Verses 1-6. On the false worship of those who are in adulterated good, from selfish love most external, in order that there may be, with the man of the true church, aversion from the Lord.

Verses 7-12. But the corrupted understanding which is internally in agreement with the depraved will, is compelled, nevertheless, externally, and yet truly, to show that the good man has conjunction with the Lord.

Verses 13-26. Secondly, the same false worship is continued with the same object; the will and understanding of the corrupted man are more closely conjoined in another state; and they receive revelation again contrary to their wish.

Verses 27-30. And, thirdly, they still desire to make a final effort to shake off the influence of the good and the true, in a state of the interior will, from which they discern that they are about to be quite desolated as to both.

5411. 'And Benjamin, Joseph's brother' means the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the spiritual of the celestial, dealt with in 4592, where it may also be seen that the spiritual of the celestial is the intermediary. In general it should be recognized that what is internal cannot have any communication with what is external, or conversely what is external with what is internal, unless an intermediary exists. Consequently truth from the Divine, which is 'Joseph', cannot have any communication with the truths that exist as a general whole within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', unless the intermediary that is represented by 'Benjamin' and is called the spiritual of the celestial is present. And to be the intermediary it must partake of both, of both the internal and the external. The reason an intermediary is needed is that the internal and the external are utterly distinct from each other, so distinct that they can be separated from each other, just as a person's external or lowest part, which is his body, can be separated when it dies from his internal part, which is his spirit. The external is dead when the intermediary is severed from it but living when the intermediary is in place; also, the amount and the nature of the life that the external possesses depends on the amount and nature of the life that the intermediary present within it possesses. Because Jacob's sons did not have Benjamin, who is the intermediary, with them, Joseph could not therefore reveal who he was to his brothers. He consequently spoke hard words to them, calling them spies and placing them in custody, as a consequence of which they did not recognize him as Joseph.

[2] But the essential nature of this intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' and called the spiritual of the celestial defies any description that is intelligible. For not even any rough ideas exist about the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', or about the truths of the Church existing merely as known facts, which are 'the sons of Jacob', and therefore no rough ideas exist either about the spiritual of the celestial, which is 'Benjamin'. But in the light of heaven the nature of this intermediary is seen as if in broad daylight. Its essential nature is revealed by the use of indescribable representatives seen in the light of heaven, which light at the same time holds perception within it. For the light of heaven is essentially intelligence flowing from the Divine which enables every single thing represented in the light of heaven to be perceived. The same is not so with the light of the world, for that light does not hold any intelligence at all within it; yet the understanding is formed by means of it - by means of the inflowing light of heaven into it, and at the same time by means of the inflowing of the power of perception which the light of heaven contains within itself. This being so, a person dwells in the light of heaven insofar as intelligence exists with him, while intelligence exists with him insofar as the truths of faith do so, and the truths of faith exist with him insofar as the good of love does so. Consequently a person dwells in the light of heaven insofar as the good of love exists with him.