10367. 'And on the seventh day there is the sabbath of rest' means the state of good that has been the end in view, thus the state when a person becomes an embodiment of the Church and enters heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'the seventh day' as the state of good that has been the end in view; for since the six days which come before mean the person's state which comes before and is preparatory to the heavenly marriage, the seventh day means when that marriage actually exists within the person. That marriage is the joining together of the truth and good residing with the person, thus when the person becomes an embodiment of the Church and enters heaven. The reason why a person enters heaven and becomes an embodiment of the Church when governed by good is that the Lord flows into the good residing with a person, and through the good into his truth. He flows into the internal man, where heaven within that person exists, and through the internal into the external, where the world within that person exists. Therefore unless the person is governed by good his internal man is not opened but remains closed, no matter how many truths he knows on a doctrinal level. And since heaven exists within his internal man the person is in heaven when that internal man is opened; for heaven does not exist in some place but within a person's interiors. The human being has been created to conform to an image of heaven and of the world, his internal man to conform to the image of heaven and the external man to conform to the image of the world, see in the places referred to in 9279, [and what has been stated in] 9706.

[2] Anyone who stops to reflect on the matter may see that the essential nature of a person's good, not his truth without that good, makes him altogether what he is. For it is by means of his good and in accord with it that he collaborates with another, is in sympathy with another, links himself to another, and lets himself be led by another, and not by means of and in accord with his truth unless this is in agreement with his good. When the word 'good' is used here the person's delight, pleasure, or love should be understood, for everything that forms part of these constitutes his good; and so far as he is left to think for himself ideas favourable to that good are thought by him to be truths. From all this it becomes clear that a person is joined to the Lord by means of good, and not at all by means of truth without good.

[3] Being joined to the Lord by means of good has, it is true, been dealt with often before, wherever a person's regeneration has been the subject. But since people in the Church at the present day concentrate much on the truths belonging to faith and little on the good belonging to love, and are consequently ignorant of what good is, let a further statement be made about the joining together of goodness and truth, which is called the heavenly marriage. A person is born into evils of every kind and consequently into falsities of every kind, so that left to himself he is condemned to hell. Therefore to be delivered from hell he must be entirely born again, born of the Lord; and that rebirth is what is called regeneration. In order that he may therefore be reborn he must first learn truths; those who belong to the Church must learn them from the Word, or from teachings drawn from the Word. The Word and teachings drawn from the Word show what truth and good are, and truth and good show what evil and falsity are. Unless a person knows these things he cannot possibly be regenerated; for he remains immersed in his evils and consequent falsities, calling those evils forms of good and these falsities truths.

[4] This explains why cognitions or knowledge of truth and good must come first and enlighten a person's understanding. A person's understanding has been given to him in order that it may be enlightened with cognitions of goodness and truth, the end in view being that they may be received by his will and converted into good. For truths are converted into good when the person wills them, and in willing them does them. From this it is evident how the good present with a person is formed, and that unless good is present in a person he is not born anew or regenerated. When therefore a person's will consists of good his understanding consists of truths wedded to that good. The person's understanding truly acts in unison with his will; for what the person wills, that he thinks when left to himself. So this is what is called the joining together of truth and good or the heavenly marriage. Whether you say willing good or loving good it amounts to the same thing; for what a person loves, that he wills. At the same time, whether you say understanding truth wedded to good or believing it, this likewise amounts to the same thing. From this it follows that in the case of a person who has been regenerated love and faith act in unison. This joining together or marriage of them is what is called the Church and heaven, also the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord as He exists with a person.

