1) Regarding their sacrifices, I have said that they depicted heavenly events, and I have related how various elements of these symbolize the Lord. 2) Regarding Isaac, I have explained why he was sacrificed by Abraham;* and I have said that none of this was disclosed to them in the world because they were so external that they would not have accepted it, because they were unwilling to accept it, and that they would have profaned it. 3) I have spoken of the predictions contained in Isaiah, chapter 53,** at which they would fall utterly silent, because the explanation was such that they could not respond. They would be afraid to have it read again because they were unwilling to be convinced. 4) Regarding eternal life, I have said that it consists in the unanimity of all and in its resulting joy, whereas they are governed by an animosity toward each other and so are incapable of the happiness of heaven. They would reply that they were awaiting the Messiah to unite them. 5) I have spoken with them about the symbolism of Jacob's sinew that was dislocated,*** about Esau's heel which Jacob held,**** and about the heel which the serpent bruised,***** saying that these symbolize themselves. I have spoken about their being descended from a Canaanite woman and from whoredom with a daughter-in-law, explaining what these events symbolized and saying that the things meant in that chapter are such things as are symbolized.****** I have also said that the Jews and their tribes mentioned in the Word do not mean them but spiritual and celestial things. Regarding the land of Canaan, they said that they believe they will be brought into that land by the Messiah when He comes; that He will go before them with His staff and dry up the rivers; that surrounding them will be a fiery wall; that they would go through Christendom, and that Christians would take hold of their garments and beg to follow, and that they would admit them and have them as slaves, provided they turn over their money and currency; and other like things. I have asked them whether their dead as well and those now in the world of spirits would go, too, or only those in the world; whether the land of Canaan was large enough for them; where in fact the Messiah would be born; whether they knew any offspring of David; whether they knew where Bethlehem is located; and other like questions, as why they were awaiting an earthly kingdom when the Messiah's kingdom is a heavenly one, as those who have departed from the world may know. Following these exchanges, the evil among them could not be convinced, but some were upright and wished to be instructed. 6) I have explained to them what the land of Canaan symbolizes, what Jerusalem symbolizes, why it was called holy, what Zion symbolizes, what the twelve tribes represented, and what they therefore symbolize. I have explained as well the passages in which it is said that those in captivity would return, saying that it did not mean them at all, but that it was so written for the sake of the spiritual meaning contained in every particular. 7) I have spoken to them about the spiritual meaning, to which they responded at first that they were aware of the Word's having in it a mystical meaning, and that by that mystical meaning they know that they acquire gold and are able to make gold.******* To that I have replied that mystically speaking, that is, spiritually, it was true, because gold symbolizes the goodness of love, and those who are in possession of the mystical or spiritual meaning of the Word receive that love. But they wanted gold and not love, saying that to possess gold was their love. * Genesis 22:1-18. ** Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked-but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1-12) *** Genesis 32:24,25,32. **** Genesis 25:24-26. ***** Genesis 3:15. ****** See Genesis 38. ******* Cf. cabalism, the principles or doctrines of the cabala (spelled also cabbala, kabala, kabbala), a system of esoteric theosophy and theurgy developed by rabbis, reaching its peak about the 12th and 13th centuries and influencing certain medieval and Renaissance Christians, based on a mystical method of interpreting the Old Testament by which initiates claimed to penetrate sacred mysteries.