894. 'At the beginning, on the first of the month' means a starting point. This is now clear from what has been said above. Everything that this statement embodies is an arcanum so deep that it cannot be described, except for just the point that no definite period of time ever exists when anyone is regenerate enough to be able to say, 'Now I am perfect'. In fact an unlimited number of states of evil and falsity exist with everyone, not only simple states but also varied and complex ones which, as has been stated, have to be disposed of in such a way that they do not recur. In some states a person can be called fairly perfect, but in countless others he cannot. People who have been regenerated during their lifetime, and in whose lives faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbour have been present, are in the next life being perfected all the time.

5195. 'That Pharaoh was dreaming' means provision ¹ made for the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in 5079, 5080, 5095, 5160, and from the meaning of 'dreaming' as a foretelling of things to come, and so in the highest sense as Foresight, dealt with in 3698, 4682, 5091, 5092, 5104. Now since Foresight or the foreseen is meant, Providence or provision is meant too, because Foresight and Providence cannot exist one without the other. For Providence has in view the state that is to last for ever; but unless it foresees what this state is, it cannot make any provision towards it. A provision for present needs without at the same time any foresight of future ones, and so no simultaneous provision for future needs within present ones, would imply a lack of any end in view, or of any order, or of consequently any wisdom and intelligence, and so it would not be something having a Divine origin. But when reference is made to what is good the term Providence is used, whereas Foresight is used in reference to what is not good, 5155. One cannot use the term Foresight when speaking of what is good because good resides within the Divine, comes forth from the Divine Himself, and exists in accord with the Divine. Rather, this term is used when one refers to what is not good or to what is evil since this comes forth from outside the Divine, from others opposed to the Divine. Thus because Providence is used when reference is made to what is good, the term is also used to refer to the joining of the natural to the celestial of the spiritual. This is the reason why 'dreaming' at this point means provision that had been made.

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