7193. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, in God Shaddai. That this signifies the temptations of the Lord as to the Human, and the temptations of the faithful, and afterward consolations, is evident from the signification of "appearing," or "being seen," when said of Jehovah, as being perception from the Divine (see n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 5400); and from the representation of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, as being the Lord as to the Divine Itself, and as to the Divine Human (n. 6804, 6847); but here, as Jehovah speaks and says that "He appeared to them," the Lord is signified as to the human, that is, the human before it was made Divine. By "Abraham" is signified the celestial in this human; by "Isaac," the spiritual; and by "Jacob," the natural.
[2] That the Lord as to the human is here meant by these, not as to the Divine Itself, nor as to the Divine Human, is because the subject is temptations, and the Lord as to the human before it was made Divine could be tempted, but not as to the Divine Human, and still less as to the Divine Itself; for the Divine is beyond all temptations. The infernals who tempt cannot approach even the celestial angels, for when they approach them, they are seized with horror and anguish, and become as if half dead; and as they cannot approach the celestial angels, and this by reason of the Divine with them, much less can they approach the Divine which is infinitely above the angelic. From all this it can be seen that the Lord assumed an infirm human from the mother in order that He might be tempted, and by temptations reduce into order all things in heaven and in hell, and then at the same time glorify His Human, that is, make it Divine.
[3] (That by "God Shaddai" are signified temptations, and afterward consolations, see n. 1992, 3667, 4572, 5628.) It is said "afterward consolations," because it is from Divine order that comfortings follow the pains of temptations, just as morning and dawn follow evening and night. There is also a correspondence between them, for there are alternations of states in the other life, as there are of the seasons in the world. States of temptations and of infestations, and also states of desolations, are in the other life evening and night; and states of consolations and festivities are morning and dawn. That by the same words, namely, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, in God Shaddai," are also signified the temptations of the faithful, and afterward consolations, is because the regeneration of man, which is effected by means of temptations, is an image of the glorification of the Lord (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688); therefore the things in the Word which are understood of the Lord in the supreme sense, are understood of the faithful in the relative internal sense.