434# “流便支派中受印的有一万二千”表示来自这爱的真理之光，以及所有处于这光的人都在天堂，并进入天堂。这从“流便支派”、“一万二千”和“受印的”的含义清楚可知：“流便支派”是指那些处于真理之光的人(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“一万二千”是指所有事物和所有人(对此，参看AE 430节) ，在此也指所有处于来自对主之爱的良善的真理之光的人，这爱由“流便支派”来表示(如刚才所示，AE 433节)；“受印的”是指那些在天堂，并进入天堂的人(对此，参看AE 427a, 433a节)。前面说明，在圣言中，以色列十二支派代表、因而表示教会的一切事物，每个支派都表示教会的某种普遍本质成分，“犹大”表示对主之爱；但“流便”表示来自这爱的光，这一点可见于下文。
“流便”，因而以他命名的支派，在至高意义上表示在预见或预知方面的主，在内在意义上表示属灵的信和对真理的理解，在外在意义上表示看见。“流便”因在内在意义上表示信和理解，故也表示真理之光，因为信从真理之光存在，理解力被它光照；事实上，哪里有真理之光，哪里就有理解和信。
“流便”或流便支派与使徒“彼得”具有相同的含义。因为十二使徒和以色列支派一样，都代表教会的一切事物，每个使徒都代表教会的某种普遍本质成分。彼得因与流便具有相同的代表，所以是第一个使徒，正如流便是雅各的第一个儿子。“彼得”表示在光中的真理，以及信(参看AE 9, 411节)。
流便是雅各的第一个儿子，因此在圣言的大多数经文中，以他来称呼的支派第一个被提名，因为他是头生的或长子；在圣言中，“头生的”表示来自良善的真理，或也可说，在光中的真理，因而表示来自仁的信。在人看来，信和属于信之物似乎是首先的，因为它通过听觉进入记忆，并从记忆中被召唤出来进入思维；一个人通过内在视觉看见和感知他所思想的东西，先被看见和感知到的东西是首先的，但只是表面上，而非实际上的。实际上，良善是头生的，或教会的第一事物或第一成分，因为真理从良善存在，良善在真理中形成它自己，并通过真理使自己变得可见，因而真理是形式上的良善。这就是为何说真理来自良善，信来自仁，因为凡来自某种事物之物都是成像或在一种形像中的这个事物；就本身而言，真理就是所形成和生出的良善；因此，这就是“头生的或长子”在圣言灵义上的含义。此外，对婴孩来说，纯真之良善是主首先赋予的事物，人首先凭此良善而成为一个人。由于良善属于爱，而人不反思他的爱，却反思他来自记忆的思维，还由于良善在形成真理之前，没有任何品质，凡没有品质的东西都不会被感知到，所以人们不知道良善是首先的，是头生或长子的。事实上，良善首先在人里面由主形成，并通过真理被生出来，良善以自己的形式和肖像而在这些真理中。
此外，必须知道的是，人在婴儿和童年时期从圣言，由此而来的教义，以及讲道中所接受的真理的确看似真理，却仍不是与他同在的真理；它们只是像没有核仁的外壳，或像没有灵魂和生命的身体或脸的形式。直到在意愿中被接受，这些真理才变成真理，因为那时它们第一次被人接受，并开始活在他里面。事实上，意愿才是这个人自己，一切良善都属于意愿，一切真理都属于由此而来的理解力。由此可见，为何表示对主之爱的良善的犹大支派在此首先被提名，然后表示来自这良善、在光中的真理的流便支派被提名。
要知道，有真理在其中显现的一切光都来自从主而来的天堂之光；天堂之光来自主的神性之爱的神性良善；天堂之光是形式上的神性良善。在天堂，这两者为一，并被天使作为一体来接受。人也必须作为一体来接受，好叫他可以与天使交流。《属天的奥秘》一书充分解释了这些事，大致是：当人正在重生时，真理占据第一位，良善占据第二位，但这是表面上的，而非实际上的；不过，当他已经重生时，良善占据第一位，真理实际上明显占据第二位(AC 3324, 3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110节)；因此，良善是重生的首先和末后(AC 9337节)。由于当人正在重生时，或也可说，当他正在变成一个教会时，真理看似占据第一位，良善占据第二位，所以由于这种表象，教会的长子或头生的，是信之真理，还是仁之良善，成了古人当中一个有争议的问题(AC 367, 2435节)。仁之良善实际上是教会的长子或头生的，而信之真理仅表面上是(AC 3325, 3494, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080节)。在圣言中，“头生的或长子”表示教会的第一成分，该成分具有优先权和优势(AC 3325节)。因此，主被称为“头生的”，因为一切爱、仁与信之良善都在祂里面，并来自祂(AC 3325节)。
由于真理表面上占据第一位，所以流便是头生的，并因“看见”而得名，这明显可见于摩西五经：
利亚怀孕生子，就给他起名叫流便，因为她说，耶和华看见我的苦情，如今我的男人必爱我。(创世记29:32)
尽管这些是历史事实，但它们却包含灵义。圣言中的每一个和一切事物都来自灵界，因为它来自主；当这些属灵事物从天堂降至自然界时，它们穿上相对应的属世意义，也就是圣言的字义。因此，雅各儿子的出生表示属灵的出生，这些出生描述了当主正在重生人时，良善与真理如何在他里面出生。这就是为何“利亚怀孕生子”表示属灵的怀孕和出生；“就给他起名叫流便”表示它的品质；“她说，耶和华看见”在至高意义上表示预见，在内在意义上表示信，在内层意义上表示理解，在外在意义上表示看见，在此表示来自主的信；“我的苦情”表示到达良善的状态；“如今我的男人必爱我”表示真理之良善由此而来。《属天的奥秘》(3860–3866节)解释了这些话。
434b.在原文，流便表示看见，“看见”在灵义上表示信和对真理的理解，在至高意义上表示神性预见。这一点从《属天的奥秘》关于观看和看见的含义所说的清楚看出来，那里说明：“看见”在论述主的至高意义上表示预见(AC 2807, 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863, 10428节)；“看见”在内在意义上表示信，因为属灵的看见是出于信的看见，属于信的事物是灵界的视觉对象(AC 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 5400, 10705节)；“看见”表示理解并感知真理(AC 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705节)；内在视觉是理解力，这视觉通过肉眼观看；理解力的视觉来自天堂之光(AC 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 5114, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569节)。
“流便”表示来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信，这一点从他在田里寻见，并给了他母亲的风茄明显看出来，对此，经上在摩西五经如此记着说：
割麦子的日子，流便出去，在田里寻见风茄，拿来给他母亲利亚。拉结对利亚说，请你把你儿子的风茄给我吧。利亚对拉结说，你夺了我的男人还算小事吗？你又要夺我儿子的风茄吗？拉结说，为你儿子的风茄，今夜他可以与你同寝。到了晚上，雅各从田里回来，利亚出来迎接他说，你要与我同寝，因为我实在用我儿子的风茄把你雇下了。那一夜雅各就与她同寝。她就怀孕，给雅各生了一个儿子，叫以萨迦。(创世记30:14–18)
人若不知道“风茄”表示什么，也不知道“流便”、“雅各”、“利亚”和“拉结”代表什么，就无法理解这些事为何发生，又为何被记录在圣言中。但可以看出，它们包含并未出现在字义上的某种神性事物在里面，因为它们在圣言中，圣言中的每一个和一切事物都是神性。包含在这些话里面的神性从灵义明显看出来；在灵义上，“风茄”表示良善与真理的婚姻；“流便”代表来自良善的真理；“雅各”代表真理方面的教会；“利亚”和“拉结”代表良善方面的教会，但“利亚”代表外在教会，“拉结”代表内在教会。因此，流便所寻见的“风茄”表示真理与良善的婚姻。构成内在教会的，正是内在人或属灵人里面真理与良善之间的这种婚姻；由于构成外在教会的真理首先在外在人或属世人中被赐予，所以风茄先被流便寻见，流便代表来自良善的真理。这些风茄先是给了他母亲利亚，利亚代表外在教会；但后来利亚把它们给了代表内在教会的拉结，以便利亚可以与雅各同寝。《属天的奥秘》(3940–3952节)对这些事的解释更充分。
