6435. Even to the desire of the hills of an age. That this signifies to celestial mutual love, is evident from the signification of the “hills of an age,” as being the things of mutual love (of which in what follows). That the spiritual church may come to this love, is signified by “even to the desire of the hills of an age.” Before it is shown from other passages of the Word that by the “hills of an age” is signified mutual love, it must first be told what is meant by the mutual love to which the man of the spiritual church, represented by Joseph, busies himself in arriving. From what has frequently been said and shown above, it is evident that there are two kingdoms which constitute heaven, namely, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The difference between these two kingdoms is that the internal good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, and its external is the good of mutual love; they who are of this kingdom are in the good of love, but not in the truth which is called the truth of faith, for this is in the good of this kingdom, insomuch that it cannot be seen separately from good, and therefore they who belong to this kingdom cannot even mention faith (n. 202, 203, 4448), because with them instead of the truth of faith there is the good of mutual love. But as regards the spiritual kingdom, its internal is the good of charity toward the neighbor, while its external is the truth of faith.

[2] From all this it is evident what is the difference between these two kingdoms, and also that they agree in the fact that the external of the celestial kingdom coincides with the internal of the spiritual kingdom, through the intermediate which is called the “celestial of the spiritual.” For as before said the external of the celestial kingdom is the good of mutual love, and the internal of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity toward the neighbor; but the good of mutual love is more interior than the good of charity toward the neighbor, because the former is from the rational, but the latter is from the natural. But although the good of mutual love (which is the external of the celestial church) is more interior, and the good of charity toward the neighbor is more exterior, nevertheless, as just said, the Lord conjoins these goods by an intermediate, and thus conjoins these two kingdoms.

[3] In order to make a distinction between the external good of the celestial church and the internal good of the spiritual church, in the following pages we may call the former good the good of mutual love, and the latter the good of charity toward the neighbor, which difference has not been heretofore observed. These things being first known, it may be said what is signified by “even to the desire of the hills of an age,” which is among the blessings of Israel concerning this spiritual church, namely, that the spiritual kingdom may rise above the good of charity even to the good of mutual love, which is of the celestial kingdom; and that in this way these two kingdoms may be intimately conjoined: this is what is signified by these words.

[4] In very many passages of the prophetic Word mention is made of “mountains and hills,” and by them in the internal sense are signified the goods of love-by “mountains” the good of love to the Lord, which is the internal of the celestial kingdom; and by “hills” the good of mutual love, which is the external of the same kingdom; but where the spiritual kingdom is treated of, then by “mountains” is signified the good of charity toward the neighbor, which is the internal of this kingdom, and by “hills” the truth of faith, which is its external. Be it known that every church of the Lord is internal and external, and so is each of His kingdoms.

[5] That such is the signification of “hills,” is evident from the following passages:

In the latter days the mountain of Jehovah shall be for the head of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills (Isaiah 2:2; Mic. 9:1 [NCBSP: 4:1]).

The “mountain of Jehovah,” which is Zion, denotes the Lord’s celestial kingdom, thus the good of this kingdom, which is of love to the Lord; thus in the supreme sense it is the Lord Himself, for all the love and all the good in the celestial kingdom belong to the Lord.

[6] The like is signified by the “mountain of Zion” elsewhere in the Word, and by the “hill thereof” the good of mutual love, as in Isaiah:

Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon the mountain of Zion, and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4); where “hill” denotes the good of mutual love; and as by a “hill” is signified the good of mutual love, and by a “mountain” the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord, it is said that “Jehovah would descend to fight upon that mountain.” Jehovah does not fight upon the mountain of Zion and the hill thereof; but where the good of love is, it is for this, that is, for those who are in it, that the Lord (in this passage “Jehovah”) fights. If He fought for Zion and for Jerusalem, it is because they represented the celestial church. Therefore also the mountain of Zion was called holy, and Jerusalem also was said to be holy, when yet in itself it was filthy, as is plain from the prophets, where its abominations are treated of.

[7] In David:

The mountains shall bring peace, and the hills in righteousness (Psalms 72:3).

In the same:

Praise Jehovah ye mountains, and all hills (Psalms 148:9).

In the same:

The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock (Psalms 114:4, 6).

