701# 由于柜子被称为“约柜”，所以我们必须从圣言证实，它被称为“约柜”，是因为律法在它里面。在广泛意义上是指圣言的律法表示神性真理，也就是圣言方面的主，因而表示神性真理，或来自主并且主在其中的圣言；事实上，一切神性真理都从主发出，当这真理被人接受时，与主的结合就实现了，这种结合就是“约”所表示的。还要用几句话解释一下主与人，并人与主的结合是如何实现的。主以光照人的光，对认识并理解真理，以及意愿并实行它们的爱或情感不断流入所有人；由于这光和这情感不断从主流入，所以可推知，人照着接受这光的程度而变得理性，照着接受这情感的程度而变得智慧，并被主引导。这情感及其光将一个人自小时候起就从圣言和来自圣言的教义，以及讲道中学到的真理吸引到自己这里来，并与它们结合；因为一切情感都渴望被与自己和谐一致的知识(或认知)滋养。人的属灵之爱或情感从这种结合中得以形成，他通过这属灵之爱或情感与主结合，也就是说，主通过这爱或情感与人结合。
但为叫人接受这光和这情感，选择的自由被赐予人，这自由因来自主，故也是与人同在的主的一个礼物，并且永远不会从人那里被夺走；因为这自由属于人的情感或爱，因而也属于他的生命。人出于自由能思考并意愿恶事，也能思考并意愿善事。因此，一个人出于属于他的爱，因而属于其生命的自由思考虚假、意愿邪恶，也就是圣言的真理和良善的对立面到何等程度，就在何等程度上不与主结合；但他思考来自圣言的真理、意愿来自圣言的良善到何等程度，就在何等程度上与主结合，主使这些真理和良善属于他的爱，因而属于他的生命。由此明显可知，这结合是相互的，也就是说，是主与人，并人与主的结合；这就是圣言中的“约”所指的结合。
人若以为人不能为自己的救赎做任何事，因为看见真理的光和实行它们的情感，以及思考和意愿它们的自由都来自主，它们无一来自人，就大错特错了。但由于这些东西在人看来，似乎在他自己里面，并且当它们被思考和意愿时，似乎来自他自己，所以由于这种表象，人当貌似从自己思考和意愿它们，同时承认它们来自主。任何真理和良善，或信和爱都无法以其它方式被归给人。人若垂下双手，等候流注，就什么也得不到，也无法拥有与主的相互结合；因此，他不在约中。情况就是这样，这一点从以下事实很清楚地看出来：主在圣言的上千段经文中教导说，人必须行善，不可作恶；主决不会说这样的话，除非某种东西已经被赐予人，这种东西赋予他行动或实行的能力；也除非被赐予人的东西在他看来似乎是他自己的，尽管不是他的。由于情况就是这样，所以主在启示录中如此说：
我站在门外叩门；若有人听见我的声音而开门，我要进到他那里去，我与他，他与我一同坐席。(启示录3:20)
701b.“约”表示通过在理解力和意愿，或心和灵魂中，也就是在爱和信中接受神性真理而与主结合，这结合是相互的，这一点可从圣言中提到“约”的地方清楚看出来。因为这一点从圣言中看得很明显：
(1)主自己被称为“约”，因为与主的结合是由主通过从祂发出的神性实现的。
(2)发出的神性，也就是神性真理，因而圣言就是约，因为它进行结合。
(3)被吩咐给以色列人的诫命、典章和律例对他们来说，就是约，因为那时通过这些而与主结合。
(4)此外，凡进行结合之物都被称为“约”。
关于第一点：主自己被称为“约”，因为与主的结合是由主通过从祂发出的神性实现的，这一点从以下经文明显看出来。以赛亚书：
我耶和华以公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你作人民的约，作列族的光。(以赛亚书42:6)
这些话论及主，主被称为“人民的约，列族的光”，是因为“约”表示结合，“光”表示神性真理；“人民”表示那些处于真理的人，“列族”表示那些处于良善的人(参看AE 175, 331, 625节)；“以公义召祂”表示通过将恶人与善人分离，并拯救善人、宣判恶人而实现公义；“搀扶手和保守”表示凭神性全能而如此行，地狱无法抵抗神性全能；耶和华要这样做表示这是主里面的神性做的。
同一先知书：
我使你作人民的约，复兴那地，以承受荒废之地为业。(以赛亚书49:8)
这话也论及主；“使作人民的约”表示好可以与主并通过祂有结合；“复兴那地”表示教会；“承受荒废之地为业”表示恢复已经被摧毁的教会的良善和真理。
诗篇：
我与我所拣选的人立了约，向我的仆人大卫起了誓，我要建立你的种，直到永远，我要为他保持我的慈爱，直到永远，我的约必为他坚定不移。(诗篇89:3, 4, 28)
“大卫”在此表示在其王权方面的主(参看AE 205节)，他凭良善而被称为“拣选的人”，凭真理而被称为“仆人”；“立约，向他发誓”表示主的神性与人身的合一，“立约”表示合一，“发誓”表示确认它；“我要建立你的种，直到永远”表示来自祂的神性真理的永恒；“我要为他保持我的慈爱，直到永远”表示来自祂的神性良善的永恒；“我的约必坚定不移”表示祂里面神性与人身的合一。当把大卫理解为在神性人身及其王权方面的主时，这就成了这些话的意思了；对此，经上在字义上以这种方式说，是因为字义论述大卫，与大卫没有永约。
撒母耳记下：
以色列的神、以色列的磐石晓谕我说，祂必像日出时的晨光，无云的清晨；雨后的晴光，使青草从地上长出来。我家在神那里不是坚固吗？因为祂为我立永约，以安排一切并遵守。(撒母耳记下23:3–5)
这些话是大卫说的；“以色列的神、以色列的磐石”表示神性真理方面的主；前面解释了“祂必像日出时的晨光，无云的清晨；雨后的晴光，使青草从地上长出来”表示什么(可参看AE 644c节)。这段经文描述了从主发出的神性真理，真理的一切萌发和良善的结实或繁殖都来自神性真理。“我家在神那里不是坚固吗”表示教会通过神性真理与主结合，“大卫的家”表示教会；“因为祂为我立永约”表示祂从祂的人身与神性的合一中拥有与教会之人的结合；“以安排一切并遵守”表示祂从这合一和这结合统治所有事物和所有人，并拯救那些接受的人。
玛拉基书：
你们必知道我传这诫命给你们，使我与利未立约。我曾与他立生命和平安的约，我将这两样赐给存敬畏的他，他就敬畏我。真理的律法在他口中，他嘴里没有乖僻。但你却偏离正道；竟使多人在律法上跌倒；败坏了利未的约。(玛拉基书2:4–6, 8)
“耶和华与利未所立的约”在至高意义上表示主里面神性与人身的合一，在相对意义上表示主与教会的结合；因为利未，以及大卫都表示主，但“利未”表示神性良善，也就是主的祭司职分方面的主，而“大卫”表示神性真理方面，也就是主的王权方面的主。“利未”表示主，这一点从经上说“真理的律法在他口中，他嘴里没有乖僻”明显看出来，“真理的律法”表示来自神性良善的神性真理，“嘴”表示教导和真理的教义；后来经上说，祭司的嘴唇当守卫知识；他们也当从祂口中寻求律法，因为祂是万军之耶和华的使者(玛拉基书2:7)。“生命和平安的约”表示刚才所说的这合一和这结合，主自己凭这合一和这结合成为生命和平安，人也凭它们拥有永生和平安，免受邪恶和虚假侵扰，因而免受地狱侵扰。至于“敬畏祂”表示什么，可参看前文(AE 696节)。“你却偏离正道；竟使多人在律法上跌倒；败坏了利未的约”表示那些违背神性真理的人；“偏离正道，在律法上跌倒”表示违背神性真理生活，“败坏利未的约”表示败坏与主的结合。
同一先知书：
看哪，我要差遣我的使者在我前面预备道路；主，就是你们所仰慕的立约的使者，必忽然进入祂的殿。(玛拉基书3:1)
很明显，此处宣告的是主的降临。主在此凭神性良善而被称为“主”，凭神性真理而被称为“立约的使者”；对此，可参看前文(AE 242d, 433b, 444b节)，那里解释了其余的经文。由此可见，当论及主时，“约”要么表示主自己，要么表示祂里面神性与人身的合一，当论及那些在天堂和教会里的人时，它表示通过从主发出的神性真理而与主结合。
701c.第二点，发出的神性，也就是神性真理，因而圣言就是约，因为它进行结合，这一点可从以下经文清楚看出来。摩西五经：
摩西从西乃山上下来，将耶和华的一切话、一切的典章都告知百姓。众百姓用一个声音回答说，耶和华所说的一切话，我们都必遵行。摩西将耶和华的一切话都写在一本书里。他拿起约书来，向百姓耳中读；他们说，耶和华所说的一切话，我们都必遵行，也必听从。摩西就取了燔祭的血来，将血洒在百姓身上，说，看哪，立约的血，是耶和华按这一切话与你们所立的。他们看见以色列的神，祂脚下仿佛有蓝宝石的作工。(出埃及记24:3, 4, 7, 8, 10)
神性真理，也就是与我们同在的圣言，就是约，这一点从在内义或灵义上来看待的这一切细节明显看出来。因为对这百姓说这些话的摩西代表律法，也就是圣言，这一点可从经上说“摩西和众先知”的各个地方，以及说“律法和众先知”的其它地方明显看出来；因此，“摩西”表示律法，广泛意义上的律法表示圣言，也就是神性真理。这一点也可从以下事实明显看出来：“西乃山”表示天堂，神性真理来自天堂；在百姓面前所读的“约书”表示圣言；一半洒在百姓身上的“血”也表示神性真理，就是圣言，这圣言因进行结合，故被称为“立约的血”。再者，由于通过神性真理实现的一切结合都是与主的结合，所以摩西、亚伦和他儿子，以及七十个长老看到了“以色列的神”，也就是主。经上说在“祂脚下”看见，是因为“主”就是圣言，“祂的脚”表示在其终端，也就是圣言字义中的圣言；事实上，以色列人并没有从内在看到圣言。“仿佛有蓝宝石的作工”表示因内在真理，也就是圣言的灵义而透明。不过，《属天的奥秘》(可参看9371–9412节)一书详细解释了这些事物。
至于“约”所表示的结合具有什么性质，这可从已经阐述的内容清楚看出来，即：它就像世上两个人之间通常所立的约；同样，主与人所立的约必须在主那一方和人那一方；它们必须是双方的，这样才会有结合。前一章阐明了主那一方的事，即：
祂必赐福与他们的粮和水，也必除去他们的疾病，他们必拥有迦南地，从红海直到幼发拉底河。(出埃及记23:25–31)
此处“赐福与粮和水”在内在灵义上表示良善的结实或繁殖和真理的增多，“粮”表示天堂和教会的一切良善，“水”表示这良善的一切真理；“除去疾病”表示移除来自地狱的邪恶和虚假，因为这些就是灵义上的疾病；“拥有迦南地，从红海直到幼发拉底河”表示在其整个延伸范围内的教会，那些通过神性真理与主结合的人从主那里拥有教会。前三章已经说明必须由人那一方承担的事，简言之，就是在前面引用的经文中，摩西从西乃山上下来向百姓宣告的“耶和华的话和典章”、百姓用一个声音说“耶和华所说的一切话，我们都必遵行，也必听从”的意思。因此，摩西将燔祭的血分成两半，一半给主，留在了碗里，一半则洒在百姓身上。
福音书中的“血”也表示主与人的结合通过神性真理实现：
耶稣拿起杯来，说，你们都喝它；这是我的血，新约的血。(马太福音26:27, 28; 马可福音14:23, 24; 路加福音22:20)
这血被称为“新约的血”，是因为“血”表示从主发出的神性真理，“约”表示结合。“血”表示从主发出、被人接受的神性真理(可参看AE 329, 476节)；“喝”表示接受，变成人自己的，从而结合(可参看AE 617节)。
同样在撒迦利亚书：
我因与你立约的血，要从无水坑里释放被囚的人。(撒迦利亚书9:11)
这话论及主，这一章明显论述主；“立约的血”和前面一样，表示神性真理，通过神性真理而与主结合。至于“被囚在无水坑里的人”是指谁，可参看前文(AE 537b节)。
既然主称祂那表示从祂发出的神性真理的血为“新约的血”，那么就要简单解释一下“旧约”和“新约”是什么意思。“旧约”是指通过诸如被赐给以色列人的那种外在、因而代表内在神性真理的神性真理实现的结合。他们没有其它神性真理，因为他们不能接受其它任何真理，他们是外在和属世的人，不是内在或属灵的，这可从以下事实清楚看出来：那些对主的降临有所了解的人对祂没有其它观念，只知道祂要来作王，把他们提升到全世界所有人民之上，从而在他们中间建立地上的王国，而不是建立天上的王国，并由此在那些信祂的人中间建立地上的王国。因此，“旧约”是通过包含在摩西五经中，被称为诫命、典章和律例的那种神性真理实现的结合，这种神性真理内在隐藏着诸如在天堂里的那种内在和属灵的神性真理。当主在世时，祂揭开了这神性真理；由于只有通过这种神性真理才能有主与人的结合，所以这种神性真理是“新约”，因而是被称为“新约的血”的“祂的血”所指的。“酒”具有同样的含义。
旧约圣言有时会论述当主降世时，要与主所立的这“新约”。如在耶利米书：
看哪，日子将到，我要与以色列家和犹大家另立新约，不像我与他们的祖宗所立的约，因为他们使我的约无效。那些日子以后，我与以色列家所立的约乃是这样：我要将我的律法放在他们中间，写在他们心上；我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民；他们必不再教导自己的同伴或自己的弟兄(直译：一个人，自己的同伴，或一个人，自己的弟兄)，说，你该认识耶和华，因为所有人，从最小的到至大的，都必认识我。(耶利米书31:31–34)
耶和华，也就是主，“要与以色列家和犹大家立新约”，意思不是说要与以色列人和犹大立新约，而是说要与所有从主处于教义之真理和对主之爱的良善之人立新约。在圣言中，“以色列人”和“犹大”是指这些人(可参看AE 433节)；“日子将到”表示主的降临，这是显而易见的。“那些日子以后，我与以色列家所立的约乃是这样：我要将我的律法放在他们中间，写在他们心上”表示那时会有通过内在和属灵的神性真理实现的与主的结合。这句话表示那时他们会从内心在自己里面接受神性真理；因为属灵的神性真理被人从内在接受，而以色列人和犹太人不是这样，他们是从外在接受的。事实上，当一个人从内在接受神性真理，也就是说，使它属于他的爱，从而属于他的生命时，真理是从真理本身被知道的，因为主流入与人同在的祂自己的真理，并教导他。这就是这些话的意思，即：“他们必不再教导自己的同伴或自己的弟兄，说，你该认识耶和华，因为所有人，从最小的到至大的，都必认识我。”“我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民”表示“新约”所表示的结合本身由此实现。
同一先知书：
他们要作我的子民，我要作他们的神，我要赐给他们一心一道，终日敬畏我；我要与他们立永约，使自己不离开他们，向他们行善；我也要把敬畏我的心赐给他们，使他们不会离开我。(耶利米书32:38–40)
这些话也论及主，以及与祂所立的新约；“我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民”表示通过它实现的结合，“祂要赐给他们一心一道，终日敬畏祂”、“祂要使自己不离开他们，把敬畏祂的心赐给他们，使他们不会离开祂”进一步描述了这种结合；“一心一道敬畏我”表示一个良善的意愿和一个真理的理解力，以敬拜主；由于结合是相互的，也就是说，它是主与他们，并他们与主的一个结合，所以经上说：“祂要使自己不离开他们，向他们行善，使他们不会离开我。”由此清楚可知，主要与他们所立的“永约”表示什么，即表示通过属灵的神性真理实现的结合，当这真理被接受时，它就构成人的生命，永恒的结合就来自它。
以西结书：
我要为他们兴起一个牧人牧养他们，就是我的仆人大卫。我耶和华必作他们的神，我的仆人大卫必在他们中间作王。我必与他们立平安的约，使邪恶的野兽灭绝，他们就必在旷野中安居，在森林中安眠。(以西结书34:23–25)
这些话也论及主；要牧养他们，在他们中间作王的“大卫”表示神性真理方面的主，祂因服侍而被称为仆人；祂要与他们所立的“约”表示通过神性真理实现的与主的结合；这约被称为“平安的约”，是因为人通过与主结合拥有平安，不受来自地狱的邪恶和虚假侵扰；因此，经上还补充说“我必使邪恶的野兽灭绝，他们就必在旷野中安居，在森林中安眠”，“邪恶的野兽”表示来自地狱的虚假和邪恶，“在旷野中安居，在森林中安眠”表示他们必处处安全，免受邪恶和虚假的一切侵扰。
同一先知书：
