4676# "因为约瑟是他晚年的儿子"象征他自己的生命在其中。"晚年"在此处的意义是指脱去先前的状态并披上新的状态，也就是新的生命开始，如3492和4620节所述。
在内在意义上，"晚年"并不是指老年，因为人的内在或灵魂并不知道什么是老年。相反，随着身体或外在人的衰老，灵魂反而进入新的生命状态。人的灵魂随着肉体的衰老而不断完善，在来世更是如此。在天堂中的人被主不断引导进入更加完美的生命状态，最终达到如花般的青春；那些在善良的老年中离世的人也是如此。由此可见，"晚年"在内在意义上实际表示的是生命。
至于"他的生命在那个儿子里面"的具体含义，在前面的4667节已有详细解释。
【2】有人说人的灵或内在人不知道什么是老年，然而前面又说过正是内在人在身体中进行思考，并且身体的生命来源于他。这种思考无法传达给身体，因此人无法知道死后仍将继续生存。这是因为只要人的灵还留在身体中，就只能根据其自然人所接受的原则进行思考。当一个人坚信只有身体是活的，且认为身体死亡时人的一切也都消亡的观念时，关于死后生命的天堂流注就无法被接收。
尽管如此，这种流注仍然通过其它方式显现出来：大多数人关心自己的葬礼安排、死后的赞誉，有些人则关心身后的名声，甚至为此建造宏伟的纪念碑，以防自己的记忆被遗忘。这正是来自天堂关于永恒生命的流注在那些不相信死后生命的人身上的转化表现。若没有这种流注，人们根本不会在意死后是否被记住。
4676.“因为约瑟是他年老生的儿子”表它自己的生命在它里面。这从“年老”的含义清楚可知，“年老”是指脱去之前的状态，披上一个新状态，以及生命的新样（参看3492，4620节）。“年老”在内义上并非表示年纪老，因为内在人或人的灵并不知道何为年老；但随着肉体或外在人逐渐变老，内在人进入生命的新样；人的灵会随着人年龄增长，同时随着其肉体能力削弱而被完善。这在来世尤其如此，因为那些在天堂里的人不断被主引入更完美的生命，最终被引入青春年华，包括那些在高龄死去的人。由此可见，“年老”在内义上表示生命。前面（4667节）解释了“它自己的生命在它里面”是什么意思。
刚才说到，人的灵或内在人并不知道何为年老；然而，前面说过，正是这灵在身体里面思考，生命从灵流入身体。灵的思维之所以无法与身体交流，使得此人能知道他死后还会活着，是因为只要他的灵留在身体里面，他就只能出于他的属世人所充满的原则思考。如果他的原则和信念是这样：只有身体活着，当这身体死亡时，整个人就会死亡，那么这种属灵实际的流注就无法被接受。但这种流注的存在因以下事实而变得显而易见：绝大多数人都关心他们的葬礼和死后对他们的悼念；有些人关心他们那时的名声，还为此给自己树立宏伟的纪念碑，以便对他们的记忆不会消失。在生命的永恒或延续方面，来自天堂的流注在那些在其它方面不相信这生命的人当中就转化为这类事物。若没有这种流注，他们完全不理会死后对他们的一切记忆。
Potts(1905-1910) 4676
4676. Because he was the son of his old age. That this signifies its own life in it, is evident from the signification of "old age," as being the putting off of a former state and the putting on of a new one, also as being newness of life (see n. 3492, 4620). For "old age" in the internal sense does not signify old age, because the internal man, or man's spirit, does not know what old age is; but as the body or external man grows old, the internal passes into newness of life, man's spirit being perfected by age as his bodily powers diminish. This is still more so in the other life, where those who are in heaven are continually brought by the Lord into more perfect life, and at last into the bloom of youth, even those who have died in a good old age. From this it may be seen that by "old age" in the internal sense, is signified life. What is meant by its own life being in it has been explained above (n. 4667). [2] It was said that man's spirit or internal man does not know what old age is, and yet as before said it is this spirit that thinks in the body, and from it the body has its life. The reason why this thought of the spirit cannot be communicated to the body, and the man thus know that he lives after death, is that so long as his spirit remains in the body he cannot think otherwise than from the principles which his natural man has become imbued with; and when the principle and persuasion is that only the body lives, and that when this dies everything of man dies, the influx of this reality is not received. But still the influx manifests itself by the fact that most persons are solicitous about their burial and eulogies after death, and some about their reputation then, for which reason they erect magnificent monuments for themselves, that their memory may not perish. Into such things is turned the influx from heaven in respect to the permanence of life with those who in other respects have no belief in it. For without this influx they would be totally indifferent to all that concerns their memory after death.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4676
4676. 'For he was the son of his old aye' means its own life within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'old age' as the casting aside of the previous state and the assumption of the new one, and also as newness of life, dealt with in 3492, 4620. For in the internal sense 'old age' does not mean old age, for the reason that the internal man, or man's spirit, does not know what old age is; but as the body or the external man grows old, so he passes into newness of life. As he ages man's spirit is made more perfect, at the same time as his physical powers diminish. This is truer still in the next life, for those in heaven are constantly being led by the Lord into a more perfect life, and at length into the bloom of youth, including those people who have died at a ripe old age. From these considerations it may be seen that in the internal sense 'old age' means life. What is meant by the expression 'its own life within it' has been explained above in 4667.
