4845. Till Shelah my son be grown up. That this signifies until the time, is evident from the signification of “growing up,” as being to be of this age, thus until the time; and from the representation of Shelah, the son, as being what is idolatrous, of which above (n. 4825, 4826), thus the Jewish religion, which with them was idolatrous (n. 4825) Hence by the words, “till Shelah my son be grown up,” is signified until the time that the Jewish religion can receive internal things, or the spiritual and celestial things of the representative church, which is Tamar (n. 4829, 4831, 4843).

4831. And her name was Tamar. That this signifies the quality of the church, that it was a church representative of spiritual and celestial things, is evident from the signification of “name,” as being the quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421), here the quality of the church, because in this chapter by Tamar is represented the church, and indeed a church representative of spiritual and celestial things which was to be instituted among the posterity of Judah. That this church is represented by Tamar, is evident from what follows. This entire chapter in the internal sense treats of the Jewish Church, that it should become representative of the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord’s kingdom, as had been the Ancient Church; and this not only in external, but also in internal form. For the church is not a church from externals, that is, from rituals, but from internals, which are essential, while externals are only formal. The posterity of Jacob were such as not to be willing to receive internal things; therefore with them the Ancient Church could not be renewed, but only a representative of that Church (n. 4307, 4444, 4500). The internal of the church here is Tamar, and its external is Judah with his three sons by the Canaanite woman.