Arcana Coelestia＃4697
4697. 'And the eleven stars' means cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth. The reason 'stars' in the Word means those cognitions is that they are tiny sources of light shining in the night, which send out flickers of light at that time into our sky, even as cognitions transmit glimmers of goodness and truth. This meaning of 'stars' as those cognitions may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
[Thus] said Jehovah who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. Jeremiah 31:35.
This refers to a new Church. 'Giving the sun for light by day' means good flowing from love and charity, and 'the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night' means truth and cognitions.
[2] Similarly in David,
Jehovah who made the great lights, the sun to have dominion by day, the moon and stars to have dominion by night. Psalms 136:7-9.
Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word will presume that here 'the sun' is used to mean the sun of this world, and 'the moon and stars' to mean the moon and the stars, but no spiritual and heavenly meaning comes out of that presumption. Yet the Word in every individual part is heavenly. From this it is also evident that it is the goods of love and charity, and the truths of faith, together with cognitions of these, that are meant.
[3] This is similar to what occurs in Chapter 1 of Genesis, where the new creation of the heavenly man is the subject,
God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and for years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness. Genesis 1:14-18.
See [in Volume One, paragraphs] 30-38.
[4] In Matthew,
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.
Here 'the sun' and 'the moon' mean love and charity, or good and truth, while 'stars' means cognitions - see 4060; and because the last day or last state of the Church is the subject here, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light' means that at that time the good of love and charity will perish, and 'the stars will fall from heaven' means that the cognitions of good and truth will perish too. That these things are meant is evident from the prophetical parts of the Word where similar descriptions occur regarding the day or state of the Church.
[5] As in Isaiah,
Behold, the day of Jehovah will come, cruel, to make the earth a waste, and He will destroy sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be obscured in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. Isaiah 13:9-10.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. Joel 3:14-15.
In Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in heaven I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.
And in John,
The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened and the day did not shine for a third part of it; and the night likewise. Revelation 8:12.
[6] This meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth is in addition evident from the following places: In Daniel,
Out of one horn of the he-goat of the she-goats there grew one small-sized horn and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]; and it grew even towards the hosts of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:9-10.
And in John,
The great dragon drew with his tail a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. Revelation 12:4.
Clearly the actual stars are not meant here, the subject in Daniel and John being the state of the Church in the last times.
[7] Similarly in David,
Jehovah counts the number of stars; He gives names to them all. Psalms 147:4.
In the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light. Psalms 148:3.
In John,
A great sign was seen in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1.
[8] Since cognitions of good and truth are meant by 'stars', the teachings of the Church are meant too, since these are cognitions. Teaching to do with faith separated from charity in the last times is described as 'a star' in the following verses in John,
The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and It fell onto a third part of the rivers, and onto the fountains of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many people died in the waters, because they were made bitter. Revelation 8:10-11.
'The waters' which were made bitter by that star are truths, and 'the rivers' and 'the fountains of waters' are intelligence imparted by those truths, and wisdom from the Word. For 'waters' meaning truths, see 2702, 3058, 3424; for 'rivers' intelligence, 3051; and for 'fountains' wisdom from the Word, 2702, 3424.
Numbers 26
1
It happened after the plague, that Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2
"Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel."
3
Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4
"[Take a census of the people], from twenty years old and upward; as Yahweh commanded Moses and the children of Israel." These are those that came out of the land of Egypt.
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.
58
These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
59
The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60
To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61
Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh.
62
Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
63
These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64
But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65
For Yahweh had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
