THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 6

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

VERSE 1. By a "throne high and lofty" upon which Adonai was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the supreme heavens, but by the "skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church; the "skirts of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in the ultimates. Apocalypse Explained 220.

"His skirts filling the temple" signifies that the Divine Proceeding filled the ultimate of heaven, and also the church; for by "the skirts of the Lord" is signified, in general, the Divine Proceeding, and specifically the Divine Truth" which is in the extremes of heaven and the church. - Apocalypse Explained 253.

That the "skirts" or borders of the robe denote the extremes where the natural principle is, is manifest from the passages in the Word, where "skirts" are named, as in Isaiah, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lofty, and the skirts thereof filled the temple", (Isaiah 6:1) where, by the "throne" on which the Lord sat, is signified heaven, Arcana Coelestia 5313, 8625; by "skirts" are there signified divine Truths in ultimates, or in extremes, such as are the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, which are said to "fill the temple" when they fill the church. The like is signified by the "skirts filling the temple", as by the "smoke and the cloud filling the tabernacle, and also the "temple", as occasionally spoken of in the Word, That by "smoke" is there signified divine Truths in ultimates, such as is the sense of the letter of the Word, see8910; and also by a "cloud", 4060. That the woman labouring with an issue of blood, when she "touched the border of the Lord's garment", was healed; (Matthew 9:20, 22) and in general, that as many as "touched the border of His garment", were healed, (Matthew 14:36;Mark 6:56) signified that from the Divine in the extremes or ultimates health went forth; for that in the ultimates of good and truth, which are from the Divine, there is strength and power, see 9836, and also that responses are there, 9905. And in Matthew, - Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees, that "they do all their works to be seen of men, that they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the skirts or borders of their robes." (Matthew 23:5)

In this passage it is very manifest that "skirts" of a robe denote external things which are extant to view, and that to "enlarge" them denotes to do works in externals, that they may appear or be seen.

And in Jeremiah,

"Jerusalem has sinned a sin, her uncleanness in her skirts or borders." (Lamentations 1:8, 9)

"Uncleanness in the skirts" denotes in deeds and words, thus in the extremes; for the extremes derive their essence from the interiors, wherefore when the interiors are unclean, the extremes are also unclean, although the uncleanness does not appear before men, by reason that men look at the external form., and thus do not see the interiors; nevertheless the uncleanness, which is in the interiors, appears before the angels; and is also detected with everyone in the other life, for externals are there removed; hence it is made evident what has been the quality of works in their essence.

And in Nahum:

"I will uncover your skirts upon your faces, and will show your nakedness to the nations." (Nahum 3:5)

To "uncover the skirts upon the faces" denotes to remove externals, that internals may appear; for the externals, which are of the natural man, by various methods conceal the internals, which are hypocrisies, deceits, lies, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and other like things, wherefore when externals are taken away, internals appear in their uncleanness and filthiness. And in Jeremiah, "If you shalt say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened unto me? For the multitude of thine iniquity your skirts were discovered, your heels were violated. I will make bare your skirts upon your faces, that thine ignominies may be seen, thine adulteries"; (Jeremiah 13:22, 26) speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem.

To "discover the skirts", and to "make them bare", denotes to take away external things, which cover and hide, that the interiors may be seen; for man learns to feign what is good, what is honest and sincere, for the sake of reputation, of honour, and of gain, when yet inwardly he has evils and falsities of various kinds stored up; inasmuch as by "skirts" are signified external things, therefore also mention is made of the "heels", because the "heels" denote the lowest things of the natural principle, see Arcana Coelestia 259, 4938. From these considerations it is now manifest, that by the "skirts of the robe" are signified goods and truths in ultimates or extremes, which are in the natural world. Arcana Coelestia 9917.

Filled the temple. - That "temple", in the Word, signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, and in a respective sense heaven and the church, consequently also the Divine Truth, may appear from the following passages :

"The Jews said to Jesus, What sign do You show to us that You do this? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days; but He spoke of the temple of His Body."

