5934. 'Saying, Joseph's brothers have come' means [a perception] that the truths of the Church within the natural were present. This is clear from the meaning of 'having come as being present; and from the representation of the sons of Jacob or 'Joseph's brothers' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in 5403, 5419, 5458, 5512. Existing within the natural there is factual knowledge of various kinds. There is factual knowledge which has to do with earthly, bodily, and worldly matters; this occupies the lowest position since it consists of impressions received directly from the external or bodily senses. There is also factual knowledge which has to do with one's country, its system of government, and laws and statutes, which occupies a slightly more internal position. There is factual knowledge which has to do with matters of right conduct, which occupies a position still more internal. And there is knowledge which has to do with spiritual life occupying positions interior to them all; this consists of the truths known to the Church. To the extent that these truths exist with a person solely as a result of religious teaching they are no more than factual knowledge; but once they stem from the good of love in him they go onto a level above factual knowledge, for they now dwell in spiritual light, from which they can look at factual knowledge arrayed in proper order beneath them. By means of such rising degrees of factual knowledge a person attains intelligence; for factual knowledge at each level opens the mind so that light from the spiritual world may flow in. From all this one may now see what is meant by the truths of the Church within the natural being present.

5458. 'And Joseph said to them on the third day' means the perception of the celestial of the spiritual regarding those truths separated from itself, when completion is reached. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2619, 3509; from the representation of 'the sons of Jacob' as the truths known to the Church in general, dealt with already, here those truths when separated from the celestial of the spiritual, 5436; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, also dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'on the third day' as the last phase when another state begins, dealt with in 5159, 5457, and so when completion is reached. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph said to them on the third day' means the perception of the celestial of the spiritual regarding those truths separated from itself, when completion is reached.