449. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the conjunction of those who are in the ultimate heaven with the Lord, is evident from the representation of Benjamin and of the tribe named after him, as denoting the Spiritual-celestial in the natural man, like Joseph in the spiritual. The Spiritual-celestial is truth conjoined to good. For truth, regarded in itself, is spiritual, and good celestial; hence Benjamin and his tribe signify the conjunction of truth and good in the Natural, here therefore the conjunction of those who are in the ultimate heaven with the Lord; for those who are in natural good and truth from the spiritual and the celestial are in the ultimate heaven. Those who are in the ultimate heaven are either spiritual-natural, or celestial-natural. The spiritual-natural in that heaven belong to the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, and the celestial-natural belong to the celestial kingdom of the Lord; wherefore the spiritual-natural communicate with the second heaven, where all are spiritual, but the celestial-natural communicate with the third heaven, where all are celestial, as stated above.

[2] It is evident from these things what Joseph and Benjamin, who were brethren, signify in the Word. Since Benjamin signifies truth conjoined to good in the natural man, and consequently truth conjoined to good in those who are in the ultimate heaven, therefore he was also the last son born to Jacob, and was called by him the son of the right hand, for Benjamin, in the original language, signifies the son of the right hand; and also he was born in Bethlehem, which city signifies truth conjoined to good in the Natural. That he was born in Bethlehem, see Genesis (35:16-19). He was born last, because the Natural, consisting of truth conjoined to good, is the ultimate of the church in man. For there are in man three degrees of life, the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate. The inmost degree is that in which those are who dwell in the inmost or third heaven, the middle degree that in which those are who dwell in the middle or second heaven, and the ultimate degree that in which those are who dwell in the ultimate or first heaven. Therefore those who are in the inmost degree are called celestial, those in the middle are called spiritual, and those in the ultimate degree are called either spiritual-natural or celestial-natural. The conjunction of those in the ultimate heaven with the Lord is signified by Benjamin. Concerning these three degrees of life in a man and in an angel, see Heaven and Hell 33, 34, 38, 39, 208, 209, 211, 435). These are the reasons why Benjamin was the last born of the sons of Jacob.

[3] He was called the son of the right hand, because son signifies truth, and right hand the power of truth from good, and all power in the spiritual world is in truth from good in the natural man. In this resides all the power possessed by the spiritual man, because the efficient cause is in the spiritual man, and the effect in the Natural, and all the power of the efficient cause is brought into active operation by means of the effect. That all the power of the spiritual man is in the Natural, and [acts] by means of the Natural, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia. (n. 9836). For this reason he was called Benjamin, that is, son of the right hand. And because Bethlehem has a similar signification, that is, truth conjoined to good in the natural man, therefore also David was born there and also anointed king (1 Sam. 16:1-14; 17:12). For David as a king represented the Lord as to truth from good, which is also signified by a king, as may be seen above (n. 29, 31, 205). And the Lord also was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, 5, 6) because He was born King, and from His birth truth in Him was conjoined to good. For every infant is born natural, and the Natural is first opened because it is nearest to the external senses and the world, and with all men it is ignorant of truth and inclined to evil, but with the Lord alone the Natural hungered for good and desired truth. The ruling affection with man is from the father, for it is his soul, but with the Lord the affection or soul from the Father was the Divine Itself, which is the Divine Good of the Divine Love.

[4] Because Benjamin and his tribe signify truth conjoined to good in the natural man, therefore his lot in the land of Canaan was between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph; and Jerusalem also, which was then inhabited by the Jebusite, fell to that tribe for an inheritance (Joshua 18:11-28); so that the sons of Benjamin dwelt there with the Jews, who afterwards occupied that city. The tribe of Benjamin was granted a lot between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph, because that tribe represented and thence signified the conjunction of good and truth; for Judah signifies the good of the church, and Joseph, the truth of the church. The reason why Jerusalem was given to that tribe was, that Jerusalem signified the church in regard to doctrine and worship, and all the doctrine of the church is the doctrine of truth conjoined to good, and all worship according to doctrine takes place by means of the natural man, for, as stated above, worship is an effect from the efficient cause in the spiritual man.

[5] From these observations the signification of Benjamin in the following passages is evident.

In Jeremiah:

If ye hallow the sabbath "they shall come in from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountain, and from the south, bringing the burnt-offering, and the sacrifice, and the meat-offering, and frankincense" (17:26).

