Various States of the Lord's Glorification as seen through Abram
By Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Arcana C&œ;lestial 1431-1447 | Genesis 12: 5-7
By Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Arcana C&œ;lestial 1431-1447 | Genesis 12: 5-7
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance (acquisition) that they had gained in Haran: and went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
(Genesis 12: 5)
there he built an alter to Jehovah, who was seen of him. (Genesis 12: 7)
(Genesis 12: 5)
Here, in this verse, the Lord begins to act upon his awareness that the Divine is within Him. This is that first state, the state where the Lord has awareness of the Divine, just as we, too, are to become aware of the Divine, that is, that there is a God and need to experience an awaking, that we come into reformation and became regenerated. Thus, it was that with the Lord, it was also His awareness of the obscurity of the Divine that was within Him as it is in all. However, with man, it is his idolatry that is the cause of that great obscurity about the Lord and His Kingdom.
So, it is in verse five, chapter twelve of Genesis that the various states that the Lord went through as a child in His union and with the Divine and thus His glorification. The Lord and his life on earth, is seen in Abram as a child, with Truth adjoined to Him. This is His advancement toward the celestial essential of love. What is revealed or seen here is a principle of doctrine. That it is the glorification of Lord and the regeneration of man from the Divine or from Jehovah and which proceeds to the natural, even into the ultimates of creation - with man into the sensuous. This order cannot be reversed, that is man, from his external or natural state cannot become regenerated, not even the Lord, who had put on the human of mankind become glorified by His Natural state. Life, and therefore regeneration, comes from the internal or the soul within where the Divine is with every man and proceeds to the outermost or to the external, which is the natural. The natural man cannot be regenerated before the internal man - the spiritual before the celestial of man - and, so, it is that the Lord's Human put on from His mother when He came onto the world become glorified through the proceeding of the Lord's good and truth from within, from the Divine within Him, to which the child Jesus had become aware.
Still, it should be known that any awareness is from one's natural or body begins from the senses. Here, you can see two things or two essentials that the Lord had from the Divine at His birth: first, the living essential, that is, His Soul, (thus, you can see it is His life) which is the Divine Itself, and second, the influx of the sensuous truth from the Divine. This truth came from the Divine to the Lord's Human He had put-on from mankind. The reason for this is because the Lord was a celestial man and, so, that Divine life entered Him from within directly or immediately, and not from without as it now does with mankind, who has fallen from that celestial state.
Man, too, has been given a soul or a mind from the Lord, but he receives influx now through the senses. There is a vast difference between the sensuous truth that the Lord received when He was a child and the sensuous truth received by a man. Suffice it to say, the Lord's Father was the Divine within, that is, His Soul was Divine and our father, our soul, 'as it were' is not divine. The Lord's mother was, as any other man's, from which the man's evil proprium comes, but this proprium was entirely expelled of 'put-off' by the Lord during His life on earth. Whereas man's proprium from his mother, is only dispersed or put aside 'as it were' to where it is no long the man's central desire. Let us remember we are to receive a new proprium, that is, a new will and understanding, from the Lord.
In our text, verse five, the Lord advances into the celestial things of love and is here signified by Abram going into the land of Canaan. Here, there are several essentials taught. One is that Divine Love to be Love must be received; there must be a recipient of that love. There cannot be such love that does not proceed and is received. No man can see this unless he becomes enlightened because a man's love is not genuine. It is a love of 'self' and a love towards worldly possessions. Thus, true Love from the Lord to be genuine must be shared with another. Therefore, God created man to reciprocate love one to another and to Himself. Love has to be received to be love. If it is not received neither is it love or Divine, and this because the nature of love is to give and be given. One may question here, what is the receiver of the Divine's love, and the answer is: those who are of His Kingdom receive His love.
