3864. Mijn verdrukking, namelijk daar Jehovah heeft gezien; dat dit betekent de staat van het bereiken van het goede, staat vast uit de betekenis van de verdrukking, namelijk de verzoeking, nr. 1846;

en omdat deze het middel is om het goede te bereiken, wordt hier door mijn verdrukking aangeduid de staat van het ware, dat het uiterlijke is, komen tot het goede, dat het innerlijke is.

6557. 'And Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died' means the things which had become alienated from truth and good, and a discernment that the Church had been restored to life. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400; from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'Joseph's brothers' refers here, as the things which had become alienated from truth and good (for when they wanted to kill Joseph but sold him, they represented things alienated from truth and good; and the fact that this state is meant here is evident from the words they now use, 'They said, perhaps Joseph will hate us and will fully return to us all the evil with which we repaid him', so that they had a contrary representation at that point); from the meaning of 'having died' as having been restored to life - referring in this instance to the Church - dealt with in 3326, 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Church, dealt with in 4286, 6426. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died' means a discernment by the things which had become alienated from truth and good that the Church had been restored to life.