2
你曉諭以色列人，從他們手下取杖，每支派一根；從他們所有的首領，按著支派，共取十二根。你要將各人的名字寫在各人的杖上，
5
後來我所揀選的那人，他的杖必發芽。這樣，我必使以色列人向你們所發的怨言止息，不再達到我耳中。
6
於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們的首領就把杖交給他，按著支派，每首領一根，共有十二根；亞倫的杖也在其中。
8
第二天，摩西進法櫃的帳幕去。誰知利未族亞倫的杖已經發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。
9
摩西就把所有的杖從耶和華面前拿出來，給以色列眾人看；他們看見了，各首領就把自己的杖拿去。
10
耶和華吩咐摩西說：把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。
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).
9891. 'On the edge of it which is on this side of the ephod, inwards' means the joining to and preservation of the middle part. This is clear from the meaning of 'the edge of the breastplate which is on this side of the ephod, inwards' as a joining to the middle part of heaven, and so the preservation of it; for 'the ephod' means Divine Truth in the spiritual heaven in an outward form, 9824, thus heaven in outermost things, and 'the edge which is on this side of the ephod' means the middle part. The subject is the joining of all the forms of good and the truths of heaven to the last and lowest things there, and thereby the preservation of the whole and all its parts.
[2] All those forms of good and truths are represented by the twelve stones in the breastplate and by the names of the twelve tribes inscribed on the stones there. The joining of them to the last and lowest things of heaven is represented by the tying of the breastplate to the ephod in six places - two at the shoulder-pieces above, two at the middle part, and two at the shoulder-pieces below, above the girdle. From all this the preservation of the whole of heaven and all its parts is demonstrated in a representative fashion.
[3] The joining of the breastplate at the shoulder-pieces above represents the preservation of the celestial forms of good and truths there; but the joining at 'the edge on this side of the ephod, inwards', or to the middle part, represents the preservation of the spiritual forms of good and truths. And the joining at the shoulder-pieces below against the join above the girdle of the ephod represents the preservation of the natural forms of good and truths coming forth from the celestial and spiritual ones. For the forms of good and the truths of heaven exist in a threefold order. Those on the highest levels are called celestial, those on the middle levels are called spiritual, and those on levels below are called natural coming forth from those celestial and spiritual ones; these will be dealt with below.
