5340. 'And he gathered all the food of the seven years' means the preservation of truth linked to good, multiplied in the initial phases. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering' here as preserving (for it says that he gathered it and laid it up in the cities, in the midst of them, which means that he stored it in the interior parts and thereby preserved it; for it was put to use in the years of famine); from the meaning of 'the food' as everything by which the internal man is nourished, namely good and truth, as may be recognized from the correspondence of earthly food which nourishes the external man with spiritual food which nourishes the internal man. Here therefore truth linked to good is meant, because this is what is preserved and stored away in a person's interior parts. 'Seven years' means the initial phases, when truths become multiplied, 5339. From all this it is evident that 'he gathered all the food of the seven years' means the preservation of truth linked to good, multiplied in the initial phases.

[2] The expression 'the preservation of truth linked to good' is used, but because few are aware of what truth linked to good is, let alone of how and when truth becomes linked to good, let something therefore be said about this. Truth comes to be joined to good when a person finds joy in doing good to his neighbour for truth and goodness' own sake, and not for any selfish or worldly reason. When that affection moves a person the truths he hears or reads or thinks about become joined to good; and this can usually be seen in an affection for truth which has that end in view.

5343. 'The food of the field of a city' means that these - the truths linked to good in the interior parts - were proper to and suitable for those interior parts. This is clear from the meaning of 'the food' as truths linked to good, dealt with in 5340, 5342. Truths proper to the interior parts and suitable for them are meant by 'the food of the field of a city' for the reason that the field belonged to the city and formed the area encircling it. In the internal sense the parts which form an encircling area mean what is suitable and proper. This is also why the statement 'which was round about it he laid up in the midst of it' comes next. The reason the parts forming an encircling area mean what is proper to and suitable for is that all truths joined to good exist arranged into series, and the nature of these series is such that truth joined to good is positioned in the middle or inmost part of each one; then truths that are proper to and suitable for that middle or inmost part are positioned around the same, continuing to the outermost part where the series disappears.

[2] The actual series too are positioned in relation to one another in a similar kind of way. But such positionings vary in keeping with the changes of state that take place. It is quite normal in the next life for such arrangements of truths joined to good to present themselves in a visual manner; for in the light of heaven, which holds intelligence and wisdom within it, visual images can be used to present such things. The same cannot be done in the light of the world, nor can it be done in the light of heaven if a person's interior parts have not been opened, though he still has the ability to recognize them through rational insights and so see them by the use of reason in the light of heaven. These ordered arrangements of truths owe their origin to the ordered arrangements of the angelic communities in heaven; for in whatever way the angelic communities are arranged, so also with regenerate persons are the series of truths joined to good arranged, because these series of truths correspond to those angelic communities.