6645.“约瑟死了”表对教会内在来说，现在情况变了。这从“死”的含义和“约瑟”的代表清楚可知：“死”是指前一个状态的结束和一个新状态的开始，因而是指教会的状态现在变了，“死”表示不再是从前的样子（参看494，6587，6593节），还表示前代表的结束（3253，3259，3276，6302节）；“约瑟”是指内在（6177，6224节）。下文描述了教会的内在所经历的状态是何性质，还描述了它的外在所经历的状态，该状态由“他的众弟兄，并那一代死了”来表示。人里面的教会情况是这样：它会时不时地经历新的状态；因为随着人在信之真理和仁之良善上不断得到强化，他被引入其它状态。然后之前的状态作为一个基础而服务于随后的状态，并不断以此类推。作为一个教会或正在重生的人便以这种方式不断被引入更内在的事物，进而被引入得越发内在，直至进入天堂。这一切之所以如此发生，是因为主的爱因是神性，故而是无限的，主出于这爱而愿意将所有人吸引到祂自己这里，由此将一切荣耀和幸福赐福与他，这也可从主在约翰福音中的话很清楚地看出来：
愿他们都合而为一。正如你父在我里面，我在你里面，愿他们也在我们里面为一。你所赐给我的荣耀，我已赐给他们，使他们合而为一，像我们合而为一；我在他们里面，你在我里面。父啊，我愿你所赐给我的人也同我在那里，叫他们看见你所赐给我的荣耀。我已将你的名使他们认识，还要使它被认识；使你所爱我的爱在他们里面，我也在他们里面。（约翰福音17:21-24，26）
很明显，这些话是神性之爱向凡接受它的人发出的话语。这种观念从以下事实进一步清楚看出来：在来世，主显为一轮太阳，从它以热和光充满整个天堂。这太阳的火焰无非是神性之爱，从它发出的光无非是爱所放射的神圣，也就是神性真理。由此可见主的爱何等之大。这就是为何那些属教会的人通过连续的阶段被引入新的状态，进而一直被引入天堂，因此更接近主。
Potts(1905-1910) 6645
6645. And Joseph died. That this signifies that the case would now be different with the internal of the church, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being the end of a former state and the beginning of a new one, thus that the state of the church would now be different (that "to die" denotes to cease to be such, see n. 494, 6587, 6593, and that it denotes the end of a former representation, n. 3253, 3259, 3276, 6302); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 6177, 6224). The state of the church as it now is, is described in what follows in the internal sense; also the state of its external, which is signified by "his brethren died, and all that generation." [2] The case with the church in man is that it successively undergoes new states; for as man is strengthened in the truth of faith and the good of charity, so he is introduced into other states, the former state then serving as a plane for the following state, and so on continually. Thus the man who is a church, or who is being regenerated, is continually led toward more interior things, thus more interiorly into heaven. That it is so done is because the Lord from love, which is infinite because Divine, wills to draw man even to Himself, and so to bless him with all glory and happiness, as also is very evident from the Lord's words in John:
I pray that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which Thou hast given Me I have given them, that they may be one even as We are one; I in them and Thou in Me. Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me be also with Me where I am; that they may see My glory which Thou hast given Me; for I have made known unto them Thy name, and I will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:21-24, 26). [3] That these are words of Divine love toward all who receive, is very evident, and may be further evident from the fact that the Lord appears in the other life as a sun, and from it fills the universal heaven with heat and light. The flame of this sun is nothing else than the Divine love, and the light from it is the holy of love, which is the Divine truth. From this can be seen how great the Lord's love is. From this then it is that they who are of the church are successively brought into new states, and thus continually more interiorly into heaven, consequently nearer to the Lord.
Elliott(1983-1999) 6645
6645. 'And Joseph died' means that the situation with the internal part of the Church had now altered. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as the end of the former state and the beginning of the new one, thus the fact that the state of the Church had now altered (for 'dying' means ceasing to be what it has been, see 494, 6587, 6593, as well as meaning the end of the former representation, 3253, 3259, 7276, 6302); and from the representation of Joseph' as the internal part, dealt with in 6177, 6224. The nature of the state that the internal part of the Church passes through now is described in the internal sense of what follows, and so too is the state the external part of it passes through, which is meant by 'his brothers died, and all that generation'.
[2] The Church as it exists with a person goes from time to time through states that are new; for as the person's hold on the truth of faith and the good of charity grows stronger, so he is led into different states. A former state then serves as the foundation for the state that follows it, and so on unceasingly. In this way a person who is a Church, or one who is being regenerated, is being led all the time into things more internal, thus further into heaven. The reason why all this happens is that in His love, which is infinite because it is Divine, the Lord wishes to draw a person all the way to Himself and by doing this to bless him in every way with glory and happiness, as is also plainly evident from the Lord's words in John,
I pray that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me. Father, I desire that those whom You gave Me may also be with Me where I am, that they may see My glory which You have given Me. For I made known to them Your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:20-26.
[3] These words, it is plainly evident, are those of Divine love going out towards all who receive it. The idea becomes additionally clear from the fact that the Lord is seen in the next life as the Sun, from which He fills the whole of heaven with warmth and light. The flame of that Sun is nothing else than Divine love, and the light from it is the holiness radiated by love, which is Divine Truth. This shows how great the Lord's love is. This then is why those who belong to the Church are led by consecutive stages into new states, thus all the time further into heaven, consequently closer to the Lord.
Latin(1748-1756) 6645
6645. `Et mortuus est Joseph': quod significet quod cum interno Ecclesiae nunc se aliter haberet, constat ex significatione `mori' quod sit status prioris finis (c)ac novi principium, ita quod status Ecclesiae se aliter nunc haberet; quod `mori' sit desinere esse talis, videatur n. 494, 6587, 6593, et quod sit finis repraesentationis prioris, n. 3253, 3259, 3276, 6302; et ex repraesentatione `Josephi' quod sit internum, de qua n. 6177, 6224. Status interni Ecclesiae, qualis {1}nunc est, in sequentibus in sensu interno describitur; tum quoque status externi ejus qui significatur per quod `mortui fratres ejus, et omnis generatio illa.' 2 Cum Ecclesia apud hominem ita se habet: {2} illa novos status per vices {3}subit; prout enim homo firmatur in vero fidei et bono charitatis, ita in alios status introducitur; status prior tunc inservit pro plano statui sequenti, et sic continue; ita homo qui est Ecclesia, seu qui regeneratur, jugiter versus interiora ducitur, {4}sic interius in caelum; quod ita fiat, est ex eo quod Dominus ex amore, qui infinitus est quia Divinus, hominem usque ad Se velit trahere, et sic illum beare omni gloria et felicitate; quod quoque manifeste patet a Domini verbis apud Johannem, Oro ut omnes unum sint sicut Tu Pater in Me et Ego in Te, ut etiam illi in Nobis unum sint: Ego gloriam quam dedisti Mihi, dedi illis, ut sint unum sicut Nos unum sumus, Ego in illis, et Tu in Me. Pater, quos dedisti Mihi volo, ut ubi sum Ego, etiam illi sint Mecum, ut videant gloriam Meam, quam dedisti Mihi; nam notum feci illis nomen Tuum, et notum faciam, ut amor quo amasti Me, in illis sit, et Ego in illis, xvii 20-26;quod haec verba Divini amoris sint erga omnes qui recipiunt, evidenter 3 patet; ac insuper constare potest ex eo quod Dominus appareat in altera vita ut Sol ac inde calore et luce impleat universum caelum; flamma illius Solis non aliud est quam Divinus amor, (m)et lux inde est sanctum amoris, quod est Divinum Verum;(n) {5}inde quantus Domini amor sit, constare potest'; ex hoc nunc est quod qui ab Ecclesia sunt perducantur successive in novos status, ac ita jugiter interius in caelum {6}proinde propius ad Dominum. @1 est, in nunc$ @2 i quod$ @3 subeat$ @4 ita$ @5 quantus amor sit inde sciri potest$ @6 ac ita$