9340. 'And I will set your boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary from one place to another', when it refers to spiritual truths, as the full range; from the meaning of 'the Sea Suph' as truths on the levels of the senses and of factual knowledge, which are the lowest levels of the human mind (the Sea Suph was the final boundary of the land of Egypt, and 'Egypt' means factual knowledge in both senses, that is, true factual knowledge and false, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 7926, 8146, 8148; in this instance true factual knowledge is meant since the subject is the full range of spiritual matters of faith among the children of Israel, who represented the spiritual Church, 4286, 4598, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805); and from the meaning of 'the Sea of the Philistines' as interior truths of faith. The reason why these truths are meant by 'the Sea of the Philistines' is that the sea where Tyre and Sidon lay was the boundary of the land of Philistia, and 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, while 'the land of Philistia' means the knowledge of interior matters of faith, 1197, 2504, 2726, 3463.

[2] Since 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, which is heaven and the Church, all places in the land therefore meant such things as form part of the Lord's kingdom, or heaven and the Church, which things are called celestial and spiritual, and are connected with the good of love to the Lord and the truths of faith in Him. For this reason the seas and rivers which were boundaries meant the final limits there, and therefore 'from sea to sea' or 'from river to river' meant the full range of those things, as may be seen in 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. From all this it becomes clear that 'the boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the range of spiritual things, which are matters of truth, from external ones to internal, thus truths ranging from factual ones to interior truths of faith. But the range of celestial things, which are aspects of the good of love, is described next by the words 'from the wilderness even to the River'. The fact that places belonging to the land of Canaan, including seas and rivers, mean such things in the Word, has been shown in explanations everywhere.

[3] What the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith is must be stated briefly. Truths which exist in the external man are called factual ones, but truths which exist in the internal man are called interior truths of faith. Factual truths reside in a person's memory, and when they are brought out from there they pass into the person's immediate awareness. But interior truths of faith are truths of life itself which are inscribed on the internal man, but few of which show up in the memory. These however are matters which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of more fully elsewhere. Factual truths and interior truths of faith were meant in Genesis 1:6-7 by the waters under the expanse and the waters above the expanse, 24; for the first chapter of Genesis deals in the internal sense with the new creation or the regeneration of a member of the celestial Church.

[4] The reason why 'Philistia', which also bordered on the land of Canaan as far as Tyre and Sidon, meant the interior truths of faith was that there also the representative Ancient Church had existed, as is evident from the remnants of Divine worship among them which are alluded to in historical sections and prophetical parts of the Word in which the Philistines and the land of Philistia are the subject, such as - in the prophetical parts - Jeremiah 25:20; Jeremiah 47:1-end; Ezekiel 16:27, 57; 25:15-16; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:5; Zechariah 9:6; Psalms 56:1; ¹ 60:8; 83:7; 108:9. The situation with the Philistines was the same as it was with all the nations in the land of Canaan, in that they represented the Church's forms of good and its truths, and also evils and falsities. When the representative Ancient Church existed among them they represented celestial things which were aspects of good and spiritual things which were matters of truth. But when they fell away from true representative worship they began to represent devilish things which were aspects of evil and hellish things which were matters of falsity. This is the reason why 'Philistia', like all the other nations belonging to the land of Canaan in the Word, means either forms of good and truths, or else evils and falsities.

[5] The fact that interior truths of faith are meant by 'the Philistines' is clear in David,

Glorious things are to be spoken in you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; also Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia. The latter was born here. ² Psalms 87:3-4.

'The city of God' means teachings presenting the truth of faith that are drawn from the Word, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, 5297; 'Tyre' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, and so does 'Ethiopia', 116, 117. From this it is evident that 'Philistia' means knowledge of the truths of faith.

[6] In Amos,

Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to Me, O children of Israel? Did I not cause Israel to come up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Amos 9:7.

This refers to the corruption and destruction of the Church after it had been established. 'The children of the Ethiopians' here are those in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they use to substantiate evils and falsities, 1163, 1164. 'The children of Israel from the land of Egypt' are those who had been brought to spiritual truths and forms of good by means of factual truths, 'the children of Israel' being people in possession of spiritual truths and forms of good, thus in the abstract sense spiritual truths and forms of good, see 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, and 'the land of Egypt' being factual truth, as shown above. The same is meant by 'the Philistines from Caphtor' and by 'the Syrians from Kir', to whom they are therefore likened. 'The Philistines from Caphtor' are people who had been brought to interior truths by means of exterior ones, but who perverted them and used them to substantiate falsities and evils, 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 3762, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313, whereas 'the Syrians from Kir' are those who were in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they likewise perverted, 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112.

