7017. 'And I will see whether they are still alive' means a perception of that life. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and perceiving, dealt with in 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400; and from the meaning of 'being alive' or 'living' as spiritual life, dealt with in 5407. A perception of that life means a perceiving before-hand, for when anyone proposes something to himself he envisages it as if it were a present reality. He must project his mind into the situation involving that thing, and from this come desires, and from it a feeling of delight such as would belong to that thing if it were a present reality. In this way intermediate ends link themselves to the last and lowest end and make so to speak a single end. ¹

Фусноте:

3565. 'And he blessed him' means resulting conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as conjunction, dealt with in 3504, 3514, 3530. In this state however the conjunction was none other than that described in 3563. Inmost, but not intermediate, conjunction existed with truth represented by Jacob, so that it was a conjunction through the end in view, which is inmost good and which could be actualized in this way and no other way. When such an end exists a conjunction of inmost things with outermost ones is effected first. Intermediate conjunction comes gradually. This the end brings about, for all progress lies with the end. Indeed the Lord acts through ends, and by means of them gradually re-arranges intermediate things into proper order. This is the origin of the conjunction meant by the reference to Isaac blessing Jacob.