431. We have so far shown that twelve signifies all things, and that it is used of truths from good; we shall now show that the twelve tribes signify all things of the church, and each tribe some universal and essential of the church. As a representative church was to be established with the sons of Jacob, it was therefore provided by the Lord that his sons should be twelve in number, and that significative names should be given to them, in order that the twelve tribes descended from them, and distinguished by the same names, might signify everything pertaining to that church which they represented, and each tribe some universal and essential of it. What therefore each tribe signified and represented will be explained in what follows. And because all things of the church have reference to truths from good, therefore also the twelve tribes signify truths from good in their whole extent. The reason why they were called tribes was, that the two words used in the original or Hebrew tongue to express tribes, signify a sceptre, and a staff, and by a sceptre is signified the Divine Truth as to sovereignty, and by a staff, the Divine Truth as to power.

[2] In consequence of this derivation and signification, it was commanded, when the people were murmuring against Moses and Aaron, on account of their authority and power over them, that the princes of all the tribes should place their staves in the tabernacle of the congregation, and in the midst of them the staff of Levi upon which the name of Aaron was written, and which yielded almonds (Num. 17:3-8). Staves, as was said, have the same signification as tribes, and by the staff of Levi, on which the name of Aaron was written, is signified the same as by the tribe of Levi and as by Aaron as the high-priest, namely the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of love to the Lord. The tribe of Levi signifies the good of charity, and Aaron the priest, the good of love; therefore that staff was placed in the midst, and yielded almonds. To be placed in the midst signifies that all things are thence (see above, n. 313), and almonds signify the goods of life.

[3] Because the twelve tribes signified all things of the church, or truths from good in their whole extent, therefore the breastplate of Aaron, called the Urim and Thummim, was composed of twelve precious stones, on which were the names of the twelve tribes, or the twelve sons of Israel (Exodus 28:15-30; 39:8-21, 29). It is well known that responses from heaven were given by means of it, but the origin of this has not yet been revealed; it shall therefore be stated. All light in the angelic heaven proceeds from the Lord as the Sun, consequently that light in its essence is Divine Truth, and it is the source of all the intelligence and wisdom of angels, and also of men, in things spiritual. This light in heaven is modified into various colours, according to the truths from good that are received. For this reason colours in the Word from correspondence signify truths from good; therefore also responses were given by means of a brilliant lustre from the colours of the stones which were in the Urim and Thummim, and at the same time either by a living voice, or by a tacit perception corresponding to that brilliant lustre. It is therefore evident, that the twelve tribes, whose names were engraved, have a similar signification. But see what has been stated and shown upon this subject in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that colours in heaven are from the light there, and that they are modifications and variations of it according to reception (n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922); thus, that they are appearances of truth from good, and signify such things as relate to intelligence and wisdom (n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466). That colours, in proportion as they arise from red, signify good, and in proportion as they are from white, truth (n. 9467). That in general stones signify truths (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376). That precious stones signify truths from good, thus, that twelve precious stones signify all truths from good in heaven and in the church (n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905). That the breast-plate of judgment which was upon the ephod, and was called the Urim and Thummim, signifies in general truths shining forth from Divine Good (n. 9823). That Urim denotes fire shining, and Thummim brilliant lustre, in the angelic tongue, but in the Hebrew tongue integrity (n. 9905). That, therefore, the Urim and Thummim from correspondence signify the brilliancy of Divine Truth from Divine Good in ultimates (n. 9905). That responses were thence given by the variations of light from the precious stones, and at the same time either by a living voice or by tacit perception (n. 3862). That the names of the twelve tribes were engraved thereon, because they signified all the 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] Since in truths from good, or in good by means of truths there is all power, therefore the names of the twelve tribes were also engraved upon the two onyx stones six upon each, and they were placed upon the two shoulders of the ephod worn by Aaron (Exodus 28:9-14; 39:6, 7). By this the power of Divine Truth from Divine Good was signified and so the power which those possess, who receive Divine Truth in the good of love. For by the onyx stones, truths from the good of love were signified; the shoulders, signified power, and the twelve tribes all who are in truths from good. That there is all power in Divine Truth from Divine Good, and that those who receive it, possess that power, may be seen above (n. 209, 333); and in 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 is evident 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 mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory" (24:30).