434c.由于“流便”代表来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信，所以正是他劝他的弟兄们不要杀约瑟，想救他脱离他们的手；当发现约瑟不在坑里时，他极其悲伤(创世记37:21–22, 29–30)。《属天的奥秘》(4731–4738, 4751–4766节)解释了这一切。
由于“流便”或他的支派表示来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信，所以流便支派在旷野的营在南边，南边的营被称为流便营(民数记2:10–16)。以色列各支派的安营代表对天上天使社群的安排，天使社群照着他们在良善与真理上的状态而住在各个方位上(参看AE 422a节)。那些处于来自良善的真理之光的人住在那里的西部；流便支派因代表来自良善的真理，或在光中的真理，所以在南边安营。
由于流便支派所代表的来自良善的真理在属世人中，所以赐给流便支派的产业在约旦河之外(参看民数记32:1–42; 申命记3:12–20; 约书亚记13:1–33; 18:7)。因为在圣言中，“迦南地”代表、因而表示教会。约旦河之外的迦南地区表示外在教会，约旦河这一边的地区代表内在教会，而约旦河是它们之间的边界。构成教会的，正是来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信；属世人中来自良善的真理构成外在教会；由于流便支派代表教会的这一成分，所以约旦河之外的产业被赐给这个支派。下文会解释为何约旦河之外的产业也被赐给迦得支派和玛拿西半支派。
流便人、迦得人、玛拿西人在约旦河边所筑，并且这些支派与其它支派因此发生冲突的坛就代表，并在灵义上描述了这两个教会，即外在教会与内在教会的结合，该结合就像属世人与属灵人的结合；但经上说，这坛乃是为作证据，证明他们虽住在约旦河之外，但仍与其它支派一样侍奉耶和华；因此，他们称那坛为证坛，在我们中间证明耶和华是神(约书亚记22:9–34)。因为“约旦河”表示教会的外在与内在之间的媒介；“约旦河这边的迦南地”表示内在教会，“约旦河之外的地”表示外在教会，这也由流便、迦得和玛拿西支派来代表，他们在那里有自己的产业；而那坛表示两个教会的共同敬拜，因而表示由此的结合。
“流便”表示属世人中的真理，这一点也可从底波拉和巴拉在士师记中的预言明显看出来：
在流便地区有内心的大章程。你为何呆在篝火旁听羊群刺耳的咩叫？在流便地区多有内心的探寻。基列在约旦河外居住。(士师记5:15–17)
没有人能理解这些话，除非他知道这个预言论述了什么，以及“地区”、“流便”、“篝火”、“羊群的咩叫”和“基列”表示什么。此处论述的主题是处于一种荒废状态下的以色列人当中的教会。“流便地区”表示属世人中的一切真理和一切良善；“篝火”表示那里的认知和知识或科学；“羊群的咩叫”表示由此的感知和思维；“基列”表示属世人。当知道这一切时，这些事物在灵义上是什么意思就变得显而易见了，即：当教会被摧毁时，属世人和其中所包含的事物就与属灵人分离了，尽管它应当与属灵人结合；当它结合时，那里就有来自良善的真理，与来自邪恶的虚假的一场争战就通过这些真理发生；因为属世人必须从属灵人与它们争战。“内心的章程和内心的探寻”表示来自良善的真理，这些真理从属灵人而在属世人中，“心”表示爱之良善，“内心的探寻”表示由属灵人中的良善在属世人中所决定和安排的一切事物。这些话论及流便，是因为流便支派住在约旦河之外的基列；当底波拉和巴拉与西西拉争战时，该支派并未与他们联合，只有以萨迦和西布伦支派与他们联合；因为“西西拉”在灵义上表示摧毁教会的来自邪恶的虚假。
在摩西五经，“流便”表示真理之光和由此而来的对圣言的理解：
愿流便存活不至死亡；然而，他的人却是一个数目。(申命记33:6)
此处“流便”表示在天堂之光的光照下，对圣言的理解；由于只有极少数人接受这种光照，所以经上论到流便说“然而，他的人却是一个数目”，“数目”表示很少和少数。
434d.“流便”表示来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信，这一点也可从反面意义明显看出来，经上也在反面意义上提到他。“流便”在反面意义上表示与良善分离的真理，或与仁分离之信。没有良善的真理不是真理，只在表达和声音上是，因为它只是居于属世人的记忆中的知识或科学，因而只在这个人的入口处，却不在他生命中他的里面。属世人的记忆只是他的入口，真理不会变成他里面的真理，直到他意愿并实行它；那时它才第一次进入并接受生命；在此之前，天堂之光不会流入并光照。与仁分离之信也是这种情况，因为真理属于信，良善属于仁。
“流便”在反面意义上表示与仁分离之信，这一点可从他与他父亲的妾辟拉通奸明显看出来，对此，摩西五经如此描述：
以色列住在以法他-伯利恒地的时候，流便去与他父亲的妾辟拉同寝；以色列也听见这事。(创世记35:22)
“以法他-伯利恒”表示属灵教会，该教会处于来自良善的真理，或来自仁的信；流便的通奸表示对来自信之真理的仁之良善的弃绝。当真理不与它自己的良善，也就是仁之良善结合时，它就被亵渎了，因为那时它与对自我和世界的爱结合，这是通奸。所有通奸(利未记18:6–23列举了通奸的众多种类)都对应于良善与真理的通奸。流便所犯的通奸罪对应于与仁分离之信，这一点已经通过在灵界耳闻目睹的事向我显明和证实了，在那里可以感知到一种通奸的气场从那些在教义和生活上将仁和信分离的人身上发出来。
由于“流便”也表示这一点，所以他父亲夺走了他的长子名分，把它归给了约瑟和他的儿子。流便被夺走了长子名分，这一点从他父亲的这些话明显看出来：
流便哪，我的长子，你是我的力量，我能力的开始，本当大有尊荣，权力超众。但你如水一样轻或反复无常，必不得超越；因为你上了你父亲的床，玷污了它；他上了我的榻。(创世记49:3–4)
“流便我的长子”表示表面上占据第一位的信，或由良善所生的真理；“你是我的力量，我能力的开始”表示良善通过它拥有能力或潜能，真理拥有它的初始能力或潜能。“大有尊荣，权力超众”表示荣耀和能力或权柄由此而来。“如水一样轻或反复无常”表示与仁分离之信不是如此；“必不得超越”表示这种信既没有荣耀，也没有能力或权柄。“因为你上了你父亲的床”表示因为与仁之良善分离的信之真理形成一种污秽的结合；“玷污了它”表示与对自我和世界的爱，以及由此而来的邪恶的结合，这种结合是亵渎；“他上了我的榻”表示对属世人中的属灵良善的污染。不过，《属天的奥秘》(6341–6350节)充分解释了这些事。
因此，长子名分归给了约瑟的两个儿子以法莲和玛拿西，这一点由父亲以色列对约瑟说的这些话来表示：
我未到埃及以先，你在埃及地所生的两个儿子，现在他们是我的；以法莲和玛拿西正如流便和西缅一样是我的。(创世记48:5)
历代志上：
流便本是长子；但他玷污了父亲的床，他长子的名分就归了以色列的儿子约瑟的儿子。(历代志上5:1–2)
因为在圣言中，“以法莲”与“流便”具有相同的含义，即表示对真理的理解和在光中的真理。经上说“以法莲和玛拿西正如流便和西缅一样是以色列的儿子”，是因为“流便”表示对真理的理解，“西缅”表示对真理的意愿，与“以法莲”和“玛拿西”所表相同。由此可见，在圣言中，“流便”表示教会的哪种普遍本质成分。
434. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the light of truth from that love, and that all who are therein are in heaven and come into heaven, is plain from the signification of the tribe of Reuben, which denotes those who are in the light of truth, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of twelve thousand, as denoting, all things and all persons, concerning which see above (n. 430); here all who are in the light of truth from the good of love to the Lord, and this love is signified by the tribe of Judah, as shown just above (n. 433:1); and from the signification of the sealed, as denoting, those who are in heaven and come into heaven, concerning also which see above (n.
