9340. 'And I will set your boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary from one place to another', when it refers to spiritual truths, as the full range; from the meaning of 'the Sea Suph' as truths on the levels of the senses and of factual knowledge, which are the lowest levels of the human mind (the Sea Suph was the final boundary of the land of Egypt, and 'Egypt' means factual knowledge in both senses, that is, true factual knowledge and false, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 7926, 8146, 8148; in this instance true factual knowledge is meant since the subject is the full range of spiritual matters of faith among the children of Israel, who represented the spiritual Church, 4286, 4598, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805); and from the meaning of 'the Sea of the Philistines' as interior truths of faith. The reason why these truths are meant by 'the Sea of the Philistines' is that the sea where Tyre and Sidon lay was the boundary of the land of Philistia, and 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, while 'the land of Philistia' means the knowledge of interior matters of faith, 1197, 2504, 2726, 3463.

[2] Since 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, which is heaven and the Church, all places in the land therefore meant such things as form part of the Lord's kingdom, or heaven and the Church, which things are called celestial and spiritual, and are connected with the good of love to the Lord and the truths of faith in Him. For this reason the seas and rivers which were boundaries meant the final limits there, and therefore 'from sea to sea' or 'from river to river' meant the full range of those things, as may be seen in 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. From all this it becomes clear that 'the boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the range of spiritual things, which are matters of truth, from external ones to internal, thus truths ranging from factual ones to interior truths of faith. But the range of celestial things, which are aspects of the good of love, is described next by the words 'from the wilderness even to the River'. The fact that places belonging to the land of Canaan, including seas and rivers, mean such things in the Word, has been shown in explanations everywhere.

[3] What the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith is must be stated briefly. Truths which exist in the external man are called factual ones, but truths which exist in the internal man are called interior truths of faith. Factual truths reside in a person's memory, and when they are brought out from there they pass into the person's immediate awareness. But interior truths of faith are truths of life itself which are inscribed on the internal man, but few of which show up in the memory. These however are matters which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of more fully elsewhere. Factual truths and interior truths of faith were meant in Genesis 1:6-7 by the waters under the expanse and the waters above the expanse, 24; for the first chapter of Genesis deals in the internal sense with the new creation or the regeneration of a member of the celestial Church.

[4] The reason why 'Philistia', which also bordered on the land of Canaan as far as Tyre and Sidon, meant the interior truths of faith was that there also the representative Ancient Church had existed, as is evident from the remnants of Divine worship among them which are alluded to in historical sections and prophetical parts of the Word in which the Philistines and the land of Philistia are the subject, such as - in the prophetical parts - Jeremiah 25:20; Jeremiah 47:1-end; Ezekiel 16:27, 57; 25:15-16; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:5; Zechariah 9:6; Psalms 56:1; ¹ 60:8; 83:7; 108:9. The situation with the Philistines was the same as it was with all the nations in the land of Canaan, in that they represented the Church's forms of good and its truths, and also evils and falsities. When the representative Ancient Church existed among them they represented celestial things which were aspects of good and spiritual things which were matters of truth. But when they fell away from true representative worship they began to represent devilish things which were aspects of evil and hellish things which were matters of falsity. This is the reason why 'Philistia', like all the other nations belonging to the land of Canaan in the Word, means either forms of good and truths, or else evils and falsities.

[5] The fact that interior truths of faith are meant by 'the Philistines' is clear in David,

Glorious things are to be spoken in you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; also Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia. The latter was born here. ² Psalms 87:3-4.

'The city of God' means teachings presenting the truth of faith that are drawn from the Word, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, 5297; 'Tyre' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, and so does 'Ethiopia', 116, 117. From this it is evident that 'Philistia' means knowledge of the truths of faith.

[6] In Amos,

Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to Me, O children of Israel? Did I not cause Israel to come up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Amos 9:7.

This refers to the corruption and destruction of the Church after it had been established. 'The children of the Ethiopians' here are those in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they use to substantiate evils and falsities, 1163, 1164. 'The children of Israel from the land of Egypt' are those who had been brought to spiritual truths and forms of good by means of factual truths, 'the children of Israel' being people in possession of spiritual truths and forms of good, thus in the abstract sense spiritual truths and forms of good, see 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, and 'the land of Egypt' being factual truth, as shown above. The same is meant by 'the Philistines from Caphtor' and by 'the Syrians from Kir', to whom they are therefore likened. 'The Philistines from Caphtor' are people who had been brought to interior truths by means of exterior ones, but who perverted them and used them to substantiate falsities and evils, 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 3762, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313, whereas 'the Syrians from Kir' are those who were in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they likewise perverted, 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112.

[7] In Jeremiah,

... because of the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that is left, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

The subject in Jeremiah 47 is the laying waste of the Church's truths of faith, interior truths of faith being meant by 'the Philistines' and exterior truths by 'the remnants of the island of Caphtor'.

[8] In Joel,

What have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Swiftly I will return your recompense upon your own head, inasmuch as you have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

'All the borders of Philistia' stands for all the interior and the exterior truths of faith; 'carrying silver and gold, and good and desirable treasures into their temples' stands for perverting truths and forms of good, and profaning them by putting them together with evils and falsities. For the meaning of 'silver and gold' as truths and forms of good, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 8932.

[9] In Obadiah,

At that time those in the south will be the heirs of the mountain of Esau, and of the plain of the Philistines, and they will become the heirs of the field of Ephraim; but Benjamin [will be the heir] of Gilead. Obad. verse 19.

This refers to the establishment of the Church; but spiritual things are implied by the names. 'Those in the south' are people who dwell in the light of truth, 1458, 3195, 3708, 5672, 5962; 'the mountain of Esau' is the good of love, 3300, 3322, 3494, 3504, 3576; 'the plain of the Philistines' is the truth of faith, 'the plain' being also that which constitutes matters of doctrine about faith, 2418; 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'Benjamin' is the Church's spiritual-celestial truth, 3969, 4592, 5686, 5689, 6440; and 'Gilead' is the corresponding exterior good, 4117, 4124, 4747.

[10] In Isaiah,

He will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, together they will plunder the sons of the east. Isaiah 11:12, 14.

Here 'Israel' and 'Judah' are not used to mean Israel and Judah; rather, 'Israel' means those who are governed by the good of faith, and 'Judah' those who are governed by the good of love. 'Flying down onto the shoulder of the Philistines' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior truths of faith; and 'plundering the sons of the east' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior forms of the good of faith, for 'the sons of the east' are people who are governed by forms of the good of faith and with whom cognitions or knowledge of good exists, 3249. 3762. For the meaning of 'plundering' as receiving and taking into possession, see what has been shown in 6914, 6917, regarding the plundering of the Egyptians by the children of Israel.

[11] Since 'the land of Philistia' meant knowledge of the interior truths of faith, and since Abraham and Isaac represented the Lord, and the sojourning of these two in places meant instruction received by the Lord in the truths and forms of the good of faith and love, which belong to God's wisdom, therefore - to provide a figurative representation of this - Abraham was commanded to sojourn in Philistia, Genesis 20:1-end, and so too was Isaac, Genesis 26:1-24. Therefore also Abimelech king of the Philistines made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis 21:22-end, and also with Isaac, Genesis 26:26-end. Regarding all this, see the explanations to those chapters.

Mga talababa:

6752. 'And she called his name Moses' means the essential nature of the state then. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2714, 3006, 3421, 6674, at this point the essential nature of a state because when someone's name is mentioned, that particular name used then means the state, 1946, 2643, 3422, 4298. This essential nature of a state that is meant is the nature of the state of the law of God as it was in the beginning with the Lord, and the nature of the state of God's truth as it is in the beginning with a person who is being regenerated. There are two people primarily who represent the Lord with respect to the Word, namely Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Lord with respect to the historical books, Elijah with respect to the Prophets. In addition to those two there is Elisha, and lastly John the Baptist, who is therefore the one who is meant by 'the Elijah who is to come', Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17. But before one can show that Moses represents the law of God, one must say what the law of God is. In a broad sense God's law means the whole Word; in a narrower sense it means the historical section of the Word; in a restricted sense it means what was written through Moses; and in a very restricted sense it means the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on tablets of stone. Moses represents the law in the narrower sense as well as in the restricted sense and also in the very restricted.

[2] In a broad sense the Law is the whole Word, both the historical section and the prophetical part. This is clear in John,

We have heard from the Law that the Christ (the Messiah) remains forever. John 12:34.

The fact that 'the Law' here is used to mean the prophetical part as well is self-evident, for this is a reference to what is written in Isaiah 9:6-7; in David, Psalms 110:4; and in Daniel 7:13-14. In the same gospel,

In order that the Word written in the Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. John 15:25.

Much the same applies here, for it is a reference to what is written in David, Psalms 35:19. In Matthew,

Truly I say to you, Even until heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one small part of a letter will not pass from the Law till all things are done. Matthew 5:18.

Here 'the Law' in a broad sense stands for the whole Word.

[3] The Law in a narrower sense is the historical section of the Word. This is clear in Matthew,

All things whatever you wish people to do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Here the Word is divided into 'the Law' and 'the Prophets'; and as the Word has been divided into the historical section and the prophetical part, it follows that 'the Law' is used to mean the historical section of the Word, and 'the Prophets' to mean the prophetical part. A similar example occurs in the same gospel,

On these two commandments hang the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:40.

And in Luke,

The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed. Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:13.

[4] In a restricted sense the Law is the Word that was written through Moses. This is clear in Moses,

When Moses had finished writing the words of this Law in a book, even until he had completed them, Moses commanded the Levites carrying the ark of Jehovah, saying, Take the book of this Law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God. Deuteronomy 31:14-26.