Therefore, we see the Lord in this state going or advancing into the celestial things of love and, in so doing comes to conjoin Himself with His Kingdom. Here, of course, we can recall that man had turned away from the Lord by sinning and was cast 'as it were' out of Paradise, that is, out from any conjunction with Him. As you can see, His Kingdom is what has come from Himself - His goodness and truthfulness - and is what is within another, but is now held captive by evil. Question: What comes from the Lord? Of course, we have said it is love and wisdom as good and truth, and these proceed united or as one from the Lord as in a marriage. Though, today, in man they are divided. And, as we already have said, love or good and wisdom or truth which proceeds from the Divine to man must be reciprocated by man to be true love and thus, effective. This necessitates the creation of vessels in order that such love and truth can be received and from which reciprocation can occur. From this you can see the Lord's Kingdom are both the angels in Heaven and those of mankind on earth that have and do receive and reciprocate the Lord's goods and truths or who have loved his neighbor as himself and the Lord above all else. Also, in this, it is seen that man has an internal and an external.
Again, in this verse (5), we see that the Lord had attained these celestial things of love as is signified in Abram taking "Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the substance that they had gained." The Lord, as a man born in this world, advanced through several states in coming into His glorification. First, we see the state of celestial things of love had become apparent to Him and then, further, the state of perception of the Divine was seen in these celestial things. In these, the Lord knew that His Soul was the Divine.
Now, in the next verse, verse six, we will learn about these two states.
And Abram passed through the land, even unto the place Shechem, even unto the
oak-grove Moreh; and the Canaanite was then in the land. (Genesis 12: 6)So, it is in verse five, chapter twelve of Genesis that the various states that the Lord went through as a child in His union and with the Divine and thus His glorification. The Lord and his life on earth, is seen in Abram as a child, with Truth adjoined to Him. This is His advancement toward the celestial essential of love. What is revealed or seen here is a principle of doctrine. That it is the glorification of Lord and the regeneration of man from the Divine or from Jehovah and which proceeds to the natural, even into the ultimates of creation - with man into the sensuous. This order cannot be reversed, that is man, from his external or natural state cannot become regenerated, not even the Lord, who had put on the human of mankind become glorified by His Natural state. Life, and therefore regeneration, comes from the internal or the soul within where the Divine is with every man and proceeds to the outermost or to the external, which is the natural. The natural man cannot be regenerated before the internal man - the spiritual before the celestial of man - and, so, it is that the Lord's Human put on from His mother when He came onto the world become glorified through the proceeding of the Lord's good and truth from within, from the Divine within Him, to which the child Jesus had become aware.
Still, it should be known that any awareness is from one's natural or body begins from the senses. Here, you can see two things or two essentials that the Lord had from the Divine at His birth: first, the living essential, that is, His Soul, (thus, you can see it is His life) which is the Divine Itself, and second, the influx of the sensuous truth from the Divine. This truth came from the Divine to the Lord's Human He had put-on from mankind. The reason for this is because the Lord was a celestial man and, so, that Divine life entered Him from within directly or immediately, and not from without as it now does with mankind, who has fallen from that celestial state.
Man, too, has been given a soul or a mind from the Lord, but he receives influx now through the senses. There is a vast difference between the sensuous truth that the Lord received when He was a child and the sensuous truth received by a man. Suffice it to say, the Lord's Father was the Divine within, that is, His Soul was Divine and our father, our soul, 'as it were' is not divine. The Lord's mother was, as any other man's, from which the man's evil proprium comes, but this proprium was entirely expelled of 'put-off' by the Lord during His life on earth. Whereas man's proprium from his mother, is only dispersed or put aside 'as it were' to where it is no long the man's central desire. Let us remember we are to receive a new proprium, that is, a new will and understanding, from the Lord.
