AC GENESIS Chapter50

1. And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father, and wept upon him, and kissed him.

2. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

3. And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed; and the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

4. And the days of weeping for him passed away, and Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If I pray I have found grace in your eyes, speak I pray in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

5. My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my sepulchre which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me.  And now I pray let me go up, and bury my father, and I will return.

6. And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

7. And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8. And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their babes, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

9. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and the army was exceeding great.

10. And they came to the threshing-floor Atad, which is in the passage of the Jordan, and they wailed there a very great and grievous wailing; and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

11. And the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the mourning in the threshing-floor Atad, and they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians; wherefore they called the name of it Abel-mizraim, which is in the passage of the Jordan.

12. And his sons did unto him as he had commanded them:

13. And his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a sepulchre, from Ephron the Hittite, upon the faces of Mamre.

14. And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

15. And Joseph‘s brethren saw that their father was dead, and they said, Peradventure Joseph will hate us, and returning will return unto us all the evil that we requited to him.

16. And they commanded Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17. Thus shall ye say unto Joseph, I pray forgive I pray the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, because they requited evil to thee; and now forgive I pray the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father.  And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18. And his brethren also went and fell down before him; and they said, Behold we are thy servants.

19. And Joseph said unto them, Fear ye not; for am I in God’s stead?

20. And you thought evil against me, but God thought it for good, in order to do as it is this day, to keep alive a great people.

21. And now fear ye not: I will sustain you, and your babes.  And he comforted them, and spake upon their heart.

22. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father‘s house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

23. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s sons of the third generation: the sons also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph‘s knees.

24. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and visiting God will visit you, and will make you go up out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

25. And Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, Visiting God will visit you, and ye shall make my bones go up from hence.

26. And Joseph died, a son of a hundred and ten years; and they embalmed him, and he was put in an ark in Egypt.

AC 6497. After treating of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by whom in the supreme sense is represented the Lord, this last chapter of Genesis in the internal sense treats of the church--that after the celestial church had perished, a spiritual church was instituted by the Lord. The beginning and progress of this church are described in the internal sense, and at the close of the chapter, its end; and that in its stead the mere representative of a church was instituted among the descendants of Jacob.

AC 6498. Verses 1-3.  And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.  And forty days were fulfilled for him, for so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed; and the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.  “And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father,” signifies the influx of the internal into the affection of good; “and wept upon him,” signifies sorrow; “and kissed him,” signifies the first conjunction; “and Joseph commanded his servants the physicians,” signifies preservation from the evils which hindered; “to embalm his father,” signifies lest it should be infected with any contagion; “and the physicians embalmed Israel,” signifies what was done for the preservation of the good which is from truth; “and forty days were fulfilled for him,” signifies states of preparation by means of temptations; “for so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed,” signifies that these are states of preservation; “and the Egyptians wept for him,” signifies the sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church; “seventy days,” signifies a full state.

AC 6499. And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father.  That this signifies the influx of the internal into the affection of good, is evident from the signification of “falling upon the faces” of anyone, as being influx; from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877, 6177, 6224); from the signification of the “face,” as being affection (n. 4796, 4797, 5102); and from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being spiritual good, or the good of truth (n. 3654, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833).  Hence it is evident that by “Joseph fell upon the faces of his father” is signified the influx of the internal into the affection of spiritual good. That the influx of the internal into the affection of spiritual good is signified, is because in the internal sense the subject treated of is the spiritual church, that it was instituted by the Lord; for by “Israel” is signified the good of truth, or spiritual good, and this good makes the spiritual church, wherefore also by “Israel” this church is signified (n. 4286, 6426). In order that this good may come into existence, there must be influx from the internal celestial, which is represented by Joseph; for without influx from this, spiritual good is not good, because it is of no affection.  In what follows in the internal sense the institution of this church is continued (n. 6497).  That this church is described by Israel now dead and presently to be buried, is because in the internal sense by “death” is not signified death, nor by “burial” burial, but by “death” is signified new life (n. 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036), and by “burial” regeneration (n. 2916, 2917, 5551).

AC 6500. And wept upon him.  That this signifies sorrow, is evident without explication. By the sorrow here signified by “weeping” is not meant in the internal sense sorrow for death as it is in the external, but for the good of the spiritual church, that it cannot be elevated above what is natural; for the Lord flowing in through the internal continually wills to perfect this good, and to draw it toward Himself, but still it cannot be elevated to the first degree of the good that belongs to the celestial church. For the man of the spiritual church is comparatively in obscurity, and reasons about truths as to whether they are truths, or confirms what is called doctrine, and this without perception whether what he confirms is true or not; and when he has confirmed it with himself, he fully believes that it is true, even though it is false; for there is nothing that cannot be confirmed, this being the work of ingenuity, not of intelligence, still less of wisdom; and what is false may be confirmed more readily than what is true, because it favors the cupidities, and agrees with the fallacies of the senses. Such being the nature of the man of the spiritual church, he cannot possibly be elevated above what is natural; and this is the source of the sorrow which is signified by “Joseph wept upon him.”

AC 6501. And kissed him.  That this signifies the first conjunction, is evident from the signification of “kissing,” as being conjunction from affection (n. 3573, 3574, 4215, 4353, 5929, 6260); in this case the first conjunction, because a closer conjunction is treated of in what follows.

AC 6502. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians. That this signifies preservation from the evils which hindered conjunction, is evident from the signification of“ commanding,” as being to flow in (n. 5732); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal, of which above (n. 6499); and from the signification of the “physicians,” as being preservation from evils. That it denotes from the evils which hindered conjunction (n. 6501), is apparent from the connection.  Hence it is evident that by “Joseph commanded his servants the physicians” is signified influx from the internal with respect to preservation from the evils which hindered conjunction. That “physicians” signify preservation from evils is because in the spiritual world diseases are evils and falsities, spiritual diseases being nothing else; for evils and falsities take away health from the internal man, and induce sicknesses on the mind, and at last pains; nor is anything else signified in the Word by “diseases.”

[2] That “physicians,” the “medical art,” and “medicines” in the Word signify preservations from evils and falsities, is evident from the passages where they are named; as in Moses:--

If hearing thou hearest the voice of thy God, and doest that which is good in His eyes, and givest ear to His commandments, and keepest all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am Jehovah thy physician (Exod. 15:26);

“Jehovah the Physician” denotes the preserver from evils, for these are signified by the “diseases put upon the Egyptians.”  That the “diseases put upon the Egyptians” signify evils and falsities originating in reasonings from memory-knowledges and fallacies concerning the arcana of faith, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be shown when these diseases are treated of; that spiritual things are signified, is evident from the fact that it is said “if they would hear the voice of God, would do good, would give ear to the commandments, and would keep the statutes, then these diseases should not be upon them.”

[3] In the same sense also the Lord calls Himself a “physician” in Luke:--

They that are whole have no need of a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:31, 32);

here also a “physician” denotes a preserver from evils, for by the “whole” are meant the righteous, and by the “sick,” sinners.  In Jeremiah:--

Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? why then hath not the health of the daughter of My people come up? (Jer. 8:22);

a “physician” denotes preservation from falsities in the church, for the “health of the daughter of My people” denotes the truth of doctrine there.

[4] That “healings,” “cures,” “remedies,” and “medicines” are not spoken of in the Word in a natural but in a spiritual sense, is plain in Jeremiah:--

Why hast Thou smitten us, that we have no remedy? they await peace, but there is no good; a time of healing, but behold terror (Jer. 14:19; 8:15).

Again:--

I will cause to come up to him health and cure, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them a crown of peace and truth (Jer. 33:6).

Again:--

There is none that judgeth thy judgment for health, thou hast no medicines of restoration (Jer. 30:13).

Again:--

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain hast thou multiplied medicines; there is no healing for thee (Jer. 46:11).

[5] In Ezekiel:--

By the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that, there cometh up every tree of food, whose leaf falleth not, neither is the fruit thereof consumed, it is born again in its months, because the waters thereof go forth from the sanctuary; whence the fruit thereof is for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezek. 47:12);

the subject here treated of in the prophet is the new house of God, or the new temple, by which is signified a new church, and in an interior sense the Lord‘s spiritual kingdom; and therefore the “river upon whose bank cometh up every tree of food” signifies things that belong to intelligence and wisdom (n. 108, 109, 2702, 3051); “trees” signify the perceptions and knowledges of good and truth (n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972, 4552); “food,” the goods and truths themselves (n. 680, 4459, 5147, 5293, 5576, 5915) “waters going forth from the sanctuary,” the truths which make intelligence (n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668); the “sanctuary,” celestial love, in the supreme sense the Divine Human of the Lord, from whom is this love; the “fruits which are for food,” the goods of love (n. 913, 983, 2846, 2847, 3146); the “leaf which is for medicine,” the truth of faith (n. 885).  From this it is plain what “medicine” signifies, namely, that which preserves from falsities and evils; for when the truth of faith leads to the good of life, it preserves, because it withdraws from evils.

AC 6503. To embalm his father.  That this signifies lest it should be infected with any contagion, is evident from the signification of “embalming,” as being a means of preserving from contagion; and from the representation of Israel, as being the good of the spiritual church (n. 6499). Hence it is evident that by “embalming his father” is signified a means of preservation lest the good that belongs to the spiritual church should be infected with any contagion.  The reason why “to embalm” signifies a means of preservation from contagion, is that the purpose of embalming bodies was to preserve them from putrefying.  The means of the preservation of spiritual good from contagion is treated of in what now follows.

AC 6504. And the physicians embalmed Israel.  That this signifies what was done for the preservation of the good which is from truth, is evident from the signification of “embalming,” as being a means of preservation from contagion (n. 6503), here what was done for preservation, because it is said “they embalmed;” from the signification of “physicians,” as being preservation from evils (n. 6502); and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good, which is the same as the good which is from truth (n. 6499).

AC 6505. And forty days were fulfilled for him.  That this signifies states of preparation by means of temptations, is evident from the signification of the number “forty,” as being temptations (n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273); and from the signification of “days,” as being states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850).  That they are states of preparation is signified by these “days being fulfilled for him;” for by fulfilling these days preparation was made that the bodies might be preserved from putrefying, in the spiritual sense that souls might be preserved from the contagion of evil. That by means of temptations evils and falsities are removed, and that man is thereby prepared to receive truths and goods, (n. 868, 1692, 1717, 1740, 2272, 3318, 4341, 4572, 5036, 5356, 6144).

AC 6506. For so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed.  That this signifies that these are states of preservation, is evident from the signification of “days,” as being states (n. 6505); and from the signification of “being embalmed,” as being a means of preservation (n. 6503).

AC 6507. And the Egyptians wept for him.  That this signifies the sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of “weeping,” as being the height of sadness, and a representative of internal mourning (n. 3801, 4786); and from the representation of the Egyptians, as being the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966). The sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church, which is signified by the “Egyptians weeping for Israel,” does not mean sadness on account of his death, for this is the sense of the letter; but their sadness here means sadness because the good of the church, which is represented by Israel, had left the memory-knowledges, which are the externals of the church, when it ascended from them to the internal of the church, which is the good of truth; for in this case it no longer regards memory-knowledges as being with itself, as before, but beneath itself.  For when the truth of the spiritual church becomes good, a revolution takes place, and the man no longer looks at truths from truths, but from good, which revolution has already been several times described.  From this comes the sadness, and it also comes from the fact that a different order is effected among the memory-knowledges, which is not effected without pain.

AC 6508. Seventy days.  That this signifies a full state, is evident from the signification of “seventy;” for this number involves the like as “seven,” and “seven” signifies an entire period from beginning to end, thus a full state (n. 728, 2044, 3845). Numbers in the Word signify things, (n. 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175); and numbers multiplied signify the like with the simple numbers from which they are compounded, (n. 5291, 5335, 5708); thus “seventy” the like with “seven.”

[2] That “seventy” denotes an entire period, thus a full state, is evident also from the following passages:--

It shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; from the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre like the song of the harlot; for it shall come to pass from the end of seventy years that Jehovah shall visit Tyre (Isa. 23:15, 17);

“Tyre” denotes the knowledges of good and truth of the church (n. 1201), which should be forgotten; “seventy years,” an entire period from beginning to end; “according to the days of one king,” the state of truth within the church, for “days” denote states (n. 6505), and “king,” truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 5044, 5068, 6148). Everyone who considers the matter can see that by “Tyre” in this passage is not meant Tyre, and that without the internal sense it cannot be apprehended what is meant by “Tyre being forgotten seventy years,” nor what is meant by this being “according to the days of one king;” and so on.

