3796. 'And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' means an acknowledgement of the affection for that truth as to its origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' here as acknowledging, as is evident from the train of thought, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with above in 3793. The expression 'the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' embodies the origin of that affection; that is to say, it came from a parallel good which had been joined in a brotherly relationship to rational truth represented by 'Rebekah, Jacob's mother'.

[2] As regards affections for truth and good, genuine affections for truth and good which are perceived by a person all have a Divine origin since they come from the Lord. But as they come down they branch off into various and different streams where they form new origins for themselves. For as they flow into affections which are not genuine but spurious, and into affections for evil and falsity present with a person, so they become varied. Affections which often have a similar outward appearance to genuine ones present themselves, but these are nevertheless not genuine inwardly. The only way to establish their true identity is to discover the end they have in view. If that end is selfish or worldly those affections are not genuine. But if the end is the good of the neighbour, the good of the community, the good of the country, and more still if it is the good of the Church and the good of the Lord's kingdom, they are genuine, for in that case the Lord is their end, since the Lord is within those varieties of good.

[3] But it is the mark of someone wise to be aware of which ends are present in himself. Sometimes it does seem as though his ends are selfish when in fact they are not, for the human being is such that in everything he considers how it affects himself. This he does regularly and habitually. But if anyone wishes to know the ends he himself has in view he has merely to take note of his feeling of delight - whether it is on account of his receiving praise and glory, or whether it is on account of his performing some unselfish service. If it is the latter delight which he feels, genuine affection is present in him. He ought also to take note of the varying states he passes through, for those states cause his feelings to vary considerably. A person is able to find these things out in himself, but not in others, for the ends in view to anyone's affection are known to the Lord alone. This is why the Lord said,

Do not judge, lest you are judged; do not condemn, lest you are condemned. Luke 6:37.

For a thousand people may apparently share the same affection for truth and goodness, and yet the affection in each of them may have a different origin, that is, each may have a different end in view.

[4] The reason the end makes the affection what it is - that is to say, genuine, spurious, or false - is that the end is the person's actual life. Indeed a person has as his end in view that which constitutes his life, or what amounts to the same, his love. When the good of the neighbour, the common good, the good of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom is the end in view, a person's soul is in the Lord's kingdom and so abides with the Lord. For the Lord's kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of ends and purposes directed towards the good of the human race, 3645. Angels themselves present with a person are nowhere else than within his ends in view. To the extent that someone's end in view is such as that which exists in the Lord's kingdom, angels take delight in him and join themselves to him as a brother. But to the extent a person's end is himself, angels depart and evil spirits from hell draw near, for in hell no other end in view reigns. From these considerations one may see how important it is to find out and to know where one's affections originate; these can be known from nothing else than one's end in view.

62. FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA

Love is the esse of man's life (n. 5002). Man, spirit, and angel, are altogether as their love is (n. 6872, 10177, 10284). Man has for an end what he loves (n. 3796). What man loves and has for an end reigns universally with him, that is, in each and all things (n. 3796, 5130, 5949). Love is spiritual heat, and the very vital principle of man (n. 1589, 2146, 3338, 4906, 7081-7086, 9954, 10740). All the interiors with man, which are of his understanding and will, are disposed in a form according to his ruling love (n. 2023, 3189, 6690). Love is spiritual conjunction (n. 1594, 2057, 3939, 4018, 5807, 6195-6196, 7081-7086, 7501, 10130). Hence all in the spiritual world are consociated according to their loves (ibid.). Affection is continuation of love (n. 3938). All delight, pleasure, happiness, and joy of heart, are of love; and their quality is according to the quality of the love (n. 994-995, 2204). There are as many genera and species of delights and pleasures as there are of the affections which are of the love (n. 994-995, 2204). The delight of the love is more vile in proportion as it is more external (n. 996). Man after death has such a life as is the quality of his love (n. 2363).