In our text, verse five, the Lord advances into the celestial things of love and is here signified by Abram going into the land of Canaan. Here, there are several essentials taught. One is that Divine Love to be Love must be received; there must be a recipient of that love. There cannot be such love that does not proceed and is received. No man can see this unless he becomes enlightened because a man's love is not genuine. It is a love of 'self' and a love towards worldly possessions. Thus, true Love from the Lord to be genuine must be shared with another. Therefore, God created man to reciprocate love one to another and to Himself. Love has to be received to be love. If it is not received neither is it love or Divine, and this because the nature of love is to give and be given. One may question here, what is the receiver of the Divine's love, and the answer is: those who are of His Kingdom receive His love.
Therefore, we see the Lord in this state going or advancing into the celestial things of love and, in so doing comes to conjoin Himself with His Kingdom. Here, of course, we can recall that man had turned away from the Lord by sinning and was cast 'as it were' out of Paradise, that is, out from any conjunction with Him. As you can see, His Kingdom is what has come from Himself - His goodness and truthfulness - and is what is within another, but is now held captive by evil. Question: What comes from the Lord? Of course, we have said it is love and wisdom as good and truth, and these proceed united or as one from the Lord as in a marriage. Though, today, in man they are divided. And, as we already have said, love or good and wisdom or truth which proceeds from the Divine to man must be reciprocated by man to be true love and thus, effective. This necessitates the creation of vessels in order that such love and truth can be received and from which reciprocation can occur. From this you can see the Lord's Kingdom are both the angels in Heaven and those of mankind on earth that have and do receive and reciprocate the Lord's goods and truths or who have loved his neighbor as himself and the Lord above all else. Also, in this, it is seen that man has an internal and an external.
Again, in this verse (5), we see that the Lord had attained these celestial things of love as is signified in Abram taking "Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the substance that they had gained." The Lord, as a man born in this world, advanced through several states in coming into His glorification. First, we see the state of celestial things of love had become apparent to Him and then, further, the state of perception of the Divine was seen in these celestial things. In these, the Lord knew that His Soul was the Divine.
Now, in the next verse, verse six, we will learn about these two states.
And Abram passed through the land, even unto the place Shechem, even unto the
By Abram 'passing through the land' signifies the Lord going or living in the natural state into which man had fallen. It is into this natural state of man, into a man's external state, where the will and understanding distorts and destroys the love and wisdom from the Lord, which, as we have shown, was the celestial things of love that the Lord had came into. The Lord had assumed the Human from the mother (Mary) from which came His proprium of man and, we know that man's proprium had become entirely evil, the man (of the Most Ancient Church or Adam) having distorted the proprium the Lord had given to mankind. Thus, it was the heredity of the mother that the Lord assumed upon coming into the natural world. This Human He put-off or expelled, the last being seen in the passion of the cross, having risen from the grave. By Abram coming to Shechem is signified the Lord's second state while in the natural human. In this state, like man, things are seen as apparent, that is, they are not genuine or true. However, to the Lord they were understood as from the Divine and not as from one's self. Therefore, it was that the Lord perceived as did those who were celestial of the first Church - Adam - and so; the Lord has perception, that is, He saw or learned from within or immediately without the need of His natural senses, as man does today in order that he may acquire knowledge and learn of God. Thus, also, today man does not perceive the celestial things of love, unless he is enlightened by the Lord. This is, today, indeed possible, though the man must have a true doctrine and, in true faith act according to that doctrine. Today, a man receives knowledge through his senses and says that he knows and acknowledges. You can understand from this then that perception is from celestial things or of the essentials of love and not from any understanding that we have, even if a man were to be elevated 'as it were' into Heaven, for he would fall, having nothing to hold him there. Thus, it is that the Lord, while in the Human of mankind, perceived in His thoughts and ideas the true or genuine good and the truth, and was not as man, who sees in his natural state through appearances or as Paul say 'darkly' as if through a dark glass. A man acknowledges that good and truth are from the Lord only after learning that truth indirectly, through the written Word, and only after he develops and receives faith and lives a life of charity.
