Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 41:41-44
Bring forth the chief robe, and put it on him; and put a ring upon his hand, and shoes upon his feet (Luke 15:22);
where also a "ring" signifies confirmation of his power in the household as a son, just as above. Nevertheless this signification of a ring upon the hand is evident from the rites that have come down to us from ancient times, as from the rites of betrothals and unions, and also of inaugurations, in which rings are put upon the hand, and by them is signified confirmation of power. Moreover that signets, which also were worn on the hand (Jer. 22:24), signify consent and confirmation, (n. 4874).
. And put it upon Joseph’s hand. That this signifies that the natural yielded all the power to the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of "putting a ring upon another‘s hand," as being a confirmation that one yields to him the power that he himself has (n. 5317) and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual, as often shown above. . And clothed him in garments of fine linen. That this signifies an external significative of the celestial of the spiritual, and that "garments of fine linen" denote truths from the Divine, is manifest from the signification of "garments" as being truths (n. 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248). That "garments of fine linen" are truths from the Divine, is because a garment made of fine linen was of purest white and lustrous; and truth from the Divine is represented by garments of such whiteness and luster. The reason is, that the shining whiteness and luster of heaven is from the light that is from the Lord, and this light is the Divine truth itself (n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219); and therefore when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His garments appeared "as the light" (Matt. 17:2); "shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3); and "glistening" (Luke 9:29). It was the Divine truth itself that is from the Lord’s Divine Human that was thus represented. Yet it is exterior truths that are represented by the white radiance of garments in the heavens, and interior truths by the brightness and resplendence of the face. Hence it is that to be "clothed in garments of fine linen" is here an external significative of the truth proceeding from the celestial of the spiritual; for it was in this that the Divine of the Lord then was.[2] By "fine linen" and "garments of fine linen" in other parts of the Word also is signified truth from the Divine, as in Ezekiel:--
I clothed thee with broidered work, and shod thee with badger, and I girded thee with fine linen, and covered thee with silk; thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy garments were of fine linen and silk and broidered work (Ezekiel 16:10, 13);
speaking of Jerusalem, by which in these verses is meant the Ancient Church. The truths of that church are described by "garments of broidered work, fine linen, and silk," and by being "decked with gold and silver." By "broidered work" are signified truths that are a matter of memory-knowledge; by "fine linen," natural truths; and by "silk," spiritual truths.
[3] Again:--
Of fine linen in broidered work from Egypt was thy sail, that it might be to thee for an ensign; blue and crimson from the Isles of Elishah was thy covering (Ezekiel 27:7);
speaking of Tyre, by which also is meant the Ancient Church, but as to knowledges of good and truth; and by "fine linen in broidered work from Egypt of which was her sail," is signified truth from memory-knowledges, as a sign or external significative of that church.
[4] In the Revelation:--
The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over Babylon, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearl, and fine linen, and crimson, and silk, and every vessel of Ivory, and every vessel of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble (Rev. 18:11, 12);
in this passage all and each of the expressions signify such things as are of the church, thus such as are of truth and good; but here in the opposite sense, because spoken of Babylon. Everyone can see that such things would never have been enumerated in the Word which came down from heaven, unless there was something heavenly in each one; for why should mention be made of worldly wares in treating of Babylon, by which is signified the profane church?
[5] Again in the same:--
Woe, woe, the great city, she that was clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls (Rev. 18:16);
that every detail here signifies some heavenly Divine thing is obvious in the same book, where it is said of fine linen that it is the "righteousness of the saints":--
The time of the wedding of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. Then to her was granted that she should be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:7, 8);
that "fine linen is the righteousness of the saints" is because all who are in truth from the Divine put on the Lord‘s righteousness; for their garments are white and shining from the light that is from the Lord, and therefore truth itself is represented in heaven by what is shining white (n. 3301, 3993, 4007). It is for this reason also that they who are taken up into heaven out of a state of vastation appear clad in shining white, because they then put off that which is of their own righteousness, and put on that which is of the Lord’s righteousness.
[6] In order that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, it was commanded that there should be fine linen in the garments of Aaron, and also in the curtains about the ark, as we read in Moses:--
For Aaron thou shalt weave the tunic in checker work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a miter of fine linen (Exod. 28:39).