我的仆人大卫必作王管理他们，他们众人只有一个牧人。并且我要与他们立平安的约，作为与他们所立的永约；我必赐予他们，使他们增多，又在他们中间设立我的圣所，直到永远，我的居所必在他们中间；我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民。(以西结书37:24, 26, 27)
此处“大卫”也是指主，因为很明显，大卫不会再来作他们的王和牧人；而是主凭神性真理而被称为“王”，因为这神性真理是主的王权，而神性良善是祂的祭司职分；主被称为“牧人”，是因为祂要用神性真理牧养他们，并通过神性真理引向爱之良善，从而引向祂自己；由于其结果是结合，所以经上说：“我要与他们立平安的约，就是永约。”前面已经说明，“平安的约”表示什么，还说明“我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民”表示结合。祂要在他们中间设立的“圣所”和在他们中间的“居所”表示天堂和教会，天堂和教会凭爱之良善被称为“圣所”，凭这良善的真理被称为“居所”，因为主住在来自良善的真理中。
何西阿书：
当那日，我必与田野的走兽、天空的飞鸟和地上的爬行物立约；又要从地上折断弓、剑和战争；我必使他们安然躺卧；聘你永远归我。(何西阿书2:18, 19)
这段经文论述了主将要建立一个新教会。很明显，那时主不会与田野的走兽、天空的飞鸟和地上的爬行物立约；因此，这些东西表示诸如属于人的那类事物；“田野的野兽”表示对真理和良善的情感，“天空的飞鸟”表示属灵思维，“地上的爬行物”表示属世人的知识或科学。至于其余的表示什么，可参看前文(AE 650e节)。这清楚表明，主将要立的约是一种属灵的约，或通过属灵真理实现的约，而不是通过诸如与以色列人所立的那种属世真理实现的约；这后一种约是“旧约”，而前一种约是“新约”。
由于主从西乃山上所颁布的“律法”在广泛意义上是指圣言，所以律法写在其上的版被称为“约版”。摩西五经：
我上了山，要领受两块石版，就是耶和华与你们立约的版。过了四十昼又四十夜，耶和华把那两块石版，就是约版，交给我。(申命记9:9, 11)
这些“版”，也就是写在其上的律法表示神性真理，通过神性真理而与主结合，它们因这结合而被称为“约版”；由于一切结合，和约一样，是由这一方和那一方实现的，因而是双方相互的，所以版有两块，并且是石头的；它们是石头的，是因为“石头”表示终端中的神性真理(参看《属天的奥秘》，643, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376节)。由于同样的原因，放这些版的柜子被称为“约柜”，对以色列人来说，这约柜是他们敬拜中最神圣的事物，如前所示。
701d.第三点，被吩咐给以色列人的诫命、典章和律例对他们来说，就是约，因为那时通过这些而与主结合，这一点可从以下经文清楚看出来。摩西五经：
你们若行在我律例中，谨守我的诫命，实行它们，我就眷顾你们，使你们繁殖增多，也要与你们坚立我的约。但你们若厌弃我的律例，不遵行我一切的诫命，废了我的约，我就对你们做相反的事。(利未记26:3, 9, 15等)
前一章阐述了要谨守和实行的律例和诫命，以及他们若谨守这些诫命和律例，就会享有的良善；这一章则详细阐述了以后他们若不遵守，就会临到他们身上的邪恶。但他们所要享有的良善都是尘世和世俗的良善，邪恶也是如此，因为他们是尘世和属世人，不是属天和属灵人，因而对从内在影响人的良善，或从内在折磨人的邪恶一无所知；尽管如此，他们必须遵守的外在事物是诸如内在包含属天和属灵事物的那种，通过这些事物而有与主的结合本身或真实结合；由于这些在天上被感知到，所以以色列人要遵守的外在被称为“约”。至于主与以色列人通过这些事物或方法实现的结合是何性质，可参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》(248节)。
在以下经文中，“约”具有同样的含义。摩西五经：
耶和华对摩西说，你要将这些话写上；因为我是按说这些话的口与你和以色列立约的。(出埃及记34:27)
申命记：
你们要谨守遵行这约的话，你们今日站在此处的，就是你们的头、支派、官长、以色列的一切男丁，都要进入耶和华的约，和耶和华你神今日向你所起的誓，好使祂今日可以把你立为子民，祂可以作你的神；我不但与你们，还要与凡今日不与你们同在这里的人立这约，起这誓。(申命记29:9, 10, 12–15)
列王纪下：
约西亚王派人召集犹大和耶路撒冷所有的长老到他那里；王和犹大众人、与他同在的耶路撒冷所有的居民，还有祭司、先知和所有的百姓，从小的到大的，都一同上到耶和华的家；王就把在耶和华家发现的约书上的一切话都向他们耳中诵读；王站在柱旁，在耶和华面前立约，要全心全灵魂跟从耶和华，遵守祂的诫命、法度、律例，坚立这书所写这约的一切话；所有百姓都站在约中。(列王纪下23:1–3)
以及在其它经文中(如耶利米书22:8, 9; 33:20–22; 50:5; 以西结书16:8; 玛拉基书2:14; 诗篇78:37; 50:5, 16; 103:17, 18; 105:8, 9; 106:45; 111:5, 9; 申命记17:2; 列王纪上19:14)。这一切经文都提到“约”，它表示以色列人要遵守的外在仪式。
至于主与亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各所立的约，这约与祂和雅各的后代所立的约不同；它是主那一方与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各那一方的约：在主那一方，就是要使他们的种增多，要把迦南地赐给他们的种；在亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各那一方，就是一切男丁都要受割礼。与雅各的后代所立的约是不同的，这一点明显可见于摩西五经：
耶和华我们的神在何烈山与我们立约；这约，耶和华不是与我们的列祖立的，而是与我们立的。(申命记5:2, 3)
关于前一个约，摩西五经记着说：
耶和华把亚伯拉罕带到外面，说，你向天观看，数算众星；又对他说，你的种将要如此。耶和华对他说，你为我取一头三岁大的小母牛，一只三岁大的母山羊，一只三岁大的公绵羊，一只斑鸠和一只雏鸽。他从中间劈开，一半对着一半摆列，只有鸟没有劈开。日落幽暗出现的时候；看哪，有冒烟的火炉和火把从那些肉块间经过。当那日，耶和华与亚伯拉罕立约，说，我要把这地赐给你的种，从埃及河直到大河，幼发拉底河。(创世记15:5–18)
后来经上说：
我要在我与你之间立我的约，使你大大繁多。论到我，看哪，我的约是同你立的，你要作多族之父，我必使你极能生殖；我要将你寄居的地，就是迦南全地，赐给你和随从你的种，作永远的产业。这是你们当守的，在我与你并随从你的种之间所立的约。你们中所有的男子都要受割礼；包皮肉没有受割礼的，那人必从他民中被剪除；他背了我的约。我要与撒拉必给你所生的以撒坚立我的约。(创世记17:1–21)
由此清楚可知，与亚伯拉罕所立的约是何性质，即：他的种要大大繁多，迦南地要赐给他的种作产业。经上没有提到构成约的诫命、典章和律例本身；但它们仍由“三岁大的小母牛、母山羊和公绵羊”，以及“斑鸠和雏鸽”来表示，因为这些动物表示诸如属于教会的那类事物，“迦南地”本身表示教会。由于主预见，亚伯拉罕从雅各一支繁衍的后代不会守约，所以有“从肉块间经过的冒烟的火炉和火把”向亚伯拉罕显现；“冒烟的火炉”表示密集的虚假，“火把”表示雅各的后代将陷入的可怕邪恶。耶利米书(33:18–20)也证实了这一点。亚伯拉罕按照双方所立之约的仪式将小母牛、母山羊和公绵羊劈开，一半对着一半摆列。不过，《属天的奥秘》(可参看1783–1862节)充分解释了这些事物。
之所以通过割礼立约，是因为割礼代表从对自我和世界的爱中洁净，以及它们的移除，这些爱都是肉体和尘世的爱；因此，割礼也是用一把小石头刀来执行的，这小石头刀表示教义之真理，从邪恶和虚假中的一切洁净，以及它们的移除都是通过教义之真理实现的。不过，《属天的奥秘》一书也解释了这一章关于这约(AC 1987–2095节)和割礼(AC 2039e, 2046e, 2632, 2799, 4462, 7044, 8093节)所记载的细节。但由于“亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各”在内义上表示主，所以“他们的种”表示所有属于主的教会之人，这教会也由他们的种要承受为业的“迦南地”来表示。
还有与挪亚所立的约：
人们不再因洪水灭亡，弓出现在云中作那约的记号。(创世记6:17, 18; 9:9, 17)
这约也涉及通过神性真理实现的主的结合，这一点可从《属天的奥秘》(659–675, 1022–1059节)对上述这些话的解释清楚看出来。“云中的弓”或彩虹，在此表示重生，重生通过神性真理和照之的生活实现，因此，弓被视为约的记号(也可参看AC 1042节)
701e.第四点，此外，凡进行结合之物都被称为“约”；如摩西五经中的安息日：
以色列人世世代代要守安息日，就是一个时代的约。(出埃及记31:16)
安息日被称为“一个时代的约”，是因为“安息日”在至高意义上表示主里面神性与人身的合一，在相对意义上表示主与天堂和教会的结合，在普遍意义上表示良善与真理的结合，这结合被称为天上的婚姻。因此，“安息日的安息”表示这合一和这结合的状态，因为通过这种状态，主有平安和安息，天上和地上由此也有平安和拯救。这是“安息日”和那时的“安息”的含义(可参看《属天的奥秘》，8494, 8495, 8510, 10356, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730节)。
祭物中的盐在摩西五经中也被称为“立约之盐”：
你不可使你神的立约之盐在你的供物上断绝，你要在你一切的供物上献盐。(利未记2:13)
供物的盐被称为“立约之盐”，因为“盐”表示真理对良善的渴望，两者通过这种渴望结合在一起。关于“盐”的这种含义，参看《属天的奥秘》(9207节)。
在玛拉基书，妻子被称为“约的妻”：
耶和华是你和你年轻时所娶的妻之间的证人，她虽是你的伴侣，你约的妻，你却背弃她。(玛拉基书2:14)
妻子在此因她与丈夫的结合而被称为“约的妻”，但“妻”在此表示教会，“年轻时所娶的妻”表示古教会，经上说犹太教会背弃古教会。由于这两个教会都是代表性教会，在这方面是一样的，从而结合在一起，所以经上说：“她虽是你的伴侣，你约的妻。”
约伯记提到“与田间的石头所立的约”：
你必不害怕田间的野兽，因为你的约是与田间的石头立的，田间的野兽必与你和平相处。(约伯记5:22, 23)
“与田间的石头所立的约”表示与教会真理的结合，因为“石头”表示真理，“田”表示教会，“约”表示结合；“田间的野兽”表示对虚假的爱，当通过真理与教会结合时，“你必不害怕”田间的野兽，田间的野兽“必和平”。
再者，何西阿书也提到“与野兽和飞鸟所立的约”：
当那日，我必为他们与田野的野兽和空中的飞鸟，并地上的爬行物立约。(何西阿书2:18)
摩西五经：
神对挪亚说，看哪，我要与你们和同你们在一起的一切活着的灵魂，就是飞鸟、牲畜，以及同你们在一起的地上一切的野兽，凡从方舟里出来的，甚至地上一切的野兽。(创世记9:9, 10)
“与牲畜、野兽、飞鸟和地上的爬行物所立的约”表示与诸如这些所表示的人里面的那类事物的结合；因为“牲畜”表示对良善的情感，“野兽”表示对真理的情感，“飞鸟”表示思考能力，“地上的爬行物”表示凭这些情感存活的认知能力或科学。
以赛亚书提到“与死亡所立的约”：
你们曾说，我们与死亡立了约，与地狱造了异象。你们与死亡所立的约必然废掉，你们与地狱所造的异象必站立不住。(以赛亚书28:15, 18)
“与死亡立约”表示通过来自地狱的虚假实现的结合，人由此属灵地死亡；“与地狱造异象”表示来自地狱、似先知的占卜。从此处引用的一系列经文可以清楚看出，在论述主的地方，“约”表示通过神性真理实现的结合。通过爱之良善与主的结合的确存在；但由于主在人那里通过良善流入真理，人由此拥有对真理的情感，并在真理中接受主的良善，从中承认、宣认并敬拜主，所以爱之良善通过真理进行结合，相对来说就像在春夏时节，太阳的热与大地的结实或繁殖结合。
701. As the ark is called the ark of the covenant, we have to show from the Word that it was called the ark of the covenant because it contained the law. And the law, which in a broad sense means the Word, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Truth, which is the Word, thus the Divine Truth or Word which is from the Lord, and in which the Lord is, because all Divine Truth proceeds from Him. When this is received by man, conjunction with the Lord takes place, and it is this conjunction that is signified by covenant. How conjunction of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord, is effected, shall also be explained in a few words. The Lord flows in continually with all men with light that enlightens, and with the love of knowing and understanding truths, and of willing and doing them; and as that light and that affection flow in continually from the Lord, it follows that a man becomes rational so far as he receives that light, and he becomes wise, and is led by the Lord in the degree that he receives that affection. That affection with its light draws to itself and conjoins to itself the truths which a man from infancy has learnt from the Word, from doctrine from the Word, and from preaching; for all affection desires to be nourished by the knowledges (cognitiones) which harmonize with it. From this conjunction man's spiritual love or affection is formed, by means of which he is conjoined to the Lord, that is, by means of which the Lord conjoins man to Himself.
