2726. That 'Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days' means that the Lord allied to the doctrine of faith very many things drawn from a knowledge of human cognitions is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as giving instruction, dealt with in 1463, 2025, from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in 1965, 1989, 2011, 2501, from the meaning of 'the land of the Philistines' or Philistia as knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in 1197, 1198, and from the meaning of 'days' as the state of whatever it is that is the subject, 23, 487, 488, 493, 893. Here because the subject is the cognitions from which the facts and rational ideas are obtained, and because the expression 'many days' is used, the meaning is relatively 'very many things' From verse 22 onwards the subject has been the rational ideas based on human factual knowledge, which were allied to the doctrine of faith, as is evident from the explanation given. The present verse forms the conclusion to these considerations. As regards the actual subject, since this in itself is rather profound, and since the same subject is dealt with extensively further on, in Chapter 26, let any further explanation here be put off till that chapter.

1989. That 'Abram' means the Lord in that state and at that age is clear from what has been stated already about Abram. In the internal sense Abram represents the Lord, for when mentioned in the Word no other Abram is meant in heaven. People who have been born inside the Church and have heard of him from the Word do indeed know of Abram when they enter the next life, but because he is no different from any other human being and cannot be of any help to them, they are no longer interested in him. Furthermore they are informed that in the Word 'Abram' has been used to mean no one other than the Lord. Indeed angels, who possess heavenly ideas but form no image of any man with them, know nothing at all about Abram. Consequently when the Word is read by man and Abram is mentioned they perceive no one other than the Lord. And in the statement made here they perceive the Lord passing through that state and that age, for here Jehovah is talking to Abram, that is, to the Lord.