[427:2], 433). It has been previously shown, that the twelve tribes of Israel represented, and thence signify in the Word, all things of the church, that each tribe signifies some universal essential of it, and that Judah signifies love to the Lord, but Reuben light from that love, will be seen in what follows.
[2] Reuben, and therefore the tribe named from him, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to foresight or foreknowledge; in the internal sense, spiritual faith and the understanding of truth; and in the external sense, sight. And because Reuben in the internal sense, signifies faith and the understanding, he also signifies the light of truth, for faith exists from the light of truth, from which the understanding is enlightened; for where the light of truth is, there are understanding and faith.
[3] Reuben or his tribe has a signification similar to that of the apostle Peter. For the twelve apostles, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented all things of the church, and each apostle some universal essential of it. And because Peter has a representation similar to that of Reuben, he was therefore the first of the apostles, as Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob. That Peter signifies truth in the light, and also faith, may be seen above (n. 9, 411:12-15).
[4] Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob, and the tribe called after him is therefore named first in many passages of the Word, because he was the first-begotten, and the first-begotten in the Word signifies truth from good, or, what is the same thing, truth in the light, and therefore faith from charity. For truth, and that which pertains to faith, appears to man to be first, for it enters by the hearing into the memory, and is called forth thence into the thought; and what a man thinks, this he sees and perceives by interior sight, and that which is first perceived and seen is first, but only apparently, not actually. Good is actually the first-begotten, or the first thing of the church, because truth exists from good, for good forms itself in truths, and by means of truths renders itself visible, therefore truth is good in form. Truth is consequently said to be from good, and faith from charity, for that which is from anything is that thing in an image, and viewed in itself it is good formed and born; this therefore in the spiritual sense of the Word is the first-begotten. Moreover, with infants, the good of innocence is the first thing imparted by the Lord, and from this a man first becomes man. And because good is of love, and because man does not reflect upon his love, but upon his thought from the memory, and since good possesses no quality until formed into truths, and as apart from quality nothing is perceived, therefore it is not known that good is the first, and the first-begotten. For good is first formed by the Lord in man, and is brought forth by means of truths, in which good is in its own form and effigy.
[5] Moreover it must be known that the truths which a man receives from the Word, and from doctrine and preaching from it, during his infancy and childhood, appear indeed to be truths, yet are not truths with him; they are only like shells without kernels; or like the form of body and face without soul and life. They do not become truths before they are received in the will, for then they are first received by a man, and begin to live in him. For the will is the man himself, and all good is of the will, and all truth is of the understanding thence. From these things the reason is clear why the tribe of Judah, which signifies the good of love to the Lord, is named first, and afterwards the tribe of Reuben, which signifies truth in the light, from that good.
[6] It is to be noted, that all the light in which truth appears is from the light of heaven and this is from the Lord. The light of heaven is from the Divine Good of His Divine Love. The light of heaven is the Divine Good in form. These two in heaven are one, and are received by the angels as one. They must also be received by man as one, in order that he may have communion with angels. But these things are fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia, to this effect, that when man is being regenerated, truth is in the first place and good in the second, not actually but apparently, but that when he is regenerated, good is in the first place and truth in the second, actually and perceptibly (n. 3324, 3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110); consequently good is the first and last of regeneration (n. 9337). Because truth appears to be in the first place, and good in the second, when man is being regenerated, or what is the same, when he is becoming a church, therefore it was a matter of controversy among the ancients, whether the truth of faith or the good of charity is the first-begotten of the church (n. 367, 2435). The good of charity is the first-begotten of the church actually, but the truth of faith only apparently (n. 3325, 3494, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080). The first-begotten, in the Word, also signifies that primary thing of the church, to which is attributed priority and superiority (n. 3325). The Lord is therefore called the First-begotten, because in Him and from Him is all the good of love, of charity, and of faith (n. 3325).
[7] Because truth is apparently in the first place, therefore Reuben was the first-begotten, and was named from "sight" (visus), as is evident in Moses:
"Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, because Jehovah hath seen my affliction; now therefore my man (vir) 1will love me" (Arcana Coelestia 3860-3866).
In the original tongue, Reuben signifies sight, and sight, in the spiritual sense, signifies faith and the understanding of truth, and, in the highest sense, the Divine foresight. This is evident from what is said in the Arcana Coelestia concerning the signification of seeing and sight, where it is shown that sight in the highest sense, which treats of the Lord, signifies foresight (n. 2807, 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863, 10428). Sight in the internal sense signifies faith, because spiritual sight is sight from faith, and those things which pertain to faith are seen in the spiritual world (n. 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 5400, 10705). To see also signifies to understand and perceive truth (n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705). Internal sight is the understanding, and this sees by means of the eyes of the body; the sight of the understanding is from the light of heaven (n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 5114, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569).
[8] That Reuben signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident from the mandrakes which he found in the field, and gave to his mother, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
"And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my man (vir)? and wilt thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee this night for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; because hiring, I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a son" Issachar (Arcana Coelestia 3940-3952).
[9] Because Reuben represented truth from good, or faith from charity, therefore, also, he exhorted his brethren not to kill Joseph, wishing to deliver him out of their hand; and he grieved exceedingly when Joseph was not found in the pit (Arcana Coelestia 4731-4738, and n. 4761-4766).
[10] Because Reuben or his tribe signified truth from good, or faith from charity, therefore the camp of that tribe in the wilderness was towards the south, and the camp towards the south was called the camp of Reuben (Num. 2:10-16). For the encampments of the tribes of Israel represented the arrangement of the angelic societies in heaven; and the angelic societies dwell in the quarters according to their states as to good and truth (see above, 422:1-4). In the southern quarter dwell those who are in the light of truth from good; and as the tribe of Reuben represented truth from good or truth in light, therefore it encamped on the south.
