AE 430 - What Some Things Mean (Signify); AE 431 - The Sequence of the Twelve Tribes

AE 430 [2, 3, 4, 5]

There are simple numbers
that are more meaningful than others,
and from which the greater numbers derive their meaning,
namely, the numbers two, three, five, and seven;
"two" means union, and is predicated of good;
"three" means fullness, and is predicated of truths;
"five" means much and something;
and "seven" means holiness.
. . . As the number "three" means fullness,
and fullness implies all,
the number twelve derives from this its meaning
of all things and all persons;
and it is predicated of truths from good
because it arises out of three multiplied into four,
and three is predicated of truths,
and four of good.

. . . all who are in the heavens differ from each other
in respect to good, and so also in respect to truth,
since every truth that has life in man or angel
is from good and in accordance with good.
Furthermore, all who are of the Lord's church
are in truths from good,
while those who are in truths and not in good
are not of the church;
for, as was just said,
every truth that has life in man or angel is from good.

. . . "man" means the reception of truth
from spiritual affection,
that is, from good,
and intelligence therefrom;
"angel" having a similar meaning,
since a man is an angel when he is in truths from good,
and also becomes an angel after death.

And the chief and primary constituent of the church
is truth from good, for everything of the church is from that,
for truth is of its doctrine,
and good is of a life according to doctrine.

AE 431 [14]

The representation of heaven and the church
is determined according to the order
in which the tribes are named,
and the first name or the first tribe is the guide
that determines all things that follow,
and accordingly all things of heaven and of the church,
with variations.
This arcanum (secret) can hardly be comprehended
by anyone unless he is in spiritual thought,
nevertheless it shall be briefly explained.
If, for example, the tribe of Judah
is the first tribe that is named,
as this tribe means the good of love,
then from the good of love as the beginning,
the meanings of the other tribes that follow
are determined,
and this with variations according to the order
in which they are named;
for each tribe means some universal of the church,
and the universal admits into itself specific variations,
thus some specific variation
derived from the first from which it descends;
so in this case,
all things in the series derive their specific spiritual sense
from the good of love,
which is meant by the tribe of Judah.
So if the tribe of Reuben,
which means truth in the light and the understanding of truth,
is named first,
from this the other tribes that follow derive their meanings,
agreeing and coinciding
with the universal which each means.
It is comparatively as with colors,
that are seen tinged by the primary color
which diffuses itself into the other colors
and varies their appearance.