6273. 'For Manasseh was the firstborn' means since good does indeed occupy the first place. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as good belonging to the will, dealt with before; and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as the prior and higher position, dealt with in 3325, so that 'the firstborn' is the one who occupies the first place. Is anyone incapable of seeing from natural light alone, provided a superior light brightens it a little, that good occupies the first place, as also do the intentions in a person's will, and that truth occupies the second, as also do the thoughts in his mind? Is anyone also incapable of seeing that the intentions in a person's will cause him to think in one particular way and no other, consequently that the good he possesses causes him to think that this or that is true; so that truth occupies the second place and good the first? Think and reflect on whether truth that composes faith can take root anywhere else than in good, or whether faith other than that which has taken root there is faith. From this you will be able to decide which is the primary or essential element for the Church, that is, for the person in whom the Church exists.

10060. 'And take some of its blood' means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good in the heavens. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood', in reference to a sacrifice or burnt offering, as Divine Truth, dealt with above in 10026, 10033, at this point Divine Truth emanating from the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Human, transmitted and received in the heavens; for this is the subject in what immediately follows. It was stated above in 10057 that a person who is being regenerated experiences two states, the first being a time when truth is implanted and joined to good, the second when the person is governed by good and good is the source of his actions. In this second state the truths present with him emanate from good, for good is the standpoint from which he sees them, speaks of them, and acts them out. Good is present in everything at this time, as the soul is within a person, or as the heart is within the body, which one who is wise also discerns in the words and actions of those who are governed by good. From this idea of a person's regeneration it is possible to have some conception of the glorification of the Lord's Human; for the way in which the Lord regenerates a person is akin to the way in which He glorified His Human, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688. For the first state of glorification of His Human involved the implanting of Divine Truth and uniting of this Truth to the Divine Good. While He was in the world therefore the Lord made His Human Divine Truth; He also united it to the Divine Good that was within Him and in so doing made it Divine Good, see the places referred to in 9199 (end), 9315 (end). The second state of His glorification is one in which the Divine Truth emanates from Divine Good; that Truth is His Divinity as this is present in the heavens. The first state of the glorification of the Lord's Human is described in the internal sense by the things stated regarding the sacrifice of the young bull and the burnt offering of the first ram, dealt with in verses 10-18 of the present chapter. But the second state is described by those that immediately follow regarding the second ram, which is called 'the ram of fillings [of the hand]'. From all this it is evident that 'blood' here means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, transmitted and received in the heavens.