AC 4592 - The Lord, Joseph and Benjamin

AC 4592 [2-6]

. . . no one can have an idea of
the good which is represented by Joseph,
and of the truth which is represented by Benjamin,
except the person
who is enlightened by the light of heaven.
The angels have a clear idea of them,
because all the ideas of their thought
are from the light of heaven which is from the Lord,
in which they see and perceive unlimited things
which a person cannot possibly comprehend,
still less utter.
As an illustration take the following.

All people whatever are born natural,
with the power of becoming either celestial or spiritual;
but the Lord alone was born spiritual celestial,
and for this reason He was born at Bethlehem,
where is the boundary of the land of Benjamin,
for by "Bethlehem" is meant the spiritual of the celestial,
and by Benjamin is represented
the spiritual of the celestial.
The reason why the Lord alone
was born spiritual celestial
is that the Divine was in Him.
These things cannot possibly be comprehended
by anyone who is not in the light of heaven;
for he who is in the light of the world,
and has his perception therefrom,
scarcely knows what truth is and what good is,
still less what it is to ascend through degrees
to the interior things of truth and good;
thus he is in complete ignorance
of those innumerable things of truth and good
in every degree which are clear
before the angels as in noonday light.
So it is evident of what the nature is
of the wisdom of angels relatively to that of people.

There are six names
which frequently occur in the prophets
where the church is treated of, namely,
"Judah," "Joseph," "Benjamin,"
"Ephraim," "Israel," and "Jacob."
He who does not know
what of the good and truth of the church
is meant by each one of these in the internal sense
cannot possibly know anything
of the Divine arcana of the Word there.
Nor can he know what of the church is meant,
unless he knows what the celestial is which is "Judah,"
what the celestial of the spiritual is which is "Joseph,"
what the spiritual of the celestial is which is "Benjamin,"
what the intellectual of the church is which is "Ephraim,"
what the internal spiritual is which is "Israel,"
and what the external spiritual is which is "Jacob."

As regards Benjamin specifically,
as he represents the spiritual of the celestial,
and Joseph the celestial of the spiritual,
and thus both together
the intermediate between
the celestial and the spiritual person,
and as they are consequently most closely conjoined,
therefore also their conjunction is described
in the history of Joseph as follows:

Joseph told his brethren
that they must bring their youngest brother,
lest they should die.
(Gen. 42:20)

When they returned with Benjamin,
and Joseph saw Benjamin his brother,
he said, Is this your youngest brother?
And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
And Joseph made haste,
for his bowels did yearn toward his brother;
and he sought where to weep,
and he therefore entered into his chamber,
and wept there.
(Gen. 43:29-30)

He multiplied Benjamin's portion fivefold
above the portions of them all.
(Gen. 43:34)

After he had made himself known to his brethren,
he fell upon his brother Benjamin's necks and wept;
and Benjamin wept upon his necks.
(Gen. 45:14)

He gave changes of garments to them all,
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver,
and five changes of garments.
(Gen. 45:22)

From all this it is evident that Joseph and Benjamin
were most closely conjoined,
not because they were of one mother,
but because by them is represented
the spiritual conjunction which exists between
the good which is "Joseph"
and the truth which is "Benjamin,"
and because both are intermediate
between the celestial and the spiritual people.
For this reason
Joseph could not be conjoined with his brothers,
nor with his father,
except by means of Benjamin,
for without an intermediate
no conjunction is possible,
and this was the reason why
Joseph did not reveal himself sooner.