Here the right figure of Christ's offering for the humanity is represented; and also his suffering and death, his persecution, and also his victory [is deciphered herein]; and likewise the man of sin and vanity, intimating, how he must fill up his measure, and whereunto each is appointed.
14. God gave Abraham the sign how it should go with his seed, in that Abraham said, Lord God! whereby shall I know that I shall possess the same? Then God set the figure of the seed before him (for he had comprehended it in his faith, which was made his righteousness), and showed it him in a figure: for the offering signifies the offering of Christ. The three sorts of beasts, viz. the heifer, she goat, and ram, each three years old, betoken the part of the outward humanity of the time, viz. out of the limus of the earth.
15. But that they must be three years old, betokens the whole outward threefold man, of the Sulphur, Mercury and Salt, viz. the three properties of the three Principles, which lie in the earth in one essence or substance.
16. And that Abraham divided these three beasts, and laid one right over against the other, signifies the twofold limus of the earth, viz. the gross property out of the dark world's property; and then secondly, the limus out of the heavenly world's property, which lies in one compaction in the earth, whence man was created as to the body.
17. But that Abraham divided them, signifies that the grossness which Adam's desire introduced must by death be separated from the pureness of the humanity; and one must lie right opposite to the other, and be divided from one another, each into its property; as light and darkness are divided, and yet are near one another.
18. The turtle-dove betokens the poor soul captivated in this bestial property; and the young pigeon signifies the inward disappeared humanity of the poor soul, which shall become young again in the offering, viz. a new birth.
19. But that the two doves were not divided, but offered whole, signifies that nothing shall be taken from the soul, and from the inward man of the heavenly limus; they shall remain whole and entire in their substance, and be offered whole to the angry fire of God in Christ, and be brought quite through the fire of anger, through death, viz. through the great darkness and horror of death and hell, as this was the figure thereof.
20. When Abraham had set forth his offering he fell into a deep sleep, and horror and great darkness did encompass him. The sleep signifies the death of Christ, and the horror, the wrath of God, viz. the abyss of hell, and the darkness, the dark world; into this the Word, which had given in itself into Abraham's faith to be a seed of the children of God, should enter with the offering in the whole humanity (both with soul and body), and resign itself up wholly to the anger of the Father to be devoured.
21. And the enkindling of the fire, which passed between the pieces, was now the holy fire of God which came forth out of the holy burning, viz. out of the love-flaming Word, which gave in itself to Abraham's faith in the humanity of Christ in soul and body, when he stood in the Father's anger, in the death and darkness in hell, and cast the humanity in soul and body unto the anger, and changed the anger into love-fire; for the wrath of the Father, according to the eternal nature of the dark world which was enkindled in the humanity, must in the humanity receive such a holy ens wherein the anger might, in its fire, be changed into a light- or love-fire.
Here the right figure of Christ's offering for the humanity is represented; and also his suffering and death, his persecution, and also his victory [is deciphered herein]; and likewise the man of sin and vanity, intimating, how he must fill up his measure, and whereunto each is appointed.
14. God gave Abraham the sign how it should go with his seed, in that Abraham said, Lord God! whereby shall I know that I shall possess the same? Then God set the figure of the seed before him (for he had comprehended it in his faith, which was made his righteousness), and showed it him in a figure: for the offering signifies the offering of Christ. The three sorts of beasts, viz. the heifer, she goat, and ram, each three years old, betoken the part of the outward humanity of the time, viz. out of the limus of the earth.
15. But that they must be three years old, betokens the whole outward threefold man, of the Sulphur, Mercury and Salt, viz. the three properties of the three Principles, which lie in the earth in one essence or substance.
16. And that Abraham divided these three beasts, and laid one right over against the other, signifies the twofold limus of the earth, viz. the gross property out of the dark world's property; and then secondly, the limus out of the heavenly world's property, which lies in one compaction in the earth, whence man was created as to the body.
17. But that Abraham divided them, signifies that the grossness which Adam's desire introduced must by death be separated from the pureness of the humanity; and one must lie right opposite to the other, and be divided from one another, each into its property; as light and darkness are divided, and yet are near one another.
18. The turtle-dove betokens the poor soul captivated in this bestial property; and the young pigeon signifies the inward disappeared humanity of the poor soul, which shall become young again in the offering, viz. a new birth.
19. But that the two doves were not divided, but offered whole, signifies that nothing shall be taken from the soul, and from the inward man of the heavenly limus; they shall remain whole and entire in their substance, and be offered whole to the angry fire of God in Christ, and be brought quite through the fire of anger, through death, viz. through the great darkness and horror of death and hell, as this was the figure thereof.
20. When Abraham had set forth his offering he fell into a deep sleep, and horror and great darkness did encompass him. The sleep signifies the death of Christ, and the horror, the wrath of God, viz. the abyss of hell, and the darkness, the dark world; into this the Word, which had given in itself into Abraham's faith to be a seed of the children of God, should enter with the offering in the whole humanity (both with soul and body), and resign itself up wholly to the anger of the Father to be devoured.
21. And the enkindling of the fire, which passed between the pieces, was now the holy fire of God which came forth out of the holy burning, viz. out of the love-flaming Word, which gave in itself to Abraham's faith in the humanity of Christ in soul and body, when he stood in the Father's anger, in the death and darkness in hell, and cast the humanity in soul and body unto the anger, and changed the anger into love-fire; for the wrath of the Father, according to the eternal nature of the dark world which was enkindled in the humanity, must in the humanity receive such a holy ens wherein the anger might, in its fire, be changed into a light- or love-fire.
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