447. Verse 8. Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand sealed, signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Zebulun" and the tribe named from him, as meaning the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven; because "Zebulun" in the Hebrew means cohabitation, and cohabitation signifies in the spiritual sense conjunction, such as exists with those who love each other. Here "Zebulun" signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven, because the nine preceding tribes signify all those who are in the heavens and who come into the heavens; and there are three heavens, the inmost, the middle, and the lowest, and no one comes into heaven except those whom the Lord conjoins to Himself; therefore the three tribes last mentioned signify conjunction with the Lord, "the tribe of Zebulun" the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven, "the tribe of Joseph" the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven, and "the tribe of Benjamin" the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the lowest heaven.

[2] "Zebulun" signifies in the highest sense the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord, in the internal sense the Lord's conjunction with heaven and the church; and in particular, the conjunction of good and truth therein, for by this conjunction the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the three heavens and in the church is effected; for with such the Lord flows in with the good of love and charity, and conjoins that good to the truths that are with them, and thereby conjoins man and angel to Himself. This is what is signified by "cohabitation," which is the meaning of "Zebulun." That this is the meaning of "Zebulun" can be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3960, 3961), where the words of Leah his mother when he was born are explained, which are as follows:

And Leah conceived, and bare a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; this time will my husband cohabit with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun (Genesis 30:19, 20).

[3] From this signification of "Zebulun" what is signified by him in the following passages can be seen. As in the prophecy of Israel respecting his sons:

Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the seas; and he shall dwell at a haven of ships; and his side shall be unto Zidon (Genesis 49:13).

Here "Zebulun" signifies the conjunction of good and truth, which is called the heavenly marriage; "to dwell at a haven of the sea" signifies the conjunction of things spiritual with natural truths, "seas" meaning knowledges (scientifica), which are natural truths; "to dwell at a haven of ships" signifies the spiritual conjunction with doctrinals from the Word, "ships" meaning doctrinals and knowledges of all kinds; "his side shall be unto Zidon" signifies extension to the knowledges of good and truth from the celestial kingdom. (For further explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 6382-6386.)

[4] The like is meant in the prophecy of Moses respecting the sons of Israel:

Of Zebulun he said, Be glad, Zebulun; in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents. They shall call the peoples unto the mountain; there they shall sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness; for they shall suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden things of the secret things of the sand (Deuteronomy 33:18, 19).

Here, too, "Zebulun" signifies the marriage of good and truth, as may be seen in the preceding article n. 445, where the prophecy is explained. So again in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:

Out of Machir shall come down lawgivers, and out of Zebulun they that draw the staff of the scribe. Zebulun was a people that devoted the soul to death, and Naphtali upon the heights of the field. The kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver. They fought from heaven; the stars from their courses fought with Sisera (Judges 5:14, 18-20).

This prophecy treats of the combat of truth from good against falsity from evil; "the king of Canaan" who reigned in Hazor, and "Sisera" the captain of his army who fought against Barak and Deborah, signify the falsity of evil, and "Barak and Deborah" the truth of good; and as "the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun" signify combat from truth that is from good, "the tribe of Naphtali" combat, and "the tribe of Zebulun" the conjunction of good and truth, therefore these two tribes only, and not the other tribes, were taken to fight (See Judges 4:6). That this was what this combat signified can be seen from the prophecy uttered by Barak and Deborah, which treats in the spiritual sense of the victory of truth from good over falsity from evil, and of the purification and reformation of the church. So here "Out of Machir shall come down lawgivers" signifies that the truths of good shall flow forth from the good of life, for "Machir" has a like signification as "Manasseh," because Machir was the son of Manasseh (Genesis 50:23; Joshua 13:31); and "lawgivers" signify those who are in the truths of good, and in an abstract sense the truths of good; "and out of Zebulun they that draw the staff of the scribe" signifies intelligence from the conjunction of truth and good, "Zebulun" signifying here, as above, the conjunction of truth and good, and the "staff of the scribe" intelligence. "Zebulun was a people that devoted the soul to death, and Naphtali upon the heights of the field," signifies combat in the natural man by means of truths from the spiritual man and from its influx and conjunction, "the heights of the field" signifying the interior things that are of the spiritual man, from which the natural man combats; "the kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan" signifies the falsities of evil against which is combat; "in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo" signifies those falsities and of what quality they are; "they took no gain of silver" signifies that they took and carried away nothing of truth from good, "silver" meaning truth from good; "they fought from heaven, the stars from their courses fought with Sisera" signifies combat by means of the knowledges of truth and good, which are from the Lord through heaven, "stars" meaning such knowledges, and "courses" truths.

[5] Again, "Zebulun and Naphtali" signify the conjunction of truth and good through combat against falsities and evils, and consequent reformation. In Matthew:

Jesus leaving Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations; the people sitting in darkness saw a great light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death to them did light spring up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens hath come nigh (Matthew 4:13-17; Isaiah 9:1, 2).

In Isaiah this was evidently said respecting the Lord, for it is said "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet;" therefore "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and Galilee of the nations," signify the establishment of the church with the Gentiles that are in the good of life and that receive truths and are thus in the conjunction of good and truth, and in combat against evils and falsities. That this means the establishment of the church and the reformation of such nations is evident also from its being said "beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations," and also "the people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death did light spring up."

