569. And he abode with him a month of days (vs. 19). Here, at the entrance to this period of Jacob's life, it is shown that in the inmost sense, what are meant are the churches of the Messiah from primitive times even to the end of days; namely, the church which was from the time of Adam to Noah, that which was from Noah to Abraham, and that which was from Abraham to the Messiah himself. These three churches are first signified by the three flocks which lay at the fountain (vs. 2); while the church existing from the advent of the Messiah up to the present day and which is the truly Christian church, is signified by Laban's flock which was led by Rachel (vs. 6, 9). These churches are now treated of more specifically, the church which was from first creation even to the flood being treated of in a few words. Like the Jewish church, this church was indeed among a few; and inmostly within it lay concealed the true church of the Messiah, as can be evident from the sacrifices of Abel, and also from the life of Enoch, Noah, etc. But this church was entirely corrupted by illegitimate marriages, that is to say, by the marriages of the sons of God with the daughters of man; so that from these marriages no relationships could in any way be formed which, like those now instituted in the house of Abraham and Nahor, would proceed in their series from the closest to the more remote. Therefore, a paradise could never be planted from such marriages, that is to say, the kingdom of God in whose midst would be the tree of the Messiah himself. That this was the case, to wit, that this first church was corrupted by illegitimate marriages, and that, for this reason, a flood was brought upon the whole world, is clearly seen from Genesis, chapter 6, where we read: "That the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. Afterwards the sons of God came in unto the daughters of man, and they bare children to them. And when Jehovah [God] saw that the wickedness of man was multiplied in the world, it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth; and grief entered his heart. And Jehovah said, I will blot out man, whom I have created, from upon the faces of the earth, from man even to the beast. But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah" (vs. 2, 4-8). From this it is clear that the human race was wiped out because of the marriages of the sons of God with the daughters of man; and that, because of these same marriages, the church of Christ could not be instituted then, and consequently no new creation, that is, no creation of a new paradise in place of the old. This creation, therefore, was commenced anew in Noah. This primitive time is here called a month of days; for in the Divine Word, times, the greatest as well as the least, are exhibited as years, months, and days, a great space of time being thus called a month and also a day. A month of days is the designation given to the time during which Jacob abode with Laban, or during which the Messiah abode with those who are signified by Laban; for, in the inmost sense, under the person presented at the time, are set forth for contemplation both things past and things future. With God there are no times, but the past and the future are simultaneous and in the present. This then was the month of days which preceded the times of the new creation, which latter are especially called days or years, as below.1
1 See n. 576, 583.
