3969. 'And she said, God has taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, saying, May Jehovah add to me another son' in the highest sense means the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom or the good of faith, and in the external sense salvation, also fruitfulness and multiplication. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' in the Word, dealt with below, also from the meaning of 'God has taken away my reproach', as well as 'May Jehovah add to me another son', for the name Joseph was derived from the verbs 'to gather up' and 'to add'. 'God has taken away my reproach' means that Rachel was now no longer barren, and so no longer 'dead', as she spoke of herself to Jacob in verse 1 above; see 3908. For 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, that is, the interior man as regards truth, 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819. The interior man is so to speak dead as regards truth and good if the exterior or natural man does not correspond to it as regards goods and truths, see 3493, 3620, 3623. They must be so joined each to the other that they are not two but together form one man.

[2] But the two cannot become joined together until the natural or external man has been prepared, that is, until it has received and acknowledged the general truths which have been meant by Jacob's ten sons by Leah and the servant-girls, and until the good of the natural man has been joined to the truths in that man, which joining together was meant by Jacob's last son by Leah, namely Zebulun, who was so called from the expression 'dwelling together', 3960, 3961. After this joining together has taken place the interior man and the exterior man enter into the heavenly marriage spoken of in 3952. The reason they do not enter it until then is a very deep arcanum, for it is the good of the interior man which in that case joins itself to the good of the exterior man, and through that exterior good to the truth in the exterior man. At the same time the good of the interior man joins itself through the affection for truth in that interior man to the good of the exterior man and also to the truth there, and so joins itself directly and indirectly. concerning this direct and indirect linking together, see 3314, 3573, 3616. Since the interior man is only then joined to the exterior, and until this joining together has taken place the interior man is seemingly non-existent and so seemingly dead, as stated above, the phrase 'God has taken away my reproach' is therefore used. This then is what is meant by 'the reproach' which God is said to have 'gathered up', that is, to have taken away, meaning to have released her from it.

[3] But the words which follow - 'May Jehovah add to me another son', from which Joseph received his name - mean a second arcanum, which is this: 'Joseph' represents the Lord's spiritual kingdom and so the spiritual man, for that kingdom exists within every spiritual man. There are two things which constitute the spiritual man - charity and faith, or what amounts to the same, good and truth. Charity from which faith, or good from which truth springs, is the thing that Joseph represents. And faith which has charity within it, or truth which has good within it, is the thing that the second son means - that Benjamin represents, dealt with at Genesis 35:16-18. So Joseph means the celestial-spiritual man, and Benjamin the spiritual-celestial. The nature of the difference between them may be seen from what has been said fairly often already about good from which truth springs and truth that has good within it. This then is what is meant by Rachel's second utterance 'May Jehovah add to me another son'. But these arcana cannot be seen except by those who are governed by charity from which faith springs, for interiorly those people are dwelling in the light of heaven, which light also includes intelligence within it. But those arcana cannot be seen by those who are dwelling solely in the light of the world, for that light does not include intelligence except insofar as it holds the light of heaven within itself. To angels who dwell in the light of heaven these arcana belong among the most ordinary things they know.

[4] From these considerations one may now see that the words 'God has taken away my reproach' and 'May Jehovah add to me another son' in the highest sense mean the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, and in the internal sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom or the good of faith, for such good is the spiritual as this exists in that kingdom. But the reason why those words in the external sense mean salvation, also fruitfulness and multiplication, is that these come as the product of that good, 3971. But what the Lord's spiritual kingdom is may become clear from what has been stated and shown many times already about that kingdom, that is to say, it consists of those who are governed by charity and from charity by faith. This kingdom is distinct and separate from the Lord's celestial kingdom, for the celestial kingdom consists of those who are governed by love to the Lord and from that love by charity. The latter constitute the third or inmost heaven, whereas the spiritual constitute the second or interior heaven.