[11] Because truth from good, which the tribe of Reuben represented, is in the natural man, therefore an inheritance beyond Jordan was given to the tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:1 to end; Deuteronomy 3:12-20; Joshua 13:1 to end, and chap. 18:7). For the land of Canaan represented, and thence signifies the church in the Word. The region beyond Jordan signified the external church, the region on this side Jordan, the internal church, and the river Jordan the limit between them. And truth from good, or faith from charity, makes the church; truth from good in the natural man, the external church; and because the tribe of Reuben represented this attribute of the church, therefore an inheritance beyond Jordan was allotted to this tribe. Why inheritances beyond Jordan were also given to the tribe of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, will be explained in what follows.
[12] The conjunction of each church, that is to say the external and internal, which is like the conjunction of the natural and spiritual man, was represented, and, in the spiritual sense, is described by the altar which the sons of Reuben, of Gad, and of Manasseh built near the Jordan, and about which there was a strife between these tribes and the rest; but it was said that that altar should be for a witness that, although they dwelt beyond Jordan, they should still serve Jehovah in common with the rest; therefore they called the altar "A witness between us that Jehovah is God" (Josh. 22:9 to end). For Jordan signified the medium between the external and internal of the church. The land of Canaan on this side Jordan, signified the internal church, and the land beyond Jordan, the external church which was also represented by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, whose inheritances were allotted there; and that altar signified the common worship of each church, and thus conjunction.
[13] That Reuben signifies truth in the natural man is evident also from the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges:
"In the divisions of Reuben they are great, statutes of the heart; Wherefore sittest thou among the baggage to hear the shrill bleatings of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben, where there are great searchings of heart, Gilead thou dwellest in the passage of Jordan" (5:15-17).
No one can understand these words unless what the prophecy treats of be known, and also the signification of the divisions of Reuben, of baggage, of the bleatings of the flocks, and of Gilead. The subject is the church among the Israelites, in a state of vastation. The divisions of Reuben signify all things, both truths and goods, in the natural man; baggage signifies the cognitions and scientifics there; the bleatings of the flocks signify the perceptions and thoughts thereof; and Gilead signifies the natural man. When these things are known it will be evident that the meaning in the spiritual sense is, that when the church is destroyed, the natural man, with that which is contained therein, is separated from the spiritual man, although it ought on the contrary to be conjoined with it; and when it is conjoined, then truths from good exist there, by means of which a combat against falsities from evil takes place; for the natural man must fight against these from the spiritual man. Statutes of the heart and searchings of heart, signify those truths from good, which are in the natural man from the spiritual. For the heart signifies the good of love, while statutes and searchings of the heart denote all those things that are determined and arranged in the natural man from good in the spiritual. These things are said of Reuben, because his tribe dwelt beyond Jordan in Gilead, and did not join with Deborah and Barak when they fought against Sisera, but only the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun; for Sisera, in the spiritual sense, means falsity from evil destroying the church.
[14] Reuben signifies the light of truth, and therefore the understanding of the Word, in Moses,
"Let Reuben live, and not die; yet shall his men be a number" (Deuteronomy 33:6).
Reuben here means the understanding of the Word, enlightened by light from heaven; and because there are few who receive enlightenment, it is therefore said, "Yet shall his men be a number," number signifying, fewness and a few.
[15] That Reuben signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident from the opposite sense, in which he is also mentioned. In that sense, Reuben signifies truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity. And truth apart from good is not truth, except merely in regard to the expression and sound, for it is a scientific residing in the memory of the natural man, that is to say, only in the entrance to the man, and not within him in his life. The memory of the natural man is merely the entrance to him, nor does truth become truth with him until he wills it and does it, for then it first enters and receives life; previous to this, light from heaven does not flow in and enlighten. The case is similar with faith separated from charity, for truth is of faith, and good is of charity.
[16] That Reuben, in the opposite sense, signifies faith separated from charity, is evident from his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine; concerning this it is written as follows in Moses:
"And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in the land" Ephrath-Bethlehem, "that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it" (Genesis 35:22).
Ephrath-Bethlehem signifies the spiritual church, which is in truths from good, or in faith from charity. To separate the good of charity from the truths of faith, is signified by the adultery of Reuben. For truth is profaned when it is not united with its own good, which is the good of charity, since it is then united with the love of self and of the world, which is adulteration. All adulteries also, of which many kinds are recounted in Leviticus (18:6-23), correspond to the adulterations of good and truth. That the adultery committed by Reuben corresponds to faith separated from charity, has been made known and testified to me from things heard and seen in the spiritual world, where such a sphere of adultery is perceived to go forth from those who have separated charity from faith in doctrine and in life.
[17] Because this also was signified by Reuben, therefore the primogeniture was taken away from him by his father, and given to Joseph and his sons. That it was taken from Reuben is evident from these words of his father:
"Reuben my first-born, thou art my strength and the beginning of my might, excellent in eminence and excellent in worth. Unstable as water thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then thou profanedst [it]; he went up to my couch" (Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350).
[18] That the primogeniture was therefore given to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, is meant by these words of his father Israel to Joseph:
"Now thy two sons, born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came to thee into Egypt, are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon shall be mine" (Genesis 48:5).
And in the [First] Book of Chronicles:
Reuben "is the first-born, but because he polluted his father's bed, his primogeniture was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel" (5:1, 2).
For Ephraim in the Word has a signification similar to that of Reuben, namely, the understanding of truth, and truth in light. It is said Ephraim and Manasseh shall be the sons of Israel, even as Reuben and Simeon, because Reuben signifies the understanding of truth, and Simeon, the will of truth; and Ephraim and Manasseh signify similar things. From these things it is now evident, what universal essential of the church is signified in the Word by Reuben.
Footnotes:
1. "Therefore my man (vir) will love me." The following words in the Arcana Coelestia sufficiently explain the distinction to be observed between maritus and vir:- "Cum nominatur maritus in Verbo tunc maritus significet bonum, et uxor verum, sed cum non nominatur maritus sed dicitur vir, tunc ille significat verum et uxor bonum" (1468). "When mention is made of husband (maritus) in the Word, then husband signifies good, and wife (uxor) truth; but when instead of husband (maritus) the term man (vir) is used, then the latter signifies truth, and wife good."
434. Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed, signifies the light of truth from that love, and that all who are in that light are in heaven and come into heaven. This is evident from the signification of "the tribe of Reuben," as being those who are in the light of truth (of which presently); from the signification of "twelve thousand," as being all things and all persons (of which above, n. 430, here all who are in the light of truth from the good of love to the Lord, which love is signified by "the tribe of Judah" (as was just shown above, n. 433; also from the signification of "the sealed," as being those who are in heaven and who come into heaven (of which also above, n. 427, 433). It has been said before, that the twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signify in the Word all things of the church, that each tribe signifies some universal essential of the church, and that "Judah" signifies love to the Lord; but that "Reuben" signifies light from that love will be seen in what follows.
[2] "Reuben," and thence the tribe named from him, signifies in the highest sense the Lord in respect to foresight or foreknowledge; in the internal sense spiritual faith and the understanding of truth; and in the external sense, sight; and as "Reuben" in the internal sense signifies faith and understanding he also signifies the light of truth, for faith exists from the light of truth, and the understanding is illustrated by it; for where there is the light of truth there is understanding and there is faith.
[3] "Reuben," or the tribe of Reuben, has the same signification as "Peter" the apostle; for the twelve apostles in a similar manner as the twelve tribes of Israel, represented all things of the church, and each apostle some universal essential of the church; and as Peter had a similar representation with Reuben, therefore was he the first of the apostles, as Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob. (That "Peter" signifies truth in the light, and faith, see above, n. 9, 411.)