[3] And in Jeremiah:--

The whole earth shall be a desolation, and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years; and it shall come to pass, when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will visit their iniquity upon the king of Babylon, and upon this nation (Jer. 25:11, 12; 30:10);

“seventy years” denote a full state of desolation and devastation, and this was signified by the captivity of seventy years which the Jewish people endured.

[4] In Daniel:--

Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people, and upon the city of thy holiness, to consummate the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies (Daniel 9:24);

where “seventy” manifestly denotes a full state, thus an entire period, before the Lord was to come; whence it is said of Him, that He came “in the fulness of time.” That “seventy weeks” denotes a full state, is plain from the particulars in this verse, namely, that so many weeks were “decreed to consummate the transgression,” also to “expiate iniquity,” and to “bring in the righteousness of the ages,” to “seal up vision and prophet,” to “anoint the holy of holies,” each particular involving fulness.  The like is involved in what follows in the same chapter:--

Know therefore and perceive, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem, even unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks (Daniel 9:25);

where “seven” denotes a full state. “Seven” as well as “seventy” signifies a full state. “Jerusalem” in this passage manifestly denotes a new church, for Jerusalem was not then built, but was destroyed.

AC 6509. Verses 4-6. And the days of weeping for him passed away, and Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If I pray I have found grace in your eyes, speak I pray in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die; in my sepulchre which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me; and now I pray let me go up, and bury my father, and I will return. And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.  “And the days of weeping for him passed away,” signifies that the states of sorrow were accomplished; “and Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh,” signifies the influx of the internal into the natural mind; “saying, If I pray I have found grace in your eyes,” signifies that it may be well received; “speak I pray in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,” signifies entreaty for consent; “My father made me swear,” signifies that he has the church at heart; “saying, Lo, I die,” signifies that it had ceased to be; “in my sepulchre which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me,” signifies that it was to be resuscitated where the former church had been; “and now I pray let me go up, and bury my father,” signifies the resuscitation of the church there by the internal; “and I will return,” signifies presence in the natural mind; “and Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father,” signifies affirmation that the church will be resuscitated; “according as he made thee swear,” signifies because this is at heart.

AC 6510. And the days of weeping for him passed away.  That this signifies that the states of sorrow were accomplished, is evident from the signification of “passed away,” as being to be accomplished; and from the signification of “the days of weeping,” as being states of sorrow (n. 6500); and “days” are states, (n. 6505).

AC 6511. And Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh.  That this signifies the influx of the internal into the natural mind, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being influx (n. 2951, 5481, 5743, 5797); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499); from the representation of the house, as being the mind (n. 4973, 5023); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (n. 5160, 5799, 6015).  Hence it is evident that by “Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh” is signified the influx of the internal into the natural mind.

AC 6512. Saying, If I pray I have found grace in your eyes. That this signifies that it may be well received, is evident from the signification of “finding grace in your eyes,” as being a form of insinuation, thus that it may be well received (n. 4975, 6178).

AC 6513. Speak I pray in the ears of Pharaoh, saying.  That this signifies entreaty for consent, is evident from the signification of “speak I pray,” as being entreaty; and from the signification of “ears,” as being obedience (n. 2542, 3869, 4551, 4652-4660), here consent, because it is said to the king.  Obedience is also consent; but is called obedience when applied to inferiors, and consent when applied to superiors.

AC 6514. My father made me swear.  That this signifies that he has the church at heart, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being the spiritual church (n. 4286, 6426); and from the signification of “making to swear,” as being to bind inwardly; here to have at heart, for he who binds inwardly, and thus by conscience, does it because he has it at heart; hence this is here signified by “making to swear.”

AC 6515. Saying, Lo, I die.  That this signifies that it, namely, the church, ceased to be, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being no longer to be (n. 494); and as being the last time of the church, when it expires (n. 2908, 2917, 2923).

AC 6516. In my sepulchre which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me.  That this signifies that the church was to be resuscitated where a former church had been, is evident from the signification of a “sepulchre,” and of “burying,” as being resuscitation (n. 5551); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447).  The reason why Jacob desired to be buried in the land of Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac were buried, and not elsewhere, was that his descendants were to possess that land, and he would lie among his own. In the internal sense however, not this, but something else was signified, namely, regeneration and resurrection, because therein is the church; for in the internal sense by “burial” is signified regeneration and resurrection (n. 2916, 2917, 1621, 5551); and by the “land of Canaan” is signified the church, as is evident from the passages cited just above; and by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” is signified the Lord as to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human, and in the relative sense the Lord‘s kingdom as to its internal and external (n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276).  Such then is the signification in the internal sense of their burial there; and hence with the Jews who believe in a resurrection the opinion still survives that although they may be buried elsewhere, they will rise again there.

[2] The reason why it is said that the church will be revived “where the former church had been,” is that from the most ancient times the Lord’s church had been in the land of Canaan (n. 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136). It was for this reason that Abraham was ordered to go there, and that the descendants of Jacob were brought into it; and this not because that land was more holy than all other lands, but because from the most ancient times all the places there--provinces, and cities, and mountains, and rivers--had been representative of such things as belong to the Lord‘s kingdom; and the very names that were given them involved such things.  For every name given from heaven to any place, and also to any person, involves what is celestial and spiritual; and when it has been given from heaven, it is perceived there; and it was the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial and had communication with heaven, that gave the names.  The reason therefore why the church was to be there again, was that the Word was to be given, in which all things were to be representative and significative of things spiritual and celestial, and thus the Word might be understood in heaven as well as on earth; which could not possibly have been done unless the names of places and of persons were significative. For this reason the descendants of Jacob were brought in there; and prophets were there raised up by whom the Word was written; and for this reason also the representative of a church was instituted among the descendants of Jacob.  Hence it is plain why it is said that a church was to be resuscitated where the former church had been.

[3] That the names which are in the Word signify things, may be seen above, (n. 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 4442, 5225), and in many other places where the signification of names is explained; but that the names in the Word are perceived in heaven as to their signification, and this without instruction, is a secret which no one has hitherto known, and therefore it must be told.  When the Word is being read, the Lord flows in and teaches; and Wonderful to say there are writings in the spiritual world also, which I have sometimes seen, and have been able to read, but not to understand; yet they are clearly understood by good spirits and angels, because they are in accord with their universal language; and it has been given me to know that every word therein, down to the very syllables, involves such things as belong to that world, thus spiritual things; and that they are there perceived from the breathing, and from the affection resulting from their utterance, thus from a softer or harsher modifying forth; but this perhaps scarcely anyone will believe. This has been disclosed in order that it may be known that the names in the Word, having been written in heaven, are at once perceived there in respect to their signification.

AC 6517. And now I pray let me go up and bury my father.  That this signifies the resuscitation of the church there by the internal, is evident from the signification of “burying,” as being resuscitation (n. 6516); from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being the church (n. 6514); and from the representation of Joseph, who says this of himself, as being the internal (n. 6499).

AC 6518. And I will return.  That this signifies presence in the natural mind, is evident from the signification of “returning,” as being presence; for in the internal sense “to set forth” and “to go” signify to live (n. 3335, 4882, 5493, 5605), hence “to return” or “come again” is the presence of the life at the place of departure, for the mind is still present there.  That the presence is in the natural mind, is because by the “land of Egypt” to which he was to return is signified the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301).

AC 6519. And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father.  That this signifies affirmation that the church will be resuscitated; is evident from what was said above (n. 6517), where like words occur.  That affirmation is denoted is obvious.

AC 6520. According as he made thee swear.  That this signifies because this is at heart, is evident from the signification of “making to swear,” as being to have at heart (n. 6514).

AC 6521. Verses 7-9.  And Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh; the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their babes, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.  And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and the army was exceeding great.  “And Joseph went up to bury his father,” signifies the internal toward the setting up again of the church; “and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh,” signifies that it adjoined to itself the memory-knowledges of the natural; “the elders of his house,” signifies that were in agreement with good; “and all the elders of the land of Egypt,” signifies that were in agreement with truth; “and all the house of Joseph,” signifies the celestial things of the spiritual; “and his brethren,” signifies the truths thence derived; “and his father‘s house,” signifies spiritual good; “only their babes,” signifies innocence “and their flocks,” signifies charity; “and their herds,” signifies practices of charity; “they left in the land of Goshen,” signifies that these were in the inmost of the memory-knowledges of the church; “and there went up with him both chariots,” signifies doctrinal things; “and horsemen,” signifies intellectual things; “and the army was exceeding great,” signifies truths and goods conjoined.

AC 6522. And Joseph went up to bury his father.  That this signifies the internal toward the setting up again of the church, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499); from the signification of “being buried,” as being resuscitation (n. 6516), thus a setting up again, because it is said of the church; and from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being the church (n. 4286, 6426).

AC 6523. And with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh. That this signifies that it adjoined to itself the memory-knowledges of the natural, is evident from the signification of “going up with him,” as being to adjoin to himself, for as it was by command that they went up, he adjoined them to himself; and from the signification of the “servants of Pharaoh,” as being the memory-knowledges of the natural.  For by Pharaoh is represented the natural in general (n. 5160, 5799, 6015); and because in the natural there are memory-knowledges, these are what are signified by his “servants,” as also by the “Egyptians” (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 5702, 6004).

AC 6524. The elders of his house.  That this signifies that were in agreement with good, is evident from the signification of “elders,” as being the chief things of wisdom, thus those which agree with good; and from the signification of “house,” as being good (n. 2559, 3652, 3720, 4982). That “elders” denote the chief things of wisdom is because in the Word “old men” signify the wise, and in a sense abstracted from person, wisdom. As the “twelve tribes of Israel” signified all truths and goods in the complex, there were set over them princes and elders, and by “princes” were signified the primary truths which are of intelligence, and by “elders” the chief things of wisdom, thus those which are of good.

[2] That “princes” signify the primary truths which are of intelligence, may be seen above (n. 1482, 2089, 5044); but that “elders” signified the chief things of wisdom, and “old men,” wisdom, is plain from the following passages.  In David:--

Let them extol Jehovah in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders (Ps. 107:32);

where the “congregation of the people” denotes those who are in the truths that belong to intelligence, “congregation” being predicated of truths (n. 6355), and also “people” (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581); and the “assembly of the elders” denotes those who are in good, which is of wisdom; for wisdom is of life, thus of good, but intelligence is of knowledges, thus of truth (n. 1555).  Again:--

I am wiser than the elders, because I have kept Thy commandments (Ps. 119:100);

where the “elders” manifestly denote him who is wise. So in Job:--

In old men there is wisdom, and in length of days intelligence (Job 12:12).

In Moses:--

Thou shalt rise up before the grey head, and honor the faces of the old man (Lev. 19:32);

this was commanded because old men represented wisdom.

[3] In John:--

Upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, who had golden crowns upon their heads (Rev. 4:4);

“elders” denote the things which belong to wisdom, thus those which belong to good; that “elders” denote these things is evident from the description--that they “sat on thrones, were clothed in white garments, and had crowns of gold on their heads;” for “thrones” denote the truths of intelligence from the good of wisdom (n. 5313); in like manner “white garments”.  “Garments” are truths, (n. 1073, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5954); and “white” is predicated of truth, (n. 3301, 5319). “Golden crowns upon their heads” denote the goods of wisdom; for “gold” is the good of love (n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658), and the “head” is the celestial, where is wisdom (n. 4938, 4939, 5328, 6436).  They are called “wise” who are in the third or inmost heaven, thus who are nearest the Lord; but they are called “intelligent” who are in the middle or second heaven, thus who are not so near the Lord.

[4] Again:--

All the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders, and the four animals (Rev. 7:11);

where also “elders” denote the things that belong to wisdom. So in the following passages.  In Isaiah:--

The child will puff himself up against the old man, and the despised against the honored one (Isa. 3:5);

Again:--

Jehovah Zebaoth shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory (Isa. 24:23).

In Jeremiah:--

My priests and mine elders expired in the city, because they have sought food for themselves wherewith to refresh their soul (Lam. 1:19).

