431. It has been shown thus far that "twelve" signifies all things, and that it is predicated of truths from good; it shall now be shown that "the twelve tribes" signify all things of the church, and each tribe some universal and essential of the church. Because a representative church was to be instituted with the sons of Jacob it was provided by the Lord that his sons should be twelve in number, and that significative names should be given to them, and the twelve tribes from these, known by the same names, should signify all things of the church which they represented, and each tribe some universal essential of it. What, then, each tribe signified and represented will be told in what follows. As all things of the church have relation to truths from good, so "the twelve tribes" signify truths from good in the whole complex. They were called "tribes" because the two words in the original or Hebrew tongue rendered "tribe" mean a scepter and a rod; and a "scepter" signifies Divine truth in relation to government, and a "rod" Divine truth in relation to power.

[2] Because of this derivation and signification, when the people murmured against Moses and Aaron on account of the government and power exercised over them, it was also commanded that:

The princes of all the tribes should lay up their rods in the Tent of meeting, and in the midst of them the rod of Levi with the name of Aaron written upon it, and this blossomed with almonds (Numbers 17:3-8).

For "rods," as has been said, have a similar meaning as "tribes," and "the rod of Levi, on which was written the name of Aaron," has a similar signification as "the tribe of Levi" and as "Aaron" as high priest, namely, the good of charity towards the neighbor and the good of love to the Lord; "tribe of Levi" signifying the good of charity, and "Aaron the priest" the good of love; consequently this rod was placed in the midst and blossomed with almonds; to be placed "in the midst" signifying that all things are from it (See above, n. 313), and "almonds" signifying the goods of life.

[3] Because "the twelve tribes" signified all things of the church, or truths from good in the whole complex:

A breastplate was made for Aaron, which was called the Urim and Thummim, composed of twelve precious stones, on which were the names of the twelve tribes, or of the twelve sons of Israel (Exodus 28:15-30; 39:8-21, 29).

It is known that through this answers were given from heaven, but from what origin has not heretofore been revealed; it shall therefore be told. All light in the angelic heaven proceeds from the Lord as a sun; therefore that light in its essence is Divine truth, from which the angels have all their intelligence and wisdom, and men also in spiritual things. This light in heaven is modified into various colors, in accordance with the truths from good that are received; for this reason colors, from correspondence, signify in the Word truths from good; and consequently answers were given by means of a resplendence from the colors of the stones in the Urim and Thummim, and then at the same time either by a living voice or by a silent perception corresponding to the resplendence. This makes clear that "the twelve tribes," whose names were engraved on the stones, have a like signification. (But on this see what is said and shown in Arcana Coelestia, namely, that colors in heaven are from the light there, and that they are modifications and variegations of light in accordance with reception, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; thus that they are the appearances of truth from good, and signify such things as belong to intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466; that so far as colors are derived from red they signify good, and so far as they are from white they signify truth, n. 9467; that "stones" in general signify truths, n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376; that "precious stones" signify truths from good; thus "the twelve precious stones" all truths from good in the church and in heaven, n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905; that "the breastplate of judgment" which was upon the ephod, and was called the Urim and Thummim, signifies in general truth shining forth from Divine good, n. 9823; that "Urim" means a shining fire, and "Thummim" resplendence in the angelic tongue, but integrity in the Hebrew tongue, n. 9905; that therefore "Urim and Thummim" signifies from correspondence the resplendence of Divine truth from Divine good in ultimates, n. 9905; that answers were there given by variegations of light from the precious stones, and at the same time then by a living voice or by silent perception, n. 3862; that the names of the twelve tribes were engraved thereon, because they signified all Divine truths of heaven and the church, n. 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874, 9905; besides further particulars, n. 9863, 9864, 9866, 9891, 9895)

[4] Because truths from good, or good through truths, has all power, so:

The names of the twelve tribes were engraved upon the two onyx stones, six names upon each, and they were placed on the two shoulders of the ephod which Aaron wore (Exodus 28:9-14; 39:6, 7).

