5275. Zie, zeven jaren komen; dat dit de staten van de voorzienigheid betekent, staat vast uit de betekenis van de jaren, namelijk de staten, nrs. 487, 488, 493, 893;

en uit de betekenis van komen, namelijk de voorzienigheid; komen immers en gebeuren, wanneer het wordt gezegd met betrekking tot het Goddelijke, of tot dat wat God doet, dat wat gebeurt vanuit de Voorzienigheid, dus wat de voorzienigheid is; dat hetgeen God doet de Voorzienigheid is, zie de nrs. 5264, 5273. In wat volgt wordt gehandeld over de zeven jaren van de overvloed der opbrengst en over de zeven jaren des hongers en met de jaren worden daar de staten aangeduid, met de jaren van de overvloed der opbrengst de staten van de vermenigvuldiging van het ware in het natuurlijke en met de jaren des hongers de staten van gebrek aan en beroving van het ware in het natuurlijke; in het algemeen worden met de zeven jaren van de overvloed der opbrengst en met de zeven jaren des hongers in het land van Egypte in de innerlijke zin de staten van de hervorming en wederverwekking van de mens beschreven en in de hoogste zin de staten van de verheerlijking van het Menselijke van de Heer. Opdat die dingen zouden worden uitgebeeld, zijn zulke dingen gebeurd in het land van Egypte; dat het daar plaatsvond, kwam omdat onder het land van Egypte en onder Farao in de innerlijke zin het natuurlijke wordt verstaan, daar wordt over de verheerlijking in de Heer gehandeld. Men moet weten dat de dingen die in die tijd gebeurden en in het Woord zijn beschreven, uitbeeldend waren voor de Heer Zelf, voor de verheerlijking van Zijn Menselijke en in de uitbeeldende zin voor Zijn rijk en dus voor de Kerk in het algemeen en voor de Kerk in het afzonderlijke en dus voor de wederverwekking van de mens, want door de wederverwekking wordt de mens een Kerk in het afzonderlijke. Dat de dingen die in die tijd plaatsvonden, uitbeeldend waren voor zulke dingen, was voornamelijk ter wille van het Woord, opdat dit geschreven kon worden en opdat het Woord op deze wijze zulke dingen kon bevatten die de Goddelijke, de hemelse en de geestelijke dingen zouden uitbeelden in een doorlopende reeks en dus zo niet alleen de mens van de Kerk maar ook de engelen in de hemel van dienst zijn; de engelen immers doorvatten daaruit de Goddelijke dingen en worden zo door de heilige dingen aangedaan, die worden vergemeenschapt aan de mens die vanuit aandoening het Woord leest, waarvandaan eveneens hem het heilige gewordt. Dit is de oorzaak dat zulke dingen in het land van Egypte zijn gebeurd.

5463. 'And bring your youngest brother to me' means until the intermediary is present. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, that is to say, between the celestial of the spiritual and the natural, dealt with above in 5411, 5443.

4973. 'And he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian' means to enable it to be introduced into natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'lord' as good, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the Egyptian' as factual knowledge in general, and from this as that which is natural, dealt with in 4967. The reason 'being in the house' means being introduced is that 'house' is the mind in which good dwells, 3538, in this case the natural mind. Moreover 'house' is used in reference to good, 3652, 3720. The human being has both a natural mind and a rational mind. The natural mind exists within his external man, the rational within his internal. Known facts make up the truths that belong to the natural mind, and these are said to be there 'in their own house' when they are joined to good there; for good and truth together constitute a single house like husband and wife. But the forms of good and the truths which are the subject at present are of a more interior kind, for they are suited to the celestial of the spiritual from the rational, which is represented by 'Joseph'. Those suitable interior truths within the natural are applicable to useful purposes, while interior forms of good in the same are the useful purposes themselves.

[2] The expression 'lord' is used many times in the Word, but unless a person is acquainted with the internal sense he assumes that 'lord' has no other meaning than what the word has when used in ordinary conversation. But 'lord' is used nowhere in the Word other than in reference to good, as is similarly the case with the name 'Jehovah'. When however reference is being made to truth, 'God' and also 'king are used. This then is the reason why 'lord' means good, as may also be seen from the following places: In Moses,

Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords. Deuteronomy 10:17.

In David,

Confess Jehovah, confess the God of gods, confess the Lord of lords. Psalms 136:1-3

In these places Jehovah or the Lord is called 'God of gods' by virtue of Divine Truth which goes forth from Him, and 'Lord of lords' by virtue of Divine Good which exists within Him.

[3] Similarly in John,

The Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings. Revelation 17:14.

And in the same book,

The One sitting on the white horse has on His robe and on His thigh the name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16.

The Lord is called 'King of kings' by virtue of Divine Truth, and 'Lord of lords' by virtue of Divine Good, as is evident from the individual expressions used here. 'The name written' is His true nature, 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006. 'His robe' on which it is written is the truth of faith, 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763. 'His thigh' on which likewise that nature is written is the good of love, 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575. From this too it is evident that by virtue of Divine Truth the Lord is called 'King of kings and by virtue of Divine Good 'Lord of lords'. For more about the Lord being called King by virtue of Divine Truth, see 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4581.

[4] From this it is also plain what 'the Lord's Christ' means in Luke,

Simeon received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:26.

'The Lord's Christ' is the Divine Truth that goes with Divine Good, for 'Christ' is one and the same as Messiah, and Messiah is the Anointed or King, 3008, 3009, 'the Lord' in this case being Jehovah. The name Jehovah is not used anywhere in the New Testament Word, but instead of Jehovah, the Lord and God are used, see 2921, as again in Luke,

Jesus said, How can they say that the Christ is David's son when David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand? Luke 20:41, 41.

The same appears in David as follows,

Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand. Psalms 110:1.

It is obvious that Jehovah in David is called Lord in the gospel, 'Lord' in this case standing for the Divine Good of the Divine Human. Omnipotence is meant by 'sitting at the right hand', 3387, 4592, 4933 (end).

[5] While in the world the Lord was Divine Truth, but once He was glorified, that is, had made the Human within Him Divine, He became Divine Good, from which Divine Truth subsequently goes forth. This explains why after the Resurrection the disciples did not call Him Master, as they had before, but Lord, as is evident in John 21:7, 12, 15-17, 20, and also in the other gospels. Divine Truth - which the Lord was while in the world and which subsequently goes forth from Him, that is, from Divine Good - is also called 'the Angel of the Covenant', in Malachi,

Suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the Angel of the Covenant in whom you delight. Malachi 3:1.

[6] Because 'Lord' is used to mean Divine Good and 'King' Divine Truth, therefore in places where the Lord is spoken of as having dominion and a kingdom 'dominion' has reference to Divine Good and 'a kingdom' to Divine Truth. For the same reason the Lord is called 'Lord of the nations' but 'King of the peoples', for 'nations' means those governed by good, 'peoples' those governed by truth, 1259, 1260, 1849, 3581

[7] Good is called 'lord' as against a servant, and 'father' as against a son, as in Malachi,

A son should honour his father, and a servant his lord. If I am a Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Lord, where is the fear of Me? Malachi 1:6.

And in David,

To be a slave JOSEPH was sold. The word of Jehovah tested him. The king sent and released him, he who had dominion over nations set him free and placed him as lord of his house and as one with dominion over all his possessions. Psalms 105:17, 19-22.

Here, as is evident from each individual expression, 'Joseph' is used to mean the Lord, 'lord' in this instance being the Divine Good of the Divine Human.