Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 36315045. Gave into Joseph’s hand all the bound ones that were in theprison house. That this signifies from himself over all falsities,namely, truth governing in a state of temptations, is evident fromthe signification of “giving into Joseph’s hand” as being into hispower, the “hand” being power (see n. 5008); thus meaning that itwas from himself, for what is effected from his power is effectedfrom himself—by “Joseph” being meant in the internal sense theLord, as often shown above; and from the signification of the“bound ones in the prison house” as being falsities (as shown above,n. 5037, 5038). Thus by “the prince of the prison gave intoJoseph’s hand all the bound ones that were in the prison house” issignified truth governing in a state of temptations from himselfover all falsities; that is, that the truth by which he governedfalsities in a state of temptations was from himself. Here, and inwhat follows to the end of this chapter, in the internal sense thesubject treated of is the Lord, how he from his own power governedin a state of temptations, that is, overcame the hells, which were inevils and falsities and were continually pouring them into mankind.That the Lord by his own power overcame and subdued the hells,and thus glorified or made Divine the human in himself, may beseen above (n. 1616, 1749, 1755, 1813, 1904, 1914, 1921, 1935,2025, 2026, 2083, 2159, 2574, 2786, 2795, 3036, 3381, 3382,4075, 4286, 5005). This is evident from many passages in theWord, as from this in John:I lay down my soul, that I may take it again. No man taketh itfrom me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and Ihave power to take it again (John 10:17–18).That the passion of the cross was the last of the temptations, andthat by it the Lord fully glorified the human in himself, that is,made it Divine, is also plain from many passages in the Word, as inJohn 13:31, 32; 17:1, 5; Luke 24:26.5046. And whatsoever they did there, he was the doer. That thissignifies absolute power may be seen without explication, for thewords involve that all things were from himself, thus that he hadthe absolute power of doing and of leaving undone.