751. Verse 12. For this rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them, signifies the salvation and consequent joy of those who become spiritual by the reception of Divine truth. This is evident from the signification of "rejoicing," as being joy on account of salvation; also from the signification of "heavens," as being those who are spiritual (of which presently); also from the signification of "ye that dwell," as being those who live, here spiritually. (That "to dwell" signifies to live, see above, n. 133, 479, 662.) "The heavens" signify those who are spiritual, because all who are in the heavens are spiritual; and because men who have become spiritual are likewise in the heavens, although in respect to the body they are in the world, so "ye that dwell in the heavens" means not only angels, but also men. For every man with whom the interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind, has been opened, is in the heavens, yea, sometimes he even appears among the angels in the heavens. That this is so has not been known heretofore in the world; let it be known, therefore, that man in respect to his spirit is among spirits and angels, and even in that society of them into which he is to come after death. This is because the spiritual mind of man is formed wholly to the image of heaven, even so that it is a heaven in least form; consequently that mind, although it is still in the body, must nevertheless be where its form is. But this has been more fully illustrated in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, where it is shown that every angel and also every man, in respect to his interiors, if he be spiritual is a heaven in least form, corresponding to heaven in its greatest form. For this reason, where the Word treats of the creation of heaven and earth the church internal and external is meant in general, as also in particular the internal and external man, or the spiritual and natural man. From this it can be seen that "the heavens and those that dwell in them" signify all who are there, also men who are becoming spiritual by the reception of Divine truth in doctrine and life.

10442. 'Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants' means for heaven and the Church's sake. This is clear from the meaning of 'Abraham, Isaac, and Israel' as the Lord's Divine Human, thus that which is Divine and His in heaven and in the Church; and since that which is Divine and the Lord's composes heaven and the Church, the same three also mean heaven and the Church. For 'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' in the Word, that these things are meant by them, see 1965, 3305(end), 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6589, 6804, 6847, and also by 'Israel', 4286, 4570, and in the places referred to in 8805, 9340. The fact that such things are meant by 'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11.

Here 'reclining with them' means being in heaven where the Lord is. This is also evident from the consideration that names do not pass into heaven but the heavenly and Divine realities meant by them, 10216, 10282.