9193. Shall be accursed. That this signifies a casting out, is evident from the signification of “being accursed,” when said of those who are in the worship of falsities from evil, as being to be cast out, that is, from the church. That to be cast out from the church, and thus the rooting out of such falsities, is signified by “being accursed” is plain in Moses:

If men of Belial shall go out from the midst of thee, and shall urge the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee; smiting thou shalt smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, making it accursed, and everyone that is therein, and also the beast thereof, with the edge of the sword. All the spoil of it thou shalt carry together into the midst of the street, and shalt burn the city with fire, and all the spoil thereof, to Jehovah thy God; that it may be a heap for eternity; neither shall it be built any more; so that there may not cleave to thine hand anything of the accursed thing (Deuteronomy 13:13-17).

[2] That it is the falsity from evil which is signified by “the accursed thing,” is plain from each detail in the above passage in

the internal sense; for “the cities which were to be accursed” denote doctrines, here false doctrines (see n. 2712, 2943, 3216); “the edge of the sword, with which the men and beasts were to be smitten,” denotes truth fighting and destroying the falsity which is from evil (n. 2799, 4499, 7102, 8294); “the street into the midst of which the spoil was to be carried together” denotes the truth of doctrine, and in the opposite sense, the falsity of doctrine (n. 2336); “the fire with which the spoil was to be burned together with the city,” denotes the evil of the love of self (n. 1297, 2446, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324). From this it is evident that this “accursing” denotes a casting out from the church, and a rooting out. Wherefore also it was commanded that the nations in the land of Canaan should be “accursed” (Deuteronomy 7:2, 24-26); for these nations had formerly constituted the church in that land, and therefore they had altars, and likewise offered sacrifices (n. 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 6306, 6516, 8054); but when they turned the representative worship, which belonged to the Ancient Church, into idolatrous worship, and thus falsified truths and adulterated goods (n. 8317), it was ordered that not only the men, but also the cities and what was in the cities, should be “accursed.”

[3] The reason was that all things therein represented falsities from evil; the cities themselves, doctrines of falsity; the beasts, evil affections; the gold and silver, their evils and falsities; and all other things in like manner. The main feature of the worship of the Ancient Church was the worship of God under a human form, thus of the Lord. But when they turned aside from good to evil, they began to worship the representatives themselves, such as the sun, the moon, the stars, also groves, statues, and God under various idol forms, thus external things apart from anything internal, as is the case when the internal man has been closed. The internal man is closed by a life of evil; for the Lord flows in by good, and opens the internal man; and consequently it is closed by evil. And when the internal man has been closed, truths are turned into falsities; and where they remain as truths, they merely serve the evils which are of the love of self and the love of the world. The main thing of internal worship is to acknowledge the Lord as the one and only God, and that everything good and true is from Him. Those in the church who do not acknowledge Him cannot be in good, thus neither can they be in truth. Those acknowledge Him who are in faith, and at the same time in the good of life; but not those who are in evil of life (n. 8878). That to acknowledge and worship the Lord is to live according to His commandments, that is, to live a life of faith and charity, see n. 8252-8257. A life of faith consists in doing the commandments from obedience and a life of charity in doing the commandments from love.

6516. In my sepulchre which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. That this signifies that the church was to be resuscitated where a former church had been, is evident from the signification of a “sepulcher,” and of “burying,” as being resuscitation (see n. 5551); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447). The reason why Jacob desired to be buried in the land of Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac were buried, and not elsewhere, was that his descendants were to possess that land, and he would lie among his own. In the internal sense however, not this, but something else was signified, namely, regeneration and resurrection, because therein is the church; for in the internal sense by “burial” is signified regeneration and resurrection (n. 2916, 2917, 4621, 5551); and by the “land of Canaan” is signified the church, as is evident from the passages cited just above; and by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” is signified the Lord as to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human, and in the relative sense the Lord’s kingdom as to its internal and external (n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276). Such then is the signification in the internal sense of their burial there; and hence with the Jews who believe in a resurrection the opinion still survives that although they may be buried elsewhere, they will rise again there.

[2] The reason why it is said that the church will be revived “where the former church had been,” is that from the most ancient times the Lord’s church had been in the land of Canaan (n. 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136). It was for this reason that Abraham was ordered to go there, and that the descendants of Jacob were brought into it; and this not because that land was more holy than all other lands, but because from the most ancient times all the places there-provinces, and cities, and mountains, and rivers-had been representative of such things as belong to the Lord’s kingdom; and the very names that were given them involved such things. For every name given from heaven to any place, and also to any person, involves what is celestial and spiritual; and when it has been given from heaven, it is perceived there; and it was the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial and had communication with heaven, that gave the names. The reason therefore why the church was to be there again, was that the Word was to be given, in which all things were to be representative and significative of things spiritual and celestial, and thus the Word might be understood in heaven as well as on earth; which could not possibly have been done unless the names of places and of persons were significative. For this reason the descendants of Jacob were brought in there; and prophets were there raised up by whom the Word was written; and for this reason also the representative of a church was instituted among the descendants of Jacob. Hence it is plain why it is said that a church was to be resuscitated where the former church had been.

[3] That the names which are in the Word signify things, may be seen above, n. 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 4442, 5225, and in many other places where the signification of names is explained; but that the names in the Word are perceived in heaven as to their signification, and this without instruction, is a secret which no one has hitherto known, and therefore it must be told. When the Word is being read, the Lord flows in and teaches; and wonderful to say there are writings in the spiritual world also, which I have sometimes seen, and have been able to read, but not to understand; yet they are clearly understood by good spirits and angels, because they are in accord with their universal language; and it has been given me to know that every word therein, down to the very syllables, involves such things as belong to that world, thus spiritual things; and that they are there perceived from the breathing, and from the affection resulting from their utterance, thus from a softer or harsher modifying forth; but this perhaps scarcely anyone will believe. This has been disclosed in order that it may be known that the names in the Word, having been written in heaven, are at once perceived there in respect to their signification.