Arcana Coelestia #2786
2786. 'And went to the place of which God had told him' means the state at that time according to perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in 1273-1277, 1376-1381, 2625, and from the meaning of 'God's telling him' as perceiving from the Divine, dealt with in 2769, 2778. As regards the state itself, this is described in the present verse - the state which the Lord assumed when undergoing temptations, here that state when He underwent the severest and inmost temptations. The preliminary preparation for that state consisted in His entering a state of peace and innocence, and also in the preparation by Him of His natural man, and of His rational man too, so that these might serve the Divine Rational, to which He joined the merit of righteousness, and by doing these things raising Himself up.
[2] These matters cannot possibly be explained intelligibly or presented to the thought of anyone who does not know that many states exist together simultaneously, yet distinct and separate from one another, and who also does not know what a state of peace and innocence is, what the natural man is, and what the rational man is, as well as what the merit of righteousness is. He must first have a distinct idea of all of these, and must also know that from the Divine the Lord was able to bring Himself into whatever states He pleased, and that He prepared Himself to enter temptation by bringing about many states. Although these matters are with man enveloped in obscurity like that of night, they are bathed in light like that of day with the angels; for the angels, dwelling in the light of heaven flowing from the Lord, see countless things - each distinctly - within those matters and others like them, and from the affection flowing in at the same time experience indescribable joy. From this it may become clear how far removed man's ability to understand and perceive is from angels' ability to do so.
Genesis 22
1
It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
2
He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."
3
Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.
4
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.
5
Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you."
6
Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.
7
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8
Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together.
9
They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
10
Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
11
The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
12
He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
13
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14
Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide. As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided."
15
The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
16
and said, "I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17
that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
18
In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
19
So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20
It happened after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
21
Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22
Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
23
Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
24
His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
