5248. And changed his garments. That this signifies as to what is of the interior natural, by putting on what is suitable, is evident from the signification of “changing,” as being to remove and reject; and from the signification of “garments,” as being what is of the interior natural (of which presently); hence it follows that what was suitable (signified by the new “garments”) was put on. “Garments” are often mentioned in the Word, and thereby are meant things beneath or without, and that cover things above or within; and therefore by “garments” are signified man’s external, consequently his natural, because this covers his internal and spiritual. Specifically by “garments” are signified truths that are of faith, because these cover the goods that are of charity. This signification has its origin from the garments in which spirits and angels appear clothed. Spirits appear in garments devoid of brightness, but angels in garments that are bright and are as it were made of brightness, for the very brightness around them appears as a garment, as appeared the raiment of the Lord when He was transfigured, which was “as the light” (Matthew 17:2), and was “white and flashing” (Luke 9:29). From their garments also the quality of spirits and angels can be known in respect to the truths of faith, because these are represented by garments, but truths of faith such as they are in the natural; for such as they are in the rational appears from the face and its beauty. The brightness of their garments comes from the good of love and of charity, which by shining through causes the brightness. From all this it is evident what is represented in the spiritual world by the garments, and consequently what is meant by “garments” in the spiritual sense. But the garments that Joseph changed, that is, put off, were the garments of the pit or prison, and by these are signified things fallacious and false, which in a state of temptations are excited by evil genii and spirits; and therefore by his “changing his garments” is signified rejection and change in respect to what is of the interior natural, and the garments he put on denoted such things as would be suitable, and therefore the putting on of things suitable is signified. See what has before been said and shown concerning garments: that what is celestial is not clothed, but what is spiritual and natural (n. 297); that “garments” denote truths relatively lower (n. 1073, 2576); that changing the garments was a representative of holy truths being put on, whence also came the changes of garments (n. 4545); that rending the garments was representative of mourning over truth lost and destroyed (see n. 4763 and what is signified by him that came in, not having on a wedding garment (n. 2132).
Apocalypse Explained #83
83. And I became dead, signifies that He was rejected. This is evident from this, that the Lord is said to be "dead" when faith in Him and love towards Him are no more; for with those who are in love towards Him and faith in Him the Lord lives, but with those who are not in love and in faith toward Him He does not live. With such He is said to be "dead" because He is rejected. This is what is here meant in the internal sense by the words "I became dead;" but in the sense of the letter it is meant that He was crucified. The Lord's being crucified has a like signification in the internal sense, namely, that He was rejected and treated thus by the Jews; for the Lord, when He was in the world, was Divine truth itself, and as Divine truth was altogether rejected by the Jews, therefore the Lord, who was Divine truth, suffered Himself to be crucified. Such things are signified by all that is related in the Evangelists concerning the Lord's passion; the particulars, even to every minutest particular, involve this. Whenever, therefore, the Lord speaks of His passion He calls Himself the Son of man, that is, Divine truth (See above, n. 63). That Divine truth was altogether rejected by the Jews is well known; for they accepted nothing that the Lord said, and not even that He was the Son of God. From this it may be known how those things that the Lord said to the disciples about the Jews' rejection of Him are to be understood. Thus in Luke:
The Son of man must suffer many things, and be repudiated by the elders and chief priests and scribes (Luke 9:22).
In the same:
The Son of man must suffer many things, and be repudiated by this generation (Luke 17:25).
In Mark:
It is written of the Son of man, that He should suffer many things and be set at naught (Mark 9:12).
In Luke:
Jesus took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are foretold through the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully entreated, and spit upon; and after they have scourged Him, they shall put Him to death; but the third day He shall rise again (Luke 18:31-33).
The way in which the Jews treated Divine truth, which was from the Word, is signified by these particulars. "Jerusalem" here is the Jewish Church; "to be delivered unto the Gentiles, to be mocked, to be shamefully entreated, to be spit upon, to be scourged, to be put to death," are the wicked ways in which the Jews treated Divine truth; and as the Lord was Divine truth itself, because He was the Word (John 1:14), and as it was foretold in the prophets that Divine truth would be so dealt with in the end of the church, therefore it is said, "that all things may be accomplished that have been foretold through the prophets concerning the Son of man." So elsewhere in the same Gospel:
These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me (Luke 24:44).
That all things were accomplished when Jesus was crucified He Himself said, when He was upon the cross:
Jesus, knowing that all things were accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst (John 19:28).
He then said, "I thirst," because He longed for a new church that would acknowledge Him. (That to "thirst," in the spiritual sense, signifies to long for, and that it is predicated of the truths of the church, see Arcana Coelestia 4958, 4976, 8568.) These are also the things that were predicted by Daniel concerning vastation and desolation:
After sixty and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself; then the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, so that its end shall be with a flood. At last upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, and even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation (Daniel 9:26-27).
"Desolation" and "vastation" signify repudiation and rejection of Divine truth with those that are of the church (See Arcana Coelestia 5360, 5376). That Divine truth, which is the Word, was so repudiated by the Jews, is also meant by these words in Matthew:
I say unto you that Elias is come already, and they have not acknowledged him, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Even so shall the Son of man suffer of them (Matthew 17:12).
By "Elias" the Word is signified (See Arcana Coelestia, preface to chapter 18 of Genesis, and in n. 2762, 5247), and also by "John the Baptist;" therefore he was called "Elias" (n. 7643, 9372). From this it can be seen what is signified by "Elias has come," and that "they have done to him whatsoever they listed," and that "the Son of man is to suffer of them." How the Jews explained and thus rejected the Word is clear from many passages in the Gospels, where the Lord makes this manifest. From this it can now be seen that "I became dead," signifies that He was rejected. Moreover, that the Lord, by the passion of the cross, also glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, see New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 294-295, 302, 305.
Genesis 41
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.