They made the tunics of fine linen the work of the weaver for Aaron, and for his sons (Exod. 39:27).
Thou shalt make the habitation with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed (Exod. 26:1; 36:8).
Thou shalt make the court of the habitation, there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen (Exod. 27:9, 18; 38:9).
The veil for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen (Exod. 37:18).
Fine linen was to be used because all things in the ark and about it, and also all things upon Aaron‘s garments, were representative of spiritual and celestial things. This shows how little the Word is understood when it is not known what things like these represent, and that it is scarcely understood at all when it is believed that there is no other holiness in the Word than that which appears in the letter.
[7] That angels who are in truth from the Divine appear clothed as in fine linen, that is, in what is white and shining, appears from the Revelation in connection with the "white horse":--
He that sat upon the white horse was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Rev. 19:13, 14).
From all this it is very evident that fine linen is an outward thing significative of truth from the Divine; for He that sat upon the white horse is the Lord as to the Word, as is there openly said, and the "Word" is truth itself from the Divine. That the "white horse" is the internal sense of the Word may be seen above (n. 2760-2762); hence "white horses" are truths from the Divine, for all things of the internal sense of the Word are truths from the Divine, and therefore His armies were seen upon white horses, and were clothed in fine linen white and clean.
. And put a necklace of gold upon his neck. That this signifies a significative of the conjunction of interior things with exterior, effected by good, is evident from the signification of the "neck," as being the influx and also the communication of higher things with lower things, or what is the same, of interior things with exterior (n. 3542); hence a "necklace," because it encircles the neck, is a significative of the conjunction of these things. A "necklace of gold" signifies conjunction through good, or effected by good, because "gold" signifies good (n. 113, 1551, 1552). A mark of the conjunction of interior with exterior truth is signified by a "necklace upon the throat" in Ezekiel:--I decked thee with ornament, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a necklace upon thy throat (Ezek. 16:11).
[2] From the Divine Itself nothing of doctrine can possibly proceed except through the Divine Human, that is, through the Word, which in the supreme sense is the Divine truth from the Lord‘s Divine Human. Not even the angels in the Inmost heaven can apprehend that which proceeds immediately from the Divine Itself, because it is infinite, and therefore transcends all apprehension, even that of angels. But that which proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human they can apprehend, because it treats of God as a Divine Man, concerning whom some idea can be formed from the Human; and any idea whatever formed about the Human is accepted, provided it flows from the good of innocence, and is in the good of charity. This is what is meant by the Lord‘s words in John:--
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath set Him forth (John 1:18).
In the same:--
Ye have neither heard the Father’s voice at any time, nor seen His shape (John 5:37).
And in Matthew:--
No one knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him (Matthew 11:27).
[3] "Chariots" are very frequently mentioned in the Word, but hardly anyone knows that they signify doctrinal things of good and truth, and also the memory-knowledges belonging to doctrinal things. The reason is that when a "chariot" is mentioned nothing spiritual enters the idea, but only the natural historical, and it is the same with the horses in front of the chariot; and yet by "horses" in the Word are signified things of the understanding (n. 2760-2762, 3217), and therefore by a "chariot" are signified doctrinal things and the memory-knowledges belonging thereto.
[4] That "chariots" denote the doctrinal things of the church, and also memory-knowledges, has been evident to me from the chariots so often seen in the other life. There is also a place to the right near the lower earth where chariots and horses appear, with stalls set in order, and where are seen walking and conversing men who in the world have been learned, and have regarded the life as the end of learning. Such things appear to them from the angels in the higher heavens; for when these are discoursing about things of the understanding, of doctrine, and of knowledge, such objects appear to the spirits there.
[5] That such things are signified by "chariots" and "horses" is very obvious from the fact that Elijah appeared to be carried into heaven by a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and that he and also Elisha were called "the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof," as we read in the second book of Kings:--
Behold a chariot of fire and horses of fire came between them; and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof (2 Kings 2:11, 12);
and regarding Elisha in the same book:--
When Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died, and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept before his faces, and said, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof (2 Kings 13:14);
the reason why they were so called is that by both Elijah and Elisha was represented the Lord as to the Word (n. 2135a, 2762, 5247). The Word itself is chiefly the doctrine of good and truth, for from it is everything of doctrine. It was for the same reason that to the boy whose eyes Jehovah opened, the mountain appeared "full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17).