The reason why such things are said to be the result of hallowing the sabbath is that the sabbath signified the union of the Divine and the Divine Human in the Lord, and in the respective sense (sensu respectivo), the conjunction of His Divine Human with heaven and the church; and in general the conjunction of good and truth, as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 8495, 8510, 10356, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730). The cities of Judah, the places about Jerusalem, and the land of Benjamin, signify truths conjoined to good in the natural man. The cities of Judah, signify the truths of good, the places about Jerusalem, the truths of doctrine in the natural man, and the land of Benjamin, their conjunction. For cities signify truths, and Judah signifies the good of the church; Jerusalem the doctrine of truth. The places round-about signify such things as are around, or beneath, which are the truths of good in the natural man; and the land of Benjamin signifies the church as to the conjunction of those things in the natural man. From the plain, from the mountain, and from the south, signifies good and truth in the natural man from a celestial and from a spiritual origin. The plain signifies good and truth in the natural man, because those who are in the ultimate heaven, and are called celestial-natural and spiritual-natural (of which above) dwell in plains or below mountains and hills. The mountain signifies those who are in celestial good, and the south, those who are in spiritual good, and therefore in the light of truth. To bring the burnt-offering and the sacrifice, and the meat-offering, and frankincense, signifies worship from celestial good and from spiritual good in the natural man. The burnt-offering signifies worship from celestial good, the sacrifice, worship from spiritual good; the meat-offering and frankincense signify good and the truth of good in the natural man. These are the things signified by the above words. For what other object could there be in saying that if they hallowed the sabbath they should come in from the cities of Judah, from the places about Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the plain, the mountain, and the south? Why not from the whole land of Canaan?

[6] Because these details signify such things as relate to heaven and the church, therefore similar things are also mentioned elsewhere in the same prophet:

"In the cities of the mountain, in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places round-about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that numbereth" (Jeremiah 33:13).

So again:

"They shall buy fields for money, and write it in a book, and cause witnesses to witness it in the land of Benjamin, and in the places round-about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountain, and in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south; because I will bring back their captivity, saith Jehovah" (Jeremiah 32:44).

In these passages similar things are signified as above by the land of Benjamin, the places round-about Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, the mountain, the plain, and the south; therefore, Benjamin signifies the conjunction of truth and good in the natural man, and thus the conjunction of truth and good with those who are in the ultimate heaven.

[7] In the same prophet:

"Assemble yourselves, ye sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet, and upon the house of the vineyard kindle a fire, for evil looketh out of the north, and great destruction" (6:1).

The subject here treated of in the spiritual sense is the devastation of the church in regard to truth and good, because it is against Zion and Jerusalem, for Zion signifies the good of the church, and Jerusalem, its truth. And because the sons of Benjamin signify the conjunction of good and truth they are therefore commanded to assemble themselves out of the midst of Jerusalem, to blow the trumpet, and kindle a fire upon the house of the vineyard. To blow the trumpet, signifies combat against that church from truths which are from good. The house of the vineyard signifies that church itself, and to kindle a fire upon it, its destruction by evil loves. The north from which the evil looketh signifies the falsity of evil; and the great destruction signifies the dissipation of good and truth.

[8] Again, in David:

"Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come to save us" (Psalm 80:1, 2).

Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, do not mean Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, but those who are in natural truth and good, and in whom there is the conjunction of these. See above (n. 440:6), where this passage is explained.

[9] In the same:

"Bless ye God in the congregations; the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. There is little Benjamin their ruler, the princes of Judah, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali" (Psalm 68:26, 27).

In these passages, neither Benjamin, nor the princes of Judah, Zebulun, and Naphtali, are meant, but those things pertaining to the church, which are signified by those tribes. Little Benjamin there signifies the innocence of the natural man. The innocence of the natural man consists in the conjunction of good and truth therein. This passage also is explained above (n. 439:5).

[10] In the blessing of the sons of Israel by Moses:

"And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Jehovah, he shall dwell in safety by him; he shall cover him all the day long, dwelling between his shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12).

Benjamin here signifies the Word in the ultimate sense, which is natural. For the Word is described in this blessing pronounced by Moses, and each tribe signifies some essential of it. And because in the ultimate sense of the Word, which is natural, there is the marriage of good and truth, as we have shown in many places, therefore he is called the beloved of Jehovah, and it is said "that he shall dwell in safety by him; he shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders."

[11] To dwell between the shoulders, denotes to dwell in security and in power. The signification of Benjamin in the prophecy of Israel the father concerning his sons (Genesis 49:27) is explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6439-6444). Benjamin in that prophecy is the last spoken of, because he signifies the ultimate of heaven and of the church, the ultimate being the Natural in which truth is conjoined to good.

[12] Because these things are signified by Benjamin, therefore the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin encamped in the wilderness about the tent of the congregation, on the west side (Num. 2:18-24); and these three tribes signify all those who are in natural truth and good, and in the conjunction thereof. Ephraim signifies truth [in the natural man], Manasseh, good, as shown above, and Benjamin, the conjunction of these. The reason why they encamped on the west side, was, that in heaven, those dwell in the west and in the north, who are in the obscurity of good, and in the obscurity of truth, consequently those who are in natural good and truth; but those dwell in the east and in the south in heaven, who are in the lucidity of good and truth. Concerning this circumstance see the work on Heaven and Hell 141-153).

[13] From what has been stated it is now evident that Benjamin, in the Word, signifies the conjunction of good and truth in the natural man, and conjunction with the Spiritual by means of good; for all that good which is good in the natural man flows in from the spiritual man, that is, by means of the spiritual man from the Lord. Without such influx good does not exist in the natural man. Therefore Benjamin also signifies the conjunction of the spiritual man with the natural, and Joseph, the conjunction of the celestial man with the spiritual.

