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).

4244. 'And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants' means acquisitions existing there in their proper order. This is clear from the meaning of 'oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants' as subservient goods and truths, exterior and interior, and so acquisitions in their proper order. 'An ox' means exterior natural good, and 'an ass' exterior natural truth, see 2781; and 'a flock' means interior natural good, 'a man servant' its truth, and 'a woman servant' the affection for that truth, as is clear from the meaning of each, dealt with several times already. Those kinds of good and truth constitute the acquisitions referred to here, which are, it is evident, mentioned in their proper order since exterior ones are meant by 'oxen and asses' and interior ones by 'flocks, men servants and women servants'.

2325. 'And Lot saw' means [their] conscience - that is to say, the conscience of those with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'seeing'. 'Seeing' in the Word means understanding, see 897, 1584, 1806, 1807, 2150. In the internal sense however 'seeing' means having faith, a meaning which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed at Genesis 29:32. The reason why conscience is meant here is that people who have faith have conscience as well. Conscience is inseparable from faith, so inseparable in fact that it makes no difference whether you speak of faith or of conscience. By faith is meant faith through which charity comes, and which derives from charity. This being so, it is charity itself, for faith without charity is not faith at all. And just as faith is not possible without charity, neither is conscience possible without it.