Again:

A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why leap ye, ye mountains, ye hills of mountains? God desires to dwell in it, Jehovah also shall dwell forever (Psalms 68:15-16).

In these passages “mountains” denote celestial love, and “hills” spiritual love; that mountains are not here meant, nor hills, nor they who were upon mountains and hills, is very manifest.

[8] In Isaiah:

There shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every lifted up hill, streams, channels of waters (Isaiah 30:25);

“channels of waters” denote the knowledges of good and of truth, which are said to be “upon every high mountain and lifted up hill” because these knowledges flow from the goods of celestial and spiritual love.

[9] In Habakkuk:

Jehovah stood and measured the earth; He saw and dispersed the nations, because the mountains of eternity were scattered, and the hills of an age humbled themselves (Hab. 3:6).

The “mountains of eternity” denote the good of love of the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial; the “hills of an age,” the good of mutual love that belonged to that church; the former being its internal, the latter its external. When that church is meant in the Word, seeing that it was the most ancient one, “eternity” is sometimes added, as here the “mountains of eternity,” and elsewhere the “days of eternity” (n. 6239); and an “age” also is added, as here the “hills of an age,” and also in the prophetic utterance of Israel: “to the desire of the hills of an age.” Hence it is evident that by the “hills of an age” are signified the goods of mutual love, which are of the celestial church, or of the Lord’s celestial kingdom.

[10] So in Moses, in his prophetic utterance about Joseph:

Of the first-fruits of the mountains of the east, and of the precious things of the hills of eternity, let them come on the head of Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:15-16).

In Isaiah:

The mountains and the hills shall resound with singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).

In Joel:

In that day the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters (Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13).

In Ezekiel:

My sheep wander in all the mountains, and upon every high hill, and upon all the faces of the earth are they scattered. I will make them, the compass of My hill, a blessing; and I will send down the rain in its season (Ezekiel 34:6, 26).

In Jeremiah:

Wasters are come upon all the hills in the wilderness; for the sword of Jehovah devoureth (Jeremiah 12:12).

In these passages the goods of celestial love are signified by “mountains;” and likewise by “hills,” but in a lower degree.

[11] Because “mountains” and “hills” signified such things, in the Ancient Church their Divine worship also was upon mountains and upon hills; and afterward the Hebrew nation set altars upon mountains and hills, and there sacrificed and burnt incense; and where there were no hills, they constructed high places. But because this worship became idolatrous, through holding the mountains and hills themselves holy, and thinking nothing at all about the holy things which they signified, this worship was therefore forbidden the Israelitish and Jewish people, because that people was more prone to idolatry than any other. In order however that this representative which had been in ancient times might be retained, the mountain of Zion was chosen, and by it in the supreme sense was represented the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love, and in the relative sense the Divine celestial and the Divine spiritual in His kingdom.

[12] As such things were signified, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah; and the Lord was also seen upon a mountain by Moses, and the Law was promulgated from the elevation of a mountain, for He was seen by Moses upon Mount Horeb, and the Law was promulgated upon Mount Sinai; and the temple of Jerusalem was also built upon a mountain.

[13] That from an ancient rite holy worship was held upon mountains and hills, and afterward the Gentiles and also the idolatrous Israelites and Jews sacrificed and burnt incense thereon, is plain in Jeremiah:

Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the wickedness of thy whoredom, upon the hills in the field, I have seen thine abominations (Jeremiah 13:27);

speaking of Jerusalem.

In Ezekiel:

When their pierced ones shall be in the midst of their idols, round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the heads of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every tangled oak (Ezekiel 6:13).

In Jeremiah:

Upon every high hill, and under every green tree, thou transgressing harlot (Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6; an. 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 16:4; 17:10).

[14] Because idolatrous worship took place upon mountains and hills, by them are signified in the opposite sense the evils that belong to the love of self; as in Jeremiah:

The mountains, and lo they are shaken, and all the hills are overturned. I held and lo there was no man, and all the birds of heaven had flown away (Jeremiah 4:24-25).

In Isaiah:

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be humbled (Isaiah 40:4).

In the same:

Behold I have put thee for a thresher of a new thresher, set with spikes; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and shalt make the hills as chaff (Isaiah 41:15).

