2319. “Two angels.” That these signify the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, to which Judgment belongs, is evident both from the signification in the Word of “angels,” and from its being here said that there were “two” angels. That in the Word “angels” signify some Divine essential in the Lord, and that what this is can be seen from the series, has been shown above (n. 1925). That they here signify the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, is evident from the fact that by the “three men” who were with Abraham was meant the Lord’s Divine Itself, Divine Human, and Holy proceeding (n. 2149, 2156, 2288); from this and also from the fact that the angels are called “Jehovah” (verse 24), and also from the signification of “angels” (n. 1925), it is clear that by the “two angels” are here meant the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding.

2149. Behold three men standing over him. That this signifies the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, may be seen without explication; for it is known to everyone that there is a Trine, and that this Trine is a One. ¹ That it is a One is plainly evident in this chapter, to wit, in verse 3, where it is said, “He said, My Lord, if I pray I have found grace in Thine eyes, pass Thou not, I pray,” which words were addressed to the three men. And further, in verse 10, “And he said, Returning I will return unto thee.” In verse 13, “And Jehovah said unto Abraham.” In verse 15, “He said, Nay, but thou didst laugh.” In verse 17, “And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?” In verse 19, “Because I have known him.” In verse 20, “And Jehovah said.” In verse 21, “I will go down, and I will see whether they have made a consummation according to the cry thereof which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.” In verse 23, Abraham said, “Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” In verse 25, “Be it far from Thee to do according to this thing; be it far from Thee.” In verse 26, “And Jehovah said, If I find fifty righteous I will spare the whole place for their sake.” In verse 27, “I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lord.” In verse 28, “Wilt Thou destroy the whole city for five? And He said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.” In verse 29, “He added yet to speak unto Him; He said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.” In verse 30, “Let not my Lord be angry; He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.” In verse 31, “He said, I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lord; He said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.” In verse 32, “Let not I pray my Lord be angry; and He said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” And in verse 33, “And Jehovah went when He had left off speaking to Abraham.” From all this it may be seen that by the three men who appeared to Abraham was signified the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding; and that this Trine is in itself a One. In the internal sense the subject here treated of is Jehovah, in that He appeared to the Lord, and that the Lord perceived this; but not by an appearing such as there was to Abraham; for it is historically true that three men were seen by Abraham, but this represents the Divine perception, or the perception from the Divine which the Lord had when in the Human, which perception is treated of in what follows.

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