AC 4747 - Joseph, the Midianites and the Ishmaelites

AC 4747 [2, 3]

Those who are within the church
and have confirmed themselves against Divine truths,
especially against these --
that the Lord's Human is Divine,
and that the works of charity contribute to salvation --
if they have confirmed themselves against them,
not only by doctrine but also by life,
they have reduced themselves
to such a state as to their interiors
that afterwards
they cannot possibly be brought to receive them,
for what is once confirmed by doctrine,
and at the same time by life, remains to eternity.
Those who do not know the interior state of a person
may suppose that anyone,
no matter how he has confirmed himself
against these truths,
can yet easily accept them afterwards,
provided he is convinced.
. . . For whatever is confirmed by doctrine
is absorbed by the intellectual part,
and what is confirmed by life is absorbed by the will part;
and that which is inrooted in both lives of a person,
the life of his understanding and the life of his will,
cannot be rooted out.
The very soul of a person which lives after death
is formed thereby,
and is of such a nature that it never recedes from that.
This is also the reason why
the lot of those within the church
with whom this is the case,
is worse than the lot of those who are out of the church;
for those who are out of the church,
who are called Gentiles,
have not confirmed themselves against these truths,
because they have not known them;
and therefore such of them as have lived in mutual charity,
easily receive Divine truths,
if not in the world,
yet in the other life.

For this reason
when any new church is being set up by the Lord,
it is not set up with those who are within the church,
but with those who are without, that is, with the Gentiles.
These things are often treated of in the Word.
This much is premised
in order that it may be known what is involved
in Joseph's being cast into the pit by his brethren,
and in his being drawn out from there by the Midianites,
and sold to the Ishmaelites.
For by Joseph's brothers
are represented those within the church
who have confirmed themselves against Divine truth,
especially against the two truths,
that the Lord's Human is Divine,
and that works of charity contribute to salvation,
and this not only by doctrine, but also by life;
while by the Ishmaelites are represented
those who are in simple good,
and by the Midianites
those who are in the truth of this good.
It is related of the latter
that they drew Joseph out of the pit;
and of the former that they bought him.
But what is meant by their bringing him into Egypt,
and their selling him to Potiphar, Pharaoh's chamberlain,
will be shown in what follows.