So far we see the Lord, in His coming on earth, had become aware of His obscurity of celestial things of love, things that a man only comes to understand as he gets to know the Lord. This, the Lord become aware of His (natural) obscurity and this is called the first advertence or His turning to the Divine or to that which is His own. Next, we saw where the celestial things of love - His Kingdom - which we learned was His Proceeding Love, had became apparent to Him as a natural human. Then, His first perception came and He perceived the proceeding Good and the Truth and, so, could see His Kingdom in all creation. Thus far the Lord appears to have no opposition when He assumed the Natural Human.
However, in the verse just quoted, we see or read that "the Canaanite was then in the land". Now, we know that the Lord's inheritance from the mother was evil and like all men He has to fight against the tendency to sin because of that hereditary love of self and of the things of the world in order to redeem His Kingdom. The good and truth given to man had been infested and was now ruled by the hells. The Lord could see that His purpose was to re-establish His Kingdom on earth; He had to take back His Kingdom which had been stolen. Here, you may be reminded of the story or parable where the husbandman left his vineyard to caretakers who claimed it for themselves and killed those who were sent to receive the profits. Spiritually, it is the good and the truth that has been taken for one's self and that kills any attempt to reclaim them.
We know that temptations come to all men and see here that the Lord had inherited the mother's proprium - the will of the natural man - which was the love to self and was evil. He, thus, could be tempted as are all men by evil and falsity and so, could fight and defeat them and take back His Kingdom again. Unless, He had come and assumed the Human, born of Mary, a virgin, the evils could have never attacked Him nor could He be victorious and, thus, could not free man from his bondage to an eternal life in hell.
From a cursory study of the Old Testament one sees that the Canaanite signified evil since the Israelites were not to associate with them and had fought against them. Thus, we can understand that the hereditary evil from the mother is seen as the 'Canaanite in the land'. This evil was in the Human that He assumed in the world and must be defeated. As we have noted, this was the Lord's natural Human that He assumed, which was the will and the understanding that He inherited from the mother that must be defeated. It was how the Lord could overcome the evils and become victorious, and thus, become glorified and so, receives all power in Heaven and earth. Now, it was not from this hereditary will and understanding assumed from Mary that the Lord conquered the evils and redeemed His Kingdom. It was this that the Lord removed or 'put-off' and in so doing He 'put-on' the Human from the Divine, which was only made possible as He glorified His Human from the Divine within.
All the combats and temptations He faced are signified in Abram going through the land of Canaan as is revealed in the Third Testament in the reading listed in Arcana C&œ;lestia above. But, here, in our verse, in Genesis, there is only mention of the appearance of Jehovah or of the Divine and of the celestial things of love, that is, of His Kingdom. It was in the Lord's first perception of those celestial things of love that He had perceived that love and wisdom is in every created thing. Thus, the Lord when He was a child saw the image of the Divine - the good and truth - proceeding into everything both in Heaven and earth.
And Jehovah was seen of Abram, and said, To thy seed will I give this land. AndSo far we see the Lord, in His coming on earth, had become aware of His obscurity of celestial things of love, things that a man only comes to understand as he gets to know the Lord. This, the Lord become aware of His (natural) obscurity and this is called the first advertence or His turning to the Divine or to that which is His own. Next, we saw where the celestial things of love - His Kingdom - which we learned was His Proceeding Love, had became apparent to Him as a natural human. Then, His first perception came and He perceived the proceeding Good and the Truth and, so, could see His Kingdom in all creation. Thus far the Lord appears to have no opposition when He assumed the Natural Human.
However, in the verse just quoted, we see or read that "the Canaanite was then in the land". Now, we know that the Lord's inheritance from the mother was evil and like all men He has to fight against the tendency to sin because of that hereditary love of self and of the things of the world in order to redeem His Kingdom. The good and truth given to man had been infested and was now ruled by the hells. The Lord could see that His purpose was to re-establish His Kingdom on earth; He had to take back His Kingdom which had been stolen. Here, you may be reminded of the story or parable where the husbandman left his vineyard to caretakers who claimed it for themselves and killed those who were sent to receive the profits. Spiritually, it is the good and the truth that has been taken for one's self and that kills any attempt to reclaim them.
