AC 3882 - Reuben, Simeon, Levi, & Judah and ladders

AC 3882
"Reuben" signifies
the truth which is the first of regeneration,
or of the new birth;
this is truth merely as to memory-knowledge,
thus it is to know truth.
"Simeon" signifies
the truth which is the second of regeneration,
or of the new birth;
this is truth as to the will,
thus it is to will truth.
"Levi" signifies
the truth which is the third of regeneration,
or of the new birth;
this is truth as to affection,
thus it is to be affected with truth,
which is the same thing as charity.
But "Judah" signifies good,
which is the fourth of regeneration,
or of the new birth,
and this is the celestial of love.
When the regenerate person, or he who is born anew,
arrives at this stage,
the Lord appears to him,
for he has then ascended from the lowest step,
as by a ladder, up to the step where the Lord is. 

This also is the ascent
which was signified by the ladder seen by Jacob in a dream,
which stood upon the earth,
whose top reached to heaven,
and on which the angels of God ascended and descended . . ..

Descent is nothing else than looking at truth from good,
as from a mountain upon which he has climbed,
a person views the things which lie beneath.
That he then can comprehend in one view
innumerable things more
than they who stand beneath or in the valley, is clear;
and the case is precisely the same
with those who are in good
(that is, in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor),
as compared with those who are only in truth,
that is, in faith alone.