3016. 'Abraham, being old, was advanced in years' means when the state was reached in which the Lord's Human could become Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in 1893, 1965, 1989, 2011, 2172, 2198, 2501, 2833, 2836, and many times elsewhere; from the meaning of 'old' or old age as casting off what is human and putting on what is heavenly, dealt with in 1854, 2198, and when it has reference to the Lord, putting on what is Divine; and from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, and therefore from the meaning of 'advanced in years' as the point when a state has been reached. The reason why 'old' and 'advanced in years' mean these things is that with angels the notion of old age does not exist, nor that of getting older, meant by 'advanced in years', only the notion of state as regards the life that is theirs. Consequently when getting older or old age is mentioned in the Word the angels present with man can have no other idea than that of the state of life that is theirs or that is men's as they pass through the different stages of life until they reach the last, that is to say, as they accordingly cast off what is human and put on what is heavenly. For man's life from infancy to old age is nothing else than an advance from the world towards heaven, the last stage of which is death and the actual transition from one life to the next. Burial therefore is also resurrection since the casting-off process is completed then, 2916, 2917. Such being the idea that angels have, nothing else can be meant by 'advanced in years' and by 'old age' in the internal sense - the sense which exists primarily for angels and for men who have minds like those of angels.

1422. That 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing', which includes every single thing received from the Lord, both that which is good and that which is true, thus every celestial, spiritual, natural, worldly, or bodily form of what is good and true. And because in the universal sense 'blessing' embraces all of these, the meaning of 'to bless' in individual places may be seen from the context in which it occurs, for it fits in with those matters to which it then refers. From this it is clear that 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord, since here in the internal sense, as has been stated, the Lord is the subject.

[2] 'Blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' was an expression used commonly among the ancients, as is clear in the Word, for example in David,

Bless God in the assemblies, even the Lord from the fountain of Israel. Psalms 68:26.

In the same author,

Sing to Jehovah, bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day. Psalms 96:2.

In Daniel,

In the vision of the night the arcanum was revealed. Therefore Daniel blessed the God of heaven; he said, Let the name of God Himself be blessed for ever and ever, for wisdom and power are His. Daniel 2:19-20.

And one also reads of Zechariah and Simeon blessing God, Luke 1:64; 2:28. Here it is evident what 'blessing the Lord' implies, namely singing to Him, proclaiming His salvation, declaring His wisdom and power, and so confessing and acknowledging Him from the heart. People who do so are most certainly blessed by the Lord, that is, they are gifted with those things which constitute blessing, namely celestial good, spiritual good, natural good, worldly good, and bodily good, and when these forms of good flow consecutively in this order happiness exists within them.

[3] Since 'blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' and 'being blessed by Jehovah (or the Lord)' were expressions used commonly among the ancients it was therefore also common to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', as in David,

Blessed be Jehovah, for He has heard the voice of my prayers. Psalms 28:6.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah, for He has made His mercy marvellous to me. Psalms 31:21.

In the same author,

Blessed be God, who has not cast away my prayers, nor His mercy from me. Psalms 66:20.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things; and blessed be the name of His glory for ever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Psalms 72:18-19.

In the same author,

Blessed are You, O Jehovah, teach me Your statutes! Psalms 119:12.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah, my rock, who trains my hands. Psalms 144:1.

In Luke,

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people. Luke 1:67-68.