3256. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him. That this signifies that the representation of the Lord is now taken up by Isaac and Ishmael, can be seen from the signification of “burying.” (That being “buried” denotes to be resuscitated and to rise again, was shown above, n. 2916.) As the representation of the Lord by Abraham is here treated of, as regards this state having come to an end, and that now the representation by Isaac and Ishmael begins, therefore by “burying” in this case is signified the resuscitation of this state; for the significations are determined in accordance with their application to the things of which they are predicated. The case with the representatives in the Word is that they are continuous, although they appear as if interrupted by the deaths of those who represent; their deaths however do not signify any interruption, but a continuation; and therefore their burials signify that the representative is resuscitated and continued in someone else.

2299. Especially are the little children instructed by means of representatives adapted to their various genius; and how beautiful these are, and at the same time how full of wisdom from within, no one can possibly believe. In this way there is by degrees insinuated into them an intelligence that draws its soul from good. I may here mention one representative only that I was permitted to see, from which the nature of the rest may be inferred. They represented the Lord rising out of the sepulcher, and at the same time the unition of His Human with the Divine; which was done in a manner so wise as to surpass all human wisdom, and at the same time in an innocent infantile manner. They presented also the idea of a sepulcher, but not at the same time the idea of the Lord, except so remotely that it was scarcely perceived that it was the Lord, except as it were from afar; for the reason that in the idea of a sepulcher there is something funereal, which they thus removed. They afterwards in the most discreet manner admitted into the sepulcher something of an atmospherical nature, yet appearing thinly aqueous, by which they signified, also with becoming remoteness, spiritual life in baptism. I afterwards saw represented by them the Lord’s descent to the bound, and His ascent with the bound into heaven; and this with incomparable sagacity and piety. A child-like feature of the representation was that when they represented the Lord among the bound in the lower earth, they let down cords that were almost invisible, and that were very soft and tender, with which to lift the Lord in His ascent; with a constant holy fear lest anything in the representative should touch upon something in which there was not what is spiritual celestial. Besides other representatives wherein the little ones are, and by which, as well as by sports of infancy adapted to their various dispositions, they are brought into knowledges of truth and affections of good.