[5] The reason why the name God is used first, in 'God has taken away my reproach', then Jehovah, in 'May Jehovah add to me another son', is that God has regard to the ascent from truth up to good but Jehovah to the descent from good down to truth. The spiritual man is governed by the good of faith, that is, by the good from which truth springs; but prior to his becoming spiritual he is governed by the truth of faith, that is, by truth that has good within it. For the name God is used when truth is the subject, but Jehovah when good is the subject, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921.

[6] The fact that 'Joseph' represents the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or the spiritual man, and so represents the good of faith, becomes clear also from those places in the Word where his name is mentioned, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one beside a spring; O daughters, he trails over the wall; and the archers will exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him. And he will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. By the God of your father, and he will assist you; and with Shaddai, and he will bless you with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the deep lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father will prevail over the blessings of my ancestors, even to the desire of the everlasting hills. They will be upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. Genesis 49:22-26.

These prophetic utterances in the highest sense contain a description of the Lord's Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense a description of His spiritual kingdom. What each detail entails will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in the explanation of that chapter.

[7] Similarly in the prophecy of Moses,

For Joseph he said, Blessed by Jehovah is his land, of the precious things of heaven, of the dew, of the deep also lying beneath, and of the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and of the precious things of the produce of the months, and of the precious things of the mountains of the east, and of the precious things of the everlasting hills, and of the precious things of the earth and of its fullness; and the good pleasure of Him dwelling in the bramble bush. They will come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. Deuteronomy 33:13-17.

[8] Because 'Israel' represents the Lord's spiritual Church, 3305, 3654,

Jacob, who by then was Israel, said to Joseph,

Your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt, before I came to you in Egypt, will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be as Reuben and Simeon. May the angel who has redeemed me from every evil bless the boys, that in them my name may be called, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they increase into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Genesis 48:5, 16.

There are two things which constitute the spiritual Church - the understanding and the will, the understanding being represented by 'Ephraim' and the will by 'Manasseh'. From this one can see why Joseph's two sons were adopted by Jacob, by then Israel, and acknowledged as his own. Ephraim is also mentioned often in the Word, especially the prophetical part, in which places that name means the ability which the spiritual Church possesses to understand what is true and what is good.

[9] In Ezekiel,

Jehovah said, Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions. And take another stick and write on it, For Joseph - the stick of Ephraim and of the whole house of Israel, his companions and join them together, one to the other into one stick for you, that both may be one in your ¹ hand. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I, behold, I am taking the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them to the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, and they will be one in My hand. And I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king to them all, and they will no longer be two nations, nor will they ever be divided into two nations again. Ezekiel 37:16-17, 19, 22.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom, to the celestial and to the spiritual - 'Judah' being the celestial kingdom, 3654, 3881, 3921 (end), and 'Joseph' the spiritual. It is also said that those kingdoms will not be two but one - they were actually made one by the Lord's Coming into the world.

[10] By the Lord's Coming the spiritual were saved, see 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834. It is those who are spiritual that the Lord is speaking about in John,

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:16.

This is what is meant by 'the two sticks', the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph, which will be joined into one, and will be one in the Lord's hand, like one nation, even as they are one in the Lord's kingdom. For celestial angels constitute the third heaven, which is the inmost heaven, but spiritual angels the second, which is the interior heaven, and in that kingdom they are one because one flows into the other, namely the celestial heaven into the spiritual. The spiritual kingdom is so to speak the groundwork on which the celestial is based, and in this way the two are made firm and stable. For the Divine celestial within the third or inmost heaven is love to the Lord, the celestial-spiritual in that heaven being charity. The latter, namely charity, is the chief thing in the second or interior heaven where spiritual angels are. This shows the nature of influx and also how things are made firm and stable by means of influx. 'Wood' means good, both the good which belongs to love to the Lord and the good which belongs to charity towards the neighbour, 2784, 2812, 3720. For this reason the command was given to write Judah and Joseph on the two sticks which were to be made one.