Again:--

Her king and her princes are among the nations, the law is not; the elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the earth, they keep silence (Lam. 2:9, 10).

Again:--

They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah; princes were hanged up by their hand; the faces of the old were not honored; the elders have ceased from the gate (Lam. 5:11, 12, 14).

In Ezekiel:--

Misery shall come upon misery, and rumor shall be upon rumor; therefore they shall seek a vision from the prophet; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement (Ezek. 7:26, 27).

In Zechariah:--

There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days (Zech. 8:4).

That the elders might represent the things that belong to wisdom, the spirit of Moses was taken and given them, whence they prophesied (Num. 11:16).  In the opposite sense “elders” denote the things that are contrary to wisdom (Ezek. 8:11, 12).

AC 6525. And all the elders of the land of Egypt. That this signifies that were in agreement with truth, is evident from the signification of “elders,” as being the chief things of wisdom, thus those which agree with good (n. 6524), here those which agree with truth, for the things which agree with good, agree also with truth; and from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind where memory-knowledges are (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301), thus also where truths are, for memory-knowledges are the truths of the natural mind, and when they are true, they are called truths of memory-knowledge.

AC 6526. And all the house of Joseph. That this signifies the celestial things of the spiritual, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (n. 4286, 4592, 4963, 5307, 5331, 5332); hence the “house of Joseph” denotes the celestial things of the spiritual.

AC 6527. And his brethren.  That this signifies the truths thence derived, is evident from the representation of the sons of Israel, who here are the “brethren of Joseph,” as being spiritual truths (n. 5414, 5879, 5951) which truths are also from the internal celestial which is “Joseph,” but through spiritual good, which is “Israel.”

AC 6528. And his father’s house.  That this signifies spiritual good, is evident from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good (n. 3654, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); hence his “house” denotes all those things in the complex that belong to this good.

AC 6529. Only their babes.  That this signifies innocence, is evident from the signification of “babes,” as being innocence (n. 430, 3183, 5608).

AC 6530. And their flocks.  That this signifies charity, is evident from the signification of “flocks,” as being the interior good of charity (n. 5913, 6048).

AC 6531. And their herds.  That this signifies the practices of charity, is evident from the signification of “herds,” as being the exterior goods of charity (n. 2566, 5913, 6048); thus the practices thereof, for these are the exterior goods of charity.

AC 6532. They left in the land of Goshen.  That this signifies that these were in the inmost of the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of the “land of Goshen,” as being the middle or inmost in the natural, where are the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 5910, 6028, 6031, 6068). That the goods of innocence and charity, interior and exterior (n. 6529-6531), were in that inmost, is signified by their “leaving the little ones, the flocks, and the herds, in the land of Goshen;” for wherever things are left, there they are; thus by “they left” in the internal sense is not here signified leaving, but being there, namely, in the inmost of the memory-knowledges of the church, which is “the land of Goshen.”

AC 6533. And there went up with him both chariots.  That this signifies doctrinal things, is evident from the signification of “chariots,” as being doctrinal things (n. 5321, 5945).

AC 6534. And horsemen.  That this signifies intellectual things, is evident from the signification of “horsemen,” as being things that belong to the intellect, for by a “horse” is signified the intellectual (n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125). That “horsemen” denote things that belong to the intellect or understanding, may be seen further from the following passages:--

Jehovah alone did lead him; He made him ride upon the high places of the earth (Deut. 32:12, 13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; “to make him ride upon the high places of the earth” denotes to endow with higher understanding.

[2] In David:--

In thine honor mount up, and ride upon the Word of truth, and of gentleness, and of righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things (Ps. 45:4);

speaking of the Lord; “riding upon the Word of truth” denotes being in the very understanding of truth.  Again:--

Sing to God, praise ye His name; extol Him that rideth upon the clouds by His name Jah (Ps. 68:4);

this also is said of the Lord; the “clouds” denote the literal sense of the Word (n. 2135a, 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343); “to ride upon them” is to be in the internal sense, where truth is in its intelligence and wisdom.

[3] In Zechariah:--

In that day I will smite every horse with amazement, and his rider with madness, and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah; but will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness (Zech 12:4);

where “horse” denotes the intellectual; and “rider,” the intellect. Who does not see that “horse” here does not mean horse, nor “rider” rider; but that something is signified which can be smitten with amazement and madness, also with blindness?  That this pertains to the understanding is obvious.

[4] That by “horses” and “horsemen” are signified intellectual things, and in the opposite sense reasonings and falsities thence derived, may be seen in John:--

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering. And there went forth another horse that was red, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword. I saw and behold a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I saw and behold a pale horse, and him that sat upon it, whose name was Death (Rev. 6:2-8);

that here the “horses” and “they that sat upon them” signify such things as belong to the understanding of truth, and in the opposite sense such things as belong to falsity, is evident from all the details. The “white horse and he that sat thereon” denote the understanding of truth from the Word.  That “he who sat upon the white horse” is the Lord as to the Word, is said in plain words (Rev. 19:11, 13, 16). The “red horse and he that sat thereon” denote reasonings from the cupidities of evil, whereby violence is done to truths from the Word; the “black horse and he that sat thereon” denote the intellectual of truth extinguished; and the “pale horse and he that sat upon it” denote the consequent damnation.

[5] In the opposite sense “horses” and “horsemen” denote the intellect perverted; and the consequent falsities, as in Ezekiel:--

Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, governors and leaders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. Her sister Oholibah loved the sons of Asshur, governors and leaders, her neighbors, clothed in perfect attire, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men (Ezek. 23:5, 6, 12);

“Oholah” denotes the perverted spiritual church, which is “Samaria;” and “Oholibah” the perverted celestial church, which is “Jerusalem;” for the Israelites who were of Samaria represented the spiritual church, but the Jews who were of Jerusalem represented the celestial church.  The “Assyrians” and “sons of Asshur” denote reasoning against the truths of faith (n. 1186);“ horsemen riding on horses” denote the understanding perverted, whence come falsities.

[6] And in Habakkuk:--

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that goeth into the breadth of the earth, to inherit habitations not their own; their horses are swifter than leopards, and are sharper than the evening wolves, that their horsemen may spread themselves, whence their horsemen come from far (Habakkuk 1:6, 8);

the “Chaldeans” denote those who are in falsities, but in externals appear to be in truths, thus the profanation of truth, and “Babylon” the profanation of good (n. 1182, 1368). “Going into the breadth of the earth” denotes to destroy truths. The “breadth of the earth” is truth, (n. 3433, 3434, 4482). Hence it is evident that the “horsemen who spread themselves and come from far” denote the things that belong to perverted understanding, thus falsities.

AC 6535. And the army was exceeding great. That this signifies truths and goods conjoined, is evident from the signification of “army,” as being truths and goods (n. 3448); and as here the truths and goods signified by the “elders of the house of Pharaoh” and the “elders of the land of Egypt,” and by the house of Joseph“ and his ”brethren“ and also by the ”house of their father,“ were together, therefore by ”an exceeding great army“ are here signified truths and goods conjoined.

AC 6536. Verses 10, 11. And they came to the threshing-floor Atad, which is in the passage of the Jordan, and they wailed there a very great and grievous wailing; and he made a mourning for his father seven days. And the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the mourning in the threshing-floor Atad, and they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians; wherefore they called the name of it Abel-mizraim, which is in the passage of the Jordan.  ”And they came to the threshing-floor Atad,“ signifies the first state; ”which is in the passage of the Jordan,“ signifies which is a state of initiation into the knowledges of good and truth; ”and they wailed there a very great and grievous wailing,“ signifies grief; ”and he made a mourning for his father seven days,“ signifies the end of the grief; ”and the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the grievous mourning in the threshing-floor Atad,“ signifies a perception of grief by the good of the church; ”and they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians,“ signifies that memory-knowledges have grief before they are initiated into the truths of the church; ”wherefore they called the name of it Abel-mizraim,“ signifies the quality of the grief.

AC 6537. And they came to the threshing-floor Atad.  That this signifies the first state, is evident from the signification of ”threshing-floor,“ as being where the good of truth is, for in a threshing-floor there is grain, and by ”grain“ is signified the good that is from truth (n. 5295, 5410), and also the truth of good (n. 5959); and from the signification of ”Atad,“ as being the quality of this state, according to the signification of names of places elsewhere. That by the ”threshing-floor Atad“ is signified a state, namely as to the good and truth of the church, is because it was at the passage of the Jordan, and by this passage is signified initiation into the knowledges of good and truth.  For the Jordan was the first boundary in respect to the land of Canaan; and as by the ”land of Canaan“ is signified the church, therefore by the ”Jordan“ is signified those things which are the first of the church, or by means of which entrance to the church is opened.

[2] Hence it is that by the ”threshing-floor Atad“ is signified the first state; and as the first state was signified, mourning was made near the threshing-floor, because it was on their side of the Jordan, and the land, of Canaan, by which is signified the church, was there in sight. That a ”threshing-floor“ signifies where are the good of truth and the truth of good, thus where are the things of the church, is evident in Joel:--

Rejoice ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God; the threshing-floors are full of grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23, 24);

where the ”sons of Zion“ denote truths from good; the ”threshing-floors full of grain,“ the abundance of truths and goods.

[3] In Hosea:--

Be not glad O Israel because thou hast committed whoredom from under thy God, thou hast loved harlot hire upon all the grain-floors; the threshing-floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall cheat her (Hosea 9:1, 2);

where ”committing whoredom and loving harlot hire“ denotes falsifying truths and loving what is falsified; ”grain-floors“ denote the truths of good falsified.

[4] As a ”threshing-floor“ signified good and also truth, therefore at the time when they gathered from the floor, they celebrated the feast of tabernacles, of which in Moses:--

Thou shalt make to thee the feast of tabernacles seven days, when thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor, and from thy wine-press (Deut. 16:13);

the ”feast of tabernacles“ signified holy worship, thus worship from good and truth (n. 3312, 4391).

AC 6538. Which is in the passage of the Jordan.  That this signifies which is a state of initiation into the knowledges of good and truth, is evident from the signification of the ”Jordan,“ as being initiation into the knowledges of good and truth, thus that which is first of the Lord‘s kingdom and church in respect to entrance, and last in respect to exit (n. 4255); The rivers bounding the land of Canaan were representative of the ultimates in the Lord’s kingdom, (n. 1585, 4116, 4240), hence by the ”passage of Jordan“ is signified initiation into the knowledges of good and truth, for the knowledges of good and truth are the first things whereby man is initiated into the things that belong to the church.

AC 6539. And they wailed there a very great and grievous wailing.  That this signifies grief, is evident from the signification of a ”wailing,“ as being grief.  The grief here signified is the grief of initiation (n. 6537); for before the knowledges of good and truth, which are the initiaments, can be planted in good, and thus become the good of the church, there is grief; because another state must be induced on the natural, and the memory-knowledges there must be set in a different order; thus those which the man had previously loved must be destroyed; and therefore he must undergo temptations.  Hence comes the grief which is represented by the grievous wailing which they wailed.

AC 6540. And he made a mourning for his father seven days. That this signifies the end of the grief, is evident from the signification of ”mourning“ as being grief before the knowledges of good and truth have been implanted (n. 6539); and from the signification of ”seven days,“ as being an entire period from beginning to end (n. 728, 2044, 3845, 6508) here therefore the end, because when those days were finished, they passed over the Jordan.

AC 6541. And the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the grievous mourning in the threshing-floor Atad. That this signifies a perception of grief by the good of the church, is evident from the signification of ”seeing,“ as being a perception (n. 2150, 3764, 4723, 5400); from the signification of ”inhabitant,“ as being good (n. 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613); from the signification of ”land,“ here the land of Canaan, where was its ”inhabitant the Canaanite,“ as being the church (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705); from the signification of ”mourning,“ as being grief (n. 6539, 6540); and from the signification of the ”threshing-floor Atad,“ as being the first state, namely that of initiation (n. 6537, 6538).  Hence it is plain that by the ”inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, saw the grievous mourning in the threshing-floor Atad,“ is signified a perception of grief by the good of the church.

AC 6542. And they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians.  That this signifies that memory-knowledges have grief before they are initiated into the truths of the church, is evident from what has been said above (n. 6539), where these words were unfolded.