And in the Apocalypse:

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him" (1:7).

These words signify, that at the end of the church the Lord will reveal Himself in the Word by means of the internal sense, that all who are in truths from good will acknowledge Him, and that also those who are in falsities from evil will see Him (see above, n. 37-39). By all the tribes of the earth wailing, is signified that all truths from good will perish, and that falsities from evil will take their place, the tribes of the earth denoting all who are of the church, and also all things of the church.

[6] In Matthew:

"Jesus said" to His 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" (19:28).

And in Luke:

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

These words cannot be understood unless the meaning of apostles, thrones, and the tribes of Israel be known from the spiritual sense. Who cannot see that the apostles are not to be judges, but the Lord alone? For every man is judged according to his life, and no one knows the lives of all men, but the Lord alone, and the apostles did not know the life even of one. But the twelve apostles in the spiritual sense, signify all truths from good, sitting upon thrones signifies judgment, and the twelve tribes of Israel signify all who are of the church. These words therefore signify that the Lord will judge everyone from Divine Truth, and according to its reception in good.

[7] This signification of the apostles, and of the tribes of Israel, is very clear from these words in the Apocalypse.

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 in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (21:12, 14).

The New Jerusalem, does not mean any new Jerusalem, neither do its wall and gates mean a wall and gates, nor do the twelve tribes and apostles mean twelve tribes and apostles. That things entirely different are signified by each expression, is evident from this fact alone, that the New Jerusalem means a church new in doctrine; therefore angels, tribes, and apostles, signify such things as belong to that new church, all of which have reference to truth and good, and their conjunction, consequently to truths from good. But these things may be seen explained in the following pages; they are also concisely set forth in the work on The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

[8] In David:

"Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together; whither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, the testimony of Israel, to confess to the name of Jehovah" (Psalm 122:3, 4).

Here also, by Jerusalem is signified the church as to doctrine, which is said to be built as a city that is compact together, when all its doctrines agree and harmonize one with another, and when they mutually point to the Lord and to love towards Him from Him, as their beginning and their end. It is said to be built as a city, because a city signifies doctrine. The truths of doctrine which point to the Lord are signified by the tribes, the tribes of Jah, for tribes signify truths, and the tribes of Jah, truths from good, and these are from the Lord; worship therefrom is signified by confessing to the name of Jehovah.

[9] Since Israel signifies the church which is in truths from good, therefore in the Word Israel is called "the tribes of the inheritance" (Isaiah 63:17; Jeremiah 10:16; 51:19; Psalm 74:2). And because Egypt signifies scientific truths in the natural man, upon which truths from good are founded, these being the truths of the spiritual man, therefore Egypt is called "the corner-stone of the tribes" (Isaiah 19:13); the corner-stone signifies the foundation (as may be seen above, n. 417:12). And since by the land of Canaan is signified the church, and by the twelve tribes all things of the church, and by each tribe something which is a universal and an essential of the church, therefore that land was divided amongst the tribes (Num. 26:5-56; 34:17-28; Joshua 15 seq.). This is also clear from what is said in Ezekiel, where a new earth is the subject, by which is signified a new church to be established by the Lord; how it will be distributed for an inheritance, according to the twelve tribes of Israel, is foretold and described (47:13, 20); and these tribes are also recounted by name (48:1 to end). That it is not meant that the twelve tribes of Israel should inherit the earth, nor that any tribe there named should do so, is very evident; for eleven of the tribes were dispersed, and everywhere intermingled with the Gentiles and yet the particular quarter of the earth that should be inherited by Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Isaachar, Zebulun, and Gad is stated. From this it is plain, that by the earth or land is there meant the church; by the twelve tribes are meant all things of the church, and by each of the tribes is signified some universal and essential of the church.

The case is similar with the twelve tribes named in this chapter of the Apocalypse, where it is said that twelve thousand were sealed and saved out of every tribe. That by twelve thousand are there signified 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 hereafter explained.

[10] An almost similar statement is made in Moses concerning the church among the ancients, which existed before the Israelitish church.

"Remember the days of eternity, consider the years of many generations; ask thy father and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel" (Deuteronomy 32:7, 8).

These things are said concerning the churches which preceded the church instituted among the sons of Israel, concerning which see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 247). The Most Ancient Church which existed before the flood, and which was a celestial church, or a church in the good of love to the Lord, is meant by the days of eternity, when the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of men; for nations signify those who are in the good of love, see above (n. 331), and the sons of men, those who are in truths from good, see also above (n. 63, 151). The Ancient Church, which existed after the flood, and was a spiritual church, is meant by the years of many generations, when the Most High set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel; for peoples signify those who are in spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, see above (n. 331); and the number of the sons of Israel signifies the same as the twelve tribes, according to which the inheritances were distributed, as above in Ezekiel.

[11] Two interior truths concerning the twelve tribes must here be noted. (i) That their arrangement represented the arrangement of the angelic societies in the heavens; and that therefore they represented all things of the church, for heaven and the church act as one. (ii) That the representation of heaven and of the church is determined according to the order in which they are named; and that the first name, or first tribe, is the index that determines those things that follow and consequently the things of heaven and of the church with variety.

(i) That the arrangement of the twelve tribes of Israel represented the arrangement of the angelic societies in the heavens, and consequently heaven, since heaven consists of angelic societies, is evident from this fact, that every tribe represented and thence signified some universal essential of the church, and that the twelve tribes taken together represented all things of the church, and that the church among the sons of Israel was a representative church; therefore the whole nation, distributed into twelve tribes, represented the church in its entirety, consequently heaven also, for the same goods and the same truths which make the church also make heaven, or those which make heaven also make the church, as may be seen in Heaven and Hell 57).

[12] The arrangement of the twelve tribes of Israel, according to the arrangement of the angelic societies of heaven, consequently according to the form of heaven, is evident in their encampments, as described by Moses. To the east were encamped the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; to the south, the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west, the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin; and to the north, the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali; and the tribe of Levi in the midst of the camp; they also went forward in the same order (Num. 2:1 to the end). He who knows who those are that dwell in the eastern quarter in heaven, and their quality, and who those are that dwell in the southern, western, and northern quarters, and their quality, and knows at the same time who those are that are signified by each tribe, may know the interior reason why the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun encamped towards the east; why the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad encamped towards the south, and so forth. We shall, for the sake of illustration, speak here only of the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, who were encamped towards the east. By the tribe of Judah is signified the good of love to the Lord, by the tribe of Issachar, the truth of that good, and by the tribe of Zebulun, the marriage of good and truth, which is also called the celestial marriage. All those also, who dwell in the eastern quarter in heaven, are in the good of love to the Lord and in truths from that good, and are therefore in the celestial marriage. The rest of the tribes are to be understood in a similar manner. That all in heaven have their habitation, according to their quality, in the four quarters, and that the quarters there are not like the quarters in our solar world, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 141-153).

[13] Because the encampments of the sons of Israel represented the arrangement of angelic societies in heaven, therefore Balaam, when he saw their encampments, saw in spirit as it were heaven, and prophesied and blessed them. Concerning this it is said in Moses,

"And Balaam set his faces towards the wilderness and when he lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said, How goodly are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, thy dwelling-places, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river" (Num. 24:1-6).

That he at that time saw the encampments of the sons of Israel according to the arrangement of the tribes stated above, is evident, for it is said that he set his faces towards the wilderness and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes. And because he then saw the arrangement of heaven in them, therefore the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied and said, "How goodly are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy habitations, O Israel!" Tabernacles and dwelling-places signify habitations, such as are in the heavens; tabernacles the habitations of those who are in the good of love, and dwelling-places, the habitations of those who are in truths from that good. The fructifications of good, and the multiplications of truth, and intelligence and wisdom therefrom, are signified by the words, "As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river." For all good, and all truth thence, flows according to the form of heaven, as may be seen from what is said in Heaven and Hell, where the form of heaven and the consociations and communications therein are treated of (n. 200-212).