We know that temptations come to all men and see here that the Lord had inherited the mother's proprium - the will of the natural man - which was the love to self and was evil. He, thus, could be tempted as are all men by evil and falsity and so, could fight and defeat them and take back His Kingdom again. Unless, He had come and assumed the Human, born of Mary, a virgin, the evils could have never attacked Him nor could He be victorious and, thus, could not free man from his bondage to an eternal life in hell.
From a cursory study of the Old Testament one sees that the Canaanite signified evil since the Israelites were not to associate with them and had fought against them. Thus, we can understand that the hereditary evil from the mother is seen as the 'Canaanite in the land'. This evil was in the Human that He assumed in the world and must be defeated. As we have noted, this was the Lord's natural Human that He assumed, which was the will and the understanding that He inherited from the mother that must be defeated. It was how the Lord could overcome the evils and become victorious, and thus, become glorified and so, receives all power in Heaven and earth. Now, it was not from this hereditary will and understanding assumed from Mary that the Lord conquered the evils and redeemed His Kingdom. It was this that the Lord removed or 'put-off' and in so doing He 'put-on' the Human from the Divine, which was only made possible as He glorified His Human from the Divine within.
All the combats and temptations He faced are signified in Abram going through the land of Canaan as is revealed in the Third Testament in the reading listed in Arcana C&œ;lestia above. But, here, in our verse, in Genesis, there is only mention of the appearance of Jehovah or of the Divine and of the celestial things of love, that is, of His Kingdom. It was in the Lord's first perception of those celestial things of love that He had perceived that love and wisdom is in every created thing. Thus, the Lord when He was a child saw the image of the Divine - the good and truth - proceeding into everything both in Heaven and earth.
there he built an alter to Jehovah, who was seen of him. (Genesis 12: 7)
In this verse we learn that Jehovah, that is, the Divine was seen of Him while the Lord, that is, Jesus was yet a child. Up until now nothing has been said concerning 'child'. However, it is known that by a child is signified the innocence of charity. The Word of the Third Testament tells us that children signify innocence and charity. So it is that the Lord, as a child, is that innocence with celestial love to which He is to attain. Charity with man is the Lord's love of the neighbor in man. One can say that the Lord is Charity Itself; it is His love for the entire human race and is that Divine Love proceeding. Our comprehension of that love - even as a child that the Lord had attained through perception of the Divine in His Kingdom was at the beginning of His glorification, even in sensuous things that He might redeem man, that he become regenerated - is found lacking.
The Lord's seed is His good and His truth, while a man's seed is evil and false, for each person is his own good or truth, likewise his own evil or falsity. Those who receive the Lord's seed receive His Kingdom, that is, His love and His truth. It is these that have faith in the Lord and who come into His Kingdom.
To acknowledge the Lord as God is the first thing of worship. Thus, it is that, here, we see that the Lord first worshipped of His Father as signified by Abram building 'an altar to Jehovah'. This act was from celestial love, not natural love, even if it was revealed through His sensuous truth. It is also thus with a man's acknowledgement of the Lord as God and is his first attempt to worship God. All one has to do is point to the Commandments and to other places in the Word to see that this is so and, to see He that is the creator of the Heavens and the earth.
