1707. Abram heard that his brother had been captured means that his intermediate self sensed what kind of state his outer self was in, as the following shows: Abram symbolizes the Lord's intermediate self linked with his inner, divine self, as mentioned in the last verse [§§1701-1702]. Lot symbolizes his outer self, as demonstrated earlier [§§1428, 1547, 1563, 1698]. And hearing that his brother had been captured means sensing what kind of state it was in. To be specific, apparent goodness and truth had seized control of it, as noted at verse 12 [§1698].
[2] This is the situation: The intermediate self meant by Abram the Hebrew sensed that the goodness and truth being used as weapons were not good and true except in appearance, and that they had seized control of the whole outward self symbolized by Lot, his brother's son. On perceiving this, the intermediate self purified that apparent goodness and truth (or rather the inner, divine self did so, by means of the intermediate self). How this could be done would be a complete mystery to anyone to whom it has not been revealed. After all, the way the inner self acts on the outer by way of the intermediate self is unknown, especially at this day, when few if any realize what the intermediate self is, let alone the inner self. For a description of the inward and intermediate selves, see just above at verse 13 [§1702];
[3] but here a short explanation of their interaction is needed.
In every individual, the inner self belongs to the Lord alone, because that is where he stores up the good impulses and true thoughts that he gives us as gifts from the time we are very small. These are the channel through which he acts on our intermediate, rational self, which in turn is the channel through which he acts on our outward self. In doing so, he makes it possible for us to think and to be human.
However, the stream of his influence from the inner self, acting on the intermediate self and through it on the external self, is of two kinds. Either he acts by heavenly means or he acts by spiritual means; to put the same thing another way, he acts either through goodness or through truth. When he operates by way of heavenly qualities, or good impulses, he acts only on those who have been reborn — those endowed with either perception or conscience. Accordingly, this influence comes either through perception or through conscience. So he cannot influence people by heavenly means unless they have love for him and charity for their neighbor. When the Lord operates by spiritual means, or by way of true ideas, he acts on every one of us. If he did not, we would be unable to think or talk. When by nature we pervert everything good and true, when we have no interest in heavenly or spiritual matters, then nothing heavenly, or good, influences us; the conduit for heavenly goodness closes. Yet what is spiritual, or true, does still influence us, and the conduit for such things is kept permanently open. From this you can see what the intermediate, rational self is.
[4] Abram here symbolizes the inner self within the intermediate self. When heavenly goodness from the inner self acts on the intermediate self, the inner self takes over the intermediate self and makes that self its own, although the intermediate self remains distinct from the inner. The same thing happens when the inner self acts through the intermediate self to influence the outward self; it then takes over the outward self as well and makes that self its own, although the outward self remains distinct from the intermediate.
That is what happened in this situation, where the Lord's inner self perceived in his intermediate self the conditions that existed for his outward self. His inward self saw that his outward self had been captured, that is, that it had been seized by apparent rather than actual goodness and truth, which were the weapons by which his outward self had fought so many enemies. When his inward self perceived this, it brought its influence to bear, reduced everything to order, and freed his outer self from what plagued it. In this way his inner self purified apparent goodness and truth; it changed them from apparent into actual goodness and truth, and so into goodness and truth allied with his inward, divine self. The means, as I said, was his intermediate self.
[5] In one respect the Lord was unlike any other person: his intermediate self was divine, so far as its heavenly goodness went, and was attached to his inner self from birth. His inner self along with this part of his intermediate self was Jehovah himself, his Father. In another respect, though, he resembled other people: his intermediate self was attached to his outward self, so far as its spiritual truths went, and thus was human. But this self too he made divine, or turned it into Jehovah, by fighting his spiritual battles under his own power and winning consistently.
The outer self is what is being called Lot. In a previous state he is referred to as Abram's nephew [Genesis 14:12], but in his current state, as Abram's brother. The outer self is described as a nephew when apparent truth and goodness seize control of it, but it is called a brother when real goodness and real truth do.