[5] But people who love their evils, whether those which they have acquired by heredity and since early childhood made stronger within themselves, or those which they have added for themselves and become the first to steep themselves in, can indeed grasp and have some understanding of truths obtained from the Word or from teachings drawn from the Word; nevertheless they cannot be regenerated. For every person's power of understanding is maintained by the Lord in a condition such as this, to the end that he may be regenerated. But when someone loves his evils the power of understanding in his internal man is not endowed with those truths, only the power of understanding in his external man; and this is no more than a knowledge of them. Such people do not know what good is; nor are they concerned to know what it is, only what truth is. As a result they think that the Church and heaven consist in truths, which are called matters of faith, and not in good deeds, which are matters of life. They also explain the Word in various ways in support of their own basic assumptions. Consequently with people such as these whose lives are not at the same time governed by the truths they know, no joining together of truth and good exists, nor therefore the Church and heaven. In the next life furthermore the truths which they have called matters of faith are separated from them; for evil in the will casts them out, and their place is taken by falsities in keeping with the evils they are steeped in.

[6] From all this it may now be recognized what the joining together of goodness and truth, meant by 'the sabbath', is. This joining together is called the sabbath on account of the rest it brings, for the sabbath consists in rest. During the first state, that is, while being led by truths towards good, a person is engaged in conflicts against the evils and falsities present with him. By means of these conflicts, which are temptations, evils and accompanying falsities are dispelled and separated, from which there is no rest until goodness and truth have been joined together. At this point the person has rest, and so does the Lord, for the person does not fight against the evils and falsities, but the Lord residing with Him.

[7] The reason why in the highest sense 'the sabbath' means the Lord's Divine Human is that when the Lord was in the world, from His Human He fought against and overcame all the hells, and at the same time restored the heavens to order, after which labours He united His Human to the Divine, making it Divine Good as well. Consequently at this point He had rest, for the hells cannot lift a finger against Divine Good. This now explains why in the highest sense 'the sabbath' serves to mean the Lord's Divine Human.

[8] But see what has been shown already on these matters,

When the Lord was in the world His Human was first made Divine Truth by Him, to the end that He might go into battle against the hells and overcome them; and afterwards His Human was glorified and made the Divine Good of Divine Love by Him, in the places referred to in 9199, 9315, and also what is stated in 9715, 9809. When in the world the Lord underwent the severest temptations, in the places referred to in 9528(end).

As a result He possesses the Divine Power to save a person, by removing the hells from him and in that way regenerating him, 10019, 10152.

Regarding the two states of a person who is being regenerated by the Lord, in the places referred to in 9274.

A person does not go into heaven until the joining together of truth and good has been accomplished with him, 8516, 8539, 8722, 8772, 9139, 9832.

A person's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688.

1259. There is something further to be said about 'nations' meaning goods and evils within worship: In most ancient times people dwelt distinguished into separate nations, families, and houses, as stated already, in order that the Church on earth might represent the Lord's kingdom where all people are distinguished into communities, those communities into larger ones, and these into still larger, all these distinctions existing according to general and specific differences of love and faith, about which see 684, 685. Thus the Lord's kingdom is similarly distinguished so to speak into houses, families, and nations. This is why 'houses, families, and nations' in the Word means the goods that stem from love and its derivative faith, where also a careful distinction is made between nations and people. 'Nation' means good or evil, but 'people' truth or falsity. And this distinction is preserved so consistently as never to vary, as becomes clear from the following places:

[2] In Isaiah,

There will be on that day the root of Jesse which is standing as an ensign of the peoples; towards that root the nations will seek to go, and his rest will be glory. On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to acquire the remnants of His people, who remain from Asshur, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah. Isaiah 11:10-12.

Here 'peoples' stands for the truths of the Church, 'nations' for its goods, between which a clear distinction is made. The subject here is the Lord's kingdom and the Church, and in the universal sense every regenerate person. The names mentioned mean the things that have been described already. 'Israel' means the spiritual things of the Church, 'Judah' its celestial things. In the same prophet,

This people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation, You have increased its joy. Isaiah 9:2-3.

Here 'people' stands for truths, hence the reference to 'their walking in darkness and seeing a [great] light'. 'Nation' stands for goods.

[3] In the same prophet,

What will one answer the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah has founded Zion, and in her the wretched members of His people will put their trust. Isaiah 14:32.

