2928. To the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. That this signifies by those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “people,” as being those who are in truths, thus the spiritual (see n. 1259, 1260); from the signification of the “land,” as being the church (see n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 at the end); and from the signification of the “sons of Heth,” as being those who are of the new spiritual church (n. 2913). The “people of the land” are sometimes mentioned in the Word where it treats of Israel and of Jerusalem, and by them in the internal sense is signified the spiritual church, or those who are of the spiritual church; for by “Israel” and by “Jerusalem” this church is meant. When Judah and Zion are treated of, the term “nation” is used, for by “nation” is signified the celestial church; and this church is meant by “Judah” and by “Zion.”

[2] That it is said the “people of the land” when Israel and Jerusalem are treated of (thus where it treats of the spiritual church), is evident from many passages in the Word; as in Ezekiel:

Say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord Jehovih to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the ground of Israel, They shall eat their bread in sadness, and shall drink their waters in devastation; that her land may be laid waste; the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate (Ezekiel 12:19-20); where in the internal sense Jerusalem and the ground of Israel denote the spiritual church; “bread” and “waters,” charity and faith, or good and truth; the “land,” the church itself, which is said to be “wasted” as to good, and “desolate” as to truth.

[3] In the same:

Gog and his multitude shall the house of Israel bury, that they may cleanse the land seven months; and all the people of the land shall bury them (Ezekiel 39:11-13);

“Gog” denotes external worship separate from internal, which is idolatrous (n. 1151); the “house of Israel,” the spiritual church in respect to good; the “people of the land,” the same in respect to truth; the “land,” the church itself. The “land” denotes the church for the reason that the land of Canaan represented the Lord’s kingdom and thus the church, for the Lord’s kingdom on earth is the church.

[4] In the same:

All the people of the land shall be for this oblation for the prince in Israel; and upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering. The people of the land shall bow themselves at the door of the gate in the sabbaths and in the new moons; and the people of the land shall enter, in the appointed feasts (Ezekiel 45:16, 22; 46:3, 9); where the New Jerusalem, that is, the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is treated of; they who are in it are the “people of the land;” the “prince” is truth Divine which is from the Lord.

[5] The sons of Heth are so called because by “sons” are signified truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623). Truths are predicated of the spiritual, because the spiritual are initiated into good by means of truths, that is, into charity by means of faith; and because they do good from the affection of truth, not knowing that it is good from anything else than because they are so instructed. Their conscience also is founded in these truths of faith (see n. 1155, 1577, 2046, 2088, 2184, 2507, 2715, 2716, 2718).

2913. And spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying. That this signifies those with whom there was to be a new spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “Heth,” and of the “Hittites.” There were many inhabitants of the land of Canaan, who are enumerated in various places in the Word, and among them the Hittites (see Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 23:23 Deuteronomy 7:1; 20:17; Josh. 3:10; 11:1, 3; 12:8; 24:11; 1 Kings 9:20; and other places). Most of these were from the Ancient Church (that this extended through many lands, and likewise through the land of Canaan, may be seen above, n. 1238, 2385). All who were of that church acknowledged charity as the principal, and all their doctrinal things were of charity or of life. Those who elaborated doctrinal things of faith were called “Canaanites,” and were separated from the other inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:29; see n. 1062-1063, 1076).

[2] Among the better inhabitants of the land of Canaan were the Hittites, as is evident from the fact that Abraham dwelt among them, and afterwards Isaac and Jacob, and had their burial place there; also from their bearing themselves piously and modestly toward Abraham, as is very plain from what is related of them in this chapter (particularly in verses 5-6, 10-11, 14-15). And thus by the Hittites, as by a well-disposed nation, is represented and signified the spiritual church, or the truth of the church. But with these, as with the rest of the Ancient church, it came to pass that in course of time they declined from charity or the good of faith; and consequently the falsity of the church is afterwards signified by them (as in Ezekiel 16:3, 45, and other places). That still the Hittites were among the more honored, is evident from the fact that there were Hittites with David, as Abimelech (1 Samuel 26:6), and Uriah, who was a Hittite (2 Samuel 11:3, 6, 17, 21), whose wife was Bathsheba, of whom Solomon was born to David (2 Samuel 12:24). (That “Heth” signifies the more external knowledges regarding life, which are the external truths of the spiritual church, may be seen above, n. 1203)

[3] This verse treats of the new church that the Lord sets up anew when the former church expires; and the verses that follow treat of the reception of faith with them. A church among the sons of Heth is not treated of; but the raising up by the Lord of the spiritual church in general, after the former ceases or is consummated; the sons of Heth are merely those who represent and signify this. See what has been said above concerning churches, namely: That in process of time a church decreases and is contaminated (n. 494, 501, 1327, 2422): That it recedes from charity, and produces evils and falsities (n. 1834, 1835): That then the church is said to be laid waste and desolate (n. 407-411, 2243): That a church is set up anew with the Gentiles, and why (n. 1366). That in the church which is being vastated, there is always preserved something of the church as a nucleus (n. 468, 637, 931, 2422): That unless there were a church on earth, the human race would perish (n. 468, 637, 931, 2422): That the church is as the heart and lungs in the grand body, that is, in the human race (n. 637, 931, 2054, 2853): The quality of the spiritual church (n. 765, 2669): That charity constitutes the church, not faith separate (n. 809, 916): That if all had charity, the church would be one, although they should differ as to doctrinal things and worship (n. 1285, 1316, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 2385): That all men on earth who are in the Lord’s church, though scattered through the world, still as it were make a one, as in the heavens (n. 2853): That every church is internal and external, and both together constitute one church (n. 409, 1083, 1098, 1100, 1242): That the external church is nothing, if there is no internal church (n. 1795): That the church is compared to the rising and the setting of the sun, also to the seasons of the year, and the times of the day (n. 1837): That the Last Judgment is the last time of the church (n. 900, 931, 1850, 2117, 2118).