2089. Twelve princes shall he beget. That this signifies the primary precepts which are of charity, is evident from the signification of “twelve,” as being all things of faith; and from the signification of “princes,” as being primary things. “King” and “princes” are mentioned in various parts of the Word; but in the internal sense they never signify king or princes, but the primary things of the matter in connection with which they are mentioned. (That “kings” signify truths in one complex has been already shown, n. 2015; also that “princes” are the primaries of truth, which are precepts, n. 1482.) Hence the angels-in fact the spiritual angels-are called “principalities,” because they are in truths. The term “princes” is predicated from the truths which are of charity; for, as before said (n. 1832), the spiritual, by means of the truths that appear to them as truths, receive charity from the Lord, and through this, conscience.

[2] That “twelve” signifies all the things of faith, has been hitherto unknown to the world; and yet whenever the number “twelve” occurs in the Word, whether in the historic or the prophetic part, it signifies nothing else. By the “twelve sons” of Jacob, and derivatively by the “twelve tribes” named from them, the same is signified; and also by the “twelve disciples” of the Lord. Each son of Jacob, and each of the twelve disciples, represented an essential and primary of faith. (What was represented by each son of Jacob, and so by each tribe, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows, where the sons of Jacob are treated of, Genesis 29 and 30.)

1728. And he was priest. That this signifies the holy of love, is evident from the signification of “priest” in the Word. There are two things which are predicated of the Lord, namely, that He is King, and that He is Priest. A king, or the royalty, signifies the holy which is true; and a priest, or the priesthood, signifies the holy which is good; the former is the Divine spiritual, the latter the Divine celestial. The Lord as King governs each and all things in the universe from Divine truth; and as Priest, from Divine good. Divine truth is the very order of His universal kingdom, all the laws of which are truths, or eternal verities; Divine good is the very essential of order, all things of which are of mercy. Both of these are predicated of the Lord. If Divine truth alone were His, no mortal could be saved, for truths condemn everyone to hell; but Divine good, which is of mercy, uplifts from hell to heaven. These are what the kings and priests in the Jewish Church represented and these likewise Melchizedek represented, as king of Salem, and priest to God Most High.