4606. 'And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun' means the essential characteristics of these, that is to say, of external Divine Goods and Truths. This is clear from the representation of each of these sons - from the representation of 'Simeon' in the highest sense as providence, in the internal sense faith within the will, and in the external sense obedience, dealt with in 3869-3872; of 'Levi' in the highest sense as love and mercy, in the internal sense charity or spiritual love, and in the external sense a joining together, dealt with in 3875, 3877; of 'Judah' in the highest sense as the Divinity of the Lord's Love, in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church has, dealt with in 3881; of 'Issachar' in the highest sense as Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good, in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love, and in the external sense mutual love, dealt with in 3956, 3957; and from the representation of 'Zebulun' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love, dealt with in 3960, 3961. These are the essential characteristics within the Lord's external Divine Goods and Truths; but no one is able to explain how each one is present within them except him who dwells in heavenly light. For in that light they reveal themselves like the replies seen in the Urim and Thummim as flashes of light and fire, from which answers given by the Lord were perceived. For the Urim and Thummim contained twelve precious stones in conformity with the twelve tribes of Israel.

2738. Mutual love such as is present in heaven is not the same as conjugial love. Conjugial love there consists in the desire to be one in the life of the other, but mutual love consists in desiring what is good to another rather than to oneself, as with the love of parents towards children, and as with the love of those who are moved to do good not for their own benefit but because they find joy in doing it. Such angelic love is derived from conjugial love, and is born from it like a child from its parent. For this reason that love exists in parents towards their children. This love is preserved by the Lord in parents even when conjugial love is not present in them, to prevent the human race from perishing.