9372. And He said unto Moses. That this signifies that which concerns the Word in general, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (of which below); and from the signification of “He said,” as involving those things which follow in this chapter, thus those which concern the Word (see n. 9370). (That Moses represents the Word, can be seen from what has been often shown before about Moses, as from the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8601, 8760, 8787, 8805.) Here Moses represents the Word in general, because it is said of him in what follows, that he alone should come near unto Jehovah (verse 2); and also that, being called unto out of the midst of the cloud, he entered into it, and went up the mount (verses 16-18).

[2] In the Word there are many who represent the Lord in respect to truth Divine, or in respect to the Word; but chief among them are Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. That Moses does so, can be seen in the explications just cited above; that so do Elijah and Elisha, can be seen in the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist does so is evident from the fact that he was “Elias who was to come.” He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things infold and signify which are said about him in the New Testament; and therefore in order that this secret may stand open, and that at the same time it may appear that Elias, and also Moses, who were seen when the Lord was transfigured, signified the Word, some things may here be quoted which are spoken about John the Baptist; as in Matthew:

After the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak concerning John, saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, even more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Verily I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to believe, he is Elias who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15; and also Luke 7:24-28).

No one can know how these things are to be understood, unless he knows that this John represented the Lord as to the Word, and unless he also knows from the internal sense what is signified by “the wilderness” in which he was, also what by “a reed shaken by the wind,” and likewise by “soft raiment in kings’ houses;” and further what is signified by his being “more than a prophet,” and by “none among those who are born of women being greater than he, and nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he,” and lastly by his being “Elias.” For without a deeper sense, all these words are uttered merely from some comparison, and not from anything of weight.

[3] But it is very different when by John is understood the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively. Then by “the wilderness of Judea in which John was” is signified the state in which the Word was at the time when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was “in the wilderness,” that is, it was in obscurity so great that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, neither was anything known about His heavenly kingdom; when yet all the prophets prophesied about Him, and about His kingdom, that it was to endure forever. (That “a wilderness” denotes such obscurity, see n. 2708, 4736, 7313.) For this reason the Word is compared to “a reed shaken by the wind” when it is explained at pleasure; for in the internal sense “a reed” denotes truth in the ultimate, such as is the Word in the letter.

[4] That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their “not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.” That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of “raiment,” or “garments,” as being truths (n. 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 6914, 6918, 9093); and for this reason the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them (n. 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216). The same is evident from the signification of “kings’ houses,” as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens; for “houses” are so called from good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652, 3720, 4622, 4982, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997); and “kings,” from truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148). Therefore by virtue of their reception of truth from the Lord, the angels are called “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the king,” and also “kings.”

[5] That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by “what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” and by, “there hath not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist;” for in the internal sense “a prophet” denotes doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and “those who are born,” or are the sons, “of women” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3704, 4257).

[6] That in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, the Word is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by, “he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he;” for as perceived in heaven the Word is of wisdom so great that it transcends all human apprehension. That the prophecies about the Lord and His coming, and that the representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, ceased when the Lord came into the world, is signified by, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” That the Word was represented by John, as by Elijah, is signified by his being “Elias who is to come.”

[7] The same is signified by these words in Matthew:

The disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? He answered and said, Elias must needs first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias hath come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. And they understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).

That “Elias hath come, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished” signifies that the Word has indeed taught them that the Lord is to come, but that still they did not wish to comprehend, interpreting it in favor of the rule of self, and thus extinguishing what is Divine in it. That they would do the same with the truth Divine itself, is signified by “even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” (That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to truth Divine, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[8] From all this it is now evident what is meant by the prophecy about John in Malachi:

Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Malachi 4:5).

Moreover, the Word in the ultimate, or such as it is in the external form in which it appears before man in the world, is described by the “clothing” and “food” of John the Baptist, in Matthew:

John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, had His clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:1, 4).