[14] (ii) That the representation of heaven and of the church is determined according to the order in which the tribes are named, and that the first name, or first tribe, is the index which determines all things that follow, consequently the things of heaven and of the church with variety. This interior truth can scarcely be comprehended by any one unless he be in a spiritual idea. Still it shall be briefly explained. For example, let the tribe of Judah be the first that is named. Because this tribe signifies the good of love, then from the good of love as their beginning the significations of the rest of the tribes which follow are determined, and this with variety according to the order in which they are named. For each of the tribes signifies some universal of the church, and a universal admits into itself specific varieties, thus a variety from the first [principle] from which it descends. Therefore, all things there in a series derive their spiritual sense specifically from the good of love, signified by the tribe of Judah. If the tribe of Reuben be first named by which truth in the light, and the understanding of truth are signified, the rest of the tribes which follow derive their significations therefrom and these harmonize and agree with the universal which each signifies. The case here may be compared with that of colours that appear tinged with the primary colour which diffuses itself into the other colours, and varies their appearance.

[15] From these things it is evident why responses were given upon every thing by means of the Urim and Thummim, for by means of the precious stones there was a brilliant lustre from the origin of colour from that stone upon which some tribe [was named], and from which the determination commenced. The colours also of those stones corresponded to the universals signified by the inscribed tribes. He who knows this, and at the same time what the universal is which each tribe signifies, may in some measure perceive, if he be in spiritual illustration, what the different tribes signify in their series, in agreement with which they are named in the Word; thus, what they signify, in the order in which the tribes were born which is as follows:- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 29; 30. and 35:18); what they signify in the order in which they journeyed into Egypt, which is as follows:- "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali" (Genesis 46:9-21); what they signify in the order in which they were blessed by Israel their father, of which the following is the order: "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin" (Genesis 49). The order in which they were blessed by Moses was different, being as follows: "Reuben, Judah, Levi, Benjamin, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, Asher" (Deuteronomy 33); where Simeon and Issachar are omitted, and Ephraim and Manasseh substituted in their place. And he may know what is signified by those tribes in the series mentioned in other places, as in Genesis 35:23-26; Num. 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 various significations according to the order in which they are named, and thus signify all things of heaven, with variety, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603, and following numbers, 6640, 10335). But what they signify in the series, in which they are named in this chapter of the Apocalypse, will be shown below. The order according to which they are here named is this: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin; Dan and Ephraim being passed by, or not named.

175. To him will I give power over the nations. That this signifies power over his evils, which will be dispersed by the Lord in such case, is evident from the signification of nations, as denoting evils, concerning which we shall speak in what follows; and from the signification of giving power over them, as denoting that evils are then dispersed by the Lord. To have power, when it is said, "over the nations," is to disperse, when used in reference to evils; thus are words applied to their subjects. The reason why they are dispersed by the Lord is, that the Lord disperses evils by means of truths. He first reveals them by means of truths; and when a man acknowledges them, the Lord then disperses them. (That the Lord alone does this, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 200.) Peoples and nations are often mentioned in the Word, and it is believed by those who know nothing of the spiritual or internal sense of the Word that peoples and nations are thereby meant; whereas by peoples are meant those who are in truths, or, in the opposite sense, those who are in falsities, and by nations, those who are in goods, or, in the opposite sense, those who are in evils. And when such are meant by peoples and nations, then also, in the abstract, by peoples are meant truths or falsities, and by nations goods or evils, for the true spiritual sense is not concerned with persons, spaces, times and similar things, that are proper to nature.

[2] The natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, is one with the things of nature, and therefore serves as a basis for the sense which is without these things. For all things in nature are ultimates of Divine order; and the Divine does not stop in the midst, but flows down to ultimates, and thus subsists. This is why the Word is such in the letter; unless it were of this nature, it would not serve as a basis for the wisdom of angels, who are spiritual. It may be seen, therefore, how much those err who despise the Word on account of its style. The reason why nations signify those who are in good, and, in the abstract goods themselves, is, that men in ancient times lived divided into nations, families and houses. They then mutually loved each other; the father of a nation loved the whole nation which sprang from himself; thus the good of love was the ruling good among them. This is why by nations are signified goods; but when men went in opposition to this, as was the case in the following ages, when empires took their rise, then nations signified evils. (See what is further said upon this subject in the small work, The Earths in the Universe 49, 90, 173, 174.)

