353. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed. (7:6) This symbolizes mutual love, which is a love of performing useful services to the community or society, in those people who will be part of the New Heaven and of the Lord's New Church.

In the highest sense Asher symbolizes eternity; in the spiritual sense, eternal bliss; and in the natural sense, an affection for goodness and truth. Here, however, Asher symbolizes a love of performing useful services, which is found among people who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and is called there mutual love. This love descends directly from love toward the Lord, since the Lord's love is to perform useful services to the community and to each society in the community, and He does these through the agency of people who possess a love for Him.

That Asher has the aforesaid symbolic meanings can be seen to some extent from the blessing he received from his father Israel:

As regards Asher, his bread shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties. (Genesis 49:20)

And from the blessing he received from Moses:

Asher is most blessed of sons; let him be acceptable to his brothers... As his days shall his fame be. (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)

His name, too, is derived from a word meaning bliss, and people who have a love for performing useful services to the community and society enjoy in heaven a greater state of bliss than others.