Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 18:11
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AC 2197. Verse 11. And Abraham and Sarah were old, entering into days; it had ceased to be with Sarah in the way as of women. "Abraham and Sarah were old," signifies the Human with the Lord, that it should be put off; "entering into days," signifies that the time was come; "it had ceased to be with Sarah in the way as of women," signifies the state of rational truth, that it could no longer remain so.

AC 2198. Abraham and Sarah were old. That this signifies the Human with the Lord, that it should be put off, is evident from the representation of Abraham and of Sarah; as also from the signification of the "old," or of "old age." Abraham here represents the Lord as to rational good, and Sarah represents the Lord as to rational truth, as has been said repeatedly in this chapter; thus each here represents the Human with the Lord, for the reason, as before said, that Jehovah was now present and spake with Abraham; and Jehovah was the Lord‘s Divine itself, not separate from Him, although it is presented as separate in the historical representatives, for by means of historical things it cannot be represented otherwise. But as regards its being said that "Abraham and Sarah were old," signifying that that human should be put off-" old age" involves nothing else than the last time. "Old age" is mentioned in various places in the Word, as also that men "died;" but in the internal sense no old age, or death, such as those of the body, are ever perceived; but something else that is evident from the series of things; for in the other life old age and death are unknown. What is here meant is evident, as before said, from the series of things, namely, that the Lord was to put off the human.

AC 2199. Entering into days. That this signifies that the time was come, now follows from what has been said. A "day," in the Word, as also a "year," and indeed time in general, signifies state (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893). Thus here, to "enter into days" signifies in the internal sense to enter into that state in which He should put off the Human; thus that the time was come.

AC 2200. It had ceased to be with Sarah in the way as of women. That this signifies that it could no longer so remain, is evident from what has been now said; thus without explication.

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info