435. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the good of life thence, is plain from the representation of the tribe of Gad, which is the good of life, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of twelve thousand sealed, which means that all such are in heaven, and come into heaven. Upon this subject the two preceding articles may be consulted. Before we show from the Word the representation of Gad and of the tribe named after him, something shall be said respecting the meaning of the good of life, which the tribe of Gad here signifies. Good of life is from a celestial origin, from a spiritual origin, and from a natural origin. The good of life from a celestial origin is that which results from the good of love to the Lord by means of truths from that good, the good of life being the effect of these. This good of life is that which is signified here by the tribe of Gad, therefore it is said, the good of life thence, that is to say, from the good of love to the Lord signified by the tribe of Judah, by means of truths from that good, signified by the tribe of Reuben. The good of life from a spiritual origin is the good of life which results from the good of charity towards the neighbour, by means of truths from that good, and this good of life is meant by Manasseh.

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

[3] There are also three things which fully constitute and form every universal essential, the good of love, truth from that good, and the resulting good of life. The good of life is the effect of the other two. For unless there be a third, the two former have no existence; in other words, the good of love, and truth from that good, cannot exist without the good of life. These three are like the final cause, the efficient cause, and the effect. The good of love is the final cause, truth from that good is the efficient cause or that by means of which good is brought into effect, and the good of life is the effect in which the former causes exist, and without which they have no existence or subsistence. Those three also are like the beating of the heart, the respiration of the lungs, and the action of the body; these make one. For if the body does not act, or suffer itself to be put in action, as is the case when a man dies, the other two cease. The case is similar with the good of love, with truth from that good, and with 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 meant in the Word by spirit and soul; and the good of life is like the body, in which the former act and live. There are three similar conditions in everything that exists, and when the three exist together, the formation is complete.

[4] It shall first be explained what is signified by Gad, or the tribe of Gad, in every sense. Gad, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to Omnipotence and Omniscience. In the internal sense, it signifies the good of truth, and in the external sense, works therefrom, which are the good of life. Gad has these significations, because in every part and detail of the Word there is an inmost, an internal, and an external sense. In the inmost sense is the Lord alone, for that sense treats of Him, of the glorification of His Human, of the orderly arrangement of the heavens, of the subjugation of the hells, and of the establishment of the church by Him. Therefore each tribe, in the inmost sense, signifies the Lord in regard to some attribute and work of His. But in the internal sense heaven and the church are treated of, and doctrine is laid down; 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 for the middle or second heaven, and the external or spiritual-natural sense for the first or ultimate heaven.

[5] The reason why the tribe of Gad, in this passage of the Apocalypse, where the twelve tribes are named, signifies the good of life, is, that it follows in order after Judah and Reuben; and Judah signifies the good of love, Reuben, truth from that good, and therefore Gad, the good of life. For from the good of love, by means of truths from it, the good of life exists, the good of life being the third in order, since it is the effect of the two former, as said above. Because the good of life is the good of the natural man, therefore an inheritance was given to the tribe of Gad beyond Jordan, and also to the tribe of Reuben, and to the half tribe of Manasseh. For the land which was beyond Jordan signified the external church, as shown in the article above, and the things of the external church, are those which proceed from the natural man. The church itself, regarded in itself is in the internal or spiritual man, but the external church is in the external or natural man; these nevertheless act as one, like cause and effect.

[6] That to the tribe of Gad an inheritance beyond Jordan was given is evident in Moses; for all inheritance was given to Reuben, to Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan where the land of cattle was; and it was given on the condition that they should cross over armed with the rest to take possession of the land of Canaan (Num. 32:1 to end; 34:14).

Further:

"And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon within the river and the border, and even unto the river Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; the plain also, and Jordan, and the border thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea, the plain, the Salt Sea, under the aqueducts of Pisgah eastward" (Deuteronomy 3:16, 17).

And in Joshua:

"And Moses gave unto the sons of Gad that their border should be Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before the faces of Rabbah; and from Heshbon unto Ramath of Mizpeh, and Betonim" (13:24, 25, 26).

The signification of Gad is not only evident from the places in the Word where he is mentioned, but also from the lands given to that tribe for an inheritance wherever they are mentioned in the Word, as Heshbon, Jazer, Rabbah, Ramath of Mizpeh, the river of Arnon, Chinnereth, the aqueducts of Pisgah, and others. What those lands signify in the spiritual sense, cannot be known, unless the signification of the tribe of Reuben, of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh be known, to whom those lands were given for a possession; for they denote such things as are signified by those tribes, both in an extended and in a limited sense, as in Jeremiah:

[7] "Against the sons of Ammon, Hath Israel no sons? Hath he no heir? Why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? 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 inherit their heirs. Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is devastated; cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird ye with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro among the fences; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together" (49:1-3).

