Swedenborg Arcana Caelestia Vol. IV (1750)

"And Jacob saw the face of Laban," signifies a change of state regarding that good when the good understood by Jacob receded. "And behold, it was not at all toward him as it was yesterday or the day before," signifies a state entirely changed toward the good signified by Jacob, from which, however, nothing was taken away, for it had its own as before, except for the state regarding conjunction. "And Jehovah said to Jacob," signifies the Lord's perception from the Divine. "Return to the land of your fathers," signifies that he should now draw closer to the Divine good. "And to your kindred," signifies to the truth therefrom. "And I will be with you," signifies that then the Divine would be present.

4063. "He heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying," that this signifies the truths of the good signified by Laban, such as they are in relation to the good acquired therefrom in the Natural by the Lord, is evident from the signification of "sons" as truths (see numbers 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3337), and from the representation of Laban as the good of a collateral common stock (see numbers 3612, 3665, 3778), thus a good that serves to introduce genuine goods and truths (see 3974, 3982, 3986); here it serves that purpose, for the subject is its separation. That "Jacob heard the words" involves, in the internal sense, what they were like in relation to the good acquired in the Natural by the Lord, as can be seen from the following verses; for they were indignant and said that "Jacob had taken all that was their father's," and "Jacob saw the face of Laban, that it was not as yesterday or the day before." Regarding Jacob representing the Natural of the Lord, and in the preceding chapter, the good of truth there, see numbers 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829, 4009. How it stands with the good signified by Laban in relation to the good of truth represented by Jacob can be seen from what was stated and shown in the preceding chapter. This can be further illustrated by the states of man’s regeneration, which is also treated here in the representative sense. When a man is regenerated, he is held by the Lord in a certain middle good. This good serves to introduce genuine goods and truths, but after these goods and truths have been introduced, it is then separated. Anyone who knows anything about regeneration and the new man can understand that the new man is entirely different from the old. For the new man is in the affection of spiritual and celestial things—these make his delights and joys—whereas the old man is in the affections of worldly and earthly things, and these make his pleasures. Consequently, the new man looks toward ends in heaven, while the old man looks toward ends in the world. From this it is clear that the new man is entirely other and different from the old. In order for a man to be led from the state of the old man into the state of the new, the concupiscences of the world must be cast off and the affections of heaven must be put on. This is done through innumerable means known only to the Lord alone, and of which many are known to the angels from the Lord, but few, if any, to man. Yet, each and every one of these is manifested in the internal sense of the Word. Therefore, when a man becomes a new man from the old—that is, when a man is regenerated—it does not happen in a moment, as some believe, but over many years, indeed, through the man’s whole life up to its end. For his concupiscences must be rooted out and celestial affections instilled, and the man must be endowed with a life that he did not have before, and indeed of which he previously knew almost nothing. Thus, when the state of his life has been changed so much...