[6] That a "chariot" signifies what is doctrinal, and a "horse" what is intellectual, is evident also from other passages in the Word, as in Ezekiel
Ye shall be sated upon My table with horse and chariot, with mighty man and every man of war. So will I set My glory among the nations (Ezek. 39:20; Rev. 19:18);
where the coming of the Lord is treated of. That by "horse and chariot" here are not signified horse and chariot, is plain to everyone; for they were not to be sated upon the Lord‘s table with these, but with such things as are signified by "horse and chariot," which are the things of the understanding and of the doctrine of good and truth.
[7] Similar things are signified by "horses" and "chariots," in the following passages. In David:--
The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands of peaceful ones; the Lord is in them; Sinai is in the sanctuary (Ps. 68:17).
Again:--
Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment, He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain, He layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters, He maketh the clouds His chariots, He walketh upon the wings of the wind (Ps. 104:2, 3).
In Isaiah:--
The prophecy of the wilderness of the sea. Thus hath the Lord said unto me, Set a watchman to watch, he will declare; so he saw a chariot a pair of horsemen, a chariot of an ass, a chariot of a camel, and he hearkened a hearkening, a great hearkening; for a lion cried upon the watchtower, Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and upon my ward I am set all the nights; then in very deed lo a chariot of a man, a pair of horsemen; and he said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen (Isa. 21:1, 6-9).
[8] In the same:--
Then will they bring all your brethren in all nations an offering to Jehovah, upon horses, and upon chariot, and upon litters, and upon mules, and upon couriers, to the mountain of My holiness, Jerusalem (Isa. 66:20).
Again:--
Behold Jehovah will come in fire, and His chariots shall be like the whirlwind (Isa. 66:15).
In Habakkuk:--
was Jehovah enraged with the rivers? was Thine anger against the rivers? was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou didst ride upon Thy horses? Thy chariots are salvation (Habakkuk 3:8).
In Zechariah:--
I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold four chariots coming out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; in the second chariot, black horses; in the third chariot, white horses; and in the fourth chariot, grizzled horses (Zech. 6:1-3).
[9] Also in Jeremiah:--
There shall enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in the chariot and on horses, they and their princes, the man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited forever (Jer. 17:25; 22:4).
The "city that shall be inhabited forever" is not Jerusalem, but the Lord’s church signified by "Jerusalem" (n. 402, 2117, 3654); the "kings who shall enter in by the gates of that city" are not kings, but the truths of the church (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068); thus "princes" are not princes, but the primary things of truth (n. 1482, 2089, 5044); "they who sit upon the throne of David" are Divine truths that proceed from the Lord (n. 5313); "they who ride in chariot and on horses" are the derivative things of understanding and of doctrine. "Chariots" are frequently mentioned also in the histories of the Word; and because these histories are all representative, and the expressions signify things such as are in the Lord‘s kingdom and in the church, "chariots" therein also have a similar signification.
[10] As most of the expressions in the Word have also an opposite sense, so have "chariots," and in this sense they signify doctrinal things of evil and falsity, and also the memory-knowledges that confirm them, as in these passages:
Woe unto them that go down into Egypt for help, and depend upon horse, and trust upon chariot, because they are many, and upon horse men because they are very strong; but they look not unto the holy one of Israel (Isa. 31:1).
Again:--
By the hand of thy servants hast thou blasphemed the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariot am I come to the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon; where I will cut off the loftiness of its cedars, the choice of its fir trees (Isa. 37:24);
a prophetic reply to the haughty words of Rabshakeh, the king of Assyria’s general. In Jeremiah:--
Behold waters coming up from the north that shall become an overflowing stream and shall overflow the land and the fulness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein, and all the inhabitant of the land shall howl at the voice of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the tumult of his chariot, at the rumbling of his wheels (Jer. 47:2, 3).
[11] In Ezekiel:--
By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee; thy walls shall shake by reason of the voice of the horseman and of the wheel and of the chariot, when he shall come into thy gates, beside the entrances of a city wherein is made a breach; by the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets (Ezek. 26:10, 11).