This signified the power of Divine truth from Divine good, and thus the power that those have who receive Divine truth in the good of love; for the "onyx stones" signified truths from the good of love, the "shoulders" power, and "the twelve tribes" all who are in truths from good. (That Divine truth from Divine good, has all power, and that from it those who receive it have power, may be seen above, n. 209, 333, and in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233; that "shoulders" signify power of every kind, see Arcana Coelestia 4931-4937, 9836.)

[5] That "tribes" signify all things of the church can be seen from the following passages. In Matthew:

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man; and then shall all the tribes of the earth lament; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matthew 24:30).

And in Revelation:

Behold He cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall lament over Him (Numbers 1:7).

This signifies that at the end of the church the Lord is to reveal Himself in the Word by means of the internal sense, and that all who are in truths from good will recognize Him, and that even those who are in falsities from evil will see Him (See above, n. 37-39); that "all the tribes of the earth shall lament" signifies that all truths from good will perish, and falsities from evil will take their place; "the tribes of the earth" meaning all who are of the church, and also all things of the church.

[6] In Matthew:

Jesus said to the disciples, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).

And in Luke:

Ye shall eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:30).

This no one can understand unless he knows from the spiritual sense what is meant by "apostles," by "thrones," and by "the tribes of Israel." Who cannot see that the apostles are not to judge, but the Lord alone? For every man is judged according to his life, and no one except the Lord knows the lives of all, the apostles not knowing even the life of a single person. But in the spiritual sense, "the twelve apostles" signify all truths from good; "to sit upon thrones" signifies judgment, and "the twelve tribes of Israel" signify all who are of the church; these words signify, therefore, that the Lord is to judge all from Divine truth, and according to the reception of it in good.

[7] This signification of "apostles" and of the "tribes of Israel" is clearly seen in these words in Revelation:

The New Jerusalem had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. And the wall had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb (Revelation 21:12, 14).

"The New Jerusalem" does not mean any new Jerusalem, nor do its "wall and gates" mean a wall and gates, nor do "the twelve tribes and apostles" mean twelve tribes and apostles. Something wholly different is signified by each one of these things, as is evident merely from this, that "the New Jerusalem" means a new church in respect to doctrine; therefore "angels," "tribes," and "apostles" signify such things as belong to that new church, all of which have relation to truth and to good and to their conjunction, consequently to truths from good. (But these things will be seen explained in what follows, but they are briefly explained in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 1.)

[8] In David:

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is conjoined together; thither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to make confession to the name of Jehovah (Psalms 122:3, 4).

Here, too, "Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to doctrine, which is said to be "builded as a city that is conjoined together," when all things of its doctrine are accordant and unanimous, and when the Lord and love to Him from Him are mutually regarded as the beginning and the end. It is said to be "builded as a city," because a "city" signifies doctrine; the truths of doctrine which thus look to the Lord are signified by "the tribes, the tribes of Jah;" "tribes" signifying truths, and "tribes of Jah" truths from good that are from the Lord; worship therefrom is signified by "making confession to the name of Jehovah."

[9] Because "Israel" signifies the church that is in truths from good, Israel is called in the Word:

The tribes of inheritance (Isaiah 63:17; Jeremiah 10:16; 51:19; Psalms 74:2).

And as "Egypt" signifies true knowledges (scientifica) which are in the natural man, and upon these are founded truths from good, which are the truths of the spiritual man, Egypt is called:

The cornerstone of the tribes (Isaiah 19:13);

the "cornerstone" signifying the foundation (See above, n. 417). And as "the land of Canaan" signifies the church, and "the twelve tribes" all things of the church, and each tribe some universal and essential of the church, that land was divided among the tribes (Numbers 26:5-56; 34:17-28; 15:1, et seq.). This, too, is clearly evident in Ezekiel, where a new land is treated of, which signifies a new church to be established by the Lord; and it is foretold and described how it is to be distributed for an inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 47:13, 20); and these tribes are enumerated by name (Ezekiel 48:1-35 end). Evidently it is not there meant that the twelve tribes of Israel are to inherit the land, or any one tribe there named; for eleven of the tribes were scattered, and mingled with the nations everywhere, and yet it is told what portion of the land the tribe of Dan was to inherit, what Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad; from which it is plain that the "land" there means the church, and "the twelve tribes" all things of the church, and each tribe some universal essential of the church. It is similar with the twelve tribes enumerated in this chapter of Revelation, that "twelve thousand were sealed out of each tribe," and were saved. That "twelve thousand" here signifies all persons and all things may be seen in the preceding article; but what universal essential of the church is signified by each tribe will be told in what follows.

