432. Verse 5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed.

5. "Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed," signifies love to the Lord, and that all who are in that love are in heaven, and come into heaven n. 433; "of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed," signifies the light of truth from that good, and that all who are in that light are in heaven and come into heaven n. 434; "of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed," signifies the consequent good of life (n. 435, 436).

9866. 'One row' means a group of three there existing as one. This is clear from the meaning of 'row' as a group of three; for three stones constituted it, and 'three' means that which is complete from beginning to end, 2788, 4495, 7715, 9198, 9488. They are said to exist as one because a sequence of three makes one; for the resulting presence of three together, side by side at the lowest level, corresponds to the consecutive order which has given rise to their presence together on that level and maintains it, see 9825. So it is that the three heavens make one on the last and lowest level; and the same applies in each heaven. The origin of this lies in God Himself, in whom there is a Trinity, consisting of His Essential Divinity, Divine Humanity, and Divine Proceeding, which make one. And this Divine Trinity making One is the Lord. From all this it may be seen why in each row there were three stones and that a group of three existing as one is meant by each row. The reason why there were four rows is that in heaven there are two kingdoms, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom, and in each there is an internal part and an external. The internal and external of the celestial kingdom was represented by the two rows on the right side of the breastplate, and the internal and external of the spiritual kingdom by the two rows on its left side. For the breastplate was a square when doubled over.