[4] Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob, and thence the tribe called from him is named in the first place in most passages of the Word, because he was the firstborn; and "firstborn" in the Word signifies truth from good, or what is the same thing, truth in light, and thus faith from charity. For truth and what is of faith appears to man to be first, for it enters by the hearing into the memory and is called forth therefrom into the thought; and that which a man thinks he sees and perceives by interior sight, and that which is first in sight and perception is first, but merely in appearance, not actually. Actually, good is the firstborn, or the first constituent of the church, since truth exists from good, for good forms itself in truths, and by means of truths presents itself to be seen, therefore truth is good in form. This is why truth is said to be from good and faith from charity, for that which is from anything is that thing imaged forth; and [truth] viewed in itself is good formed and born; such therefore is the meaning of "firstborn" in the spiritual sense of the Word. Moreover, with infants the good of innocence is what is first imparted by the Lord, and it is from this that man first becomes a man; and because good is of love, and man does not reflect about his love but about his thought from the memory, and because good has no quality until it is formed into truths, and without quality nothing is perceived, so it is not known that good is first, and is the firstborn; for it is good that is first conceived from the Lord with man, and it is brought forth through truths, in which good is in its own form and effigy.
[5] It is to be noted, furthermore, that the truths that man in his infancy and childhood imbibes from the Word and from doctrine therefrom, and from preaching, although they appear as truths, still they are not truths with him, they are only like shells without kernels, or like the form of the body or of the face without soul and life. These do not become truths until they are received in the will, for thus they are first received by the man and begin to live with him; for the will is the man himself, and all good is of the will, and all truth of the understanding therefrom. From this it can be seen why the tribe of Judah, which signifies the good of love to the Lord, is here named in the first place, and then the tribe of Reuben, which signifies truth in light from that good.
[6] It should be known that all light in which truth is seen is from the light of heaven which is from the Lord; the light of heaven is from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love; the light of heaven is Divine good in form. In heaven these two are one, and are received by the angels as one, and should be received by man as one that he may have communion with the angels. (But these things may be seen more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia, as follows: When man is regenerating, truth is in the first place and good in the second, not actually but apparently, but when he is regenerated, good is in the first place and truth in the second actually and perceptibly, n. 3324, 3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110; thus good is the first and the last of regeneration, n. Arcana Coelestia 9337. Since truth appears to be in the first place and good in the second when man is regenerating, or what is the same, when he is becoming a church, because of this appearance it was a matter of controversy among the ancients whether the truth of faith or the good of charity is the firstborn of the church, n. Arcana Coelestia 367, 2435.
The good of charity is the firstborn of the church actually, and the truth of faith only apparently, n. 3325, 3494, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080.
And the "firstborn" in the Word signifies the first constituent of the church, which has priority and superiority, n. 3325.
For this reason the Lord is called "the Firstborn," because in Him and from Him is all the good of love, of charity, and of faith, 3325)
[7] As truth is apparently in the first place, so Reuben was the firstborn, and was named from sight, as is evident in Moses:
Leah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, Jehovah hath seen my affliction; for now my man will love me (Arcana Coelestia 3860-3866.)
In the original language Reuben signifies sight, and in the spiritual sense "sight" signifies the understanding of truth and faith, in the highest sense Divine foresight (as can be seen from what is shown respecting the signification of seeing and sight in the Arcana Coelestia, as follows:
"sight" in the highest sense, which has reference to the Lord, signifies foresight, n. 2807, 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863, 10428;
"sight" in the internal sense signifies faith, because spiritual sight is sight from faith, and the things that pertain to faith are the objects of sight in the spiritual world, n. 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 5400, 10705;
also "to see" signifies to understand and perceive truth, n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705;
the internal sight is the understanding, and this sees through the eyes of the body; and the sight of the understanding is from the light of heaven, n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 5114, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569).
[8] That "Reuben" signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident also from the "mandrakes" that he found in the field and gave to his mother, respecting which it is thus written in Moses:
Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man? and wilt thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou shalt come in unto me; because hiring I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And she conceived, and bare Jacob a son, Issachar (Arcana Coelestia 3940-3952.)
[9] Because "Reuben" represented truth from good, or faith from charity:
It was he who exhorted his brethren not to kill Joseph, wishing to deliver him out of their hand; and was greatly grieved when Joseph was not found in the pit (Arcana Coelestia 4731-4738, and n. 4751-4766.)
[10] Because "Reuben" or his tribe signified truth from good, or faith from charity:
The camp of that tribe in the wilderness was to the south, and the camp to the south was called the camp of Reuben (422), and in the southern quarter there those dwell who are in the light of truth from good; and because the tribe of Reuben represented truth from good or truth in light, it encamped on the south.
[11] Because truth from good, which the tribe of Reuben represented, is in the natural man, to the tribe of Reuben an inheritance beyond Jordan was given (See Numbers 32, Deuteronomy 3:12-20; Joshua 13 end; Leviticus 18:7); for by "the land of Canaan" the church was represented and thus signified in the Word, that region of it beyond Jordan signifying the external church, the region on this side, Jordan the internal church, and the river Jordan the boundary between them; and it is truth from good, or faith from charity that constitutes the church, truth from good in the natural man constituting the external church; and because the tribe of Reuben represented this constituent of the church, therefore to that tribe an inheritance beyond Jordan was given. Why inheritances beyond Jordan were given also to the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh will be told in what follows.
[12] The conjunction of these two churches, namely, the external and the internal, which is like the conjunction of the natural and the spiritual man, was represented, and in the spiritual sense is described by:
The altar that the sons of Reuben, of Gad, and of Manasseh built beside the Jordan, about which there was a strife between these tribes and the other tribes; but it was said that the altar should be for a witness that although they dwelt beyond Jordan, they nevertheless served Jehovah in common with the rest; therefore they called that altar a witness between us that Jehovah is God (Joshua 22:9-34 to end).
For "the Jordan" signified the medium between the external and the internal of the church; "the land of Canaan on this side Jordan" signifying the internal church, and "the land beyond Jordan" the external, and this also was represented by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, which had their inheritances there; while that altar signified the common worship of the two churches, and thus conjunction thereby.
[13] That "Reuben" signifies truth in the natural man is evident also from the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:
In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of the heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead dwelt 1beyond the Jordan (Judges 5:15-17).
This no one can understand unless he knows what the prophecy treats of, and what is signified by the "districts," "Reuben," "the campfires," "the whistling for the flocks," and "Gilead." This treats of the church among the sons of Israel in a state of vastation; and "the districts of Reuben" signify both all truths and all goods that are in the natural man; "the campfires" signify cognitions and knowledges there; "the whistling for the flocks" signify the perceptions and thoughts thereof; and "Gilead" signifies the natural man. When this is known, what these things mean in the spiritual sense becomes evident, namely, that when the church is destroyed the natural man with the things in it is separated from the spiritual man, whereas it ought to be conjoined to it; and when it is conjoined, there are truths there from good, by which truths there is a combat against the falsities from evil, for the natural man must combat against them from the spiritual man. "The statutes of the heart" and "the searchings of the heart" signify the truths from good, which are in the natural man from the spiritual man, "heart" signifying the good of love, and "the statutes and searchings of the heart" all things that are determined and arranged in the natural man from good in the spiritual man. This is said respecting Reuben because his tribe dwelt beyond Jordan in Gilead; and it was not conjoined with Deborah and Barak when they fought against Sisera, but only Issachar and Zebulun, "Sisera" in the spiritual sense meaning the falsity from evil destroying the church.
