445. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. That this signifies faith, and salvation, is plain from the representation and thence the signification of Issachar and his tribe, because they denote that which constitutes heaven and salvation in man. For Issachar in the original tongue signifies reward, and heaven and salvation in man are the result of love and faith, therefore both are signified by the tribe of Issachar, for in the Word "reward," is often named as that "they shall receive a reward," and by this is understood eternal life, salvation, and, by most readers, heavenly joy, these things in the proximate sense being also signified by reward. But although it is right for a man to think concerning eternal life, salvation, and heavenly joy, if he live according to the precepts of the Lord; still it is not right for him to keep his mind intently fixed on reward, for then he looks to reward as an end, and falls easily into the idea that he merits heaven and salvation by his life; this thought causes him to regard himself in everything, and cuts him off from heaven; for as far as man considers himself in what he does, so far has he no regard for heaven. For this reason reward, in the Word, signifies that in which heaven and salvation are, and thus generally love and faith, and consequently intelligence and wisdom; salvation and heaven and therefore heavenly joy are in these in the measure that a man does not think of reward. From these things it is evident what Issachar and the tribe of Issachar signify.

[2] Faith is here signified, because the tribe of Simeon signifies obedience, and the tribe of Levi good works, and those who are in good works from obedience are also in faith; but those who are in the goods of life from a spiritual affection for truth and good are in charity, and those who are in the goods of life from a celestial affection, are in love to the Lord. There is a similar distinction amongst angels in the heavens. In the inmost or third heaven are those who are in the goods of life from a celestial affection, in the middle or second heaven are those who are in the goods of life from a spiritual affection, and in the ultimate or first heaven are those who are in good works from obedience. The latter are also said to be in faith, for according to their apprehension they believe what they hear from the sense of the letter of the Word, and from preachers, but they do not see and perceive whether they are truths, therefore their thought about things which must be believed is called faith. For that which is believed without an intellectual insight and perception of its character, is properly called faith, in which case the false is believed equally with the true; but when what is believed is seen and perceived, it is not then called faith, but apperception (apperceptio) and perception; for the understanding enlightened from the Lord sees, the will is affected, and action follows from both.

[3] Issachar and his tribe here signify faith, because the three tribes now treated of, out of each of which twelve thousand were sealed, mean all those who are in the ultimate or first heaven; and those who are in this heaven are said to be in good works from obedience, and in faith. Many also of them call faith alone the essential of salvation, but still they do not separate it from good works, for they say that faith is given them by the Lord because they are in good works, and that if they were not in good works faith would not be granted. But those who separate faith from good works, saying that it is the only means of salvation, and that they can be saved by means of it, however they may live, and confirm this by their life, are not in the ultimate heaven, but in hell.

[4] Those who look to reward on account of the good works which they perform, and thus place merit in works, are meant by Issachar, in the prophecy of Israel concerning his sons:

"Issachar is a bony ass couching down between burdens; And he shall see rest that it is good; and the land that it is pleasant; and shall bow his shoulder to bear, [and become a servant unto tribute]" (Genesis 49:14, 15).

Issachar there signifies reward or recompense for works; a bony ass signifies the lowest servitude; couching down between burdens signifies life amongst works; and he shall see rest that it is good, signifies good works without recompense full of felicity; and the land that it is pleasant, signifies that those who are in the kingdom of the Lord are in such felicity; and shall bow his shoulder to bear, signifies nevertheless labour in every work; and become a servant unto tribute, signifies for the sake of reward. These things may be seen more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6387-6394).

[5] But those who do not place merit in the good works which they perform, by looking to reward, but place heaven and the happiness of eternal life in thinking and willing well, and therefore in acting well, and are in that spiritual affection for truth and good, which those possess who are in the heavenly marriage, the marriage of good and truth - they are meant by these words in Moses:

"And of Zebulun, he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going forth; and, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall sacrifice sacrifices of justice; for they shall suck the abundance of the sea, and the hidden treasures of the sand" (Deuteronomy 33:18, 19).

These things are said of those who are in the marriage of good and truth, that is, have truths in their understanding and thought, and goods in their will and affection. Zebulun signifies that marriage, and Issachar, the affection for truth and good. To rejoice in going forth, signifies that they delight in all genuine truths and goods; for going forth signifies all things, because it signifies the ultimate, the effect, and the conclusion. To rejoice in tents, signifies, in all worship. To call the people unto the mountain, signifies, because they are in heaven, where the good of love prevails. To offer sacrifices of justice, signifies worship from truths which are from good. To suck the abundance of the sea, signifies to draw truths of doctrine from the Word, and thence intelligence; and to suck the hidden treasures of the sand, signifies the spiritual things which lie concealed in the sense of the letter of the Word.

[6] Because the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, signified the heaven where the good of love is, the tribe of Judah, that good itself, the tribe of Issachar, its affection, and Zebulun, its conjunction with truths, therefore these three tribes encamped to the east of the tent of the assembly (Num. 2:3,

10. ). For in heaven those dwell to the east who are in the good of love, and thence in the affection for good and truth, and in their marriage or conjunction, that is to say, in truths as to doctrine, and in goods as to life.

6388. 'Issachar' means recompense gained from works. This is clear from the representation of 'Issachar' as mutual love which is earned as a reward or recompense, dealt with in 3956, 3957. Here recompense gained from works is meant, as is evident in the internal sense from every detail mentioned in this prophetic utterance concerning Issachar, in addition to which Issachar in the original language means reward. The reason why 'Issachar' here means recompense gained from works, whereas previously he meant mutual love, is that here one has to understand by Issachar people with whom some kind and appearance of mutual love, that is, of charity towards the neighbour, is present. But they wish to receive recompense for the good deeds they do; thus genuine mutual love or charity is not merely tainted by them but actually perverted. For people with whom genuine mutual love resides enter into the delight and blessedness that is theirs when they. perform good deeds to their neighbour; there is nothing they desire more. That delight and blessedness is what is meant in the Word by 'reward', for delight or blessedness is the reward, and in the next life it becomes the joy and happiness that is experienced in heaven, and so becomes for those people heaven itself. For when those in heaven with whom that love resides perform useful services and good deeds for others, they feel so full of joy and happiness that they seem to themselves to be in heaven for the first time then. This feeling is granted them by the Lord; and He grants it to each one according to the nature of the service he performs.

[2] But that happiness departs the moment they think of recompense, for thought of recompense, even though they already have the true recompense, renders that love impure and corrupts it. The reason for this is that they are now thinking about themselves, not about their neighbour, that is, how they themselves can be made happy, not how others can be unless they themselves benefit from it. Thus they turn love towards the neighbour into love towards themselves; and to the extent that they do so they prevent joy and happiness from being communicated to them out of heaven, since they channel the flow of happiness from heaven into themselves and do not pass it on to others. They are like objects which do not reflect rays of light but absorb them. Objects that do reflect them are lit up and shining, whereas those that absorb them are dull and not at all shining. People who are like this are therefore separated from angelic society, like those who have nothing in common with heaven; and these are the ones who are described here by 'Issachar'.