From Swedenborg's Works

 

Secrets of Heaven #1413

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1413. The symbolism of to the land that I show you as spiritual and heavenly traits that would be presented to view is established by the symbolism of the land (§§662, 1066). 1 Here it is established by the symbolism of the land of Canaan, which represents the Lord's kingdom, as can be seen from many places in the Word. 2 This is why the land of Canaan is called the Holy Land, and the heavenly Canaan. 3 Because it represented the Lord's kingdom, it also represented and symbolized spiritual and heavenly qualities of the Lord's kingdom and, here, of the Lord himself.

Footnotes:

1. Sections 662, 1066 speak of "land" as symbolizing the area where the church existed. [LHC]

2. Biblical examples might be Genesis 17:7-8; 1 Chronicles 16:15-18. In Swedenborg's works there is some treatment of Canaan as representing the Lord's kingdom in §5136 and in the sections listed in subsection 3 there, as well as in §§1437, 1585, 6516. [LHC, JSR]

3. Though the Bible contains several mentions of land that is holy (for example, Zechariah 2:12), the reference here is to contemporary use rather than to biblical passages. Likewise in the case of "the heavenly Canaan," which is a very common phrase in Christian literature, though it is not found in the Bible. Compare New Jerusalem 5, where referring to heaven with this expression is said to be a "common practice in the church." [SS]

  
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Many thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation and its New Century Edition team.

The Bible

 

Genesis 17:7-8

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7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

      

The Bible

 

Genesis 12

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1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you."

4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

7 Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.

8 He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.

9 Abram traveled, going on still toward the South.

10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11 It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

12 It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

14 It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

16 He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17 Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way."

20 Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.