3861. 'And she called his name Reuben' means the essential nature of it, which is described. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421. That nature itself is described by the statement, 'Because Jehovah has seen my affliction, for now my husband will love me', the literal meaning of the name Reuben. Spiritually however all names in the Word mean real things, as has been shown often, see 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888; and among me ancients when a name was given it meant some state, 340, 1946, 2643, 3422. Here it will be seen that the names of all the sons of Jacob mean the universal attributes of the Church. Also one specific universal attribute has been combined within each name, but what that attribute is no one can possibly know unless he knows the internal sense embodied in the words from which each son's name is derived. That is, he needs to know the internal sense embodied in 'has seen' from which Reuben is derived, and in 'has heard' from which Simeon is derived, and in 'has clung to' from which Levi is derived, and in 'to confess' from which Judah is derived, and so on with all the other sons.

3344. The communication of angels who belong to the heaven more interior still, which is the third heaven, is also representative, but it is such as cannot possibly be conceived by any idea in the mind, nor accordingly be described. Their pattern of thought is present inwardly in man, yet only in one in whom celestial love, that is, love to the Lord, is present; and following his separation from the body he enters into that pattern of thought as though born to it, even though, as has been stated, he could not conceive anything at all of this with any idea present in his own mind while he was living in the body. In short, by means of the representatives that are combined with ideas, communication so to speak comes to life. Of all the forms this communication takes, that among men is the least lively because their form of it involves spoken words. The form it takes among angels of the first heaven is more lively, that among angels of the second is more lively still, while that among angels of the third heaven is the most lively of all, since these angels receive the Lord's life more fully than others. Whatever comes from the Lord is in itself living.