5605. They have the Word of the ancient Church, which Moses mentioned, calling it "the wars of Jehovah" [Num. 21:14], and the prophetical enunciations, about which [he speaks] ¹ . They said that this Word has been written so that they can be instructed in the details. It was also inspired, but because it ceased to be suitable to subsequent people another word (sic) was written. The nature of this Word is evident from the first Books of Genesis, which are taken from it.

Footnotes:

4480. 'Let them dwell in the land' means in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with above in 4467. Here as elsewhere 'the land' means the Church, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4447, so that 'dwelling in the land' means similarity of life that conforms to the ways of the Church. Everything written in the Word is in itself and in essence spiritual. It is well known that the Word is spiritual, but this spirituality is not visible in the letter, for the content of the letter is worldly, especially in the historical sections. But when it is read by man the worldly content in it becomes spiritual in the spiritual world, that is, among the angels. For the angels are unable to think except in a spiritual way about anything whatever, and so cannot think of 'dwelling in the land' except in a spiritual way. Thinking in a spiritual way is thinking about the things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so about those that belong to the Church.