AC GENESIS Chapter49

1. And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather ye yourselves together, and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days.

2. Assemble yourselves and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hear unto Israel your father.

3. Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces, excellent in eminence, and excellent in power.

4. Light as water thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up on thy father’s bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up on my couch.

5. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of violence are their swords.

6. Into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox.

7. Cursed be their anger for it was vehement, and their wrath for it was hard.  I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

8. Judah, thy brethren shall celebrate thee, thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy father‘s sons shall how down to thee.

9. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey my son thou art gone up; he bowed, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10. The scepter shall not be removed from Judah, and a lawgiver from between his feet, even until Shiloh come; and to him is the obedience of the peoples.

11. He binds his young ass unto the vine, and his ass‘s colt unto the choice vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes

12. His eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are white with milk.

13. Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the seas, and he shall be at a haven of ships, and his side shall be toward Zidon.

14. Issachar is a bony ass, lying down between the burdens.

15. And he shall see rest that it is good, and the land that it is pleasant; and he shall bow his shoulder to bear, and shall be a servant to tribute.

16. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17. Dan shall be a serpent upon the way, an arrow-snake upon the path, biting the horse’s heels, and his rider shall fall backward.

18. I wait for Thy salvation, O Jehovah.

19. Gad, a troop shall ravage him, and he shall ravage the heel.

20. From Asher, his bread is fat, and he shall yield the delights of a king.

21. Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving discourses of elegance.

22. Joseph is the son of a fruitful one, the son of a fruitful one over a fountain, of a daughter, she marches upon the wall.

23. And imbitter him, and shoot at him, and hate him, the archers.

24. And he shall sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands are made strong by the hands of the mighty Jacob; from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.

25. By the God of thy father, and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai, and He shall bless thee, with the blessings of heaven above, with blessings of the deed, that lieth beneath, with blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26. The blessings of thy father shall prevail above the blessings of my progenitors, even to the desire of the hills of an age: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren.

27. Benjamin is a wolf; he shall seize in the morning, he shall devour the spoil, and at even he shall divide the prey.

28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father spake to them and blessed them; everyone according to his blessing he blessed them.

29. And he commanded them, and said unto them, I am being gathered unto my people; bury me unto my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite;

30. In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is upon the faces of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a sepulchre.

31. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah:

32. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the sons of Heth.

33. And Jacob finished commanding his sons, and he gathered up his feet unto the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his peoples.

AC 6328. In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense is not the descendants of Jacob, and what would befall them; but the truths of faith and the goods of love which the twelve tribes named from the sons of Jacob represent and signify.

AC 6329. It first treats of faith separated from charity, which is utterly rejected.  This faith is “Reuben,” “ Simeon,” and “Levi.”

AC 6330. It then treats of the celestial church, which is the “tribe of Judah,‘ and in the supreme sense there, of the Divine Human of the Lord.

AC 6331. Then of the rest of the tribes according to the states of good and truth which they represent.

AC 6332. Lastly of the celestial spiritual church   which is ”Joseph;“ and here also in the supreme sense of the Divine Human of the Lord.

AC 6333. From the things said by Jacob in this chapter it may be clearly seen that there is another sense in the Word than that which appears in the letter; for Jacob, who was then Israel, says that he will tell what shall befall his sons in the end of the days (verse 1), and yet the things he tells and that he predicts did not at all befall them; such as that the descendants of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi should be cursed more than the rest; and that Simeon and Levi should be divided in Jacob, and be scattered in Israel (verses 3-7); but the contrary befell Levi, namely, that he was blessed, for the priesthood was allotted to him.

[2] Neither did that befall Judah which is said of him, except that the representative of the church remained longer with him than with the rest of the tribes; and moreover such things are said of him as no one can know the meaning of, except from another sense which is hidden within, as that he should bow himself and couch as a lion; should bind his young ass unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; that he should wash his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes; that his eyes should be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (verses 9, 11, 12).  All these things are of such a nature as to cause everyone to see that there is something within them that is known in heaven, and that cannot be made known to man, except from thence.

[3] It is the same with what Israel said of the rest of his sons; as of Zebulun, that he should dwell at the haven of the seas and of ships, and that his side should be toward Zidon; of Issachar, that he should be a bony ass lying down between the burdens, stooping his shoulder to bear a burden; of Dan, that he should be a serpent in the way, an arrow-snake upon the path, biting the horse‘s heels, and that his rider will fall backward; and so on with the rest.  From all this it is very evident that as already said the Word has an internal sense.  The Word is given in order to unite heaven and earth, or angels with men; and therefore it has been so written that it may be spiritually apprehended by the angels, when naturally apprehended by man, and that in this way what is holy may flow in through the angels, by which means union is effected.  Such is the Word in both the historical and the prophetical parts; but the internal sense is less apparent in the historical than in the prophetical parts, because the historical parts have been written in a different style, yet still by means of significatives.

[4] The historical parts have been given in order that infants and children may thereby be initiated into the reading of the Word; for the historical parts are delightful, and rest in their minds, whereby communication is given them with the heavens; and this communication is grateful, because they are in a state of innocence and mutual charity.  This is the reason why there is an historical Word.  There is a prophetical Word, because when it is read, it is not understood by man except obscurely, and when it is understood obscurely by such men as there are now, it is perceived clearly by the angels, as it has been given me to know from much experience, of which by the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere.

AC 6334. Verses 1, 2.  And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather ye yourselves together, and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days. Assemble yourselves and hear ye sons of Jacob, and hear unto Israel your father.  ”And Jacob called his sons,“ signifies the setting in order of the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural; ”and said, father ye yourselves together,“ signifies all of them in general together; ”and I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days,“ signifies the quality of the state of the church in the order in which they then were ”assemble yourselves,“ signifies that they should set themselves in order; ”and hear, ye sons of Jacob,“ signifies the truths and goods in the natural; ”and hear unto Israel your father,“ signifies a prediction about them by spiritual good; in the supreme sense, the Lord‘s foresight.

AC 6335. And Jacob called his sons.  That this signifies the setting in order of the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural, is evident from the signification of ”calling,“ as being to set in order, for the reason of calling them together was that the truths of faith and goods of charity might be presented in this orderly arrangement; and from the representation of Jacob and his sons, as being the truths of faith and goods of love in the natural. Jacob represents these in general, (n. 3509, 3525, 3546, 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829, 4234, 4273, 4337, 5506, 5533, 5535, 6001, 6236); and also his sons, or the tribes named from them, the same in particular, (n. 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060). As regards the setting in order of the truths of faith and of the goods of love, which is here signified, and is presented in the internal sense in this chapter, be it known that tile twelve tribes of Israel represented in general all truths and goods in one complex, thus all the truths and goods which proceed from the Lord, and consequently these which are in heaven, and of which heaven consists. And because they are all represented in general, they are also represented severally in particular; for generals contain in them particulars, as wholes contain parts.

