AR 356 - Simeon - Providence; AR 357 - Levi - Love & Mercy; AR 358 - Issachar - Divine Good of Truth & Truth of Good

AR 356

Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed.
(Revelation 7:7)

In the highest sense Simeon symbolizes providence;
in the spiritual sense, love for the neighbor or charity;
and in the natural sense, obedience and giving ear.

In the first two series
the subject was people
who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom.
In this series, now, the subject is people
who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom.
Their love is termed a spiritual love,
which is love for the neighbor and charity.

Love for the neighbor
is a love of obeying the Lord's commandments,
especially those in the second table
of the Ten Commandments,
namely, you shall not kill,
you shall not commit whoredom,
you shall not steal,
you shall not bear witness falsely,
and you shall not covet anything that is your neighbor's.
A person who wills not to do these things
because they are sins,
loves his neighbor.

AR 357

Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed.
(Revelation 7:7)

In the highest sense Levi symbolizes love and mercy;
in the spiritual sense, charity in practice,
which constitutes goodness of life;
and in the natural sense, association and conjunction.
The name Levi also comes from a word meaning to attach,
which in the Word symbolizes a conjunction by love.
Here, however, Levi symbolizes a love or affection for truth
and the resulting intelligence,
because he comes after Simeon
and is the middle one in this series.
Since this is what Levi represents,
therefore that tribe became the priesthood.

 ...they guard Your Word and keep Your covenant.
They shall teach Jacob Your judgments,
and Israel Your law.
(Deuteronomy 33:8-11)

AR 358

Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed.
(Revelation 7:7)

In the highest sense Issachar symbolizes
the Divine good of truth and truth of good;
in the spiritual sense, the conjugal love of heaven,
which is one of goodness and truth;
and in the natural sense, recompense.
Here, however, it is goodness of life,
because in this group Issachar is the third in order,
and the third element in every group
symbolizes the final one,
which is the product of the first two,
as an effect is of its causes.
And the effect produced by spiritual love,
which is love for the neighbor and symbolized by Simeon,
operating through an affection for truth,
which is symbolized by Levi,
is goodness of life, which is Issachar.