4556. 'And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan' means the natural as it was in the previous state, while 'that is, Bethel' means the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'Luz' as the natural as it was in the previous state, that is, the actual natural which was human. But this was made Divine, and that is the meaning of 'that is, Bethel'; for 'Bethel' is the Divine Natural, see 4089, 4539. This also explains why, when Bethel is referred to by name elsewhere in the Word, the expression 'Luz, that is, Bethel' or 'Bethel, formerly Luz' is used, as in Joshua,
The boundary of the lot of the children of Benjamin between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph went out to Luz, to the side of Luz southwards, that is, Bethel. Josh 18:13.
And in the Book of Judges,
The house of Joseph went up to Bethel and spied out Bethel; and the name of the city formerly was Luz. Judg 1:23.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church