9458. 'Speak to the children of Israel' means the representative Church. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as the Church, in particular the spiritual Church, dealt with in 8805, 9340, but at this point the representative Church, since the kinds of objects that represented the holy things of the Church and of heaven are the subject, such as the ark, the mercy-seat, the cherubs, the table on which the loaves of the Presence were laid, the lampstand, and further on the tabernacle, Aaron's garments, and the altar and sacrifices, all of which were representative. The reason why the spiritual Church is meant by 'the children of Israel' is that it was represented by them. However no actual representative Church could be established among that people, only a representative of a Church, see 4281, 4288, 4311, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 9320.

In Genesis 35:18, Benjamin signifies the quality of the spiritual of the celestial, intermediate between the spiritual and the celestial. (Arcana Coelestia 4592, 5469)

In Revelation 7:8, Deuteronomy 33:12, Benjamin signifies the Word in its lowermost sense, which is natural. (Apocalypse Explained 449[10])

In Genesis 35:18, Benjamin (as Benoni) signifies a state of temptation, one of mourning. (Arcana Coelestia 4591)

In Jeremiah 6:1, Benjamin signifies people who have conjunction with the Lord in the lowest heaven. (The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 72)

Benjamin, as the beloved of the Lord, signifies spiritual truth from celestial good. (Arcana Coelestia 4592[7])

(Referencat: Apocalypse Explained 449)