[11] In Zechariah,

I will make the house of Judah powerful, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will restore them, ² for I have had compassion on them, and they will be as though I had not forsaken them, for I am Jehovah their God and I will answer them. Zechariah 10:6.

This too refers to the two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual, 'Judah' being the celestial kingdom and 'Joseph' the spiritual. Also referred to is the salvation of the spiritual.

[12] In Amos,

Thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel, Seek Me and you will live. Seek Jehovah and you will live, lest like fire He invades the house of Joseph and it devours and there is nobody quenching it. Hate evil, and desire good, and establish judgement in the gate; it may be that Jehovah God Zebaoth will have compassion on the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:4, 6, 15.

Here also those who are spiritual are meant by 'Joseph'. 'The house of Israel' means the spiritual Church, 3305, 3654, 'Joseph' the good of that Church. Hence the statement 'Jehovah said to the house of Israel, Seek Me and you will live, lest like fire He invades the house of Joseph'.

[13] In David,

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock. You who are seated on the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up Your might and come to save us. Psalms 80:1-2.

Here similarly 'Joseph' means the spiritual man, 'Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh' being three essentials of that Church.

[14] In the same author,

Raise a song, and sound the timbrel, the sweet harp with the lyre; blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the festival, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, a judgement to the God of Jacob. [As] a testimony for Joseph He appointed it, when He went out against the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know. Psalms 81:2-5.

From each individual word or term used here it is evident that 'Joseph' means the spiritual Church or spiritual man. For there are in the Word terms which present spiritual realities and terms which present celestial ones, and these terms occur consistently throughout the Word. In this quotation terms that present spiritual realities are used - 'a song', 'the timbrel', 'the harp with the lyre', and 'blowing the trumpet at the new moon, at the festival, on a feast day'. From this also it is evident that the subject is the spiritual Church meant by 'Joseph'.

[15] In Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, This is the boundary by which you will inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel, the portions for Joseph. Ezekiel 47:13.

This refers to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and therefore the phrase 'the portions for Joseph' is used. The Lord's Divine spiritual is that which is also called His kingship, for the Lord's kingship is Divine Truth, but His priesthood Divine Good, 2015, 3009, 3670. The Lord's kingship itself is that which 'Joseph' represents, in that he was made king in the land of Egypt. That representation will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with when that chapter is reached.

[16] As regards the Lord's Divine spiritual, or Divine Truth, which is represented in the highest sense by 'Joseph', it does not exist within the Lord but flows from the Lord; for the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good. But Divine Truth proceeds from Divine Good. To use a comparison, it is like the sun and the light of the sun. Light does not exist within the sun but proceeds from the sun. Or it is like fire. Light does not exist in fire but proceeds from it. And in the Word Divine Good itself is compared to the sun and also to fire, and is actually called sun and fire. The Lord's celestial kingdom receives its life from the good which proceeds from the Lord, but the spiritual kingdom receives its life from the truth derived from that good. For this reason in the next life the Lord is seen as the Sun by those who are celestial, but as the Moon by those who are spiritual, see 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643. For both warmth and light proceed from the sun. Its warmth is comparable to the good of love, which is also called celestial and spiritual warmth, its light to the truth flowing from it, which is also referred to as spiritual light, see 3636, 3643. But the celestial warmth and the spiritual light which proceed from the Lord as the Sun in the next life, include within them the good of love and the truth of faith, and so include wisdom and intelligence, 1521-1523, 1542, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862. For things which proceed from the Lord are living.

[17] From this one may see what the Divine Spiritual is; in what the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom have their origins; and also that the spiritual kingdom is the good of faith, which good is charity, flowing in from the Lord directly, and also indirectly through the celestial kingdom. In the Word the Divine Spiritual which proceeds from the Lord is called the Spirit of truth, and is holy truth. The Divine Spiritual does not belong to any spirit but is the Lord's, who imparts it through a spirit sent by Him, as becomes clear from the Lord's own words in John,

When He the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak. He will also declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14.

