355. Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed. This symbolizes a will to serve and to put into practice, also in those people who will be part of the New Heaven and of the Lord's New Church.

There are three things that follow in order: love toward the Lord, wisdom, and useful endeavor, as we said in no. 352 above. So again here: mutual love, understanding or perception, and will or action. These also form a unit, so that if one is missing, the other two have no reality. A will to serve, combined with action, constitute the effect, thus the final element, in which the two prior ones are present and coexist.

Manasseh has this symbolism because Joseph, who was the father of Manasseh and Ephraim, symbolizes the spiritual component of the church, and the spiritual component of the church is goodness of will and at the same time truth in the intellect. Manasseh consequently symbolizes the volitional component of the church, and Ephraim its intellectual component.

Manasseh symbolizes the volitional component of the church because Ephraim symbolizes its intellectual component, as is clearly apparent in Hosea, where Ephraim is so often mentioned. And because Manasseh symbolizes the volitional component of the church, he also symbolizes action or practice; for will is the impetus in every action, and where impetus exists, there action takes place whenever possible.

Manasseh is mentioned in several places, as when he was born (Genesis 41:50-52); when Jacob took him in place of Simeon (Genesis 48:3-5), and blessed him (Genesis 48:15-16); and when Moses blessed him (Deuteronomy 33:17). He is mentioned as well also in Isaiah 9:19-21, and Psalms 60:7; 80:2; 108:8. From these places it can in some measure be seen that Manasseh means the volitional component of the church.

352. Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed. This symbolizes useful life endeavors, which are the exercises of wisdom springing from the aforesaid love, also in those people who will be in the New Heaven and in the Lord's New Church.

In the highest sense Gad symbolizes omnipotence; in the spiritual sense, goodness of life, which also is useful endeavor; and in the natural sense, work. Here he symbolizes useful life endeavors, because he comes after Reuben and Judah, and celestial love by means of wisdom produces useful endeavors.

There are three things that hang together and cannot be separated: love, wisdom and useful life endeavor. If one is taken away, the other two collapse. (See Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, nos. 241 297, 316.)

That Gad symbolizes useful life endeavors, called also fruits, can be seen from the derivation of his name from a word meaning a troop or accumulation (Genesis 30:10-11, Joshua 13:24-28). It can be seen, too, from his symbolism in an opposite sense (Isaiah 65:11, Jeremiah 49:1-3).

It should be known that the tribes of Israel here are all distinguished into four groups, as they were in the Urim and Thummim, and as they were in their encampment, and that each group contains three tribes, because the three go together as a unit, like love, wisdom and useful service, and like charity, faith and work. For, as we said, if one is missing, the other two have no reality.