[2] But in order that man may receive that light and that affection, freedom of choice has been given to him, which, because it is from the Lord, is also His gift with man, and is never taken away from him; for that freedom belongs to man's affection or love, consequently also to his life. Man, from freedom, can think and will what is evil, and also think and will what is good. So far, therefore, as a man from that freedom, which belongs to his love, and thus to his life, thinks falsities and wills evils, which are contrary to the truths and goods of the Word, so far he is not conjoined to the Lord; but so far as he thinks truths and wills goods, which are from the Word, so far he is conjoined to the Lord, and the Lord causes those truths and goods to be of His love, and thus of His life. From these things it is evident that this conjunction is reciprocal, namely, of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord; such is the conjunction meant in the Word by covenant.
[3] He who believes that man can do nothing towards his own salvation, because the light to see truths and the affection to do them, and also the freedom to think and will them, are from the Lord, and nothing of these from man, is mistaken. But since those things appear to man to be in himself, and, when they are thought and willed, to be from himself, therefore, because of that appearance, man ought to think and will them as from himself, but at the same time to acknowledge that they are from the Lord. In no other way can anything of truth and good, or of faith and love, be appropriated to him. He who hangs down his hands, and waits for influx, can receive nothing and can have no reciprocal conjunction with the Lord; thus he is not in the covenant. That this is the case is clearly evident from this, that the Lord in a thousand passages in the Word has said that men should do good, and not evil; and the Lord would by no means have said this, unless something had been given to man, which confers upon him ability to act; and that which has been given to man appears to him to be his own, although it is not his. Because this is the case, therefore the Lord thus speaks in John:
"I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Apoc. 3:20).
[4] That covenant signifies conjunction with the Lord through the reception of Divine Truth in the understanding and will, or in the heart and soul, that is, in love and faith, and that conjunction takes place reciprocally, is evident from the Word, where covenant is mentioned. For it is evident from the Word,- 1. That the Lord Himself is called a covenant, because conjunction with Him is effected by Him by means of the Divine which proceeds from Him. 2. That the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Truth, thus the Word, is a covenant, because it conjoins. 3. That the commandments, judgments, and statutes, given to the sons of Israel, were to them a covenant, because through these there was at that time conjunction with the Lord. 4. That further, whatever conjoins is called a covenant.
[5] As to the first - That the Lord Himself is called a covenant, because conjunction with Him is effected by Him by means of the Divine which proceeds from Him, is evident from the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"I, Jehovah, have called thee in justice, and I will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and I will give thee for a covenant of the people, and for a light of the nations" (175, 331, 625). To call Him in justice signifies that He may accomplish justice by separating the evil from the good, saving the latter but condemning the former. To take hold of the hand and to keep signifies from Divine Omnipotence, which the hells are unable to resist; that Jehovah will do this signifies that it is done by the Divine in the Lord.
[6] In the same:
"I have given thee for a covenant of the people, to restore the earth, and to inherit the devastated heritages" (49:8).
This also is said of the Lord; and to give for a covenant of the people signifies that there may be conjunction with Him and by Him; to restore the earth signifies the church; and to inherit the devastated heritages signifies to restore the goods and truths of the church which had been destroyed.
[7] In David:
"I have made a covenant with mine elect, and I have sworn to David my servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, to eternity will I keep for him my mercy, and my covenant shall be steadfast for him" (205), who is called Elect from good, and Servant from truth. To make a covenant and swear to Him signifies the union of His Divine with His Human, to make a covenant denoting to be united, and to swear denoting to confirm it. Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, signifies the eternity of Divine Truth from Him; to eternity will I keep for Him my mercy, signifies the eternity of Divine Good from Him; My covenant shall be steadfast, signifies the union of the Divine and Human in Him. This becomes the meaning of these words, when instead of David the Lord as to the Divine Human, and Its royalty are meant; and it is spoken of in this way in the sense of the letter, because in that sense David is treated of, with whom there was no eternal covenant.
[8] In the Second Book of Samuel:
"The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me, and he shall be as the light of the morning, the sun ariseth, [of a morning] without clouds, from the brightness after rain, grass out of the earth. Is not my house firm with God? because he hath set for me a covenant of eternity, to order over all and to keep" (644:22). The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, from which comes all germination of truth and fructification of good is here described. Is not my house firm with God? signifies the church conjoined with the Lord by means of Divine Truth, the house of David denoting the church. Because He hath set for me a covenant of eternity, signifies that from the union of His Human with the Divine He has conjunction with the men of the church; to order over all and to keep, signifies from which He rules all things and all persons, and saves such as receive.
[9] In Malachi:
"Ye shall know that I have sent unto you this commandment, that my covenant may be with Levi; my covenant with him was of life and of peace, which I gave to him with fear, that he might fear me. The law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not found in his lips. But ye have departed from the way, ye have caused many to stumble in the law, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi" (696). Those who live contrary to Divine Truth are understood by those that have departed from the way, caused many to stumble in the law, and corrupted the covenant of Levi; to depart from the way, and to stumble in the law, signify to live contrary to Divine Truth; and to corrupt the covenant of Levi, signifies [to corrupt] conjunction with the Lord.
[10] In the same:
"Behold, I send mine angel, who shall prepare the way before me; and suddenly the Lord shall come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire" (242:9, 433:12, 444:8), where the rest of the passage is also explained. From this it is evident that covenant, when used in reference to the Lord, means either Himself or the union of His Divine with the Human in Him and that, with reference to those who are in heaven and in the church, it means conjunction with Him, through the Divine which proceeds from Him.
[11] Secondly, That the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Truth, thus the Word, is a covenant, because it conjoins, is evident from the following passages.
In Moses:
Moses coming down from Mount Sinai "told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do; and Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah," in a book; "and he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, and they said, Everything that Jehovah hath spoken we will do, and we will hearken. And Moses took half of the blood" of the burnt-offerings, "and sprinkled upon the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which Jehovah hath made with you concerning all these words. And they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet as it were a work of sapphire stone" (Arcana Coelestia 9371-9412).
[12] What kind of conjunction that is, which is signified by covenant, is also evident from what has been adduced, namely, that it is like the covenants that are accustomed to be made in the world, between one person and another; similarly, the covenants which the Lord makes with men must be in the Lord's part and on man's part; they must be on the part of both, for the sake of conjunction. Those things which were on the Lord's part are stated in the preceding chapter, namely, that He will bless their bread and their waters, that He will take away their diseases, and that they shall possess the land of Canaan from the Sea Suph (Red Sea) even to the river Euphrates (Exodus 23:25-31). Here to bless their bread and their waters, in the internal spiritual sense, signifies the fructification of good and multiplication of truth, bread signifying all the good of heaven and of the church, and waters, all the truths of that good. To take away diseases, signifies to remove evils and falsities which are from hell, for these in the spiritual sense are diseases; and to possess the land from the Sea Suph (Red Sea) to the river Euphrates, signifies the church with its entire extension, which those have from the Lord who are conjoined to Him through Divine Truth. But the things which must be on man's part are stated in the three preceding chapters, and in brief are meant in the passage cited above, by "the words of Jehovah and the judgments," which Moses descending from Mount Sinai related to the people, to which the people responded with one voice, "All the words that Jehovah hath spoken we will do, and we will hearken." For this reason Moses divided the blood of the burnt-offering, and half of it, which was for the Lord, he left in the bowls, but the other half he sprinkled upon the people.
[13] That conjunction of the Lord with man is effected by means of the Divine Truth is also meant by blood in the Evangelists.
Jesus "took the cup, saying, Drink of it all of you, this is my blood, that of the new covenant" (329, 476); and that to drink signifies to receive, to appropriate to oneself, and thus to be conjoined, may also be seen above (n. 617).
[14] Similarly in Zechariah:
"By the blood of thy covenant, I will send forth thy bound out of the pit in which there is no water" (537:12).
[15] Since the Lord called His blood, which means the Divine Truth proceeding from Him, the blood of the new covenant, the meaning of the old covenant and the new covenant shall be briefly explained. The old covenant means conjunction by means of Divine Truth such as was given to the sons of Israel, which was external, and therefore representative of internal Divine Truth. They had no other Divine Truth, because they were not able to receive any other, for they were external and natural men, and not internal or spiritual, as is evident from this consideration, that those who did know anything of the Lord's coming had no other idea of Him than that He was to be a king, who would exalt them above all the peoples in the whole world, and thus establish a kingdom with them on the earth, and not in the heavens, and thence in the earth with all who should believe in Him. The old covenant therefore was a conjunction by means of the Divine Truth which is contained in the books of Moses, and was called the commandments, judgments, and statutes, in which, however, there lay inwardly concealed such Divine Truth as is in heaven, this being internal and spiritual. This Divine Truth was made manifest by the Lord when He was in the world; and as by means of this alone there is conjunction of the Lord with men, therefore this is meant by the new covenant, and also by His blood, which is consequently called the blood of the new covenant. Wine (vinum) also has a similar meaning.
[16] This new covenant, which was to be entered into with the Lord when He should come into the world, is frequently treated of in the Word of the Old Covenant.
As in Jeremiah:
"Behold, the days come, in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not as the covenant which I made with your fathers, because they made my covenant void. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days; I will put my law in the midst of them, and upon their heart will I write it, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people; neither shall they teach any more a man his companion, or a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for they shall all know me, from the least of them even unto the greatest of them " (433); it is evident that "the days come" means the Lord's coming. That conjunction with the Lord would then take place by means of Divine Truth, internal and spiritual, is meant by these words, "This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days; I will put my law in the midst of them, and upon their heart will I write it." This signifies that they shall then receive Divine Truth interiorly in themselves. For spiritual Divine Truth is received by man interiorly, which was not the case with the sons of Israel and the Jews, who received it exteriorly. For when man receives Divine Truth within himself, that is to say, causes it to be of his love and thus of his life, then truth is known from truth itself, since the Lord flows in into His own truth with man, and teaches him. This is meant by these words, "They shall no more teach a man his companion, or a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for they shall all know me, from the least even unto the greatest." The conjunction itself thereby effected, which the new covenant signifies, is meant by "I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people."
[17] In the same:
"They shall be to me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and I will give to them one heart and one way, to fear me all their days, and I will make with them an eternal covenant, that I will not turn myself away from after them, that I may do them good; and I will put my fear into their heart, that they may not depart from before me" (32:38-40).