That "temple" signifies the Divine Human of the Lord is here expressly said; for by the "dissolution of the temple", and its being "raised up again after three days", is understood His death, burial, and resurrection.

And in Malachi,

"Behold, I send Mine angel, who shall prepare the way before Me; and suddenly shall come to His temple the Lord, and the angel of the covenant whom you seek." (Malachi 3:1)

In this passage also by "temple" is meant the Divine Human of the Lord; for the subject there treated of is concerning the Lord's advent, wherefore by "coming to His temple", is signified to His Human. And in the Apocalypse, "I saw not a temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Omnipotent is its Temple, and the Lamb." (Revelation 21:22)

The subject here treated of is concerning the new heaven and the new earth, when they shall be in internals and not in externals; hence it is said that "there shall not be a temple, but the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb", "the Lord God Omnipotent" is the essential Divine of the Lord, and the "Lamb" is His Divine Human; whence also it is evident that His Divine Human in the heavens is understood by "temple."

And in Isaiah,

"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and the skirts or borders of His garments filled the temple"; (Isaiah 6:1),

where, by a "throne high and lifted up", on which the Lord was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the superior heavens; but by "the skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church. That the "skirts or borders of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in ultimates, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9917.

That "the veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom", after the Lord had suffered, (Matthew 27:51) signified the union of the Divine Human of the Lord with His Divine itself may be seen, n. 9671 of the same work. By" temple" is signified the Divine Human of the Lord, and at the same time heaven and the church, in the following passages :

"I will bow myself towards the temple of Your holiness, and will confess to Your name." (Psalm 138:2)

And, in Jonah,

"I said, I am expelled from before Thine eyes, but yet I will again look back to the temple of Your holiness; and my prayer came to You to the temple of Your holiness." (Jonah 2:5, 8)

And in Habakkuk,

"Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness." (Habakkuk 2:20)

And in Matthew,

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, is guilty. You fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?" (Matthew 23:16, 17)

And in John,

"Jesus said to them who sold in the temple, 'Take these things hence; make not the house of My Father a house of merchandise.'" (John 2:16, 17)

Apocalypse Explained 220. See also Arcana Coelestia 6426, 9714, 10528.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

Verse 2. That "wings" denote spiritual truths, or the truths of faith, which has power from good, is manifest from other passages in the Word; wherefore, when "wings" are attributed to the Divine [Being], by them is signified the Divine Truth which has Omnipotence, as where they are ascribed to the cherubs, by which is signified the Providence of the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 8764.

By the "Seraphims" here mentioned are signified similar things as by the cherubs; and by the "throne high and lofty" is meant the Divine Proceeding, from which is heaven. By the "wings with which the Seraphim covered the faces and the feet, and with which he did fly", is signified the Divine Spiritual [Principle] in first principles and in ultimates, and the extension thereof on every side, thus the Omnipresence of the Lord.

By "holy, holy, holy", is signified Most Holy. That this is the Divine Truth which fills all things, is signified by "the fulness of the whole earth with His glory; and that the Lord is alone holy, and that holiness is predicated of the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him. Apocalypse Explained 285.

By "the wings with which he covered his face" is signified the spiritual affection of truth; by "the wings with which he covered his feet "the natural affection of truth thence derived; and by the wings, with which he did fly", circumspection and presence; in this case Omnipresence, because the "Seraphims signify the same as the Cherubims, that is, the Divine Providence as to guard. The reason why by "flying", when predicated of men, is signified circumspection, and at the same time presence, is because the sight is present with the object which it sees; that it appears afar off or distant is owing to intermediates, which appear at the same time, and can be measured as to spaces. This may be fully confirmed from the things which exist in the spiritual world. In that world spaces themselves are appearances arising from the diversity of affections and of thoughts thence derived; wherefore when any persons or things appear afar off, and an angel or spirit wills from intense affection to be with those who are there, or to view those things which are there, immediately he is there present. Similar is the case with the thought, which is the internal or spiritual sight of man; this sees those things which he saw in himself, without space, thus altogether as present; hence it is that "to fly" is predicated of the understanding and its intelligence, and that thereby is signified circumspection and presence. Apocalypse Explained 282.