AC 6543. Wherefore they called the name of it Abel-mizraim. That this signifies the quality of the grief, is evident from the signification of a ”name“ and of ”calling by name,“ as being the quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421), and because in old time names were given which signified things and states, thus the quality (n. 1946, 3422, 4298); therefore the quality itself is signified by ”Abel-mizraim,“ by which name in the original tongue is meant ”the mourning of the Egyptians.“

AC 6544. Verses 12, 13.  And his sons did unto him as he had commanded them; and his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a sepulchre from Ephron the Hittite, upon the faces of Mamre. ”And his sons did unto him as he had commanded them,“ signifies the effect according to the influx; ”and his sons carried him to the land of Canaan,“ signifies that the church was transferred thither; ”and buried him“ signifies resuscitation there; ”in the cave of the field of Machpelah,“ signifies the beginning of regeneration; ”which Abraham bought with the field,“ signifies those whom the Lord had redeemed; ”for a possession of a sepulchre, from Ephron the Hittite,“ signifies those who receive the truth and good of faith, and suffer themselves to be regenerated; ”upon the faces of Mamre,“ signifies the quality and the quantity.

AC 6545. And his sons did unto him as he had commanded them. That this signifies the effect according to the influx, is evident from the signification of ”doing,“ as being the effect; and from the signification of ”commanding,“ as being influx (n. 5486, 5732).

AC 6546. And his sons carried him into the land of Canaan. That this signifies that the church was transferred thither, is evident from the signification of ”they carried,“ as being to be transferred, that is, the church, for this is signified by the ”land of Canaan“ (n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705). Why the church was transferred thither, (n. 6516).

AC 6547. And buried him.  That this signifies resuscitation there, is evident from the signification of ”being buried,“ as being resuscitation (n. 5551, 6516).

AC 6548. In the cave of the field of Machpelah.  That this signifies the beginning of regeneration, is evident from the signification of the ”cave of the field of Machpelah,“ as being faith in obscurity (n. 2935); and ”Machpelah“ denotes regeneration (n. 2970); thus the signification is the beginning of regeneration, for then faith is in obscurity.

AC 6549. Which Abraham bought with the field.  That this signifies those whom the Lord had redeemed, is evident from the signification of ”buying,“ as being redemption (n. 6458, 6461); from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord (n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 2172, 2198, 3245, 3305, 3439, 3703, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276); and from the signification of ”field,“ as being the church (n. 2971, 3766).  Hence it is evident that by ”which Abraham bought with the field“ are signified those who are of the church, whom the Lord had redeemed.

AC 6550. For a possession of a sepulchre from Ephron the Hittite.  That this signifies those who receive the truth and good of faith, and suffer themselves to be regenerated, is evident from the signification of a ”sepulchre,“ as being regeneration (n. 2916, 2917, 5551, 6459); and from the representation of Ephron the Hittite, as being those with whom good and truth can be received (n. 6458).

AC 6551. Upon the faces of Mamre.  That this signifies the quality and the quantity, is evident from the signification of ”Mamre,“ as being the quality and quantity of that to which it is joined (n. 2970, 2980, 4613, 6456).  That something special is signified by Abraham‘s having bought the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, from Ephron the Hittite, is evident from its being said so many times, as in previous chapters:--

The field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, was made sure (Gen. 23:17).

After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah upon the faces of Mamre. And the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a sepulchre from the sons of Heth (Gen. 23:19, 20).

They buried Abraham in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is upon the faces of Mamre; the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth (Gen. 25:9, 10).

Bury me in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is upon the faces of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a sepulchre. The purchase of the field, and of the cave that is therein, was from the sons of Heth (Gen. 49:30-32).

And in this chapter:--They buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a sepulchre, from Ephron the Hittite, upon the faces of Mamre.  The special thing which is signified by this frequent repetition in nearly the same words, is that by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is represented the Lord; by their burial is represented resurrection and resuscitation; by the cave of the field of Machpelah, the beginning of regeneration; by Ephron the Hittite, those who receive the good of faith and suffer themselves to be regenerated; and by the sons of Heth, the spiritual church. And it is because all these things combined signify the setting up again of a spiritual church that they are so many times repeated.

AC 6552. Verse 14. And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.  ”And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren,“ signifies the life of the internal celestial and of the truths of faith in memory-knowledges; ”and all that went up with him to bury his father,“ signifies all things that conduce to regeneration; ”after he had buried his father,“ signifies to resuscitate the church.

AC 6553. And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren. That this signifies the life of the internal celestial and of the truths of faith in memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of ”returning,“ as being to live (n. 5614, 6518); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877, 6177); from the representation of the sons of Israel, who are here ”his brethren,“ as being the truths of faith in the complex (n. 5414, 5879, 5951); and from the signification of ”Egypt,“ as being memory-knowledges (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966).  The life of the internal celestial and of the truths of faith in memory-knowledges, has been treated of in the chapters where Joseph is made lord of the land of Egypt and governor to the house of Pharaoh; and afterward where is described the journeying of the sons of Jacob to Joseph, and their coming with their father Jacob to Egypt (n. 6004, 6023, 6052, 6071, 6077).

AC 6554. And all that went up with him to bury his father. That this signifies all things that conduce to regeneration, is evident from the signification of ”burying,“ as being regeneration and resurrection (n. 2916, 2917, 4621, 6516); and as being the resuscitation and setting up again of the church (n. 5551, 6516). All things which conduce thereto are signified by ”all that went up with him,“ for they were the whole house of Joseph, also the house of his father, and likewise the elders of the house of Pharaoh, and the elders of the land of Egypt; and by the ”house of Joseph“ are signified the celestial things of the spiritual (n. 6526); by the ”house of his father,“ all things of spiritual good (n. 6528); by the ”elders of the house of Pharaoh,“ those which agree with good (n. 6524); and by the ”elders of the land of Egypt,“ those which agree with truth (n. 6525).  Hence it is plain that by ”all who went up with him to bury“ are signified all things that conduce to regeneration.  That ”to bury“ signifies both regeneration and resurrection, and likewise the resuscitation and setting up again of the church, is because these significations involve what is like; for regeneration is resurrection, because when man is being regenerated he is becoming alive from being dead, thus is rising again. And in like manner when the church is being resuscitated and set up again in a man; for this is effected by regeneration, thus by resurrection from death unto life.

AC 6555. After he had buried his father.  That this signifies to resuscitate the church, is evident from the signification of ”being buried,“ as being the resuscitation of the church (n. 6554); and from the representation of Israel, as being the spiritual church (n. 4286, 6426, 6514, 6517, 6522).

AC 6556. Verses 15-21. And Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, and they said, Peradventure Joseph will hate us, and returning will return unto us all the evil that we requited to him.  And they commanded Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, Thus shall ye say unto Joseph, I pray forgive I pray the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, because they requited evil to thee; and now forgive I pray the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before him; and they said, Behold we are thy servants.  And Joseph said unto them, Fear ye not; for am I in God‘s stead?  And you thought evil against me, but God thought it for good, in order to do as it is this day, to make alive a great people. And now fear ye not; I will sustain you, and your babes; and he comforted them, and spake upon their heart.  ”And Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead,“ signifies the things alienated from truth and good, and a perception that the church was resuscitated; ”and they said, Peradventure Joseph will hate us,“ signifies that they had rejected the internal; ”and returning will return unto us all the evil that we requited to him,“ signifies the penalty therefore impending according to the desert; ”and they commanded Joseph, saying,“ signifies influx from the internal and the consequent perception; ”Thy father did command before he died, saying,“ signifies that it is by command of the church; ”Thus shall ye say unto Joseph,“ signifies perception from the internal what ought to be done; ”I pray forgive I pray the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin,“ signifies supplication and repentance; ”because they requited evil to thee,“ signifies that they had turned away from the good and truth which flow in; ”and now forgive I pray the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father,“ signifies repentance and acknowledgment of the Divine things of the church; ”and Joseph wept when they spake unto him,“ signifies reception from love; ”and his brethren also went and fell down before him,“ signifies the submission of the things that are in the natural under the internal; ”and they said, Behold, we are thy servants,“ signifies that they shall not he at their own disposal; ”and Joseph said unto them, Fear ye not,“ signifies re-creation by the internal; ”for am I in God‘s stead?“ signifies that God will provide; ”and you thought evil upon me,“ signifies that the things alienated intend nothing but evil; ”God thought it for good,“ signifies that the Divine turns it into good; ”in order to do as it is this day,“ signifies that this is according to order from eternity; ”to make alive a great people,“ signifies that from this is life to those who are in the truths of good; ”and now fear ye not,“ signifies that they should not be anxious; ”I will sustain you, and your babes,“ signifies that they will live through the internal from the Divine by means of the truth that is of the understanding and the good that is of the will; ”and he comforted them,“ signifies hope; ”and spake upon their heart,“ signifies trust.

AC 6557. And Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead. That this signifies the things alienated from truth and good, and a perception that the church was resuscitated, is evident from the signification of ”seeing,“ as being to understand and perceive (n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who are here the ”brethren,“ as being things alienated from truth and good (for when they desired to kill Joseph, and sold him, they represented things alienated from truth and good, which state is here signified, as is plain from their words, ”Peradventure Joseph will hate us, and returning will return unto us all the evil that we rendered to him,“ and it is from this that they had then represented what is opposite); from the signification of ”being dead,“ as being to be resuscitated, that is, the church (n. 3236, 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221); and from the representation of Israel, who is here the ”father,“ as being the church (n. 4286, 6426).  Hence it is evident that by the ”brethren of Joseph saw that their father was dead,“ is signified a perception by things alienated from truth and good that the church was resuscitated.

AC 6558. And they said, Peradventure Joseph will hate us.  That this signifies that they had rejected the internal, is evident from the signification of ”holding in hatred,“ as being to be averse to, and to reject; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6177, 6224). Not that Joseph rejected, but that they rejected Joseph. That there is attributed to the internal (which is ”Joseph“) that which is of the external (which is his ”brethren“) is according to the appearance, in the same way as hatred and revenge are attributed to Jehovah, although they pertain to man.

AC 6559. And returning will return unto us all the evil that we requited to him.  That this signifies the penalty therefore impending according to the desert, is evident from the signification of ”returning the evil that we requited to him,“ as being the penalty according to the desert; for returning the evil which is done anyone, is penalty from having deserved it. How the case is with returning evil, or with penalties, in the spiritual world, must be told, because from this the internal sense of these words is plain. If evil spirits do any evil in the world of spirits beyond what they have imbued themselves with by their life in the world, punishers are instantly at hand and chastise them in exact accordance with the degree in which they pass these limits; for it is a law in the other life that no one must become worse than he had been in this world.  They who are being punished cannot tell how these chastisers know that the evil is beyond what they had imbued themselves with; but they are informed that there is such an order in the other life that the very evil is attended with its penalty, so that the evil of the deed is wholly conjoined with the evil of the penalty, that is to say, its penalty is in the evil itself; and therefore that it is according to order for the requiters to be instantly at hand.

[2] This is what happens when evil spirits do evil in the world of spirits; but in their own hell they chastise one another according to the evil which they had by act imbued themselves with in this world; for this evil they bring with them into the other life. From all this it is evident how it is to be understood that the penalty impends according to the desert, which is signified by the words, ”returning he will return unto us all the evil that we requited to him.“ But as regards good spirits, if perchance they speak or do evil, they are not punished, but pardoned, and also excused; for their end is not to speak or do evil, and they know that such things are excited in them by hell, so that they have not come to pass by their fault; and the same is also observed from their resistance, and afterward from their grief.

AC 6560. And they commanded Joseph, saying.  That this signifies influx from the internal and the consequent perception, is evident from the signification of ”to command,“ as being influx (n. 5486, 5732); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6177, 6224) and from the signification of ”saying,“ as being perception. Hence by ”they commanded Joseph, saying“ is signified influx from the internal, and the consequent perception. The reason why their command to Joseph denotes influx from the internal into the external, and not from the external into the internal, is that all influx comes from within, and never from without (n. 6322).

AC 6561. Thy father did command before he died, saying.  That this signifies that it is by command of the church, is evident from the representation of Israel, here the ”father,“ as being the church (n. 4286, 6426); from the signification of ”commanding,“ as being influx (n. 6560), and in this case command, because it comes from the church, thus from the Divine; and from the signification of ”before he died,“ as being while the church still existed. That it is by command of the church that everyone ought to forgive his brother or neighbor, is evident from the Lord‘s words in Matthew:--

Peter said unto Jesus, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith to him, I say not until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21, 22).