[10] Of the church among the ancients, which preceded the Israelitish church, nearly the same is said in Moses:

Remember the days of eternity, consider the years of generation and generation; ask thy father and he will tell thee; thy elders, and they will say it unto thee; when the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:7, 8).

This was said of the churches that preceded the church instituted among the sons of Israel. (Respecting these see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 247.) The Most Ancient Church, which was before the flood, and was a celestial church, or a church that was in the good of love to the Lord, is meant by "the days of eternity, when the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man," "nations" signifying those who are in the good of love (See above, n. 331), and "the sons of man" those who are in truths from good (See also above, n. 63, 151). The Ancient Church, which was after the flood, and was a spiritual church, is meant by "the years of generation and generation, when the Most High set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel;" "peoples" signifying those who are in spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor (See above, n. 331); and "the number of the sons of Israel" having a like signification as "the twelve tribes" according to which the inheritances were given (as above in Ezekiel).

[11] Here two arcana respecting the twelve tribes shall be mentioned:

1. Their arrangements represented the arrangements of the angelic societies in the heavens; and for this reason they represented all things of the church, for heaven and the church act as one.

2. The representation of heaven and of the church is determined according to the order in which the tribes are named; and the first name or the first tribe is the guide that determines the things that follow, and accordingly the things of heaven and of the church, with variations.

1. The arrangements of the twelve tribes of Israel represented the arrangements of the angelic societies in the heavens, and therefore heaven itself, since heaven consists of angelic societies, as can be seen from this, that each tribe represented and thence signified some universal essential of the church, and the twelve tribes taken together represented all things of the church, and the church that was instituted among the sons of Israel was a representative church; consequently the whole nation divided into twelve tribes, represented the church in the whole complex and therefore also heaven; for the same goods and the same truths that make the church make heaven also, or the same that make heaven make the church also (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 57).

[12] The arrangements of the twelve tribes of Israel according to the arrangements of the angelic societies of heaven, consequently according to the form of heaven, are represented in their encampments, as described in Moses, namely:

To the east the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were encamped; and to the south the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin; to the north the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali; and the tribe of Levi in the midst of the camp; and in the same order they went forward (Numbers 2 to the end).

Anyone that knows who and of what quality those are in heaven who dwell in the eastern quarter, and who and of what quality those are who dwell in the southern, western, and northern quarters, and that knows also who and what those are who are signified by each tribe, is able to know the arcanum involved in the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun encamping to the east, the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad encamping to the south, and so on. For the sake of illustration, only the encampment on the east, of the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun will now be explained. "The tribe of Judah" signifies the good of love to the Lord, "the tribe of Issachar" the truth of that good, and "the tribe of Zebulun" the marriage of good and truth, which is also called the celestial marriage; so, too, those who dwell in the eastern quarter of heaven are all in the good of love to the Lord and in truths from that good, and thence in the celestial marriage. The other tribes must be viewed in a similar way. (That all in heaven have dwelling places in the four quarters according to their quality, and that the quarters there are not like the quarters in our solar world, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 141-153.)

[13] It was because the encampments of the sons of Israel represented the arrangements of the angelic societies in heaven, that when Balaam saw their encampments he in the spirit saw heaven, as it were, and prophesied and blessed them, respecting which it is said in Moses:

Balaam set his face towards the wilderness, and when he lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the spirit of God was upon him. And he took up his prophetic enunciation, and said, How good are thy tents, O Jacob, thy habitations, O Israel! As valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river (Numbers 24:1-4, et seq.).

