4559. And called the place El-Bethel. That this signifies a holy natural, is evident from the signification of “Bethel,” as being the Divine natural (see n. 4089, 4539, 4556); but when it is called “El-Bethel” it is not the Divine, but a holy, natural; for when the Lord made His Human Divine, He first made it holy. Between making it Divine and making it holy there is this difference-that what is Divine is Jehovah Himself, but what is holy is from Jehovah. The former is the Divine being, but the latter is what comes forth therefrom. When the Lord glorified Himself, He made his Human also the Divine being, or Jehovah (n. 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035); but before He did this, He made His Human holy. Such was the process of the glorification of the Lord’s Human. Hence also Bethel is now called “El-Bethel,” applying what is signified by the “El” which is added, namely, “because there the gods were revealed to him.” For “El” in the original language means “God;” but here “gods” in the plural, because in the internal sense “gods” denote holy truths (n. 4402). But in what follows it is called “Bethel,” for it is said, “Jacob called the name of the place Bethel” (verse 15); and it is added, “where God spoke with him,” where it is in the singular. For “Bethel” in the original language is the “house of God;” but “El-Bethel” is “God the house of God.” Hence it is that “El-Bethel” denotes the holy natural, and “Bethel” the Divine natural.

3023. I will make thee swear by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth. That this signifies a most holy pledging to the Divine which is in the highest and in that which is therefrom, is evident from the signification of “causing to swear,” as being to pledge by oath; for to cause to swear is nothing else than to pledge; and this is most holy when it is by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that is, to the Divine which is above and which is beneath, or what is the same, to the Divine which is in the highest and in that which is therefrom. “Jehovah the God of heaven,” being said of the Lord, denotes Jehovah Himself who is called the Father, from whom He was conceived, thus who was His Divine Essence; for the conception itself gave the veriest essence from which He was. “Jehovah the God of the earth” in this case means Jehovah who is called the Son, thus His Human essence; this came forth from the Divine essence when the Lord made it also Divine. Thus by “Jehovah the God of heaven” is signified the Divine that is in the highest; and by “Jehovah the God of the earth” is signified the Divine that is in that which is therefrom. But the Lord is called “Jehovah the God of heaven” from His Divine that is in the heavens; and He is called the “God of the earth” from His Divine that is on earth. The Divine in the heavens is also that which is with man in his internals; but the Divine on earth is that which is in his externals; for the internals of man are his heaven, because by them he is conjoined with the angels; but his externals are his earth, for by them he is conjoined with men (n. 82, 913, 1411, 1733). When a man is regenerate, the internals flow into the externals, and the externals are from the internals. Hence also it may be known what the internals of the church are, and what its externals.