[14] "Reuben" signifies the light of truth, and the understanding of the Word therefrom, in Moses:
Let Reuben live and not die; yet his men shall be a number (Deuteronomy 33:6).
Here "Reuben" means the understanding of the Word illustrated by light from heaven; and because there are a few who receive such illustration it is said of Reuben, "Yet his men shall be a number," "number" signifying fewness and a few.
[15] That "Reuben" signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident also from the contrary sense, in which he is also mentioned. In that sense "Reuben" signifies truth separate from good, or faith separate from charity; and truth without good is not truth except merely in respect to expression and sound, for it is merely a matter of knowledge, having its seat in the memory of the natural man, thus only in the entrance to man, and not within him in his life. The memory of the natural man is merely an entrance to him, and what is in it does not become truth in him until he wills it and does it; then it first enters and receives life; not till then does the light from heaven flow in and illustrate. It is similar with faith separate from charity, for truth is of faith, and good is of charity.
[16] That "Reuben" in the contrary sense signifies faith separate from charity can be seen from his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine, which is thus described in Moses:
It came to pass while Israel dwelt in the land Ephrath Bethlehem, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard (Genesis 35:22).
"Ephrath Bethlehem" signifies the spiritual church, which is in truths from good, or in faith from charity; Reuben's adultery signifies the rejection of the good of charity from the truths of faith, for truth is profaned when it is not conjoined with its own good, which is the good of charity, since it is then conjoined with the love of self and the world, which is adulteration. All adulteries (of which many kinds are enumerated in Leviticus 18:6-23) correspond to the adulterations of good and truth. That the adultery committed by Reuben corresponds to faith separate from charity has been made known and testified to me by things heard and seen in the spiritual world, where such a sphere of adultery is perceived to go forth from those who have separated charity from faith in doctrine and life.
[17] Because this too was signified by "Reuben," the birthright was taken away from him by his father and given to Joseph and his sons. That it was taken from Reuben is evident from these words of his father:
Reuben my firstborn, thou art my power and the beginning of my might, excelling in eminence and excelling in strength. Light as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up to my couch (Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350.)
[18] That the birthright was therefore given to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, is meant by these words of Israel the father to Joseph:
Now thy two sons born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came into Egypt, they are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine (Genesis 48:5).
And in the first book of Chronicles:
Reuben was the firstborn; but because he defiled his father's bed his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel (1 Chronicles 5:1, 2).
For "Ephraim" in the Word has a similar signification with "Reuben," namely, the understanding of truth, and truth in the light. It is said "Ephraim and Manasseh shall be the sons of Israel, even as Reuben and Simeon," because "Reuben" signifies the understanding of truth, and "Simeon" the will of truth, similar with "Ephraim" and "Manasseh." From this it can now be seen what universal essential of the church is signified in the Word by "Reuben."
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph has "thou dwellest," "dwelling" is found in Arcana Coelestia 4117, 4255.
434. "Ex tribu Reubenis duodecim millia signati." - Quod significet lucem veri ex illo amore, et quod omnes qui in illa sunt, in caelo sint et in caelum veniant, constat ex significatione "tribus Reubenis", quod sint qui in luce veri sunt, de qua sequitur; ex significatione "duodecim millium", quod sint omnia et omnes (de qua supra, n. 430), hic omnes qui in luce veri ex bono amoris in Dominum, qui amor significatur per "tribum Jehudae" (ut mox supra, n. 433, ostensum est); et ex significatione "Signatorum", quod sint illi qui in caelo sunt et in caelum veniunt (de qua etiam mox supra, n. [427 [a] ,] 433 [a]). Prius dictum est quod duodecim tribus Israelis repraesentaverint et inde in Verbo Significent omnia ecclesiae, et quod unaquaevis tribus aliquod universale essentiale ejus, et quod "Jehudah" significet amorem in Dominum; quod autem "Reuben" significet lucem ex illo amore, in sequentibus videbitur.
[2] "Reuben", et inde tribus ab illo nominata, in sensu supremo significat Dominum quoad praevidentiam seu praescientiam; in sensu interno, fidem spiritualem et intellectum veri; ac in externo, visum: et quia "Reuben" in sensu interno significat fidem et intellectum, etiam significat lucem veri, nam fides existit ex luce veri, ac intellectus illustratur ex illa; nam ubi lux veri est, ibi est intellectus et est fides.
[3] Simile per "Reubenem" seu tribum ejus significatur quod per "Petrum" apostolum; nam duodecim apostoli similiter ac duodecim tribus Israelis repraesentaverunt omnia ecclesiae, et quisque apostolus aliquod universale essentiale ejus; et quia Petrus, simile repraesentabat quod Reuben, ideo ille primus apostolorum erat, sicut Reuben erat primus filiorum Jacobi.
(Quod "Petrus" significet verum in luce et fidem, videatur supra, n. 9, 411 [a] .)
[4] Quod Reuben fuerit primus filiorum Jacobi, et quod inde tribus ab illo dicta in primo loco in plerisque locis in Verbo nominetur, erat causa quia primogenitus erat; et per "primogenituram"in Verbo significatur verum ex bono, seu quod idem, verum in luce, et inde fides ex charitate; verum enim et quod fidei est, primum apparet homini, intrat enim per auditum in memoriam, et inde evocatur in cogitationem, et quod homo cogitat hoc visu interiori videt et appercipit; et quod primum videtur et appercipitur, hoc primum est sed modo apparenter, non autem actualiter: bonum est actualiter primogenitum seu primum ecclesiae, quoniam verum existit ex bono; format enim se bonum in veris, ac se per vera sistit videndum, quare verum est bonum in forma; inde est quod dicatur verum ex bono et fides ex charitate, quod enim est ex aliquo, hoc illud est in imagine, ac in se spectatum est bonum formatum et natum; hoc itaque est primogenitum in sensu spirituali Verbi. Praeterea apud infantes est bonum innocentiae, quod primum a Domino infunditur, ex quo homo primum fit homo; et quia bonum est amoris, et homo super amorem suum non reflectit, sed super cogitationem ex memoria, et quia bonum non prius habet quale quam cum formatum est in vera, et absque quali nihil percipitur, inde est quod ignoretur quod bonum sit primum et primogenitum; bonum enim primum concipitur a Domino apud hominem, et gignitur per vera, in quibus bonum est in sua forma et effigie.
[5] Praeterea sciendum est quod vera quae ab homine in ejus infantia et pueritia hauriuntur ex Verbo doctrina inde et praedicatione, appareant quidem ut vera, sed usque non sunt vera apud illum; sunt modo sicut cortices absque nucleo, seu sicut corporis et faciei forma absque anima et vita: haec non prius fiunt vera quam cum recipiuntur voluntate, sic enim primum recipiuntur ab homine et apud illum incipiunt vivere; voluntas enim est ipse homo, et omne bonum est voluntatis, ac omne verum est intellectus inde. Ex his constare potest unde est quod tribus Jehudae, per quam significatur bonum amoris in Dominum, primo loco nominetur; et quod dein tribus Reubenis, per quam significatur verum in luce ex illo bono.