In like manner it is described by Elijah in the second book of Kings:

He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

By “clothing,” or a “garment,” when said of the Word, is signified truth Divine there in the ultimate form; by “camel’s hair” are signified memory-truths such as appear there before a man in the world; by the “leathern girdle” is signified the external bond connecting and keeping in order all the interior things; by “food” is signified spiritual nourishment from the knowledges of truth and of good out of the Word; by “locusts” are signified ultimate or most general truths; and by “wild honey” their pleasantness.

[9] That such things are signified by “clothing” and “food” has its origin in the representatives of the other life, where all appear clothed according to truths from good, and where food also is represented according to the desires of acquiring knowledge and growing wise. From this it is that “clothing,” or a “garment,” denotes truth (as may be seen from the citations above; and that “food” or “meat” denotes spiritual nourishment, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003; that “a girdle” denotes a bond which gathers up and holds together interior things, n. 9341; that “leather” denotes what is external, n. 3540; and thus “a leathern girdle” denotes an external bond; that “hairs” denote ultimate or most general truths, n. 3301, 5569-5573; that “a camel” denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, 4156; that “a locust” denotes nourishing truth in the extremes, n. 7643; and that “honey” denotes the pleasantness thereof, n. 5620, 6857, 8056). It is called “wild honey,” or “honey of the field,” because by “a field” is signified the church (n. 2971, 3317, 3766, 7502, 7571, 9139, 9295). He who does not know that such things are signified, cannot possibly know why Elijah and John were so clothed. And yet that these things signified something peculiar to these prophets, can be thought by everyone who thinks well about the Word.

[10] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore also when he spoke of the Lord, who was the Word itself, he said of himself that he was “not Elias, nor the prophet,” and that he was “not worthy to loose the latchet of the Lord’s shoe,” as in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The Jews from Jerusalem, priests and Levites, asked John who he was. And he confessed, and denied not, I am not the Christ. Therefore they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou the prophet? He answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. They said therefore, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? He answered, I baptize with water; in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not; He it is who is to come after me, who was before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. When he saw Jesus, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man who was before me; for he was before me (John 1:1, 14, 19-30).

From these words it is plain that when John spoke about the Lord Himself, who was Truth Divine itself, or the Word, he said that he himself was not anything, because the shadow disappears when the light itself appears, that is, the representative disappears when the original itself makes its appearance. (That the representatives had in view holy things, and the Lord Himself, and not at all the person that represented, see n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.) One who does not know that representatives vanish like shadows at the presence of light, cannot know why John denied that he was Elias and the prophet.

[11] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by Moses and Elias, who were seen in glory, and who spoke with the Lord when transfigured, of His departure which He should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:29-31); namely, that they signified the Word (“Moses” the historic Word, and “Elias” the prophetic Word), which in the internal sense throughout treats of the Lord, of His coming into the world, and of His departure out of the world; and therefore it is said that “Moses and Elias were seen in glory,” for “glory” denotes the internal sense of the Word, and the “cloud” its external sense (see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 5922, 8427).

4281. That by “the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint in his wrestling with him,” is signified that this conjunction was wholly injured and displaced in Jacob’s posterity, is evident from the signification of being “out of joint” in the sense in question, as being to be displaced, and thus to be injured. That the “hollow of the thigh” denotes conjunction, is manifest from what was said above (n. 4280); and because in the Word “Jacob” denotes not only Jacob, but also all his posterity, as is evident from many passages in the Word (Numbers 23:7, 10, 21, 2 23:23; 24:5, 1 24:17, 19; Deuteronomy 33:10; Isaiah 40:27; 43:1, 22; 44:1-2, 21; 48:12; 59:20; Jeremiah 10:16, 25; 30:7, 10, 18; 31:7, 11; 46:27-28; Hosea 10:11 Amos 7:2; Micah 2:12; 3:8; Psalms 14:7; 24:6; 59:13; 78:5; 99:4 and elsewhere).

