247. Of the Ancient Churches.

The first and Most Ancient Church on this earth, which is described in the first chapters of Genesis, was a celestial church, and the chief of all the rest (n. 607, 895, 920, 1121-1124, 2896, 4493, 8891, 9942, 10545). Of the quality of those in heaven who belonged to it (n. 1114-1125). They are in the highest degree of light (n. 1116-1117). There were various churches after the flood, called in one word, the Ancient Church, concerning which (n. 1125-1127, 1327, 10355). Through how many kingdoms of Asia the Ancient Church was extended (n. 1238, 2385). The quality of the men of the Ancient Church (n. 609, 895). The Ancient Church was a representative church, and its representatives were collected into one by certain men of the Most Ancient Church (n. 519, 521, 2896). The Ancient Church had a Word, but it was lost (n. 2897). The quality of the Ancient Church when it began to decline (n. 1128). The difference between the Most Ancient and the Ancient Churches (n. 597, 607, 640-641, 765, 784, 895, 4493). The Most Ancient Church and the Ancient were also in the land of Canaan, and hence came the representatives of the places therein (n. 3686, 4447, 4454). Of the church that began from Eber, which was called the Hebrew Church (n. 1238, 1241, 1343, 4516-4517). The difference between the Ancient and the Hebrew Churches (n. 1343, 4874). Eber instituted sacrifices which were wholly unknown in the Ancient Churches (n. 1343). The Ancient Churches agreed with the Christian Church as to internals, but not as to externals (n. 3478, 4489, 4772, 4904, 10149). In the Most Ancient Church there was immediate revelation; in the Ancient Church, revelation by correspondences; in the Jewish Church, by a living voice; and in the Christian Church, by the Word (n. 10355). The Lord was the God of the Most Ancient Church, and was called Jehovah (n. 1343, 6846). The Lord is heaven, and He is the church (n. 4766, 10125, 10151, 10157). The Divine of the Lord makes heaven, see the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 7-12 and (Heaven and Hell 78-86) 78-86); and thus also the church, since what constitutes heaven with man, constitutes also the church, as was shown in the doctrine above.

3571. Verses 26-29 And Isaac his father said to him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the odour of his clothes, and he blessed him, and he said, See, the odour of my son, like the odour of the field that Jehovah has blessed. And God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land, and abundance of grain and of new wine. Peoples will serve you, and peoples will bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and your mother's sons will bow down to you. Cursed are those cursing you, and blessed those blessing you.

'Isaac his father said to him, Come near now' means a degree of perception more interior still. 'And kiss me, my son' means as to whether union is possible. 'And he came near and kissed him' means presence and union. 'And he smelled the odour of his clothes' means the pleasing emanation from the truth of good which he perceived. 'And he blessed him' means conjunction thereby. 'And he said, See, the odour of my son' means pleasure perceived in truth acquired from good. 'Like the odour of the field' means as the good ground from which truth is acquired. 'That Jehovah has blessed' means which is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine. 'And God will give to you of the dew of heaven' means from Divine Truth. 'And of the fatness of the land' means from Divine Good. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this. 'And of new wine' means natural truth from the same. 'Peoples will serve you' means truths of the Church. ¹ 'And peoples will bow down to you' means truths grounded in good. 'Be lord over your brothers' means the apparent dominion at first of the affection for natural truth over affections for natural good. 'And your mother's sons will bow down to you' means over all other affections for truth. 'Cursed be those cursing you' means that the person who separates himself will be separated. 'And blessed those blessing you' means that the person who joins himself will be joined.

脚注:

809. 'Which was on the face ¹ of the ground' means the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the Church and therefore as what belongs to the Church. Here, because it is said that [every] being ² 'on the face' of the ground' was wiped out, the meaning is that people belonging to the Most Ancient Church who were of that kind were wiped out. Here it is called 'the ground', but in verse 21 above 'the earth', the reason being that the Church is never referred to as such because of things of the understanding but because of those of the will. Factual knowledge and rational conviction that are part of faith in no way constitute the Church or the member of the Church, but charity which belongs to the will. Every essential element comes from the will. Nor therefore does anything doctrinal make the Church unless generally and specifically it has regard to charity, in which case charity becomes the end in view. The end in view determines the true character of doctrine, and whether or not it belongs to the Church. As with the Lord's kingdom in the heavens love and charity alone constitute the Lord's Church.

脚注: