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.

619. But in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey, signifies outwardly delightful. This is evident from the signification of "mouth," as being what is exterior; for this treats of the little book and eating it up, and "the little book" signifies the Word, and "eating it up" signifies perception and exploration; thence "the mouth," which first receives, means the external of the Word. It is evident also from the signification of "sweet as honey," as being the delight of natural good. The external of the Word was "sweet as honey," that is, thus delightful, because the external of the Word is such that it can be applied to any love whatever, or to any principle derived therefrom; and these can be confirmed by it. The external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, is such because many things in it are written in accordance with the appearances presented to the natural man, and many appearances, when not interiorly understood, are fallacies, like the fallacies of the senses. Those, therefore, who love to live for the body and for the world, by means of these appearances draw over the external of the Word to confirm evils of life and falsities of faith.

[2] This was done especially by the sons of Jacob, who applied all things of the Word to themselves, and from the sense of the letter they held the belief, and also maintain it to this day, that they were chosen in preference to others, and therefore were a holy nation; that their Jerusalem, the temple there, the ark, the altar, the sacrifices, with innumerable other things, were holy of themselves; they did not know, and did not wish to know, that the holiness of all those things proceeded solely from this, that they represented things Divine proceeding from the Lord that are called celestial and spiritual, and are the holy things of heaven and the church, and that to think that these are holy of themselves, and not because of the Divine things they represent, would be to falsify and adulterate the Word by applying it to themselves and to their own loves. It was similar with their belief respecting the Messiah, that he would be king of the world, and would raise them above all other nations and peoples throughout the globe; not to mention other things which they gathered from the mere sense of the letter of the Word, which to them were sweet as honey in the mouth. This is why the things in the spiritual sense of the Word are undelightful, for in that sense are the truths themselves which are not according to appearances; as that the Jewish nation itself was not holy, but worse than every other nation, consequently that it was not chosen; that the city of Jerusalem merely signifies the Lord's church and doctrine respecting Him and the holy things of heaven and the church; and that the temple, the ark, the altar, and the sacrifices represented the Lord and the holy things that proceed from Him, and that for this and no other reason were they holy. These are truths that are stored up inwardly in the sense of the letter of the Word, that is, in its internal spiritual sense; and these truths they deny, because, as was said, they have falsified and adulterated the Word in the sense of the letter; and these things therefore are undelightful to them, like foods that are bitter in the belly.

[3] It is said that the little book was "in the mouth sweet as honey," because "honey" signifies the delight of natural good; that "honey" signifies that delight can be seen from the following passages. In Ezekiel:

It was said to the prophet, Open wide thy mouth and eat that I give thee. And I saw and behold, a hand was put forth unto me, and lo, the roll of a book was therein; and when he had spread it before me it was written in front and behind, and written thereon were dirges, moaning, and woe. Then he said unto me, Son of man, eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. Then he said unto me, Feed thy belly and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee; and when I ate it, it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said, Go to the house of Israel and speak my words unto them (Ezekiel 2:8-10; 3:1-4).

These things involve things altogether similar to those in Revelation. The command to the prophet Ezekiel "to eat the roll of the book" involves something similar as the command to John "to eat the little book," namely, to explore how the Divine truth which is in the Word is yet received, perceived, and appropriated by those who are of the church; for the prophet Ezekiel and John represent the doctrine of truth and the Word, therefore the exploration was made with them. It was made by eating a book, because "to eat" signifies to perceive and thus to appropriate, as has been shown above; and when this has been ascertained, namely, how the Word was still perceived, it is said to the prophet Ezekiel that "he should go to the house of Israel and speak to them the words of God;" also to the prophet John that "he must prophesy," that is, still teach the Word in the church; and this because the book was perceived to be "in his mouth sweet as honey," that is, because the Word in the sense of the letter is still delightful, but for the reason that this sense can be applied to any principles of falsity and to any loves of evil, and can thus serve them in confirming the delights of the natural life separated from the delights of the spiritual life; and when these are separated they become mere delights of the loves of the body and of the world whence are principles of falsity from fallacies.

[4] In Isaiah:

A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name God-with-us. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good (Isaiah 7:14, 15).

That this was said of the Lord is proved in Matthew (Matthew 1:23). Anyone can see that "butter and honey" do not mean here butter and honey, but something Divine corresponding to them, for it is added, "that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good," and that is not known by eating butter and honey; but "butter" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey" the delight of natural good, consequently the two signify the Lord's Divine spiritual and Divine natural, and thus His Human, interior and exterior. That the Lord's Human is meant can be seen from its being said that "a virgin shall conceive and bear a son;" and that it is Divine from its being said, "and shall call His name God-with-us," "to call a name" signifying the quality of a thing, here what the Divine is, for He was to be called "God-with-us."

[5] "Butter and honey" also signify the delight of spiritual and natural good in these words in the same chapter:

Butter and honey shall everyone eat that remains in the land (verse 22).

"That remains" mean those that are inwardly and also outwardly good from the Lord, consequently who receive the good proceeding from the Lord in truths; the blessedness therefrom of the internal or spiritual man, and also of the external or natural man, is signified by "butter and honey."

[6] In Job:

He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him. He shall not see the streams, the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter (Job 20:16, 17).

This is said of hypocrites who talk well and smoothly about God, about the neighbor, and about heaven and the church, and yet think altogether otherwise; and because they cunningly contrive by these means to captivate minds, although in heart they cherish what is infernal, it is said, "He shall suck the poison of asps, the viper's tongue shall slay him." That such have no delight in natural good or spiritual good is meant by "He shall not see the streams, the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter," "streams" meaning the things of intelligence, and "the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter," the things therefrom that are of affection and love, which are the very delights of heavenly life. Every delight of life that abides to eternity is a delight of spiritual good and truth, and from that a delight of natural good and truth; but hypocritical delight is a natural delight separate from spiritual delight, and this delight is turned in the other life into what is direfully infernal. Evidently "butter and honey" do not mean here butter and honey, for where, in the world, can there be found "flowings of brooks of honey and butter"?

[7] "Milk and honey" have a similar signification as "butter and honey;" and as "milk" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey" the delight of natural good, and these delights are with those who are of the Lord's church, therefore the land of Canaan, which signifies the church, was called:

A land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, 17; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27; 14:8; Deuteronomy 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6).

That in the Word "the land of Canaan" means the church has been shown above (n. 29, 304, 431); and the church is with those only who are in spiritual good and at the same time in natural good; in such the church is formed by the Lord; for the church is in man and not outside of him, consequently is not with those with whom these goods are not. These goods with their delights are signified by "milk and honey."

[8] There was also much honey in the land of Canaan at that time, because at that time the church of the Lord was there, as can be seen from the first book of Samuel, where it is said:

That they came into the forest, where there was honey upon the face of the ground, and there was a stream of honey, and Jonathan's eyes were opened by tasting the honey (1 Samuel 14:25-27, 29).

"Jonathan's eyes were opened by tasting the honey" because "honey" corresponds to natural good and its delight, and this good gives intelligence and enlightens, from which Jonathan knew that he had done evil; as we read in Isaiah, "He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to reject the evil and to choose the good." For at that time correspondences exhibited their effects outwardly, since all things of the Israelitish Church consisted of correspondences, which represented and signified things celestial and spiritual.

[9] Again, "oil and honey" have a similar signification as "butter and honey" in the following passages. In Moses:

He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the produce of the fields; he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock (Deuteronomy 32:13).

This is in the song of Moses, which treats of the church in its beginning, and afterward in its progress, and finally in its end. Those that constituted the Ancient Church are described by these words, not those however who constituted the Israelitish Church, for these were evil from the beginning even to the end, as can be seen from their fathers in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness; but the Ancient Church, the men of which are meant by "their fathers," was that which the Lord "made to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed with the produce of the fields." That to these the good of natural love and the good of spiritual love with their delights were given by means of truths, from which they had their intelligence and according to which they lived, is signified by "he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock," "honey" signifying the delight of natural love, "oil," the delight of spiritual love, and "the cliff" and "the flint of the rock," truth from the Lord. (That "oil" signifies the good of love and charity, may be seen above, n. 375; and that "cliffs" and "rocks" signify truth from the Lord, n. 411, 443)

[10] In David:

I fed ¹ them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I satisfied them (Psalms 81:16).

"The fat of wheat" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey out of the rock," the delight of natural good through truths from the Lord (as above). It is to be known that natural good is not good unless there is also spiritual good; for all good flows in through the spiritual man or mind into the natural man or mind, and so far as the natural man or mind receives the good of the spiritual man or mind so far man receives good; that there may be good there must be both, or the two sides, consequently natural good separated from spiritual good is in itself evil, although by man it is still perceived as good. Since there must be both, it is said in the passages cited and yet to be cited, "butter and honey," "milk and honey;" "fat and honey," as also "oil and honey;" and "butter," "milk," "fat," and "oil" signify the good of spiritual love, and "honey" the good of natural love, together with their delights.

[11] In Ezekiel:

Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen and silk and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, honey, and oil, whence thou didst become exceeding beautiful, and didst prosper even to a kingdom. But my bread which I gave thee, and the fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed thee, thou didst set before idols as an odor of rest (Ezekiel 16:13, 19).

This is said about Jerusalem, which signifies the church, first the Ancient Church, and afterwards the Israelitish Church. Of the Ancient Church it is said "she was decked with gold and silver," which signifies the love of good and truth that the men of that Church had; "the garments of fine linen, silk, and broidered work," signify the knowledges of celestial, spiritual, and natural truth, "fine linen" signifying truth from a celestial origin, "silk" truth from a spiritual origin, and "broidered work" truth from a natural origin, which is called knowledge [scientificum]. "She ate fine flour, honey and oil," signifies the perception of natural and spiritual truth and good, and their appropriation, "to eat" signifying to be appropriated, "fine flour" truth, "honey" natural good, and "oil" spiritual good, which were appropriated to them by a life according to the truths above mentioned. "She became exceeding beautiful and prospered even to a kingdom" signifies to become intelligent and wise so as to constitute a church, "beauty" signifying intelligence and wisdom, and a "kingdom" the church. But of the Israelitish Church, which was merely in externals without internals, whence the men of that church were idolatrous, it is said that "they set the fine flour, honey, and oil before the images of a male, or idols, as an odor of rest," that is, they perverted the truths and goods of the church into falsities and evils, and thus profaned them.

[12] In the same:

Judah and the land of Israel were thy merchants in the wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and honey and oil and balsam they gave for thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:17).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good; so, too, "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of truth and good themselves belonging to the church; "oil and honey" have a similar signification as above. What is meant here in the spiritual sense by "Judah and the land of Israel," by "the wheats of Minnith and Pannag," and by "balsam," also by "the merchandise of Tyre," may be seen explained above n. 433.

[13] In Moses:

A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths going forth from the valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; and of olive oil and honey (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

This is said of the land of Canaan, which means the church which is in celestial, spiritual, and natural good, and in truths therefrom; but the contents of this verse are explained above (n. 374, 403), showing that "oil and honey" here signify the good of love in the internal or spiritual man and in the external or natural man.

[14] In David:

The judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether; more desirable than gold and than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey and the dropping of honeycombs (Psalms 19:9, 10).

In the same:

I have not departed from Thy judgment; for Thou hast instructed me. How sweet are Thy words to my palate, more than honey to my mouth (Psalms 119:102, 103).

"Judgments" signify the truths and goods of worship, therefore it is said "the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether;" "righteous" signifies the good of life and worship therefrom; and as good is also signified by "gold" and "fine gold," it is said that "they are more desirable than gold and than much fine gold," "gold" meaning celestial good, "fine gold" spiritual good, and "desirable" means what belongs to affection and love. Since the goods by which a man is affected are delightful it is said that they are "sweeter than honey and the dropping of honeycombs," and that "the words of Jehovah are sweet to the palate, more than honey to the mouth," "sweet" signifying what is delightful, "honey" natural good, and "the dropping of honeycombs" natural truth. And because "honey" means natural good, and the "mouth" signifies what is external, it is said "more than honey to my mouth," as in Revelation, that "the little book was sweet as honey in the mouth."