[3] That nations in the Word signify goods or evils, and peoples truths or falsities is evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"The nations shall walk to thy light and kings to the splendour of thy rising. Then shalt thou see and flow, and thine heart shall be enlarged, because the multitude of the sea is converted unto thee, the hosts of the nations come unto thee: thy gates shall be open continually, they shall not be shut day and night, to bring unto thee the host of the nations; and their kings shall be led down; for the nation or kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish. And the nations by wasting shall be wasted. Thou shalt suck the milk of nations, yea, the breasts of kings shalt thou suck; a little one shall become a thousand, and the few a numerous nation" (60:3, 5, 11, 12, 16, 22).

Here the Lord is treated of; and by nations are meant all those who are in the good of love, and by kings all those who are in the truths of faith towards Him. It is therefore evident who are meant by the nations of whom it is said, they "shall walk to thy light," and by "the host of the nations that shall be brought;" and also who are meant by kings, respecting whom it is said, "they shall walk to the brightness of thy rising," and "the kings of the nations shall be led down." It is also plain what is meant by sucking the milk of the nations and the breasts of kings; milk is the delight of the good of love, similarly breasts, as milk is from them. The multiplication of truth and the fructification of good, are described by a little one becoming a thousand, and the few a numerous nation. But by the nations which shall perish are meant all those who are in evils, and also the evils themselves.

[4] In the same:

"Behold I will lift up my hand towards the nations, and towards the peoples I will lift up my standard, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder; and kings shall be thy nourishers, and princesses those who shall suckle thee; with the face to the earth shall they bow down to thee" (49:22, 23).

The subject here treated of is also the Lord, and those who shall worship and adore Him. To lift up His hand towards the nations, and His standard towards the peoples is to claim to Himself all who are in the goods of love and thence in truths; concerning whom it is said, that they shall bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder, sons denoting the affections of truth and daughters the affections of good (as may be seen above, n. 166). And of these it is said, kings shall be thy nourishers, and princesses those who shall suckle thee. Kings signify truths themselves, and princesses the goods thereof; and because a man is regenerated by means of these, and also nourished, it is therefore said that they shall be nourishers and those who shall give suck. (That man is regenerated by truths and by a life according to them, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 23, 24, 27, 186.) This is the internal sense of those words; and without that sense who could understand them?

[5] In the same:

"Jehovah said, Behold I spread out upon" Jerusalem "peace as a river, and as a torrent the glory of the nations that ye may suck. He shall come to gather together all nations and tongues, that they may come and see my glory. They shall announce my glory in the nations; then shall they bring your brethren from all nations, a gift to Jehovah upon horses and upon the chariot, to the mountain of my holiness" (66:12, 18, 19, 20).

Jerusalem here signifies the church of the Lord in the heavens and on earth. It is said the church in the heavens, because the church is there also (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 221-227). By nations and tongues, are meant all those who are in the goods of love and thence in truths. To bring from all nations a gift to Jehovah, upon horses and upon the chariot, denotes worship from the good of love, which is signified by a gift to Jehovah. Horses and chariots signify intellectual and doctrinal things, for from these and upon these worship is founded. (That horses and chariots have such a signification may be seen in the small work, The White Horse 1-5.)

[6] In the same:

"In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the peoples; the nations shall seek" (11:10).

The root of Jesse is the Lord; to stand for an ensign of the peoples denotes that He may be seen by those who are in truths. The nations which shall seek, denote those who are in the good of love.

It is supposed that by nations are here meant the nations that will accede to, and acknowledge the Lord, from which there will be a church, called the church of the Gentiles. Yet these are not meant by the nations, but all those who are in love and faith towards the Lord, whether within the church or without it (which may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 308, 318-328).