3242. 'And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch, and Abida, and Eldaah' means the derivatives from the third division. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Midian' as those governed by the truth of faith, to be dealt with below; and since those governed by the truth of faith are 'Midian', it follows that 'sons' are derivatives from it. With regard to those governed by the truth of faith the position is that no one is admitted into the Lord's kingdom except him with whom the good of faith is present since the good of faith is the life of faith. The life of faith remains, but not the doctrine of faith except insofar as it makes one with life. Nevertheless people governed by the truth of faith, that is, who profess faith and refer to it as the essential thing because they have been taught that it is, but who, in spite of that teaching have goodness of life, that is, who are Christians in their hearts and not just on their lips, are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For anyone can easily be made to believe that faith is the essential thing if such an idea is handed on to him by teachers and at an early age he becomes steeped in that way of thinking. He is also made to believe because those who are reputed to be very learned, even church-leaders, say the same, some of whom are afraid to talk about the good of life because when life is the criterion they stand condemned, and also - in addition - because matters of faith, when they display themselves, are perceptible, whereas matters of charity are less so. Those therefore who are governed by the truth of faith, and yet also by the good of life are called Midian. But the truths which govern their lives are 'the sons of Midian'.

[2] Just as those in whom the truth of faith is joined to the good of that faith are meant by Midian so also in the contrary sense Midian means those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them - as becomes clear from the following: In Isaiah,

A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. Isaiah 60:6.

This refers to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah' stands for matters of doctrine. Matters of doctrine concerning good are meant by 'gold', those concerning truth by 'frankincense'; and both by 'the praises of Jehovah'. From this also it is evident what 'Ephah' means. 'The Midianites' who pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to Ishmaelites, and to Potiphar in Egypt, Genesis 37:28, 36, means people governed by truth coupled to simple good, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen later on when those verses are dealt with.

[3] As regards 'Midian' also meaning those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them, this may be seen from what is said about Midian in Moses,

The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian with deceptions in their hand came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. Numbers 22:4, 7, and following verses.

In the good sense 'Moab' stands for people with whom natural good exists and who easily allow themselves to be misled, but in the contrary sense stands for those who adulterate goods, 2468. 'Midian' in the good sense, as has been stated, stands for those who are governed by truth coupled to simple good, and so who are easily led to believe things, but in the contrary sense, as here, stands for those who falsify truths. Falsifications are meant by 'deceptions in their hand', and deeds which are the product of falsities by their sending to Balaam to act against the children of Israel, who are the goods, and from these the truths, of faith.

[4] The acts of whoredom committed by the sons of Israel with Midianite women which brought about the plague that Phinehas checked by running through with his spear the Midianite woman and the Israelite man in the brothel, Numbers 25:6-8, and following verses, has a similar meaning, for acts of whoredom represented falsifications of truth, 2466, 2729. And because falsifications of truth are what are meant in the internal sense by acts of whoredom, therefore by command twelve thousand of the children of Israel assailed them, killed their kings, all the males, and the women they had taken captive who had had carnal knowledge of a man, and divided the booty among themselves, Numbers 25:16-17; 31:1-end. The reason why 'twelve thousand' were involved was that 'twelve' means all things of faith, 577, 2089, 2129 (end), 2130 (end), by means of which falsities are destroyed. 'The kings' they killed are falsities, as also are 'the males', 'the women who had had carnal knowledge of a man' are affections for falsity, and 'the booty' which consisted of gold, silver, and cattle, are truths that have been falsified. From this it is evident that every single thing mentioned there is representative of the punishment and destruction of falsity by means of truths.

[5] The same is meant by the facts related about the Midianites in the Book of Judges,

Because the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah they were given into the hand of Midian for seven years.

On account of Midian the children of Israel made dens for themselves in the mountains, also caves, and strongholds. And whenever Israel put in seed, Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east came up and destroyed the produce of their land.

After that they were liberated by Gideon by means of the three hundred who had lapped water with their tongue like a dog, whereas those who had sunk down on their knees to drink had been sent home.

Further references to them, in addition to these, are made in Genesis 6 Chapters-8.

Here too every single detail is representative of the falsification of truth, and on that account of punishment even to the point of their being destroyed by the kind of things meant by 'lapping water with their tongue like a dog'. But what each detail means in the internal sense would take too long to explain here. All this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in its proper place. In Habakkuk,

He looked and scattered the nations, and the mountains of time were dissolved, and the hills of old sank down. Below Aven I saw the tents of Cushan, the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Habakkuk 3:6-7.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The tents of Cushan' stands for a religion raised up out of evil, 'the curtains of the land of Midian' for a religion raised up out of falsity.