The "glory of Jehovah", when predicated of the Word, denotes its internal sense. The reason why the interiors of the Word are called "glory" is because the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun is the light in heaven which gives sight to the angels there, and at the same time intelligence and wisdom: from that Divine light is all glory in heaven, which is such as to exceed all human apprehension. Hence it is evident from what ground it is that the internal sense is called "glory", for the internal sense of the Word is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in heaven; thus the light from which all glory exists. Arcana Coelestia 9429.

That the term Lord [Adonai] is used, when Good is treated of, is evident from the Word of the Old Testament, where Jehovah is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes God, sometimes Lord [Adonai], sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes the Lord Jehovih, sometimes Jehovah Zebaoth, and this from a mysterious ground, which can be known only from the internal sense. In general, when the subject treated of is concerning the celestial things of love, or concerning Good, then He is called Jehovah; but when the subject treated of is concerning the spiritual things of faith, or concerning Truth, then He is called God; but when concerning both together, then He is called Jehovah God; and when concerning the divine power of Good, or Omnipotence; then He is called Jehovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of Hosts, and also Lord, so that Jehovah Zebaoth and Lord are of the same signification, hence, that is, from the power of Good. Also men and angels are called lords, and in an opposite sense they are servants, who have either no power, or only a power derived from their lords. Arcana Coelestia 2921.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

Verse 3. The whole earth is filled with His glory. "Glory", in the supreme sense, is the Lord as to Divine Truth, thus it is the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord; but "glory", in the representative sense, is the good of love towards the neighbour, or charity, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom, and the internal of the Lord's spiritual kingdom; for this good, in the genuine sense, is the Divine Truth in heaven. Arcana Coelestia 5922.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

Verses 5-7. By "lips" are denoted the interiors of man, consequently internal worship wherein is grounded adoration, which was here represented in the person of the prophet; everyone may see that the "touching of his lips, and the removal of his iniquity thereby, and the expiation of his sin was a representation of the interiors, which are signified by ""lips", and which are things appertaining to charity and the doctrine-thereof. (Arcana Coelestia 1286)

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

Verses 6, 7. What these words signify in their series may be seen when it is known that the "altar" signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human [Principle]; the "fire upon it", the Divine Good of His Divine Love; the "mouth and lips of the prophet", the doctrine of Good and Truth; likewise that "to touch" signifies to communicate; the "iniquity" which departed, signifies the false, and the "sin", evil; for iniquity is predicated of the life of the false, or of a life contrary to Truth; and sin is predicated of the life of evil, or of a life contrary to Good. Apocalypse Explained 391.

[As to the specific meaning of "transgressions", "iniquities", and "sins", see above, Chapter 1:28, the Exposition.] , '

By "one of the Seraphims touching the mouth and lips of the prophet with a coal from the altar" is signified the interior purification, which is of the understanding and will, and thence inauguration into the gift of teaching; by the "coal from the altar" is signified the Divine Love, from which is all purification; and by the "mouth and lips", the thought and affection, or what amounts to the same, the understanding and will, by which a man is purified from iniquity and sin; wherefore it is said, "Therefore thine iniquity has departed and your sin is expiated"; that iniquity does not depart by the application of a coal to the mouth and lips may appear to everyone. Apocalypse Explained 580.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

Verses 9, 10. Hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not: make fat the heart of this people, make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes, etc. - "To besmear the eyes, lest peradventure they see with their eyes", is to darken their understanding, lest they should understand. Apocalypse Explained 152.