Again:

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage (Isaiah 42:15).

And in Micah:

Hear ye I pray what Jehovah speaketh: Arise, contend thou with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice (Mic. 6:1).

In Jeremiah:

My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have misled them, refractory mountains, they have gone from a mountain upon a hill, they have forgotten their fold (Jeremiah 50:6; and in other plac es, as Jeremiah 16:6; Nah. 1:5-6).

[15] The reason why “mountains” and “hills” signified the goods of celestial and spiritual love, was that they were prominent above the earth, and by things prominent and high were signified those which were of heaven, and in the supreme sense which were of the Lord. For the “land of Canaan” signified the Lord’s heavenly kingdom (n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447); hence all things in that land were significative, the “mountains” and “hills” being significative of such things as are high; for when the most ancient people who were of the celestial church ascended a mountain they thought of height, and from height, of what is holy, because Jehovah or the Lord was said to dwell “in the highest,” and because in the spiritual sense “height” denoted the good of love (n. 650).

1585. And saw all the plain of Jordan. That this signifies those goods and truths that were in the external man, is evident from the signification of a “plain,” and of “Jordan.” In the internal sense “the plain of Jordan” signifies the external man as to all its goods and truths. That “the plain of Jordan” signifies this, is because the Jordan was a boundary of the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan, as before said and shown, signifies the Lord’s kingdom and church, and in fact the celestial and the spiritual things thereof; on which account it has also been called the Holy Land, and the Heavenly Canaan; and because it signifies the Lord’s kingdom and church, it signifies in the supreme sense the Lord Himself, who is the all in all of His kingdom and of His church.

[2] Hence all things that were in the land of Canaan were representative. Those which were in the midst of the land, or which were the inmost, represented the Lord’s internal man-as Mount Zion and Jerusalem, the former the celestial things, the latter the spiritual things. Those which were further distant from the center, represented the things more remote from the internals. Those which were the furthest off, or which were the boundaries, represented the external man. The boundaries of Canaan were several; in general, the two rivers Euphrates and Jordan, and also the sea. Hence the Euphrates and the Jordan represented the externals. Here, therefore, “the plain of Jordan,” signifies, as it represents, all things that are in the external man. The case is similar when the expression “land of Canaan” is applied to the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, or to the Lord’s church on earth, or again to the man of His kingdom or church, or, abstractly, to the celestial things of love, and so on.

[3] Hence it is that almost all the cities, and even all the mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, and other things, in the land of Canaan, were representative. It has already been shown (n. 120) that the river Euphrates, being a boundary, represented the things of sense and knowledge that belong to the external man. That the case is similar with the Jordan, and the plain of Jordan, may be seen from passages that now follow.

In David:

O my God, my soul is bowed down within me; therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons, from the mountain of littleness (Psalms 42:6); where “the land of Jordan” denotes that which is low, thus that which is distant from the celestial, as man’s externals are from his internals.

[4] That the sons of Israel crossed the Jordan when they entered the land of Canaan, and that it was then divided, likewise represented the access to the internal man through the external, and also man’s entrance into the Lord’s kingdom, besides other things. (See Josh. 3:14; 4:1 to 24 e end.) And because the external man continually fights against the internal, and desires dominion, the “pride” or “swelling” of Jordan became a prophetic expression. As in Jeremiah:

How shalt thou offer thyself a match for horses? And in a land of peace thou art confident; but how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5).

“The swelling of Jordan” denotes the things that belong to the external man, which rise up and desire to dominate over the internal man, as reasonings do—which here are the “horses”— and the confidence that is from them.

[5] In the same:

Edom shall be for a desolation; behold he shall come up like a lion from the pride of Jordan to the habitation of Ethan (Jeremiah 49:17, 19);

“the pride of Jordan” denotes the rising of the external man against the goods and truths of the internal.

In Zechariah:

Howl, O fir tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the magnificent ones are laid waste. Howl, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the defensed forest is come down. A voice of the howling of the shepherds, for their magnificence is laid waste; a voice of the roaring of young lions, for the swelling of Jordan is laid waste (Zech. 11:2-3).

That the Jordan was a boundary of the land of Canaan, is evident from Numbers 34:12; and of the land of Judah toward the east, from Joshua 15:5.