[6] Sciendum est quod omnis lux, in qua apparet verum, sit a luce caeli quae a Domino; et lux caeli est ex Divino Bono Divini Amoris Ipsius; lux caeli est Divinum Bonum in forma. Illa duo in caelo unum sunt, ac ut unum recipiuntur ab angelis, et quoque ut unum recipienda sunt ab homine, ut homo communionem habere possit cum angelis. (Sed haec ample ostensa videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, nempe quod cum homo regeneratur, verum primo loco sit et bonum secundo non actualiter sed apparenter, at quod cum homo regeneratus est bonum primo loco sit et verum secundo actualiter et perceptibiliter, n. 3324, 3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 1
4245, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110: ita quod bonum sit primum et ultimum regenerationis, n. 9337. Quia velum primo loco apparet esse, et bonum secundo, cum regeneratur homo, seu quod idem, cum homo fit ecclesia, quod propter illam apparentiam ab antiquis controversum sit num verum fidei vel num bonum charitatis sit primogenitum ecclesiae, n. 367, 2435. Quod bonum charitatis sit primogenitum ecclesiae actualiter, at verum fidei modo apparenter, n. 3325, 3494, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080. Quod etiam per "primogenitum" in Verbo significetur primum ecclesiae, cui prioritas et superioritas, n. 3325. Quod ideo Dominus dicatur "Primogenitus", quia in Ipso et ab lpso omne bonum amoris, charitatis et fidei, n. 3325.)
[7] Quoniam verum apparenter primo loco est, ideo Reuben primogenitus erat, et nominatus est a visu, ut patet apud Mosen,
"Concepit Lea et peperit filium, et Vocavit nomen ejus Reuben, quia dixit quod vidit Jehovah afflictionem meam; quia nunc amabit me vir meus" (Genesis 29:32):
haec tametsi historica sunt usque tamen senSum spiritualem continent; nam omnia et singula quae in Verbo sunt, ex spirituali mundo sunt quia ex Domino; quae dum in mundum naturalem e caelo demissa sunt, induta sunt sensu naturali correspondente, qualis est sensus litterae Verbi: quare per nativitates filiorum Jacobi significantur nativitates spirituales, quae sunt quomodo nascitur bonum et verum apud hominem cum regeneratur a Domino. Unde per "Concepit Lea et peperit filium" significatur conceptio et partus spiritualis; per "vocavit ejus nomen Reuben" significatur quale ejus; per quod "dixit, quod vidit Jehovah", significatur in Supremo sensu praevidentia, in interno fides, in interiori intellectus, et in externo visus, hic fides a Domino; per "afflictionem meam" significatur status perveniendi ad bonum; "quia nunc amabit me vir meus" significat quod inde bonum veri. (Sed haec explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 3860-3866.)
Reuben in lingua originali significat visum; et "visus" in sensu spirituali significat intellectum veri et fidem, et in sensu supremo Divinam praevidentiam. (Ut constare potest ex his quae de significatione "videre" et "visus" in Arcanis Caelestibus ostensa sunt; quae sunt, Quod "visus" in sensu supremo, in quo de Domino, significet praevidentiam, n. 2807, 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863, 10428:
quod "visus" in sensu interno significet fidem, quoniam visus spiritualis est visus ex fide, et quoniam illa quae fidei sunt videntur in mundo spirituali, n. 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 5400, 10705:
quod etiam "videre" significet intelligere et percipere verum, n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705. Quod visus internus sit intellectus, et quod hic videat per oculos corporis; et quod visus intellectus sit ex luce caeli, n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 5114, 6608, 8707, 2
[8] Quod "Reuben" significet verum ex bono seu fidem ex charitate, etiam constare potest ex "dudaim", quod in agro invenit, et dedit matri suae; de qua re ita apud Mosen,
"Ivit Reuben in diebus messis triticorum, et invenit dudaim in agro, et adduxit illa ad Leam matrem suam; et dixit Rachel ad Leam, Da quaeso mihi de dudaim filii tui: et dixit illi, An parum sumpsisse te virum meum, et sumes etiam dudaim filii mei? Et dixit Rachel, Idcirco cubabit cum te nocte hac pro dudaim filii tui. Et venit Jacobus de agro in vespera, et exivit Lea obviam ei, et dixit, Ad me venies, quia conducendo conduxi te in dudaim filii mei: et cubuit cum illa in nocte illa, .... et concepit et peperit Jacobo filium" Jisaschar (Genesis 30:14-18):
qui non scit quid "dudaim" significant, tum quid Reuben, Jacob, Lea et Rachel repraesentabant, prorsus non sciturus est cur talia acciderant, et quod in Verbo memorata sint; at quod Divinum in sensu litterae non apparens insit, constare potest, quia est in Verbo, in quo omnia et singula Divina sunt. Divinum quod his inest, patet ex sensu spirituali eorum: in hoc sensu "dudaim" significant conjugium boni et veri, Reuben repraesentat verum ex bono, Jacob ecclesiam quoad verum, Lea et Rachel ecclesiam quoad bonum, sed Lea ecclesiam externam, et Rachel ecclesiam internam: quare per "dudaim" a Reubene inventa significatur conjugiale quod est veri cum bono; et quia id conjugiale est inter verum et bonum in interno seu spirituali homine, quod facit ecclesiam internam, et usque id verum datur primum in externo seu naturali homine quod facit ecclesiam externam, ideo dudaim inventa sunt a Reubene, per quem repraesentabatur verum ex bono, et primum data Leae matri suae, per quam repraesentabatur ecclesia externa sed usque a Lea data sunt Racheli, per quam repraesentabatur ecclesia interna, propterea ut Lea cubaret cum Jacobo. (Sed haec amplius explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. fff23940-3952.)
[9] Quoniam Reuben repraesentabat Verum ex bono, seu fidem ex charitate, ideo etiam
Ille exhortatus est fratres suos, ne occiderent Josephum, volens liberare illum e manu eorum: et valde doluit cum Josephus non inventus est in fovea (Genesis 37:21, 22, 29, 30)
(quae etiam explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4731-4738, et n. 4761-4766).
[10] Quoniam "Reuben" seu tribus ejus significabat verum ex bono seu fidem ex charitate, ideo
Castra illius tribus in deserto erant ad meridiem, et castra ad meridiem vocabantur "castra Reubenis" (Numeri 2:10-16);
castrametationes enim tribuum Israelis repraesentaverunt ordinationes societatum angelicarum in caelo; et societates angelicae habitant in plagis secundum status eorum quoad bonum et Verum (videatur supra, n. 422 [a]), ac in plaga meridionali ibi habitant qui in luce veri ex bono sunt; et quia tribus Reubenis repraesentabat verum ex bono seu verum in luce, ideo castrametata est tribus Reubenis ad meridiem.
[11] Quoniam verum ex bono, quod tribus Reubenis repraesentabat, est in naturali homine, ideo tribui Reubenis data est hereditas trans Jordanem (Videatur Numeri 32:1 ad fin. : Deuteronomius 3:12-20; Joshua 13:1 ad fin. ; cap. 18:7): terra enim Canaan repraesentabat et inde significat in Verbo ecclesiam, ac regio ejus trans Jordanem ecclesiam externam, et regio ejus cis Jordanem ecclesiam internam, et Jordanes fluvius limitem inter illas; ac verum ex bono seu fides ex charitate facit ecclesiam; Verum ex bono in naturali homine facit ecclesiam externam; et quia tribus Reubenis hoc ecclesiae repraesentabat, ideo illi tribui data est hereditas trans Jordanem. Cur datae sunt hereditates trans Jordanem etiam tribui Gadis et dimidiae tribui Menasses, dicetur in sequentibus.