Evidently Balaam then saw the encampments of the sons of Israel according to tribes arranged as above described, for it is said that he "set his face toward the wilderness, and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes;" and because he then saw in them the order of heaven, the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied and said, "How good are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy habitations, O Israel!" "tents and habitations" signifying such dwelling places as are in the heavens; "tents" the habitations of those who are in the good of love, and "habitations" the dwelling places of those who are in truths from that good. The fructifications of good and the multiplications of truth and the consequent intelligence and wisdom are signified by "as valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river;" for every good, and thus every truth flows in according to the form of heaven (as can be seen from what is shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, On the Form of Heaven, according to Which are the Consociations and Communications There, n 200-212).

[14] 2. The representation of heaven and the church is determined according to the order in which the tribes are named, and the first name or the first tribe is the guide that determines all things that follow, and accordingly all things of heaven and of the church, with variations. This arcanum can hardly be comprehended by anyone unless he is in spiritual thought, nevertheless it shall be briefly explained. If, for example, the tribe of Judah is the first tribe that is named, as this tribe signifies the good of love, then from the good of love as the beginning, the significations of the other tribes that follow are determined, and this with variations according to the order in which they are named; for each tribe signifies some universal of the church, and the universal admits into itself specific variations, thus some specific variation derived from the first from which it descends; so in this case, all things in the series derive their specific spiritual sense from the good of love, which is signified by the tribe of Judah. So if the tribe of Reuben, which signifies truth in the light and the understanding of truth, is named first, from this the other tribes that follow derive their significations, agreeing and coinciding with the universal which each signifies. It is comparatively as with colors, that are seen tinged by the primary color which diffuses itself into the other colors and varies their appearance.

[15] When this is understood it can be seen how it was that answers were given in respect to any matter through the Urim and Thummim, for there was a shining forth through the precious stones from the origin of color out of that stone under which was the name of some tribe, from which the determination began. Moreover, the colors of these stones corresponded to the universals signified by the tribes inscribed on them. When anyone knows this, and knows also what the universal is that each tribe signifies, if he is in spiritual illustration he can in some measure perceive what the tribes signify in their sequence, as they are named in the Word; as what they signify in the sequence in which the sons of Jacob were born, in which the order is as follows:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 29:31-35, 30:1-24, 35:18);

what they signify in the sequence given in their journeying into Egypt, in which they are named in the following order:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali (Genesis 46:9-21);

what they signify in the sequence in which they received the blessing of Israel their father, where they are named in the following order:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 49:1-28);

differently when they were blessed by Moses, in the following order:

Reuben, Judah, Levi, Benjamin, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, Asher (Deuteronomy 33:6-24);

where Simeon and Issachar are omitted, and Ephraim and Manasseh substituted in their place; also what is signified by these tribes in the sequence in other passages (as in Genesis 35:23-26; Numbers 1:5-16; 7:1 to end; 13:4-15; 26:5-56; 34:17-28; Deuteronomy 27:12-13; Joshua 15-19; Ezekiel 48:1 to end). (That the twelve tribes have different significations according to the order in which they are named, and thus signify all the things of heaven with variations, see Arcana Coelestia 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603, et seq., 6337, 6640, 10335.) It shall be told in what follows what they signify in the sequence in which they are named in this chapter of Revelation, where they are named in the following order: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin; and Dan and Ephraim are left out or not named.