[2] Just above it was said that man's spirit or the internal man does not know what old age is, and yet before that it was said that it is in this spirit within the body where thinking takes place, and also that life flows from the spirit to the body. The reason why that thought belonging to the spirit cannot be communicated to the body, enabling the person to know that he lives after death is that as long as his spirit remains within the body he cannot do other than think from the assumptions which his natural man has been adopting. And if he has made the assumption and is convinced that only the body is living and that when this dies the whole human being does so, the influx of that spiritual reality is not received. Evidence of the existence of that influx may nevertheless be seen in the fact that most people are concerned about their own burial and the tributes paid to them after death, some about their reputation then, on account of which they also erect splendid monuments to themselves so that the memory of them may not be lost. These are the kinds of things into which the influx from heaven regarding the continuance of life is channeled by those who otherwise have no belief in that life. Without that influx they would treat with utter disdain all remembrance of themselves after they have died.
Latin(1748-1756) 4676
4676. `Quia filius `senectutum is ei': quod significet vitam suam in illo, constat ex significatione `senectutis' quod sit exuitio status prioris et induitio status novi, tum quod sit novum vitae, de qua n. 3492, 4620; `senectus' enim in sensu interno non significat senectutem quia internus homo, seu spiritus hominis, non scit quid senectus, sed sicut senescit corpus seu externus homo, ita transit ille in novum vitae; perficitur aetate spiritus hominis decrescente corporeo ejus; et adhuc magis in altera vita; qui ibi sunt in caelo, continue in perfectiorem vitam perducuntur a Domino, et tandem usque in floridam juventutis; ita quoque qui in bono senio mortui sunt; inde constare potest quod per `senectutem' significetur vita in sensu interno. Quid per vitam suam in illo intelligitur, explicatum est supra n. 4667. [2] (s)Dictum est quod spiritus hominis seu internus homo, non sciat quid senectus, et tamen prius dictum quod ille sit qui cogitat in corpore, tum quod ex illo sit vita corpori; quod illa ejus cogitatio non communicari queat corpori, et homo sic sciat quod vivat post mortem, est inde quia quamdiu spiritus ejus manet in corpore, non aliter cogitare potest quam ex principiis quae naturalis ejus homo imbuerat, et cum principium et persuasio est quod solum corpus vivat et cum id moritur, etiam omne hominis moriatur, tunc influxus illius rei non recipitur; at usque influxus se manifestat per id quod plerique solliciti sint de sepultura, de encomiis post mortem, et quidam de fama tunc, quapropter etiam sibi monumenta magnifica exstruunt ob causam ne memoria sui pereat; in talia vertitur influxus e caelo de vita permanente apud illos qui alioquin nihil de illa credunt;absque enim influxu illo prorsus contemnerent omne memoriae sui {2} postquam mortui sunt.(s) @1 Heb here is plural and probably means `the days of his old age'.$ @2 A has suae, but the change is probably more correct. Thus in n. 9306 S quotes Ps xxxiv 16 as `ad exscindendum ex terra memoriam eorum'.$