3187. 'And may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom sprung from the marriage of good and truth in the Divine Human, a kingdom possessing charity and faith where evil and falsity had been previously. This becomes clear from what has been stated and explained above in 2851 where practically the same words occur. 'Seed' means those who are called spiritual, and so in the universal sense means all who constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or what amounts to the same, that kingdom itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as charity and faith, dealt with in 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, consequently as those in whom charity received through faith is present. These are they who are spiritual, see 2088, 2184, 2507, 2708, 2715, 2954, and to whom charity and faith come from the marriage of good and truth in the Lord's Divine Human, and so to whom salvation comes, 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834.

[2] In the Ancient Church there existed this customary expression of a heartfelt desire which was said to a betrothed virgin when about to be married - 'may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of your enemies (or those who hate you)'. But the wise of that Church understood spiritual things by these words. That is to say, to them that customary expression meant that when people entered into the marriage of good and truth - that is, once they were regenerate - goods and truths would become fruitful by thousands of myriads, that is, without end. That expression also meant to them that charity and faith would assume the position previously occupied by evil and falsity. But when the wisdom of the Ancient Church died out they no longer understood that customary expression in a spiritual way but in an altogether worldly one. That is to say, they meant that they would have countless descendants who would take possession of and inherit the land of the gentile nations. Jacob's descendants more than all others understood the expression in this way and convinced themselves that this was how it was to be understood from the fact that they not only did increase enormously but also inherited the land, which to them was 'the gate of their enemies'. They did not know that all these things were representatives, that is to say, representatives of the Lord's celestial and spiritual kingdom, and that consequently after the expulsion of evils and falsities good and truth took their place. This will be especially clear when, in the Lord's Divine mercy, those representatives are explained.

[3] In particular, that is to say, with each individual person who becomes the Lord's kingdom, the situation is that before he becomes the kingdom, that is, before he is regenerated, nothing but evil and falsity exists within. Indeed hellish and devilish spirits are in possession of that which is called 'the gate', dealt with in 2851. But when he is becoming the Lord's kingdom, that is, being regenerated, evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, hellish and devilish spirits, are driven away from there, and good and truth enter in and inherit that position. A conscience for good and truth is in that case present. And what applies to the individual in particular applies also to people in general. This shows what these words are used to mean in the internal sense.

2776. 'Offer him as a burnt offering' means that He was to sanctify Himself to the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'a burnt offering' among the Hebrew nation, and in the Jewish Church, as the holiest act of their worship. There were burnt offerings and there were sacrifices, and as regards what these represented, see 922, 923, 1823, 2180. Sanctifications were effected by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and that is why in this verse 'offering a burnt offering' means being sanctified to the Divine. For the Lord sanctified Himself to the Divine, that is, He united the Human to the Divine by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations, and by means of the victories in these, see 1663, 1690, 1692 (end), 1692, 1737, 1787, 1812, 1813, 1820.

[2] It is generally believed at the present day that the burnt offerings and sacrifices were signs of the Lord's passion, and that by His passion the Lord atoned for the iniquities of all. Indeed it is believed that He drew away those iniquities on to Himself, and thus bore them Himself, so that those who believe are made righteous and are saved, if only they think, even in the last hour prior to death, that the Lord suffered on their behalf, no matter how they may have lived throughout the whole course of their lives. But such beliefs are mistaken. The passion of the Cross was the utmost degree of temptation endured by the Lord, by means of which He fully united the Human to the Divine and the Divine to the Human, and by doing this glorified Himself. That union itself is the means by which people possessing faith in Him that is grounded in charity are able to be saved. For the Supreme Divine Itself was no longer able to reach the human race which had removed itself so far away from the celestial things of love, and from the spiritual things of faith, that people did not even recognize them any more, let alone perceive them. Consequently to enable the Supreme Divine to come down to all such as this, the Lord came into the world and united the Human to the Divine within Himself. This union could not have been effected except by means of the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations and by means of victories in these, and at length by means of the final temptation, which was that of the Cross.

[3] As a result of this the Lord is able from the Divine Human to enlighten human minds, even those that are quite remote from the celestial things of love, provided that faith grounded in charity is present in them. For in the next life the Lord appears to celestial angels as the Sun, and to spiritual angels as the Moon, 1053, 1521, 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495 - all the light of heaven flowing from Him. The light of heaven is such that when it enlightens the eyes of spirits and angels it also at the same time enlightens their understanding. This ability to enlighten the understanding also exists inherently within that light, so that the amount of internal light, that is, of understanding, which anyone possesses in heaven is the same as the amount of external light he has. This shows the way in which the light of heaven is different from the light of the world. It is the Lord's Divine Human that enlightens both the eyes and the understanding of those who are spiritual, but this could never be done unless the Lord had united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. And unless He had united them neither men in the world, nor indeed any spiritual angel in heaven, would any longer have possessed any ability to understand or to perceive that which is good or true. Nor thus would they have possessed any blessedness and happiness at all, nor consequently any salvation at all. From this it becomes clear that the human race could not have been saved unless the Lord had assumed the Human and glorified it.

[4] From what has now been stated anyone may decide for himself the truth or otherwise of the idea that people are saved, no matter how they may have lived, if only they think from some inner emotion that the Lord suffered on their behalf and bore their sins. But in reality the light of heaven received from the Lord's Divine Human is able to reach none except those with whom there exists the good that accompanies faith, that is, who lead charitable lives, or what amounts to the same, who possess conscience. The level itself into which that light can operate, that is, the receptacle for that light, is the good that accompanies faith, which is charity and thus conscience. That those who are spiritual have salvation from the Lord's Divine Human, see 1043, 2661, 2716, 2718.