The Bible

 

Matthew 7:28

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28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

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In Genesis 40:15, this signifies falsity, into which one may be rejected. (Arcana Coelestia 5138)

In Genesis 41:14, this signifies a state of vastation and temptation. (Arcana Coelestia 5246)

In Exodus 12:29, this signifies the last place for the falsified truths of faith. (Arcana Coelestia 7950)

In Revelation 18:2, this signifies hell.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 757)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1200

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1200. That 'Canaan' means external worship that has nothing internal within it has been shown already where Canaan was the subject. The type of external worship which is called 'Canaan' is similar to that of the Jews before the Lord's Coming, and after it as well. They had an external worship, which they also celebrated meticulously, yet they were unaware of what is internal, indeed so unaware of it as to imagine that they lived solely with a body. Of the soul, or faith, or the Lord, or spiritual and celestial life, or life after death, they were totally ignorant. Consequently very many in the Lord's time said that there was no resurrection, as is clear in Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40. When a person is such that he does not believe he will live after death, he also does not believe in the existence of anything internal which is spiritual and celestial. This applies also to people whose lives are sunk in wholly evil desires because they lead merely bodily and worldly lives, especially those who are steeped in filthy avarice. They nevertheless have worship, some going to synagogue, or to church, and taking part in the services, some most meticulously. But because they do not believe in a life after death their worship is inevitably external worship having nothing internal within it, like a shell without a nut, and like a tree on which there is no fruit or even leaves. Such external worship is meant by 'Canaan'. All other types of external worship dealt with above were forms of worship that had internal things within them.

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