When we study these verses a little further into the doctrine of the Lord through the story Abram, we notice that he took Sarai as his wife (verse 5) and that this signifies the good to which truth, that is, the Lord as truth, had been adjoined. This can be seen as resembling a marriage - good with truth. And, this marriage is to be applied to man as well, for as we saw these attributes flow together or as one from the Divine into man. In the Lord, in His Human He had assumed upon coming into the world, these were adjoined in Him, and so a man is to follow the Lord in this. In this state we notice that the truth is adjoined, but is not conjoined with the Lord. This is because, as man, who has fallen from God's grace, the understanding and, thus, the truth with him is seen in the wife and is not the love or good. For, it is the understanding that must now, through the senses from which truth is learned and not through the will in which truth comes through perception. So, it is in the Word that where the husband and wife are spoken of that the wife signifies truth, but where it speaks of man and his wife, the wife means love. So, when the Lord is the husband and the Church is the Wife, then the Church is seen as the truth. And, when the Lord is seen as a Man assumed in the world, He is said to be the Truth and His Father, the Divine, as Love or Good. Thus, the Lord says, 'I am the truth', though He is not separate from the Divine or Good. Therefore, it was the union of His Human Essence with His Divine Essence that the Lord was accomplishing while here in this world. This Union is also the union of His Kingdom, of both the Heavens and on earth with Himself.
Unlike man today, the Lord's celestial and spiritual life degrees are not hidden and close off from Him as it is to a man. Thus, the sensuous truth that was insinuated into the Lord is into His celestial and He alone is that celestial man, mankind having turned away from his celestial and even his spiritual life. We are not celestial men, therefore, we cannot be given this truth immediately or directly and instead we receive only an appearance of the truth, for it comes through our senses. What is meant by sensuous truth is one being able to see in each and all things in the Heavens and the earth as having being created and sustained by the Lord, and thus, are seen as being revealed in a resemblance of the Lord's image.
End.
The Lord's seed is His good and His truth, while a man's seed is evil and false, for each person is his own good or truth, likewise his own evil or falsity. Those who receive the Lord's seed receive His Kingdom, that is, His love and His truth. It is these that have faith in the Lord and who come into His Kingdom.
To acknowledge the Lord as God is the first thing of worship. Thus, it is that, here, we see that the Lord first worshipped of His Father as signified by Abram building 'an altar to Jehovah'. This act was from celestial love, not natural love, even if it was revealed through His sensuous truth. It is also thus with a man's acknowledgement of the Lord as God and is his first attempt to worship God. All one has to do is point to the Commandments and to other places in the Word to see that this is so and, to see He that is the creator of the Heavens and the earth.
When we study these verses a little further into the doctrine of the Lord through the story Abram, we notice that he took Sarai as his wife (verse 5) and that this signifies the good to which truth, that is, the Lord as truth, had been adjoined. This can be seen as resembling a marriage - good with truth. And, this marriage is to be applied to man as well, for as we saw these attributes flow together or as one from the Divine into man. In the Lord, in His Human He had assumed upon coming into the world, these were adjoined in Him, and so a man is to follow the Lord in this. In this state we notice that the truth is adjoined, but is not conjoined with the Lord. This is because, as man, who has fallen from God's grace, the understanding and, thus, the truth with him is seen in the wife and is not the love or good. For, it is the understanding that must now, through the senses from which truth is learned and not through the will in which truth comes through perception. So, it is in the Word that where the husband and wife are spoken of that the wife signifies truth, but where it speaks of man and his wife, the wife means love. So, when the Lord is the husband and the Church is the Wife, then the Church is seen as the truth. And, when the Lord is seen as a Man assumed in the world, He is said to be the Truth and His Father, the Divine, as Love or Good. Thus, the Lord says, 'I am the truth', though He is not separate from the Divine or Good. Therefore, it was the union of His Human Essence with His Divine Essence that the Lord was accomplishing while here in this world. This Union is also the union of His Kingdom, of both the Heavens and on earth with Himself.
Unlike man today, the Lord's celestial and spiritual life degrees are not hidden and close off from Him as it is to a man. Thus, the sensuous truth that was insinuated into the Lord is into His celestial and He alone is that celestial man, mankind having turned away from his celestial and even his spiritual life. We are not celestial men, therefore, we cannot be given this truth immediately or directly and instead we receive only an appearance of the truth, for it comes through our senses. What is meant by sensuous truth is one being able to see in each and all things in the Heavens and the earth as having being created and sustained by the Lord, and thus, are seen as being revealed in a resemblance of the Lord's image.
End.
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