Swedenborg Arcana Caelestia Vol. V (1750)

...the scientific goods original: scientifica bona; factual knowledges that contain spiritual goodness. Pharaoh waking up signifies a general state of enlightenment original: illustrationis; and behold, a dream signifies that this occurred while in an obscure state.

5210. And he fell asleep, which signifies an obscure state. This is clear from the meaning of "sleeping," which refers to a state of obscurity. In a spiritual sense, "sleep" is nothing other than this, just as "waking" is nothing other than a clear state. For spiritual sleep occurs when truths are in obscurity, and spiritual waking occurs when truths are in clarity. Spirits experience as much waking, and conversely as much sleep, as they have clarity or obscurity; therefore, it is evident that falling asleep refers to an obscure state.

5211. And he dreamed a second time, which signifies what is provided original: provisum; referring to Divine Providence or what is foreseen by God. This is clear from the meaning of "dreaming," which refers to what is provided (see section 5195).

5212. And behold, seven ears of grain coming up on one stalk, which signifies scientific knowledges original: scientifica; facts or information stored in the external memory of the natural mind being joined together. This is clear from the meaning of ears of grain original: aristae seu spicae, which are the scientific knowledges of the natural mind (as discussed below); and from the phrase on one stalk, which means they are joined. Things that exist on one stalk are joined together at their origin.

The reason "ears of grain" signify scientific knowledges is that "grain" original: frumentum signifies the "good" of the natural mind (see section 3580). Scientific knowledges are the containers of natural good, just as ears of grain contain the grain. In general, all truths are "vessels" for what is good, and scientific knowledges are no different, as they are the lowest forms of truth. These lowest truths—the truths of the exterior natural mind—are called "scientifics" because they reside in a person's natural or external memory. Because they share largely in the "light of the world," they can be presented and represented to others through spoken words or through ideas formed into words using things belonging to the world and its light.

However, things in the interior memory are not called "scientifics" but "truths," because they share in the light of heaven. They can only be understood through that heavenly light and can only be expressed through spoken words or ideas formed into words by things belonging to heaven and its light. The scientific knowledges signified here by the "ears of grain" are the scientifics of the Church (concerning which, see sections 4749, 4844, 4964, 4965).

The reason there were two dreams—one about the seven cows and the other about the seven ears of grain—is that the internal sense deals with both parts of the "Natural" mind: the interior and the exterior. The following sections describe the rebirth original: renascentia of both. The seven cows signify things belonging to the interior natural mind, called "truths of the natural" (section 5198), while the seven ears signify truths of the exterior natural mind, called "scientifics."

These interior and exterior scientifics are signified by the "ears" from the river Euphrates to the river of Egypt in the book of Isaiah:

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will shake out from the ear of the river to the river of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria original: Aschuris and the outcasts in the land of Egypt shall come, and shall bow down to Jehovah in the holy mountain, in Jerusalem" (Isaiah 27:12, 13).

In this passage, "those perishing in the land of Assyria" refers to interior truths, and "the outcasts in the land of Egypt" refers to exterior truths or scientific knowledges. The comparison with grass, the ear, and the grain also involves the rebirth of a person through scientific knowledges, the truths of faith, and the goods of charity, as seen in the Gospel of Mark:

"Jesus said, the Kingdom of God original: Regnum Dei is like this: as when a man casts seed upon the earth, then sleeps, and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, while he himself does not know it..."