Mysterium magnum, or An exposition of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Concerning the manifestation or revelation of the divine word through the three principles of the divine essence; also of the originall of the world and the creation. Wherein the kingdome of nature, & the kingdome of grace are expounded. For the better understanding of the Old and New Testament, and what Adam and Christ are. Also, how man should consider and may know himselfe in the light of nature, where he is, and where his temporall and eternall life, consist; also, where his eternall blessednesse, and damnation, consist. And is an exposition of the essence of all essences for the further consideration of the lovers, in the divine gift. Comprised in three parts: written anno 1623. By Jacob Behm. To which is added, The life of the author. And his Foure tables of divine revelation.

This Figure standeth thus.

3. And Jacob sayd to Joseph; the Almighty God appeared to mee at Luz in the Land of Canaan and blessed mee, and sayd to mee; behold I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and will make thee a Great People, and will give this Land for a possession to thy seede for Ever; In this figure, the Spirit speaketh not onely of the Inheritance of the out∣ward Land of Canaan, but also of the Inheritance of the Kingdome of Christ, understood and signified under this Canaan; for he sayth: God hath given him and his children this Land for an Eternall possession, which for a long time after that, they had no Inheritance in, therefore then in this, the Kingdome of Christ is understood, which shall endure for Ever.

4. Thus Jacob, tooke the two sonnes of Joseph, and set them in his Roote in the Inheritance of this Kingdome, and moreover in his first

power and vertue, as Reuben and Simeon his first sonnes, which signifieth, how Josephs, that is, Christs, children in the Faith and Spirit, whose na∣ture yet is come from the Seede of corrupted Adam, shall be through Faith planted againe in the first Roote of Gods Covenant; for Adam hath set his Twiggs and children with himselfe in the Kingdome of Gods anger; But the Covenant and Grace taketh these Adamicall twiggs and puts them back againe into the Image of God, whose figure Jacob heere represents with Josephs Sonnes.

5. And Israell saw the Sonnes of Joseph and sayd, who are these? Joseph answered his father, and sayd: they are my Sonnes which God hath given mee; that is, the Covenant of Grace was strange to the corrupt nature; and sayd: Who are these children of Nature in selfe, have they not broken themselves off from God: But Joseph in the figure of Christs humanity sayd: they are my children which God hath given mee in the Kingdome of this world, and the Covenant of Grace in Jacob sayd; ‖ Bring them to mee that I may blesse them, that is, that I may anoint them with Grace, that is, Christ shall bring them to God, that he may blesse them againe.

6. And Moses sayth; For the Eyes of Israell were dimme with age, that is, Nature in the fathers property in the Soulish Creature, was growne dimme and old, and that because the soules Ens had † modelled it selfe in the ‖ Time, for all that liveth in the ‖ Time groweth old and dimme: But the Covenant in Jacob groweth not old; The Covenant was that which should blesse the Sonnes of Joseph, with the future revelation or Manifestation of the Power in the Name JESUS, and Joseph who stood in the Image or Type of the Humanity of Christ, should bring them to this Blessing: For, the humanity of Christ bringeth Adams children to the blessing of God, as heere Joseph bringeth his Sonnes, to the Covenant of God, in Jacob.

7. Moses sayth further; But he kissed them, and incouraged them, and sayd to Joseph: behold, I have seene thy Face, which I had not thought to have done, and behold, God hath let mee see thy Seede; and Joseph tooke them from † his Boosom, and bowed himselfe towards the Earth before his Countenance: which is as much as to say, in the figure thus; when Joseph in the Image or Type of the humanity of Christ, brought his sonnes to his Father, viz. before the Covenant of God, then the Covenant tooke them in the Armes, or into the Boosom of his desire, viz. into Gods Essence, and kissed them with the kisse of Love, which God would manifest in Christ; and the Fathers righteousnesse in the Word of might and power sayth to the Soules Essences, behold thou art dimme to my sight, and now I have seene thy Countenance againe, through the Love and Grace of God, which I thought not to have done; for I thought to have kept the soule in the strong and severe Might of Gods anger, for Gods Eye was depar∣ted in it, with its turning away from him, and so as to Gods righteous∣nesse, it was rent off from God; But now I have seene the Countenance of the Soule, againe, through Gods Love in the Grace of God, and Gods Love hath let mee see them in the seede, of the Covenant of Grace.

8. And the Spirit of Moses sayth; And Joseph tooke them from his fathers Boosom, and bowed himselfe to the Earth before his face, that is, when the Word became Man, then Christ tooke the soule from the fa∣thers Boosom, viz. from the fathers Nature in to himselfe, and in a Crea∣turely

manner presented himselfe with the assumed humanity before God the father, and bowed, that is, humbled himselfe with the assumed soule, viz. God and Man in one Person, to the Earth, that is, even into Death, and entred before the Face of God, with our, assumed Soule, that is, he brought the Soules will through the introduced power of the Deity, back againe into the resigned humility before the Eyes of God.

9. And Moses sayth further: Then Joseph tooke them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israells left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israells right hand, and brought them to him; This now is the pretious fi∣gure of the Great earnestnes of God, shewing how Man is blessed againe; for, Ephraim was not the first-borne, but Manasseh: and Jacob layd his right hand upon the head of the Youngest; but Joseph tooke Ephraim in his right hand and Manasseh in his left hand, that he might stand with the first-borne before Jacobs right hand and with the other before Jacobs left hand, but Jacob inverted the will of Joseph.

Notes

• Gen 48.8, 9.
• ‖

  Vers 9.
• Vers. 10.
• †

  Imaged, or framed.
• ‖

  Temporary∣nes.
• ‖

  Temporary∣nes.
• Vers· 10, 11, 12.
• †

  Jacobs.
• The Soules Essences, pow∣ers or facul∣ties.
• Gen. 48.13.