But it was ingrained in the Jewish nation that they should never forgive, but should hold as an enemy everyone who had in any way injured them, and they then thought it allowable to hate him, and to treat him as they chose, even to kill him. The reason was that this nation was in externals alone without what is internal, thus was in no command of the internal church. This was the reason why the brethren of Joseph were so much afraid that Joseph would hate them, and would requite evil to them.

AC 6562. Thus shall ye say unto Joseph.  That this signifies perception from the internal what ought to be done, is evident from the signification of ”saying,“ in the historic Word, as being perception (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3509, 5687, 5743); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6177, 6224, 6560). That it is perception of what ought to be done, is signified by ”thus shall ye say.“

AC 6563. I pray forgive I pray the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin.  That this signifies supplication and repentance, is evident from the signification of ”I pray forgive I pray,“ as being supplication; and that it also denotes repentance is plain from the confession that they had transgressed and sinned, and also from what follows, that they offered themselves to Joseph for servants. Mention is made of both ”transgression“ and ”sin“ because of the marriage of truth and good in every detail of the Word; for ”transgression“ signifies evil against truth, which is less; and ”sin,“ evil against good, which is greater; hence it is that both are mentioned; as also in other passages:--

Jacob said to Laban, What is my transgression? what is my sin? that thou hast pursued after me (Gen. 31:36).

In Isaiah:--

I will blot out as a cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins (Isa. 44:22).

In Ezekiel:--

In his transgression that he hath transgressed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in these shall he die (Ezek. 18:24).

Again:--

While your transgressions are revealed, so that in all your works your sins may appear (Ezek. 21:24).

And in David:--

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps. 32:1).

AC 6564. Because they requited evil to thee.  That this signifies because they had turned away from the good and truth which flow in, is evident from the signification of ”evil,“ as being a turning away (n. 5746).  That it denotes from the good and truth which flow in, is signified by ”they requited to thee,“ for ”Joseph“ is the celestial, and internal good (n. 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877), through which good and truth flow in from the Lord. As regards the influx through the internal, the case is this.  The Lord continually flows in through man’s internal with good and truth, good giving life and its heat, which is love, and truth giving enlightenment and its light, which is faith.  But when this influx advances further, namely, into the exteriors, with the evil it is resisted and rejected, or is perverted or stifled; and then according to the rejection, perversion, or stifling, the interiors are closed, an entrance only remaining open here and there as through chinks round about; and from this there remains to the man the capacity to think and will, but against truth and good.  This closing penetrates toward the exteriors more and more, according to the life of evil, and the consequent persuasion of falsity, and this down to the sensuous degree, from which then comes the thought. Pleasures and cravings then carry everything off. In such a state are those who are in the hells; for all considerations of what is honorable and good for the sake of gain, honor, and reputation, are taken away from the evil who come into the other life, and then they are in what is sensuous.

AC 6565. And now forgive I pray the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father.  That this signifies repentance and acknowledgment of the Divine things of the church, is evident from the signification of ”forgive I pray the transgression,“ as being confession of having transgressed, and repentance; and from the signification of the ”servants of the God of thy father,“ as being acknowledgment of the Divine things of the church.  For by calling themselves the ”servants of the God of his father,“ they acknowledge that they serve the God of the church, consequently they acknowledge the Divine things therein; for by ”Israel,“ here the ”father,“ is signified the church (n. 4286, 6426).

AC 6566. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.  That this signifies reception from love, is evident from the signification of ”weeping,“ as being a significant of both sorrow and love (n. 3801, 5480, 5873, 5927, 5930); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877, 6177, 6224); and from the signification of ”speaking,“ as being influx, and thence reception (n. 5797); for the influx is from the internal celestial, which is ”Joseph,“ and the reception is by the truths in the natural, which are his ”brethren.“ Hence it is evident that by ”Joseph wept when they spake unto him“ is signified reception from love.

AC 6567. And his brethren also went and fell down before him. That this signifies submission of the things that are in the natural under the internal, is evident from the representation of the sons of Israel, who here are the ”brethren,“ as being spiritual truths in the natural (n. 5414, 5879, 5951); from the signification of ”falling down before him,“ as being submission; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499).  From this it is plain that by his ”brethren went and fell down before him“ is signified the submission of the things that are in the natural under the internal.  In this chapter is described the setting up again of a spiritual church.  and in this passage the submission of the things in the natural under the internal; of which submission be it known that the spiritual church cannot possibly be instituted with anyone, unless the things that belong to the natural or external man have been made submissive to the spiritual or internal man. So long as the mere truth which is of faith predominates with a man, and not the good which is of charity, so long the natural or external man has not been made submissive to the spiritual or internal man.  But as soon as good has the dominion, the natural or external man submits himself, and then the man becomes a spiritual church.  That such is the case is known from the fact that the man does from affection what the truth teaches, and that he does not act contrary to this affection, however the natural desires it.  The very affection and consequent reason have the dominion, and subdue in the natural the delights of the love of self and of the world, as also the fallacies which had filled the memory-knowledges there; and at last so completely that this subjugation comes to be among the man‘s pleasures; and then the natural is at rest, and afterward is in agreement; and when it is in agreement, it then partakes of the pleasantness of the internal. From all this it may be known what is meant by the submission of the things in the natural under the internal, which is signified by ”his brethren went and fell down before him, and said, Behold we are thy servants.“

AC 6568. And they said, Behold we are thy servants.  That this signifies that they shall not be at their own disposal, is evident from the signification of ” servants,“ as being to be without freedom from their own, thus not to be at their own disposal and mastery (n. 5760, 5763).

AC 6569. And Joseph said unto them, Fear ye not.  That this signifies re-creation by the internal, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499); and from the signification of ”Fear not,“ as being that they should not be anxious; and as in what now follows Joseph leads them away from this anxiety by comforting them and speaking upon their heart, therefore by ”Fear ye not,“ is signified re-creation.

AC 6570. For am I in God’s stead?  That this signifies that God will provide, is evident from the signification of ”am I in God‘s stead?“ as being not to be God, but that God will provide.

AC 6571. And you thought evil upon me.  That this signifies that the things alienated intend nothing but evil, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who here are ”you“ as being things alienated from truth and good (n. 6557), for when they thought evil against Joseph, they then represented things alienated; and from the signification of ”thinking evil upon me“ as being to intend evil; for the evil which is thought against anyone is intended; and as things alienated cannot intend good, it is therefore said that they intend nothing but evil. The case herein is this. The man who has been alienated from good and truth intends nothing but evil, because he cannot intend good; and what he intends, reigns with him, and therefore is in all his thoughts, and in every least detail of him; for the intention or end is the veriest life of man, the end being his love, and the love being his life. And what is more, a man is exactly such as is the end with him, and such also is his image in the light of heaven; and--this may surprise you--such as is his image in general, such is the image of the least things of his will. Thus the whole man is such as his end is.

[2] From this it is evident that the man who is an evil end cannot possibly be among those who are good ends; thus he who is in hell cannot possibly be in heaven; for the ends conflict, and the good ends prevail, because they are from the Divine. Hence also it is evident that they do not think truly who believe that everyone can be admitted into heaven from mercy alone; for if one who is an evil end comes into heaven, his life labors as with one who lies in the death agony, and he is direfully tortured; besides that in the light of heaven he appears as a devil. Hence it is evident that they who have been alienated from truth and good can think nothing but evil; and that this evil is in the least things of their thought and will is very manifest from the sphere which from afar exhales from such spirits, for their quality is thereby perceived. This sphere is like a spiritual evaporation from every detail of the life.

AC 6572. But God thought it for good.  That this signifies that the Divine turns it to good, is evident from the signification of ”thinking for good,“ as being to intend (n. 6571); but as it is said of God, it denotes to turn into good; for what God intends, He does.

AC 6573. In order to do as it is this day.  That this signifies that this is according to order from eternity, is evident from the signification of ”doing,“ when said of the Divine, as being order, for whatever the Divine does, is order; and from the signification of, ”as it is this day,“ as being from eternity (n. 2838, 3998, 4304, 6165, 6298).

AC 6574. To make alive a great people.  That this signifies that from this is life to those who are in the truths of good, is evident from the signification of ”making alive,“ as being spiritual life (n. 5890, 6032); and from the signification of ”people,“ as being truth (n. 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619), here the truth of good, because it is said a ”great people.“ For truth from good is great in comparison with the truth from which good is, because the former truth (that which is from good) is in itself good, because formed from good; thus is good in its form.

[2] The words which Joseph here spake to his brethren: ”Ye thought evil against me, God thought it for good, in order to do as it is this day, to make alive a great people“ are words which contain within them a secret of heaven, which secret is this. In the other life the Lord permits infernal spirits to lead the good into temptation, consequently to pour in evils and falsities; which also they do with all endeavor; for when they are doing this, they are in their life and its delight. But the Lord Himself is then present with those in temptation, both immediately, and mediately by angels, and resists by rebutting the falsities of the infernal spirits, and by dissipating their evil, thus giving refreshment, hope, and victory.  Thus with those who are in the truths of good, the truths of faith and the goods of charity are more inwardly implanted and more strongly confirmed.  This is the means by which spiritual life is bestowed.

[3] From all this it is evident what is signified in the internal sense by the words in this verse, namely, that they who have been alienated from truth and good, as are the spirits who induce temptations, intend nothing but evil, but that the Divine turns it into good, and this according to order from eternity, whence comes life to those who are in the truths of good.  For be it known that the infernal spirits to whom it is permitted thus to trouble the good, intend nothing but evil; for they desire with all their might to drag them down from heaven and cast them into hell; because it is the very delight of their life to destroy anyone as to his soul; thus to eternity.  But not one whit is permitted them by the Lord, except to the end that good may come of it, namely, that truth and good may be brought into shape and strengthened with those who are in temptation.  In the universal spiritual world reigns the end which proceeds from the Lord, which is that nothing whatever, not even the least thing, shall arise, except that good may come from it. Hence the Lord’s kingdom is called a kingdom of ends and uses.

AC 6575. And now fear ye not.  That this signifies that they should not be anxious, is evident without explication.

AC 6576. I will sustain you, and your babes.  That this signifies that they will live through the internal from the Divine by means of the truth that is of the understanding and the good that is of the will, is evident from the signification of ”sustaining,“ as being the influx of good and truth (n. 6106), thus life through truth and good; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499). But as spiritual life is not from the internal, but through the internal from the Lord, it is said, ”through the internal from the Divine.“ By ”you and your babes“ are signified spiritual truths in the natural, and the innocence that is in them, which were to live through the internal from the Divine by means of truth and good.  That ”to sustain“ denotes life by means of truth and good, is because spiritual food is knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, thus truth and good (n. 56-58, 681, 4792, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579).  The reason why it is said, ”truth which is of the understanding and good which is of the will“ is that all truth belongs to the understanding, and all good to the will; for the understanding is the receptacle of truth, and the will is the receptacle of good.

AC 6577. And he comforted them.  That this signifies hope, is evident from the signification of ”comforting,“ as being to appease unrest of mind with hope (n. 3610).

AC 6578. And spake upon their heart.  That this signifies trust, is evident from the signification of ”speaking upon the heart,“ as being to impart trust, namely, that evil should not befall; for ”to speak“ denotes influx (n. 2951, 5481, 5797), and the ”heart“ denotes the will (n. 2930, 3888); thus ”to speak upon the heart“ denotes influx into the will, and the resulting trust. From all this it is also evident that there is a marriage of truth which is of the understanding, and of good which is of the will, in every detail of the Word; for ”comforting“ is said of the understanding, and ”speaking upon the heart,“ of the will; therefore also his ”comforting them“ signifies hope, for this is of the understanding by means of truth; and his ”speaking upon their heart“ signifies trust, for this is of the will by means of good, because genuine trust is impossible with any but those who are in the good of charity; and genuine hope with any but those who are in the good of faith.

