2085. To his seed after him. That this signifies those who should have faith in the Lord, is evident from the signification of “seed,” as being faith (explained before, n. 1025, 1447, 1610, 2034). Those are here signified by “seed” who have the faith of love, that is, who have love to the Lord; consequently the celestial, or those who are of the celestial church; for the seed from Isaac is treated of. But they who have the faith of charity, that is, who have charity toward the neighbor-consequently the spiritual, or those who are of the spiritual church-are signified by “Ishmael,” who is treated of in the verse that now follows. (What the distinction is between the celestial and the spiritual, may be seen above, n. 2069, 2078; and also what the distinction is between having love to the Lord and having charity toward the neighbor, n. 2023)

1530. That this is so the Word has shown to all; as when the Lord was made manifest to Peter, James, and John; for His face then shone as the sun, and His garments became as the light (Matthew 17:2). He so appeared to them simply because their interior sight was opened. The same is confirmed also in the Prophets; as in Isaiah, where the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens is treated of:

The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isaiah 30:26).

And in John, where also the Lord’s kingdom, which is called the New Jerusalem, is spoken of:

The city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof (Revelation 21:23).

And again:

There shall be no night there, and they have no need of a lamp, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light (Revelation 22:5).

Besides that when the Lord appeared to Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders,

they saw the God of Israel, under whose feet was as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven in clearness (Exodus 24:10).

As the Lord’s celestial and spiritual appear before the external sight of the angels as a Sun and a Moon, therefore “the sun” in the Word signifies what is celestial, and “the moon” what is spiritual.