In Haggai:--
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; I will also overthrow the chariot and those that ride in it, and the horses and their riders shall come down (Haggai 2:22).
In Zechariah:--
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, I will cut off the battle bow; and He shall speak peace unto the nations (Zech. 9:10).
In Jeremiah:--
Egypt riseth up like a stream, and his waters toss themselves like the streams; for he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants therein. Go up, ye horses; rage, ye chariots (Jer. 46:8, 9).
[12] By the "horses and chariots" with which the Egyptians pursued the sons of Israel, and with which Pharaoh entered the sea Suph, where the wheels of the chariots were taken off, and by other things said of the horses and chariots, which make the larger part of that description (Exod. 14:6, 7, 9, 17, 23, 25, 26; 15:4, 19), are signified the things of understanding, of doctrine, and of false knowledge, together with the reasonings founded on them, that pervert and extinguish the truths of the church. The destruction and death of such things is there described.
. That he had. That this signifies that comes by means of the natural, namely, the doctrine of good and truth that does so, is evident from the series of things in the internal sense, and also from what has been unfolded above (n. 5313). . And they cried before him, Abrech. That this signifies acknowledgment through faith, and adoration, is evident from the signification of "crying," as being acknowledgment through faith; and from the signification of "abrech," as being adoration; for in the original language "abrech" means "bend the knees," and the bending of the knees is adoration. For all inward endeavors that are of the will, thus of the love or affection, consequently of the life, have outward acts or gestures corresponding to them; which acts or gestures flow from the very correspondence of outward things with inward ones. Holy fear with its consequent humiliation (and therefore adoration), has acts or gestures corresponding to itself, namely, bending the knees, falling down upon the knees, and also prostrating the body down to the earth. In this state, if the adoration is from genuine humiliation, or if the humiliation is from genuine holy fear, there is a failing of the spirits, and hence a giving way of the joints in the border or intermediate region where the spiritual is conjoined with the natural, thus where the knees are; for the parts below have correspondence with natural things, and those above with spiritual things. Hence it is that the bending of the knees is a sign representative of adoration. With celestial men this act is spontaneous; but with spiritual men it is a result of will.[2] When the kings of old rode in a chariot, knees were bent because kings represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and a "chariot" signified the Word. The rite of this adoration began when it was known what it represented; and at that time the kings did not ascribe the adoration to themselves, but to the royalty apart from themselves, although adjoined to them. With them the royalty was the law, which, being from Divine truth, was to be adored in the king in so far as he was the custodian of it. Thus the king ascribed none of the royalty to himself beyond the custody of the law; and in so far as he receded from this, so far he receded from the royalty, knowing that adoration on any other ground than the law, that is, any other adoration than of the law in itself, would be idolatry. That the royalty is Divine truth may be seen above (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068); consequently the royalty is the law, which in itself is the truth of a kingdom according to which its inhabitants are to live. From what has been said it is now evident that "abrech," or "bend the knees," signifies adoration.
[3] As a "cry" also is an act that corresponds to a living confession or acknowledgment from faith, the rite of crying out was observed among the ancients when this confession was to be signified; and for this reason "crying" or "shouting" is frequently mentioned in the Word in connection with confession and acknowledgment from faith, as where it is said of John the Baptist:--
John bare witness of Jesus and cried, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me was before me; for He was prior to me. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:15, 23).
In the same:--
They took branches of the palm trees, and went to meet Jesus, and cried, Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel (John 12:13).
And in Luke:--
Jesus said to the Pharisees, If these should be silent, the stones would cry out (Luke 19:40).
As "crying" signified acknowledgment from faith, and hence reception from this acknowledgment, we therefore sometimes read of the Lord that He "cried out," as in (John 7:28, 37; 12:44); and also in Isaiah:--
Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, He shall stir up zeal like a man of wars, He shall shout, yea, He shall cry out (Isa. 42:13).
That in the opposite sense by "crying" is meant non-acknowledgment, thus aversion, may be seen above (n. 5016, 5018, 5027); and that it is predicated of falsity (n. 2240).