Man acquires a life to himself according to the persuasions which be embraces, that is, the things which he acknowledges and believes; whatever is not received by persuasion, or what he does not acknowledge and believe, does not at all affect his mind; and therefore no one can profane holy things unless he be so persuaded, as to acknowledge them, and still deny them; they who do not. acknowledge such things, may indeed know them, but then they are as if they did not know them, or as those who know things that are of no consequence. Such were the Jews about the time of the Lord's advent, and being such, they are said in the Word to be vastated, by which expression is implied that they have no longer any faith. In this case it does a people no injury to have the interior things of the Word unfolded to them, for then they are as persons seeing, who do not see; and as hearing, who do not hear; and who have an hardened encrusted heart, thus described by the Lord in Isaiah. - "Go and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes", etc. Arcana Coelestia 303.

"Make their ears heavy and besmear their eyes", etc., denotes that it would be better they should be in falsities than in truths, because they were in the evil of life; in which case, supposing them to be instructed in truths, they would not only falsify them, but would also defile them with evils; truth therefore was concealed from the Jews, and this for the same reason that the men of Sodom were smitten with blindnesses, that is, because their doctrinals were full of falsities. Inasmuch as "blindness" signified what is false, therefore in the representative Jewish church it was forbidden to sacrifice anything blind. Arcana Coelestia 2383.

That by "seeing and not knowing" is signified to understand what is true and still not to acknowledge it, is evident; and that by "besmearing the eyes, lest they should see" is signified to deprive them of the understanding of truth; and that faith in the Lord is what is here signified by seeing, is plain from the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13, 14. Arcana Coelestia 3863.

The Divine Providence operates invisibly and incomprehensibly, to the intent that man from a free principle may ascribe it either to Providence or to chance; for if Providence acted visibly and comprehensibly, there would be danger lest man, from what is visible and comprehensible, should believe that it is of Providence, and afterwards should fall into a contrary belief; thus what is true and what is false would be joined together in the interior man, and the true would be profaned, which brings with it eternal damnation; therefore such a man is kept rather in unbelief, than admitted to a state of faith from which he would afterwards recede. This is what is meant in Isaiah 6:9, 10. Arcana Coelestia 5508.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

Verse 11. Until the cities be laid waste, etc. - The total vastation of the church is here treated of; "cities" are truths of doctrine, "houses" are the goods thereof, the "land" is the church. Apocalypse Explained 223.

Verses 11, 12. And l said, How long, O Lord? And He said, until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate; until Jehovah remove man far away, and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land. - These things are not said concerning the vastation of the earth, that there should be no more any cities or houses therein, and that these should be without an inhabitant, and without a man; but they are said concerning the vastation of Good and Truth in the church.

By "cities" are there signified the truths of doctrine; by "inhabitant", the good of doctrine; by the "houses" are signified the interior things of man which appertain to his mind: and by a "man", the spiritual affection of truth, and thence wisdom; this is signified by the "houses being devastated, and without a man in them"; by the "land" which shall be reduced to a wilderness is signified the church. Hence it is evident what is signified by "removing man", and by "a great desertion [or desolation] in the midst of the land"; a "desert" signifies where there is no Good because there is no Truth. Apocalypse Explained 280.

That the mysteries of faith are not laid open before a people are reduced to a state of vastation, in which they have no longer any faith; by reason lest they should profane them, the Lord also plainly declares in the subsequent verses in the same prophet, "Then said I, How long, O Lord? And He answered, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate: and until the Lord have removed man far away." By" man" is meant he who is wise or acknowledges and believes. Apocalypse Explained 303.

the "man" whom Jehovah shall remove signifies him that is wise, and abstractedly wisdom; the "great desertion in the midst of the land" signifies that there shall be nothing of good, because nothing of truth; the "midst of the land" denoting where truth is in the greatest light; wherefore when the light is not there, darkness pervades the whole, thus there is nowhere any truth. Apocalypse Explained 304.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

Verse 13. Yet in it shall be a tenth part, which shall return, etc. - The remnant, or remains of man or the church, were also represented by the "tenths" or "tithes", which were holy. Hence also the number ten was holy, on which account it is predicated of a remnant, or remains, as in Isaiah 6:13, where the remnant is called "a holy seed." Arcana Coelestia 468.

