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

脚注:

4723. 'They saw him from a distance' means the Lord's Divine Human perceived remotely. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in 2150, 3764; from the meaning of 'from a distance' as remotely; and from the representation of 'Joseph' - the one they saw from a distance - as the Lord as regards Divine Truth, dealt with in 4669. The reason the Lord's Divine Human is what 'Joseph' is used to mean here is that His Divine Human is the highest aspect of Divine Truth. There are two essentials which constitute the Church and as a consequence it has two main teachings, the first being that the Lord's Human is Divine, the second that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute the Church, not faith separated from these. Being the primary aspects of Divine Truth, these too are represented by 'Joseph'. Anyone who represents Divine Truth in general also represents the specific aspects of Divine Truth. But which specific aspect is represented at any point is evident from the train of thought.