[15] In Luke:

Jesus said to the disciples, who believed that they saw a spirit, See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; feel of Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me having. Then He said to them, Have ye here anything to eat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb. And He took it and did eat it before them (Luke 24:39, 41-43).

From the series of these words regarded in the spiritual sense it is very evident that "honeycomb" and "honey" signify natural good, for the Lord disclosed to His disciples that He had glorified or made Divine His whole Human, even to its natural and sensual; this is signified by "hands and feet" and by "flesh and bones," which they saw and felt, "hands and feet" signifying the ultimate of man which is called the natural, "flesh" its good, and "bones" its truth; for all things that are in the human body correspond to spiritual things, the "flesh" corresponding to the good of the natural man, and the "bones" to its truths. (On this correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102.) And this the Lord confirmed by eating before the disciples of the broiled fish and honeycomb; "the broiled fish" signifying the truth of good of the natural and sensual man, and "the honeycomb," the good of the truth of the same. The Lord, therefore, by letting them feel of Him, showed and confirmed that His whole Human, even to its ultimates, was glorified, that is, made Divine; and this He showed, too, by the eating, in that "He ate before them a piece of broiled fish and of a honeycomb."

[16] As "honey" signifies the good of the natural man, so also:

John the Baptist had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6).

For John the Baptist represented something similar as Elijah; wherefore it is also said that "Elijah should come," by whom John is meant. Elijah represented the Lord in relation to the Word, or the Word from the Lord; John had a similar representation; and as the Word teaches that the Messiah or the Lord was about to come, John was sent before to preach respecting the Lord's coming, according to the predictions in the Word. And as John represented the Word, therefore he represented the ultimates of the Word, which are natural, by his raiment and also by his food, namely, by his raiment of camel's hair and the leathern girdle about his loins; "camel's hair" signifying the ultimates of the natural man, such as are the exterior things of the Word, and "the leathern girdle about the loins," the external bond and connection of these with the interior things of the Word, which are spiritual. "Locust and wild honey" have a like signification, "locust" signifying the truth of the natural man, and "wild honey" its good. It is the same whether you say the truth and good of the natural man or natural truth and good, such as the Word is in its ultimate sense, which is called the sense of the letter or the natural sense, for this was what John represented by his raiment and food.

[17] That:

No leaven and no honey were to be offered in the offerings made by fire to Jehovah (Leviticus 2:11);

because "leaven" signifies the falsity of the natural man, and "honey" the delight of good of the natural man, and in the contrary sense the delight of its evil; this is also like leaven when it is mixed with such things as signify things interiorly holy, for natural delight draws its own from the delights of the love of self and of the world; and as the Israelitish nation was in such delights more than other nations, therefore they were forbidden to use honey in their sacrifices. (On the signification of "honey," as meaning the delight of the good of the natural man, see Arcana Coelestia 5650, 6857, 8056, 10137, 10530)

[18] That:

When Samson had rent the young lion he found in its carcass a swarm of bees and honey, when he was about to take a wife from the Philistine nation (Judges 14:8);

signified the dissipation of faith separated from charity, which the Philistine nation represented; for this reason the Philistines were called "uncircumcised," and this term signified that they were without spiritual love and charity and only in natural love, which is the love of self and of the world. Because such a faith destroys the good of charity it was represented by a young lion that attacked Samson with intent to tear him in pieces, but as Samson was a Nazirite, and by his Naziriteship represented the Lord in respect to His ultimate natural, he rent the lion, and afterwards found in its carcass "a swarm of bees and honey," and this signifies that when such faith has been dissipated, the good of charity succeeds in its place. The other things related of Samson in the book of Judges have a like signification; for there is nothing written in the Word that does not represent and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, and these can be known only by a knowledge of correspondences, and thus from the spiritual sense of the Word.

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