6636. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-5 And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob - a man and his household they came: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. And every soul, those who came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt.

'These are the names of the sons of Israel' means the essential nature of the Church. 'Who came to Egypt with Jacob' means after truths have been introduced into factual knowledge.' A man and his household they came' means in regard to truth and in regard to good. 'Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher' means the whole process from start to finish. 'And every soul, those who came out of Jacob's thigh' means everything that springs from general truth. 'Were seventy souls' means that which was complete. 'And Joseph was in Egypt' means that the internal celestial was within the natural.

5833. 'And now, when I come to your servant my father' means the good of the Church corresponding to the spiritual good which is that of the internal Church. This is clear from the representation of Judah, who says this about himself, as the good of the Church, dealt with in 5583, 5603, 5782, and from the representation of Israel, who is his 'father' here, as spiritual good, dealt with in 5807, 5812, 5813, 5817, 5819, 5825. The good of the Church that 'Judah' represents is the good of the external Church, whereas the spiritual good that 'Israel' represents is the good of the internal Church, 4286. For every Church of the Lord's is both internal and external, and features of the external Church correspond to features of the internal Church, so that the good of the Church which is 'Judah' corresponds to spiritual good which is 'Israel'.