These words cannot be understood, unless it be known what the sons of Ammon, Heshbon, and Rabbah signify. For Rabbah, Heshbon, and half of the land of Ammon, were given to the tribe of Gad for an inheritance; therefore those lands signify specifically such things as are signified by Gad in general; for it is said why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in their cities? For all the names of lands, regions, cities, rivers, and peoples in the Word, signify things of the church. Gad signifies the good of life according to truths of doctrine; Israel, the church as to truth. The sons of Ammon signify the falsifications of truth; Heshbon signifies the fructification of truth in the natural man; while the daughters of Rabbah signify the affections of truth also in the natural man, and Ai signifies the doctrine of truth. When these things are known, the spiritual sense of the whole passage will be seen to follow in the following series: Against the sons of Ammon, signifies against the falsifications of truth. Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? signifies, are there not in the church the knowledges of truth and good? Israel denotes the church, his sons denote truths, and heir denotes the good of truth. Why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? signifies whence is it that truth falsified has destroyed the good of life, and also perverted the doctrinals which teach the good of 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, or of falsified truth, and the destruction of those who hold it. And her daughters shall be burned with fire, signifies that the affections of that doctrine shall become lusts of evil. Then shall Israel inherit their heirs, signifies that the church shall perish as to goods. 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, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird ye with sackcloth, lament, signifies, that the affections of truth are no more; and run to and fro among the fences, signifies thought and life from falsities. For their king shall go into captivity, 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. From these things it is plain that by the lands of the inheritance of Gad are signified similar things specifically as in general by Gad; and that the significations of the lands mentioned in the Word may be known from the signification of the tribes to whom they were given for an inheritance.

What else is meant by the lands which in Ezekiel are said to be given for an inheritance to the tribe of Gad (48:27)? That the tribe of Gad is not meant, but that attribute of the church which is signified by Gad, is evident; for the tribe of Gad did not then exist, neither will exist.

[8] That Gad signifies the good of life from 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 seizeth the arm, yea the crown of the head, and he seeth the first-fruits for himself; for there is the portion of the hidden lawgiver; whence have come the heads of the people; he has executed the justice of Jehovah, and judgments with Israel" (Deuteronomy 33:20, 21).

In these words, by Gad are described the good of life according to truths from the Word, and the influx of heaven into that good. The influx of truth into that good from the Lord, is signified by Blessed be he who hath given breadth to Gad. Breadth signifies truth, Gad the good of life; and "blessed" the Lord Himself. As a lion he dwelleth, signifies that he is safe from falsities. He seizeth the arm, yea the crown of the head, signifies that he is nourished by truths external and internal; for arm, and the crown of the head in sacrifices, signified such things. He seeth the first-fruits for himself, signifies that they are from primary things. For there is the portion of the hidden lawgiver signifies truths Divine hidden therein; intelligence thence is signified by whence have come the heads of the people; he executed the justice of Jehovah, signifies the good works thence. And His judgments with Israel, signifies the truths of the church thence.

[9] Gad signifies the good of life because he was named from "troop" (see Genesis 30:10, 11); for Gad in Hebrew signifies a troop, and by a troop, in the spiritual sense, are signified works, and the good of life consists in doing goods which are works. See Arcana Coelestia 3934). But what is signified by Gad in the blessing of his father Israel, which is as follows in Moses:-

"Gad; a troop shall lay him waste; and he shall lay waste the heel" (Genesis 49:19)

may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6403-6406), and also the signification of the following in Isaiah:

"Ye are they that forsake Jehovah, that forget the mountain of my holiness, that prepare a table for Gad, and fill the drink-offering unto Meni" (65:11) ([AC 6405]).

4731. 'And Reuben heard it' means the Church's confession of faith in general. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith in the understanding, or doctrine, which is the first stage of regeneration - the truth of doctrine in its entirety by means of which one is able to arrive at the good of life, dealt with in 3861, 3866, here therefore the Church's confession of faith in general. The reason for Reuben's intervention here is that the Church which begins with faith would cease to be a Church if this Divine truth did not remain within it, namely the truth that the Lord's Human is Divine, this being the highest or inmost truth of the Church. This is the reason for Reuben's wishing to rescue Joseph, who represents that truth here, from the hands of his brothers to return him to his father - actions meaning that he wished to claim that truth for the Church. And further on, when Reuben went back to the pit and saw no Joseph there, it is said that he rent his clothes and said to his brothers, 'The lad is no more; and I, where do I go?' verses 29-30, meaning that no faith in the Lord existed any longer and so no Church.

[2] This supreme or inmost truth that the Lord's Human is Divine is denied by those within the Church who adhere to faith alone. Nevertheless because they know from the Word that there is a Divine side to the Lord and yet they do not grasp how the Human can be Divine, they therefore say He is both, by making a distinction between His Divine nature and His Human nature. But those who lead the life of faith - that is, those who have charity - worship the Lord as their God and Saviour; and while engaged in worship they think of the Lord's Divine without separating it from His Human. In so doing they acknowledge in their hearts everything in the Lord to be Divine. But because, when thinking from doctrine, they cannot grasp how the Human can be Divine, they speak purely from what doctrine teaches.