10361. For this is holy to you. That this signifies that from this are all the good and truth which make the church, is evident from the signification of “holy,” as being all that, and only that, which proceeds from the Lord (see n. 9479, 9680, 9820), thus the good of love and the truth of faith, for these are what proceed from the Lord. That these make the church with men, and heaven with the angels, can be seen from the fact that love and faith are the essentials of the church, because they conjoin men and angels with the Lord; the good of love conjoining their will, and the truth of faith their understanding; thus all that appertains to them.

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

8888. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. That this signifies the combat which precedes and prepares for this marriage, is evident from the signification of “six days,” as being states of combat (that “six” denotes combat, see n. 720, 737, 900; and that “days” denote states, see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 4850, 5672, 5962, 6110, 8426); and from the signification of “laboring and doing one’s work,” as being to do those things which are necessary to life, here those which are necessary to spiritual life, that is, to the life in heaven.

[2] Moreover by the combat which precedes, and prepares for the heavenly marriage, is meant spiritual combat or temptation; for before he enters into the heavenly marriage, that is, before he is regenerated, the man is in combat against the evils and falsities in himself, because these must be removed before the truth and good which are from the Lord can be received. These evils and falsities are removed by means of the truths of faith, for by means of these the man not only learns what good is, but is also led to good. This state is the first state of the man who is being regenerated, and is called the state which precedes, and prepares for the heavenly marriage. But when the man is in good and is led by the Lord through good, he is then in the heavenly marriage, thus in heaven, for the heavenly marriage is heaven. The former state is what is signified by “the six days” which precede the seventh, and the latter state by “the seventh day” (concerning these two states with man, see n. 7923, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8722).

[3] As by “the Sabbath” is signified the heavenly marriage, that is, heaven, therefore the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens is called a perpetual Sabbath, thus a perpetual rest and peace, and there are no longer there six days of labor.