Poznámky pod čarou:

2967. 'Current with the merchant' means in conformity with their state. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a merchant', and, from this, of 'current with the merchant'. In the Word 'a merchant' means people who possess cognitions of good and truth, while 'merchandise' means those cognitions themselves. Consequently 'silver current with the merchant' means truth to the extent that it can be received, or what amounts to the same, in conformity with each individual's state and ability. For the embodiment of some arcanum within this added phrase may be seen by anyone. The specific meaning of 'a merchant' and of 'merchandise' is dealt with below, but the general meaning of the whole phrase is this: Everyone who is being reformed and regenerated has charity and faith conferred on him from the Lord; but each individual receives these according to his ability and his state. For the evils and falsities which a person absorbs from earliest childhood make it impossible for one individual to receive what is given in the same way as any other receives it. Those evils and falsities must first undergo vastation before a person can be regenerated. The amount of celestial and spiritual life left following vastation determines how far what is then left can be enlightened with truth and enriched with good.

[2] It is the remnants, that is, the goods and truths from the Lord stored away in a person, that receive life at that time. The goods and truths acquired in the period from early childhood to when reformation takes place are with one person more, with another less. They are preserved in his internal man, and cannot be brought out until his external man has been brought into a state of correspondence with the internal, which is effected chiefly by means of temptations, and by many kinds of vastation. Indeed until bodily desires which are contrary to goods and truths - as is the nature of desires which constitute self-love and love of the world - become dormant, celestial and spiritual desires that belong to the affection for good and truth cannot enter in. This is the reason why each individual is reformed in conformity with his state and ability. This is also the Lord's teaching in the parable about a man who went away on a journey,

He called his servants and delivered to them his riches. To the first he gave five talents, to the second two, and to the third one, to each according to his own ability. He who received the five talents traded with them and earned five talents more. So too he who received the two earned two more. Matthew 25:14-17, and following verses.

The same teaching also occurs in the parable about the ten servants to whom he gave ten pounds to trade with, Luke 19:12-13, and following verses.

[3] As regards 'a merchant' meaning those who possess cognitions of good and truth and 'merchandise' meaning those cognitions themselves, this is clear from the places which have just been quoted from Matthew and Luke, and also from the following: In Ezekiel,

Say to Tyre, one that dwells upon the entrances of the sea, she that is the trader of the peoples to many islands: Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men - and they gave vessels of bronze for your commerce. The sons of Dedan were your traders, many islands were the merchandise of your hand. Syria was your merchant in the multitude of your handyworks; Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm, they exchanged for your commerce. Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your handyworks because of the multitude of all riches - in the wine of Helbon and the wool of Zahar. And Dan and Javan exchanged yarn for your wares. Dedan was your trader in chariot-cloaks. ¹ The Arab and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand in lambs, in rams and goats; in these they were your merchants. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Shebah; Asshur, Chilmad, was your trader. These were your traders in choice wares. Ezekiel 27:3, 12-13, 15-24.

These verses refer to Tyre, by which - as may be seen in 1201 and as is evident from all the specific details contained in these verses - cognitions of truth are meant. The tracings and merchandise, and also the wares, mentioned there have no other meaning, for which reason Tyre is described as 'one that dwells upon the entrances of the sea' - 'waters' meaning cognitions and 'the sea' a gathering together of these, 28. Tyre is also called 'the trader of the peoples to many islands', that is, extending even to those whose worship is more remote - 'islands' meaning more remote forms of worship, see 1158. What Tarshish means is explained in 1156, while 'silver, iron, tin, and lead' from there means truths in their own order even to the last, which are sensory truths - what 'silver' means being explained in 1551, 2048, 'iron' in 425, 426.

