Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1708

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1708. 'And he brought out his trained men, born in his house' means these goods residing with the External Man which were now released from the yoke of slavery. This is clear from the meaning of 'trained men' and also of 'bore in Abram's house'. In the internal sense 'Abram's trained men' - that is, trained but inexperienced - are those goods residing with the External Man that are able to be joined to the Interior Man, while those 'born in the house' in the internal sense are those same goods, and also truths, as belonging to that Interior Man. But these matters contain more arcana than can be made known. Those arcana have to do primarily with the way in which, following the conflicts brought about by temptations, apparent goods become genuine goods, and with the fact that when this happens they can be joined to the Interior Man and through the Interior Man to the Internal Man, and in like manner be made Divine. For the Lord, by degrees, joined the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, doing so, as has been stated, through conflicts and victories in temptations. These goods that were made genuine are what are called 'Abram's trained men' or inexperienced ones, for those goods had undergone training but were 'inexperienced'. And because they were acquired by His own power, they are called those 'born in the house'.


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