[2] The lights in heaven are varied in accordance with the goods and the derivative truths, and the states of intelligence and wisdom, in accordance with the lights and it was from this that the light sparkled and quivered through the Urim and Thummim, and this with variety in accordance with the state of the matter about which the interrogation was made.  This took place because the twelve tribes, by which were signified all truths and goods in general, were marked on that breastplate, that is, on the Urim and Thummim, for there was a single precious stone for each tribe.  The reason why they were precious stones was that they signified spiritual and celestial truths (n. 114, 3720); and the gold in which they were set signified good (n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658).  This is the secret that was signified by the Urim and Thummim.

[3] That the twelve tribes had such a signification, is plain from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned; especially from the inheritance of the tribes in the land of Canaan described in Joshua and from their inheritance in the Lord’s kingdom, described in the last chapters of Ezekiel, where we read of the new earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new temple; and in John and (Revelation 7:4-8); also from the order in which they encamped in the wilderness, which was of such a nature that they thereby represented truths and goods in their genuine order.  Hence the prophetic utterance of Balaam:  When Balaam lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, the spirit of God came upon him.  And he gave forth an enunciation, and said, How good are thy tabernacles O Jacob! thy habitations O Israel! As the valleys are they planted, as gardens beside the river, as sandalwood trees which Jehovah hath planted, as cedars beside the waters” (Num. 24:2-6). See also the things shown about the tribes and their ordering in (n. 2129, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060, 4603).

AC 6336. And said, Gather ye yourselves together.  That this signifies all in general together, is evident from the signification of “gathering,‘ as being that they should be together, here all the truths of faith and the goods of love which are signified by the twelve sons of Jacob (n. 6335).

AC 6337. And I will tell you what shall befall you in the end of the days.  That this signifies the quality of the state of the church in the order in which they then were, is evident from the signification of ”telling what shall befall,“ as being to communicate and to foretell; and from the signification of the ”end of the days,“ as being the last of the state in which they are together.  For ”days“ are states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850); and the ”end“ is the last; thus the ”end of the days“ is the last of the state, namely, that in which truths and goods in general, when in their order, are together.  The reason why it is the state of the church which is signified, is that the truths and goods which are represented by Jacob and his sons are what constitute the church; therefore by Jacob is represented the church (n. 4286, 4439, 4514, 4520, 4680, 4772, 5536, 5540); and so also by his sons (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512).  That the quality of the state is meant, is because the representation of the truths and goods of the church is according to the order in which the soils of Jacob or the tribes are mentioned in the Word (n. 3862, 3926, 3939). One quality is signified when Reuben is mentioned first, for when Reuben is mentioned first the quality begins from faith; but when Judah is mentioned first, then the quality begins from love; and it is different still when some other one is mentioned first.  The quality is also varied according to the order in which the rest of the tribes are mentioned after these. Hence come forth innumerable, nay, infinite, variations, and more so when the truths and goods in general which are signified by the twelve tribes also take on specific variations, each truth and good innumerable ones, which causes each of them to receive in general another face; and still more so when these specific truths and goods take on innumerable singular variations; and so on. That infinite variations thus arise may be illustrated by many things in nature. Hence then it is that the twelve tribes have a different signification when mentioned in one order in the Word, from what they have when mentioned in another; thus they have a different signification in this chapter from what they have elsewhere.

AC 6338. Assemble yourselves.  That this signifies that they should set themselves in order, is evident from the signification of ”assembling,“ as being to be set in order, for in the spiritual sense ”to be assembled“ has no other meaning, because truths and goods cannot be assembled unless they are also set in order.  For the universal influx which proceeds from the Lord effects this, because it contains within it all the singulars down to the veriest ones; and it is all these taken together which are the universal influx that reduces into order all things in the heavens.  When the universal influx is doing this, it appears as if the very goods and truths set themselves in order, and as if they flow into order of their own accord. This is the case with the universal heaven, which is in order, and is continually kept in order by the universal influx from the Lord.  It is also the case with the societies in heaven in general, and likewise with the societies in particular; for as soon as angels or spirits assemble, they are forthwith disposed into order as of themselves, and thus constitute a heavenly society, which is an image of heaven.  This would never take place unless the universal influx which proceeds from the Lord contained within it the veriest singulars of all, and unless all these were in the most perfect order.  If there were any universal influx from God without singulars, as many suppose, and a man, spirit, or angel were to direct himself in singulars, instead of order there would be confusion of all things; neither would there be a heaven, a hell, the human race, or even nature. This may be illustrated by many things with man, as that unless his thoughts were ordered universally and at the same time singularly by the affections of love, it would be impossible for them to flow rationally and analytically. So likewise with the actions: unless the soul in universal and in singular flowed into the viscera of the body, nothing could take place in the body with order and regularity; but when the soul flows in singularly and thus universally, then all things are set in order as of themselves.  These things have been said to the intent that it may be known what is meant by truths and goods setting themselves in order.

AC 6339. And hear, ye sons of Jacob.  That this signifies the truths and goods in the natural, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, as being the truths and goods of the church in the natural (n. 6335).

AC 6340. And hear unto Israel your father.  That this signifies a prediction about them by spiritual good, in the supreme sense the Lord’s foresight, is evident from the signification of ”hearing,“ namely, what shall happen in the end of the days, as being prediction; and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); and because prediction is signified in the internal sense by ”hearing what shall befall in the end of the days,“ the foresight of the Lord is signified in the supreme sense, for all prediction is from the Lord‘s foresight. Its being said that the ”sons of Jacob should hear to Israel,“ signifies that they who are of the church should hear the Lord, that is, should hear Him in the Word, and what He there teaches with respect to the truths of faith and the goods of love, and what He predicts with respect to those who are in such truth and good as are signified by one or another son of Jacob; as what He teaches and predicts about those in faith separate from charity, here signified by ”Reuben,“ ”Simeon,“ and ”Levi;“ or about those in celestial good, signified by ”Judah;“ also about those in spiritual good, signified by ”Joseph;“ thus also about those who are in such things as are signified by the rest of the sons.

AC 6341. Verses 3, 4.  Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces, excellent in eminence, and excellent in power (valore).  Light as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up on thy fathers bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up on my couch.  ”Reuben, my firstborn,“ signifies faith which is apparently in the prior place; ”thou art my strength,“ signifies power in good by means of faith; ”and the beginning of my forces,“ signifies that through it is the first power in truth; ”excellent in eminence, and excellent in power,“ signifies the glory and sovereignty thence derived; ”light as water,“ signifies that faith alone has not such things; ”thou shalt not excel,“ signifies that it has no glory or sovereignty; ”because thou wentest up on thy father’s bed,“ signifies because when separated from the good of charity it has a foul conjunction ”then profanedst thou it,“ signifies that if conjoined with evil it is profane; ”he went up on my couch,“ signifies because it has contaminated spiritual good in the natural.

