4605. Reuben Jacob’s firstborn. That this signifies the good of faith, is evident from the signification of the “firstborn,” as being faith (see n. 352, 367, 2435, 3325); and from the representation of Jacob as being the good of natural truth (see n. 4538); and from that of Reuben, as being the quality of faith. For “Reuben” in the genuine sense signifies the truth of faith (n. 3861, 3866); but after the truth of faith has been made good, he signifies the good of faith. Moreover, regarded in itself faith is charity, and thus regarded in itself the truth of faith is the good of faith, because faith is impossible except from charity, that is, truth is impossible except from good; and therefore when a man has been regenerated, good is in the first place, or is the firstborn (n. 3325, 3494). Hence it is that by “Reuben Jacob’s firstborn” is here signified the good of faith. The like is signified also in Moses:

Let Reuben live and not die, and it shall be that his numbers are mortal (Deuteronomy 33:6).

The reason why in this passage “Reuben” denotes the good of faith, is that he is put in the first place, and Judah in the second, thus in a different order in this prophecy of Moses respecting the sons of Israel from that in the prophecy of Jacob (Genesis 49), for as before said (n. 4603), the order in which they are named is determined in accordance with the state of the subject that is being treated of.

[2] In like manner in John:

I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand (Revelation 7:4-5);

here Judah is named in the first place, Reuben in the second, and Gad in the third. These three here constitute the first class, and as the Lord’s kingdom is the subject treated of, “Judah” signifies celestial good such as is in the inmost or third heaven, “Reuben” spiritual good which is the same as the good of faith such as is in the second or middle heaven, and “Gad” the good of the natural such as is in the first heaven. But it is otherwise in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak:

The princes in Issachar were with Deborah, and as was Issachar so was Barak; into the valley he was sent at his feet, in the classes of Reuben were great decrees of heart; why dwellest thou between two burdens to hear the hissings of the droves? To the classes of Reuben were great searchings of heart (Judg. 5:15-16);

It is impossible to know the meaning of these words unless it is known what Issachar, Deborah, Barak, and Reuben represent; and what the “princes,” the “valley,” the “classes,” the “decrees of heart,” the “two burdens,” and the “hissings of the droves,” signify; but it is evident that “Reuben” here denotes faith.

3321. For I am weary. That this signifies a state of combat, is evident from the signification of “weary,” or of “weariness,” as being a state of combat (see n. 3318). Mention is here again made of being weary, for the sake of confirmation that the conjunction of good with truth in the natural is effected by spiritual combats, that is, by temptations. In regard to the conjunction of good with truth in the natural, the case in general is this: Man’s rational receives truths before his natural; and this to the end that the Lord’s life, which as before said is of love, may flow in through the rational into the natural, and dispose the natural, and reduce it to obedience. For the rational is purer, and the natural grosser; or what is the same, the rational is interior and the natural exterior; and as may be known it is according to order that the interior or purer can flow into the exterior or grosser, but not the reverse.

[2] Hence it is that man’s rational can be accommodated to truths and receive them before his natural, as may be plainly seen from the fact that with one who is to be regenerated the rational man battles much with the natural; or what is the same, the internal man with the external. For as also is known, the internal man can see truths and also will them, but the external refuses assent and resists; for in the natural man there are memory-knowledges which are in a great measure derived from the fallacies of the senses, and which notwithstanding their being false the man believes to be true; there are also things innumerable which the natural man does not apprehend; for he is relatively in shade and thick darkness, and that which he does not apprehend, he believes either not to exist, or not to be so; there are likewise cupidities which are of the love of self and of the world, and all things that favor these he calls truths; and when the man yields to these the dominion, all things that result are contrary to spiritual truths. There are also in the natural man reasonings that are grounded in falsities impressed from infancy. Moreover, man apprehends by manifest sense what is in his natural man, but not so what is in his rational, until he has put off the body. This also causes him to believe the body to be everything; and all that does not fall into the natural sense, he scarcely believes to be anything.

[3] From such causes and many others, it results that the natural man receives truths much later, and with greater difficulty, than does the rational man. Hence arises combat, which continues for a considerable time, not ceasing until the vessels recipient of good in the natural man have been softened by temptations, as before shown (n. 3318); for truths are nothing but vessels recipient of good (n. 1496, 1832, 1900, 2063, 2261, 2269), which vessels are harder in proportion as man is more fixedly confirmed in the things which have been mentioned; and if the man is to be regenerated, the more fixedly he has been confirmed, the more grievous is the combat. As the case with the natural man is such that the conjunction of truths with good therein is effected through the combats of temptations, it is therefore here repeated, “I am weary.”