258. In the Word there is a spiritual sense, which is called the internal sense.

No one can know what the internal sense of the Word is, unless he knows what correspondence is (n. 2895, 4322). The whole and every part, even to the most minute, of the natural world, corresponds to spiritual things, and thence is significative of them (n. 1886-1889, 2987-3003, 3213-3227). The spiritual things to which natural things correspond assume another appearance in the natural, so that they are not distinguished (n. 1887, 2395, 8920). Scarcely anyone knows at this day, where, or in what part is the Divine of the Word, when nevertheless it is in its internal or spiritual sense, which at this day is not known (n. 2899, 4989). The mystic things of the Word are nothing else than what its internal or spiritual sense contains, which treats of the Lord, of His kingdom, and of the church, and not of the natural things which are in the world (n. 4923). The prophetic parts of the Word are in many places unintelligible, and therefore of no use without the internal sense; illustrated by examples (n. 2608, 8020, 8398). As what is signified by "the white horse," mentioned in Revelation (n. 2760[1-2].). By "the keys of the kingdom of the heavens" that were given to Peter, see the Preface to the 22 nd (Arcana Coelestia 9410) chapter of Genesis (n. 9410). By "the flesh," "blood," "bread," and "wine," in the Holy Supper, and thus why it was instituted by the Lord (n. 8682). By the prophecies of Jacob concerning his sons in the 49th chapter of Genesis (n. 6306, 6333-6465). By many prophecies concerning Judah and Israel, which by no means tally with that people, nor in the literal sense have any coincidence with their history (n. 6333, 6361, 6415, 6438, 6444). Besides innumerable other instances (n. 2608).

Of the spiritual or internal sense of the Word in a summary (n. 1767-1777, 1869-1879). There is an internal sense in the whole and in every particular part of the Word (n. 1143, 1984, 2135, 2333, 2395, 2495, 2619). Such things do not appear in the sense of the letter, but nevertheless they are contained within it (n. 4442).

6444. These are the things that are meant by 'Benjamin'; but can anyone without the internal sense state what is implied by the things said about him - that he 'is a wolf', 'will seize in the morning', 'will devour the spoil', and 'at evening will divide the plunder'? The meaning of these details would lie completely hidden unless the internal sense revealed it. Very much of what is contained in the Prophets is like this; little of it is intelligible if considered literally, but all of it is intelligible if considered from the internal sense.

From all that has been said it may now be seen perfectly clearly that Jacob's sons and the tribes named after them mean the kinds of things that constitute the Lord's Church and kingdom.