AC 6579. Verses 22, 23. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father‘s house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s sons of the third generation: the sons also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph‘s knees. ”And Joseph dwelt in Egypt,“ signifies the life of the memory-knowledges of the church from the internal; ”he and his father’s house,“ signifies from the internal and its good; ”and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years,“ signifies the state and quality; ”and Joseph saw Ephraim‘s sons of the third generation,“ signifies the setting up again of the church in respect to the intellectual, and its derivatives; ”the sons also of Machir the son of Manasseh,“ signifies, and in respect to the will and its derivatives; ”were born upon Joseph’s knees,“ signifies that they were from good conjoined with truth from the internal.

AC 6580. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt.  That this signifies the life of the memory-knowledges of the church from the internal, is evident from the signification of ”dwelling,“ as being life (n. 1293, 3384, 3613, 4451, 6051); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499); and from the signification of ”Egypt,“ as being the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966, 6004). In the preceding verses of this chapter the subject treated of is the spiritual church that was to be set up again; and after the external or natural has been made completely submissive to the internal or spiritual-- which is signified by Joseph‘s brethren falling down before him and offering themselves to him for servants--the subject now treated of is this church when set up again, which is described in these verses by Joseph’s dwelling in Egypt, and by sons being born of Ephraim, and of Machir the son of Manasseh. With the man who is a spiritual church there is life from the internal in the memory-knowledges of the church; for the memory-knowledges with him are made subordinate, and reduced into such order that they receive the influx of good and of truth, so as to be receptacles of influx from the internal. It is otherwise with those who are not a church, the memory-knowledges with these persons being so disposed that things confirmatory of truth and good have been rejected to the sides, thus far removed from the light of heaven; and thereafter the things that remain are receptive of falsity and evil.

AC 6581. He and his father‘s house.  That this signifies from the internal and its good, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who here is ”he,“ as being the internal (n. 6499); and from the signification of ”house,“ as being good (n. 2048, 3720, 4982).

AC 6582. And Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. That this signifies the state and quality, is evident from the signification of numbers in the Word, as being things (n. 575, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 5265, 6175); and indeed the state and quality of the thing (n. 4670).  So also it is with the number a ”hundred and ten,“ which contains the state and quality of the life of memory-knowledges from the internal.

AC 6583. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s sons of the third generation.  That this signifies the setting up again of the church in respect to the intellectual and its derivatives, is evident from the representation of Ephraim, as being the intellectual of the church (n. 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267); and from the signification of ”sons of the third generation,“ as being derivatives; for as sons and the sons of sons descend from a parent, they denote the derivatives of that which is represented by the parent.  The setting up again of the church from the internal, that is, through the internal from the Lord, is signified by ”Joseph saw.“ What the intellectual of the church represented by Ephraim is, see (n. 6222).

AC 6584. The sons also of Machir the son of Manasseh.  That this signifies and in respect to the will and its derivatives, is evident from the representation of Manasseh, as being the will of the church (n. 5351, 5353, 5354, 6222, 6238, 6267, 6296); and from the signification of his ”sons“ and sons‘ sons, here the ”sons of Machir,“ as being the derivatives (n. 6583); the derivatives of the will of the church-signified by the ”sons of Machir“-are goods conjoined with truths, thus also truths from good, for the truths that have been derived from good are forms of good.  That the ”sons of Machir“ denote goods conjoined with truths is signified by their being ”born on Joseph’s knees,“ as presently follows; and that they denote truths from good is signified in the book of Judges: ”Out of Machir shall come down lawgivers“ (Judges 5:14); ”lawgivers“ denote truths from good (n. 6372).

AC 6585. Were born upon Joseph‘s knees.  That this signifies that they were from good conjoined with truth from the internal, is evident from the signification of ”bringing forth on the knees,“ as being the conjunction of good and truth (n. 3915); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499). The sons of Machir being born upon Joseph’s knees involves that Joseph acknowledged them as his own, for when it is so said, it is signified that they are adopted as his own, as may be seen from the sons born of Bilhah the maidservant of Rachel, concerning whom Rachel says:--

Behold my handmaid Bilhah, come into her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and I also shall be built up by her (Gen. 30:3).

The reason why these sons were acknowledged by Joseph as his own, was that by Manasseh is represented the will of the church, thus its good; and the internal which is represented by Joseph flows in with good, but not with truth except through good; hence it is that these are said to be ”born upon Joseph‘s knees.“

AC 6586. Verses 24-26. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and visiting God will visit you, and will make you go up out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  And Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, Visiting God will visit you, and ye shall make my bones go up from hence.  And Joseph died, a son of a hundred and ten years; and they embalmed him, and he was put in an ark in Egypt.  ”And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die,“ signifies a prediction that the internal of the church will cease; ”and visiting God will visit you,“ signifies that the last time will come; ”and will make you go up out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,“ signifies that they will come to the state of the church in which the ancients were; ”and Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel,“ signifies a binding; ”Visiting God will visit you,“ signifies when this last of the church will come; ”and ye shall make my bones go up from hence,“ signifies that there will be the representative of a church, but not a representative church, which must be in the internal also; ”and Joseph died,“ signifies that the internal of the church ceased to be; ”a son of a hundred and ten years,“ signifies the state then; ”and they embalmed him,“ signifies preservation still; ”and he was put in an ark in Egypt,“ signifies concealment in the memory-knowledges of the church.

AC 6587. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die.  That this signifies a prediction that the internal of the church will cease, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499), here the internal of the church, because in what precedes the subject treated of has been the church set up again by the internal, that is, through the internal by the Lord; and from the signification of ”dying,“ as being to cease to be such (n. 494); thus to cease. ”Dying“ denotes the last time of the church, (n. 2908, 2912, 2917, 2923). Prediction concerning this time is signified by ”Joseph said unto his brethren;“ for in what now follows, even to the end, the subject treated of is the further state of the church.  Hence it is plain that by ”Joseph said unto his brethren, I die,“ is signified that the internal of the church will cease.

[2] The case herein is this. A church in order to exist must be internal and external, for there are those who are in the internal of the church, and those who are in its external; the former are few, but the latter are very numerous.  Nevertheless with those with whom is the internal church, the external must be also, for the internal of the church cannot be separated from its external; and also with those with whom is the external church, the internal must be also, but with these the internal is in obscurity.

[3] The internal of the church consists in willing good from the heart, and in being affected with good; and its external consists in doing it, and this according to the truth of faith which the man knows from good; but the external of the church consists in the devout performance of rituals, and in doing works of charity, according to the precepts of the church. From this it is evident that the internal of the church is the good of charity in the will. Therefore when this ceases, the church itself also ceases, for the good of charity is its essential. External worship indeed remains afterward, as before, but then it is not worship, but a rite, which is preserved because it has been so appointed; but this rite, which appears like worship, is like a shell without a kernel, for it is an external which remains wherein is no internal.  When such is the state of the church it is at its end.

AC 6588. And visiting God will visit you.  That this signifies that the last time will come, is evident from the signification of ”being visited,“ as being the last time, here the last time of the oppression of the sons of Israel in Egypt; in the internal sense, the last time of an old church, and the first of a new one. In the Word this last time is called ”visitation,“ and is predicated both of the church in general, and also of those who are within the church in particular; and of the new church which is being born, and of the old church which is expiring; in particular of the man of the church who is being saved, and of him who is being damned.

[2] That these things are signified in the Word by ”visitation,“ and the ”day of visitation,“ may be seen from the following passages.  In Luke:--

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and wrought deliverance for His people.  Through the bowels of mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, that He may appear to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:68, 78, 79);

this is the prophetic utterance of Zacharias concerning the Lord when born; ”to be visited“ here denotes the raising up of a new church, and the enlightenment then of those who were in ignorance of the truth and good of faith, thus their deliverance; and therefore it is said, ”He hath visited and wrought deliverance for His people,“ ”He hath visited that He may appear to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death.“

[3] In Moses:--

Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, Visiting I will visit you, and that which is done to you in Egypt (Exod. 3:16).

Again:--

The people believed; and they heard that Jehovah had visited the sons of Israel (Exod. 4:31).

”To be visited here denotes the last time when the church has ceased, and the first when it is beginning; the last with the Egyptians, and the first with the sons of Israel; thus also the deliverance of the latter.

[4] In Jeremiah:--

They shall lie carried away to Babylon; and there shall they be even until the day that I will visit them; then will I make to come up the vessels of the house of God, and I will bring them back unto this place (Jer. 27:22).

Again:--

When seventy years have been fulfilled to Babylon, I will visit you, and I will establish upon you My good word, and will bring you back unto this place (Jer. 29:10);

where “to visit” denotes to deliver; in general the last time of captivity and desolation.

[5] “Visitation” and the “day of visitation” denote the last time of the church, in Isaiah

What will ye do in the day of visitation and of devastation? it shall come from afar; unto whom will ye flee for help? (Isa. 10:3).

Again:--

Behold the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, and of indignation, and of wrath, and of anger, to make the earth a waste.  I will visit evil upon the world, and their iniquity upon the wicked (Isa. 13:9, 11).

In Jeremiah:--

They shall fall among them that fall; and in the time of their visitation they shall stumble (Jer. 8:12).

In Hosea:--

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come (Hosea 9:7).

In Moses:--

Jehovah said to Moses, Notwithstanding, go, lead this people in, whither I have token to thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; but in the day of My visiting I will visit upon them their sin (Exod. 32:34).

In Luke:--

Jesus said concerning Jerusalem, They shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou hast not acknowledged the time of thy visitation (Luke 19:44).

The “day of visitation” denotes the coming of the Lord, and enlightenment then; but in respect to the Jewish nation, as they did not acknowledge it, it denotes the last time of the representatives of the church with them; for when Jerusalem was destroyed, the sacrifices ceased, and that nation was scattered.

[6] In Ezekiel:--

A great voice cried in mine ears, The visitations of the city have come nigh, and a man has his instrument of destruction in his hand (Ezek. 9:1);

where the sense is similar. In Isaiah:--

The Rephaim shall not rise, in that Thou hast visited, Thou hast extinguished them (Isa. 26:14);

the “Rephaim” denote the posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which was before the flood, who are also called “Nephilim” and “Anakim” (n. 567, 581, 1673); “Thou hast visited and extinguished the Rephaim” denotes the last time of that church, and also the casting of them into hell (n. 1265-1272). “Visitation” denotes requital, thus damnation, in Jeremiah:--

Shall I not visit for this? shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this? (Jer. 5:9).

Again:--

I will bring the destruction of Esau upon him in the time that I shall visit him (Jer. 49:8).

And in Hosea:--

I will visit upon him his ways, and I will requite his word (Hosea 4:9).

AC 6589. And will make you go up out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. That this signifies that they will come to the state of the church in which the ancients were, is evident from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” from which they were to “go up,” as being the vastated church, which was represented by the Egyptians oppressing the sons of Israel; and its destruction, by their being overwhelmed in the sea Suph; and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” to which the sons of Israel were to “go up,” as being the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4447, 4517).

[2] That this is the Ancient Church, or the state of the church in which were the ancients, is signified by its being designated as the “land which God sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob;” for by these in the supreme sense is meant the Lord, and in the representative sense His kingdom in the heavens, and His kingdom on the earth, which is the church (n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305, 6098, 6185, 6276). Thus “to swear to give the land to them,” is to confirm that they shall come to the state of the church in which the ancients were.  Not that the posterity of Jacob were to come thereto, for they could not come to the state of that church, but only to its external, namely, to representatives, and scarcely to these; but that they should come thereto who are signified by the “sons of Israel,” who are all those who are of the spiritual church, both those who then had been, and those who were to come. “To swear” denotes to confirm from the Divine, (n. 2842, 3375). The reason why the land of Canaan was promised and given to the descendants of Jacob, was that they might represent the church; and this because from ancient times the church had been in that land, and at that time all the places in it were named and made representative (n. 3686, 4447, 4516, 4517, 5135, 6516).

AC 6590. And Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel. That this signifies binding, is evident without explication.

AC 6591. Visiting God will visit you.  That this signifies when this last of the church will come, is evident from the signification of “visiting,” as being the last of the church (n. 6588).

