Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 35:23-26
Let Reuben live and not die, and it shall be that his numbers are mortal (Deut. 33:6);
the reason why in this passage "Reuben" denotes the good of faith, is that he is put in the first place, and Judah in the second, thus in a different order in this prophecy of Moses respecting the sons of Israel from that in the prophecy of Jacob (Gen. 49), for as before said (n. 4603), the order in which they are named is determined in accordance with the state of the subject that is being treated of.
[2] In like manner in John:--
I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe. 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 (Rev. 7:4, 5);
here Judah is named in the first place, Reuben in the second, and Gad in the third. These three here constitute the first class, and as the Lord’s kingdom is the subject treated of, "Judah" signifies celestial good such as is in the inmost or third heaven, "Reuben" spiritual good which is the same as the good of faith such as is in the second or middle heaven, and "Gad" the good of the natural such as is in the first heaven. But it is otherwise in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak:--
The princes in Issachar were with Deborah, and as was Issachar so was Barak; into the valley he was sent at his feet, in the classes of Reuben were great decrees of heart; why dwellest thou between two burdens to hear the hissings of the droves? to the classes of Reuben were great searchings of heart (Judges 5:15, 16);
it is impossible to know the meaning of these words unless it is known what Issachar, Deborah, Barak, and Reuben represent; and what the "princes," the "valley," the "classes," the "decrees of heart," the "two burdens," and the "hissings of the droves," signify; but it is evident that "Reuben" here denotes faith.
. And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. That these signify the essential things of these, that is, of the external Divine goods and truths, is evident from the representation of each one; namely, of Simeon, as being in the supreme sense Providence, in the internal sense faith in the will, and in the external sense obedience (n. 3869-3872); of Levi, as being in the supreme sense Love and Mercy, in the internal sense charity or spiritual love, and in the external sense conjunction (n. 3875, 3877); of Judah, as being in the supreme sense the Divine of the Lord‘s love, in the internal sense the Lord’s celestial kingdom, and in the exterior sense that doctrine from the Word which is of the celestial church (n. 3881); of Issachar, as being in the supreme sense the Divine good of truth and truth of good, in the internal sense celestial conjugial love, and in the external sense mutual love (n. 3956, 3957); and from the representation of Zebulun, as being in the supreme sense the Lord‘s Divine Itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love (n. 3960, 3961). These are the essential things which are in the external Divine goods and truths of the Lord, but no one can unfold how each of these is within them unless he is in heavenly light, for therein these things appear like the answers given in the Urim and Thummim by means of flashings out of light and flame, and a consequent perception from the Lord. For in the Urim and Thummim there were twelve precious stones according to the twelve tribes of Israel. . The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. That these signify interior goods and truths, is evident from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819), hence the "sons of Rachel" are interior goods and truths The essential things of these are represented by Joseph and Benjamin; by Joseph in the supreme sense the Divine spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom, and in the external sense its good (n. 3969); and by Benjamin the Divine spiritual of the celestial (n. 3969, 4592). These essential things are within interior goods and truths. . And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, Dan and Naphtali. That these signify subsequent things that are of service to interior goods and truths, is evident from the representation of Bilhah Rachel as handmaid, as being the subsequent affection that is of service as a means to the affection of interior truth (n. 3849). Moreover a "handmaid" denotes a means that serves for conjunction (n. 3913, 3917, 3931), and her "sons" denote such means. By subsequent goods and truths are meant those goods and truths that do not enter in immediately, but which are derived from such as do, and are adjoined to them as handmaids, and which also mediate and promote. Their essentials things are represented by Dan and Naphtali; by Dan in the supreme sense the Lord‘s righteousness and mercy, in the internal sense the holy of faith, and in the external sense the good of life (n. 3921, 3923); and by Naphtali, in the supreme sense His own power, in the internal sense temptation in which there is victory, and in the external sense resistance from the natural man (n. 3927, 3928). These are the essential things of the means that are of service to interior goods and truths. . And the sons of Zilpah Leah’s handmaid, Gad and Asher. That this signifies those which are of service to exterior goods and truths, is evident from the representation of Zilpah Leah‘s handmaid, as being the subsequent affection that is of service as a means to the affection of exterior truth (n. 3835). A "handmaid" denotes a means that is of service for conjunction (n. 4608), and her "sons" denote such means, the essential things of which are represented by Gad and Asher; by Gad in the supreme sense omnipotence and omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works (n. 3934); by Asher in the supreme sense eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, and in one external sense the delight of the affection (n. 3938, 3939) These are the things which the enumeration of the sons of Jacob at this time involves; but how they cohere together and one follows another, and one is contained within another, cannot be seen in the light of the world unless it is enlightened by the light of heaven. Yet the things which then appear are still such as not to fall into Words, for human words are from ideas formed from the things which are in the light of the world. The ideas which are from the light of heaven transcend these to such a degree that they cannot be expressed, but only to some extent thought of by those to whom it has been given to withdraw their mind from things of sense. . These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. That this signifies their origin and their present state, is evident from what has already been said of the sons of Jacob both in general and specifically, namely, that by them are signified all things in the Lord’s Divine natural in general (n. 4603), insomuch that all these things taken together are now "Jacob." Their origin is signified by their being born in Paddan-aram, or from the knowledges of truth and good, for these are signified by "Paddan-aram" (n. 3664, 3680). As all of these taken together are now "Jacob," it is therefore said in the original language, "who was born to him," in the singular. In what now follows the subject treated of is the conjunction of the Divine natural with the Divine rational. This conjunction is represented Jacob‘s coming to Isaac his father. GENESIS 35:23-26 previous - next - text - summary - Genesis - Full Page
| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |