A Change in the Series of Jacob's Twelve Sons

AC 4601 [4]

. . . in what presently follows
truths and goods are treated of in their genuine order,
and directly afterwards
their conjunction with the rational or intellectual.
The sons of Jacob presently named
are truths and goods in genuine order,
and Isaac is the rational or intellectual.
The coming of Jacob and his sons to Isaac,
is in the internal sense
this conjunction with the intellectual.

AC 4604

The sons of Leah.
(Genesis 35:23)

That this means
external Divine goods and truths in their order,
is evident from the representation of Leah,
as being the affection of external truth.
Hence her "sons" are the goods and truths
represented by Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun, of which in what follows.

AC 4605

Reuben Jacob's firstborn.
(Genesis 35:23)

"Reuben" in the genuine sense means the truth of faith;
but after the truth of faith has been made good,
he signifies the good of faith.
Moreover, regarded in itself
faith is charity,
and thus regarded in itself
the truth of faith is the good of faith,
because faith is impossible except from charity,
that is, truth is impossible except from good;
and therefore when a person has been regenerated,
good is in the first place, or is the firstborn.

AC 4606

And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah,
and Issachar, and Zebulun.
(Genesis 35:23)

That these signify the essential things . . .
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;
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;
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;
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;
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.
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.

AC 4607

The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin.
(Genesis 35:24)

That these mean interior goods and truths,
is evident from the representation of Rachel,
as being the affection of interior truth,
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;
and by Benjamin the Divine spiritual of the celestial.
These essential things are within interior goods and truths.

AC 4608

And the sons of Bilhah Rachel's handmaid,
Dan and Naphtali.
(Genesis 35:25)

That these mean subsequent things
that are of service to interior goods and truths,
is evident from the representation of Bilhah
Rachel's handmaid
as being the subsequent affection
that is of service as a means
to the affection of interior truth.
Moreover, a "handmaid" denotes
a means that serves for conjunction,
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 essential 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;
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 person.
These are the essential things of the means
that are of service to interior goods and truths.

AC 4609

And the sons of Zilpah Leah's handmaid,
Gad and Asher.
(Genesis 35:26)

That this means 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.
A "handmaid" denotes a means
that is of service for conjunction (as just above, 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;
by Asher in the supreme sense eternity,
in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life,
and in the external sense the delight of the affection.

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.