The Bible

 

Jeremiah 51:24

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24 I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, says Yahweh.

Commentary

 

Meet

  
Meeting the new baby

To "meet" someone can be positive or negative: it can be a welcoming and greeting, or it can be "meeting" them in battle. Both meanings are reflected in the internal sense of the Bible. In positive meetings between people, "meeting" represents a joining and communication between the spiritual states the people represent. In negative ones, however -- and especially in cases where the Lord is pictured as meeting someone -- it stands for opposition between the states. It's worth noting here that according to the Writings the Lord never actually opposes anyone. The Lord is love itself, and He is continually loving everyone and willing them to be good and move toward heaven. But when people reject His love and move away, it creates the appearance that He is opposing them, despite the fact that His attitude and stance toward all of us never changes.

In Genesis 14:17, this signifies to submit oneself. (Arcana Coelestia 1721)

In Genesis 19:1, this signifies acknowledgment, and also the effect that love for others has. (Arcana Coelestia 2326)

In Genesis 24:65, this signifies for the purpose of union. (Arcana Coelestia 3205)

In Genesis 29:13, this signifies agreement which unites. (Arcana Coelestia 3806)

In Genesis 32:6, this signifies that the good of love flowing into truth. (Arcana Coelestia 4247)

In Exodus 4:14, this signifies reception or to come prepared to receive divine truth. (Arcana Coelestia 7000)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4246

Study this Passage

  
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4246. Verses 6-8 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him. And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed; and he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps. And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape.

'The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you' means that good flows in constantly so as to make [truths] its own. 'And four hundred men with him' means its state now, set to take up the first position. 'And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed' means the state when it is being changed. 'And he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps' means the preparation and arrangement of truths and goods within the natural so as to receive the good represented by 'Esau'. 'And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape' means to meet every eventuality.

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