The phrase “it came to pass,” often also translated as “it happened,” generally indicates the end of one spiritual state and the beginning of a new one. To some degree, the phrase is used in the place of punctuation in the original language, marking the transition from one set of circumstances to another.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 4979, 4987, 5031, 5220, 5578)

5031. 'And it happened' means a new state. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened' or 'so it was' as that which implies something new or a new state, dealt with in 4979, 4987, 4999, in this case the state of spiritual natural good, represented by 'Joseph' after the outermost covering of truth has been removed from it, and so after it has ceased to be joined any longer to unspiritual natural truth and good.