Arcana Coelestia #5827
5827. And the one went out from me. That this signifies the seeming departure of internal good, is evident from the signification of “going out,” or going away, as being departure; and from the representation of Joseph as being internal good (of which above). That the departure was seeming only is plain, for Joseph still lived. The case herein is this. By what has been related of Joseph, from beginning to end, is represented in its order the glorification of the Lord’s Human, and consequently in a lower sense the regeneration of man, for this is an image or type of the Lord’s glorification (see n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688). With the regeneration of man the case is this. In the first state when a man is being introduced through truth into good, the truth appears manifestly, because it is in the light of the world, and not far from the sensuous things of the body. But it is not so with good, for this is in the light of heaven, and remote from the sensuous things of the body, for it is within in man’s spirit. Hence it is that the truth which is of faith appears manifestly, but not good, although this is continually present, and flows in, and makes the truths live. Man could not possibly be regenerated in any other way. But when this state has been passed through, then good manifests itself, and this by love to the neighbor, and by the affection of truth for the sake of life. These also are the things represented by Joseph’s being carried away and not appearing to his father, and by his afterward manifesting himself to him. This also is meant by the seeming departure of internal good, which is signified by “the one went out from me.”