AC 6342. Reuben, my firstborn.  That this signifies faith which is apparently in the prior place, is evident from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in the understanding (n. 3861, 3866), and confession of the faith of the church in general (n. 4731, 4734, 4761); and from the signification of ”firstborn,“ as being to be in the prior place (n. 3325); but that faith is in the prior place only apparently, may be seen above, (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 6256, 6269, 6272, 6273).

AC 6343. Thou art my strength.  That this signifies power in good by means of faith, is evident from the representation of Reuben, who here is ”thou,“ as being faith in the understanding (n. 6342); and from the signification of ”strength,“ as being the power that is in good.  As regards power, namely, the power of thinking and willing, of perceiving, of doing what is good, of believing, and of dissipating falsities and evils, it is all from good through truth; good is the principal, and truth is only the instrumental (n. 3563, 4931, 5623).  That there is signified the power that is in good, is because ”strength“ signifies this power, whereas ”forces“ signify the power of truth; hence it is that by ”the beginning of my forces,“ as presently follows, is signified the first power in truth; for the word by which ”forces“ are expressed in the original, is in the Word predicated of truth; but the word by which ”strength“ is expressed, is predicated of good.

[2] That the Word is holy, and in its interiors most holy, is very evident from the fact that in every detail of the Word there is the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of good and truth, thus heaven; and that in every detail of the inmost sense there is the marriage of the Lord‘s Divine Human with His kingdom and church; nay, in the supreme sense there is the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord. These most holy things are in every detail of the Word - a manifest proof that the Word has descended from the Divine.  That this is so may be seen from the fact that where mention is made of good, mention is made of truth also; and where the internal is spoken of, the external also is spoken of. There are also words which constantly signify good, and words which constantly signify truth, and words which signify both good and truth; and if they do not signify them, still they are predicated of them, or involve them.  From the predication and signification of these words it is plain that, as before said, in every detail there is the marriage of good and truth, that is, the heavenly marriage, and in the inmost and supreme sense the Divine marriage which is in the Lord, thus the Lord Himself.

[3] This appears everywhere, but not evidently except in passages where there are repetitions of the same thing, with only a change of words, as in this chapter, where it is said of Reuben, ”Thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces;“ also, ”excellent in eminence, and excellent in power.“ Here ”strength“ relates to good, and ”forces“ to truth; and ”excellent in eminence“ to truth, and ”excellent in power“ to good.  So in the following verse, of Reuben: ”Thou wentest up on thy father’s bed; then thou profanedst it; he went up on my couch.“ So in what follows with respect to Simeon and Levi: ”Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement, and their wrath, for it was hard; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel“ (verse 7); where ”anger“ signifies a turning away from good, and ”wrath“ a turning away from truth; and Jacob” is the external of the church, and “Israel” is its internal. Also with respect to Judah “Thy brethren shall celebrate thee; thy father‘s sons shall bow down to thee” (verse 8).  Again: “He binds his young ass unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes” (verse 11). With respect to Zebulun: “He shall dwell at the haven of the seas, and he shall be at the haven of ships” (verse 13).  With respect to Dan: “He shall be a serpent upon the way, an arrow-snake upon the path” (verse 17).

[4] Like things frequently occur in the Psalms and in the prophets, as in Isaiah: “Babel shall not be inhabited to eternity, neither shall it be inhabited even to generation and generation.  Her time is near, and it shall come, and her days shall not be prolonged” (Isa 13:20, 22). Again:

“Seek ye from above in the book of Jehovah, and read ye; no one of these shall be missing, the one shall not long for the other; for with the mouth He hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them.  And the Same hath cast the lot for them, and the hand hath distributed to them by rule. They shall possess it even eternally, to generation and generation shall they dwell therein” (Isa. 34:16, 17);

and so in a thousand other passages.  He who does not know that the expressions in the Word are significative of spiritual and celestial things, and that some are said of good, and some of truth, cannot but believe that such expressions are mere repetitions, said merely to fill up, and therefore in themselves useless; and from this it is that they who think wrongly about the Word, regard such expressions as ground for contempt; when yet the veriest Divine things are stored therein, namely, the heavenly marriage, which is heaven itself; and the Divine marriage, which is the Lord Himself.  This sense is the “glory” in which the Lord is, and the literal sense is the “cloud” in which is this glory (Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:27) and (n. 2135a, 5922).

AC 6344. And the beginning of my forces.  That this signifies that through it is the first power in truth, is evident from the signification of the “beginning of forces,” as being the first power; and as “forces” are predicated of truth, it is the first power in truth that is signified, in like manner as in Isaiah:--

Jehovah giveth strength to the wearied one, and to him that hath no forces He multiplieth power (Isa. 40:29);

where “strength” is predicated of good, and “forces” of truth, and “power” of both.  How it is to be understood that through faith there is power in good, and the first power in truth, which is signified by “Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my forces,” shall be briefly told. All the power in the spiritual world is from good through truth.  Without good, truth has no power whatever, for truth is like a body, and good is like the soul of this body, and in order that the soul may do anything, it must be by means of the body.  Hence it is plain that truth without good has no power whatever, just as the body without the soul has no power; for the body is then a carcass, and so also is truth without good.

[2] then the faith of truth through good is first born, the power appears to be in truth.  This power is what is called the “first power in truth through faith,” and is signified by the “beginning of forces,” as also elsewhere in the Word where “birthright” is treated of; as in David:--

He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the beginning of forces in the tents of Ham (Ps. 78:51).

And in another place:--

He smote all the firstborn in their land, the beginning of all their forces (Ps. 105:36).

Also in Deuteronomy:--

He shall acknowledge the firstborn son of the hated one, to give him two parts of all that shall be found for him; in that he is the beginning of his forces, the right of the birthright is his (Deut. 21:17).

[3] As by the “firstborn” is signified in the genuine sense the good that is of charity, but in the sense according to the appearance the truth that is of faith (n. 3325, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930), and as these two are the foundations of the church, therefore by the ancients the firstborn was called the “strength of the father, and the beginning of his forces.” That such was the signification is plainly evident from the fact that every firstborn belonged to Jehovah or the Lord, and that in the stead of all the firstborn the tribe of Levi was accepted and the priesthood given to it.

[4] Scarcely anyone in this world can know what is the nature of the power that is in truth from good; but it is known to those who are in the other life; thus by revelation thence.  They who are in truth from good, that is, in faith from charity, are in power through truth from good. In this power are all the angels, and from this the angels are called in the Word “powers;” for they are in the power of restraining evil spirits, one angel being able to restrain a thousand all at once.  They exercise their power chiefly when with man, in defending him at times against many hells, and this in a thousand and a thousand ways.