The "midst of the land" signifies the internal man; a "tenth part", the smallness of the remains. Arcana Coelestia 576.

"A holy seed shall be the stock thereof", signifying remains, which are holy, because from the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 1025.

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Isaiah Chapter 6

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the Iand be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

1025. That 'with your seed after you' means those who are being created anew is clear from the meaning of 'seed' and also from what follows. It is clear from the meaning of 'seed', in that in the literal sense 'seed' means descendants, but in the internal sense faith; and because faith, as stated often, does not exist except where charity does so, it is charity itself that is meant in the internal sense by 'seed'. And from what follows it is clear that not only the person inside the Church is the subject but also he who is outside the Church, and so the whole of the human race. Wherever there is charity, even among gentiles furthest away from the Church, the seed is there, for heavenly seed is charity. Indeed nobody at all can do anything good from himself; everything good comes from the Lord. The good that gentiles do, who in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on, also comes from the Lord. That the seed of God is faith has been shown already in 255. By faith, there and in other places, is meant charity from which faith flows, for no faith that is really faith exists apart from faith that is an expression of charity.

[2] The same applies elsewhere in the Word where 'seed' is mentioned; for example, where the seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob is referred to, love or charity is meant. Actually Abraham represented celestial love, Isaac spiritual love, both of which belong to the internal man, while Jacob represented the same as they exist with the external man. This applies not only in prophetical but also in historical sections. In heaven it is not the historical descriptions of the Word that are perceived but the things that those descriptions mean, for the Word has been written not only for the sake of man but also for that of angels. When man reads the Word and gains from it no more than the literal sense, the angels do not gain the literal sense but the internal sense. The material, worldly, and bodily ideas man has when reading the Word become with angels spiritual and celestial ideas. While man is reading about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for example, the angels do not have Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob in mind at all but those real things which are represented and so meant by them.

[3] The same applies with Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Angels have no knowledge of those people nor do they perceive anything else but the Ancient Church. More interior angels do not even perceive the Church, but the faith of that Church, and according to the train of thought they perceive the state of the things under discussion. Thus when 'seed' is mentioned in the Word, as here in reference to Noah, in the statement about the covenant being established with them and with their seed after them, angels do not perceive the descendants of those persons, for the man Noah never existed, only the Ancient Church bearing that name. By 'seed' angels understand charity, the essential constituent of the faith of that Church. The same applies to the historical details concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; when their seed is mentioned angels in no way understand the actual descendants of those three but all people throughout the world - both those who are inside the Church and those who are outside - with whom heavenly seed, which is charity, resides. And indeed the more interior angels perceive love itself, which is the heavenly seed - by itself, abstractly.

[4] That 'seed' means love and also everyone who has love is clear from the following places which refer to Abram,

Jehovah said, To your seed I will give this land. Genesis 12:7.

And also,

All the land which you see I will give to you and to your seed even for ever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth. Genesis 13:15-16.

People who keep to the sense of the letter grasp no more than this - that 'seed' is used to mean Abram's descendants, and 'land' to mean the land of Canaan, especially as that land was given to his descendants. But people possessing the internal sense, as the whole of heaven does, perceive 'the seed of Abram' to be nothing other than love, 'the land of Canaan' as nothing other than the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, and 'the land' being given to them as nothing other than its representative, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with elsewhere. A similar usage occurs in another place which refers to Abram,

Jehovah brought him outside and said, Look up now towards heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be. Genesis 15:5.

Here in like manner, because Abram represented love, which was saving faith, no other descendants are meant in the internal sense by 'his seed' but all people throughout the world who dwell in love.

[5] Similarly,

I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you. And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an eternal possession; and I will be their God. This is My covenant, which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. Genesis 17:7-8, 10.

Here too 'establishing a covenant' means the conjunction of the Lord with men throughout the world by means of love, a love represented by Abram. From this it is clear what his seed means, namely all people throughout the world who dwell in love. The covenant involved the circumcision mentioned here. By this heaven never understands circumcision of the flesh but circumcision of the heart - the circumcision received by people who dwell in love. Circumcision was a representative of regeneration by means of love, as is explained clearly in Moses,

Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6.

