4700. 'And his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed?' means indignation. This is clear from the meaning of 'rebuking' as being indignant, in particular on account of the declaration of the truth concerning the Lord's Divine Human - that declaration being meant by 'dreaming a dream', dealt with in 4682, 4693, 4695. 'Joseph's father and brothers' at this point are the Jewish religion, an offspring of ancient religion. The external ceremony of that Jewish religion was for the most part like that of the Ancient Church. There was however an internal dimension to external rituals in the case of those who belonged to the Ancient Church, but not in the case of those who belonged to the Jewish semblance of religion. For the Jews did not acknowledge the existence of anything internal; nor do they at the present day. But though they failed to acknowledge it, something internal did exist. External ceremony together with the internal side of it is called 'father' here, but external ceremony devoid of any such internal is called 'brothers'. This accounts for the phrases which follow, stating that 'his brothers envied him' and 'his father kept the matter [in mind]'. The first phrase means the aversion of those whose external ceremony is devoid of anything internal, the second means that truth nevertheless remained within their kind of religion.

[2] It is much the same with the Christian Church. Those of its members among whom external ceremony is devoid of anything internal eat the bread and drink the wine in the Holy Supper; but their thought goes no further than the idea that they should do this because it has been commanded and the Church has complied. Some of these people also believe that the bread and the wine are holy, yet not that the bread and wine contain what is holy because the bread corresponds to the holiness of love and charity in heaven and the wine to the holiness of charity and faith there, 3464, 3735. But those members of the Church among whom external worship is at the same time internal do not venerate the bread and wine but the Lord whom these represent, and from whom springs the holiness of love, charity, and faith. They are led to do this not by doctrine but by love, charity, and faith which have been assimilated by them into their life.

4682. 'And Joseph dreamed a dream' means a declaration concerning Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming a dream' as declaring. And because the dream has to do with Joseph, a declaration concerning the Lord's Divine Human is meant. The reason why 'a dream' here means a declaration is that Joseph's two dreams contain in summary form all that was foreseen and provided concerning Joseph. This in the internal sense means that which was foreseen and provided regarding Divine Truth within the kind of Church represented by 'Joseph's brothers', that is, the kind that starts out from faith. What is more, Divine Truths were made known in ancient times either through the spoken word, or through visions, or through dreams, followed by declarations made on the basis of these. Consequently by 'prophets' in the Word - to whom Divine truth was made known either through the spoken word, or through visions, or through dreams - are meant teachers of truths, and in the abstract sense the truths of doctrine, 2534.

[2] The same is therefore meant by 'seeing visions', and 'dreaming dreams', as in Joel,

I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on your men servants and women servants in those days I will pour out My spirit. Joel 2:28-29.

'Pouring out the spirit on these' stands for informing them of truths, 'prophesying' for teaching and declaring them, as also does 'dreaming dreams'. 'Old men' stands for those who have wisdom, 'young men' for those who have intelligence, and 'men servants' for those who have knowledge.

[3] In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, Pay no attention to the words of prophets prophesying to you; they render you worthless. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of Jehovah I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesied a lie in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed! Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has My word tell My word truthfully. Behold, I am against those prophesying lying dreams, said Jehovah; they tell them and lead My people astray by their lies. Jeremiah 23:16, 25, 28, 32.

Here also 'prophesying' stands for teaching and declaring, but from lying dreams which are the substance of their declaration.

[4] The same theme occurs elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 29:8-9; Zechariah 10:2. In Moses:

When a prophet or the dreamer of a dream arises in the midst of you, who has given you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, which he has spoken to you, saying, Let us go to other gods, whom you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not obey the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream. And that prophet and that dreamer of a dream shall be slain because he has spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God. Deuteronomy 13:1-3, 5.

'A prophet' and 'the dreamer of a dream' both stand for one who teaches and declares, in this case falsities.