[12] Conjunctio utriusque ecclesiae, nempe externae et internae, quae est sicut conjunctio naturalis et spiritualis hominis, repraesentabatur, et in sensu spirituali describitur per
Altare, quod filii Reubenis, Gadis et Menassis aedificabant juxta Jordanem, de quo lis erat inter has tribus et reliquas; sed dictum quod altare illud esset pro teste, ut illi, tametsi trans Jordanem habitent, usque servirent Jehovae conjunctim cum reliquis: quare vocabant illud altare, "Testis inter nos quod Jehovah Deus" (de qua re apud Josuam, cap. 22:9 ad fin. ):
"Jordanes" enim significabat medium inter externum et internum ecclesiae; "terra Canaan cis Jordanem" significabat ecclesiam internam, et illa "trans Jordanem" ecclesiam externam, quam etiam tribus Reubenis, Gadis et Menassis, quae ibi hereditates suas nactae sunt, repraesentabant; et "altare" illud significabat cultum communem utriusque ecclesiae, et sic conjunctionem.
[13] Quod "Reuben" significet verum in naturali homine, constat etiam ex prophetico Deborae et Baraki in Libro Judicum,
"In classibus Reubenis sunt magni, statuta cordis: quare sedes inter sarcinas ad audiendum sibila gregum? classibus Reubenis, ubi magni, pervestigationes cordis, Gilead in transitu Jordanis 3
habitans" (5:15-1 7):
haec nemo intellecturus est, nisi sciat quid in prophetico illo agitur, et quid per "classes", "Reubenem", "sarcinas", "sibila gregum", et per "Gilead" significatur; agitur ibi de ecclesia apud filios Israelis vastata; et per "classes Reubenis" significantur omnia tam vera quam bona quae in naturali homine; per "sarcinas" significantur cognitiones et scientifica ibi; per "sibila gregum" significantur illorum perceptiones et cogitationes; ac per "Gilead" significatur naturalis homo: ex quibus intellectis patet quid per illa in sensu spirituali intelligitur; nempe quod dum ecclesia destructa est, naturalis homo cum illis quae inibi separatus sit a spirituali homine, cum tamen ei conjunctus erit; et cum conjunctus, quod ibi vera sint ex bono, per quae pugnabitur contra falsa ex malo, naturalis enim homo pugnabit contra illa ex spirituali homine; per "statuta cordis" et per "pervestigationes cordis" 4
significantur vera ex bono quae ibi ex spirituali homine, "cor" enim significat bonum amoris, "statuta cordis" et "pervestigationes cordis" sunt omnia quae ex bono in spirituali homine determinantur et ordinantur in naturali. Haec de Reubene dicta sunt, quia tribus ejus habitavit trans Jordanem in Gilead; nec fuit conjuncta Deborae et Barako cum pugnarunt contra Siseram, sed solum Isaschar et Sebulon; per "Siseram" enim in sensu spirituali intelligitur falsum ex malo destruens ecclesiam.
[14] Per "Reubenem" significatur lux veri et inde intellectus Verbi apud Mosen,
"Vivat Reuben et non moriatur; erit tamen homines ejus numerus" (Deuteronomius 33:6):
per "Reubenem" ibi intelligitur intellectus Verbi illustratus per lucem e caelo; et quia pauci sunt qui recipiunt illustrationem, ideo dicitur, "Erit tamen homines ejus numerus"; "numerus" significat paucum et paucos.
[15] Quod "Reuben" significet verum ex bono seu fidem ex charitate, constare etiam potest ex sensu opposito, in quo etiam nominatur. In eo sensu significat "Reuben" verum separatum a bono, seu fidem separatam a charitate: ac verum absque bono non est verum aliter quam modo quoad vocem et sonum; est enim scientificum residens in memoria naturalis hominis, ita solum in introitu ad hominem, et non intra illum in ejus vita. Memoria naturalis hominis est modo introitus ad illum, nec fit verum apud illum priusquam vult illud et facit illud; tunc primum intrat, et accipit vitam; prius nec influit lux e caelo et illustrat. Simile est cum fide separata ex charitate, nam verum est fidei et bonum est charitatis.
[16] Quod "Reuben" in opposito sensu significet fidem separatam a charitate constare potest ab adulterio ejus cum Bilha concubina patris sui, de qua ita apud Mosen,
"Factum est in residendo Israel in terra" Ephrath Bethlechem, "et ivit Reuben, et cubuit cum Bilha concubina patris sui; et audivit Israel" (Genesis 35:22):
per "Ephratam Bethlechem" significatur ecclesia spiritualis, quae est in veris ex bono seu in fide ex charitate; bonum charitatis rejicere a veris fidei, significatur per adulterium Reubenis; nam profanatur verum quando non conjungitur cum suo bono, quod est bonum charitatis, sic enim conjungitur cum amore sui et mundi, quod est adulteratio: omnia etiam adulteria (quorum plura recensentur in Levit. cap. 18 vers. 6-23) correspondent adulterationibus boni et veri. Quod adulterium a Reubene commissum correspondeat fidei separatae a charitate, notum et testatum mihi factum est ex auditis et visis in mundo spirituali, ubi sphaera talis adulterii percipitur prodire ex illis qui doctrina et vita separaverunt charitatem a fide.
[17] Quoniam hoc etiam significatum est per "Reubenem", ideo primogenitura ei adempta est a patre ejus, ac data Josepho et ejus filiis. Quod adempta fuerit Reubeni, patet ab his patris ejus verbis,
"Reuben primogenitus meus, tu robur meum, et principium virium mearum, excellens eminentia et excellens valore: levis sicut aqua, ne excellas, quia ascendisti cubilia patris tui, tunc profanasti; stratum meum ascendit" (Genesis 49:3, 4):
per "Reubenem primogenitum meum" significatur fides quae apparenter priori loco, seu verum ex bono natum; per "Tu robur meum, et principium virium mearum", significatur quod per illud potentia bono, et prima potentia vero; per "excellens eminentia et excellens valore" significatur quod inde gloria et potestas: per "levis sicut aqua" significatur quod fides separata a charitate non talis sit; per "ne excellas" significatur quod ei nec gloria et potestas; per "quia ascendisti cubilia patris tui" significatur quia verum fidei separatum a bono charitatis foedam conjunctionem habet; per "tunc profanasti" significatur quod sic conjunctum amori sui et mundi ac inde malo, quod profanum; per "stratum meum ascendit" significatur quod contaminaverit bonum spirituale in naturali. (Sed haec plene explicata videantur in Arcana Caelestibus, n. 6341-6350.)
[18] Quod primogenitura ideo data fuerit duobus filiis Josephi, Ephraimo et Menassi, intelligitur per haec verba Israelis patris ad Josephum,
"Nunc duo filii tui nati tibi in terra Aegypti antequam veni...in Aegyptum, mihi illi; Ephraim et Menasse sicut Reuben et Simeon erunt mihi" (Genesis 48:5):
et in Libro [Primo] Chronicorum,
Reuben "est primogenitus; sed quia polluit. stratum patris sui, data est primogenitura ejus filiis Josephi filii Israelis" (5:1, 2):
per "Ephraimum" enim in Verbo simile significatur quod "Reubenem", nempe intellectus veri et verum in luce' per, quod dicatur quod "Ephraim et Menasse erunt filii Israelis sicut Reuben et Simeon", est quia per "Reubenem" significatur intellectus veri et per "Simeonem" voluntas veri, similia etiam per "Ephraimum" et "Menassen." Ex his nunc constare potest, quodnam universale essentiale ecclesiae per "Reubenem" in Verbo significatur.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.
4. The editors made a correction or note here.