[5] They have this power by means of the truth that is of faith from the good that is of charity; but as they have their faith from the Lord, it is the Lord alone who is the power in them.  This power which is through faith from the Lord is meant by the Lord‘s words to Peter:--

Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matt. 16:18, 19)

this was said to Peter, because by him was represented faith (n. 2760, 3750, 4738, 6000, 6073); and by “Peter,” wherever in the Word he is called “Peter,” as here, is signified in the internal sense, faith, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to faith.

AC 6345. Excellent in eminence, and excellent in power (valore). That this signifies that glory and sovereignty are thence derived, is evident from the signification of “excelling in eminence,” is being glory, for he who is in eminence is in glory; and from the signification of “excelling in power,” as being sovereignty, for he who is in power is in sovereignty.  “Glory” in this passage has reference to the truth that is of faith (n. 5922), and “sovereignty” to the good that is of charity therefore it is said that hence  is glory and sovereignty, namely, from the truth of faith and the good of charity.

AC 6346. Light as water.  That this signifies that faith alone has not such things, namely, glory and sovereignty, is evident from the signification of “being light as water,” as being to be of no weight or power.  That faith alone is meant, that is, faith separated from charity, is plain from what follows about Reuben and Simeon and Levi; here also under these names faith separated or alone is treated of.

AC 6347. Thou shalt not excel.  That this signifies that it has no glory or sovereignty, is evident from the signification of “not excelling,” namely, in eminence and power, in that such faith has neither glory nor sovereignty.

AC 6348. Because thou wentest up on thy father’s bed.  That this signifies, because when separated from the good of charity it has a foul conjunction, is evident from the signification of “going up on a father‘s bed,” as being to have a foul conjunction, namely, that faith separated from the good of charity has this.  For if faith in doctrine or in the understanding, here represented by Reuben, is not initiated into good and conjoined therewith, it is either dissipated and made null, or is initiated into and conjoined with what is evil and false, which is the foul conjunction that is signified, for it then becomes profane. That this is so may be seen from the fact that faith can have a dwelling-place nowhere else than in good, and if it has no dwelling-place there, it must either become null, or be conjoined with evil. This is very evident from those in the other life who have been in faith alone and in no charity, in that their faith is there dissipated; but if it has been conjoined with evil, their lot is with the profane.

[2] In the Word, “adulteries” in the internal sense signify adulterations of good, and “whoredoms” signify falsifications of truth (n. 2466, 3399); but the foul conjunctions called the forbidden degrees (Lev. 18:6-24), signify various kinds of profanation.  That here also profanation is signified, is plain, for it is said “thou wentest up on thy father’s bed, then profanedst thou it; he went upon my couch.” That this means the profanation of good by faith separated, may be seen above (n. 4601), where this wicked deed of Reuben is treated of.

[3] With faith alone, or separated from charity, the case is this. If it is conjoined with evil (which takes place when anyone first believes the truth that is of faith, and especially when he first lives according to it, and afterward denies it and lives contrary to it), it then becomes profane; for thus the truth that is of faith and the good that is of charity are first inrooted in the interiors by means of doctrine and life, and afterward are called forth thence and conjoined with evil.  In the other life the worst lot of all awaits the man with whom this takes place; for with such a man good cannot be separated from evil, and yet in the other life they are kept separate; neither has such a man any remains of good stored up in his interiors, because they have utterly perished in evil.  The hell of such is to the left in front at a great distance, and those who are there appear to the angelic sight like skeletons, with scarcely any life.  In order therefore to prevent the profanation of good and truth, a man who is such that he does not suffer himself to be regenerated (which is foreseen by the Lord) is withheld from faith and charity, and is permitted to be in evil and from this in falsity, for then he cannot profane.  See what has been said and shown before about profanation, (n. 301-303, 571, 582, 593, 1001, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402, 3489, 3898, 4289, 4601).

AC 6349. Then profanedst thou it.  That this signifies that if conjoined with evil faith is profane, is evident from what has been said just above (n. 6348).

AC 6350. He went no on my couch.  That this signifies that it contaminated spiritual good in the natural, is evident from the signification of “going up on a couch,” as being to contaminate by profaning (n. 6348); and from the representation of Israel, on whose couch he went up, as being spiritual good in the natural (n. 6340).

AC 6351. Verses 5-7.  Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of violence are their swords.  Into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox.  Cursed be their anger for it was vehement, and their wrath for it was hard.  I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.  “Simeon and Levi are brethren,” signifies faith in the will, and charity, here the reverse, because they signify faith separate from charity; “instruments of violence are their swords,” signifies that doctrinal things serve to destroy the works of charity, thus charity itself; “into their secret let not my soul come,” signifies that spiritual good does not desire to know the evils which are of their will; “in their assembly let not my glory be united,” signifies that neither does the truth of spiritual good desire to know the falsities of their thought thence derived; “for in their anger they slew a man,” signifies that they utterly averted themselves, and in their turning away extinguished faith; “and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox,” signifies that from a depraved will they utterly weakened the external good of charity; “cursed be their anger for it was vehement,” signifies a grievous turning away from good, and the consequent condemnation; “and their wrath, for it was hard,” signifies a turning away from the derivative truth, that it was confirmed; “I will divide them in Jacob,” signifies that they must be banished from the natural man; “and scatter them in Israel,” signifies from the spiritual man also.

AC 6352. Simeon and Levi are brethren.  That this signifies faith in the will, and charity, here the reverse, because they signify faith separated from charity, is evident from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will (n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482, 5626, 5630); and from the representation of Levi, as being charity (n. 3875, 3877), but here the reverse, because they signify faith separate from charity. For when this faith is represented by Reuben, as is plain from the explication of (verse 4), it follows that no faith in the will, and thus no charity, are what are represented by Simeon and Levi, for these things follow in a series from their beginning. Therefore by Simeon is represented falsity in the will, and by Levi evil in act, for these are opposite to faith in the will and to charity.  That these are signified is plain from Simeon and Levi being cursed.

AC 6353. Instruments of violence are their swords.  That this signifies that doctrinal things serve to destroy the works of charity, thus charity itself, is evident from the signification of “instruments of violence,” as being what serves to destroy charity (that “instruments” denote things that are of service is evident, and that “violence” denotes the destruction of charity, will be seen presently); and from the signification of “swords,” as being doctrinal things. For “swords (gladii)” denote the truths of faith, by means of which combat is waged against falsities and evils (n. 2799), thus “swords (machaerae)” are doctrinal things, here the doctrinal things by means of which combat is waged against truth and good, and by means of which these are extinguished, because this is done by those who are in faith alone, or in faith separate from charity, with whom the reverse prevails.

[2] The doctrinal things of those who are in faith alone, whereby they destroy the works of charity, are chiefly those which teach that man is saved by faith alone without the works of charity, and that these are not necessary, and that man is saved by faith alone even in the last hour, no matter how he had lived through the whole course of his life, thus those who have practiced nothing but cruelties, those who have practiced nothing but adulteries, those who have practiced nothing but profane things; and hence that salvation is merely admission into heaven, none being admitted but they who have received this grace at the end of their life; and thus that some have been elected out of mercy, and some damned out of unmercifulness; when yet heaven is denied by the Lord to no one, but the life and the communication of life (which are there perceived as an odor is perceived by those exposed to it on earth) render it impossible for the wicked to dwell there, because they are tormented by the evil of their life there more than in the deepest hell.

[3] That a “sword” signifies falsity combating and slaying, is evident in John:--

There went forth another horse that was red, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, whence there was given unto him a great sword (Rev. 6:4).

Again:--

If anyone shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed (Rev. 13:10, 14).

[4] That “violence” is violence inflicted on charity, is clear from many passages in the Word, as in Isaiah:--

The violent one shall cease, and the scorner shall be consumed, all who ripen iniquity shall be cut off, who make a man sin in a word, and ensnare him who reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just into emptiness (Isa. 29:20, 21);

in this passage the “violent one” is expressed by another word in the original, but of similar signification; that the “violent one” is one who inflicts violence on charity, is signified by “making a man sin in a word,” and “turning aside the just.”

[5] In the same:--

Their works are works of iniquity, and the deed of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood (Isa. 59:6, 7);

where “violence” is violence inflicted on charity, which is also signified by “shedding blood” (n. 374, 1005).  Again:--

Violence shall no more be in thy land, wasting and a breach in thy borders (Isa. 60:18);

where “violence” denotes the destruction of charity, for hence comes “wasting and breach in the land,” that is, in the church.

[6] In Jeremiah:--

I proclaim violence and vastation; because the word of Jehovah is made a reproach unto me, and a shame all the day (Jer. 20:8);

where “violence” also denotes violence in spiritual things, thus the destruction of charity and also of faith.  In Ezekiel:--

The land is full of judgment of bloods, and the city is full of violence (Ezek. 7:23);

where “judgment of bloods” denotes the destruction of faith; and “violence,” the destruction of charity.

[7] Again:--

If he beget a son that is violent, a shedder of blood, that doeth anyone of these things: if he hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his companion‘s wife, hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath seized spoil, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to idols, hath committed abomination, hath given upon interest, and hath received usury; shall he live?  he shall not live, dying he shall die (Ezek. 18:10-13);

here a “son that is violent and a shedder of blood” is described, and all the works of charity which it destroys are recounted; thus a “son that is violent and a shedder of blood” is a destroyer of charity and faith.

[8] In David:--

Deliver me O Jehovah from the evil man, preserve me from the man of violences, who think evils in their heart, the whole day they gather themselves together for war; they sharpen their tongue like a serpent, the poison of the asp is under their lips.  Keep me O Jehovah from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the man of violences. let not the man of tongue subsist in the earth; let evil hunt the man of violence to overthrow him (Ps. 140:1-4, 11);

a “man of violences” denotes those who destroy the truths of faith and the goods of charity; their fighting against these truths and goods is signified by their “gathering themselves together the whole day for war, sharpening the tongue as a serpent, the poison of the asp under their lips, and evil hunting him to overthrow him.” And so in other passages, as (Ezek. 12:19; Joel 3:19; Mal. 2:16, 17; Zeph. 3:4; Ps.  18:48; 55:9-11; 58:3-6; Deut. 19:16).

AC 6354. Into their secret let not my soul come.  That this signifies that spiritual good does not desire to know the evils that are of their will, is evident from the representation of Israel, who says this of himself, as being spiritual good (n. 6340); and from the signification of “not coming into a secret,” as being not to desire to know, namely, the evils of the will that are signified by “Simeon and Levi” (n. 6352) it is said “my soul” because by “soul” is here signified the life of good belonging to spiritual good; the life of its truth is signified by “glory,” of which in what follows.

AC 6355. In their assembly let not my glory be united.  That this signifies that neither does the truth of spiritual good desire to know the falsities of their thought thence derived, is evident from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (n. 6340); and from the signification of “such being united in their assembly,” as being not to desire to be conjoined with the falsities of their thought, thus also not to desire to know them (falsities of thought being signified by “assembly,” which like “multitude,” is predicated of truths, and in the opposite sense of falsities); and from the signification of “glory,” which is predicated of truth (n. 4809, 5922), for truth is glory to those who are in spiritual good.

AC 6356. For in their anger they slew a man.  That this signifies that they utterly averted themselves, and in their turning away extinguished faith, is evident from the signification of “anger,” as being a receding from charity, and a turning away (n. 357, 5034, 5798); from the signification of “” as being to extinguish; and from the signification of “man (vir),” as being the truth of faith (n. 3134, 3309, 3459, 4823).

AC 6357. And in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox.  That this signifies that from a depraved will they utterly weakened the external good of charity, is evident from the signification of “good pleasure,” as being the will, here a depraved will; from the signification of “unstringing,” as being to weaken; and from the signification of an “ox,” as being the natural or external good of charity (n. 2180, 2566, 2781). The reason why an “ox” is here spoken of, and just before a “man,” is that by a “man” is signified the truth of faith, and by an “ox” the good of charity; and in order that when good is treated of, truth may also be treated of, because of the heavenly marriage in everything of the Word (n. 6343).

AC 6358. Cursed be their anger for it was vehement.  That this signifies a grievous turning away from good and the consequent condemnation, is evident from the signification of “being cursed,” as being condemnation, for he who has been cursed has been condemned; and from the signification of “anger,” as being a turning away from good (n. 357, 5034, 5798, 6356); thus “vehement anger” denotes a grievous turning away.

AC 6359. And their wrath for it was hard.  That this signifies a turning away from the derivative truth, that it was confirmed, is evident from the signification of “wrath,” as being a turning away from truth. “Wrath” is predicated of truth, and “anger” of good, (n. 3614); and from the signification of “hard,” as being what is confirmed, for the falsity which has been confirmed even to persuasion, is hard. That it is hard has been given to know from experience, for among spirits and among the angels truth from good appears and is presented to view as soft, but falsity from evil as hard, and this in proportion as the falsity from evil is more confirmed.  When persuasion has been brought about by means of confirmation from many things, this hardness appears there like the hardness of bone. Such hardness is also like the hardness in this world, in that it reflects the rays of light.  Thus when the light of heaven from the Lord falls upon the hardness produced by falsity from evil, it is reflected; but on the other hand, when the light of heaven from the Lord falls upon the softness produced by truth from good, it is received.

AC 6360. I will divide them in Jacob.  That this signifies that they must be banished from the natural man, is evident from the signification of “dividing,” as being separation and removal from truth and good (n. 4424), thus banishment; and from the representation of Jacob, as being the natural or external man (n. 3305, 3576, 4286, 4292, 4570, 6236).

