10370. And the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to perform the Sabbath to their generations. That this signifies that the very essential of the church is the acknowledgment of the union of the Divine Itself in the Lord's Human, and that this must be in each and all things of worship, is evident from the signification of "keeping the Sabbath," as being continual holy thought about the union of the Divine Itself with the Lord's Human (see above, n. 10356), thus also acknowledgment, for thought without acknowledgment and faith is not spiritual thought; from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being the church (see the places cited in n. 9340); from the signification of "performing the Sabbath," as being devoutly to worship this union, thus to worship the Lord as to the Divine Human, for this union is in the Divine Human; and from the signification of "to the generations of the sons of Israel," as being in each and all things of the church (n. 10282). From all this it is evident that by "the sons of Israel keeping the Sabbath to perform the Sabbath to their generations," is signified the acknowledgment of the Divine Itself in the Lord's Human in each and all things of worship. The reason why this is an essential of the church, and consequently an essential of its worship, is that the salvation of the human race depends solely upon this union. Moreover the Lord came into the world for the sake of effecting this union. Therefore also in its inmost sense the whole Word treats of this, and the rituals of the church instituted among the sons of Israel represented it and signified it. [2] That the salvation of the human race is therefrom, consequently that this acknowledgment is an essential of the church and of its worship, the Lord teaches in many passages, as in John:
He that believeth in the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life (John 3:36; also verses 15, 16; 6:40; 11:25, 26; 20:31). "The Son" denotes the Divine Human of the Lord. The reason why those have no eternal life who do not from faith acknowledge the Lord, is that the whole heaven is in this acknowledgment; for the Lord is the Lord of heaven and earth, as He teaches in Matthew:
All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18);
and therefore heaven is closed to those who do not acknowledge Him; and he who (being within the church) does not make acknowledgment in the world, does not make it in the other life. Such is the state of man after death.