[7] In the same:

"A strong people shall honour thee, the city of the powerful nations shall fear thee" (25:3).

"Open ye the gates that the righteous nation may enter in. Thou hast added to the nation, Jehovah, thou hast added to the nation, thou art glorified" (26:2, 15).

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples" (34:1).

In the same:

"I, Jehovah, have called thee in justice, for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations" (42:6).

In Jeremiah:

"And the nations shall bless themselves in him - and in him shall they glory" (4:2).

In the same:

Who shall not fear thee, O king of nations? - and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee" (10:7).

And in Daniel:

"I saw in visions of the night, and behold with the clouds of heaven one like the Son of man. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and tongues shall serve him" (7:13, 14).

And in David:

"Let the peoples confess thee, O God; let all the peoples confess thee. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the peoples in rectitude, and shalt lead the nations upon earth" (67:3-4).

In the same:

"That I may see the good of thy chosen and be glad in the joy of thy nations" (106:5).

In the Apocalypse:

The glory and honour of the nations shall be brought into the New Jerusalem (21:26).

In Isaiah:

"Ye shall be called the priests of Jehovah; the ministers of our God, shall be said to you; ye shall eat the riches of the nations, and in their glory shall ye glory" (61:6).

In Lamentations:

"The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the nations" (4:20).

In these places, by nations are meant all those who are in love to the Lord, whether they be within the church, where the Word is, or out of it. That by nations, in an opposite sense, are meant those who are in evils, and, in the abstract, evils themselves, is evident from the following passages;

[8] as in Jeremiah:

"I will bring a nation upon you from far: it is a strong nation, it is a nation of an age, a nation whose language thou knowest not. It shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread, and shall eat thy sons and thy daughters: it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree; it shall desolate cities with the sword" (5:15, 17).

The vastation of the church is here treated of. By nation is meant the evil which will consummate it; hence it is said, that it shall eat up the harvest and the bread, the sons and daughters, the vine and the fig-tree, and impoverish cities with the sword. By these things are signified all the goods of love and truths of faith: by the harvest is signified a state of reception of truth from good (see Arcana Coelestia 9295); by bread, the good of love (see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 218); by sons and daughters, the affections of truth and good (see above, n. 166); by vine, the internal church, thus the internal things of the church (see Arcana Coelestia 1069, 5113, 6376, 9277); by the fig-tree, the external church, thus the external things of the church (n. 5113); by cities, doctrines (see Arcana Coelestia 402, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493); by sword, falsity destroying (see above, n. 73, 131). From these considerations it is evident that by nation is signified the evil which destroys everything of the church.

[9] In the same:

"Behold I lay stumbling blocks before this people, that they may stumble upon them, the fathers and the sons together. Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great nation from the sides of the land. They have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses" (6:21-23).

In this passage also, nation denotes evil, and people falsities; the stumbling blocks upon which the fathers and the sons stumble denote perversions of good and truth; fathers denote goods, and sons the truths therefrom. It is said, a people from the land of the north, and a nation from the sides of the land, because the north signifies that falsity from evil, and the sides of the land those things that are outside the church, thus they signify evils remote from the goods of the church. To roar like the sea, and to ride upon horses, denotes to persuade from the fallacies of the senses, and by reasonings therefrom.

[10] In Ezekiel:

"The land is full of the judgment of bloods, and the city is full of violence, therefore I will bring upon them the worst of the nations, and they shall occupy their houses; the king shall mourn and the prince shall be clothed with stupor" (7:23, 24, 27).

The land is the church; being full of the judgment of bloods, signifies that it is immersed in falsities destroying goods; city denotes doctrine; to be full of violence signifies offering violence to the good of charity; the worst of the nations denotes dire falsities from evil; to occupy their houses denotes to possess their minds; the king who shall mourn is the truth of the church; the prince who shall be clothed with stupor signifies truth subservient. (That the land signifies the church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 9325, 9643; that bloods denote falsities destroying goods, n. 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127; that city denotes doctrine, n. 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; that violence denotes to violate the good of charity, n. 6353; that house denotes the things that belong to a man's mind, n. 710, 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 3538, 4973, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7848, 7910, 7929, 9150; that the king who shall mourn denotes the truth of the church, may be seen above, n. 31.)

