5638. 'And stood before Joseph' means the presence there of the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing before someone as the presence; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already. The presence of the celestial of the spiritual in both parts of the natural was represented by Joseph's being made the lord over the whole of Egypt. That is, his lordship over it meant the presence of the celestial of the spiritual within the interior areas of factual knowledge; and this knowledge exists within the natural. Regarding the lordship of the celestial over both parts of the natural, see 5316, 5324, 5326-5328, 5333, 5337, 5373, the truths represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob' being truths within the natural.

5316. 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt' means dominion over both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting someone over' as dominion, and from the meaning of 'all the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with above in 5276. Described at greater length here is the dominion which Pharaoh transferred to Joseph over the land of Egypt. That is to say, Pharaoh divested himself of his own authority and placed the whole of Egypt under Joseph. These events happened by Divine Providence so that Joseph might come to represent the celestial of the spiritual which was the Lord's when He was in the world - the celestial of the spiritual being that by means of which the Lord exercised control over His natural and also His sensory awareness, so that step by step He could make both of these Divine. The end in view with what happened to Joseph was this: When that part of the Word in which Joseph was the subject came to be written it was to contain Divine matters, thus such matters as are most sacred in heaven and suited to the angels in heaven. For the angels there abide in the Lord because they live within the sphere of Divine Truth that goes forth from the Lord. Therefore the Divine matters in the internal sense of the Word which have to do with the Lord and the glorification of His Human stir so much affection in them that they feel all the blessedness that belongs to their wisdom and intelligence.