AC 6361. And scatter them in Israel.  That this signifies from the spiritual man also, is evident from the signification of “scattering,” as being banishment; but “scattering” is distinguished from “dividing” in that the latter is predicated of the external man and of truth, but “scattering” of the internal man and of good. Jacob represents the natural or external man, and Israel the spiritual or internal, (n. 4286, 4292, 4570). That these things which were said by Israel of Simeon and Levi, and also those which were said of Reuben, do not signify what would befall their descendants in the end of the days, as is said in the first verse, may be seen from the fact that the descendants of Simeon and Levi were not cursed, and divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel; for the tribe of Simeon was among the rest of the tribes as one of them; and the tribe of Levi was made the priesthood, thus was rather blessed than cursed; and so with the tribe of Reuben, which also was not more vile than the other tribes.  Hence it is very manifest that what is said in this chapter of the sons of Jacob, as to what should befall them in the end of the days, is not what should befall themselves, but what should befall those who are meant by them in the internal sense; and here those who are in faith separated from charity, for these are here meant in the internal sense by “Reuben,” “Simeon,” and “Levi.” From this it is very evident that there is an internal sense of the Word which does not appear in the letter, nor to anyone unless he knows the correspondences of natural things with spiritual, and not at all to him who does not know what the spiritual and what the celestial are.

AC 6362. Verses 8-12. Thou Judah, thy brethren shall celebrate thee, thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy father’s sons shall bow down to thee. Judah is a lion‘s whelp; from the prey my son thou art gone up; he bowed, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?  The scepter shall not be removed from Judah, and a lawgiver from between his feet, even until Shiloh come; and to him is the obedience of the peoples. He binds his young ass unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes; his eyes are red with wine, and his teeth are white with milk.  “Thou Judah,” signifies the celestial church, in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine celestial; “thy brethren shall celebrate thee,” signifies that this church is eminent above the rest; “thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies,” signifies that the infernal and diabolical crew will flee at his presence; “thy father‘s sons shall bow down to thee,” signifies that truths will submit themselves of their own accord; “Judah is a lion’s whelp,” signifies innocence with innate forces; “from the prey my son thou art gone up,” signifies that from the Lord through the celestial there is deliverance of many from hell; “he bowed, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion,” signifies the good of love and the derivative truth in their power; “who shall rouse him up?” signifies that he is safe among all in the hells; “the scepter shall not be removed from Judah,” signifies that sovereignty shall not depart from celestial good; “and a lawgiver from between his feet,” signifies truths from this good in lower things; “until Shiloh come,” signifies the coming of the Lord, and the tranquillity of peace then; “and to him is the obedience of the peoples,” signifies that from His Divine Human shall proceed truths; “he binds his young ass unto the vine,” signifies truth in the natural for the external church; “and his ass‘s colt unto the choice vine,” signifies truth from the rational for the internal church; “he washes his clothing in wine,” signifies that His natural is Divine truth from His Divine good; “and his covering in the blood of grapes,” signifies that His intellectual is Divine good from His Divine love; “his eyes are red with wine,” signifies that the intellectual, or internal Human, is nothing but good; “and his teeth are white with milk,” signifies that the Divine natural is nothing but the good of truth.

AC 6363. Thou Judah.  That this signifies the celestial church, in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine celestial, is evident from the representation of Judah, as being in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine of love, or as to the Divine celestial; but in the relative sense the Lord’s celestial kingdom, thus the celestial church (n. 3881). What the celestial kingdom, the celestial church, and the celestial are, see (n. 640, 641, 765, 895, 2048, 2088, 2669, 2708, 2715, 2718, 2896, 3235, 3246, 3374, 3886, 3887, 4448, 4493, 5113, 5922, 6295).

AC 6364. Thy brethren shall celebrate thee.  That this signifies that this church is eminent above the rest, is evident from the signification of “being celebrated,” as being to be eminent; from the representation of Judah, here meant by “thee,” as being the celestial church (n. 6363); and from the signification of “brethren,” as being the truths of this church, thus also the churches which are in these truths, and which are represented by the brethren of Judah, for truths and goods constitute the church. The truths of the celestial church are signified by “thy brethren,” that is, the brethren of Judah but the truths of the spiritual church by the “sons of his father” (n. 6366).

AC 6365. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies.  That this signifies that the infernal and diabolical crew will flee at his presence, is evident from the signification of “enemies,” as being the infernal and diabolical crew, for these are enemies in the spiritual sense; and from the signification of the “hand in their neck,” as being to pursue those who are in flight; for when an enemy flees, the hand of the conqueror is in his neck.  It is said that they shall flee at his presence, because when anyone of the infernal crew approaches any angel of the Lord‘s celestial kingdom, he flees at his presence, being unable to endure it, because he cannot endure the sphere of celestial love, which is that of love to the Lord; this sphere being to him like burning and tormenting fire. Moreover a celestial angel never fights, still less is his hand in the neck of his enemies, nor indeed does he regard anyone as an enemy in so far as he is concerned; yet it is so expressed on account of the conditions in this world; but the real meaning is that the infernals, regarding themselves as his enemies, flee from his presence.

AC 6366. Thy father’s sons shall bow down to thee.  That this signifies that truths will submit themselves of their own accord, is evident from the signification of “bowing down,” as being to submit themselves and from the signification of the “father‘s sons,” as being the truths that are from spiritual good, for the “sons of Israel” denote spiritual truths (n. 5414, 5879, 5951), and “Israel” is spiritual good (n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833).  That these truths will submit themselves of their own accord, is because when celestial love, which is represented by Judah, flows into the spiritual truths which are represented by the sons of Israel, it disposes them into order, and thus submits them to the Lord; for the celestial has this efficacy through influx into spiritual things, that is, good through influx into truth.  For this reason also the Lord’s celestial kingdom is the inmost or third heaven, thus is nearest the Lord; and His spiritual kingdom is the middle or second heaven, thus is further away from the Lord. It is from this order that the Lord flows into the spiritual kingdom, both mediately through the celestial kingdom, and also immediately.  The influx is of such a nature that the spiritual kingdom is kept in order by means of the celestial kingdom, and in this way is submitted to the Lord.  The influx from the celestial kingdom is effected by means of love toward the neighbor, for this is the external of the celestial kingdom and the internal of the spiritual kingdom; hence the conjunction of both (n. 5922).

AC 6367. Judah is a lion‘s whelp.  That this signifies innocence with innate forces, is evident from the signification of a “lion,” as being the good of love and the truth thence derived in their power thus a “lion’s whelp” denotes innocence with forces.  The reason why it is said “with innate forces” is that “Judah” here is the celestial of love, and the celestial of love is in the will part (n. 895, 927, 4493, 5113), thus it has innate forces; for man is born into the things of the will part; hence they of the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, were born into the good of love in so far as they had good in their will.  From this then it is that the forces are said to be “innate.” The reason why a “lion‘s whelp” denotes innocence, is that a “lion” denotes the good of celestial love, and a “whelp” is as it were its infant, thus is innocence.

[2] That a “lion” denotes the good of celestial love and the derivative truth, in its power, and also that in the opposite sense it denotes the evil of the love of self in its power, is evident from passages in the Word where a “lion” is mentioned.  That it denotes the good of celestial love is evident in John:--

Behold the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath conquered to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof (Rev. 5:5);

here the Lord is called a “lion” from the omnipotence belonging to His Divine love and the Divine truth thence derived. In other passages in the Word, Jehovah or the Lord is compared to a “lion,” as in Hosea:--

They shall go after Jehovah; He shall roar like a lion; for Be shall roar, and the sons shall come with honor from the sea (Hosea 11:10).

[3] In Isaiah:--

Thus said Jehovah unto me, Like as when the lion roareth, and the young lion over his prey, if a fulness of shepherds come running upon him, he is not dismayed at their voice, and is not afflicted by their tumult; so shall Jehovah Zebaoth come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isa. 31:4);

here the omnipotence of Divine good is compared to a “lion,” and the omnipotence of the Divine truth thence derived is compared to a “young lion,” for it is said that “Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof;” for “Mount Zion” signifies the good of Divine love, and the “hill thereof,” the Divine truth thence derived (n. 795, 796, 1430, 4210).

[4] For the same reason the four animals in Ezekiel and in John, by which are meant cherubs, had the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. In Ezekiel:--

The likeness of the faces of the four animals: the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side had they four; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had the face of an eagle (Ezek. 1:10; 10:14).

And in John:--

Before the throne were four animals full of eyes before and behind. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal like a calf the third animal had a face as a man, the fourth animal was like a flying eagle (Rev. 4:6, 7).

That these animals were cherubs is said in Ezekiel 10, and is also plain from the description of them in John, namely, that they had eyes before and behind; for by “cherubs” are signified the Lord’s foresight and providence (n. 308): that they had the face of a lion was from the omnipotence of Divine truth from Divine good, which is of providence. It was similar with the cherubs about the new temple, in (Ezekiel 41:19).

[5] That the celestial, who are in power from good and the derivative truth, which are from the Lord, are meant by “lions,” is evident in David:--

There is no want to them that fear Jehovah. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good (Ps. 34:9, 10).

Again:--

The lions roar after their prey, and to seek their food from God. The sun ariseth, they are gathered together, and lay them down in their habitations (Ps. 104:21, 22).

And in the prophecy of Balaam:--

At that time it shall be said to Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought! Behold the people shall rise up as an old lion, and as a young lion shall he lift himself up; he shall not rest until he eat the prey (Num. 13:23, 24).

[6] And again:--

When Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, he said, He boweth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up? (Num. 24:2, 9).

It is the celestial that is here described, because it was the celestial order that the tribes represented by their encampment which Balaam saw in spirit when he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes (n. 6335).  This order is from the Divine good through the Divine truth from the Lord, and in this order is all power, here denoted by the “lion which boweth down and coucheth.”

[7] In Micah:--

The remains of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who if he go down, treadeth down and scattereth, and there is none rescuing.  Let thy hand be exalted over thine enemies, and let all thy foes be cut off (Micah 5:8, 9);

where the “lion” and “young lion” denote celestial good and celestial truth, which are the “remains of Jacob.” The meaning is similar in (Isaiah 21:8; Jer. 25:38; Ezek. 32:2; Zech. 11:3). The like was represented by the lions at the ivory throne of Solomon, two at the sides of the throne, and twelve upon the six steps (1 Kings 10:18-20); also by the lions upon the borders of the ten bases of brass (1 Kings 7:29, 36).

[8] That in the opposite sense a “lion” signifies the evil of the love of self in its power, is plain from the following passages:--

No lion shall be there, and no ravenous beast shall go up thereon, It shall not be found there; but they shall go free; thus the redeemed of Jehovah shall return and shall come to Zion with singing (Isa. 35:9, 10).

In Jeremiah:--

Why is Israel become a prey? The young lions rear against him, they utter their voice, they reduce his land to a waste (Jer. 2:14, 15).

Again:--

The lion cometh up from his bramble, and the destroyer of the nations hath journeyed, he went forth from his place to reduce the land into a waste (Jer. 4:7).

Again:--

They have not known the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God.  Wherefore a lion out of the forest hath smitten them, and a wolf of the plains will lay them waste (Jer. 5:4, 6).

And in Nahum:--

Where is the habitation of the lions, and the pasture of the young lions; where the lion stalked, the old lion, the lion‘s whelp, and none made afraid?  The lion seizeth enough for his whelps, and strangleth for his old lionesses, and filleth his caves with prey, and his habitations with ravin. Behold I am against thee, saith Jehovah Zebaoth, and I will burn her chariot in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from the earth (Nahum 2:11-13);

speaking of Nineveh.  In the above passages a “lion” denotes the power possessed by the evil of the love of self when it destroys and lays waste; and so in (Jer. 12:8; 49:19; 50:17, 44; 51:38; Ezek. 19:2-11; 33:2; Joel 1:6; Zeph.  3:3; Ps. 57:5; 58:6; 91:13; Rev. 13:2).

AC 6368. From the prey my son thou art gone up.  That this signifies that from the Lord through what is celestial there is deliverance of many from hell, is evident from the signification of “going up from the prey,” as being deliverance from hell; and from the representation of Judah, who is here “my son,” as being the Divine celestial (n. 6363). That “to go up from the prey” denotes deliverance from hell is because man of himself is in hell, for his will and thought from his own is nothing but evil and its falsity, by which he has been so bound to hell that he cannot be torn away without violence This tearing away and deliverance is what is called the “prey;” and because this is done from the Lord’s Divine good, it is said that from the Lord through what is celestial is the deliverance of many from hell.

[2] But be it known that no one can be torn away and delivered from hell unless in the life of the body he has been in spiritual good, that is, in charity through faith; for unless he has been in this good through faith, there is nothing to receive the good which flows in from the Lord; but it flows through, except that which can be fixed somewhere; and therefore these persons cannot be torn away or delivered from hell.  For all the states that a man has acquired in the life of the body are retained in the other life, and are filled; with the good the states of good are retained and filled with good, and by means of these states they are elevated into heaven; and with the evil the states of evil are retained and filled with evil, and by means of these states they sink down into hell.  This is the meaning of the saying that as a man dies, so he remains.  This shows who they are that can be delivered by the Lord from hell by means of the Divine celestial.

AC 6369. He bowed, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion. That this signifies the good of love and the derivative truth in their power, is evident from the signification of “bowing,” as being to put forth his power, for when a lion crouches (as when it sees its prey) it hardens its sinews and gathers strength; from the signification of “couching,” as being to lie in safety and without dread; and from the signification of a “lion” and an “old lion,” as being the good of love and the derivative truth in their power (n. 6367). A “young lion” denotes one who is in power through truth from good, and an “old lion” one who is in power through good.  For they who are in celestial good never fight, but are safe through good; because where they come, the evil flee away, for the evil cannot endure their presence (n. 6365); it is these who are signified by an “old lion.”

