4712. 'And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers' means every coming of the Lord, and a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. This is clear from the meaning of 'laying' as perception, dealt with just above in 4708; from the meaning of 'peace' as salvation, dealt with in 4681, and so a perception of what the situation was; and from the representation of 'brothers' here as those teaching from faith, dealt with above in 4705. From this it is evident that the words used here mean a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. The reason every coming of the Lord is also meant is that 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual, 4669, 4708, 4710, and therefore when it is said that Joseph was told to 'go and see the peace of his brothers' His coming is meant. The expression 'every coming' is used to describe whenever truth enters into thought from the Word.

4669. 'Joseph' means the Lord's Spiritual [from His] Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Spiritual, dealt with in 3969. It is well known in the Church that the Lord is represented by 'Joseph', for when the heavenly Joseph is spoken of, no one else is meant. But what aspect of the Lord is represented by 'Joseph' is less well known, namely the Divine Spiritual which proceeds from His Divine Human. The Divine Spiritual which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human is the Divine Truth received from Him in heaven and in the Church; essentially the Spiritual is nothing else. The Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth is also that which is called the kingship of the Lord, as well as being that which is meant by 'Christ' or 'Messiah', see 2015 (end), 3009, 3670. This also explains why Joseph became virtually the king in Egypt - so that he might at that time represent the things which constitute the Lord's kingship.