AC 6592. And ye shall make my bones go up from hence. That this signifies that there shall be the representative of a church, but not a church, which must be in the internal also, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal of the church (n. 6587); and as by him is represented the internal of the church, by his “bones” is signified that which is most external, or the ultimate of the church, thus the representative thereof.  For the representatives that had been in the Ancient Church, and were also instituted with the descendants of Jacob, were the ultimates of the church; but what they signified and represented were the internals of the church. These internals are signified by “flesh in which is spirit,” but the ultimates by “bones.”  Hence it is evident what is the quality of the church when it is only in externals without internals, namely, that it is like the bony structure of a man without flesh. With the Israelitish and Jewish people there was no church, but only the representative of a church, (n. 4281, 4288, 4307, 4500, 4680, 4844, 4847, 4903, 6304); and the representative of a church was not instituted with them until after they had been completely vastated as to the internal; and otherwise they would have profaned holy things, (n. 4289).

AC 6593. And Joseph died. That this signifies that the internal of the church ceased to be, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being to cease to be such as before (n. 494, 6587); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6499). As regards the quality of the church when the internal has ceased, see (n. 6587, 6592).

AC 6594. A son of a hundred and ten years.  That this signifies the state then, is evident from the signification of a “hundred and ten years,” as being the state and quality of the life of memory-knowledges from the internal (n. 6582). “Years” denote states, (n. 487, 488, 493).

AC 6595. And they enbalmed him.  That this signifies preservation still, is evident from the signification of “embalming,” as being preservation from the contagion of evil (n. 6503, 6504). As the end of the church is here treated of, it must be told what is meant by “preservation still when the church ceases to be,” which takes place when its internal ceases with man (n. 6587, 6592).  The external then still remains, but is such as to have within it an internal; and yet this internal is not then with the man, because he does not think about it, or if he thinks about it he is not affected with it; but it is with the angels who are with the man. And as the man of the vastated church thinks nothing about the internal, neither is affected with it, and for the most part does not know that it exists, therefore the internal cannot be injured by him; for what a man knows, and especially what he has once believed, he can injure, but not what he either does not know, or does not believe to exist. In this manner the internal of the church is preserved, lest it should be affected by any evil.  So were the internal things of the church preserved among the descendants of Jacob; for they were in externals without an internal, insomuch that they were not even willing to know about any internal; and therefore the internal things of the church were not revealed to them. Internal things were not made known to the descendants of Jacob lest they should injure them by profaning, (n. 3398, 3480); and those cannot profane the internal things of the church who do not believe them, and still less those who are ignorant of them, (n. 593, 1008, 1059, 2051, 3398, 3402, 3898, 4289, 4601); also the interior things of the church are not revealed until the church has been vastated, because then they are no longer believed, thus neither can they be profaned, (n. 3398, 3399). These are the things that are meant by “preservation.”

AC 6596. And he was put in an ark in Egypt. That this signifies concealment in the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of an “ark,” as being that in which something is stored up or concealed; and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966); and the memory-knowledges of the church were at that time the knowledges of the representatives and significatives that had been in the Ancient Church. The concealment of the internal in these is signified by the foregoing words. Concerning the concealment of the internal of the church, and the consequent preservation lest it should suffer injury, see (n. 6595). That an “ark” denotes that in which something is stored up or concealed, may be seen from the ark of the Testimony, in that it was called an “ark” because in it was stored up the Testimony or Law.

AC 6597. The internal sense of the things contained in the Book of Genesis has now been treated of.  But as in this Book all things are historic, except the forty-eighth and forty-ninth chapters, in which there are prophetic things also, therefore it can scarcely appear that the sense which has been set forth is the internal sense; for the historic things hold back the mind in the literal sense, and thus remove it from the internal sense; and the more so because the internal sense is utterly different from the literal sense; for the one treats of spiritual and celestial things, and the other of worldly and earthly ones.  But that the internal sense is such as has been set forth, is evident from all the details that have been unfolded, and especially from the fact that it has been dictated to me from heaven.

AC 6598. It is known that one man excels another in the  capacity to understand and perceive what is honorable in moral life, what is just in civil life, and what is good in spiritual life. The cause of this consists in the elevation of the thought to the things that pertain to heaven, whereby the thought is withdrawn from the external things of sense; for they who think solely from things of sense cannot see one whit of what is honorable, just, and good, and therefore they trust to others and speak much from the memory, and thereby appear to themselves wiser than others.  But they who are able to think above the things of sense, provided the things in the memory have been set in order, possess a greater capacity than others to understand and perceive, and this according to the degree in which they view things from what is interior.

AC 6599. How the case is with those who think in the sensuous degree, and with those who think above this, and also what is the nature of the influx into the latter and into the former, I may state from experience.  But first be it known that the thought of man is divided into ideas, and that one idea follows another, as one word follows another in speech. Yet the ideas of thought succeed each other so quickly that while he is in the body a man‘s thought appears to him as if it were continuous, and thus as if there were no division.  But in the other life it is self-evident that the thought is divided into ideas; for speech is then effected by means of ideas (n. 2470, 2478, 2479). 

It is now necessary to say how the case is with thought and its ideas, namely, that the thought diffuses itself into the societies of spirits and of angels round about, and that the capacity to understand and perceive is according to the extension into these societies, that is, according to the influx from them; and in the next place that there are countless things in one idea of thought, and still more in one thought composed of ideas.

AC 6600. I have been clearly shown that man’s thought, and also that of spirits and of angels, pours itself around into many societies in the spiritual world, but the thought of one person in a different way from the thought of another. In order that I might know this for certain, I have been allowed to speak with some societies to which my thought had penetrated, and from this I was given to know what flowed into the thought, from what society it came, and also where and of what quality the society was, so that I could not be mistaken. The capacity of understanding and perceiving in man, spirit, and angel is in accordance with the extension of his thoughts and affections into the societies.

[2] He who is in the good of charity and of faith has extension into the societies of heaven, ample according to the degree in which he is in them, and in which he is in genuine good; for these things are in agreement with heaven, and therefore flow in there spontaneously and widely. Yet there are some societies into which the affection of truth, and others into which the affection of good, penetrates.  The affection of truth penetrates to the societies of the spiritual angels, but the affection of good to the societies of the celestial angels. But on the other hand the thought and affection of those who are in evil and falsity have extension into infernal societies, and this also according to the degree of evil and falsity with them.

[3] It is said that the thought and affection of man, spirit, and angel pour themselves around into the societies, and that from this come the understanding and perception; but be it known that it is so said according to the appearance, for there is no influx of the thoughts and affections into the societies; but from the societies, and this through the angels and spirits with the man.  For as has been shown at the end of preceding chapters, all influx comes from what is more interior; thus with the good from heaven (that is, through heaven from the Lord), and with the evil from hell.

AC 6601. One morning it was plainly shown that there are countless things in every idea and little affection, and also that these ideas and affections penetrate into societies. I was kept for some time in a certain affection and consequent thought, and it was then shown how many societies concurred. There were five societies that plainly showed themselves by living discourse.  They told what they were thinking, and also that they had noticed that the same thoughts were in me; and they said in addition that they knew things I paid no attention to, namely, the causes of the things being thought of, and also the ends of these. The rest of the societies (which were many) to which my thought was extended, were not so plainly shown; and were also more remote.  The extension of the thought from the objects which are the things being thought of, is circumstanced as are the objects of sight. From these a sphere of rays diffuses itself to a considerable distance, which falls into a man‘s sight, and this to a greater or less distance according to the brightness and flaming in the object; for if the object is flaming, it is seen at a much greater distance than if it is cloudy and dusky. It is the same with the internal sight (which is that of the thought) from its objects. The objects of this sight are not material, like objects in this world; but they are spiritual, and therefore they diffuse themselves to such things as are in the spiritual world, thus to truths and goods there, consequently to the societies which are in these truths and goods; and just as a flaming object in this world shines around far and wide, so does good and its affection in the spiritual world; for flame corresponds to the affection of good.  From all this it can be seen that the quality of a man’s life is altogether according to the societies into which his thought and affection extend themselves, and according to the quality and amount of this extension.

AC 6602. That the spheres of the thoughts and affections extend themselves round about into the spheres of societies which are far from the spot, was made evident to me also from the fact that while I was thinking from affection about such things as had a certain specific action on a distant society, the people in it spoke with me on the same subject, telling what they felt. This has been done repeatedly.  One society was at the right, at a considerable distance, in the plane of the lower part of the chest; and another also was at the right, but nearer, in the plane of the knees. Distance is perceived from the state of the affection of truth and good. In so far as the state of one society differs from the state of another, so far the societies appear to be remote from each other.

AC 6603. But be it known that the thoughts and affections which penetrate into societies do not in a specific manner move the societies to think and will as does the man, spirit, or angel, from whom the thoughts and affections go forth; but they enter into the universal sphere of the affection and consequent thought of these societies.  Consequently the societies know nothing about the matter; for the spiritual sphere in which all societies are, is varied with each society; and when the thoughts and affections enter into this sphere, the societies are not affected. All thoughts and affections enter into the spheres of the societies with which they are in agreement.  Hence it is that there exist extensions in every direction in freedom, like the extension of rays from objects in this world, which freely penetrate all around to the sight of everyone who stands there, with variety according to the clearness and the dulness of the sight, and also according to the serenity or obscurity of the atmosphere.  In the spiritual world the affection of knowing truth and good corresponds to the serenity of the atmosphere.

AC 6604. There has occasionally appeared to me an angel, whose face, very plainly seen, was continually varied according to affections, as these succeeded one another with him in order, thus from one limit to the other-the universal ruling affection still remaining, by which it could be known that it was the same angel. And I was instructed that the changes of his face came from the societies with which he had communication, and that they came forth in accordance with the variations of the communication, as this was nearer with one society than with another, and so on in succession. For the extension of the affections and thoughts has its limits, and in the last societies vanishes, and passes away as does the sight into the universe.  Within the limits of this general sphere the thoughts and affections can be varied, and may now be nearer to one society, and now to another. When they are in the in the midst of one, then the rest of the societies are to that one in the circumference; and so on with all variations in these limits.

AC 6605. It is worthy of note, that as the universal heaven bears relation to a man, who from this is called the Grand Man (as shown at the end of many chapters), so each society in like manner bears relation to a man; for the image of the universal heaven flows into the societies, and causes them to be like it; and not only into the societies, but also into the individuals in the society, whence each individual has a human form; for everyone in an angelic society is a heaven in least form. The varieties of their human form are in accordance with the quality of good and of truth with them. Hence it is that every spirit and angel appears in a form wholly in accordance with the communication of his thoughts and affections with the societies.  Hence the more they are in good and truth, so are they in a more beautiful form.  But if the communication of the thoughts and affections has been diffused into societies not according to heavenly order, then the form is to the same extent unbeautiful.  And if the communication is with infernal societies, then the form is ugly and devilish; and those who are in total opposition to good and truth, being in opposition to the form of heaven (which is the human form), in the light of heaven appear not as men, but as monsters. This is the case with the whole of hell, with the societies therein, and with the individuals in the societies; and this also with variety according to the degree of opposition of evil against good and of the derivative falsity against truth.

AC 6606. When speaking with angelic spirits I have observed that the affections and thoughts appeared like a surrounding stream, and that the subject of the thought was in the middle with the stream all round it, and that this extended thence in every direction.  From this also it was made manifest that the thoughts and affections extend themselves on all sides to societies.

AC 6607. It has been shown that when thoughts together with affections diffuse themselves, they circulate almost according to the form of the convolutions of the gray substance in the human brain.  I have seen these circumfluxions for a long while: they circled round, bent inward, and wound in and out, as do the convolutions of the gray substance of the brains. But the forms of heaven are still more wonderful, and such as can by no means be comprehended, not even by angels; in such a form are the angelic societies in the heavens, and into such a form the thoughts of the angels flow, and almost in an instant to a great distance, because according to the infinitely perfect form.

AC 6608. Intellectual light has been given me, taken away, diminished, and moderated, in thinking, speaking, and writing, and this frequently; and it has been given me to perceive the variations and differences.  The light itself was perceived as an illumination which enlightened the substances of the interior sight, as the light of the sun enlightens the organs of bodily sight.  This general illumination caused the objects of things to appear, as the objects of the earth appear to an enlightened eye; and I have been instructed that these variations came forth according to the communications with heavenly societies.

AC 6609. The thoughts and speech of the societies within which was my thought, have been occasionally represented to me by clouds which ascended and descended in the azure. From the forms of the clouds, their colors, thinness, and density, it was given to know what was flowing in. Truths were represented by the azure color mingled with a beautiful brilliant white, the brilliancy of which cannot be described; appearances of truth were represented by a dull whiteness; and falsities by black clouds; and thus the influx of thoughts and affections could also be known from these appearances.

