432. Verse 5. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

"Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand," signifies love to the Lord, and that all who are in that love are in heaven, and come into heaven. "Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand," signifies the light of truth from that good, and that all who are in that light are in heaven, and come into heaven. "Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand," signifies the good of life thence.

3031. 'Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?' means whether it could nevertheless be joined to the Divine good of the Rational. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about Abram and about the land he came from, see 1343, 1356, 1992, 2559. From these paragraphs it is evident that the land from which Abram came was Syria, where the second Ancient Church existed, called the Hebrew Church after its founder Eber, 1238, 1241, 1327, 1343. But around the time of Abram this Church too had fallen away from the truth, some households so far away from it that they did not know Jehovah at all but worshipped other gods. This is the land which is meant here and to which the servant was referring when he asked whether he was required to take Abraham's son 'to the land from which you came'. Consequently 'the land' here means an affection which is not compatible with truth. This being the meaning of 'the land', 'taking his son there', or what amounts to the same, taking a woman for him and remaining with her there, means joining an affection incompatible with truth to the Divine good of the Rational. But this could not be done, as Abraham declares in his reply which follows.