1. 黙示録には、次のように記されています。

「わたしは新しい天界と新しい地上とを見た。先にあった当初の天界と地上は過ぎ去っていった。・・・そしてわたしは、聖なる都「新しいエルサレム」が、夫の前に出る花嫁のように装って、神のみ力によって天界からくだってくるのを見た。・・・その都には巨大な高い城壁があった。それに十二の門があり、その門には十二人の天使がいて、イスラエルの十二族の名がしるされていた。・・・またその都には十二の土台があり、それに小羊の十二人の使徒の名前がしるされていた。・・・その都は四角形をしていて、タテとヨコの長さは同じである。その都を物差しで測ると一万二千スタディウムあった。そしてタテ、ヨコ、高サが同じである。その城壁を測ると百四十四クビトゥスだったが、これは人間すなわち天使の尺度である。・・・その城壁はジャスパー石でできていて、都それ自身は透明ガラスのような純金であった。また都の城壁の土台はあらゆる種類の宝石からなっている。・・十二の門は十二個の大理石からできている。・・・都の大通りは透明ガラスのように純粋である。・・・神の栄光がその都を照らし、小羊がその都のあかりである。・・・守られてきた諸国民は小羊の光にむかって歩み、地上の王たちは、自分の栄光と誉れとをその光のところへもっていく」（ヨハネの黙示録21:1-2、12-24）。

以上を読んで、その文字通りと思わない人はいないでしょう。見える天界は地上といっしょに滅び去り、新しい天界が実現するといいます。聖なる都エルサレムが新しい地の上におりてきます。それも記されたような大きさです。ところが以上について、天使たちはまったく違ったふうに解釈します。人が自然的に解釈することを一つ一つ霊的に解釈します。それが何を意味するか、天使たちは知っています。それこそ内的意味すなわち〈みことば〉の霊的意味です。

「新しい天界と新しい地上」とは、天使たちが考える内的・霊的意味では、天界と地上における〈新しい教会〉のことです（教会とは何かは後述します）。「神のみ力によって、都エルサレムが天界からおりてくる」とは、その教会の〈天界的教義〉のことです。「タテ」「ヨコ」「高サ」はみんな同じですが、これはその教義に属するあらゆる善と真理の総体です。「城壁」とはその教義を守る諸真理のことです。「その城壁が百四十四クビトゥスあり、それが人間すなわち天使の尺度である」とは、守りの諸真理の総体のこと、その諸真理の性格のことです。大理石でできている「十二の門」とは、導入部としての諸真理のことです。同じく「門にいる十二人の天使」とか「あらゆる宝石から成っている城壁の土台」とは、教義の基盤となっている認識のことです。「イスラエルの十二族」とは、教会に属するもので類や種に及ぶあらゆるもののことです。「十二使徒」とか、都とその大通りの素材となっている「透明ガラスのような金」とは、〈愛の持つ善〉のことで、そこから諸真理をともなった教義が輝き出ます。守られた「諸国民」とか、栄光と誉れをもってくる「地の王たち」とは、善と真理のうちにある〈教会に属する人〉全員のことです。「神」とか「小羊」は、神ご自身として、また神人としての主のことです。

以上が〈みことば〉の霊的意味です。そしてその土台になっているのが文字上の意味です。ただしこの霊的意味と自然的意味は、双方で相応によって一つになって働いています。このような霊的解釈は、あらゆることがらの中に内在していますが、これについて述べることは、本書の目的ではないので割愛します。

39. And all the tribes of the earth shall lament over Him, signifies that the falsities of the church will oppose. This is evident from the signification of "lamenting" as being to mourn, to grieve, to be displeased, to be angry, to be averse from, thus also to oppose; and from the signification of "tribes," as being all truths and goods in the complex, and in the contrary sense, all falsities and evils in the complex (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "the earth," as being the church (See above, n. 29). By "all the tribes of the earth," then, the whole church is meant, and by "their lamenting over Him" is signified that truth and good will be no more, because falsities and evils are to prevail and oppose. For this verse treats, in general, of what the state of the church will be at its end, when there will be no longer any faith, because no charity, namely, that the Lord will then reveal Himself, and that all who are in truths from good will acknowledge Him, and that they also will see Him, who are in falsities from evil, but that the falsities of the church will oppose. (That Revelation does not treat of the successive states of the church, but of its last state when it is at its end, see above, n. 5; and that its end is when there is no faith, because no charity, see the little work on The Last Judgment 33-39 seq.; and when there is no faith, because no charity, falsities from evil prevail and oppose truths from good.)