[2] That Jacob and his posterity were of such a character that with them celestial and spiritual love could not be conjoined with natural good (that is, the internal or spiritual man with the external or natural man), is manifest from everything which is related of that nation in the Word; for they did not know, nor were they willing to know, what the internal or spiritual man is, and therefore this was not revealed to them; for they believed that nothing exists in man except that which is external and natural. In all their worship they had regard to nothing else, insomuch that Divine worship was to them no otherwise than idolatrous; for when internal worship is separated from external, it is merely idolatrous. The church that was instituted with them was not a church, but only the representative of a church; for which reason that church is called a representative church. That a representative of a church is possible with such people may be seen above (n. 1361, 3670, 4208).

[3] For in representations the person is not reflected upon, but the thing which is represented; and therefore Divine, celestial, and spiritual things were represented not only by persons, but also by inanimate things, as by Aaron’s garments, the ark, the altar, the oxen and sheep that were sacrificed, the lampstand with its lamps, the bread of arrangement upon the golden table, the oil with which they were anointed, the frankincense, and other like things. Hence it was that their kings, the evil as well as the good, represented the Lord’s royalty; and the high priests, the evil as well as the good, represented the things that belong to the Lord’s Divine priesthood, when they discharged their office in an outward form according to the statutes and precepts. In order therefore that the representative of a church might come forth among them, such statutes and laws were given them by manifest revelation as were altogether representative; and therefore so long as they were in them and observed them strictly, so long they were able to represent; but when they turned aside from them, as to the statutes and laws of other nations, and especially to the worship of another god, they then deprived themselves of the faculty of representing. For this reason they were driven by outward means, such as captivities, disasters, threats, and miracles, to laws and statutes truly representative; but not by internal means, as are those who have internal worship in external. These things are signified by the “hollow of Jacob’s thigh being out of joint,” taken in the internal historical sense, which regards Jacob and his posterity.

435. Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed, signifies the good of life therefrom. This is evident from the representation of "the tribe of Gad," as being the good of life (of which presently); also from the signification of "twelve thousand sealed," as being that all such are in heaven and come into heaven (as explained in the two preceding articles). Before showing from the Word what in the church was represented by "Gad" and by the tribe named from him, something shall be said respecting what is meant by the good of life, which is here signified by "the tribe of Gad." There is the good of life from a celestial origin, from a spiritual origin, and from a natural origin. The good of life from a celestial origin is the good of life that comes from the good of love to the Lord through truths from that good; the good of life is an effect of these. Such good of life is what is here signified by "the tribe of Gad;" therefore it is called "the good of life therefrom," namely, from the good of love to the Lord, which is signified by "the tribe of Judah," through truths from that good, which are signified by "the tribe of Reuben." The good of life from a spiritual origin is the good of life that comes from good of charity towards the neighbor through truths from that good; this good of life is meant by "Manasseh."

[2] For the twelve tribes of Israel are here divided into four classes, and there are three tribes in each class, and the three in series signify such things as from beginning to end, or from first to last, fully constitute that universal essential of the church that is signified by the first tribe. The three tribes first named, that is, the tribes of Judah, Reuben, and Gad, signify those things that fully constitute celestial good; but the three following tribes, namely, the tribes of Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh, signify those that fully constitute spiritual good. So it is with the tribes that follow.

[3] Moreover, there are three things which fully constitute and form each universal essential, namely, the good of love, the truth from that good, and the good of life therefrom. The good of life is the effect of the other two; for unless there is a third that is brought forth, the two former can have no existence, that is, unless there is the good of life, the good of love and truth from that good can have no existence. These three are like the final cause, the effecting cause, and the effect. The good of love is the final cause, truth from that good is the effecting cause or that through which good is brought into effect, and the good of life is the effect in which the prior causes have existence; and these have no existence unless there is an effect in which they may exist and subsist. Again, these three are like the pulse of the heart, the respiration of the lungs, and the action of the body; these make a one: for if the body does not act, or does not let itself be put in action, as is the case when man dies, the other two cease. It is the same with the good of love, the truth from that good, and the good of life. The good of love is like the heart, and is also meant by "heart" in the Word; truth from that good is like the lungs, and is also meant by "breath" and "soul" in the Word; and the good of life is like the body in which the others act and live. Three like things are in everything that has existence, and when the three exist together there is full formation.

[4] What is signified by "Gad," or "the tribe of Gad," in every sense shall first be explained. In the highest sense "Gad" signifies the Lord in respect to omnipotence and omniscience; in the internal sense the good of truth; and in the external sense works therefrom, which are the good of life. "Gad" signifies such things because in each and every thing of the Word there is an inmost, an internal, and an external sense. In the inmost sense is the Lord alone for it treats of Him, of His glorifying His Human, arranging the heavens in order, subjugating the hells, and establishing the church from Himself; therefore in the inmost sense each tribe signifies the Lord in respect to some attribute and work of His; while in the internal sense heaven and the church are treated of, and doctrine is taught. But the Word in the external sense is such as it is in the sense of the letter. There are three senses in the Word, because there are three heavens; the inmost or celestial sense is for the inmost or third heaven, the internal or spiritual sense is for the middle or second heaven, and the external or spiritual-natural sense is for the first or lowest heaven.

[5] In this passage of Revelation, where the twelve tribes are mentioned, "the tribe of Gad" signifies the good of life, because it follows in order after Judah and Reuben, and "Judah" signifies the good of love, "Reuben" the truth from that good, consequently "Gad" signifies the good of life; for the good of life has existence from the good of love, through truths from that good, the good of life following as the third in order, being the effect of the two former as was said above.

Because the good of life is the good of the natural man, therefore an inheritance was given to the tribe of Gad ¹ beyond Jordan, together with the tribe of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh; for the land that was beyond Jordan signified the external church (as was shown in the article above), and the things that go forth from the natural man belong to the external church. The church itself regarded in itself is in the internal or spiritual man; but the external church is in the external or natural man, yet these must act as a one, like cause and effect.

[6] That an inheritance beyond Jordan was given to the tribe of Gad is evident in Moses:

To Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh an inheritance was given beyond Jordan, which was a place for cattle; and it was given with the condition that they should cross over, armed, with the rest, to take possession of the land of Canaan (Numbers 32:1; 34:14).

Unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave Gilead even unto the brook of Arnon within the brook and the border, and even unto the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; the plain also, and Jordan, and the border from Chinnereth even unto the sea, the plain, the salt sea, under the springs of Pisgah toward sunrise (Deuteronomy 3:16, 17).

And in Joshua:

Moses gave to the sons of Gad that Jazer should be their border, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, even unto Aroer that is before the faces of Rabbah; and from Heshbon unto Ramath of Mispeh, and Betonim (Joshua 13:24-28).

The signification of "Gad" can be seen not only from the passages in the Word where Gad is mentioned, but also from the lands given to that tribe for an inheritance, where these also are mentioned in the Word, as Heshbon, Jazer, Rabbah, Ramath of Mispeh, the brook of Arnon, Chinnereth, the springs of Pisgah, and many other places. What these lands signify in the spiritual sense no one can know unless he knows the signification of "the tribe of Reuben, of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh," to whom these lands were given for a possession; for they signify such things as are signified by those tribes in a wide and in a restricted sense.

[7] As in Jeremiah:

Against the sons of Ammon: Hath Israel no sons? Hath he no heir? Why then hath their king inherited Gad, and his people dwelt in the cities thereof? Therefore behold, the days come in which I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; and it shall become a heap of desolation, and her daughters shall be burned with fire, and Israel shall be heir unto them that were his heirs. Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is devastated; cry out, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird ye with sackcloth; lament, and wander about among the walls, for their king shall go into exile, and his priests and his princes together (Jeremiah 49:1-3).