'The book of the Law' stands for the Books of Moses. In the same book,

If you do not take care to do all the words of this Law which are written in this book, Jehovah will send ¹ upon you every sickness and every plague that is not written in the book of this Law, until you are destroyed. Deuteronomy 28:58, 61.

The meaning is similar here. In David,

In the Law of Jehovah is his delight, and in His Law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:2.

'The Law of Jehovah' stands for the Books of Moses, for the prophetical books had not yet been written; nor had the historical books apart from the Book of Joshua and the Book of Judges. In addition this restricted meaning of 'the Law' occurs in places containing the expression 'the Law of Moses', which are dealt with immediately below.

[5] In a very restricted sense the Law is the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on the tablets of stone, as is well known, see Joshua 8:32. This Law is also called the Testimony, Exodus 25:16, 21.

[6] Moses represents the Law in the narrower sense, which is the historical section of the Word, also the Law in the restricted sense, and in the very restricted sense too. This is clear from those places in the Word in which the name Moses is used instead of the Law, and those in which the Law is called the Law of Moses, as in Luke,

Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. Luke 16:29, 31.

Here 'Moses and the Prophets' has the same meaning as 'the Law and the Prophets', which is the historical section and the prophetical part of the Word. From this it is evident that 'Moses' is the Law or historical section of the Word. In the same gospel,

Jesus beginning at Moses and all the prophets explained in all the scriptures the things that concerned Himself. Luke 24:27.

In the same chapter,

All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. Luke 24:44.

In John,

Philip said, We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law - Jesus. John 1:45.

In the same gospel,

In the Law Moses commanded us. John 8:5.

In Daniel,

The curse and the oath which was written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has come down onto us, because we have sinned against Him. As it is written in the Law of Moses, All this evil has come upon us. Daniel 9:11, 13.

In Joshua,

Joshua wrote on the stone of the altar a copy of the Law of Moses. Joshua 8:32.

[7] The expression 'the Law of Moses' is used because Moses represents the Lord with respect to the Law, that is, the Word, and in a narrower sense the historical section of the Word. This explains why what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses, as in John,

Moses gave you the Law, Moses gave you circumcision. If a man (homo) receives circumcision on the sabbath, so that the Law of Moses may not be broken... John 7:19, 22-23.

In Mark,

Moses said, Honour your father and your mother. Mark 7:10.

In the same gospel,

Jesus answering said to them, What did Moses command you? They said, Moses permitted him to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away. Mark 10:3-4.

And because what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses on account of his representation, both 'the Law of Moses' and 'the Law of the Lord' are used in Luke,

When the days of their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it has been written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb is to be called holy to the Lord) and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons. Luke 2:22-24, 39.

[8] Because Moses represented the Law he was allowed to go in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, not only to receive there the tablets containing the Law but also to hear the statutes and judgements belonging to the Law, and to enjoin these commands on the people. It is also said that the people should therefore believe in Moses forever,

Jehovah said to Moses, Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak to you, and also may believe in you forever. Exodus 19:9.

The expression 'in a thick cloud' is used because 'cloud' means the letter of the Word. Here also is the reason why it says, when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, that he went 'into the cloud', Exodus 20:21; 14:2, 18; 34:2-5. For the meaning of 'the cloud' as the literal sense of the Word, see the Preface to Genesis 18, and also 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end).

[9] And since Moses represented the Law or the Word, it also says that when he came down from Mount Sinai the skin on his face shone whenever he spoke, and so he would put a veil over his face, Exodus 34:28-end. 'The shining of his face' meant the inner spirit of the Law, for this dwells in the light of heaven and is therefore called the glory, 5922. While 'the veil' meant the outward form of the Law. The reason why he veiled his face whenever he spoke to the people was that the inner spirit was concealed from them, and had become so obscure to that people that they could not bear any light from it. For the meaning of 'the face' as that which is internal, see 1999, 2434, 3527, 7577, 4066, 4796-4805, 5102, 5695. Since 'Moses' represented the Lord with respect to the historical section of the Word and 'Elijah' represented the Lord with respect to the prophetical part, Moses and Elijah were therefore seen talking to the Lord at His transfiguration, Matthew 17:3. No others except those who represented the Word could have talked to the Lord when He manifested His Divinity in the world; for talking to the Lord is done through the Word. Regarding Elijah's representation of the Lord with respect to the Word, see 1762, 5247 (end).

[10] And since these two together, both Moses and Elijah, represented the whole Word, both are mentioned in Malachi where the sending of Elijah before the Lord is referred to,

Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel - the statutes and judgements. Lo, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrifying day of Jehovah comes. Malachi 4:4-6.

These words imply that one was to go before who was to announce the [Lord's] Coming, in accordance with the Word.

Mga talababa: