Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4103

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4103. 'Jacob rose up' means a raising up of the good meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as that which implies a raising up, dealt with in 2410, 2785, 2912, 2927, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, often dealt with already, at this point good which is coming closer to the Divine because it is to be separated from intermediate good, or 'Laban', 4073. By the raising up that is meant by 'rising up' one should understand a coming closer to the Divine. As regards man, he is said to be raised up when he comes closer to heavenly things, and the reason for this is the belief that heaven exists raised up or on high. But this description of where heaven is is due to the appearance; for heaven and therefore the things that belong to heaven, namely celestial and spiritual ones, do not exist on high but in what is internal, see 450, 1735, 2148. Consequently a person is in heaven inwardly when spiritual love and faith are present in him.


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