What 'Javan, Tubal and Meshech' means is explained in 1151-1153, 1155, while 'the souls of men' and 'vessels of bronze' from those places mean things that have to do with natural life - 'soul' meaning all life that comes from the Lord, 1000, 1040, 1436, 1742; 'vessels of bronze' the natural goods which receive that life, 425, 1551. What 'Dedan' means is explained in 1172, 'Syria' in 1232, 1234. 'Judah and the land of Israel were your traders in wheat of minnith and pannag, honey, oil, and balm' means celestial and spiritual things from the Word. The rest of the nations and their merchandise that are mentioned mean different genera and species of truth and good, and so the cognitions that exist with those meant by 'Tyre'.

[4] On such cognitions wisdom and understanding rest, as is quite clear in the same prophet where the following is stated,

Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, By your wisdom and by your intelligence you have gained riches for yourself and gained gold and silver in your treasuries. By the vastness of your wisdom, by your trading, you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up on account of your riches; therefore, behold, I am bringing strangers - the terrible of the nations - upon you. Ezekiel 28:2, 4-7.

Here it is quite evident that the commodities with which they traded mean cognitions of good and truth since there is no other source from which wisdom and intelligence may be derived. Hence the statement, 'By your wisdom and by your intelligence you have gained riches for yourself and gained gold and silver in your treasuries'. But when cognitions are sought for the selfish purpose of becoming pre-eminent, and of gaining either reputation or riches, they have no life, and those people who possess them are deprived of such altogether. In this life they are deprived of them by embracing falsities instead of truths and evils instead of goods, and in the next life too they are deprived altogether of those things that are true. This is why it is said, 'Because your heart is lifted up on account of your riches, therefore I am bringing strangers (meaning falsities) - the terrible of nations (meaning evils) - upon you'. And elsewhere in the same prophet,

Tyre is like [a city] destroyed in the midst of the sea. When your wares came out of the seas you satisfied many peoples; with the multitude of your riches and of your commerce you enriched the kings of the earth. Now you are broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your commerce and all your company have sunk in the midst of you. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. ² Ezekiel 27:32-34, 36.

And in Isaiah,

The prophecy concerning Tyre. The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. On the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue and was the merchandise of nations. Who has purposed this against Tyre crowning itself, whose merchants were princes? Isaiah 23:2-3, 8.

This refers to the vastation of Tyre.

[5] Merchandise and wares are in a similar way spoken of in reference to Babylon, these being adulterated cognitions of good, and falsified cognitions of truth. In John,

Babylon has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her; and the merchants of the earth, have grown rich from the abundance of her luxuries. The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, etc. The merchants in these things who were made rich by her will stand far off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning. Revelation 18:3, 11-12, 15.

'Babylon' means worship, the external features of which seem holy but the interior features are unholy, see 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306, 1326. From this it is evident what its merchandise and wares mean.

[6] That 'a merchant' means one who acquires to himself cognitions of truth and good, and from these intelligence and wisdom, is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

The kingdom of heaven is like a trader seeking fine pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46.

'A fine pearl' is charity or the good of faith.

[7] That all cognitions of good and truth come from the Lord is taught in Isaiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The labour of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and of the Sabaeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you, they will come over in chains and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. Isaiah 45:14.

This refers to the Lord's Divine Human.

[8] From all these places one may now see what is meant by acting as a merchant, or buying and selling, namely acquiring cognitions of good and truth for oneself, and by means of these cognitions acquiring good itself. This good is acquired from the Lord alone, as is clear in the same prophet,

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1-2.

Here 'buying' stands for acquiring for oneself, 'wine' stands for spiritual truth, 1071, 1798, 'milk' for spiritual good, 2184. Anyone may see that here 'coming to the waters' does not mean coming to the waters, nor that 'buying' means buying, nor 'money' money, nor 'wine and milk' wine and milk, but that each of these means something corresponding to it in the internal sense. For this is the Divine Word, in which all the expressions used - though fashioned out of things perceptible in the natural world and out of man's sensory impressions - have Divine spiritual and celestial things corresponding to them. In this and no other way is the Word Divinely inspired.

Poznámky pod čarou: