6239. And thy generation which thou begettest after them. That this signifies interior truths and goods, which are afterward, is evident from the signification of "generation," as being the things that belong to faith and charity (see n. 613, 2020, 2584), thus truths and goods; and from the signification of "after them" as being the interior things which are afterward. That interior things are signified is because the things which are begotten from the internal afterward, are more interior; for those things which have been begotten previously serve successively for producing those which are begotten afterward more interiorly, for the internal elevates the natural to itself by degrees. This is plain from the generation of all things of the intellectual in man; for man is first sensuous, afterward he becomes more and more interior, even until he becomes intellectual. It is the same with the new generation which is effected by means of faith and charity. Hence it is that man is perfected by degrees (see what was said above about the successive elevation toward the interiors when man is being regenerated, n. 6183). [2] That "generation" in the Word signifies the things that belong to faith and charity, is because no other generation than a spiritual one can be understood in the internal sense. This generation is also meant in David:
They shall fear a fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous (Ps. 14:5);
the "generation of the righteous" denotes truths from good, for "righteousness" is predicated of good. In Isaiah:
They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for terror; they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah (Isa. 65:23). Again:
Who hath wrought and done it? Who calleth the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am the same (Isa. 41:4). In Ezekiel:
Thy tradings and thy generations are of the land of the Canaanite; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother was a Hittite. As to thy generations, in the day when thou wast born thy navel was not cut off, and thou wast not washed with waters for My sight (Ezek. 16:3, 4);
speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem, where it is very manifest that "generations" are generations in a spiritual sense. [3] Again in Isaiah:
Awake as in the days of eternity, the generations of eternities (Isa. 51:9);
the "days of eternity" denote the state and time of the Most Ancient Church, of which "eternity" is predicated because it was in the good of love to the Lord, to which good, because it is immediately from the Lord, "eternity" is ascribed; "generations of eternities" are the goods thence derived. [4] So in Moses:
Remember the days of eternity, understand the years of generation and generation (Deut. 32:7);
where the "days of eternity" denote the state and time of the Most Ancient Church which was before the flood, and was a celestial church; the "years of generation and generation" denote the state and time of the Ancient Church which was after the flood, and was a spiritual church; which churches are here treated of. [5] And in Joel:
Judah shall abide to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation (Joel 3:20);
"eternity" is here predicated of Judah, because by Judah is represented the celestial church (n. 3881); and "generation and generation" is predicated of Jerusalem, because by "Jerusalem" is signified the spiritual church (n. 402). [6] In Isaiah:
My righteousness shall be to eternity, and My salvation to generation of generations (Isa. 51:8);
where "eternity" is predicated of the good of love, for "righteousness" is predicated of this good (n. 612, 2235); and "generation," of the good of faith. [7] And in David:
Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all eternities, and Thy dominion to all generation and generation (Ps. 145:13);
where the sense is the same; for unless "eternity" is predicated of what is celestial, and "generation" of what is spiritual, only one would be mentioned; both would be a useless repetition. [8] The things that belong to a state of faith are also signified by the command that a bastard should not come into the congregation of Jehovah to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:2); an Ammonite and a Moabite not even to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3), and that an Edomite and an Egyptian might come into the congregation of Jehovah in the third generation (Deut. 23:8). So in the commandment of the Decalogue, in that Jehovah God would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and fourth generation with respect to those who hate Him (Exod. 20:5). [9] That "generations" denote the things of faith and charity, is because in the spiritual sense no other generations can be meant than those which are of regeneration, or of one who is regenerate; in like manner as the "births," "childbearings," and "conceptions" in the Word: that these terms denote the births, childbearings, and conceptions of faith and charity (n. 1145, 1255, 3860, 3868, 4668, 5160, 5598).
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