. And he set him over all the land of Egypt. That this signifies that such was its authority, is evident from the signification of "setting him over all the land of Egypt," as being dominion over both naturals (n. 5316); but here that the dominion is such as has been described in the above pages; thus that such was its authority. . And Pharaoh said unto Joseph. That this signifies still further perception, is evident from the signification of "saying," from the representation of Pharaoh, and from the representation of Joseph, as being the perception of the natural from the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5315); here further perception, because the words are repeated. . I am Pharaoh. That this signifies that the natural is thence derived, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (n. 5079, 5080, 5095, 5160). That by "I am Pharaoh" is signified that the natural is thence derived, is plain from the words just below: "without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt," by which is signified that all the power in both naturals is from that source; and because things in the natural are meant by the words that follow, it is therefore first said "I am Pharaoh." By the natural being thence derived is meant that the natural is from the celestial of the spiritual. In regard to this the case is that the natural in the man who is being created anew, that is who is being regenerated, is entirely different from what it is in the man who is not being regenerated. The natural in the man who is not being regenerated is everything; from it the man thinks and desires, and not from the rational, still less from the spiritual, because these are closed and for the most part extinct.[2] But in the man who is being regenerated the spiritual becomes everything, and not only disposes the natural in its thinking and desiring, but also determines the character of it, just as the cause determines the character of the effect; for in every effect the only thing that acts is the cause. Thus the natural becomes as the spiritual is for the natural things in the natural, such as the knowledges that derive somewhat from the natural world, do nothing from themselves; they merely agree that the spiritual should act in the natural, and by means of it, thus naturally; just as is the case in the effect, in which there are more things than in the cause, but only such as enable the cause to perform the effect itself in the effect, and to produce itself in act in that degree. From these few remarks it may be seen how the case is with the natural in the man who has been created anew, that is, regenerated. This is what is meant by the natural being thence derived, which is signified by "I am Pharaoh."
. And without thee shall no man lift up his hand. That this signifies that from the celestial of the spiritual is everything of power in the spiritual, is evident from the signification of the "hand," as being power (n. 878, 3387, 4931, 4937, 5296); hence "no man lifting up his hand without thee," means that they have no power except from this alone, and therefore that this, namely, the celestial of the spiritual, has all power. That power in the spiritual is signified by the "hand" will be seen in what now follows. . Or his foot. That this signifies that thence too is everything of power in the natural, is evident from the signification of the "foot," as being the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952); here power in the natural, because by "lifting up the foot," as by "lifting up the hand," is signified power; but by "lifting up the hand" power in the spiritual, and by "lifting up the foot" power in the natural; for the parts of the body above the feet bear relation to spiritual things. This is very evident from the Grand Man, or three heavens. When the whole heaven is presented before the sight as one man, the inmost or third heaven answers to the head, the middle or second heaven to the body, and the lowest or first to the feet. The inmost or third heaven answers to the head because it is celestial, and the middle or second answers to the body because it is spiritual, and the lowest or first answers to the feet because it is natural. Therefore by the "neck," because it is intermediate, is signified the influx and communication of what is celestial with what is spiritual; and by the "knees," because they also are intermediate, is signified the influx and communication of what is spiritual with what is natural. From this it is plain that by"lifting up the hand" is signified power in the spiritual, by "lifting up the foot" power in the natural; and therefore the power signified by the "hand" is predicated of the spiritual, namely, of truth from good (n. 3091, 3563, 4931). By "the spiritual" is meant that in the natural which is of the light of heaven, and by "the natural‘ that in the natural which is of the light of the world; for all the former is called " spiritual," and all the latter " natural." . In all the land of Egypt. That this signifies in both naturals, is evident from the signification of "all the land of Egypt," as being both naturals (n. 5276). Such then are the things the angels perceive when man reads that"Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put a necklace of gold upon his neck, and made him ride in the second chariot he had, and they cried before him, Abrech, and he set him over all the land of Egypt;" for the angels cannot possibly perceive the historicals themselves, because they are such things as are of the world, and not such as are of heaven, and the things of the world do not appear to them. Yet because there is a correspondence of all things in the world with those in heaven, the angels perceive heavenly things when man perceives worldly ones. Unless this were the case no angel from heaven could possibly be with man. But in order that angels may be with man, the Word has been given, in which the angels may perceive a Divine holiness which they can communicate to the man with whom they are present. GENESIS 41:41-44 previous - next - text - summary - Genesis - Full Page
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