AC 6370. Who shall rouse him up?  That this signifies that he is safe among all in the hells, is evident from the signification of “who shall rouse him up,” as being to be safe.  That it denotes among all in the hells is because he is safe among all evils, even in the midst of the hells; for love to the Lord and toward the neighbor has this effect, because they who are in this love are most closely conjoined with the Lord, and are in the Lord, because they are in the Divine which proceeds from Him; hence nothing of evil can reach them. Be it known that there are innumerable hells, distinct according to the genera of evils and the derivative falsities, and according to the species of these, and the details of the species; and that in each hell there is order; and that this order is preserved by the Lord, both immediately, and mediately through the celestial angels; at times also angels are sent thither to bring into order what is disorderly there; and when they are there, they are in safety.  This is what is meant by the safety among all in the hells of him who is in what is celestial.

AC 6371. The scepter shall not be removed from Judah.  That this signifies that sovereignty shall not depart from the celestial kingdom, is evident from the signification of “being removed,” as being to depart; from the signification of “scepter,” as being sovereignty, and indeed the sovereignty of truth from good (n. 4876), for a scepter is a badge of royal power, and by royalty is signified truth (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 6148); and from the representation of Judah, as being the celestial kingdom (n. 6363).  Hence it is plain that by the “scepter not being removed from Judah” is signified that the sovereignty shall not depart from the celestial kingdom.

[2] From the sense of the letter it appears that by what is contained in this verse is meant that the kingdom should not be removed from the Jewish people until the Lord came.  This also is true, yet in this historic truth, as in everything else, there is an internal sense; for that the kingdom should not be removed from the Jewish people, is a worldly matter; but the Spiritual truth of the internal sense appears when by “scepter” is understood sovereignty, and by “Judah” the celestial kingdom.  But that sovereignty should depart from the celestial kingdom when the Lord came, is a secret that no one can know except from revelation.  The case is this. Before the coming of the Lord into the world, there was influx of life with men and with spirits from Jehovah or the Lord through the celestial kingdom, that is, through the angels who were in that kingdom, and hence they then had the sovereignty. But when the Lord came into the world, and thereby made the Human in Himself Divine, He put on just that which was with the angels of the celestial kingdom, thus He put on this sovereignty. For previously the Divine transflux through that heaven had been the Divine Human; it was also the Divine Man which was presented to view when Jehovah so appeared; but this Divine Human ceased when the Lord Himself made the Human in Himself Divine. This shows how the case is with this secret. The angels of that kingdom have indeed great sovereignty now, but only in so far as they are in the Lord‘s Divine Human through love to Him. (n. 1990, 2803, 3061, 4180, 4687, 5110, 6280).

AC 6372. And a lawgiver from between his feet.  That this signifies truths from this good in lower things, is evident from the signification of a “lawgiver,” as being truths; and from the signification of “feet,” as being natural things (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328), thus lower things, for natural things are beneath, and celestial things are above.  It is said a “lawgiver from between his feet” in’ order that the spiritual of the celestial may be signified, or the truth which is from good, for at that time the spiritual kingdom was not such as it was after the Lord‘s coming - distinct from the celestial kingdom - but was one with the celestial kingdom, being merely its external; therefore also it is said “from between his feet,” in order that truth which is from good may be signified; for this is signified by this inner side of the feet, from its communication with the loins. Of this truth it is also said that it should be “removed when Shiloh came,” that is, its sovereignty should be removed, just as was the sovereignty of the celestial (n. 6371); for the celestial kingdom at that time exercised its sovereignty by means of this truth; and because this was so, this truth is called a “lawgiver.” This truth is also meant in the internal sense by a “lawgiver” in Isaiah:--

Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king (Isa. 33:22);

where “judge” denotes that He acts from good; “lawgiver,” that He acts from truth from this good; “king,” that He acts from truth thus they follow in order And in David:--

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine, and Ephraim is the strength of My head, Judah is My lawgiver (Ps. 60:7; 108:8);

where “Judah a lawgiver” is celestial good and its celestial truth.  In Moses:--

The fountain, the princes digged it, the nobles of the people digged it out, by the lawgiver, with their staves (Num.  21:18).

And again:--

Gad saw the first fruits for himself, for there was the portion of the hidden lawgiver; whence came the heads of the people; he wrought the righteousness of Jehovah, and His judgments with Israel (Deut. 33:21);

where also “lawgiver” denotes truth from good.

AC 6373. Until Shiloh come.  That this signifies the coming of the Lord, and the tranquility of peace then, is evident from the signification of “Shiloh,” as being the Lord, who is called “Shiloh” from the fact that He pacified and made all things tranquil; for in the original, “Shiloh” is derived from a word which means tranquillity.  The reason why the Lord is here called “Shiloh” is plain from what was said above (n. 6371, 6372) about the celestial kingdom and its sovereignty; for when the Divine was presented to view through that kingdom there was in tranquillity, because the things in heaven, and the things in hell, could not thereby be reduced into order, for the Divine which flowed through that kingdom could not be pure, because heaven is not pure; thus neither was that kingdom so strong that all things could by means of it be kept in order; and therefore also the infernal and diabolical spirits were then raising themselves up from the hells and were ruling over the souls who were arriving from the world.  The result was that none could be saved but the celestial; and at last scarcely they, unless the Lord had taken on the Human and had made this in Himself Divine; whereby the Lord reduced all things into order, first those in heaven, and afterward those in the hells; thus producing the tranquillity of peace.  That the spiritual, that is, they who were of the spiritual church, were saved by the Lord’s coming, may be seen above, (n. 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834); and that the Lord, when in the world, reduced all things into order, (n. 1820, 4286, 4287): that the Divine truth from Jehovah or the Lord flowed in through heaven into the human race, but because this did not suffice when man removed himself from good, the Lord came into the world and made the Human in Himself Divine, in order that from the very Divine Human of the Lord the Divine truth might proceed, and thus might save man, who should receive good through truth, may also be seen above, (n. 4180, 6280).

AC 6374. And to him is the obedience of the peoples. That this signifies that from His Divine Human should proceed truths which could be received, is evident from the signification of “obedience,” as being the reception of truths which proceed from the Lord; and from the signification of “peoples,” as being those who are in truths, thus also truths (n. 1259, 1260, 3581), and hence those who are of the spiritual church (n. 2928).

AC 6375. He binds his young ass unto the vine. That this signifies conjunction through truth in the natural for the external church, is evident from the signification of “binding,” as being to be conjoined; from the signification of a “vine,” as being the spiritual church (n. 1069, 5113), here the external spiritual church, because by a “choice vine,” present