From these words it is clear what circumcision is in the internal sense. Consequently wherever circumcision is mentioned it is used to mean nothing other than love and charity, and the life deriving from these.

[6] That 'the seed of Abraham' means all people throughout the world who have love is also clear from the Lord's words to Abraham and to Isaac - to Abraham after he had shown his willingness to sacrifice Isaac as commanded,

I will certainly bless you and I will certainly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed will inherit the gate of your enemies, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 22:17-18.

Here it is quite clear that 'seed' is used to mean all people throughout the world who have love.

[7] Just as Abraham represented celestial love, as has been stated, so Isaac represented spiritual love; consequently 'the seed of Isaac' means nothing else than all with whom spiritual love, or charity, resides. Of them the following is said,

Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father, and I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 26:3-4, 24.

This clearly means all nations who dwell in charity. Celestial love was represented by Abraham as 'the father' of spiritual love represented by Isaac, for what is spiritual is born from what is celestial, as shown already.

[8] Since Jacob represented the external features of the Church which arise from those that are internal, and so represented all things in the external man that have their origins in love and charity, 'his seed' therefore means all people throughout the world whose worship is external containing internal worship, and whose charitable acts contain charity from the Lord. Concerning that seed Jacob was told, after he had seen the stairway in a dream,

I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your seed, and your seed will be as the dust of the earth. And in you, and in your seed, will all the families of the ground be blessed. Genesis 18:13-14; 32:12; 48:4.

[9] That 'seed' has no other meaning becomes clear from the following places, in addition to those quoted from the Word in 255. In Isaiah,

You, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend. Isaiah 41:8.

This refers to the regeneration of man. When the distinction is made between Israel and Jacob, as it is frequently, 'Israel' means the internal spiritual Church, 'Jacob' the external features of the same Church. Both are called 'the seed of Abraham', that is, of the celestial Church, because celestial, spiritual, and natural follow one another consecutively. In Jeremiah,

I had planted you as a wholly excellent vine, a seed of truth. How have you turned from Me into the degenerate [branches] of a strange vine? Jeremiah 2:21.

This refers to the spiritual Church, which is 'an excellent vine', whose charity, that is, faith deriving from charity, is called 'a seed of truth'.

[10] the same prophet,

As the host of heaven is unnumbered, and the sand of the sea immeasurable, so I will multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites ministering to Me. Jeremiah 33:22.

Here 'seed' clearly stands for heavenly seed, for 'David' means the Lord. The fact that the seed of David was not like the unnumbered host of heaven, or the immeasurable sand of the sea, is well known to everyone. In the same prophet,

Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, and I will raise up for David a righteous branch and He will reign as King, act with understanding, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell with confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, and men will say no longer, As Jehovah lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but, As Jehovah lives who brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the land of the north. Jeremiah 23:5-8.

Here entirely different things are meant from those that appear in the letter - David, Judah, and Israel do not mean David, Judah, and Israel, but David means the Lord, Judah that which is celestial, and Israel that which is spiritual. Consequently 'the seed of Israel' means people who have charity, that is, faith inhering in charity.

[11] In David,

You who fear Jehovah, praise Him! all the seed of Jacob, glorify Him! stand in awe of Him, all the seed of Israel! Psalms 22:23-24.

Here 'seed of Israel' is used to mean no other seed than the spiritual Church. In Isaiah,

Its stump will be the holy seed. Isaiah 6:13.

'Holy seed' stands for remnants, which are holy because they are the Lord's. In the same prophet,

I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the possessor of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. Isaiah 65:9.

This refers to the celestial Church, external and internal. In the same prophet,

They will not generate in sudden terror. They will be the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. Isaiah 65:23.

This refers to the new heavens and a new earth, that is, to the Lord's kingdom. People who are there, having been generated, or regenerated, from love, are called 'the seed of the blessed of Jehovah'.