Arcana Coelestia # 9808
9808. From the midst of the sons of Israel. That this signifies in heaven and in the church, is evident from the signification of “Israel,” as being those who are of the church, thus abstractedly the church itself (see n. 4286, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805, 9340); and as “Israel” denotes the church, it also denotes heaven, for heaven and the church make one, and the church is the heaven of the Lord on earth. Moreover, heaven is within every member of the church when he is in truth and at the same time in good from the Lord.
Numbers 3:40-45
40
Yahweh said to Moses, "Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41
You shall take the Levites for me (I am Yahweh) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel."
42
Moses numbered, as Yahweh commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
43
All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
45
"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am Yahweh.
