, 1198); “a smoke out of the north” signifies that there is falsity from hell (that “smoke” is falsity from evil, may be seen above, n. 1861).

[7] In the same:

The city of emptiness shall be broken down, every house shall be shut up that no one may come in; there is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all gladness shall be desolated, the joy of the land shall be exiled, that which is left in the city shall be desolation, and the gate shall be smitten with devastation, for thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the people (Isaiah 24:10-13).

The “city of emptiness which shall be broken down” denotes the human mind as being deprived of truth; that “every house shall be shut up,” denotes being without good (that a “house” is good, may be seen above, n. 2233, 2234; the “crying in the streets because of the wine” denotes a state of falsity (that a “cry” is predicated of falsities, may be seen above, n. 2240; also that “wine” is truth, of which the cry is that there is none, n. 1071, 1798; that “streets” are what lead to truths, n. 2336); “gladness which is desolated” is predicated of truth; the “joy of the land which is exiled” is predicated of good; hence it is manifest what is signified by “that which is left in the city shall be desolation,” and by “the gate shall be smitten with devastation;” the gate is said to be “devastated” when nothing but evils and falsities reign.

[8] In Jeremiah:

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the appointed feast; all her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness; her adversaries have become the head, her enemies are secure, because Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children are gone into captivity before the adversary (Lam. 1:4-5);

“the ways of Zion mourning” denotes there being no longer truths from good (that “ways” are truths, may be seen above, n. 189, 627, 2333); “all the gates being desolated” denotes that all the approaches are occupied by falsities; “the enemies having become the head” denotes that evils reign.

[9] In the same:

Jehovah hath made the rampart and the wall of the daughter of Zion to lament; they languish together; her gates are sunk into the earth; He hath destroyed and broken her bars; her king and her princes are among the nations; the law is not; yea her prophets found no vision from Jehovah; all thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee; they hissed and gnashed the teeth; they said, We have swallowed her up; surely this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it (Lam. 2:8-9, 16);

“the gates sunk down into the earth” denotes the natural mind occupied by evils and falsities; “her king and her princes being among the nations” denotes that truths are immersed in evils (that a “king” is truth in general, may be seen above, n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069; also that “princes” are primary truths, n. 1482, 1089; and that “nations” are evils, n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588).

[10] In Moses:

A nation from far, from the end of the earth, shall straiten thee in all thy gates, in all thy land; thus shall thine enemy straiten thee (Deuteronomy 28:49, 52, 63).

This is among the curses which Moses foretold to the people if they should not remain in the precepts and statutes: a “nation from far from the end of the earth,” in the internal sense, denotes evils and falsities, or those who are in evil and falsity; to “besiege in all the gates” denotes cutting off all access to good and truth.

[11] In Nahum:

Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women, the gates of thy land are set wide open to thine enemies, the fire hath devoured thy bars; draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay and tread the mortar, make strong the brickkiln (Nahum 3:13-14);

“the gates of thy land being set wide open to thine enemies” denotes that evils occupy the place where there should be goods. In the book of Judges:

The highways ceased, and they walked through byways, they went through crooked ways, the villages ceased in Israel. He chose new gods; then was war against the gates; was there a shield seen or a spear in forty thousands of Israel? (Judg. 5:6-8).

The prophecy of Deborah and Barak; there being “war against the gates” denotes against goods and truths.

[12] In David:

They that dwell in the gate plot against me, they that drink strong drink sing songs (Psalms 69:12);

“they that dwell in the gate” denotes evils and falsities, and also the infernals.

In Ezekiel:

In the visions of God he brought me to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north. (He there saw the great abominations of the house of Israel.) He also brought me to the door of the gate of the house of Jehovah that looketh toward the north; he there also saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:6, 14-15);

“the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north” denotes the place where interior falsities are; “the door of the gate of the house of Jehovah toward the north” denotes the place where interior evils are (that the falsities and evils are interior ones, and that it is an interior sphere in which such spirits and genii are, may be seen above, n. 2121-2124).

[13] In David:

Lo, sons are a possession of Jehovah, and the fruit of the womb is His reward; as arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are sons of the youth. Happy is the man that hath filled his quiver with them; they shall not be ashamed, for they shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Psalms 127:3-5);

“to speak with the enemies in the gate” denotes to have no fear of evils and falsities, and thus not of hell.

In Isaiah:

In that day shall Jehovah Zebaoth be for a spirit of judgment to Him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle to the gate; and these also are insane through wine, and through strong drink are gone astray (Isaiah 28:5-7).

In the same:

They shall be cut off that make men to sin by a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate; and make the just to turn aside to a thing of naught (Isaiah 29:20-21).

In the same:

Elam bare the quiver in a chariot of a man, and horsemen; Kir uncovered the shield; and the choice of thy valleys was full of chariots and horsemen; placing they placed themselves at the gate, and he looked in that day to the armory of the house of the forest (Isaiah 22:6-8).

