This is a powerful figure of the outward power and authority of human offices in the kingdom of this world, and is so strongly prefigured that it is terrible to read, if a man rightly discern the figure. And yet in the presence of God it stands in its own proper figure, thus: The spirit says, Dan will be a judge among his people, as one of the generations or tribes in Israel.
In the figure it stands thus:
14. Dan stands in the figure of all outward offices, from those of highest authority and power, even to the government of the human life itself [Ordering of a man's own private affairs or employment]; therefore the spirit says of him, he shall be in his own might and power as one man is to another. In the presence of God he is not esteemed greater in his own nature than a servant or minister, for he serves God in his office as another servant does his lord and master; the office is God's, wherein he sits as a judge. The office is the authority and power, and he himself is, before God, as another man.
15. But the spirit says, Dan will be a serpent by the way, and an adder in the path. That is, this judge in God's office would draw poison out of the power and authority, viz. self-will, and say of himself, The authority is mine, the office is mine. That is called, in the way; for the way which they should go is God's, viz. true righteousness. Then says Dan, That land and country, this city, that village, those goods, that money, is mine; it is my own. I will use it to my own profit, advantage and honour, and live in this office as I will.
16. And this very selfhood is the serpent and venomous adder on the way, for it walks very dangerous steps upon the paths of righteousness; it turns righteousness into selfhood, to do what it will. It says, I am a lord, the city, land and country, the village or authority and power is mine, I may do with the people what I will, they are mine. And so sucks poison out of God's office of a judge, and thereby afflicts the miserable, and stings with this poison round about in the way of the office, as an adder and serpent.
17. For the spirit says, He will bite the horse in the heels, so that his rider will fall backward. That is, he will bite the horse, that is, the office whereon he rides, in the heels, viz. in the just right, that the righteousness, viz. God's rider which he shall bring, may fall backward, and that he may govern as God's rider instead of the righteousness. Whereupon the rider, God's righteousness in his office, says, O Lord, I wait for your salvation, that is, till you send the right rider, Christ, who shall ride over this adder and serpent again.
18. When Rachel could bear no children to Jacob, she was troubled at Jacob, and said to him, Procure me children, if not, I die. But Jacob was wrath with Rachel, and said, I am not God, that I should give you fruit of your hody. But she said, Behold, there is my maid-servant Bilhah, lie you with her, that she may bring forth on my lap, and I shall be built up by her. And thus she gave him Bilhah her maid-servant to wife: and Jacob lay with her. So Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. Then said Rachel, God has judged my cause, and heard my voice, and has given me a son: therefore she called him Dan (Gen. xxx. 1-6).
19. This now is the powerful figure of Jacob's testament, wherein he prophesies so terribly concerning Dan, that he would be a serpent; and in the right figure it signifies, man's own will, which will not suffer God to judge and lead it, but always murmures against God,
This is a powerful figure of the outward power and authority of human offices in the kingdom of this world, and is so strongly prefigured that it is terrible to read, if a man rightly discern the figure. And yet in the presence of God it stands in its own proper figure, thus: The spirit says, Dan will be a judge among his people, as one of the generations or tribes in Israel.
In the figure it stands thus:
14. Dan stands in the figure of all outward offices, from those of highest authority and power, even to the government of the human life itself [Ordering of a man's own private affairs or employment]; therefore the spirit says of him, he shall be in his own might and power as one man is to another. In the presence of God he is not esteemed greater in his own nature than a servant or minister, for he serves God in his office as another servant does his lord and master; the office is God's, wherein he sits as a judge. The office is the authority and power, and he himself is, before God, as another man.
15. But the spirit says, Dan will be a serpent by the way, and an adder in the path. That is, this judge in God's office would draw poison out of the power and authority, viz. self-will, and say of himself, The authority is mine, the office is mine. That is called, in the way; for the way which they should go is God's, viz. true righteousness. Then says Dan, That land and country, this city, that village, those goods, that money, is mine; it is my own. I will use it to my own profit, advantage and honour, and live in this office as I will.
16. And this very selfhood is the serpent and venomous adder on the way, for it walks very dangerous steps upon the paths of righteousness; it turns righteousness into selfhood, to do what it will. It says, I am a lord, the city, land and country, the village or authority and power is mine, I may do with the people what I will, they are mine. And so sucks poison out of God's office of a judge, and thereby afflicts the miserable, and stings with this poison round about in the way of the office, as an adder and serpent.
17. For the spirit says, He will bite the horse in the heels, so that his rider will fall backward. That is, he will bite the horse, that is, the office whereon he rides, in the heels, viz. in the just right, that the righteousness, viz. God's rider which he shall bring, may fall backward, and that he may govern as God's rider instead of the righteousness. Whereupon the rider, God's righteousness in his office, says, O Lord, I wait for your salvation, that is, till you send the right rider, Christ, who shall ride over this adder and serpent again.
18. When Rachel could bear no children to Jacob, she was troubled at Jacob, and said to him, Procure me children, if not, I die. But Jacob was wrath with Rachel, and said, I am not God, that I should give you fruit of your hody. But she said, Behold, there is my maid-servant Bilhah, lie you with her, that she may bring forth on my lap, and I shall be built up by her. And thus she gave him Bilhah her maid-servant to wife: and Jacob lay with her. So Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. Then said Rachel, God has judged my cause, and heard my voice, and has given me a son: therefore she called him Dan (Gen. xxx. 1-6).
19. This now is the powerful figure of Jacob's testament, wherein he prophesies so terribly concerning Dan, that he would be a serpent; and in the right figure it signifies, man's own will, which will not suffer God to judge and lead it, but always murmures against God,
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