Page:A Compendium of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/464

 Israel and with the house of Judah; for they entirely rejected any covenant with the Lord, and in like manner they reject it also at this day. A covenant signifies conjunction with the Lord by love to Him; by which conjunction the law or Divine truth is put in them, both in doctrine and in life,—which is the law in their inward parts, and written upon their hearts. To sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast, signifies to reform those who are of the new church, by means of the truths and goods which are of intelligence and affection; seed is truth; man is intelligence; and beast is the good of affection. That beast signifies this, will be shown hereafter. Again, in Zechariah: "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, In those days ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you" (viii. 22, 23). Those who do not know that by a Jew they are meant who are in love to the Lord and thence in truths of doctrine, may easily be led to believe that these things are said of the Jews, and of their introduction into the land of Canaan; and that all others who desire to be saved shall then take hold of the skirt of their garment praying that they may be permitted to go with them. But when it is known that these things are not said of any introduction into the land of Canaan and to Jerusalem there, and that by a Jew they are not meant who are of that nation; but that by Jerusalem the new church is meant that would be established by the Lord, and by a Jew every one who is in the good of love to the Lord, and by the skirt of a Jew truth from that good, then it may be understood what all things in this chapter and these words in particular signify. For the subject here spoken of is the calling together and accession of the Gentiles to the Church; and by a Jew they are meant who acknowledge the Lord and love Him; by the taking hold of his skirt is signified the desire of knowing truth from him; and by ten men out of all the languages of the nations all are meant of whatever religion. Ten men signify all; and the languages of all nations, their religious principles. From all this it may be seen how far they wander who believe that at the end of times the Jews will be converted to the Lord, and introduced into the land of Canaan. They are those who believe that by the land, by Jerusalem, by Israel, and by Judah, in the Word, are meant the land of Canaan, the city of Jerusalem, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation. But those who hitherto have so believed are to be excused; because they knew nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word, and therefore did not