2692. 'And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven' means comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling out of heaven', also of 'the angel of God', as well as of 'Hagar'. 'Calling out of heaven' means influx, 'the angel of God' the Lord, 2925, 2319, and 'Hagar' the affection for cognitions of truth, 2691. An influx of the Lord into the affection for truth, when utmost grief is felt within that affection because truth has been taken away, is that comfort. That which with man flows in from the Lord is said to be 'called out of heaven', because it passes through heaven, and is clearly discernible there; but in man's perception and thought it is obscured and becomes discernible only through a change in the state of his affection, as here by his receiving comfort.

1701. That 'one who had escaped came and told it to Abram the Hebrew' means that the Lord perceived from His Interior Man is clear from the meaning of 'Abram the Hebrew' as the Interior Man when joined to the Internal Man, dealt with just below. As in the internal sense these descriptions have reference to the Lord, and the historical details are representative, it is evident that 'one who had escaped came and told it' means nothing else than that the Lord perceived. The Interior Man perceives what is going on in the External Man, just as if someone were to tell of that activity. The Lord, who had a perception of all things that were taking place, knew very clearly the nature and the origin of the things that were occurring with Himself. For example, if something evil was taking possession of the affections of the External Man or if something false was taking possession of its cognitions, He inevitably knew the nature and the origin of it. He even knew which evil spirits were activating those things and how they did it, and many other things besides. For matters such as these, and countless others, do not lie hidden from angels, and scarcely so from men who have celestial perception. Still less were they hidden from the Lord.