5224. 'And Pharaoh told them the dream' means regarding things to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dream' as foresight, foretelling, and outcome, dealt with in 5091, 5092, 5104, and so things to come. What this implies in the internal sense is clear from the whole train of thought. The present verse deals with a new state in the natural when this dwells in obscurity because truths have been banished from it; at this particular point it deals with the turmoil involved in consulting factual knowledge regarding things to come. For when that kind of obscurity exists, thought about what the outcome is to be instantly arises. Because this is what generally happens in every state such as this when a person is being regenerated, that state is therefore described here in the internal sense.
[2] But such states are not known about at the present day, because for one thing few are being regenerated and because for another those who are being regenerated do not stop to reflect on these matters. No one is interested at the present day in what goes on in a person interiorly, because external interests have a complete hold; that is, when external interests are the ends in view in people's lives, internal interests are of no importance at all to them. Regarding the obscurity referred to here they would say, Of what concern is that to me when there is nothing to be gained from it, and no honour in knowing it? Why give any thought to the state of the soul or state of the internal man, and why ask whether this is in obscurity when truths are banished or in clearness when truths are restored there? What advantage is there in knowing this? I doubt whether any internal man exists or whether any state of the soul exists apart from that of the body. Indeed I even doubt the existence of a soul that lives after death. Has anyone ever returned from the dead to show us? These are the kind of things that the member of the Church says to himself at the present day and the kind of thoughts he has when he hears or reads anything about the state of the internal man. From this one may see how it comes about that the things which go on inside a person are in obscurity and wholly unknown about at the present day.
[3] Such obscurity of understanding never existed among the ancients. Their wisdom consisted in fostering more internal things and so in perfecting both powers of the mind, which are the understanding and the will, and so consisted, because they did this, in seeing to the needs of the soul. The fact that these were the kinds of things the ancients were concerned about is plain from their writings which are extant at the present day, and in addition to this from everyone's desire to hear Solomon,
Therefore they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:34.
This was the reason why the queen of Sheba came to him; and because of the blessing she received from Solomon's wisdom she said,
Blessed are your men, blessed are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom 1 Kings 10:8.
Would anyone today say that he is blessed on that account?
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