[6] "Zebulun and Naphtali" signify in the highest sense the union of the Divine Itself and the Lord's Divine Human by means of temptations admitted into Himself, and victories gained by His own power; as in David, Psalms 68:27-29 (which may be seen explained above, n. 439. Because of this signification of "Zebulun":

The tribe of Judah, together with the tribe of Issachar and the tribe of Zebulun, pitched to the east about the tent of meeting (Numbers 2:3-10);

for the encampments of the sons of Israel about the tent of meeting represent and thence signify the arrangements of the angelic societies in heaven; and to the east in heaven are those who are in conjunction with the Lord through love to Him; for "the tribe of Judah" represented love to the Lord, and "the tribe of Zebulun" conjunction with Him.

445. Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand sealed, signifies faith and salvation. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Issachar" and his tribe, as being that which makes heaven and salvation with man, for "Issachar" in the original means reward, and love and faith are what make heaven and salvation with man, consequently both are signified by "the tribe of Issachar." "Reward" is frequently spoken of in the Word, as "that reward is to be received," and by it is understood eternal life, salvation, and by many, heavenly joy; and in the nearest sense this is the signification of "reward." If a man is living according to the Lord's commandments, it is permissible for him to think of eternal life, salvation, and heavenly joy; but it is not permissible for him to keep his mind intent upon reward, for if he does so he has reward as an end, and easily falls into the thought that by his life he deserves heaven and salvation, and this thought causes him to have regard to self in every particular, and such regard to self removes him from heaven; for so far as man looks to self in what he does, he does not look to heaven. Because of this, "reward" signifies in the Word that in which heaven and salvation are, that is, in general, love and faith, and thence intelligence and wisdom, for in these are salvation and heaven, and consequently heavenly joy, so far as man does not think about reward. From this the signification of "Issachar" and his tribe can be seen.

[2] Here faith is signified, because "the tribe of Simeon" signifies obedience, and "the tribe of Levi" signifies good works, and they who are in good works from obedience are in faith; while such as are in the goods of life from the spiritual affection of truth and good are in charity, and they who are in the goods of life from celestial affection are in love to the Lord. This, too, is the way in which angels are distinguished in the heavens: those who are in the goods of life from a celestial affection are in the inmost or third heaven; those who are in the goods of life from a spiritual affection are in the middle or second heaven; and those who are in good works from obedience are in the lowest or first heaven, and these also are said to have faith, for the things they hear from the sense of the letter of the Word and from preachers they believe according to their apprehension, but they neither see nor perceive whether they are true, therefore their thought about what is to be believed is called faith; for that is properly called faith which is believed without intellectual sight and perception as to its being so, consequently such persons can believe falsity equally with truth. But when what is believed is seen and perceived this is not called faith, but apperception and perception; for the understanding illustrated by the Lord sees, and the will is affected, and action flows from the two.

[3] "Issachar" and his tribe here signify faith, because these three tribes, from each of which were twelve thousand sealed, mean all who are in the lowest or first heaven; and they who are in that heaven are said to be in good works from obedience, and in faith. Moreover, many of these call faith alone the essential of salvation, and yet do not separate faith from good works, for they say that faith is bestowed upon them by the Lord because they are in good works, and that if they were not in good works faith would not be given. But those who separate faith from good works, and declare it to be the sole means of salvation, and that they are saved by it howsoever they live, confirming this by their life, such are not in the lowest heaven but are in hell.

[4] Those who have regard to reward on account of the good works they do, and thus place merit in works, are meant by "Issachar" in the prophecy of Israel respecting his sons:

Issachar is a bony ass couching down between the burdens. And he shall see rest that it is good, and the land that it is pleasant; and he shall bow his shoulder to bear burdens, [and shall be one who serves for hire] (Genesis 49:14, 15).

Here "Issachar" signifies reward or recompense on account of works; "a bony ass" signifies the lowest servitude; "couching down between the burdens" signifies life among works; "and he shall see rest that it is good" signifies works of good without recompense full of felicity; "and the land that it is pleasant" signifies that those who are in the Lord's kingdom are in such felicity; "and he shall bow his shoulder to bear burdens" signifies that they, nevertheless, labor in every work; "and shall be one who serves for hire" signifies with a view to merit. (For further explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 6387-6394.)

[5] But those who do not place merit in the good works they perform, by having regard for reward, but place heaven and the felicity of eternal life in thinking and willing well, and thence in acting well, and are in the spiritual affection of truth and good, which is with those who are in the heavenly marriage, that is, in the marriage of good and truth; such are meant by these words in Moses:

Of Zebulun he said, Be glad, Zebulun, in thy going out; and Issachar in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness; for they shall suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden things of the secret things of the sand (Deuteronomy 33:18, 19).

This is said of those who are in the marriage of good and truth, that is, in truths in respect to the understanding and thought, and in goods in respect to the will and affection. "Zebulun" signifies that marriage, and "Issachar" the affection of truth and good; "to be glad in thy going out" signifies to have delight in all genuine truths and goods, "going out" signifying all things, because it signifies the ultimate, the effect, and the conclusion; "to be glad in the tents" signifies in all worship; "to call the peoples unto the mountain" signifies, because such are in heaven, where there is the good of love; "to sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness" signifies worship from truths that are from good; "to suck the abundance of the sea" signifies to imbibe the truths of doctrine from the Word, and thus intelligence; and "to suck the hidden things of the secret things of the sand" signifies the spiritual things that lie concealed in the sense of the letter of the Word.

[6] Because "the tribes of Judah, of Issachar, and of Zebulun," signified the heaven where the good of love is, "the tribe of Judah" that good itself, "the tribe of Issachar" its affection, and "Zebulun" its conjunction with truths:

These three tribes pitched to the east of the tent of meeting (Numbers 2:3-9);

for in heaven those dwell to the east who are in the good of love and thus in the affection of good and truth, and in the marriage or conjunction of these, that is, in truths in respect to doctrine and in goods in respect to life.