Apocalypse Revealed # 862
862. We have said that the nations' surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city means, symbolically, that these people attempted to destroy everything connected with the New Church, both its truths and goods and its fundamental doctrine regarding the Lord and life, as stated in the preceding number. This is the symbolic meaning because the camp of the saints symbolizes all the truths and goods of the church which is the New Jerusalem.
That a camp in the spiritual sense symbolizes everything connected with the church with respect to its truths and goods can be seen from the following passages:
The sun and moon grew dark, and the stars diminished their brightness. Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for numberless are those who obey His Word. (Joel 2:10-11)
I will encamp for My house some of the army... (Zechariah 9:8)
...God has scattered the bones of them who encamp against you..., because God has rejected them. (Psalms 53:5)
The angel of Jehovah encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. (Psalms 34:7)
(An angel of God met Jacob, and said to Jacob,) "This is God's camp." Therefore he called the name of that place Mahanaim (Two Camps). (Genesis 32:1-2)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 29:3, Ezekiel 1:24, Psalms 27:3.
That an army or host in the Word symbolizes the church's truths and goods, and also its falsities and evils, may be seen in nos. 447, 826, 833; and so, too, does a camp.
[2] Since the children of Israel and their twelve tribes symbolize the church in respect to all its truths and goods (nos. 349, 350), they were therefore called the armies or hosts of Jehovah (Exodus 7:4; 12:41, 51), and the places where they stopped and assembled were called camps, as in Leviticus 4:12; 8:17; 13:46; 14:8; 16:26, 28; 24:14, 23; Numbers 1; 2; 3; 4:5 ff., 5:2-4; 9:17-23; 10:1-10, 11-28; 11:31-32; 12:14-15; 21:10-15; 33:1-49; Deuteronomy 23:9-14; Amos 4:10.
It is apparent from this now that the nations' surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city means, symbolically, that these people tried to destroy all the truths and goods of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, and also its doctrine regarding the Lord and life.
The same symbolism is found in these verses in Luke:
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near... (At length) Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20, 24)
This is said in reference to the end of the age, which is the final period of the church. Jerusalem here also symbolizes the church.
That Gog and Magog, that is, people who engage in external worship divorced from any internal worship, will then invade the church and try to destroy it, is something we are told also in Ezekiel 38:8-9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 39:2, and that the New Church will then be established by the Lord, Ezekiel 39:17-29.
Numbers 26:5-57
5
Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: [of] Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6
of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7
These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
8
The sons of Pallu: Eliab.
9
The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh,
10
and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
11
Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn't die.
12
The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13
of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15
The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16
of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17
of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18
These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19
The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20
The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21
The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22
These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23
The sons of Issachar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
24
of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25
These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26
The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27
These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
28
The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29
The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30
These are the sons of Gilead: [of] Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31
and [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32
and [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33
Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34
These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35
These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36
These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37
These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
38
The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39
of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40
The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41
These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42
These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43
All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44
The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
45
Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46
The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47
These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.
48
The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49
of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50
These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51
These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.
52
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
53
"To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54
To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given.
55
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56
According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer."
57
These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
