Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 422

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422. What this new Church was like becomes clear from the Jewish Church, which was both internal and external. The internal Church consisted of celestial and spiritual things, the external of natural. The internal Church was represented by Rachel, the external by Leah. Now because Jacob, that is, descendants of Jacob who are meant in the Word by his name, were such as desired external things only, that is, worship exclusively external, Leah was given to Jacob before Rachel. The weak-eyed Leah represented the Jewish Church, and Rachel a new Church consisting of gentiles. This is why in the Prophets Jacob takes on either meaning, the first when the corrupt Jewish Church is the subject, the second when it is the true external Church consisting of gentiles. When the subject is the internal Church he is called Israel. These points will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.


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