4277. 'And he touched the hollow of his thigh' means where celestial-spiritual good is joined to natural good meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thigh' as conjugial love, and consequently as all celestial and spiritual love, since these are derived from conjugial love as offspring from their parent, dealt with in 3021; and from the meaning of 'the hollow' or socket or cavity of it - that is to say, of the thigh - as the place where the joining together exists, and here therefore where celestial-spiritual good is joined to natural good meant by 'Jacob'. But no one can be told anything about that conjunction unless he knows first of all what celestial-spiritual good, meant by 'Israel', is, and what natural good, meant by 'Jacob', is. It will be told below at verse 28 where Jacob, who at that point is named Israel, is the subject and also further on where Jacob's descendants are the subject.

6265. 'And Joseph brought them away from his thighs' means that the good belonging to the will and the truth belonging to the understanding were brought away from an affection originating in love on the part of spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in 5869, 5877; from the representation of Manasseh and Ephraim, the ones here whom 'Joseph brought away', as the good belonging to the will and the truth belonging to the understanding, dealt with in 5354, 6222; from the meaning of 'the thighs' as an affection originating in love, dealt with in 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575, 5050-5062; and on the part of spiritual good is meant because they were brought away from Israel, who represents spiritual good, 6253. The words used here mean that the internal celestial took good belonging to the will and truth belonging to the understanding away from spiritual good, that is, away from the affection arising from its love; they have this meaning because 'Israel', who represents spiritual good, had made that goodness and truth draw near him. Besides this they had to be brought to him by Joseph, who represents the internal celestial; for that reason they were brought away and after that, as described in what follows, were brought to him again by Joseph.

[2] The explanation for all this is that the inflow of love came to that goodness and truth from the internal celestial by way of spiritual good - in keeping with true order. That external procedure had therefore to be strictly adhered to when they were going to be blessed; for they were being presented to the Lord, the Source of the foretelling meant here by the blessing, 6254. This now explains why Joseph brought his sons away from his father's thighs, and why he himself after that brought them to him again.

49. Of the light of heaven in which the spiritual man is. There is great light in the heavens (n. 1117, 1521,1533, 1619-1632). The light in the heavens exceeds the meridian light on earth by many degrees (n. 1117, 1521, 4527, 5400, 8644). That light has been often seen by me (n. 1522, 4527, 7174). The light which the angels of the inmost or third heaven have is as the light from the sun, but the light which the angels of the second heaven have is as the light from the moon (n. 1529-1530). The light in the inmost heaven is flamy, but in the second heaven it is bright white (n. 9570).

All light in the heavens is from the Lord as a sun there (n. 1053, 1521, 3195, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809). The Lord is the sun of the angelic heaven, and His Divine love is that sun (n. 1521, 1529-1530, 1531, 183, 4321, 4696, 7078, 7083, 7173). The Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in the heavens appears as light, and constitutes all the light of heaven; and consequently that light is spiritual light (n. 3195, 3322, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684). Therefore the Lord in the Word is called light (n. 3195[1-9]). Because that light is the Divine truth, there is in it Divine wisdom and intelligence (n. 3195, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3993, 4302, 4413, 4415, 9548, 9684). How light from the Lord flows into the heavens, illustrated by the circles of rays round the sun (n. 9407). That the Lord is a sun to the heavens, and from Him is all the light there, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 116-125). And the light from that sun is the Divine truth, and the heat from it the Divine good of the Divine love (n. 126-140).

The light of heaven enlightens both the sight and the understanding of angels and spirits (n. 2776, 3138). They have light there according to their understanding and wisdom (n. 1524, 3339). Testified from the Word (n. 1529-1530). There are as many differences of light in the heavens as there are angelic societies (n. 4414); since there are perpetual varieties in the heavens as to good and truth, thus as to wisdom and intelligence (n. 684, 690, 3241, 3744-3745, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836). Heaven's being in light and heat signifies its being in wisdom and in love (n. 3643, 9399-9400).

The light of heaven enlightens the understanding of man (n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569). Man, when he is elevated from the sensual, comes into a milder light [lumen], and at length into celestial light [lux] (n. 6313, 6315, 9407). There is elevation into the light of heaven when man comes into intelligence (n. 3190). What great light was perceived, when I have been withdrawn from worldly ideas (n. 1526, 6608). The sight of the internal man is in the light of heaven, and therefore man is able to think analytically and rationally (n. 1532). The light of heaven from the Lord is always present with man, but it flows in only so far as he is in truths from good (n. 4060, 4214). That light is according to truth from good (n. 3094). Truths shine in the spiritual world (n. 5219). Spiritual heat and spiritual light make the true life of man (n. 6032).

The light of the world is for the external man, and the light of heaven for the internal (n. 3223, 3324, 3337). The light of heaven flows into natural light [lumen] and the natural man is so far wise as he receives that light (n. 4302, 4408). There is a correspondence between those lights (n. 3225). The things which are in the light of heaven cannot be seen from the light of the world with man, which is called his natural light [lumen]; but the things in the light of the world may be seen from the light of heaven (n. 9577).

Whence it follows, that they who are only in the light of the world, which is called natural light [lumen], do not perceive those things which are of the light of heaven (n. 3108). To those who are in falsities from evil, the light of heaven is thick darkness (n. 1783, 3337, 3413, 4060, 6907, 8197). The light of the world with the evil is glowing, and so far as it glows, so far the things which are of the light of heaven are dark to them (n. 6907). The light of the world does not appear to the angels (n. 1521, 1783, 1880).

In the heavens all light is from the Lord, and all shade from the ignorance and proprium of the angels and spirits; hence the modifications and variegations of light and shade, which are colors there (n. 3341). Concerning the variegations of light by the Urim and Thummim (n. 3862).

The light of those who are in faith separate from charity is snowy, and like the light of winter (n. 3412-3413). That light is turned into mere darkness on the influx of light from heaven (n. 3412). Of the light of those who are in a persuasive faith, and in a life of evil (n. 4416). Of what quality the light appears with those who are in intelligence from the proprium, and what with those who are in intelligence from the Lord (n. 4419).

There is light [lumen] in the hells, but fatuous (n. 1528, 3340, 4214, 4418, 4531). This light is as light from a coal fire (n. 1528, 4418, 4531). They who are in the hells appear to themselves in their own light as men, but in the light of heaven as devils and monsters (n. 4532-4533, 4674, 5057-5058, 6605, 6626). All things in the light of heaven appear according to their true quality (n. 4674). The hells are said to be in thick darkness and darkness, because they are in falsities from evils (n. 3340, 4418, 4531). "Darkness" signifies falsities, and "thick darkness" the falsity of evil (n. 1839, 1860, 7688, 7711).