Swedenborg Arcana Caelestia Vol. III (1750)

2784. And he split the wood for the burnt offering—that this signifies the merit of righteousness, is evident from the signification of "wood" and "splitting wood." Wood signifies the goods of works and of righteousness, and splitting wood signifies placing merit in the goods of works. However, that splitting the wood for the burnt offering signifies the merit of righteousness appears more remote, and could not be known without revelation. That splitting wood signifies placing merit in the goods of works was made clear to me from what was seen and described in Part One (n. 1110) regarding the "wood-cutters"—those who wished to earn salvation through the good deeds they performed. Furthermore, there are others, located somewhat to the right, from a certain circle, who similarly claimed all good for themselves and appeared to be cutting and splitting wood. Sometimes, when they seem to be laboring, their faces glow with a kind of false fire, which is the "good of merit" that they attribute to themselves. The reason it appears this way is because wood is a representative of good, as was all the wood in the Ark and in the Temple, as well as all the wood upon the Altar when burnt offerings and sacrifices were made. Those who attribute good to themselves and make it meritorious are also said in the Word to "worship wood" or "a graven image made of wood."

2785. That he arose—this signifies elevation, which is evident from the signification of "rising," which, wherever it occurs in the Word, involves some form of elevation.

2786. And he went to the place of which God had told him—that this signifies a state at that time according to perception, is evident from the signification of "place" as state (n. 1273–1277, 1376–1381, 2625) and from the signification of God "telling" as perceiving from the Divine (n. 2769, 2778). Regarding this state itself, it is described in this verse: namely, the state the Lord assumed when undergoing temptations, specifically when He endured the most grievous and intimate temptations. The first preparation for that state was that He put on a state of peace and innocence, and that He prepared the natural man within Himself, as well as the rational, to serve the Divine rational, and that He conjoined the merit of righteousness and thus elevated Himself. These things can never be explained to the grasp of, or placed within the idea of, one who does not know that many states exist simultaneously and are distinct from one another, nor one who does not know what a state of peace and innocence is, what the natural man is, what the rational is, or what the merit of righteousness is. For one must first have a distinct idea of all these things, and also know that the Lord, from His Divine, could induce upon Himself whichever states He pleased, and that He prepared Himself through these induced states for temptations. Although these things are as if in darkness to men, they are in the clear light of day to the angels, who, because they are in the light of heaven from the Lord, see innumerable things in these and similar matters distinctly, and from the inflowing affection perceive ineffable joy. From this, one can see how far the human intellectual and perceptive capacity differs from the angelic intellectual and perceptive capacity.

2787. Verse 4. On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. "On the third day" signifies completion and the beginning of sanctification. "Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw" signifies thought and intuition from the Divine. "The place from afar" signifies the state that He foresaw.