[2] In the Word "tribes" are often mentioned, inasmuch as the Israelitish people were divided into twelve tribes, and one who does not know the internal sense of the Word supposes that by "tribes" are meant the tribes of Israel; but by "tribes" are not meant tribes, nor by "Israel" is Israel meant, but by "tribes" are meant all those who are in truths from good, and by "Israel" the Lord's church. He who is ignorant of this will easily adopt the common belief that the sons of Israel were chosen in preference to all others on earth, and that they are also to be brought at last into the land of Canaan; indeed, that heaven also is to be formed chiefly from them; when, in fact, by their names they are not meant, but they who are in truths from good, thus those who are of the church; by the twelve tribes, all such, and by each tribe, some particular truth and good pertaining to those who are of the church.

[3] When this is understood, what is meant by these words in Revelation can be seen:

I heard the number of them which were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand sealed of all the tribes of the sons of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand (Revelation 7:4-8).

Here those who are of the Israelitish nation are not meant, but all, how many soever, who are in the truths from good, for all such are sealed for heaven. Moreover, the numbers "one hundred and forty-four thousand" and "twelve thousand" signify all; and each tribe signifies all who are in that truth or good which is signified by its name, as may appear from what is shown in the Arcana Coelestia; as what good and truth are signified by "Judah," n. 3881, 6363; what by "Reuben," n. 3861, 3866, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342-6345; what by "Gad," n. 3934, 3935; what by "Asher," n. 3938, 3939, 6408; what by "Naphtali," n. 3927, 3928; what by "Manasseh," n. 3969, 5351, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296; what by "Simeon," n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502-4503, 5482, 5626, 5630; what by "Levi," n. 3875, 3877, 4497, 4502-4503; what by "Issachar," n. 3956, 3957; what by "Zebulon," n. 3960, 3961, 6383; what by "Joseph," n. 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417; and what by "Benjamin," n. 3969, 4592, 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639, 5686, 5688, 5689, 6440. That all numbers in the Word signify things, see n. 482, 487, 647-648, 755, 813, 1963, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253. That "twelve" signifies all, and all things in respect to truths from good, see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913, likewise the numbers "72," "144," "1200," "144, 000," because they arise from the number 12 by multiplication, n. Arcana Coelestia 7973. That composite numbers have a like meaning with the simple numbers from which they are produced by multiplication, see n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973).

[4] He who is not aware that numbers signify things, and what the numbers "twelve," "one hundred and forty-four," and "twelve thousand" signify, likewise what "tribes" and "apostles" signify, cannot know what is signified by these words in Revelation:

The holy city, New Jerusalem, had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and in the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; and the wall had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the apostles of the Lamb. The wall was a hundred and forty and four cubits, and the length and the breadth of the city twelve thousand furlongs (Revelation 21:12, 21:14, 16-17).

What is signified by all this you will see explained in the small work on The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine 1); namely, that by "Jerusalem" is signified the church in respect to doctrine; by its "wall," protecting truths; by the "gates," introductory truths; by the" foundations," the knowledges on which doctrine is based; by "twelve angels," and by "twelve tribes," all truths and goods in the complex; "the twelve apostles," have a like signification, and the numbers "twelve," "one hundred and forty-four," and "twelve thousand," signify all things and all persons.

[5] Furthermore, he who is aware that such things are signified by the twelve tribes can see the arcanum in this:

Why the names of the twelve tribes were engraved on the precious stones in the Urim and Thummim, likewise what that breastplate signified (Exodus 28:21; 39:10-15).

(This arcanum may be seen unfolded in Arcana Coelestia 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874, 9905) He can also see what is signified by this:

That the twelve apostles should sit upon twelve thrones, and are to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28);

namely, that the Lord alone will judge everyone by truths from good (n. 2129, 6397). Also what is meant by:

The predictions of Israel, the father, respecting his sons (Genesis 49:2-28);

as well as numerous other passages of the Word, where tribes are mentioned (as in Isaiah 19:13; 49:6; 63:17; Jeremiah 10:16; Ezekiel 48:1 seq.; Psalms 122:3-5; Deuteronomy 32:8; Numbers 24:2; Revelation 5:9; 7:4-9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6

[6] Again, what is meant by the Lord's Word respecting the consummation of the age and His coming:

After the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth lament; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory (Matthew 24:29-30).

(These words can be seen explained in detail in the work on Heaven and Hell 1; and in the following passages in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that the twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signified all truths and goods in the complex, thus all things of faith and love, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; that like things are signified by the twelve apostles, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; and that their signification varies according to the order in which they are named, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603, seq., 6337, 6640, 10335)