6082. 'Your father and your brothers have come to you' means regarding the influx of the internal celestial into spiritual good from the natural and into the truths of the Church there. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in 5801, 5807, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833; and from the representation of his sons, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the truths of the Church in the natural, dealt with in 5414, 5879, 5951. The reason it is an influx of the internal celestial is that the words were addressed to Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, 5869, 5877, and an influx into the natural or external comes from the internal.

5879. 'Is my father still alive?' means the presence of spiritual good from the natural. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833 (its derivation from the natural being dealt with in 4286); and from the meaning of 'is he still alive?' as the presence of that good. For when he revealed who he was Joseph thought first about his father, whom he knew to be alive. His father was therefore present in his thought at the beginning, and also constantly after that when he talks to his brothers. The reason for this is that the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', cannot become joined to the truths in the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', except through spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel'. And once that joining together has taken place they are no longer the sons of Jacob but the sons of Israel; for 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual truths within the natural.