9. The right prophetic ground of the magical seeing and understanding is thus: Every prophet is a limit, wherein a time is included or an age comprehended; and he is the mouth of that kingdom or dominion; that is, when that kingdom has awakened and generated the turba in it, then is he the mouth of the inward ground, which declares and expresses the vanity in the turba, and also the grace of God which has taken compassion on the human misery, and opposed the wrath of the turba, and [he] reproves that kingdom for their vanity and idolatry, and comforts them with the introverted grace again.
10. For his spirit stands in the figure, in the eternal speaking Word of God (from which the life was expressed or spoken forth, and became a creature), introverted again as an instrument of the spirit of God, whereby the spirit of God speaks and intimates. For the prophetic spirit could not, in its own might and power, declare future hidden things, if the spirit of God did not see through it, and that the Word of God did also go together through his Word into the magic figure which the prophet sees.
11. For the prophet knows not anything beforehand in his own power and authority, which he declares, but when the word models itself together in the figure, then the prophetic spirit sees through God's seeing, how the word of God goes also together upon the figure. And then the Word expresses, declares and expounds the figure through the prophetic spirit: as here was done by Joseph. When the king's officers told their dreams, then the Word set the figure in Joseph's understanding how it should come to pass, so that Joseph knew what their visions meant.
12. But he knew it not beforehand; but in the telling of the dream, the word of understanding modelled itself in Joseph's understanding, that he knew it. For Joseph's spirit stood in a magic figure, introverted again into the Word, after the manner as the new birth in the spirit of Christ stands introverted again. So also the other prophets, through whose mouth God's Word expounded and expressed from the inward ground, through their mouth, the wonders of God in nature, viz. in the formed creaturely word.
13. By this figure of Joseph, in that he obtained divine knowledge and skill, and could expound hidden things, we see how the introverted spirit of man resigned up into God, when he forsakes all that is his own, does attain the divine eye to see and understand; so that he gets much more again than he forsook, and that he is much richer than when he enjoyed his own. For in his own will he had and possessed only a particular; but in the resignation he gets into the total, viz. [into the universal] into all; for ALL is from the Word of God.
14. Therefore if he comes into that he comes into the ground wherein all lies in the eternity, and from being poor becomes rich. As Joseph's figure declares, that a poor prisoner became a prince, and that only by the divine Word that had manifested itself in him, when the Word, in his submissive dereliction and forsaking all, expressed or spoke forth itself again, and so spoke or pronounced Joseph into a regal government and dominion, through whom the Word of God would rule in Egypt, and give the understanding for such a kingly government.
15. We see further in this figure of Joseph, How at length all must serve for the best to God's children (Rom. viii. 28): all the wrong they must suffer that will turn to mere joy in the issue. For in trouble and affliction they learn to know what they are, how very weak and miserable they are in their own selves, and how near death and misery attend them; and how all the trust, confidence and expectation they have of men, in that they will rely upon man and trust to the favour of man, is a very fickle uncertain thing; also how man should turn his hope towards God, when he expects to be delivered out of trouble by the favour of man: yet [even] so at length the favour and counsel of man must stand him in stead.
9. The right prophetic ground of the magical seeing and understanding is thus: Every prophet is a limit, wherein a time is included or an age comprehended; and he is the mouth of that kingdom or dominion; that is, when that kingdom has awakened and generated the turba in it, then is he the mouth of the inward ground, which declares and expresses the vanity in the turba, and also the grace of God which has taken compassion on the human misery, and opposed the wrath of the turba, and [he] reproves that kingdom for their vanity and idolatry, and comforts them with the introverted grace again.
10. For his spirit stands in the figure, in the eternal speaking Word of God (from which the life was expressed or spoken forth, and became a creature), introverted again as an instrument of the spirit of God, whereby the spirit of God speaks and intimates. For the prophetic spirit could not, in its own might and power, declare future hidden things, if the spirit of God did not see through it, and that the Word of God did also go together through his Word into the magic figure which the prophet sees.
11. For the prophet knows not anything beforehand in his own power and authority, which he declares, but when the word models itself together in the figure, then the prophetic spirit sees through God's seeing, how the word of God goes also together upon the figure. And then the Word expresses, declares and expounds the figure through the prophetic spirit: as here was done by Joseph. When the king's officers told their dreams, then the Word set the figure in Joseph's understanding how it should come to pass, so that Joseph knew what their visions meant.
12. But he knew it not beforehand; but in the telling of the dream, the word of understanding modelled itself in Joseph's understanding, that he knew it. For Joseph's spirit stood in a magic figure, introverted again into the Word, after the manner as the new birth in the spirit of Christ stands introverted again. So also the other prophets, through whose mouth God's Word expounded and expressed from the inward ground, through their mouth, the wonders of God in nature, viz. in the formed creaturely word.
13. By this figure of Joseph, in that he obtained divine knowledge and skill, and could expound hidden things, we see how the introverted spirit of man resigned up into God, when he forsakes all that is his own, does attain the divine eye to see and understand; so that he gets much more again than he forsook, and that he is much richer than when he enjoyed his own. For in his own will he had and possessed only a particular; but in the resignation he gets into the total, viz. [into the universal] into all; for ALL is from the Word of God.
14. Therefore if he comes into that he comes into the ground wherein all lies in the eternity, and from being poor becomes rich. As Joseph's figure declares, that a poor prisoner became a prince, and that only by the divine Word that had manifested itself in him, when the Word, in his submissive dereliction and forsaking all, expressed or spoke forth itself again, and so spoke or pronounced Joseph into a regal government and dominion, through whom the Word of God would rule in Egypt, and give the understanding for such a kingly government.
15. We see further in this figure of Joseph, How at length all must serve for the best to God's children (Rom. viii. 28): all the wrong they must suffer that will turn to mere joy in the issue. For in trouble and affliction they learn to know what they are, how very weak and miserable they are in their own selves, and how near death and misery attend them; and how all the trust, confidence and expectation they have of men, in that they will rely upon man and trust to the favour of man, is a very fickle uncertain thing; also how man should turn his hope towards God, when he expects to be delivered out of trouble by the favour of man: yet [even] so at length the favour and counsel of man must stand him in stead.
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