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5271. Verses 28-32. This is the word that I spoke unto Pharaoh; what God doeth He hath caused Pharaoh to see. Behold there come seven years of great abundance of produce in all the land of Egypt; and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the abundance of produce shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; and the abundance of produce shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine after it, for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the word is established by God, and God is hastening to do it.

"This is the word that I spoke unto Pharaoh," signifies what the natural thought from the celestial of the spiritual; "what God doeth," signifies concerning what is provided; "He hath caused Pharaoh to see," signifies the perception of the natural; "behold there come seven years," signifies states of providence; "of great abundance of produce in all the land of Egypt," signifies the multiplication of truth in both naturals; "and there shall arise after them seven years of famine," signifies the states that follow when there is a lack of truth; "and all the abundance of produce shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt," signifies the removal of truth and the apparent privation of it in both naturals; "and the famine shall consume the land," signifies even to despair; "and the abundance of produce shall not be known in the land," signifies that nothing shall be perceived therein of truth previously there; "by reason of that famine after it, for it shall be very grievous," signifies on account of such a lack; "and for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice," signifies because foreseen concerning both naturals; "it is because the word is established by God," signifies that it is Divine; "and God is hastening to do it," signifies in every event.

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5272. This is the word that I spoke unto Pharaoh. That this signifies what the natural thought from the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of a "word," as being a real thing (of which hereafter); from the signification of "speaking," as being to think (see n. 2271, 2287, 2619, 5259); from the representation of Joseph, who here speaks, as being the celestial of the spiritual; and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (of which above). From all this it is plain that by "this is the word that I spoke unto Pharaoh" is signified that real thing, or that which the natural thought from the celestial of the spiritual (see also n. 5262). As regards what is meant by the "word," in the original language by "word" is meant some real thing; and hence Divine revelation is called the "Word," and so also is the Lord in the supreme sense. And by the "Word," when predicated of the Lord, and also of revelation from Him, in the proximate sense is signified Divine truth, from which all things that are real have their existence.

[2] That all things that are real have come into existence and do come into existence through the Divine truth that is from the Lord, and thus through the Word, is a secret that has not yet been disclosed. It is believed that by this is meant that all things have been created by God's saying and commanding as a king in his kingdom. It is not this, however, that is meant by all things having been made and created through the Word, but it is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good, that is, from the Lord, from which all things have come into existence and do come into existence. The Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good is the veriest reality and the veriest essential in the universe, and it is this that makes and creates. Scarcely anyone has any other idea of the Divine truth than as of a word that issues from the mouth of a speaker and is dispersed in the air.