330. Out of every tribe and tongue. That this signifies from all those who are in truths as to doctrine and as to life, is clear from the signification of a tribe, as denoting all truths and goods in the aggregate (concerning which see above, n. 39); for those things are signified by the twelve tribes, and hence by every tribe is signified something of truth and good, therefore by out of every tribe is signified from all those who are in any kind of truth and good; and from the signification of tongue as denoting the doctrine of life and faith. That tribes signify all truths and goods in the aggregate, will be shown more fully in its proper article below. Similarly, that tongue signifies the doctrine of life and faith, thus religion. (Those [passages] only shall be adduced here that are shown in the Arcana Coelestia concerning the signification of the tribes, namely, the twelve tribes of Israel represented, and thence signified, all truths and goods in the aggregate, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; similarly the twelve apostles of the Lord the like, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 6397. There were twelve, because twelve signifies all, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. Because the twelve tribes represented, and thence signified, all truths and goods in the aggregate, therefore they represented heaven and the church, n. 6337, 6637, 7836, 7891, 7996. The twelve tribes signify various things according to the order in which they are named, and thus also all things of heaven and the church with variety, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603 et seq., 6337, 6640, 10335; therefore, replies could be given and were given by the Urim and Thummim, on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven in precious stones, n. 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874, 9905.)

8006. 'All the assembly of Israel shall keep it' means that this law of order is for all who are governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the assembly of Israel' as all truths and forms of good in their entirety, 7830, thus those who are guided by truth that leads to good, and governed by good through which truth comes, 7957, consequently those who belong to the spiritual Church. They were all required to keep the Passover in order that they might represent the deliverance of those belonging to the spiritual Church who were held back on the lower earth until the Lord's Coming, 6854, 6914, 7091 (end), 7849, 7932; and their eating it 'in one house' represented groups of angels living in association with one another in heaven, 7836, 7996, 7997, so that the keeping of it by the whole assembly of Israel represented the whole of heaven. At that time the Church did not exist anywhere, only a representative of the Church, for which Abraham's descendants through Jacob were selected. Through representatives of the Church contact with heaven was established, and through heaven with the Lord. This was why that nation was commanded to maintain a strict observance of all statutes and all laws, above all the statutes relating to the Passover, so strict that anyone who was clean and did not keep the Passover was to be cut off, Numbers 9:13.