34. Understand, nature is the Father's property, for it is the strength and might, viz. the fire-spirit. This fire-spirit was given to the light- or love-spirit in Christ, viz. to the holy name Jesus, which introduced itself in Abraham's believing desire into an ens, out of which Christ, and then the new man out of Christ, is born; unto whom the kingdom of nature in the Father's fire-property was given. And he wholly gave his love ens for food unto the Father's fire- source, viz. to the fiery soul in the Father's nature: and even there Christ, with love, took possession of the Father's fire- strength, and changed it into the glory of the triumphant kingdom of joy : And thus also it is to be understood in the new birth of man.
35. And Moses says further: And now when the time came that Rehecca should he delivered, behold there were twins in her womh. And the first which came out was red, and all over rough like an hairy hide; and they called his name Esau. And presently after came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and they called him Jacob (Gen. xxv. 24-26). Here now stands the figure so lively and so clearly set forth, that even reason may see it: That which before was hinted at with words in the spiritual figure, that stands here in a lively personal figure. For Moses says, Esau came forth first, who was red, and had a rough skin.
36. Red betokens the Father's nature in the fire: Rough betokens the earthly bestial nature, which Adam, with his lust, introduced into himself from the earthliness. His name is called Esau from the sensual language, from the property of the formation of his nature's property. The same in its formation in the language of nature stands thus: E. is the original ex uno, viz. aus dem Einem [out of the One] : and is the true angelical property created in Adam: Sau 1 is the formed beast or selflust, which has enclosed and shut up the E., and obscured and slain the same in itself that is, when it was extinct in it as to the light's fire; yet the Sau, viz. the outward bestial man who had changed the E., viz. the angelical image, into a beast, did yet remain in its form. Therefore the spirit called his name Esau, viz. a formed or amassed image of lust, turned from its fine pureness into grossness, wherein notwithstanding the E. did still remain, but wholly encompassed and shut up with the Sau.
1 Sau signifies sow, or the earthly swinish property.
37. After this Esau comes Jacob, viz. the type or image of Christ, conceived in the ens of faith, and holds Esau by the heel. This declares that the Adamical image which God created shall and must be born first, for the same is it, which shall live for ever, but not in its rough beast's hide: for in that Jacob holds Esau, viz. the first man, by the heel, signifies that the second Adam, viz. Christ, is born after the first Adam, and takes hold of him behind, and brings him back again from the course of his own self will, into the first mother, from whence nature is arisen, viz. to another new birth.
38. But that Esau goes forward with his birth, and Jacob, by holding him by the heel, cannot withhold him, betokens that the earthly man in his selfness should go forward, and not go wholly in this lifetime back again into the mother of the new birth, but he would walk up and down with the bestial man through this time. For the beast shall not be new born, but [what shall be re-born is] the image of God, which was lost or perished in Adam.
34. Understand, nature is the Father's property, for it is the strength and might, viz. the fire-spirit. This fire-spirit was given to the light- or love-spirit in Christ, viz. to the holy name Jesus, which introduced itself in Abraham's believing desire into an ens, out of which Christ, and then the new man out of Christ, is born; unto whom the kingdom of nature in the Father's fire-property was given. And he wholly gave his love ens for food unto the Father's fire- source, viz. to the fiery soul in the Father's nature: and even there Christ, with love, took possession of the Father's fire- strength, and changed it into the glory of the triumphant kingdom of joy : And thus also it is to be understood in the new birth of man.
35. And Moses says further: And now when the time came that Rehecca should he delivered, behold there were twins in her womh. And the first which came out was red, and all over rough like an hairy hide; and they called his name Esau. And presently after came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and they called him Jacob (Gen. xxv. 24-26). Here now stands the figure so lively and so clearly set forth, that even reason may see it: That which before was hinted at with words in the spiritual figure, that stands here in a lively personal figure. For Moses says, Esau came forth first, who was red, and had a rough skin.
36. Red betokens the Father's nature in the fire: Rough betokens the earthly bestial nature, which Adam, with his lust, introduced into himself from the earthliness. His name is called Esau from the sensual language, from the property of the formation of his nature's property. The same in its formation in the language of nature stands thus: E. is the original ex uno, viz. aus dem Einem [out of the One] : and is the true angelical property created in Adam: Sau 1 is the formed beast or selflust, which has enclosed and shut up the E., and obscured and slain the same in itself that is, when it was extinct in it as to the light's fire; yet the Sau, viz. the outward bestial man who had changed the E., viz. the angelical image, into a beast, did yet remain in its form. Therefore the spirit called his name Esau, viz. a formed or amassed image of lust, turned from its fine pureness into grossness, wherein notwithstanding the E. did still remain, but wholly encompassed and shut up with the Sau.
1 Sau signifies sow, or the earthly swinish property.
37. After this Esau comes Jacob, viz. the type or image of Christ, conceived in the ens of faith, and holds Esau by the heel. This declares that the Adamical image which God created shall and must be born first, for the same is it, which shall live for ever, but not in its rough beast's hide: for in that Jacob holds Esau, viz. the first man, by the heel, signifies that the second Adam, viz. Christ, is born after the first Adam, and takes hold of him behind, and brings him back again from the course of his own self will, into the first mother, from whence nature is arisen, viz. to another new birth.
38. But that Esau goes forward with his birth, and Jacob, by holding him by the heel, cannot withhold him, betokens that the earthly man in his selfness should go forward, and not go wholly in this lifetime back again into the mother of the new birth, but he would walk up and down with the bestial man through this time. For the beast shall not be new born, but [what shall be re-born is] the image of God, which was lost or perished in Adam.
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