Arcana Coelestia # 5702
5702. Because this is an abomination to the Egyptians. That this signifies that they are in opposition, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in inverted order (see n. 5700); and from the representation of the Hebrews, to eat with whom was an abomination to the Egyptians, as being those who are in genuine order (n. 5701); thus they are in opposition to each other, whence comes aversion, and at last abomination. In regard to this abomination be it known that those who are in inverted order, that is, in evil and the derivative falsity, become at last so averse to the good and truth of the church that when they hear them, and especially when they hear the interior things of them, they so greatly abominate them that they feel as it were a nausea and vomiting. This has been told and shown me, when I have wondered why the Christian world does not receive these interior things of the Word. There appeared spirits from the Christian world who, on being compelled to hear the interiors of the Word, were seized with so great a nausea that they said they felt as if they were going to vomit; and I was told that such is the Christian world at this day almost everywhere. The reason of its being so is that they are in no affection of truth for truth’s sake, still less in the affection of good from good. Their thinking and speaking anything from the Word or from their doctrine is from habit acquired from early childhood, and from the established form; thus it is an external without an internal.
[2] That all things of the Hebrew Church that was afterward instituted among Jacob’s descendants were an abomination to the Egyptians, is plain not only from their being unwilling even to eat with them, but also from the sacrifices which the Hebrew Church regarded as the chief part of its worship being an abomination to them, as is evident in Moses:
Pharaoh said, Go ye, sacrifice in the land; but Moses said, It is not meet so to do; because we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God; lo if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes will they not stone us? (Exodus 8:25-26).
The pasturing of flocks, and a shepherd also, were an abomination to them, as is plain in Moses:
Every shepherd of a flock is an abomination unto the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34).
Thus the Egyptians abominated everything that belonged to that church. The reason was that at first the Egyptians had been among those who constituted the Ancient representative Church (n. 1238, 2385); but in course of time they rejected the God of the Ancient Church, that is, Jehovah or the Lord, and served idols, especially calves; and they also turned into magic the very representatives and significatives of the celestial and spiritual things of the Ancient Church, which they had learned when they belonged to that church. Hence order was inverted with them, and consequently all things of the church were an abomination to them.
Genesis 40
1
It happened after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
2
Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
3
He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
4
The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.
5
They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
6
Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.
7
He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"
8
They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."
9
The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,
10
and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.
11
Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."
12
Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
13
Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.
14
But remember me when it will be well with you, and please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
15
For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."
16
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
17
In the uppermost basket there was all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."
18
Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.
19
Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you."
20
It happened the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
21
He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;
22
but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23
Yet the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph, but forgot him.
