Arcana Coelestia #4007
4007. Every one that had white in it. That this signifies in which there is truth, is evident from the signification of “white,” as being truth, but properly the Lord’s righteousness and merit, and derivatively the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man (see n. 3301, 3993). The reason why “white” has this signification, is that the light of heaven, which is from the Lord and is the source of brightness and whiteness, signifies truth; and therefore that which is enlightened by that light, and becomes shining and bright, is that which is called the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man. They who from good acknowledge and receive the Lord’s righteousness, and reject their own righteousness, are they who are specifically signified by “righteous,” concerning whom the Lord says in Matthew:
The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).
[2] That “shining or bright white” has this signification, is evident also from other passages in the Word; as in Moses:
His eyes shall be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:12);
speaking of Judah, by whom is represented the Lord as to the Divine of His love; and in the internal sense, the celestial kingdom; and thus the celestial man (as may be seen above, n. 3881). The “eyes being redder than wine” signifies the Divine wisdom; and the “teeth whiter than milk,” the Divine righteousness.
In David:
Thou shalt purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalms 51:7);
“to wash,” and “to be made whiter than snow,” denotes to be purified from sins by the reception and putting on of the Lord’s righteousness.
In John:
In the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man; His head and His hairs were white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:13-14).
[3] In the same:
Thou hast a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments (Revelation 3:4-5).
In the same:
I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white garments that thou mayest be clothed (Revelation 3:18).
Again:
There were given to every soul under the altar white robes (Revelation 6:9-11).
Again:
I saw them standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes. And one of the elders said unto me, Who are these clothed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the lamb (Revelation 7:9, 13-14).
Again:
Angels clothed in linen white and shining, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles (Revelation 15:6).
Again:
I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown (Revelation 6:2).
And again:
Afterwards I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. His armies in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean (Revelation 19:11, 14).
[4] In all these passages by “white” is signified the truth of faith; the “white garments” and “white robes” being nothing else. But the truth of faith does not belong to those who believe that they have faith of themselves, and thus are wise from themselves; but to those who believe they have faith and wisdom from the Lord, for to these are faith and wisdom given because they ascribe nothing of truth and good to themselves, still less believe that they have merit through the truths and goods they possess; and less still that they are justified thereby; but only by ascribing them to the Lord; thus all things to His grace and mercy. This is “putting on white garments;” and is also “being made white in the blood of the Lamb.” There are two things that are put off by all who enter into heaven, namely, their own and the consequent confidence, and the merit of self or of their own righteousness; and they put on a heavenly own which is from the Lord, and the Lord’s merit or righteousness; and the more they put on these, the more interiorly do they come into heaven. These two things are specifically signified by “red” and by “white;” by “red,” the good of love which they then have; and by “white,” the truth of faith.
Genesis 30
1
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."
2
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3
She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."
4
She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5
Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6
Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
7
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8
Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.
9
When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.
11
Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
12
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.
13
Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me Happy." She named him Asher.
14
Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
15
She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?" Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
16
Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." He lay with her that night.
17
God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18
Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Issachar.
19
Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20
Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zebulun.
21
Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23
She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
24
She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son to me."
25
It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
26
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you."
27
Laban said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake."
28
He said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."
29
He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30
For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?"
31
He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
32
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.
33
So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen."
34
Laban said, "Behold, let it be according to your word."
35
That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36
He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37
Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38
He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
39
The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40
Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into Laban's flock.
41
It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
42
but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43
The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
