Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 37245136. Out of the land of the Hebrews. That this signifies from thechurch, namely, that celestial things were alienated from it throughevil, is evident from the signification of the “land of the Hebrews”as being the church. The “land of the Hebrews” here is the land ofCanaan; for Joseph was taken away from there. The reason why theland of Canaan in the Word signifies the church is that the churchhas been there from the most ancient time: first the most ancientchurch, which was before the flood; next the ancient church, whichwas after the flood; afterward the second ancient church, which wascalled the Hebrew church; and at last the Jewish church. And inorder that the Jewish church might be instituted there, Abram wascommanded to betake himself thither out of Syria, and it was therepromised him that this land should be given to his posterity for aninheritance. This is the reason why “land” or “earth” in the Wordsignifies the church, and the “whole earth” as sometimes occurs, theuniversal church; and also the “new heaven and new earth” a newchurch internal and external.[2] The reason why the church was continued there from themost ancient time is that the man of the most ancient church, whowas celestial, was of such a character that in each and all things inthe world and upon the earth he saw a representative of the Lord’skingdom; the objects of the world and the earth being to him themeans of thinking about heavenly things. This was the origin of allthe representatives and significatives that were afterward known inthe ancient church, for they were collected by those who are meantby “Enoch” and were preserved for the use of posterity (n. 519,521, 2896). From this it came to pass that every place, and alsoevery mountain and river, in the land of Canaan, where the mostancient people dwelt, and likewise all the kingdoms round about,became representative; and as the Word could not be writtenexcept by representatives and significatives, even of places, thereforefor the sake of this end the church was successively preserved in theland of Canaan; but after the coming of the Lord it was transferredelsewhere, because representatives were then abolished.[3] From the foregoing it is plain that by the land of Canaan,which is here called the “land of the Hebrews,” is signified thechurch; but see what has been previously adduced on these subjects,