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.

2329. He said, Behold I pray my lords. That this signified an interior acknowledgment and confession of the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, is evident from the acknowledgment and humiliation spoken of just before; here confession immediately follows, for this is meant by Lot’s saying, “Behold I pray my lords.” Interior confession is of the heart and comes forth in humiliation, and at the same time in the affection of good; but exterior confession is of the lips, and may possibly come forth in a feigned humiliation and a feigned affection of good, which is none at all, being such as exists with those who confess the Lord for the sake of their own honor, or rather their own worship, and their own gain. That which these confess with the lips, they deny in the heart.

[2] Its being said in the plural, “my lords,” is for the same reason that in the preceding chapter it is said “three men;” for just as the “three” there signify the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, so here the “two” signify the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, as was said above. That these are one is known to everyone within the church; and because they are one, they are also named in the singular in what follows, as in verse 17, “It came to pass when they had led them forth abroad, that He said, Escape for thy life;” verse 19, “Behold I pray thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, and thou hast made thy mercy great which thou hast done with me;” verse 21, “And he said unto him, Behold I have accepted thy face as to this word also, that I will not overthrow the city;” and verse 22, “For I cannot do anything until thou be come thither.”

[3] That the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding are Jehovah, is evident from the foregoing chapter, where the three men are called “Jehovah,” as in verse 13, “Jehovah said unto Abraham;” verse 14,” Shall anything be too wonderful for Jehovah;” verse 22, “Abraham, he stood yet before Jehovah;” verse 33, “Jehovah went His way when He made an end of speaking with Abraham.” Consequently the Divine Human and Holy proceeding are Jehovah, as also He is named in this chapter, verse 24, “And Jehovah caused it to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven;” the internal sense of which words will be seen in what follows. (That the Lord is Jehovah Himself, who is so often named in the histories and prophecies of the Old Testament, may be seen above, n. 1736)

[4] They who are truly men of the church, that is, who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, are acquainted with and acknowledge a Trine; but still they humble themselves before the Lord and adore Him alone, for the reason that they know that there is no access to the Divine Itself which is called the “Father” except through the Son; and that all the Holy which is of the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him. When they are in this idea they adore no other than Him through whom and from whom all things are, thus One;

[5] nor do they spread out their ideas among Three, as many within the church are wont to do, as can be seen from many in the other life, even the learned, who in the life of the body had supposed that they possessed the arcana of faith more than others. When these were explored in the other life as to what idea they had concerning the one God-whether of Three Uncreates, Three Infinities, Three Eternals, Three Almighties, Three Lords, it was plainly perceived that they had the idea of Three (for there is a communication of ideas there), when yet it is part of the creed, being stated in plain words, that there are not Three Uncreates, not Three Infinities, not Three Eternals, not Three Almighties, not Three Lords, but One; as also is the truth. The result was that they confessed that with the mouth they had indeed said that there is one God, yet still had thought, and some had believed, that there are three, whom in idea they could separate, but not join together, the reason of which is that all arcana whatever, even the deepest, are attended with an idea; for without an idea nothing can be thought of, nor indeed can anything be kept in the memory.

[6] Hence in the other life it is manifest as in clear day what thought, and thence what belief, each person has formed for himself concerning the One God. Indeed the Jews in the other life, when they hear that the Lord is Jehovah and that there is but One God, can say nothing. But when they perceive that the ideas of Christians are divided among Three, they say that they themselves worship One God, but Christians Three; and this the more since none can join together the Three thus separated in idea, except those who are in the faith of charity; for the Lord applies the minds of these to Himself.