AN ORACLE OF BALAAM

AN ORACLE OF BALAAM
NUMBERS 24:15-19

And he took up his parable, and said,
Balaam the son of Beor has said,
and the man whose eyes are open has said:
He has said, which heard the words of God,
and knew the knowledge of the most High,
which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

I shall see him, but not now:
I shall behold him, but not nigh:
there shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite the corners of Moab,
and destroy all the children of Sheth.
And Edom shall be a possession,
Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies;
and Israel shall do valiantly.

Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion,
and shall destroy him that remains of the city.

Arcana Coelestia 3322 [3]
…treats of the coming of the Lord into the world,
whose Human Essence is called a "star out of Jacob,"
and a "scepter out of Israel".

Arcana Coelestia 4240 [2]
Everyone can see that in these passages
"Seir" signifies something of the Lord,
for it is said that Jehovah "arose from Seir," … .
To "arise," and to "go forth out of Seir"
denote that He made even His natural Divine,
in order that from this also there might be light,
that is, intelligence and wisdom;
and that in this way He might become Jehovah,
not only as to His Human Rational,
but also as to His Human Natural;
and therefore it is said, "Jehovah arose from Seir,"
and "Jehovah went forth out of Seir."

THE FIRST PROPHECY OF THE LORD'S COMING

GENESIS 3:14-15

And the LORD God said unto the serpent,
Because thou hast done this,
thou art cursed above all cattle,
and above every beast of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go,
and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed;
it shall bruise thy head, 
and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Arcana Coelestia 250
Everyone is aware that this is the first prophecy
of the Lord's advent into the world;
it appears indeed clearly from the words themselves,
and therefore from them and from the prophets
even the Jews knew that a Messiah was to come.
Hitherto however no one has understood
what is specifically meant by the "serpent" the "woman"
the "serpent's seed" the "woman's seed"
the "head of the serpent which was to be trodden upon"
and the "heel which the serpent should bruise."
They must therefore be explained.

By the "serpent" is here meant all evil in general,
and specifically the love of self;
by the "woman" is meant the church;
by the "seed of the serpent" all infidelity;
by the "seed of the woman" faith in the Lord;
by "He" the Lord Himself;
by the "head of the serpent" the dominion of evil in general,
and specifically that of the love of self;
by to "trample upon" depression,
so that it should "go upon the belly and eat dust;"
and by the "heel" the lowest natural (as the corporeal),
which the serpent should "bruise."