This also treats of the Lord, and of a new covenant with Him; and conjunction by means of it is meant by "I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people," and is further described by the words, "I will give to them one heart and one way, to fear me all their days"; and by not turning Himself away from after them, and by putting His fear into their heart, that they may not depart from before Him. One heart and one way, to fear Me, signifies one will of good and one understanding of truth to worship the Lord. And as the conjunction is reciprocal, that is to say, of the Lord with them, and of them with the Lord, therefore it is said, that He will not turn away from after them, to do them good, and that they shall not depart from before Him. The signification of the eternal covenant, which He will enter into with them is therefore evident, namely, conjunction by means of spiritual Divine Truth, which when received, constitutes the life of man, and from which eternal conjunction results.
[18] In Ezekiel:
"I will set up over them one shepherd who shall feed them, my servant David. I, Jehovah, will be to them for a God, and my servant David a prince in the midst of them. Then will I make with them a covenant of peace, I will cause the evil beast to cease, that they may dwell confidently in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods" (34:23-25).
This is also said of the Lord. David, who shall feed them, and who shall be a prince in the midst of them, means the Lord as to Divine Truth, who is called a servant from serving. Conjunction with the Lord by means of Divine Truth is meant by the covenant which He will make with them; this is called a covenant of peace, because man through conjunction with the Lord is at peace, being freed from the infestation of evil and falsity from hell. Therefore it is also said, "I will cause the evil beast to cease, that they may dwell confidently in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests," the evil beast meaning falsity and evil from hell, and to dwell confidently in the wilderness and to sleep in the forests signifying that they shall be everywhere safe from all infestation by evil and falsity.
[19] In the same:
"My servant David shall be king over them, that they all may have one shepherd; and I will make with them a covenant of peace, it shall be a covenant of eternity with them; and I will place them, and multiply them; and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever, and my dwelling-place with them; and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people" (37:24. 26, 27).
Here also David means the Lord, for it is evident that David, will not come again to be their king and shepherd; but the Lord is called king from Divine Truth, for this is the royalty of the Lord, while Divine Good is His priesthood. The Lord is also called Shepherd, because He will feed them with Divine Truth, and by means of it lead to the good of love, and thus to Himself; and because conjunction is the result of this; it is said, "I will make with them a covenant of peace, a covenant of eternity." It has been shown above what a covenant of peace signifies, and also that I will be to them for a God; and they shall be to Me for a people, means conjunction. The sanctuary which He shall set in the midst of them, and the dwelling-place which shall be with them, signify heaven and the church, which are called a sanctuary from the good of love and a dwelling-place from the truth of that good, for the Lord dwells in truths from good.
[20] In Hosea:
"In that day I will make for them a covenant with the wild beast of the field, with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the earth; the bow, and the sword, and the war, will I break from off the earth; and I will cause them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to me for ever" (650:34). It is therefore evident that the covenant which the Lord will make is a spiritual covenant, or a covenant by means of spiritual truth, and not a covenant by means of natural truth; the latter is the old covenant made with the sons of Israel, and the former the new covenant.
[21] Since the law, which was proclaimed by the Lord from Mount Sinai, signifies, in a comprehensive sense, the Word, therefore also the tables, on which that law was written, are called the tables of the covenant.
In Moses:
"I went up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you; at the end of forty days and forty nights Jehovah gave to me two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant" (Arcana Coelestia 643, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376). For this reason, the ark, in which those tables were deposited, was called the ark of the covenant, and it was the holiest thing in worship with the sons of Israel, as shown in the preceding article.
[22] Thirdly - That the commandments, judgments, and statutes, given to the sons of Israel, were to them a covenant, because through these conjunction with the Lord was then effected, is evident from the following passages.
In Moses:
"If ye walk in my statutes, and observe my commandments, and do them, I will have respect unto you, and will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will confirm my covenant with you. But if ye reject my statutes, so as not to do all my commandments, while ye make my covenant void," I will do contrary to you (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).
[23] Similar things are meant by covenant in the following passages.
In Moses:
"Jehovah said unto Moses, Write thou these words, because upon the mouth of these words have I made a covenant with thee and with Israel" (Exodus 34:27)
Again:
"Keep ye the words of this covenant, and do them, ye that stand here this day, your heads, your tribes, your moderators, and every man of Israel, to pass over into the covenant of Jehovah, and into his oath, which Jehovah God maketh with thee this day, that he may appoint thee this day for a people, and that he may be to thee for a God. Not with you only do I make this covenant, and oath, but also with every one who is not here with you this day" (Deuteronomy 29:9, 10, 12-15).
And in the Second Book of Kings:
King Josiah "sent, and gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem; and the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, likewise the priests and the prophets, and the whole people from small even to great, and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant found in the house of Jehovah; and the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to go after Jehovah, and to keep his precepts, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all the heart and with all the soul, to establish all the words of this covenant written in this book; and all the people stood in the covenant" (23:1-3).
And in other places, as Jeremiah 22:8, 9; 33:20-22; 50:5; Ezekiel 16:8; Malachi 2:14; Psalm 78:37; 50:5, 16; 103:17, 18; 105:8, 9; 106:45; 111:5, 9; Deuteronomy 17:2; 1 Kings 19:14. In all these passages the covenant is mentioned, and the external rites which the sons of Israel were to observe are signified by it.
[24] But as to the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, this was not the same as that made with the posterity of Jacob, but it was a covenant on the part of the Lord that their seed should be multiplied, and that the land of Canaan should be given to it; and on the part of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that every male should be circumcised. That a different covenant was made with the posterity of Jacob, is clear in Moses:
"Jehovah God made with us a covenant in Horeb, not with our fathers did Jehovah God make this covenant, but with us" (Arcana Coelestia 1783-1862).
[25] The covenant was made by circumcision, because circumcision represented purification from the loves of self and of the world, which are corporeal and terrestrial loves, and the removal of them; therefore also circumcision was performed with a small stone knife, which signified truth of doctrine, by means of which all purification from evils and falsities, and their removal, is effected. But the details recorded in that chapter respecting this covenant are also explained in the Arcana Coelestia 1987-2095; and respecting circumcision n. 2039 at the end, n. 2046 at the end, 2632, 2799, 4462, 7044, 8093). But because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the internal sense, mean the Lord, therefore their seed signify all who are of the church of the Lord, and this church is also meant by the land of Canaan which their seed was to inherit.
[26] There was also the covenant entered into with Noah, that men should no more perish by the waters of a flood, and that the bow should be in the cloud for a sign of that covenant (Arcana Coelestia 659-675, and n. 1022-1059). That the bow in the cloud, or the rainbow there, signifies regeneration, which is effected by means of Divine Truth and by a life in agreement with it, and that therefore that bow was taken for a sign of the covenant, may also be seen in the same work (n. 1042).
[27] Fourthly - That, further, whatever conjoins is called a Covenant; as the sabbath, in Moses:
"The sons of Israel shall keep the sabbath in their generations, the covenant of an age" (Exodus 31:16).
The sabbath was called the covenant of an age, because the sabbath, in the highest sense, signified the union of the Divine with the Human in the Lord, and, in the relative sense (sensu respectivo), the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, and, in the universal sense, the conjunction of good and truth, and this conjunction is called the heavenly marriage. Therefore the rest on the sabbath day signified the state of that union, and of that conjunction, since by that state the Lord has peace and rest, and by it also there are peace and salvation in the heavens and on earth.
[28] That this is the signification of the sabbath, and of rest thereon, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9207).
[29] A wife is also called a wife of the covenant, in Malachi:
"Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant" (Malachi 2:14).
A wife is here called the wife of a covenant, from conjunction with her husband, but wife here signifies the church, and a wife of youth the Ancient Church against which the Jewish Church is said to have dealt treacherously. And because these were both representative churches, and in this respect alike, and so were conjoined, therefore it is said, although she was thy companion and the wife of thy covenant.
[30] A covenant with the stones of the field is spoken of in Job, in these words:
"Thou shalt not be afraid of the wild beast of the field, for with the stones of the field is thy covenant, and the wild beast of the field shall be at peace with thee" (5:22, 23).
A covenant with the stones of the field signifies conjunction with the truths of the church, for stones signify truths, - field, the church, and covenant, conjunction. The wild beast of the field signifies the love of falsity, of which wild beast "thou shalt not be afraid," and which "shall be at peace," when there is conjunction with the church through truths.
[31] Mention is also made of a covenant with wild beasts and birds in Hosea:
"In that day I will make for them a covenant with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth" (Hosea 2:18).
And in Moses:
"God said to Noah, Behold, I set up my covenant with you, and with every living soul which is with you, to the bird, to the beast, and to every wild beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark as to every wild beast of the earth" (Genesis 9:9, 10).
A covenant with beast, wild beast, bird, and creeping thing of the earth, signifies conjunction with such things in man as are signified by these; for beast signifies the affection for good, wild beast the affection for truth, bird, the thinking faculty, and the creeping thing of the earth, the Scientific, which lives from those affections.
[32] Mention is also made of a covenant with death, in Isaiah:
"Ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have made a vision; your covenant with death shall be abolished, and your vision with hell shall not stand" (28:15, 18).
To make a covenant with death signifies conjunction through falsity from hell, from which a man spiritually dies; to make a vision with hell signifies divination, as if prophetic, from hell. From these passages now quoted connectedly, it is evident that a covenant, where the Lord is treated of, signifies conjunction by means of Divine Truth. There is indeed a conjunction with Him by means of the good of love; but because the Lord flows in with man through good into truths, whereby man has affection for truth, and receives the good of the Lord in truths, from which he acknowledges, confesses, and adores the Lord, therefore the good of love conjoins by means of truth, comparatively as the heat of the sun, in the time of spring and summer, conjoins itself with the fructifications of the earth.
701. As the ark is called "the ark of the covenant" it is also to be confirmed from the Word that it was called "the ark of the covenant" because the law was in it, and the "law," which in a broad sense means the Word, signifies the Lord in relation to Divine truth, which is the Word, thus Divine truth or the Word which is from the Lord and in which is the Lord; for all Divine truth proceeds from Him, and when this is received by man conjunction with the Lord is effected, and this conjunction is what is signified by "covenant." How conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord is effected, shall also be told in a few words. The Lord continually flows into all men with light that enlightens, and with the affection of knowing and understanding truths, also for willing and doing them; and as that light and that affection continually flow in from the Lord, it follows that man becomes rational to the extent that he receives of that light, and he becomes wise and is led by the Lord so far as he receives of that affection. That affection with its light draws to itself and conjoins to itself the truths that man from infancy has learned from the Word, from doctrine out of the Word, and from preaching; for every affection desires to be nourished by the knowledges that are in harmony with it. From this conjunction man's spiritual love or affection is formed, through which he is conjoined to the Lord, that is, through which the Lord conjoins man to Himself.
[2] But in order that that light and that affection may be received, freedom of choice has been given to man, and as that freedom is from the Lord, it is also a gift of the Lord with man and is never taken away from him; for that freedom belongs to man's affection or love, and consequently also to his life. From freedom a man can think and will what is evil, and can also think and will what is good. So far, therefore, as from that freedom, which belongs to his love and thence to his life, man thinks falsities and wills evils, which are the opposites of the truths and goods of the Word, so far he is not conjoined to the Lord; but so far as he thinks truths and wills goods, which are from the Word, so far he is conjoined to the Lord, and the Lord makes those truths and goods to be of his love, and thence of his life. From this it is evident that this conjunction is reciprocal, namely, of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord; such is the conjunction that is meant in the Word by "covenant."
[3] He greatly errs who believes that man is incapable of doing anything for his own salvation because the light to see truths and the affection of doing them, as well as the freedom to think and will them, are from the Lord, and nothing of these from man. Because these appear to man to be as if in himself, and when they are thought and willed to be as from himself, man ought, because of that appearance, to think and will them as if from himself, but at the same time acknowledge that they are from the Lord. In no other way can anything of truth and good or of faith and love be appropriated to man. If one lets his hands hang down and waits for influx he receives nothing, and can have no reciprocal conjunction with the Lord, thus he is not in the covenant. That this is so is clearly evident from this, that the Lord in a thousand passages in the Word has taught that man must do good and must not do evil, and this the Lord would by no means have said, unless something had been given to man by which he has ability to do, and unless that which has been given to man might seem to him to be as if his own, although it is not his. Because this is so the Lord speaks thus in John:
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear My voice and open the door I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me (Revelation 3:20).
[4] That "covenant" signifies conjunction with the Lord through the reception of Divine truth by the understanding and will, or by the heart and soul, that is, by love and faith, and that this conjunction is effected reciprocally, can be seen from the Word where "covenant" is mentioned. For from the Word it is evident:
1. That the Lord Himself is called a "covenant," because conjunction with Him is effected by Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him.
2. That the Divine proceeding, which is Divine truth, thus the Word, is the covenant, because it conjoins.
3. That the commandments, judgments, and statutes commanded to the sons of Israel were to them a covenant, because through these there was then conjunction with the Lord.
4. And further, that whatever conjoins is called a "covenant."
[5] As to the first: That the Lord Himself is called a "covenant," because conjunction with Him is effected by Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him, is evident from the following passages.
In Isaiah:
I Jehovah have called Thee in righteousness, and I will take hold of Thine hand and will guard Thee, and I will give thee for a covenant of the people and for a light of the nations (175, 331, 625); "to call Him in righteousness" signifies to establish righteousness by separating the evil from the good and by saving the good and condemning the evil; "to take hold of the hand and to guard" signifies to do this from Divine Omnipotence, which the hells cannot resist; Jehovah's doing this means that it is done by the Divine in the Lord.