In Jeremiah:

Judah hath mourned, and the gates thereof languished; they have mourned to the earth, and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up; their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no waters (Jeremiah 14:2-3).

In the same:

The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music (Lam. 5:14).

[14] It may be seen from these passages what is signified by the “gate of enemies,” namely, that it is hell, or infernal spirits, who are continually attacking goods and truths. Their seat with man as before said is in his natural mind. But when a man is of such a character as to admit goods and truths, and thus angels, the infernal spirits are then driven away by the Lord from that seat; and on their being driven away, the gate of heaven or heaven itself is opened. This gate is also mentioned in the Word in various places; as in Isaiah:

A song in the land of Judah. We have a strong city, salvation will He appoint for walls and bulwarks; open ye the gates, and the righteous nation that keepeth fidelities shall enter in (Isaiah 26:1-2).

In the same:

Thus said Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and will make the crooked places straight, and I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron (Isaiah 45:1-2).

In the same:

The sons of the stranger shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; they shall open thy gates continually, they shall not be shut day nor night; violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting and destruction within thy borders; and thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise (Isaiah 60:10-11, 18).

In the same:

Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way for the people, level, make level the highway; say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh (Isaiah 62:10-12).

In Micah:

They shall pass through the gate, and shall go out thereat, and their King shall pass on before them, and Jehovah in their beginning (Micah 2:13).

In David:

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; lift them up, ye everlasting doors (Psalms 24:7-10).

Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion: for He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy children within thee (Psalms 147:12-13).

[15] From these passages it is manifest that the “gate of heaven” is where angels are with man, that is, where there is an influx of good and truth from the Lord; and thus that as before said there are two gates. Concerning these two gates the Lord speaks thus in Matthew:

Enter ye in by the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat; because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:12-14; Luke 13:23-24).

Moreover the gates to the New Jerusalem and the gates to the new temple are much treated of in Ezekiel, and also by John in Revelation, by which nothing else is meant than the entrances to heaven (see Ezekiel 40:6-49; 43:1-2, 4; 44:1-3; 46:1-9, 12; 48:31-34; Revelation 21:12-13, 21, 25; 22:14; Isaiah 54:11-12). Hence Jerusalem is called the “gate of the people” (Micah 1:9; Obad. verse 13).

1025. And with your seed after you. That this signifies those who are being created anew, is evident from the signification of “seed” and also from what follows. From the signification of “seed” inasmuch as “seed” signifies in the literal sense posterity, but in the internal sense faith; and since, as has been often said, there is no faith except where there is charity, it is charity itself which is meant in the internal sense by “seed.” From what follows it is evident that not only the man who is within the church is meant, but also the man who is without the church, thus the whole human race. Wherever there is charity, even among nations most remote from the church, there is “seed” for heavenly seed is charity. No man can do anything of good from himself, but all good is from the Lord. The good which the Gentiles do is also from the Lord, of whom, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, hereafter. That the “seed of God” is faith, has been shown before n. 255). By faith there, and elsewhere, is meant the charity from which is faith; for there is no other faith that is faith, than the faith of charity.

[2] It is the same also in other places in the Word where “seed” is named, as the “seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob” by which is signified love or charity. For Abraham represented the celestial love, and Isaac the spiritual love, which are of the internal man. Jacob represented the same, but that of the external man. It is so not only in the prophetic, but also in the historic parts of the Word. The history in the Word is not perceived in heaven, but what is signified by it. The Word was written not only for man, but also for angels. When man reads the Word and takes from it nothing but the literal sense, angels then take not the literal, but the internal sense. The material, worldly, and corporeal ideas which man has when he reads the Word, become with angels spiritual and heavenly ideas-as when man reads about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the angels do not think at all of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but of what is represented and thus signified by them.

[3] So with Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the angels do not know of these persons, nor perceive anything else than the Ancient Church; and the interior angels do not even perceive the church, but the faith of that church, and according to the connection the state of the things treated of. Thus when “seed” is mentioned in the Word (as here the seed of Noah, that a covenant was made with them and with their seed after them), angels do not perceive such a posterity; for there was no Noah, but the Ancient Church was so called; and by “seed” angels understand charity, which was the essential of the faith of that church. And again when in the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob their “seed” is spoken of, angels never understand the posterity of these men, but all in the universe, both in the church and out of it, in whom there is heavenly seed, or charity; and the interior angels perceive love itself—abstractedly—which is heavenly seed.

[4] That by “seed” is signified love, and also everyone in whom there is love, is evident from the following passages in Genesis:

And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land (Genesis 12:7);

and again:

All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, forever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:15-16).

Those who are in the sense of the letter do not apprehend anything else than that by “seed” is meant the posterity of Abram, and by this “land” the land of Canaan, especially as this land was given to his posterity. But those who are in the internal sense, as is the whole heaven, by the “seed of Abram” perceive nothing else than love; by the “land of Canaan” nothing else than the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens and on the earth; and in the land’s being given them they perceive nothing but its representation, of which, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, elsewhere. And again it is said of Abram:

Jehovah led him forth abroad, and said, Look up now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be (Genesis 15:15).Here likewise Abram is named because he represented love, or saving faith; and by his “seed” no other posterity is meant, in the internal sense, than all in the universe who have love.

[5] Again:

And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee, and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be to them for God; this is My covenant, which thou shalt keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee, that every male be circumcised unto you (Genesis 17:7-8, 10).

Here “establishing His covenant” likewise signifies the conjunction of the Lord with men throughout the universe by love, which love was represented by Abram. From this it is evident what is signified by his “seed” namely, all in the universe who have love. The covenant here treated of was circumcision, by which is never understood in heaven circumcision of the flesh, but circumcision of the heart, which those have who have love. Circumcision was a representative of regeneration by love, as is clearly explained in Moses:

And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live (Deuteronomy 30:6), from which it is evident what circumcision is in the internal sense; and therefore wherever circumcision is mentioned, nothing else is meant than love and charity, and the life therefrom.

[6] That by the “seed of Abraham” all in the universe who have love are signified, is evident also from the words of the Lord to Abraham and to Isaac. To Abraham, after he was willing to sacrifice Isaac as commanded, the Lord said:

In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall inherit the gate of thine enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 22:17-18), where it is plainly evident that by “seed” is meant all in the universe who have love.

[7] As Abraham represented celestial love, as already said, so Isaac represented spiritual love; and therefore by the “seed of Isaac” nothing else is signified than every man in whom there is spiritual love, or charity. Of him it is said:

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 26:3-4, 24), where it is manifest that all nations are meant who are in charity. Celestial love was represented by Abraham as the father of the spiritual love that was represented by Isaac; for the spiritual is born of the celestial, as shown above.

[8] As Jacob represented the externals of the church, which come forth from the internals, and thus all things springing in the external man from love and charity, by his “seed” is signified all in the universe who have external worship in which is internal, and who do works of charity in which there is charity from the Lord. Of this “seed” it was said to Jacob after he had seen the ladder in his dream:

I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the ground be blessed (Genesis 28:13-14; 32:12; 48:4).

[9] That such is the signification of “seed” is evident from the passages of the Word cited above n. 255); and also from the following.

In Isaiah:

But thou, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend (Isaiah 41:8), where the subject is the regeneration of man; and, as is often the case, a distinction is made between Israel and Jacob, and by “Israel” is signified the internal spiritual church, by “Jacob” the externals of the same church, and both are called the “seed of Abraham” that is, of the celestial church, because the celestial, spiritual, and natural follow one another in succession.

In Jeremiah:

I had planted thee a wholly noble vine, a seed of truth; how then art thou turned into the degenerate ones of a strange vine unto Me? (Jeremiah 2:21).

This is said of the spiritual church, which is a “noble vine” whose charity, or faith of charity, is called a “seed of truth.”

[10] Again:

As the army of the heavens cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites that minister unto Me (Jeremiah 33:22), where “seed” plainly denotes heavenly seed, for by David is signified the Lord. That the seed of David was not as the army of the heavens that cannot be numbered, neither as the sand of the sea that cannot be measured, is known to everyone.

Again:

Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous offshoot, and He shall reign as king and shall act intelligently, and shall do judgment and righteousness in the land; in His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell confidently; and this is His name whereby He shall be called, Jehovah our righteousness; therefore behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that they shall no more say, As Jehovah liveth, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt but, As Jehovah liveth, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country (Jeremiah 23:5-8).

Here things very different from those appearing in the letter are signified. David is not meant by “David” nor Judah by “Judah” nor Israel by “Israel;” but by “David” is signified the Lord, by “Judah” what is celestial, by “Israel” what is spiritual; and therefore by “the seed of Israel” those who have charity, or the faith of charity.

[11] In David:

Ye that fear Jehovah, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and stand in awe of Him, all ye the seed of Israel (Psalms 22:23), where by “the seed of Israel” no other seed is meant than the spiritual church.

In Isaiah:

A seed of holiness is the stock thereof (Isaiah 6:13), meaning remains which are holy, because they are the Lord’s.

Again:

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah a possessor of My mountains; and Mine elect shall possess it, and My servants shall dwell there (Isaiah 65:9), where the celestial church, external and internal, is treated of.

Again:

They shall not generate for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:23),

where the subject is the new heavens and the new earth, or the kingdom of the Lord. Those who are therein, being “generated” from love, or regenerated, are called the “seed of the blessed of Jehovah.”