[7] In Jeremiah,

... because of the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that is left, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

The subject in Jeremiah 47 is the laying waste of the Church's truths of faith, interior truths of faith being meant by 'the Philistines' and exterior truths by 'the remnants of the island of Caphtor'.

[8] In Joel,

What have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Swiftly I will return your recompense upon your own head, inasmuch as you have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

'All the borders of Philistia' stands for all the interior and the exterior truths of faith; 'carrying silver and gold, and good and desirable treasures into their temples' stands for perverting truths and forms of good, and profaning them by putting them together with evils and falsities. For the meaning of 'silver and gold' as truths and forms of good, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 8932.

[9] In Obadiah,

At that time those in the south will be the heirs of the mountain of Esau, and of the plain of the Philistines, and they will become the heirs of the field of Ephraim; but Benjamin [will be the heir] of Gilead. Obad. verse 19.

This refers to the establishment of the Church; but spiritual things are implied by the names. 'Those in the south' are people who dwell in the light of truth, 1458, 3195, 3708, 5672, 5962; 'the mountain of Esau' is the good of love, 3300, 3322, 3494, 3504, 3576; 'the plain of the Philistines' is the truth of faith, 'the plain' being also that which constitutes matters of doctrine about faith, 2418; 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'Benjamin' is the Church's spiritual-celestial truth, 3969, 4592, 5686, 5689, 6440; and 'Gilead' is the corresponding exterior good, 4117, 4124, 4747.

[10] In Isaiah,

He will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, together they will plunder the sons of the east. Isaiah 11:12, 14.

Here 'Israel' and 'Judah' are not used to mean Israel and Judah; rather, 'Israel' means those who are governed by the good of faith, and 'Judah' those who are governed by the good of love. 'Flying down onto the shoulder of the Philistines' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior truths of faith; and 'plundering the sons of the east' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior forms of the good of faith, for 'the sons of the east' are people who are governed by forms of the good of faith and with whom cognitions or knowledge of good exists, 3249. 3762. For the meaning of 'plundering' as receiving and taking into possession, see what has been shown in 6914, 6917, regarding the plundering of the Egyptians by the children of Israel.

[11] Since 'the land of Philistia' meant knowledge of the interior truths of faith, and since Abraham and Isaac represented the Lord, and the sojourning of these two in places meant instruction received by the Lord in the truths and forms of the good of faith and love, which belong to God's wisdom, therefore - to provide a figurative representation of this - Abraham was commanded to sojourn in Philistia, Genesis 20:1-end, and so too was Isaac, Genesis 26:1-24. Therefore also Abimelech king of the Philistines made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis 21:22-end, and also with Isaac, Genesis 26:26-end. Regarding all this, see the explanations to those chapters.

Footnotes:

893. Verse 12. Here is the patience of the saints, signifies the persecutions and temptations of those who are not in that faith, but in charity. This is evident from the signification of "patience," as being temptations (See above, n. 813). That persecutions also are meant will be seen below. Also from the signification of "saints" as being those who are in truths from good (See n. 204, thus who are in charity, for these are in truths from good; they are in faith also; but they know that charity and faith act as one, like good and truth, or like will and understanding, or like affection and thought; and because these act as one, faith with them is charity; for whatever comes into the thought from charity, since it is of charity, is in its essence charity, although as to its existence it is called faith. For nothing can exist in the thought except what is from some affection and thus belongs to affection, for this is like the esse, and thus is the life and soul of thought. It is similar with charity and faith; from which it follows that there can be no faith except from charity, also that the faith is altogether such as the charity is. (But more about this elsewhere.)

[2] The persecutions of those who are in charity by those who are in faith separated from charity are not such at this day as cause them to be banished and cast out from the assemblages of the Christian world, but only to be reviled and condemned by those who are in faith alone. For no one can be banished and cast out in any kingdom who lives well, and who declares that to live well is necessary to salvation, since this is in complete agreement with the Word, and since everyone sees from rational light that he ought to live well; and yet such are condemned by those who are in faith alone as not saved because of merit in good works, and because such works are not good because they are from self, and for other reasons by which they confirm justification and salvation by faith alone. This is more evident with those who belong to the Moravian sect, who above all others are defenders of faith separated, and who condemn those who in their life give thought to doing good from religion as not being alive but utterly dead, and declare that all such are cast out of heaven. Those who do not belong to that sect, but to churches where works are rejected as means of salvation, do not thus blaspheme although they think wrongly about such, especially those who confirm themselves in many ways by writings or by preachings or by reasonings in the doctrine of justification by faith alone. These persecutions are what are here meant by "patience," and also in chapter 12 of Revelation by:

The dragon standing before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring; and afterwards he persecuted the woman, and cast out after her, out of his mouth, water as a river, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the river; also the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:4, 15, 17).