[11] Again, in David:

"Jehovah rendereth vain the counsel of the nations, he subverteth the thoughts of the peoples" (Psalms 33:10).

Nations denote those who are in evils, and peoples those who are in falsities; and because both the former and the latter are signified, it is therefore said, that Jehovah rendereth vain the counsel of the nations, and subverteth the thoughts of the peoples, which are two expressions as it were signifying one thing, but yet they are distinct in the internal sense, in which nations signify one thing, and peoples another.

[12] In Luke:

"Then they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be taken captive among all nations, and at length Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations, until the times of the nations be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring" (21:24, 25).

The consummation of the age is here treated of, which is the last time of the church, when there is no longer any faith because no charity, or no truth because no good. This is described in the above passage by correspondences. To fall by the edge of the sword is to be destroyed by falsities; to be taken captive among all nations is to be possessed by evils of every kind; Jerusalem, which shall be trodden under foot is the church; the sun denotes love to the Lord; the moon, faith towards Him; the stars denote knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth; the signs in them denote that they therefore would perish; the sea and the waves roaring are fallacies and reasonings.

[13] In Matthew:

"Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places; and they shall deliver you up to tribulation; and ye shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake" (24:7, 9; Luke 21:10, 11).

These things are also said by the Lord concerning the last time of the church; and by nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom is signified that there will be dissensions of evils and falsities among themselves. By famines and pestilences are signified defect and consumption of truths; by earthquakes, the perversion of the church; by being hated by all nations is signified to be hated by all those who are in evil; by the name of the Lord, on account of which they shall be hated are signified all things of love and faith by which the Lord is worshipped (as may be seen above, n. 102, 135).

[14] In Ezekiel:

"Behold, Asshur a cedar in Lebanon, he is become high and his branches are multiplied: in his branches have all the birds of the heavens built their nests, and under his branches all the beasts of the field have brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt great nations. But his heart is lifted up in his height, wherefore I will give him into the hand of the strong, one of the nations, strangers shall cut him off, and the violent of the nations shall cast him down; whence all peoples of the earth have descended from his shade, and have deserted him" (31:3, 5, 6, 11, 12).

These things could not be understood by any one without a knowledge of the spiritual or internal sense of the Word. It may be supposed that they are mere comparisons, in which there is not any spiritual signification, when, nevertheless, the most minute particulars therein signify something pertaining to heaven and the church; therefore they shall be briefly explained. Asshur denotes the enlightened Rational of the man of the church; this is called a cedar in Lebanon, because a cedar signifies the same thing as Asshur, specifically truth from good in the Rational; and Lebanon denotes the mind wherein the Rational resides, because cedars grew in Lebanon. By his branches being multiplied are meant truths therefrom. The fowls of heaven building their nests in his branches signify the affections of truth; and the beasts of the field which brought forth under his branches, the affections of good. The great nations which dwell under his shade, are the goods of love; his heart lifted up in his height, is the love of self. To be delivered into the hands of the strong one of the nations, and to be cast down by the violent of the nations, denote his being destroyed as to goods and truths by the evils derived from the love of self. The people of the earth who went down from his shade and left him, signify all the truths of the church. It is therefore evident that by nations are signified goods, and, in the opposite sense, evils; by the nations which dwelt under his shade, goods, and by the nations which cut him off and cast him down, evils. (See moreover what is said and shown concerning nations and their signification in Arcana Coelestia, namely, that by nations in the Word are signified those who are in good, and hence that they signify goods themselves, n. 1059, 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005; concerning the assembly of the nations as denoting truths and goods, n. 4574, 7830; concerning the holy nation, as denoting the spiritual kingdom, n. 9255, 9256. When it is said nation and people, by nation are meant those who are in celestial good, and by people those who are in spiritual good, n. 10288. That by nations, especially those of the land of Canaan, are meant evils and falsities of every kind, n. 1059, 1205, 1868, 6306, 8054, 8317, 9320, 9327.)