330. Out of every tribe and tongue, signifies by all who are in truths in respect to doctrine and in respect to life. This is evident from the signification of "tribe," as being all truths and goods in the complex (of which see above, n. 39; for these are meant by the twelve tribes, and therefore each tribe signifies something of truth and good, therefore "out of every tribe" signifies out of all who are in any kind of truth and good. It is evident also from the signification of "tongue," as being the doctrine of life and faith. That "tribes" signify all truths and goods in the complex will be shown more fully below in its own paragraph; likewise that "tongue" signifies the doctrine of life and faith, thus religion. (Here will be presented only what is shown in Arcana Coelestia respecting the signification of "tribes," namely, that the twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signified all truths and goods in the complex, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; that the twelve apostles of the Lord have a like signification, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 6397; that there were twelve because "twelve" signifies all, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. Because the twelve tribes represented and thus signified all the truths and goods in the complex they therefore represented heaven and the church, n. 6337, 6637, 7836, 7891, 7996. That the twelve tribes signify various things according to the order in which they are named, thus in different ways all things of heaven and the church, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603 seq., 6337, 6640, 10335; therefore responses could be given and were given by the Urim and Thummim, where the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven on precious stones, n. 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874, 9905)

8861. 'And God spoke all these words, saying' means God's truths for those in heaven and for those on earth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the words which God spoke' as God's truths; for things that God speaks are nothing other than truths. So it is also that God's truth is called 'the Word' - 'the Word' being the Lord - in John 1:1, for the reason that the Lord was Divine Truth itself while He was in the world. And after that, when He was glorified, He became Divine Good, and ever since then He has been the source from whom all Divine Truth flows. This Divine Truth comes to the angels as light, the light which also enlightens our inward sight, or power of understanding.

[2] Since this kind of sight does not see natural but spiritual things it has truths as its objects. On the level of the understanding it has spiritual ones, called the truths of faith. But on the natural level it has as its objects the truths concerning a person's role as a citizen, which are truths about what is right; also the truths concerning a person's role in private life, which are truths about what is honourable; and lastly the natural truths that are conclusions formed on the basis of objects perceived by the outward senses, in particular that of sight. From all this one may see in what order truths follow one another, and that all collectively and individually have their origin in God's truths, which are the inner beginnings of all truths. The forms also in which they exist have the same origin, since such forms have been created to receive and contain them. This shows how the teaching in John 1:1-3, that all things were created through the Word, should be understood; for God's truth is the supreme essential entity, the one true substance, through which all things come into being.