3858. Since the subject in the verses that follow now is the twelve sons of Jacob, and since the twelve tribes of Israel were named after them as their fathers, let an introductory statement be made here about what the tribes mean and why there were twelve. Nobody as yet has known the arcanum lying within these considerations, for people have believed that the historical descriptions of the Word are purely history and hold nothing more of the Divine within them than their ability to be made to apply to matters of a holy nature when these are under discussion. Consequently they have also believed that the twelve tribes meant nothing else than the divisions of the Israelitish people into so many separate nations or general families, when in fact Divine realities are implied in those tribes. That is to say, those tribes mean so many universal divisions of faith and love and so mean things that constitute the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, each tribe in particular meaning some universal division. But what exactly each tribe means will be evident from the verses that follow directly after this, where the subject is the sons of Jacob after whom the twelve tribes were named. In general the twelve tribes meant everything constituting the doctrine of truth and good, that is, of faith and love; for these - that is to say, truth and good, or faith and love - constitute the Lord's kingdom, since what are essentially matters of truth or faith constitute the whole of thought there, and what are essentially matters of good or love constitute the whole of affection. And because the Jewish Church was established so as to represent the Lord's kingdom the divisions of that people into twelve tribes therefore meant those things of His kingdom. This is an arcanum which has not previously been disclosed.

[2] Twelve means all things in general, as shown already in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end), 3272, while 'tribes' means matters of truth and good, or of faith and love, so that 'the twelve tribes' means all of these. Let this meaning of 'the twelve tribes' be substantiated here from the Word before each one is dealt with individually. In John,

The holy city New Jerusalem, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia. And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Revelation 21:12, 14, 16-17, 21.

'The holy city', or the New Jerusalem, means the Lord's new Church, as is evident from each detail of this description. Previous chapters refer to what the condition of the Church was going to be like before its end; this chapter refers to a new Church. That being so, 'the gates', 'the wall', 'the foundations' mean nothing else than things constituting the Church, which are those of charity and faith since these constitute the Church.

[3] From this it may be clear to anyone that 'twelve' used so many times in that description, also 'tribes', and 'apostles' too, are not used to mean twelve, or tribes, or apostles, but that 'twelve' is used to mean all things in their entirety; see what has been shown in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end), 3272. The same is true of the number 'a hundred and forty-four', for this is twelve twelves. And since 'twelve' means all things it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things constituting the Church, which, as stated above, are truth and good, or faith and love. The same is also true of 'the twelve apostles' who as well represented all things constituting the Church, that is, all things of faith and love, see 2129, 3354, 3488, 3857. That number is therefore called 'the measure of a man, that is, of an angel', by which is meant a state of truth and good. For 'measure' means state, see 3104, and 'man' means that which constitutes the Church, as is evident from things said about the meaning of 'man' in 478, 479, 565, 768, 1871, 1894, and also from the fact that the Lord's kingdom is called the Grand Man, which it is called by virtue of good and truth which come from the Lord, dealt with at the ends of chapters in 3624-3649, 3741-3750. And 'angel' has the same meaning, 1705, 1754, 1925, 2821, 3039.

[4] As in John, so also in the Prophets, in the Old Testament Word, is the new Jerusalem referred to, where in a similar way the Lord's new Church is meant, as in Isaiah 65:18-19, and following verses; in Zechariah 14; and in particular in Ezekiel, Chapters 40-48, where the new Jerusalem, the new Temple, and a new earth describe in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The contents of those chapters, plainer than anywhere else, show what 'earth', 'Jerusalem', 'Temple', and everything in them meant, and also what 'the twelve tribes' means. For the subject of those chapters is the division of the land and the inheritance of it according to tribes, as well as the city and its walls, foundation, and gates, and everything that was to go with the Temple there. From those chapters let simply matters relating to the tribes be quoted here,

The Lord Jehovih said, This is the boundary of your inheritance of the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. You shall divide this land according to the tribes of Israel. But you shall divide it by lot as an inheritance, and for sojourners sojourning in your midst. They shall cast lots with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. Ezekiel 47:13, 21-23.

As regards the land, it will be for the prince as a possession in Israel. And the princes will no longer oppress My people, and the land they will give to the house of Israel according to their tribes. Ezekiel 45:8.

Concerning inheritances and how they were assigned to individual tribes which are also referred to there by name, see Ezekiel 48:1 and following verses; and concerning the gates of the city which are named after the tribes of Israel, verses 31-34 of the same chapter.

