Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2775

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2775. 'And get you to the land of Moriah' means a place and state of temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the land of Moriah'. It is evident that 'the land of Moriah' means a place of temptation from the fact that Abraham was commanded to go there and to offer his son there as a burnt offering, and in doing this to undergo the utmost degree of temptation. The fact that Jerusalem where the Lord Himself bore the utmost degree of temptation was situated in the land of Moriah becomes clear from the consideration that David built an altar, and subsequently Solomon the Temple, on Mount Moriah, as is evident from the Book of Chronicles,

Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, which had been shown to David his father in the place which David had prepared at the threshing-floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite. 2 Chron 3: 1. (Compare 1 Chron 21: 16-28
with 2 Sam 24: 16-25.)

From this it may become quite clear that these details which are stated regarding the sacrifice of Isaac are representative of the Lord, otherwise everything could have taken place where Abraham was staying at the time and he would not have been commanded to make a journey from there lasting nearly three days.


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