432. Verse 5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed.

5. "Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed," signifies love to the Lord, and that all who are in that love are in heaven, and come into heaven n. 433; "of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed," signifies the light of truth from that good, and that all who are in that light are in heaven and come into heaven n. 434; "of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed," signifies the consequent good of life (n. 435, 436).

4820. 'And he took her and came [in] to her' means that the tribe of Judah joined itself to these, that is to say, to evils begotten by falsities springing from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking her', that is to say, making her his wife, and of 'coming (or going in) to her' as being joined together, dealt with frequently already; for in the internal sense marriages represent the joining together of good and truth, because good and truth are the source of them, 2727-2759. But in the contrary sense marriages represent the joining together of evil and falsity, in this case the joining of the tribe of Judah to these; for what is said here refers to Judah who, as seen above in 4815, means the tribe named after him. It is not said that he took her as his wife, only 'he took her and came [in] to her'. This wording is used because the coupling was an illicit one, 4818, and also because, without actually saying so, it points out that the union was not a marriage but whoredom, and thus that the sons born from her were also the result of whoredom. The fact that after this she is called his wife - in the words 'And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah', verse 12 - will be discussed below.