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Genesis 13

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1 And Abram went up out of Egypt with his wife and all he had, and Lot with him, and they came in to the South.

2 Now Abram had great wealth of cattle and silver and gold.

3 And travelling on from the South, he came to Beth-el, to the place where his tent had been before, between Beth-el and Ai;

4 To the place where he had made his first altar, and there Abram gave worship to the name of the Lord.

5 And Lot, who went with him, had flocks and herds and tents;

6 So that the land was not wide enough for the two of them: their property was so great that there was not room for them together.

7 And there was an argument between the keepers of Abram's cattle and the keepers of Lot's cattle: at that time the Canaanites and Perizzites were still living in the land.

8 Then Abram said to Lot, Let there be no argument between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen, for we are brothers.

9 Is not all the land before you? then let us go our separate ways: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; or if you take the right, I will go to the left.

10 And Lot, lifting up his eyes and looking an the valley of Jordan, saw that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord had sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah; it was like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, on the way to Zoar.

11 So Lot took for himself all the valley of Jordan, and went to the east, and they were parted from one another.

12 Abram went on living in the land of Canaan, and Lot went to the lowland towns, moving his tent as far as Sodom.

13 Now the men of Sodom were evil, and great sinners before the Lord.

14 And the Lord had said to Abram, after Lot was parted from him, From this place where you are take a look to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west:

15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your seed for ever.

16 And I will make your children like the dust of the earth, so that if the dust of the earth may be numbered, then will your children be numbered.

17 Come, go through all the land from one end to the other for I will give it to you.

18 And Abram, moving his tent, came and made his living-place by the holy tree of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and made an altar there to the Lord.

   

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True Christian Religion #635

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635. Lastly I will reveal this secret. Seven chapters of Revelation describe the termination of the present church, in terms similar to the devastation of Egypt. In both cases this was by similar plagues, each of which stands in the spiritual sense for some falsity advancing its devastation to the point of destruction. This church, therefore, which is at the present time lost, is also called Egypt as spiritually understood (Revelation 11:8). The plagues in Egypt were as follows.

The waters were turned to blood, so that all the fish died and the river stank (Exodus 7; similar language in Revelation 8:8; 16:3). Blood means Divine truth falsified (see Apocalypse Revealed 379, 404, 681, 687-688). The fish that died mean likewise truths in the natural man (Apocalypse Revealed 290, 405).

Frogs came forth upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 8). There is also a mention of frogs in Revelation 16:13. Frogs mean reasonings as a result of a longing for the falsification of truth (see Apocalypse Revealed 702).

In Egypt foul ulcers appeared upon men and beasts (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 16:2. Ulcers mean inward evils and falsities which can destroy the good and truth in the church (see Apocalypse Revealed 678).

In Egypt hail fell mixed with fire (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 8:7; 16:21. Hail means hellish falsity (see Apocalypse Revealed 399, 714).

Locusts were sent upon Egypt (Exodus 10); similar language in Revelation 9:1-11. Locusts mean falsities in outermost things (see Apocalypse Revealed 424, 430).

Oppressive darkness was brought upon Egypt (Exodus 10:21); similar language in Revelation 8:12. Darkness means falsities arising from ignorance, or from false ideas of religion, or from evil living (see Apocalypse Revealed 110, 413, 695).

The Egyptians finally perished in the sea of Suph 1 (Exodus 14). In Revelation the dragon and the false prophet perished in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). Both the sea of Suph and that lake have the same meaning, hell.

The reason why similar language is used of Egypt and of the church, the termination and end of which is described in Revelation, is that Egypt stands for the church, which in its beginnings was outstanding. So before its church was devastated, Egypt is equated with the Garden of Eden and the garden of Jehovah (Genesis 13:10; Ezekiel 31:8). It is also called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', and 'the sons of wise men and of the kings of ancient time' (Isaiah 19:11, 13). More about Egypt in its earliest state and in its devastation will be found in Apocalypse Revealed 503.

Notes de bas de page:

1. Generally taken as 'the Red Sea', but the author keeps the Hebrew form.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Genesis 41

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1 It happened at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river.

2 Behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.

3 Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.

4 The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 He slept and dreamed a second time: and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.

6 Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

8 It happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt's magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I remember my faults today.

10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.

11 We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he interpreted.

13 It happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: he restored me to my office, and he hanged him."

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It isn't in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river:

18 and behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat and sleek. They fed in the marsh grass,

19 and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

20 The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,

21 and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

22 I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good:

23 and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.

26 The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.

27 The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.

28 That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.

29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.

30 There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,

31 and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.

32 The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

33 "Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt's produce in the seven plenteous years.

35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

36 The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; that the land not perish through the famine."

37 The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

38 Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?"

39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you.

40 You shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you."

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

42 Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck,

43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, "Bow the knee!" He set him over all the land of Egypt.

44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."

45 Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

47 In the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth abundantly.

48 He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was around every city, he laid up in the same.

49 Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

50 To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.

51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."

52 The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

53 The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.

54 The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do."

56 The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57 All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.