[5] Quite plainly, when the tribes are spoken of here it is not the tribes who are meant, for by that time ten tribes had long since been scattered throughout the whole world, and had not subsequently returned. Nor can they possibly return, for they have become gentiles. And yet reference is made to each individual tribe, and to how it was to inherit the land and what its boundary was to be. What the boundary for the tribe of Dan was to be is stated in verse 2; what the boundary for the tribe of Asher was to be in verse 3; what those of Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah were to be, and concerning the inheritance of the Levites; and what the boundaries of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad were to be in verses 4-29. In addition to all this that chapter declares that the city was to have twelve gates named after the tribes of Israel - three gates facing north, those of Reuben, Judah, and Levi; three gates facing east, those of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; three gates facing south, those of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun; and three gates facing west, those of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, in verses 31-34.

[6] From all this it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so all that are matters of faith and love, for these constitute the Lord's kingdom, as stated above. Because the twelve tribes meant all things of the Lord's kingdom they also represented that kingdom by their encampments and by their travellings. In Moses it is said that they were to encamp according to the tribes around the Tent of Meeting - to the east, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; to the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west, Ephraim Manasseh, and Benjamin; and to the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, and as they were encamped so they travelled, Numbers 2:1-end. In all this they represented the Lord's kingdom, as is quite evident from Balaam's prophecy,

When Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to tribes, the Spirit of God came upon him and he delivered his utterance, and said, How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel! They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, like aloes Jehovah has planted, like cedars beside the waters. Numbers 24:2-3, 5-6.

The fact that Balaam received from Jehovah these words spoken by him is explicitly stated in Numbers 22:8, 18-19, 35, 38; 23:5, 12, 16, 26; 24:2, 13.

[7] From this also it is evident what the inheritances of the land of Canaan according to tribes represented, in connection with which it is said in Moses that he was to take a census of the congregation of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses; a census of those twenty or more years old, everyone going into the army of Israel. The land was to be distributed by lot; according to the names of their fathers' tribes they were to receive an inheritance, Numbers 26:2, 7-56; 33:54; 34:19-29. And Joshua's actual division of the land by lot according to tribes is described in Chapters 13, 15, 19 of the Book of Joshua. From these particular details it is evident that the Lord's kingdom was represented, as has been stated; for the land of Canaan meant that kingdom, see 1585, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705.

[8] The reason why they are called 'armies' and why it is said that 'they encamped according to their armies and travelled according to their armies', Numbers 2:4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21-23, 26, 28, 30, is that 'an army' had the same meaning [as 'a tribe'], namely truths and goods, see 3448. And the Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth or 'Jehovah of Armies (or Hosts)' 3448. They were for these reasons called 'the armies of Jehovah' when they departed from Egypt, as in Moses,

It happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it happened that all the armies of Jehovah were to come out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:41.

Anyone may recognize that such people in Egypt, and after that in the wilderness, were not called 'the armies of Jehovah' except in a representative sense, for no good or truth was present in them, the worst of all nations.

[9] From this it is also quite evident what was meant by the names of the twelve tribes on Aaron's breastplate, which was called the Urim and Thummim. Concerning the breastplate the following is said in Moses,

There shall be four rows in it and twelve stones. These stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. The engravings of a signet, for each one over its name, there shall be for the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:17, 21; 39:14.

For 'Aaron' represented the Lord's Divine priesthood, and therefore all the vestments worn by him as high priest meant Divine celestial and spiritual things. But the exact meaning of those vestments will in the Lord's Divine mercy be clear where they are the subject. Since the breastplate itself was most holy, the names of it were representations of all the essential characteristics of love and faith in the Lord. These are the Urim and Thummim. The reason why the names were engraved on the precious stones was that 'stones' in general meant truths, 1298, 3720, and 'precious stones' truths shining through from good, 114. And because the name of each individual tribe meant some essential characteristic, a specific stone was also allocated for each tribe, Exodus 28:17-20; 39:10-13, which expressed by means of its colour and transparence the characteristic meant by that tribe. This was how Jehovah or the Lord gave answers by means of the Urim and Thummim.

