442. Verse 7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.- "Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand," signifies obedience, and that all who are in obedience are in heaven, and come into heaven. "Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand," signifies good works. "Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand," signifies faith and salvation.

6351. Verses 5-7 Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard. ¹ I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. 'Simeon and Levi are brothers' means faith in the will and charity, but here the opposite since faith separated from charity is meant. 'Instruments of violence are their swords' means that religious teachings serve to destroy charitable deeds, thus charity itself. 'Into their secret place let my soul not come means that spiritual good has no wish to know the evil intentions of their will. 'In their congregation let not my glory be united' means that neither does the truth of spiritual good have any wish to know the resulting false ideas constituting their thought. 'For in their anger they killed a man' means that they felt utterly averse, and having that feeling they annihilated faith. 'And in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox' means that motivated by a wicked will they crippled completely the external good of charity. 'Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce' means an utter aversion to good and consequent damnation. 'And their wrath, for it is hard' means an aversion to the truth that is derived from good - a firm and determined aversion. 'I will divide them in Jacob' means that they are to be banished from the natural man. 'And will scatter them in Israel' means that they are to be banished from the spiritual man.

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