1608. And to thy seed forever. That this signifies those who should have faith in Him, is evident from the signification of “seed,” as being faith, and indeed the faith of charity (spoken of before, n. 255, 256, 1025). That the heavenly kingdom should be given to His seed, that is, to those who have faith in Him, is clearly evident from the words of the Lord Himself in John:
The Father loveth the Son,, and hath given all things into His hand; he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life (John 3:35-36).
[2] And again:
As many as received Him, to them gave He power [potestas] to become the sons of God, to those that believe in His name, who were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man (John 1:12-13).
From these words it is evident what faith, or believing in Him, is, namely, that it is with those who receive Him and believe in Him, not from “the will of the flesh,” nor from “the will of man.” “The will of the flesh” is what is contrary to love and charity, for this is signified by “flesh” (n. 999); and “the will of man” is what is contrary to the faith that is from love or charity, for this is what is signified by “man.” For the will of the flesh and the will of man are what disjoin; but love and the derivative faith are what conjoin; therefore they in whom are love and the derivative faith, are they who are born of God. And because they are born of God, they are called “sons of God,” and are His “seed,” to whom is given the heavenly kingdom. These things are signified by the following words in this verse: “all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, forever.”
[3] That the heavenly kingdom cannot be given to those who are in faith without charity, that is, to those who say that they have faith and yet hold the neighbor in hatred, may be seen by anyone who is willing to reflect; for there can be no life in such faith, when hatred, that is hell, constitutes the life. For hell consists of nothing but hatreds; not of the hatreds which a man has received hereditarily, but of those which he has acquired by actual life.