Unless one knows what is signified by "Gad" and by "Israel," he cannot know what is here signified by "the sons of Ammon," by "Heshbon," and by "Rabbah;" for Rabbah, Heshbon, and half of the land of Ammon were given to the tribe of Gad for an inheritance; therefore those lands signify such things in particular as are signified in general by Gad; for it is said "Why then hath the king of the sons of Ammon inherited Gad, and his people dwelt in the cities thereof?" For all names of lands, of regions, of cities, of rivers, and of peoples, in the Word signify the things of the church. "Gad" here signifies the good of life according to the truths of doctrine; "Israel" the church in respect to truth; "the sons of Ammon" signify the falsifications of truth; "Heshbon" signifies the fructification of truth in the natural man; "the daughters of Rabbah" signify the affections of truth in the natural man, and "Ai" the doctrine of truth. When these things are known, the spiritual sense of these words follows in this series: "Against the sons of Ammon" signifies against the falsifications of truth; "hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir?" signifies, are there in the church no knowledges of truth and good? "Israel" meaning the church, "his sons" truths, and "heir" the good of truth; "why then hath their king inherited Gad, and his people dwelt in the cities thereof?" signifies, why hath truth falsified destroyed the good of life, and also perverted the doctrinals according to which is life? "Behold, the days come, in which I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and it shall become a heap of desolation," signifies the destruction of that doctrine, that is, of truth falsified, and the destruction of those who are in it; "and her daughters shall be burned with fire," signifies that the affections of that doctrine shall become lusts of evil; "and Israel shall be heir unto them that were his heirs," signifies that the church in respect to goods is to perish; "howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is devastated," signifies that there is no longer any fructification of truth from good, because the doctrine of truth is destroyed; "cry out, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird ye with sackcloth, lament," signifies that there are no longer any affections of truth; "and wander about among the walls," signifies thought and life from falsities; "for their king hath gone into exile," signifies because truth is no more; "and his priests and his princes together," signifies that both goods and the truths of good are no more. This makes clear that "the lands of the inheritance of Gad" signify similar things in particular as "Gad" does in general, and that the significations of the lands mentioned in the Word can be known from the signification of the tribes to which they were given for inheritance. The lands that it is said would be given for an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 48:27), mean something else; evidently the tribe of Gad is not meant, but such a constituent of the church as is signified by "Gad," for there was then no tribe of Gad, nor will there be.

[8] That "Gad" signifies the good of life from the truths of doctrine is evident from the blessing of that tribe by Moses:

To Gad he said, Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad; as a lion he dwelleth, and he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head, and he seeth the firstfruits for himself; for there is the portion of the hidden lawgiver; whence came the heads of the people; he hath executed the righteousness of Jehovah, and judgments ² with Israel (Deuteronomy 33:20, 21).

Here the good of life according to truths from the Word, and the influx of heaven into that good are described by "Gad;" the influx of truth from the Lord into that good is signified by "Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad;" "breadth" signifying truth, "Gad" the good of life, and "Blessed" the Lord. To be safe from falsities is signified by "as a lion he dwelleth;" to be nourished by truths external and internal is signified by "he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head," for "the arm" and "the crown of the head" in sacrifices have this signification; that these truths are from things primary is signified by "he seeth the firstfruits for himself;" truths Divine that lie hidden therein are signified by "for there is the portion of the hidden lawgiver;" intelligence therefrom is signified by "whence came the heads of the people;" good works therefrom are signified by "he hath executed the righteousness of Jehovah;" and truths of the church therefrom are signified by "His judgments with Israel."

[9] "Gad" signifies the good of life because he was named from the Hebrew word for "troop" (Genesis 30:10, 11), "gad" in the Hebrew meaning troop, and "troop" in the spiritual sense signifies works; and the good of life consists in doing the goods which are works (respecting which seeArcana Coelestia 3934). In the blessing given by Israel his father it is thus said in Moses:

Gad, a troop shall ravage him; and he shall ravage the heel (Genesis 49:19).

What "Gad" here signifies may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 6403-6406); also (in n. 6405) what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

Ye are they that forsake Jehovah, that forget the mountain of My holiness, that arrange a table for Gad, and fill a drink-offering for Meni (Isaiah 65:11).

Footnotes: