Advent Reading - December 2

(Note:  At the end of Genesis, Jacob blesses his sons,
and this prophecy is part of what he says of Judah.)

The scepter shall not be removed from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come
and to Him is the obedience of the peoples.
(Genesis 49:10)

AC 3881 [2]

That in the internal sense
"Judah" means the Lord's celestial church;
in the universal sense His celestial kingdom;
and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself . . ..

AC 6371

The scepter shall not be removed from Judah.
 
That this means that sovereignty
shall not depart from the celestial kingdom,
is evident from the meaning of "being removed,"
as being to depart;
from the meaning of "scepter,"
as being sovereignty,
and indeed the sovereignty of truth from good,
for a scepter is a badge of royal power,
and by royalty is meant truth;
and from the representation of Judah,
as being the celestial kingdom.

AC 6372

And a lawgiver from between his feet.

It is said a "lawgiver from between his feet"
in order that
the spiritual of the celestial may be meant,
or the truth which is from good,
for at that time the spiritual kingdom was not such
as it was after the Lord's coming --
distinct from the celestial kingdom --
but was one with the celestial kingdom,
being merely its external . . ..

AC  6373

Until Shiloh come.

That this means the coming of the Lord,
and the tranquillity of peace then . . ..
"Shiloh" is derived from a word which means tranquillity.
The reason why the Lord is here called "Shiloh"
is plain from what was said above (n. 6371, 6372)
about the celestial kingdom and its sovereignty;
for when the Divine was presented to view
through that kingdom
there was in tranquillity,
because the things in heaven,
and the things in hell,
could not thereby be reduced into order,
for the Divine which flowed through that kingdom
could not be pure,
because heaven is not pure;
thus neither was that kingdom so strong
that all things could by means of it
be kept in order;
and therefore also the infernal and diabolical spirits
were then raising themselves up from the hells
and were ruling over the souls
who were arriving from the world.
The result was that none could be saved
but the celestial; and at last scarcely they,
unless the Lord had taken on the Human
and had made this in Himself Divine;
whereby the Lord reduced all things into order,
first those in heaven,
and afterward those in the hells;
thus producing the tranquillity of peace.

AC 6374

And to him is the obedience of the peoples.

That this means
that from His Divine Human should proceed truths
which could be received,
is evident from the meaning of "obedience,"
as being the reception of truths
which proceed from the Lord;
and from the meaning of "peoples,"
as being those who are in truths, thus also truths,
and so those who are of the spiritual church.