The Bible

 

Genesis 23:12

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12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2912

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2912. 'Abraham rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, dealt with in 2401, 2785, here a raising up from grief, for a new Church was about to be established in place of the previous one that perished.

[2912a] 'From before his dead' means in that [state of] night. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', 'death', and 'one who has died' as night as regards the state of the Church, dealt with above in 2908.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2908

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2908. 'Sarah died' means night as regards the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', 'one who has died', and 'death', when used in reference to the Church, as its final period when all faith, that is, charity, has breathed its last, for this period is called 'night' in various places in the Word, 221, 709, 1712, 2353, and 'dying' means ceasing to be what it once was, 494; and from the representation of 'Sarah' as Divine truth, dealt with above in 2904. From this it is evident that these things are meant here.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.