6557. And Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead. That this signifies the things alienated from truth and good, and a perception that the church was resuscitated, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to understand and perceive (see n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who are here the “brethren,” as being things alienated from truth and good (for when they desired to kill Joseph, and sold him, they represented things alienated from truth and good, which state is here signified, as is plain from their words, “Peradventure Joseph will hate us, and returning will return unto us all the evil that we rendered to him,” and it is from this that they had then represented what is opposite); from the signification of “being dead,” as being to be resuscitated, that is, the church (n. 3236, 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221); and from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being the church (see n. 4286, 6426). Hence it is evident that by the “brethren of Joseph saw that their father was dead,” is signified a perception by things alienated from truth and good that the church was resuscitated.

4621. And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. That this signifies that it rose again in the good and good of truth of the natural, is evident from the signification of “being buried,” as being resurrection (see n. 2916, 2917), and as being a state of representation resuscitated in another (n. 3256); from the representation of Esau, as being the Lord’s Divine natural as to good (n. 3302, 3576, 4241); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the Lord’s Divine natural as to the good of truth (n. 4273, 4337, 4538). From all this and from what was said above (n. 4618) it is manifest that by Esau and Jacob his sons burying him is signified that it rose again in the good and good of truth of the natural. That “being buried” is in the internal sense rising again, is because when the body has died the soul rises again. Hence when “burial” is mentioned in the Word the angels do not think of the body which is cast off, but of the soul which rises again; for they are in spiritual ideas, thus in the things that belong to life; and therefore all things that belong to death in the natural world, signify such things as belong to life in the spiritual world.