[6] In the same:
I have given Thee for a covenant of the people, to restore the earth and to inherit the wasted heritages (Isaiah 49:8).
This, too, is said of the Lord; and "to give for a covenant of the people" signifies that there may be conjunction with Him and by Him; "to restore the earth" signifies the church; and "to inherit the wasted heritages" signifies to restore the goods and truths of the church that have been destroyed.
[7] In David:
I have made a covenant with My chosen, and I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, to eternity will I keep for him My mercy, and My covenant shall be steadfast for Him (205), and he is called "chosen" from good, and "servant" from truth; "to make a covenant and swear to him" signifies the uniting of the Lord's Divine with His Human, "to make a covenant" meaning to become united, and "to swear" meaning to confirm it; "even to eternity will I establish thy seed" signifies the eternity of Divine truth from Him; "to eternity will I keep for him My mercy" signifies the eternity of Divine good from Him; "My covenant shall be steadfast" signifies the union of the Divine and Human in Him. This becomes the sense of these words when, instead of David, the Lord in relation to the Divine Human and its royalty is understood, respecting which this is said in the sense of the letter, because in that sense David is treated of, with whom there was no eternal covenant.
[8] In the second book of Samuel:
The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me; and He shall be as light in the morning when the sun riseth, without clouds; from the brightness after rain cometh grass out of the earth. Is not my house firm with God? For He hath set for me a covenant of eternity, to order over all and to keep (644. This describes Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, from which is all germination of truth and fructification of good. "Is not my house firm with God?" signifies the church conjoined with the Lord through the Divine truth, "the house of David" meaning the church; "for He hath set for me a covenant of eternity" signifies that from the union of His Human with the Divine He has conjunction with the men of the church; "to order over all and to keep" signifies from which He rules over all things and all persons, and saves such as receive.
[9] In Malachi:
Ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that My covenant may be with Levi. My covenant with him was of life and of peace, which I gave to him with fear, that he might fear Me. The law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not found in his lips. But ye have turned aside out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble in the law, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi (696. Those who live contrary to Divine truth are meant by "ye have turned aside out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble in the law, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi;" "to turn aside out of the way and to stumble in the law" signifies to live contrary to Divine truth, and "to corrupt the covenant of Levi" signifies to corrupt conjunction with the Lord.
[10] In the same:
Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple; and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire (242, 433, 444, where the rest of the passage is explained). From this it can be seen that "covenant," in reference to the Lord, means either Himself or the union of His Divine with the Human in Him, and in reference to those who are in heaven and in the church it means conjunction with Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him.
[11] Secondly, That the Divine proceeding, which is Divine truth, thus the Word, is the covenant, because it conjoins, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:
Moses came down out of Mount Sinai, and told the people all the words of Jehovah and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah in a book. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do and will hearken. And Moses took half of the blood of the burnt-offerings, and sprinkled upon the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant that Jehovah hath concluded with you upon all these words. And they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet as it were a work of sapphire stone (Arcana Coelestia 9371-9412.)
[12] Of what nature the conjunction is that is signified by "covenant" can be seen from what has been set forth, namely, that it is like the covenants commonly made in the world, that is, on the part of one and on the part of the other; in like manner the covenants that the Lord makes with men must be on the part of the Lord and on the part of men; they must be on the part of both that there may be conjunction. The things on the Lord's part are stated in the preceding chapter, namely:
That He will bless their bread and their waters, that He will take away their diseases, and that they shall possess the land of Canaan from the Sea Suph even to the river Euphrates (Exodus 23:25-31).
Here "to bless the bread and the waters" signifies in the internal spiritual sense the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth, "bread" signifying every good of heaven and the church, and "waters" all the truths of that good; "to take away diseases" signifies to remove evils and falsities which are from hell, for these are diseases in the spiritual sense; "to possess the land from the Sea Suph to the river Euphrates" signifies the church in all its extension, which those have from the Lord who are conjoined to Him through Divine truth. But the things that must be on man's part are recounted in the three preceding chapters, and in brief are meant in the passage cited above by "the words and judgments of Jehovah" that Moses coming down from Mount Sinai declared to the people, to which the people, with one voice said, "All the words that Jehovah hath spoken we will do and will hearken." It was for this reason that Moses divided the blood of the burnt offerings, and half of it, which was for the Lord, he left in the bowls, but the other half he sprinkled upon the people.
[13] That the conjunction of the Lord with men is effected through Divine truth is also meant by "blood" in the Gospels:
Jesus took the cup, saying, Drink ye all of it; this is My blood, that of the new covenant (329, 476; and that "to drink" signifies to receive, to make one's own, and thus be conjoined, may also be seen above, n. 617.)
[14] Likewise in Zechariah:
By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth thy bound out of the pit wherein is no water (537.
[15] As the Lord called His blood, meaning the Divine truth proceeding from Him, "the blood of the new covenant," it shall be said briefly what is meant by "the old covenant" and "the new covenant." "The old covenant" means conjunction through such Divine truth as was given to the sons of Israel, which was external, and therefore representative of internal Divine truth. They had no other Divine truth, because they could not receive any other, for they were external and natural men, and not internal or spiritual, as can be seen from the fact that such as knew anything about the Lord's coming had no other thought of Him than that He was to be a king who would raise them above all the peoples in the whole world, and thus establish a kingdom with them on the earth, and not in the heavens and therefrom on the earth with all who believe on Him. "The old covenant," therefore, was a conjunction through such Divine truth as is contained in the books of Moses and is called "commandments, judgments, and statutes," in which, nevertheless, there lay inwardly hidden such Divine truth as is in heaven, which is internal and spiritual. This Divine truth was disclosed by the Lord when He was in the world; and as through this alone there is conjunction of the Lord with men, therefore this is what is meant by "the new covenant," also by "His blood," which is therefore called "the blood of the new covenant." "Wine" has a similar meaning.
[16] This "new covenant," which was to be entered into with the Lord when He should come into the world, is sometimes treated of in the Word of the Old Covenant. Thus in Jeremiah:
Behold the days come in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not as the covenant which I made with your fathers, for they have made My covenant void. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days; I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart, and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people; neither shall they teach anymore a man his companion, a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for all shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them (433; that "the days come" means the Lord's coming is evident. That there would then be conjunction with the Lord through Divine truth, internal and spiritual, is meant by the words, "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days, I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart." This signifies that they would then receive Divine truth inwardly in themselves; for spiritual Divine truth is received by man inwardly, thus otherwise than with the sons of Israel and the Jews, who received it outwardly; for when a man receives Divine truth inwardly in himself, that is, makes it to be of his love and thus of his life, truth is known from the truth itself, because the Lord flows into His own truth with man, and teaches him; this is what is meant by the words, "they shall no more teach a man his companion, and a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for all shall know Me, from the least even to the greatest." The conjunction itself thereby effected, which "the new covenant" signifies, is meant by "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people."
[17] In the same:
They shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to them for God, and I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days; and I will make with them an eternal covenant that I will not turn Me back from after them, that I may do them good; and My fear will I put into their heart that they may not depart from with Me (Jeremiah 32:38-40).
This, too, is said of the Lord and of the new covenant with Him; conjunction thereby is meant by "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to me for a people," and is further described by this, that "He would give to them one heart and one way, to fear Him all the days," and that "He would not turn Himself back from after them, and that He would put fear into their heart that they might not depart from with Him;" "one heart and one way to fear Me" signifies one will of good and one understanding of truth for worshiping the Lord; and as the conjunction is reciprocal, that is, a conjunction of the Lord with them and of them with the Lord, it is said that He will not turn Him back from after them "that I may do them good, and they will not depart from with Me." From this it is clear what is signified by "the eternal covenant" that He will enter into with them, namely, conjunction through spiritual Divine truth, which truth, when received, constitutes the life of man, and from it comes eternal conjunction.
[18] In Ezekiel:
I will raise up over them one shepherd who shall feed them, My servant David. I Jehovah will be to them for God, and My servant David a prince in the midst of them. Then will I make with them a covenant of peace, I will cause the evil wild beast to cease that they may dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests (Ezekiel 34:23-25).
This also is said of the Lord; and "David," who shall feed them and who shall be a prince in the midst of them, means the Lord in relation to the Divine truth, who is called a servant from serving; conjunction with the Lord through the Divine truth is meant by "the covenant" which He will make with them; this is called "a covenant of peace," because man by conjunction with the Lord has peace from the infestation of evil and falsity from hell; therefore also it is added, "I will cause the evil wild beast to cease, that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forests," "evil wild beast" meaning falsity and evil from hell, and "to dwell securely in the wilderness and to sleep in the forests" signifying that they shall be safe everywhere from all infestation from falsity and evil.
[19] In the same:
My servant David shall be a king over them, that they all may have one shepherd. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be a covenant of eternity with them; and I will give them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them to eternity, and My habitation with them; and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people (Ezekiel 37:24, 26, 27).
Here also by "David" the Lord is meant, for it is evident that David was not to come again to be their king and shepherd; but the Lord is called "king" from Divine truth, for this is the royalty of the Lord, while Divine good is His priesthood; and the Lord is called "shepherd," because He will feed them with Divine truth, and thereby lead to the good of love, and thus to Himself; and because from this there is conjunction it is said, "I will make with them a covenant of peace, a covenant of eternity." What "a covenant of peace" signifies has been told just above, also that "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people," means conjunction. The "sanctuary" that He will set in the midst of them, and the "habitation" that will be with them, signify heaven and the church, that are called a "sanctuary" from the good of love, and a "habitation" from the truths of that good, for the Lord dwells in truths from good.
[20] In Hosea:
In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to Me forever (650.) This makes evident that the covenant the Lord will make is a spiritual covenant, or a covenant through spiritual truth, and not a covenant through natural truth such as was made with the sons of Israel; this latter was "the old covenant," the former was "the new covenant."
[21] As "the law" that was promulgated by the Lord from Mount Sinai meant in a broad sense the Word, so also the tables on which that law was written are called "tables of the covenant" in Moses:
I went up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you. At the end of forty days and forty nights Jehovah gave to me the two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant (Arcana Coelestia 643 Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376). For the same reason the ark in which these tables were placed was called "the ark of the Covenant," and with the sons of Israel this was the most holy thing of their worship, as has been shown in the preceding article.
[22] Thirdly, That the commandments, judgments, and statutes commanded to the sons of Israel were to them a covenant, because through these there was then conjunction with the Lord, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:
If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments and do them, I will have respect unto you, and will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will establish My covenant with you. But if ye reject My statutes, so that ye do not all My commandments, whilst ye make My covenant void, I will do to you the opposite (248.)
[23] "Covenant" has a like meaning in the following passages. In Moses:
Jehovah said unto Moses, Write thou these words, for upon the mouth of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel (Exodus 34:27).
In the same:
Keep the words of this covenant and do them, ye that stand here this day, your heads, your tribes, your officers, and every man of Israel, to pass over into the covenant of Jehovah and into His oath which Jehovah thy God maketh with thee this day, that He may establish thee this day for a people, and that He may be to thee for God; not with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but also with everyone who is not here with you this day (Deuteronomy 29:9, 10, 12 -15).
In the second book of Kings:
King Josiah sent and gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem; and the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, also the priests and the prophets, and the whole people from small even to great; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah; and the king stood by the pillar, and made the covenant before Jehovah to go after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all the heart and with all the soul, to establish all the words of this covenant written upon this book; and all the people stood in the covenant (2 Kings 23:1-3).
So, too, in other passages (Jeremiah 22:8, 9; 33:20-22; 50:5; Ezekiel 16:8; Malachi 2:14; Psalms 78:37; 50:5, 16; 103:17, 18; 105:8, 9; 106:45; 111:5, 9; Deuteronomy 17:2; 1 Kings 19:14). In all these passages "covenant" is mentioned, and by it the externals that the sons of Israel were to observe are meant.
[24] But as regards the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, this was not the same as the covenant He made with the posterity of Jacob, but it was a covenant on the part of the Lord that their seed should be multiplied, and to their seed the land of Canaan should be given, and on the part of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that every male should be circumcised. That the covenant with the posterity of Jacob was different is evident in Moses:
Jehovah our God made with us a covenant in Horeb; Jehovah made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us (Deuteronomy 5:2, 3).
Regarding the former covenant it is written in Moses:
Jehovah brought Abraham forth abroad, and said, Look toward heaven and number the stars; and He said to him, So shall thy seed be. And He said to him, Take to thee 1a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he divided them in the midst, and he laid each part over against the other, but the birds divided he not. And the sun went down and it became very dark; and behold a furnace of smoke and a torch of fire passed through between the pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham 2saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates (Arcana Coelestia 1783-1862.)
[25] The covenant was made by circumcision because circumcision represented the purification from the loves of self and of the world which are bodily and earthly loves, and the removal of these; therefore also the circumcision was made with a little knife of stone, which signified the truth of doctrine, by which all purification from evils and falsities and their removal is effected. (But the particulars recorded in that chapter respecting this covenant are explained in Arcana Coelestia 1987-2095; and respecting circumcision, n. 2039 at the end, 2046 at the end, 2632, 2799, 4462, 7044, 8093.) But as "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean in the internal sense the Lord, so "their seed" signify all who are of the Lord's church, which church is meant by "the land of Canaan," which their seed was to inherit.
[26] There was also a covenant entered into with Noah:
That men should no more perish by the waters of a flood, and that a bow should be in the cloud for a sign of that covenant (Arcana Coelestia 659-675, 1022-1059. That "the bow in the cloud," or the rainbow, here signifies regeneration, which is effected by Divine truth and a life according to it, and that consequently that bow was taken for a sign of the covenant, may also be seen in the same work (n. 1042).
[27] Fourth, That further, whatever conjoins is called a covenant; as the Sabbath in Moses:
The sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath in their generations, the covenant of an age (Arcana Coelestia 8494, 8495, 8510, 10356, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730.)
[28] Again, the salt in the sacrifices is called "the salt of the covenant" in Moses:
Thou shalt not cause the salt of the covenant of thy God to cease upon thine offering, upon all thine offering thou shalt offer salt (Arcana Coelestia 9207.)
[29] A wife is called "the wife of a covenant" in Malachi:
Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant (Malachi 2:14).
A wife is here called "the wife of the covenant" from her conjunction with her husband, but "wife" here signifies the church, and "the wife of youth" the Ancient Church, against which the Jewish Church is said to have dealt treacherously. Because these were both representative churches, and in this respect alike, and thus were conjoined, it is said, "though she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant."
[30] "A covenant with the stones of the field" is spoken of in Job:
Thou shalt not be afraid of the wild beast of the field, for with the stones of the field is thy covenant, and the wild beast of the field shall be at peace with thee (Job 5:22, 23).
"A covenant with the stones of the field" signifies conjunction with the truths of the church, for "stones" signify truths, "field" the church, and "covenant" conjunction; "the wild beast of the field" signifies the love of falsity, of which wild beast "thou shalt not be afraid," and which "shall be at peace," when there is conjunction with the church through truths.
[31] Again, "a covenant with wild beasts and birds" is spoken of in Hosea:
In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth (Hosea 2:18).
And in Moses:
God said unto Noah, Behold I establish My covenant with you and with every living soul that is with you, the bird, the beast, and every wild beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, even every wild beast of the earth (Genesis 9:9, 10).
"A covenant with beast, wild beast, bird and creeping thing of the earth," signifies conjunction with such things with man as are signified by these, for "beast" signifies the affection of good, "wild beast" the affection of truth, "bird" the thinking faculty, and "creeping thing of the earth" the knowing faculty which lives from these affections.
[32] "A covenant with death" is spoken of in Isaiah:
Ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have made vision. Your covenant with death shall be abolished, and your vision with hell shall not stand (Isaiah 28:15, 18).
"To make a covenant with death" signifies conjunction through falsity from hell, from which man dies spiritually; "to make a vision with hell" signifies divination from hell as if prophetic. From the passages here cited in series it can be seen that "covenant," where the Lord is treated of, signifies conjunction through Divine truth. There is, indeed, a conjunction with Him through the good of love; but because the Lord flows in with man through good into truths, whereby man has the affection of truth, and receives the Lord's good in truths, from which he acknowledges, confesses, and worships the Lord, thence the good of love conjoins through truth, comparatively as the heat of the sun in the time of spring and summer conjoins itself with the fructifications of the earth.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "for Me."
2. The Hebrew has "Abram," as found in Arcana Coelestia 1863, 1864.
701. Quoniam arca vocatur "arca foederis", etiam confirmandum est ex Verbo quod ideo dicta sit "arca foederis", quia in illa fuit Lex; ac per "Legem", per quam in lato sensu intelligitur Verbum, 1
significatur Dominus quoad Divinum Verum, quod est Verbum, ita Divinum Verum seu Verbum quod a Domino, et in quo est Dominus, quia omne Divinum Verum procedit ab Ipso: hoc cum recipitur ab homine, fit conjunctio cum Domino; et haec conjunctio est, quae significatur per "foedus." Quomodo conjunctio Domini cum homine et hominis cum Domino fit, etiam paucis dicetur. Dominus apud omnes homines continue influit cum luce quae illustrat, et cum affectione sciendi et intelligendi vera ac volendi et faciendi illa: et quia illa lux et illa affectio continue influit a Domino, sequitur, quod quantum homo recipit ex, illa luce, tantum rationalis fiat; et quantum ex illa affectione, tantum sapiens fiat, et ducatur a Domino. Illa affectio cum luce ad se trahit illa vera quae homo ab infantia didicit ex Verbo, ex doctrina e Verbo, et ex praedicatione, ac conjungit sibi; nam omnis affectio vult nutriri a cognitionibus quae cum illa concordant. Ex illa conjunctione formatur affectio seu amor spiritualis hominis, per quem ille conjungitur Domino, hoc est, per quem Dominus conjungit hominem Sibi.
[2] Sed ad recipiendum illam lucem et illam affectionem, datum etiam est homini liberum electionis, quod quia ex Domino est, etiam est donum Domini apud hominem, et nusquam ei aufertur; nam liberum illud est affectionis seu amoris hominis, proinde etiam est vitae ejus. Homo ex libero potest cogitare et velle malum, et quoque cogitare et velle bonum: quantum itaque ex illo libero, quod est amoris et inde vitae ejus, cogitat falsa et vult mala, quae sunt contra vera et bona Verbi, tantum non conjungitur Domino; at quantum cogitat vera et vult bona, quae sunt ex Verbo, tantum conjungitur Domino, et Dominus facit ut sint amoris ejus, et inde vitae ejus. Ex his constare potest quod conjunctio illa sit reciproca, nempe Domini cum homine, et hominis cum Domino: talis conjunctio est, quae intelligitur per "foedus" in Verbo.
[3] Fallitur qui credit quod homo nihil agere possit ad salutem suam, quia lux videndi vera et affectio faciendi illa, tum etiam liberum cogitandi et volendi illa, sunt a Domino, et nihil eorum ab homine; sed quia illa apparent homini sicut sint in illo, et cum cogitantur et voluntur, sicut sint ex illo, propter illam apparentiam debet homo cogitare et velle illa sicut a se, sed usque agnoscere quod sint ex Domino; aliter nihil veri et boni, seu fidei et amoris, potest appropriari homini: qui remittit manus, et exspectat influxum, is nihil recipit; et eo nulla est conjunctio reciproca cum Domino; inde non est in foedere. Quod ita sit, clare potest constare ex eo, quod Dominus in Verbo mille in locis dixerit quod facient bonum, et quod non facient malum; quae nequaquam dixisset, nisi datum esset homini aliquid ex quo facere potest, et quod id quod datum est ei, appareat ei sicut suum, tametsi non est ejus: et quia ita est, ideo Dominus ita loquitur apud Johannem,
"Sto ad januam, et pulso; si quis audiverit vocem meam, et aperuerit januam, ingrediar ad illum, et cenabo cum illo, et ille Mecum" (Apocalypsis 3:20).
[4] Quod "foedus" significet conjunctionem cum Domino per receptionem Divini Veri intellectu et voluntate, seu corde et anima, hoc est, amore et fide, et quod conjunctio illa fiat reciproce, constare potest ex Verbo ubi "foedus" nominatur. Ex Verbo enim patet,
1. Quod Ipse Dominus dicatur "Foedus", quia conjunctio fit ad Ipso cum Ipso per Divinum quod procedit ab Ipso.
2. Quod Divinum procedens, quod est Divinum Verum ita Verbum, sit foedus, quia illud conjungit.
3. Quod praecepta, judicia, statuta, filiis Israelis mandata, fuerint illis foedus, quia per illa fuit tunc conjunctio cum Domino.
4. Quod praeterea quicquid conjungit dictum sit foedus.
[5] Quod Primum attinet, Quod Ipse Dominus dicatur "Foedus", quia conjunctio fit ab Ipso, constat ex his locis:
– Apud Esaiam,
"Jehovah, vocavi Te in justitia, et apprehendam manum tuam et custodiam Te, et dabo Te in foedus populi, et in lucem gentium" (42:6):
haec de Domino, qui "Foedus populi et Lux gentium" vocatur, ex eo, quod "foedus" significet conjunctionem, et "lux" Divinum Verum; per "populos" intelliguntur qui in veris sunt, et per "gentes" qui in bonis (videatur supra, n. 175, 331, 625); "vocare Ipsum in justitia" significat ut justitiam faciat separando malos a bonis, et hos salvando, illos autem condemnando; "apprehendere manum et custodire" significat ex omnipotentia Divina, cui inferna resistere 2
nequeunt; quod "Jehovah" facturus sit, significat quod Divinum in Domino.
[6] Apud eundem,
"Dedi Te in foedus populi, ad restituendum terram, et ad hereditandum hereditates devastatas" (Esai. 49:8 3
):
haec quoque de Domino; et "dare in foedus populi significat ut cum Ipso et per Ipsum sit conjunctio; "restituere terram" significat ecclesiam; et "hereditare hereditates devastatas" significat restaurare bona et vera ecclesiae, quae deperdita sunt.
[7] Apud Davidem,
"Pepigi foedus Electo meo, et juravi Davidi Servo meo, In aeternum usque firmabo semen tuum, .... in aeternum servabo Ipsi misericordiam meam, et foedus meum stabile [Ipsi] erit" (Psalms 89:4, 5, 29 [B.A. 3, 4, [28]):
per "Davidem" hic intelligitur Dominus quoad regium (videatur supra, n. 205), qui "Electus" vocatur ex bono, et "Servus" ex vero: "pangere foedus" et "jurare Ipsi" significat unitionem Ipsius Divini cum Humano Ipsius; "pangere foedus" est uniri, et "jurare" est id confirmare: "in aeternum usque firmabo semen tuum" significat aeternitatem Divini Veri ab Ipso; "in aeternum servabo Ipsi misericordiam" significat aeternitatem Divini Boni ab Ipso; "foedus meum stabile erit" significat unionem Divini et Humani in Ipso: hic sensus illorum verborum fit dum pro "Davide" intelligitur Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum et Ejus regium, de quo ita dicitur in sensu litterae quia in eo agitur de Davide, cum quo foedus aeternum non fuit.
[8] In Libro Secundo Samuelis,
"Dixit Deus Israelis, mihi locuta est Petra Israelis;.... et Ille sicut lux matutae, oritur sol, [matutae] sine nubibus, a splendore post pluviam gramen 4
e terra; nonne firma domus mea cum Deo? quia foedus aeternitatis posuit mihi, disponere in omnes et servare (23:3-5):
haec ibi a Davide; et per "Deum Israelis" [et] per "Petram Israelis", intelligitur Dominus quoad Divinum Verum; quid significat quod "Ille sicut lux matutae, oritur sol, matutae sine nubibus, a splendore post pluviam gramen e terra", videatur supra (n. 644 ). Describitur Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, a quo omnis germinatio veri et fructificatio boni: "Nonne firma domus mea cum Deo?" significat ecclesiam conjunctam Domino per Divinum Verum; "domus Davidis" est ecclesia: "quia foedus aeternitatis posuit mihi", significat quod ex unione Humani Ipsius cum Divino sit Ipsi conjunctio cum hominibus ecclesiae: "disponere in omnes et servare" significat ex qua omnia et omnes regit, ac salvat qui recipiunt.
[9] Apud Malachiam,
"Cognoscetis quod miserim ad vos praeceptum hoc, ut sit foedus meum cum Levi;.... foedus meum fuit cum illo vitae et pacis, quae dedi illi cum timore, ut timeret Me;.... lex veritatis fuit in ore Ipsius, et perversitas non inventa est in labiis Ipsius. .... At vos recessistis a via, impingere fecistis multos in lege, corrupistis foedus Levi" (2:4-6, 8):
per "foedus Jehovae cum Levi" in supremo sensu significatur unio Divini cum Humano in Domino, et in sensu respectivo conjunctio Domini cum ecclesia; nam Dominus intelligitur per "Levin" sicut per "Davidem", sed per "Levin" quoad Divinum Bonum quod est sacerdotale Domini, et per "Davidem" quoad Divinum Verum quod est regium Domini: quod Dominus per "Levin" intelligatur, patet ex eo, quod dicatur, "Lex veritatis fuit in ore Ipsius, et perversitas non inventa in labiis Ipsius"; per "legem veritatis" significatur Divinum Verum ex Divino Bono, et per "labia" significatur doctrina veri ac instructio; et postea,
"Labia sacerdotis custodient scientiam, et legem quaerent ex ore Ipsius quia Angelus Jehovae Zebaoth Ille" (vers. 7):
per "foedus vitae et pacis" significatur unio illa et conjunctio illa (de qua mox supra) ex qua Ipse Dominus factus est vita et pax, ex qua homini vita aeterna, et pax ab infestatione a malis et falsis, ita ab inferno: quid significatur per "timorem Ipsius", videatur supra (n. 696); qui vivunt contra Divinum Verum intelliguntur per "Vos recessistis a via, impingere fecistis multos in lege, corrupistis foedus Levi"; per "recedere a via" et "impingere in lege" significatur vivere contra Divinum Verum, et per "corrumpere foedus Levi" significatur conjunctionem cum Domino.
[10] Apud eundem,
"Ecce Ego mitto angelum meum, qui parabit viam ante Me; et subito veniet ad templum suum Dominus et Angelus foederis quem vos desideratis" (3:1):
quod Domini adventus ibi praedicatur, constat; quod Dominus ibi dicatur "Dominus" ex Divino Bono, ac "Angelus foederis" ex Divino Vero, videatur supra (n. 242 [d] 433 [b] 444 [b]), ubi etiam reliqua explicata sunt. Ex his constare potest quod per "foedus", cum de Domino, intelligatur vel Ipse, vel unio Ipsius Divini cum Humano in Ipso; et respective ad illos qui in caelo et in ecclesia sunt, conjunctio cum Ipso per Divinum quod procedit ab Ipso.
[11] Secundo, Quod Divinum procedens, quod est Divinum Verum, ita Verbum, sit foedus, quia illud conjungit, constare potest ex sequentibus locis:
– Apud Mosen,
Moses descendens e Monte Sinai "renuntiavit populo omnia verba Jehovae, et omnia judicia; et respondit omnis populus una voce, et dixerunt, Omnia verba quae locutus est Jehovah faciemus; et scripsit Moses omnia verba Jehovae" in Libro;.... et sumpsit Librum foederis, et legit in auribus populi, et dixerunt, Omne quod locutus est Jehovah faciemus et auscultabimus. Et sumpsit Moses" dimidium sanguinis ex holocaustis, "et sparsit super populum, et dixit, Ecce sanguis foederis, quod pepigit Jehovah vobiscum super omnibus verbis his: et viderunt Deum Israelis, sub cujus pedibus quasi opus lapidis sapphiri" (Exodus 24:3, 4, 7, 8, 10):
quod Divinum Verum, quod apud nos est Verbum, sit foedus, constare potest ex singulis his in sensu interno seu spirituali spectatis; Moses enim, qui dixit illa populo, repraesentavit Legem, hoc est, Verbum, ut constare potest ex aliquibus locis ubi dicitur "Moses et Prophetae", et in aliquibus "Lex et Prophetae", ita "Moses" pro Lege, et Lex in lato sensu significat Verbum, quod est Divinum Verum; tum quoque constare potest ex eo, quod "Mons Sinai" significet caelum, unde Divinum Verum; et ex eo, quod "Liber foederis", qui lectus est coram populo, significet Verbum; et quod "Sanguis", ex quo dimidium sparsum est super populum, etiam significet Divinum Verum, quod est Verbum, et quia id conjungit, vocatur "sanguis foederis": et quoniam omnis conjunctio per Divinum Verum est cum Domino, ideo "Deus Israelis", qui est Dominus, visus est Mosi, Aharoni, et ejus filiis, ac septuaginta senioribus: quod "sub pedibus" visus sit, erat quia cum per Dominum intelligitur Verbum, per "pedes" Ipsius intelligitur Verbum in suis ultimis, hoc est, in sensu litterae ejus, filii enim Israelis non interius viderunt illud; "sicut opus sapphiri" significat pellucidum a veris internis, quae sunt sensus spiritualis Verbi. (Sed haec singillatim ex posita videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 9371-9412.)
[12] Qualis conjunctio sit quae significatur per "foedus", constare etiam potest ex allatis; quod nempe sit sicut solent foedera esse in mundo, nempe a parte unius et a parte alterius, similiter foedera quae Dominus pangit cum hominibus, erunt a parte Domini et a parte hominum; quod erunt a parte utrinque, est propter conjunctionem. Illa quae a parte Domini erant, memorantur. in capite praecedente,
Quod nempe benedicet pani illorum et aquis illorum, quod amovebit morbos, quod possessuri sint terram Canaanis a mari Suph usque ad fluvium Euphratem (Exod., cap. 23:25-31):
et ibi per "benedicere pani et aquis" in sensu interno spirituali significatur fructificatio boni et multiplicatio veri: "panis" significat omne bonum caeli et ecclesiae, et "aquae" omnia vera illius boni: per "amovere morbos" significatur removere mala et falsa quae ab inferno, nam haec sunt morbi in spirituali sensu: et per "possidere terram a mari Suph ad fluvium Euphratem" significatur ecclesia cum omni ejus extensione, quae a Domino illis qui Ipsi per Divinum Verum conjunguntur. Illa autem quae a parte hominis erunt, memorantur in tribus capitibus quae praecedunt, ac in supra allato loco in summa intelliguntur per "verba Jehovae et judicia", quae Moses, descendens e Monte Sinai, renuntiavit populo, ad quae populus una voce dixit, "Omnia verba quae locutus est Jehovah, faciemus et auscultabimus." Inde erat quod Moses diviserit sanguinem holocausti, ac dimidium ejus, quod erat pro Domino, reliquerit in crateribus, et dimidium ejus sparserit super populum.
[13] Quod per Divinum Verum fiat conjunctio Domini cum hominibus, etiam intelligitur per "sanguinem" apud Evangelistas,
Jesus "accipiens poculum, .... [dedit illis,] dicens, Bibite ex eo omnes hic est sanguis meus, ille novi foederis" (Matthaeus 26:27 [, 28] ; Marc. 14:23-24 5
; Luca 22:20):
hic sanguis vocatur "sanguis novi foederis", quia "sanguis" significat Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, ac "foedus" conjunctionem.
(Quod "sanguis" significet Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, receptum ab homine, videatur supra, n. 329, 476; et quod "bibere" significet recipere, appropriare sibi, et sic conjungi, etiam supra, n. 617.)
[14] Similiter apud Sachariam,
"Per sanguinem foederis tui, emittam vinctos tuos e fovea, in qua non aqua" (9:11):
haec de Domino, de quo in illo capite manifeste agitur; et per "sanguinem foederis" intelligitur (ut supra) Divinum Verum, per quod cum Domino conjunctio: quinam per "vinctos in fovea, in qua non aqua", intelliguntur, videatur supra (n. 537(b)).
[15] Quoniam Dominus sanguinem suum, per quem intelligitur Divinum Verum procedens ab Ipso, vocabat "sanguinem foederis novi", paucis etiam dicetur quid per "foedus vetus", et quid per "foedus novum" intelligitur. Per "vetus foedus" intelligitur conjunctio per Divinum Verum quale datum fuit filiis Israelis, quod erat externum, et inde repraesentativum Divini Veri interni; non aliud illis Divinum Verum fuit, quia non aliud recipere potuerunt; fuerunt enim homines externi et naturales, et non interni seu spirituales, ut constare potest ex eo, quod illi, qui de adventu Domini aliquid sciverunt, non aliud cogitaverint de Ipso quam quod futurus rex, qui illos eveheret super omnes populos in universo, et sic qui stabiliret regnum in terris apud illos, et non in caelis et inde in terris apud omnes qui credunt in Ipsum: quare "vetus foedus" fuit conjunctio per tale Divinum Verum quale continetur in Libris Mosis, et dictum fuit "praecepta", "judicia" et "statuta"; in quibus tamen intus latuit Divinum Verum quale est in caelo, quod est internum et spirituale. Hoc Divinum Verum apertum est a Domino cum fuit in mundo; et quia per id solum est conjunctio Domini cum hominibus, ideo id intelligitur per "novum foedus", et quoque id intelligitur per "sanguinem Ipsius", qui inde vocatur "Sanguis novi foederis"; simile etiam intelligitur per "vinum."
[16] De novo hoc foedere, quod ineundum erat cum Domino quando in mundum venturus est, in Verbo Veteris Foederis passim agitur:
– Ut apud Jeremiam,
"Ecce dies venientes, ...quibus pangam cum domo Israelis, et cum domo Jehudae, foedus novum; non sicut foedus quod pepigi cum patribus vestris quia illi irritum reddiderunt foedus meum:.... sed hoc foedus, quod pangam cum domo Israelis post dies hos;.... dabo legem meam in medio eorum, et super cor illorum scribam illam, et ero illis in Deum, et erunt Mihi in populum; neque docebunt vir amplius socium suum, aut vir fratrem suum, dicendo, Cognoscite Jehovam; omnes enim cognoscent Me, a minimo eorum usque ad maximum eorum" (31:31-34):
quod Jehovah, hoc est, Dominus, "pacturus sit cum domo Israelis et cum domo Jehudae foedus novum", non intelligitur quod pacturus sit cum filiis Israelis et cum Jehuda, sed cum omnibus qui in veris doctrinae et in bono amoris in Dominum a Domino sunt; quod hi per "filios Israelis" et per "Jehudam" in Verbo intelligantur, videatur supra (n. 433); quod per "dies venientes" intelligatur adventus Domini, patet: quod conjunctio cum Domino tunc futura sit per Divinum Verum internum et spirituale, intelligitur per haec, "Hoc foedus quod pangam cum domo Israelis post dies hos; dabo legem meam in medio eorum, et super cor illorum scribam illam"; per quae significatur quod recepturi Divinum Verum intus in se; nam Divinum Verum spirituale recipitur intus ab homine, aliter quam apud filios Israelis et Judaeos, qui receperunt illud ab extra; nam cum homo Divinum Verum recipit intra se, hoc est, facit illud amoris sui et inde vitae suae, tunc scitur verum ex ipso vero, quoniam Dominus in suum verum apud hominem influit et docet; hoc intelligitur per haec verba, "Non docebunt amplius vir socium suum ac vir fratrem suum, dicendo, Cognoscite Jehovam; omnes enim cognoscent Me a minimo usque ad maximum": ipsa conjunctio per id, quae significatur per "foedus novum", intelligitur per "Ero illis in Deum, et illi erunt Mihi in populum."
[17] Apud eundem,
"Erunt Mihi in populum, et Ego ero illis in Deum, et dabo iis cor unum et viam unam, ad timendum Me omnibus diebus;.... et feriam illis foedus aeternum, quod non aversurus Me sim a post eos, ut benefaciam iis, et timorem meum dabo in cor eorum, ut non recedant ab apud Me" (32:38-40):
haec etiam de Domino, et de novo foedere cum Ipso; conjunctio per id intelligitur per "Ero illis in Deum et erunt Mihi in populum", et ulterius describitur per quod "daturus iis cor unum et viam unam, ad timendum Ipsum omnibus diebus", et quod "non aversurus sit Se a post illos", et quod "timorem daturus in cor eorum, ut non recedant ab apud Ipsum"; per "cor unum" et per "viam unam ad timendum Me", significatur una voluntas boni et unus intellectus veri ad colendum Dominum; quia conjunctio reciproca est, Domini cum illis, et illorum cum Domino, dicitur quod "non aversurus sit Se a post illos, ut benefaciam iis, et quod "non recedent ab apud Me." Inde patet quid per "foedus aeternum", quod initurus est cum illis, significatur, nempe conjunctio per Divinum Verum spirituale, quod receptum facit vitam hominis; unde fit conjunctio aeterna.
[18] Apud Ezechielem,
"Excitabo super illos Pastorem unum qui pascet eos, Servum meum Davidem:.... Ego Jehovah ero illis in Deum, et Servus meus David Princeps in medio eorum;.... tunc excidam iis foedus pacis, cessare faciam feram malam, ut habitent in deserto confidenter, et dormiant in silvis" (34:23-25):
haec etiam de Domino; et per "Davidem" qui pascet eos, et qui Princeps in medio eorum erit, intelligitur Dominus quoad Divinum Verum, qui "Servus" vocatur ab inservire: conjunctio cum Domino per Divinum Verum, intelligitur per "foedus" quod illis excidet; id vocatur "foedus pacis" ex eo, quod homini per conjunctionem cum Domino sit pax ab infestatione mali et falsi ex inferno: ideo etiam dicitur, "Cessare faciam feram malam, ut habitent in deserto confidenter, et dormiant in silvis"; per "feram malam" intelligitur falsum et malum ex inferno, et per "habitare in deserto confidenter, et dormire in silvis", significatur quod tuti erunt ab omni infestatione illorum ubivis.
[19] Apud eundem,
"Servus meus David erit Rex super illos, ut Pastor unus sit omnibus illis;.... et pangam illis foedus pacis, foedus aeternitatis erit cum illis, et dabo illos, et multiplicabo illos; et ponam sanctuarium meum in medio illorum in aeternum, et habitaculum meum apud illos, et ero illis in Deum, et erunt Mihi in populum" (Ezechielem37:24, 26, 27):
etiam hic per "Davidem" intelligitur Dominus, nam quod non David venturus sit, qui erit rex et pastor eorum, patet; sed Dominus "Rex" vocatur ex Divino Vero, hoc enim est regium Domini, ac Divinum Bonum est sacerdotale Ipsius; et Dominus "Pastor" vocatur, quia pascet illos Divino Vero, et per id ducet ad bonum amoris, et sic ad Se; et quia inde conjunctio, dicitur "Pangam illis foedus pacis, foedus aeternitatis"; quid significat "foedus pacis", mox supra dictum est, tum quod conjunctio intelligatur per "Ero illis in Deum, et illi erunt Mihi in populum": per "sanctuarium" quod ponetur in medio eorum, et per "habitaculum" quod erit apud illos, significatur quod caelum et ecclesia, quae "sanctuarium" dicuntur ex bono amoris, et "habitaculum" ex veris illius boni, nam Dominus habitat in veris ex bono.
[20] Apud Hoscheam,
"Feriam illis foedus in die illo cum fera agri, cum avi caelorum, et reptili terrae; et arcum, et gladium et bellum frangam de terra, et cubare faciam eos secure, et desponsabo te Mihi in aeternum (2:18, 19):
haec de instauratione novae ecclesiae a Domino: quod tunc Dominus non facturus sit foedus cum fera agri, cum avi caelorum, et cum reptili terrae, patet; quare per illa significantur talia quae apud hominem sunt; per "feram agri" affectio veri et boni, per "avem caelorum" cogitatio spiritualis, et per "reptile terrae" scientificum naturalis hominis; (quid per reliqua significatur, videatur supra, n. 650 ;) inde patet quod "foedus", quod Dominus pacturus est, sit foedus spirituale, seu foedus per spirituale verum, et non foedus per naturale verum, per quod cum filiis Israelis pactus est; hoc itaque est "foedus vetus", et illud "foedus novum."
[21] Quoniam per "Legem", quae a Domino promulgata est e Monte Sinai, in lato sensu significatur Verbum, ideo etiam tabulae, quibus Lex illa inscripta fuit, vocantur "tabulae foederis", apud Mosen,
"Ascendi in montem ad accipiendum tabulas lapidum, tabulas foederis, quod excidit Jehovah vobiscum;.... a fine quadraginta dierum et quadraginta noctium dedit mihi Jehovah duas tabulas lapidum, tabulas foederis" (Deuteronomius 9:9, 11):
per "tabulas" illas, hoc est, per "Legem" illis inscriptam, intelligitur Divinum Verum, per quod conjunctio cum Domino; ex qua conjunctione vocantur "tabulae foederis": et quia omnis conjunctio, sicut foedus, fit a parte unius et a parte alterius, ita vicissim utrinque, ideo tabulae illae binae fuerunt, et ex lapide; quod ex lapide, erat quia per "lapidem" etiam significatur Divinum Verum in ultimis (videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 643, 3720, 6426, 8607, 10376). Inde est quod arca, in qua tabulae illae repositae fuerunt, dicta sit "arca foederis", et quod illa apud filios Israelis fuerit sanctissima cultus, de qua videatur articulus praecedens.
[22] Tertio, Quod praecepta, judicia et statuta, filiis Israelis mandata, fuerint illis foedus, quia per illa fuit tunc conjunctio cum Domino, constare potest ex sequentibus locis:
– Apud Mosen,
"Si in statutis meis ambulaveritis, et praecepta mea observaveritis et feceritis ea respiciam ad vos, .... et fructificabo vos et multiplicabo vos, et confirmabo foedus meum vobiscum. .... At si statuta mea reprobaveritis, ut non faciatis omnia praecepta mea dum irritum feceritis foedus meum", contrarium faciam vobis (Leviticus 26:3, 9, 15, seq.):
in capite praecedente exponuntur statuta et praecepta quae observaturi erant et facturi; et in hoc capite bona quibus gavisuri si praecepta et statuta illa custodirent, et postea mala quae super illos ventura sunt si non custodirent: sed bona quibus gavisuri erant fuerunt bona terrestria et mundana, similiter mala, ex causa quia terrestres et naturales homines fuerunt, et non caelestes et spirituales; et inde nec sciverunt aliquid de bonis quae interius afficiunt hominem, nec de malis quae interius affligunt illum; sed usque externa, quae observare tenebantur, erant talia quae intus in se continerent caelestia et spiritualia, per quae ipsa conjunctio est cum Domino; et quia haec percipiebantur in caelo, ideo externa, quae observaturi erant filii Israelis, vocantur "foedus." (Sed qualis conjunctio Domini cum filiis Israelis per illa fuit, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae n. 248.)
[23] Similia per "foedus" intelliguntur in sequentibus locis:
– Apud Mosen,
"Dixit Jehovah ad Mosen, Scribe tibi verba haec, quia super ore verborum horum pepigi tecum foedus et cum Israele" (Exodus 34:27):
apud eundem,
"Custodite verba foederis hujus, et facite ea vos stantes hodie hic, .... capita vestra, tribus vestrae, ...moderatores vestri, et omnis vir Israelis ad transeundum in foedus Jehovae..., et in juramentum Ipsius, quod Jehovah Deus.. excidens tecum hodie, ut constituat te hodie..in populum, et Ipse sit tibi in Deum;.... non vobiscum solis excido foedus hoc et juramentum.., sed etiam cum omni.... qui non hic vobiscum hodie" (Deuteronomius 29:8, 9, 11-14 [B.A. 9, 10, 12-[15]);
in Libro Secundo Regum,
Rex Joschia "misit, et congregarunt se ad eum omnes seniores Jehudae et Hierosolymae: et ascendit rex Domum Jehovae, et omnis vir Jehudae, et omnes habitatores Hierosolymae cum eo, tum sacerdotes et prophetae, et totus populus a parvo usque ad magnum; et legit in auribus eorum omnia verba Libri foederis inventi in Domo Jehovae; et stetit rex ad columnam, et pepigit foedus coram Jehovah, ad eundum post Jehovam, et ad custodiendum praecepta Ipsius et testimonia Ipsius, et statuta Ipsius, omni corde et omni anima, ad stabiliendum omnia verba foederis hujus scripta super libro hoc: et stetit omnis populus in foedere" (23:1-3):
et praeter alibi (Ut Jeremias 22:8, 9; 33:20-22; 50:5; Ezechiel 16:8; Malachias 2:14; Psalms 78:37; Psalms 50:5, 16; Psalms 103:17, 18; Psalms 105:8, 9; Psalms 106:45; Psalms 111:5, 9; Deuteronomius 17:2:1 Regnum 19:14): in quibus locis nominatur "foedus", et per illud significantur externa, quae filii Israelis observaturi erant.
[24] Quod autem foedus attinet quod Dominus pepigit cum Abrahamo, Isaco, Jacobo, non fuit sicut foedus quod pepigit cum posteris ex Jacobo, sed fuit foedus a parte Domini quod multiplicaretur semen eorum, et daretur ei terra Canaan, et a parte Abrahami, Isaci et Jacobi, ut circumcideretur omnis masculus: quod aliud foedus fuerit cum posteris Jacobi, constat apud Mosen,
"Jehovah Deus..excidit nobiscum foedus in Chorebo; non cum patribus nostris excidit Jehovah foedus hoc, sed cum nobis" (Deuteronomius 5:2, 3).
De hoc foedere ita legitur apud Mosen,
"Jehovah eduxit" Abrahamum "foras, et dixit, Specta versus caelum, et numera stellas;.... et dixit illi, Ita erit semen tuum: et dixit ad illum, Accipe tibi..vitulam triennem, et capram triennem, et arietem triennem, et turturem et pullum;.... ac partitus est illa in medium, et dedit quamvis partem suam obviam alteri, et volucrem non partitus. .... Et sol occidit, et caligo facta est, et ecce furnus fumi et fax ignis transivit inter segmenta. In die illo pepigit Jehovah cum 6
Abrahamo foedus, dicendo, Semini tuo dabo terram hanc a fluvio Aegypti usque ad fluvium magnum Euphratem" (Genesis 15:5-18);
et postea,
"Dabo foedus meum inter Me et inter te, et multiplicabo te in valde valde;.... Ego, ecce foedus meum cum te, et eris in patrem multitudinis gentium;.... et fructificabo temet:.... et dabo tibi et semini tuo post te terram peregrinationum tuarum, omnem terram Canaan, in possessionem aeternam.... . Hoc foedus meum, quod custodietis inter Me et inter vos, et inter semen tuum post te; circumcidetur vobis omnis masculus;.... qui non circumciditur carne praeputii, excidetur anima illa ex populis suis; foedus meum irritum fecit:.... et foedus meum erigam cum Isaco, quem pariet tibi Sarah" (Genesis 17:1-21).
Ex his constare potest quale foedus initum est cum Abrahamo, nempe quod "valde multiplicaretur semen ejus", et quod "daretur illi terra Canaan in possessionem." Ipsa praecepta, judicia et statuta, per quae foedus, non memorantur; sed usque significantur per "vitulam, capram et arietem triennes", et per "turturem et pullum columbarum", per illa enim animalia significantur talia quae ecclesiae sunt; et per ipsam "terram Canaanem" significatur ecclesia. Et quia praevidit Dominus quod posteri Abrahami ex Jacobo non custodituri essent foedus, inde apparuit Abrahamo "furnus fumi" et fax ignis transiens inter segmenta"; et per "furnum fumi" significatur densum falsum, et per "facem ignis" dirum malum, in quibus futuri posteri ex Jacobo; quod etiam confirmatur apud Jeremiam (cap. 33 vers. 18-20).
Quod "Abram partitus sit vitulam, capram et arietem, et dederit quamvis partem obviam alteri", erat secundum rituale foederum, quae sunt inter duos. (Sed haec plene explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, a n. 7
[25] Quod foedus factum sit per circumcisionem, erat quia circumcisio repraesentabat purificationem ab amoribus sui et mundi, qui sunt amores corporei et terrestres, ac remotionem eorum; quare etiam circumcisio facta est per gladiolum ex lapide, per quem significatur verum doctrinae, per quod fit omnis purificatio a malis et falsis ac remotio eorum. (Sed singula quae de illo foedere in eo capite scripta sunt, etiam in Arcanis Caelestibus explicata sunt, an. 1987 ad 2095: et de circumcisione, n. 2039 fin. , 2046 fin. , 2632, 2799, 4462, 7044, 8093, ibi.) Ast quia per "Abrahamum", "Isacum" et "Jacobum" in sensu interno intelligitur Dominus, inde per "semen" illorum significantur omnes qui ab ecclesia Domini sunt, quae ecclesia etiam intelligitur per "terram Canaanem", quam semen illorum hereditaturum erat.
[26] Fuit etiam foedus initum cum Noacho,
Quod non perirent amplius homines per aquas diluvii, et quod arcus in nube esset in signum illius foederis (Genesis 6:17, 18; 9:9-17):
quod etiam id foedus involvat conjunctionem Domini per Divinum Verum, constare potest ab explicatione eorum in Arcanis Caelestibus (n. 659-675, et n. 1022-1059); quod "arcus in nube", seu iris, ibi significet regenerationem, quae fit per Divinum Verum, et per vitam secundum illud, et quod inde sit quod ille arcus assumptus sit in signum foederis, videatur etiam ibi (n. AC 1042).
[27] Quarto, Quod praeterea quicquid conjungit, dictum sit foedus; ut Sabbathum, apud Mosen,
"Servabunt filii Israelis Sabbathum.... in generationes suas, foedus saeculi" (Exodus 31:16):
quod Sabbathum dicatur "foedus saeculi", erat quia "Sabbathum" in supremo sensu significavit unionem Divini cum Humano in Domino, ac in sensu respectivo conjunctionem Domini cum caelo et ecclesia, et in universali sensu conjunctionem boni et veri, quae conjunctio vocatur conjugium caeleste: "quies in die Sabbathi" inde significavit statum unionis illius et conjunctionis illius, quia per illum Domino pax et quies, et per illum etiam pax et salus in caelis et in terris. (Quod illa per "Sabbathum", et per "quietem" tunc significentur, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 8494, 8495, 8510, 10356, 10360, 10367, 10370, 8
[28] Quod sal in sacrificiis dicatur "sal foederis", etiam apud Mosen,
"Non cessare facies salem foederis Dei tui super munere tuo, super omni munere tuo offeres salem" (Leviticus 2:13):
quod sal super munere dicatur "sal foederis", erat causa quia per "salem" significatur desiderium veri ad bonum, ex quo conjunctio utriusque (de qua salis significatione videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 9207).
[29] Quod uxor dicatur "uxor foederis", apud Malachiam,
"Jehovah testificatus est inter te et inter uxorem juventutis tuae, contra quam tu perfide egisti, cum illa socia tua et uxor foederis tui" (2:14):
uxor ibi vocatur "uxor foederis" ex conjunctione cum suo viro; at per "uxorem" ibi significatur ecclesia, et per "uxorem juventutis" Ecclesia Antiqua, contra quam Ecclesia Judaica perfide egisse dicitur; et quia utraque repraesentativa fuit, et in eo similes, et sic forent conjunctae, ideo dicitur, "cum illa socia tua et uxor foederis tui."
[30] Quod "foedus cum lapidibus agri", dicatur apud Hiobum,
"A fera agri non timebis, nam cum lapidibus agri foedus tuum, et fera agri pacifica erit tibi" (5:22, 23):
per "foedus cum lapidibus agri" significatur conjunctio cum veris ecclesiae, nam "lapides" significant vera, "ager" ecclesiam, et "foedus" conjunctionem; per "feram agri" significatur amor falsi, a qua fera "non timebis", et quae "pacifica erit", quando conjunctio per vera est cum ecclesia.
[31] Dicitur etiam "foedus cum feris et avibus", apud Hoscheam,
"Feriam illis foedus in die illo cum fera agri, cum ave caelorum, et cum reptili terrae" (2:18);
et apud Mosen,
"Dixit Deus ad Noachum, .... Ecce Ego erigo foedus meum vobiscum, .... et cum omni anima viva quae cum vobis, ad avem, ad bestiam et ad omnem feram terrae vobiscum, ab omnibus egredientibus area, quoad omnem feram terrae" (Genesis 9:9, 10):
per "foedus cum bestia, fera, avi et cum reptili terrae", significatur conjunctio cum talibus apud hominem quae significantur per illa, per "bestiam" enim significatur affectio boni, per "feram" affectio veri, per "avem" cogitativum, et per "reptile terrae" scientificum, quod ex affectionibus illis vivit.
[32] Dicitur etiam "foedus cum morte", apud Esaiam,
"Dixistis, Excidimus foedus cum morte, et cum inferno fecimus Visionem:.... abolebitur foedus vestrum cum morte, et visio vestra cum inferno non consistet" (28:15, 18):
"excidere foedus cum morte" significat conjunctionem per falsum ex inferno, ex quo homo spiritualiter moritur; "facere visionem cum inferno" Significat divinationem quasi propheticam ex inferno. Ex his nunc in serie allatis constare potest quod per "foedus", ubi agitur de Domino, significetur conjunctio per Divinum Verum. Est quidem conjunctio cum Ipso per bonum amoris; sed quia Dominus influit apud hominem per bonum in vera, unde homini est affectio veri, et homo recipit bonum Domini in veris, ex quibus est illi agnitio, confessio et adoratio Domini, inde bonum amoris per verum conjungit, comparative sicut calor solis tempore veri et aestatis cum fructificationibus terrae.
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