AC 6610. So long as a man lives, the ideas of his thought are varied, that is, they are multiplied and divided, and are thus extended to various and new societies; with those who are in evil, to infernal societies, as also with those who are in the persuasions of falsity. But with those who are in persuasions of truth, that is, in persuasive faith, the ideas of the thought are exceedingly confined; while with those who are being regenerated, the thoughts and affections are continually insinuated into new heavenly societies, and the extension increases. The former thoughts and affections are also divided; and being divided, are associated with ideas, which are again communicated to new societies. More especially generals are filled with particulars, and these with singulars, thus with new truths, whereby the illumination increases.

AC 6611. I have spoken with spirits about the changes of state of man‘s life, that it is inconstant, and that he is borne upward and downward, now toward heaven and now toward hell. But they who suffer themselves to be regenerated are being borne continually upward, and thus always into more interior heavenly societies.  Extension of sphere into these societies is given by the Lord to those who are being regenerated, especially to those who are being regenerated by means of temptations, in which resistance is made to evils and falsities; for the Lord then fights through angels against the evils and falsities; and in this way the man is introduced into the societies of these angels, which are more interior societies; and into whatever societies he has once been introduced, he there remains; and from this he also receives a more extended and elevated capacity of perception.

AC 6612. From all this it is also evident that the more exteriorly a man thinks, the less extension he has, and the more interiorly, the greater extension. For they who think exteriorly, that is, who are in what is sensuous, communicate only with grosser spirits; whereas they who think interiorly, that is, from the rational, have communication with angels; and the nature of this difference can be seen from the density of the sphere in which the sensuous spirits are, and from the purity of the sphere in which the angels of heaven are. This difference is like that between the extension of sound, and the extension of light; and how great this is, is known to those who are skilled in the things of nature.

AC 6613. That there are countless things in one idea of thought, and much more so in one thought composed of ideas, has been given me to know from much experience, some of which may be here adduced.

AC 6614. It has been shown by living experience how angelic ideas flow into the ideas of spirits who are beneath, and therefore in grosser ideas. An abundance of ideas from the angelic heaven was shown as a bright cloud divided into little masses; each little mass, which consisted of countless ideas, produced in a spirit one simple idea; and it was afterward shown that thousands and thousands of things were in it, which were also represented by a cloud before the eyes of spirits. I afterward spoke of these things with the spirits, showing that they may be illustrated by the objects of sight; for an object which appears simple, when seen through a magnifying glass, immediately presents to the sight a thousand things not before visible; as in the case of animalcules which appear as one obscure object, but when viewed in a microscope not only become many, but each is seen in its form; and if subjected to still higher power of sight, there are seen organs, members, viscera, and also vessels and fibers.  Such also is the case with the ideas of thought, thousands and thousands of things being in each of them, although the many ideas together of which the thought is composed, appear only as a simple thing. Nevertheless there are more things in the ideas of thought of one person than in the ideas of another, the abundance of ideas in the thought being according to the extension into societies.

AC 6615. When the thought of angels descends to lower planes, it appears, as just said, like a bright cloud; but when the thought of the angels who are in the higher heavens descends, it appears like a flaming light, from which comes a quivering brightness.  This bright cloud and flying light are nothing else than the countless things that are in their thought. When these flow into the thought of the spirits who are beneath, they are there presented as only one thing; the light and brightness flow into their thought, and the flaming into their affection which is of love, which affection leads the ideas and joins them together.  But the bright flaming and the quivering brightness do not appear to them, but were seen by me in order that I might know that higher things flow into lower ones; and that there are countless things which are perceived as one.

AC 6616. That there are so many things in one idea has also been made evident to me from the fact that when I heard spirits speaking with me, I could perceive from the mere tone of their speech whether they were speaking from pretence, from sincerity, from a friendly feeling, or from the good of love. A man can see this from the expression of the face of another man, and can also in some measure hear it from his speech; for when a man sees a glad expression shown him, and hears fair-spoken words, he can perceive whether there is in it pretence, or deceit, whether a gaiety that is natural or accidental, whether modesty, or friendliness, or insanity, and so on; which also is a sign that there are countless things in every idea. When I have spoken with spirits on this subject, some of them were incredulous, and they were therefore taken up into a higher region, and speaking with me from thence they said that they saw countless things in every idea of my thought; and so they believed.

AC 6617. That there are countless things in one idea, has also been made evident to me from the fact that the angels perceive in a moment the life of a spirit and of a man by merely hearing him speak, or by looking into his thought; the angels of a lower heaven can see this, and still more the angels of a higher one. A certain good spirit was taken up into the first heaven, and speaking with me from thence he said that he saw infinite things in what I was then reading in the Word; when yet I myself had only a simple thought on the subject. Afterward he was taken up into a more interior heaven, and he said from thence that he now saw still more things, and so many that what he had seen before were comparatively gross to him. He was next taken up into a heaven still more interior, where the celestial angels are, and he said from thence that what he had before seen was scarcely anything compared with the things he now saw. While this continued, various things flowed in, and I was affected with the various things that came from thence.

AC 6618. Certain spirits boasted that they knew all things. In the Grand Man these spirits bear relation to the memory. But they were told that there are illimitable things which they do not know, nay, that one idea can be filled with illimitable ideas and still appear simple; and also that if their ideas were to be filled with many things every day to all eternity, they could not know even all the general things; and that from this they might conclude how much there is which they do not know. This was also shown them, so that they acknowledged it. An angel spoke with them by changes of state, but they could not understand what he spoke; and then they were told that every change contained illimitable things, which nevertheless were not even noticed by them, for besides not understanding, they were not even affected with them.

AC 6619. That there are countless things in the ideas of thought, and that those which are in order within them are there from things more interior, was also evident to me while I read the Lords Prayer morning and evening. The ideas of my thought were then always opened toward heaven, and countless things flowed in, so that I observed clearly that the ideas of thought taken from the contents of the Prayer were filled from heaven. And such things were also poured in as cannot be uttered, and also could not be comprehended by me; I merely felt the general resulting affection, and wonderful to say the things that flowed in were varied from day to day.  From this I was given to know that in the contents of this Prayer there are more things than the universal heaven is capable of comprehending; and that with man there are more things in it in proportion as his thought has been opened toward heaven; and on the other hand, there are fewer things in it in proportion as his thought has been closed; for with those whose thought has been closed, nothing more appears therein than the sense of the letter, or that sense which is nearest the words.

AC 6620. From all this it may be known how infinite are the contents also in everything of the Word (for the Word descends from the Lord through heaven), although it appears to those whose ideas have been closed, as a very simple thing. On this subject I once talked with spirits who denied that anything lies hidden in the Word; and I said that there are infinite and unutterable things therein, which cannot be perceived by those whose ideas are closed, and who admit nothing but the literal sense, which they interpret in favor of their own principles and cupidities, and thereby close to themselves access to what is stored within, and they either empty out their own ideas, or else close them tight.  There was then also shown how an idea of thought appears when it has been enclosed, and how when it has been opened, for this can be easily shown in the light of heaven: the closed idea appeared like a black point, in which nothing was visible; but the opened idea appeared like a light in which there was something as of Same, and toward which everything there looked.  The flame represented the Lord, and the things that looked to Him represented heaven; and it was said that in every idea which is from the Lord, there is an image of the whole heaven, because it is from Him who is heaven.

AC 6621. The thoughts of those who in the life of the body have studied the mere art of criticism when reading the Word, being little concerned about the sense, were represented as lines closed and not capable of being opened, and as a texture formed of such lines.  Some spirits of this kind have been with me, and then all that was being thought and written became confused, the thought being kept as it were in prison, for it was determined solely to words, by withdrawing the mind from the sense, so that they wearied me past expression; and yet they believed themselves wiser than others.

AC 6622. I have spoken with spirits concerning influx into the ideas of thought, saying that men can by no means believe there are such countless things in them, for they conceive thought to be a merely simple and single thing; thus they judge from the exterior sensuous. The spirits with whom I then spoke were of the opinion that there is nothing within ideas, having impressed this upon themselves in the life of the body. But in order that they might comprehend that they perceive countless things as one, I was allowed to say that the motions of myriads of moving fibers concur in one action, and that also at the same time all things in the body move and adapt themselves for that action, both in general and in particular; and yet that little action appears simple and single, as if nothing of the kind were in it; and in like manner that countless things concur together to form one utterance, as the foldings of the lips and of all the muscles and fibers thereof; also the movements of the tongue, throat, larynx, windpipe, lungs, and diaphragm, with all the muscles thereof in general and in particular. Now as the man perceives one utterance therefrom as merely a simple sound which has nothing in it, it may be seen how gross is perception from the sensuous.  What then must be the perception from the sensuous concerning those ideas of thought which are in a purer world, and thus more remote from what is sensuous!

AC 6623. As there are things so countless in the ideas of thought, the angels can know merely from a single word which proceeds from the thought what is the quality of the spirit, or of the man.  This also has been confirmed by experience. When the word “truth” was only mentioned, as was done by several spirits in succession, it was instantly heard whether there was in it what is hard, harsh, soft, childlike, dear, innocent, full, empty, also whether there was in it what is false, feigned, closed, or open, and in what degree; in a word, the very quality of the idea was heard, and this only in what is general.  What then must be the case in the singulars which the angels perceive!

AC 6624. As man thinks from what is sensuous, such things are obscure to him, nay, so obscure that he does not know what an idea is, and especially that thought is divided into ideas, as speech is into words; for thought appears to him continuous, and not discrete, when yet the ideas of thought are the words of spirits, and the ideas of a thought yet more interior are the words of angels. As ideas are the words of their speech, they are also sonorous among spirits and angels; hence the silent thought of man is audible to spirits and angels when it so pleases the Lord.  How perfect the ideas of thought are in comparison with the words of speech, may be seen from the fact that a man can think more things within a minute than he can utter or write in an hour.  The same could also be seen from speech with spirits and angels, for then in a moment I have filled a general subject with singulars, with the affection adjoined, whence the angels and spirits distinctly apprehended all things, and many more, which appeared about the subject like a cloud.

AC 6625. From all this it may now be seen what is the nature of the ideas of those who live evilly, and thence think evilly, namely, that therein are hatreds, revenges, envies, deceits, adulteries, haughtinesses, outward decorum simulating honor, also chastities for the sake of appearance, friendships for the sake of honor and gain and yet no friendships, besides foul and filthy things unmentionable. And moreover there are certain doctrinal matters of faith which countenance cupidities, and unless they did so there would be unbeliefs and also mockings. These and other such things are in the ideas of those who live evilly and consequently think evilly.  Such things being within their ideas, it must needs be that when such persons come into the other life, they are separated and removed far from heaven, where such things excite horror.

AC 6626. I will relate some wonderful things. The Lord, who alone is Man, and from whom angels, spirits, and the inhabitants of earth are called men, does Himself, by His influx into heaven cause the universal heaven to represent and bear relation to a man, and by influx through heaven and from Himself immediately into the individuals there, cause each one to appear as a man, the angels in a more beautiful and resplendent form than can be described; and in like manner by His influx into the spirit of man. Nay, with an angel, a spirit, and a man who lives in charity toward the neighbor and in love to the Lord, the very smallest things of thought bear relation to a man, for the reason that this charity and this love are from the Lord, and whatever is from the Lord bears relation to a man. Moreover it is these things that make man.  On the other hand, in hell, because they who are there are in things contrary to charity and celestial love, in their own light they do indeed appear like men, but in the light of heaven as dreadful monsters, in some of whom scarcely anything of the human form is recognizable. The reason is that the Lord’s influx through heaven is not received, but is either rejected, or extinguished, or perverted, causing them to have such an appearance.  They are in like manner such forms in the smallest things of their thought or in their ideas; for such as anyone is in the whole, such he is in part; these being analogous and homogeneous. That form in which they appear is also the form of the hell in which they are; for every hell has its own form, which in the light of heaven is like a monster; and those of them who appear from this light show by their form from what hell they are. They have appeared to me at the gates which opened into the world of spirits, and they were seen as monsters, with much variety. That the gates of hell open into the world of spirits may be seen above (n. 5852).

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