5637. 'And they rose up, and went down to Egypt' means a raising up so as to acquire life from the interior areas of factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as a raising up to the things that belong to spiritual life, dealt with in 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103, 4881; from the meaning of 'going down' as to acquire life, for 'going down' here implies much the same as the words used previously in verse 8 - 'Send the boy with me, and we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die' - which mean spiritual life entered into by degrees, dealt with in 5605; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966, in this case the interior areas of such knowledge since the celestial of the spiritual represented by 'Joseph' is there, which is why the statement 'and stood before Joseph' follows directly after.
[2] The interior areas of factual knowledge are facts existing in the natural which are spiritual ones; and they are spiritual ones there when such facts in the natural have been illuminated by the light of heaven. They have been so illuminated by the light of heaven when a person has a real belief in teachings that are based on the Word; and he has a real belief in these when the good of charity is present in him. For then the good of charity, like a flame, sheds light on the truths and so on the facts he knows. This is how they get the spiritual light they possess. From this one may see what is meant by the interior areas of factual knowledge.
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