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.)

3345. From this one can see that a range of interior forms of communication exists, yet these are such that one form springs from another in that range of them and one exists within another next to it. The nature of the communication used by man is well known, as also is his thought in which that form of communication originates and whose analytical workings are such as cannot possibly be examined closely. The communication, and the thought in which it originates, of the good spirits, or the angels of the first heaven, are more interior, containing things yet more wonderful and unexaminable. The communication, and again the thought in which it originates, of the angels of the second heaven are still more interior, containing yet more perfect and indescribable things, while the communication, and yet again the thought in which it originates, of the angels of the third heaven are inmost, containing things totally indescribable. And although all these forms of communication are such that they appear to be different and diverse, they nevertheless make a single whole since one gives form to the next and one is present within the next. But that which occurs in a more external form is representative of that which is interior to it. Anyone who does not think beyond worldly and bodily things cannot believe these things, and therefore he imagines that the interior things with him are nothing, when in fact the interior things with him constitute everything, while those that are exterior, that is, worldly and bodily, in which he makes everything to consist, are by contrast scarcely anything.