[10] The two shoham stones which were on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod had a similar representation but in a lesser degree than the twelve stones on the breastplate. For 'the shoulders' meant all power, and so the Lord's omnipotence, 1085, whereas 'the breast' or heart and lungs meant Divine celestial and spiritual love - 'the heart' Divine celestial love, 'the lungs' Divine spiritual love, see 3635 and the end of the present chapter where the Grand Man and its correspondence with the province of the heart and the province of the lungs is the subject. The two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod are referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall take two shoham stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of the names on one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, according to their births. You shall put two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. Exodus 28:9-12; 39:6-7.

[11] Because 'the tribes' meant what are essentially matters of truth and good, or faith and love, and each tribe meant some universal aspect of these, and since the tribe of Levi meant love, as will be evident from the explanation at verse 34 below, one can therefore recognize what was meant by their placing rods, one for each tribe, in the Tent of Meeting and by Levi's rod alone blossoming with almonds. All this is described in Moses as follows,

He was told to take twelve rods, one rod for each head of their fathers' houses, and these were to be left in the Tent of Meeting, the name of Aaron being written on the rod of Levi. Aaron's rod was placed in the middle of them. And the next day, behold, Aaron's rod for the tribe of Levi had blossomed; it had produced buds, ¹ so that it flowered and produced almonds. Numbers 17:2-8.

These occurrences meant that love was the essential, also the first and foremost, thing of all in the Lord's kingdom and that love is the source of all fruitfulness. And the reason why Aaron's name was on the rod was that Aaron represented the Lord as regards His Divine priesthood. For by the Lord's priesthood is meant Divine Good, which essentially is His love and mercy, and by the Lord's kingship is meant Divine Truth which stems from Divine Good, see 1728, 2015 (end), 3670.

[12] From what has been introduced so far one may now see what 'tribes' and 'the twelve tribes' mean in the following places: In John,

I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of Israel - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin. Revelation 7:4-8.

In Moses,

Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation.

When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:7-8.

In David,

Jerusalem, built as a city which is closely compacted together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to confess the name of Jehovah. Psalms 122:3-4.

[13] In Joshua, who was told,

The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass over before you into the Jordan. Take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. And it will happen when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. They will stand in one heap. Joshua 3:11-17.

And further,

Take out of the midst of the Jordan, from the places where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones which you are to prepare and carry with you. And let each man take a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, that it may be a sign that the waters of the Jordan were cut off. Moreover Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, beneath the places where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood. Joshua 4:1-9.

Also in the description about Elijah,

Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word had come, Israel shall be your name; and he built an altar to the name of Jehovah. 1 Kings 18:31-32.

[14] That 'the tribes' means the goods of love and the truths of faith is also clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Matthew 24:30.

Here 'all the tribes of the earth will mourn' means that the acknowledgement of truth and the life of good will not exist any longer, for the subject in that chapter is the close of the age. Similarly in John,

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail over Him. Revelation 1:7.

What 'coming in the clouds of heaven' means, see Preface to Genesis 18. See in addition what I have been shown from experience about the number 'twelve', in 2129, 2130.

[15] The reason why all things of faith and love are called 'tribes' is that the same expression in the original language also means a sceptre and a rod. For 'a sceptre' and also 'a rod' mean power, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. For this reason the noun 'tribe' entails the idea that forms of good and truth possess within them all power from the Lord. And angels too are therefore referred to as 'powers' and also 'principalities', for 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of charity and faith, such as the twelve princes descended from Ishmael, Genesis 25:16, see 2089, as well as the princes who were leaders of the tribes, Numbers 7; 13:4-16.

[16] From what has been said up to now about the twelve tribes one can recognize why the Lord's disciples, who later on were called apostles, were twelve in number, and that like the tribes they represented the Lord's Church as regards goods and truths, 2129, 3354, 3488, 3857. 'Peter' represented faith, 'James' charity, and 'John' the works that flow from charity, see the Prefaces to Genesis 18, 22, and also 3750. This is also quite evident from the things which the Lord said about them and to them.

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