Apocalypse Explained # 38
38. And they who pierced Him, signifies that they also will see Him who are in falsities from evil. This is evident from the signification of "piercing," as being those who altogether deny the Lord, for these kill and pierce Him in themselves; for these are meant by the soldier who pierced His side (John 19:34-37). By "soldier" and "soldiers" are meant those who are of the church, and who should fight for the Lord. Here in particular are meant those of the Jewish church, and, in general, all that are of the church who are in falsities from evil. And as such were signified by "soldiers," the soldiers divided the Lord's garments, and cast lots upon His coat; which means that the Jewish church dispersed the Divine truths that are in the sense of the letter of the Word, but were unable to disperse interior truths, or the truths of the internal sense (for "garments" signify truths in ultimates; see Arcana Coelestia, n. 5248, 6918, 9158, 9212; "to divide" signifies to dissipate and disperse, see n. 4424, 6360, 6361, 9093; and "the coat" interior truths, n. 9048, 9212, 9216, 9826).
Revelation 7:4-9
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I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
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of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
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of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
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of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
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of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
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After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