Also what is said about the beast (Revelation 13:5-7, 15). That such suffer persecutions on account of their acknowledgment and confession of the Divine Human in the Lord will be seen in what follows.

[3] But in respect to temptations, which are also meant here by "patience," there are spiritual temptations which those undergo who receive genuine charity from the Lord; for such must fight against the evils that are in every man from birth, and some must fight against the falsities that they have imbibed from childhood from masters and preachers respecting faith alone. These falsities and evils are removed by the combats of temptations. This is what is meant by the "cross" in the following passages:

Jesus said, He that doth not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27).

Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone will come after Me let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).

In these passages the "cross" means temptations, and "to follow the Lord" means to acknowledge His Divine and to do His commandments. That this is the meaning of "following the Lord" may be seen above (n. 864). The "cross" means temptations because the evils and the falsities therefrom that cling to man from his birth infest and thus torment those who are natural when they are becoming spiritual. And as those evils and their falsities that infest and torment can be dispersed only by temptations, temptations are signified by the "cross." Therefore the Lord says, that "they must deny themselves and take up their cross," that is, that they must reject what is their own, "their cross" meaning what is man's own [proprium], against which he must fight.

[4] Again:

Jesus spake to the rich man who asked Him what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said to him, Thou knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; Thou shalt not defraud; Honor thy father and mother. He answered and said unto Him, All these things have I observed from my youth. Jesus looked upon him and loved him; yet He said unto him, One thing thou lackest; go, sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor; so shalt thou have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross (Mark 10:17-21).

Here "to follow the Lord and to take up the cross" have the same signification as above, namely, to acknowledge the Lord's Divine, and the Lord as the God of heaven and earth; for without that acknowledgment no one can abstain from evils and do good except from self and as meritorious good, for the good that is good in itself and that is not meritorious good is solely from the Lord; consequently he cannot be saved unless the Lord is acknowledged, and it is acknowledged that all good is from Him. And yet before anyone can act from the Lord he must undergo temptations, for the reason that the internal of man, by which he is conjoined with heaven, is opened by means of temptations. And because no one can do the commandments apart from the Lord, therefore the Lord said, "Yet one thing thou lackest; sell all that thou hast and follow Me, taking up the cross;" that is, the Lord must be acknowledged and temptations must be endured. That "he should sell all that he had and give to the poor" signifies in the spiritual sense that he should alienate and cast away from himself what is his own [proprium], thus it has the same signification as "denying oneself" in the passages quoted above; and "to give to the poor" signifies in the spiritual sense to do the works of charity. The Lord said this to him because he was rich; and "riches" signify in the spiritual sense the knowledges of good and truth, and with this man, who was a Jew, the knowledges of evil and falsity, since they were traditions. From this it can be seen that the Lord, here as elsewhere, spake by correspondences.

[5] Again, temptations are signified by the "cup" of which they were to drink:

Jesus said unto James and John, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said unto Him, We are able. And Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink ye shall indeed drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall ye be baptized; but to sit on My right hand or on My left is not Mine to give, but for whom it hath been prepared (Mark 10:38-40).

"To drink the cup that the Lord drank" has the same signification that the "cross" has above, namely, to undergo temptations; and "the baptism with which the Lord was baptized" signifies to be regenerated by temptations. But between the cup which the Lord drank and the cup which they are to drink there is the same difference as between the temptations of the Lord and the temptations of men. The temptations of the Lord were most grievous, and against all the hells; for the Lord subjugated all the hells by means of the temptations admitted into Himself; but the temptations of men are against evils and falsities that are from the hells with them, and in these the Lord and not man himself fights, except against certain painful feelings. There is a like difference between the baptism with which the Lord was baptized and the baptism with which men are baptized as there is between glorification and regeneration. By means of temptations the Lord glorified His Human by His own power, but men are regenerated, not by their own power but by the Lord; for "baptism" signifies to be regenerated by temptations, but the Lord's baptism signifies the glorification of His Human by temptations. (That "baptism" signifies regeneration and also temptations may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.187-193 seq.; and that the Lord glorified His Human and made it Divine, as He regenerates man and makes him spiritual, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 1725, 1729, 1733, 3318, 3381, 3382, 4286.)