5597. And they said, Asking the man asked unto us. That this signifies that it clearly perceived the things in the natural, is evident from the signification of “asking,” as being to perceive another’s thought (of which in what follows); and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who are here meant by “us,” as being the things of the church which are in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). That by “asking” is meant perceiving another’s thought, is because in heaven there is a communication of all thoughts, so that no one has need to ask another what he is thinking. Hence it is that “asking” signifies perceiving another’s thought; for in the internal sense the quality of a thing on earth is its quality in heaven.

5458. And Joseph said unto them in the third day. That this signifies the perception of the celestial of the spiritual concerning these truths separated from itself, when there was fulfillment, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2619, 3509); and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, as being the truths of the church in general (of which above), here these truths separated from the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5436); from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which also above); and from the signification of the “third day,” as being the last of a state when what is new begins (n. 5159, 5457), thus when there was fulfillment. From this it is plain that by “Joseph’s saying unto them in the third day,” is signified the perception of the celestial of the spiritual concerning these truths separated from itself, when there was fulfillment.