Here likewise 'nation' stands for good, 'people' for truth. In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will swallow up on this mountain the face ¹ of the covering, of the covering over all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. Isaiah 25:7.

This refers to a new Church, that is, the Church of the nations. 'People' stands for its truths, 'nations' for its goods. In the same prophet,

Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Isaiah 26:2.

Here 'nation' plainly stands for goods. In the same prophet,

All the nations will be gathered together, and the peoples will be assembled. Isaiah 43:9

This too refers to the Church of the nations. 'Nations' stands for its goods, and 'peoples' for its truths. And since the two are distinct and separate from each other, both are dealt with; otherwise it would be a pointless repetition. In the same prophet,

The Lord Jehovih said, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and raise My ensign to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their bosom and carry your daughters on their shoulder. Isaiah 49:22.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom, 'nations' again standing for goods, and 'peoples' for truths.

[4] In the same prophet,

You will break out to the right and to the left, and your seed will inherit the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. Isaiah 54:3.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the Church called the Church of the nations. That 'the nations' stands for goods that stem from charity, or what amounts to the same, for people with whom the goods of charity exist, is clear from the promise that their 'seed', or faith, 'will inherit them'. 'Cities' stands for truths. In the same prophet,

Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a Prince and Lawgiver to the peoples Lo, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation that knew you not will run to you. Isaiah 55:4-5.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom. 'Peoples' stands for truths, 'nations' for goods. In the Church those who are endowed with goods that stem from charity are 'nations' while those who are endowed with truths of faith are 'peoples'. For goods and truths are attributes of the subjects to which they apply. In the same prophet,

Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then you will see and overflow, and your heart will be astounded and enlarged, because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the armies of the nations will come to you. Isaiah 60:3, 5.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom and the Church of the nations. 'Nations' stands for goods, while 'kings', who go together with 'peoples', stands for truths.

[5] In Zephaniah,

The remnants of My people will plunder them, and the residue of My nation will inherit them. Zephaniah 2:9.

In Zechariah,

Many peoples and numerous nations will come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem. Zechariah 8:22.

'Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for the Church, 'peoples' those with whom the truths of faith predominate, 'nations' for those with whom the goods of charity do so, and therefore they are mentioned separately. In David,

You will deliver me from the strivings of the people; You will set me as the head of nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. Psalms 18:43.

Here similarly 'people' stands for those with whom truths predominate, 'nations' for those with whom good does so. And because these are what constitute the member of the Church, both are mentioned. In the same author,

The peoples will confess You, O God, all the peoples will confess You; the nations will be glad and exultant, for You will judge the peoples with uprightness, and You will guide the nations into the land. Psalms 67:3-4.

'Peoples' clearly stands for those with whom truths of faith predominate, and 'nations' for those with whom the good of charity predominates.

[6] In Moses,

Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation; ask your father and he will show you, and your elders and they will tell you, When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance and separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:7-8.

This refers to the Most Ancient Church and the Ancient Churches, which are respectively 'the days of old' and 'the years of generation after generation'. Those with whom the good of charity predominated were called 'the nations' to whom an inheritance was given. 'The sons of man' and in the next sentence 'the peoples' mean those with whom the truths of faith deriving from charity predominated. Since 'the nations' means the goods of the Church and 'the peoples' its truths, it was therefore said of Esau and Jacob when they were still in the womb,

Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels. Genesis 25:23.

These places now make clear what the Church of the nations is in the genuine sense. The Most Ancient Church was the true Church of the nations, as was the Ancient Church after that.

[7] Since those governed by charity are called 'nations' and those governed by faith are called 'peoples', the Lord's priesthood is therefore associated with 'nations' because it has reference to celestial things, which are goods, while His kingship is associated with 'peoples' because it has reference to spiritual things, which are truths This distinction was also represented in the Jewish Church in which they were 'a nation' before they had kings, but became 'a people' after they received them.

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