6297. 'And his seed will be the fullness of nations' means that truth - the truth of faith - will be predominant. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith and charity, dealt with in 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3187, 3310, 3373, 3671, in this case faith since it refers to Ephraim; and from the meaning of 'the fullness of nations' as an abundance, thus that it will be predominant. 'Fullness' in the Word means the entire whole or, where it does not mean the entire whole, an abundant part; and it is used with reference both to truth and to good. For 'a multitude' is used with reference to truth, but 'greatness' to good, thus 'fullness' with reference to both, as in Jeremiah,

Behold, waters rising out of the north which will become like a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and its fullness, the city and those who dwell in it. Jeremiah 47:2.

'The land and its fullness' stands for the entire whole, both of truth and of good, constituting the Church. 'The city and those who dwell in it' is therefore added, for 'the city' means truths, and 'those who dwell in it' forms of good, 2268, 2451, 2712.

[2] In Ezekiel,

They will eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their waters with astonishment, so that her land may be devastated of its fullness. Ezekiel 12:19.

'Land' stands for the Church, and 'fullness' for the goodness and truth there. The fact that both are meant is evident from the words immediately before, which say that they will eat bread with anxiety and drink waters with astonishment. For 'bread' means the good of love, and 'waters' the truth of faith, which are referred to as 'the fullness' of the land.

[3] Similarly in Amos,

I hate the pride of Jacob and his palaces, therefore I will shut up the city and its fullness. Amos 6:8.

In David,

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours. The world and the fullness of it You have founded. Psalms 89:11.

And elsewhere in the same author,

The earth is Jehovah's and the fullness of it, the world and those who dwell in it. He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Psalms 24:1-2.

Here also 'the fullness' stands for truth and goodness. 'The earth' stands for the Church in a specific sense, 'the world' for the Church in an overall sense. Jehovah's founding of the world upon the seas means basing it on things that contribute to knowledge, 28, and His establishing it upon the rivers means basing it on those that lead to intelligence, 3051. Is anyone unable to see that it is not Jehovah's founding of the world on the seas or His establishing of it upon the rivers that is meant? For the world is not founded or established on them, and therefore anyone who thinks the matter over can see that something other than 'the seas' or 'the rivers' is meant and that this something other is a spiritual or internal facet of the Word.

3187. 'And may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom sprung from the marriage of good and truth in the Divine Human, a kingdom possessing charity and faith where evil and falsity had been previously. This becomes clear from what has been stated and explained above in 2851 where practically the same words occur. 'Seed' means those who are called spiritual, and so in the universal sense means all who constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or what amounts to the same, that kingdom itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as charity and faith, dealt with in 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, consequently as those in whom charity received through faith is present. These are they who are spiritual, see 2088, 2184, 2507, 2708, 2715, 2954, and to whom charity and faith come from the marriage of good and truth in the Lord's Divine Human, and so to whom salvation comes, 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834.

[2] In the Ancient Church there existed this customary expression of a heartfelt desire which was said to a betrothed virgin when about to be married - 'may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of your enemies (or those who hate you)'. But the wise of that Church understood spiritual things by these words. That is to say, to them that customary expression meant that when people entered into the marriage of good and truth - that is, once they were regenerate - goods and truths would become fruitful by thousands of myriads, that is, without end. That expression also meant to them that charity and faith would assume the position previously occupied by evil and falsity. But when the wisdom of the Ancient Church died out they no longer understood that customary expression in a spiritual way but in an altogether worldly one. That is to say, they meant that they would have countless descendants who would take possession of and inherit the land of the gentile nations. Jacob's descendants more than all others understood the expression in this way and convinced themselves that this was how it was to be understood from the fact that they not only did increase enormously but also inherited the land, which to them was 'the gate of their enemies'. They did not know that all these things were representatives, that is to say, representatives of the Lord's celestial and spiritual kingdom, and that consequently after the expulsion of evils and falsities good and truth took their place. This will be especially clear when, in the Lord's Divine mercy, those representatives are explained.

[3] In particular, that is to say, with each individual person who becomes the Lord's kingdom, the situation is that before he becomes the kingdom, that is, before he is regenerated, nothing but evil and falsity exists within. Indeed hellish and devilish spirits are in possession of that which is called 'the gate', dealt with in 2851. But when he is becoming the Lord's kingdom, that is, being regenerated, evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, hellish and devilish spirits, are driven away from there, and good and truth enter in and inherit that position. A conscience for good and truth is in that case present. And what applies to the individual in particular applies also to people in general. This shows what these words are used to mean in the internal sense.