10249. 'For him and his seed, [throughout] their generations' means all who receive the things which emanate from the Lord, thus who are being regenerated by Him. This is clear from the representation of 'Aaron' as the Lord in respect of Divine Good, dealt with in 9806, 9946; from the meaning of 'seed' as those who are being born from the Lord, thus who are being regenerated (for those who are being regenerated are called those who have been born from God, and also His children), though in the abstract sense, in which actual persons are not envisaged, 'Aaron's seed' means those things which emanate from the Lord, thus by which a person is being regenerated, namely forms of the good of love, and truths of faith; and from the meaning of 'generations' as other forms of good and truths which emanate from them as their parents, and descendants of these other ones. For in the internal sense of the Word 'generations' is used to mean spiritual generations, which are those of love and faith, see the places referred to in 10204.

[2] Since the Lord is meant in the representative sense by Aaron, 'Aaron's seed' is used to mean in particular those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and 'generations' those who are in His spiritual kingdom; for the forms of good and the truths of love and faith in the heavens arise and emanate from the Lord as those generations from Aaron did. The fact that 'seed', 'those who have been born', and 'generations' are used to mean those who love the Lord and believe in Him, and in the abstract sense forms of the good of love and the truths of faith, is clear from very many places in the Word, of which let just the following be quoted: In Isaiah,

From the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. Isaiah 43:5.

These words refer to Jacob and Israel, by whom in the internal sense is meant the Church, external and internal, whose seed is the truth of faith and the good of charity.

[3] In the same prophet,

I will pour out My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon those who have been born from you ¹ . Isaiah 44:3.

'Upon the seed' and 'upon those who have been born' mean upon those who belong to the Church, thus upon those things which are the Church's, namely forms of good and truths, or charity and faith, since these constitute the Church with a person. In the same prophet,

In Jehovah all the seed of Israel will glory. Isaiah 45:25.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

If He makes His soul guilt, He will see His seed. Isaiah 53:10.

This refers to the Lord, whose seed is what those who have been born from Him, thus who have been regenerated, are called. In the same prophet,

You will break out to the right and to the left, and your seed will inherit the nations. Isaiah 54:3.

Here the meaning is similar.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. Jeremiah 31:27.

This verse will be unintelligible to people unless they know what 'the house of Israel and the house of Judah' means, and also what 'the seed of man and the seed of beast' means. Those whose thought does not go beyond the sense of the letter will suppose the meaning to be that man and beast were going to be multiplied in Israel and Judah; but such a meaning implies nothing at all that is holy and the Church's. Rather, 'the house of Israel' is used in that verse to mean the spiritual Church, and 'the house of Judah' to mean the celestial Church, 'the seed of man' being those Churches' internal good, and 'the seed of beast' their external good. 'Beast' means the affection for good, see in the places referred to in 9280; and when the expression 'man and beast' is used, internal and external good is meant, 7523.

[5] In Jeremiah,

As the host of heaven will be unnumbered, and the sand of the sea is immeasurable, so I will multiply the seed of David. Jeremiah 33:22.

And in David,

I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David, Forever ² I will establish your seed, and build your throne from generation to generation. Psalms 89:3-4.

It is not persons descended from David as their father who should be understood by 'the seed of David', for they were not multiplied to so great an extent, nor were they of such great importance that they should be multiplied as the host of heaven or the sand of the sea. On the contrary in these places as in others elsewhere the Lord in respect of Divine Truth should be understood by 'David'. So 'his seed' means those who have been regenerated by or born from the Lord, and in the abstract sense the things which those people have from the Lord, namely the truths of faith and forms of the good of charity. As regards the Lord's being meant by 'David', see 1888, 9954.

[6] In David,

A seed which will serve Jehovah will be recounted ³ to the Lord to the [next] generation. Psalms 22:30.

In Isaiah,

Their seed will become known among the nations, and those born from them ⁴ in the midst of the peoples. Isaiah 61:9.

'Seed' stands for those who have been regenerated, thus for those belonging to the Church who have the Church within them. Thus in the abstract sense, in which actual persons are not envisaged, those things which compose one who has been regenerated, or which compose the Church as it exists with the person, are meant, namely faith and charity from the Lord.

[7] And in John,

The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.

'The dragon' is used to mean those who are about to try to destroy the Lord's Church, which is to be established after this, 'the woman' to mean that Church, and those who belong to 'her seed' to mean those who have a love of and belief in the Lord, which they have received from Him.

In the contrary sense however 'seed' means those who are set against the things which the Church possesses, thus who are immersed in evil and consequent falsities, and in the abstract sense it means evils and falsities, as in Isaiah,

Woe to a sinful nation, a seed of evil ones! Isaiah 1:4.

In the same prophet,

Sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer, are you not those born of transgression, the seed of deceit? Isaiah 57:3-4.

And in the same prophet,

The seed of evil-doers will never be named. Isaiah 14:20.

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