438# 启7:6.“亚设支派中受印的有一万二千”表示对邻之仁，以及所有处于其中的人都在天堂，并进入天堂。这从“亚设支派”和“受印的有一万二千”的含义清楚可知：“亚设支派”是指属灵情感，也就是仁爱(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“受印的有一万二千”是指那些在天堂，并进入天堂的人(如前所述，AE 433a节)。“亚设支派”表示对邻之爱，这爱被称为仁爱，这一点从接下来的内容清楚看出来，从以下事实也清楚看出来，即：十二支派合起来代表天堂和教会，因而在圣言中表示这些，每个支派都代表、因而表示构成天堂和教会的某种普遍本质成分。天堂和教会总体上由这三种普遍本质成分构成，即：对主之爱，对邻之仁和信的服从。头三个支派，即犹大、流便和迦得支派表示对主之爱，如前所示；这三个支派，即亚设、拿弗他利和玛拿西支派表示对邻之仁；而接下来被提名的三个支派，即西缅、利未和以萨迦支派表示信的服从；最后三个支派，即西布伦、约瑟和便雅悯支派则表示所有这些与主的结合。这就是按上述顺序被提名的所有这些支派的简要含义；因为他们的含义取决于他们被提名的顺序，如前所示(AE 431c, 435a, 436节)。
此外，“受印的”表示那些已经与恶人分离，并被接入天堂的人；头三个支派表示那些已经被接入至高层或第三层天堂的人，在该天堂，所有人都处于对主之爱；接下来被提名，也就是现在所论述的三个支派表示那些已经被接入中间或第二层天堂的人，在该天堂，所有人都处于对邻之仁；而跟在这些支派之后的三个支派表示那些被接入最低层或第一层天堂的人，那些处于被称为信之服从的服从之人就在那里；最后三个支派表示主对所有进入这三层天堂的人的接受。因为天堂有三层，并照着爱之良善的程度而彼此有别。从这一切首先可以看出，这第二类支派，也就是亚设、拿弗他利和玛拿西这三个支派表示那些处于对邻之仁的人；“亚设支派”表示对邻之仁；“拿弗他利”表示那些处于对邻之仁的人的重生，“玛拿西”表示他们的生活良善。
但首先要解释在主的国度，或在教会中，“亚设”表示什么。“亚设”表示属灵情感的祝福，因而表示属灵情感本身。由于属灵情感就是那被称为对邻之爱，或仁爱的，所以“亚设”在此表示仁爱；因此，该支派的“一万二千”在此表示所有处于仁爱，因而在第二层或中间天堂的人。亚设因受到祝福之物，或祝福而得名，这一点既从希伯来语的这个词的含义，也从当他出生时，雅各的妻子利亚论到他所说的话明显看出来，这些话如下：
利亚的使女悉帕又给雅各生了第二个儿子。利亚说，我有福啊，众女都要称我为有福的！于是给他起名叫亚设。(创世记30:12–13)
称她为有福的“众女”表示构成教会的对真理的属灵情感，天上的一切内在祝福都来自这些情感。那些处于对邻之仁的人就在这祝福中，因为对邻之仁是对真理的属灵情感，如刚才所述。对真理的属灵情感就是爱本质上的真理，也就是说，爱真理是因为它是真理；此外，邻舍在灵义上只是指良善和真理，仁爱就是对这良善和真理的爱。这一点可见于《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》，那里说明了被称为仁爱的对邻之爱的性质(NJHD 84–107节)。其余的经文可参看《属天的奥秘》，(3936–3939节)中的解释。
“亚设”表示爱与仁的祝福，这一点从他父亲以色列对亚设的祝福进一步明显看出来：
出于亚设，他的食物必定肥美；他必出君王的美味。(创世记49:20)
“出于亚设”表示出于属天和属灵的情感，也就是对主之爱和对邻之仁的情感；“他的食物必定肥美”表示来自良善的快乐；“他必出君王的美味”表示来自真理的愉悦。对这些事物进一步的解释，可参看《属天的奥秘》(6408–6410节)。
在摩西的祝福中，“亚设”具有相同的含义，即表示对来自圣言的真理的情感之快乐；这祝福如下：
论到亚设，他说，愿亚设蒙祝福，胜过众子；愿他得他弟兄的悦纳，愿他把脚蘸在油中；你的鞋是铁的，是铜的；日子如何，你的名声也必如何。(申命记33:24–25)
摩西对以色列儿子的祝福包含关于圣言的奥秘或内在事实；“亚设”，作为那里最后提到的一个儿子，表示对来自圣言的真理的属灵情感；因此，经上说“愿亚设蒙祝福，胜过众子；愿他得他弟兄的悦纳”，“众子”表示真理，“弟兄”表示来自真理的教会；“祝福”和“悦纳”论及对真理的情感。“把他的脚蘸在油中”表示爱之良善，字义上的圣言真理来自这良善；“脚”表示终端中的真理，也就是圣言字义的真理，“油”表示爱之良善。“你的鞋是铁的，是铜的”表示圣言的终端是属世真理和良善；“铁”表示属世真理，“铜”表示属世良善，“鞋”表示终端。“日子如何，你的名声也必如何”表示圣言必永存。“铁”表示属世真理(参看AE 176节)；“铜”表示属世良善(AE 70节)；“鞋”表示属世层的终端，也就是感官层(参看《属天的奥秘》，1748, 2162, 6844节)。
由于“亚设”表示情感的快乐，就是诸如那些处于来自字义的真理之人所拥有的那种快乐，所以这个支派，连同但支派和拿弗他利支派向北安营(民数记2:25–31)。以色列人在旷野的安营代表对天堂里天使社群的安排(参看AE 431c节)，在天堂，那些出于仁之良善而处于对属灵知识的情感之人向北居住。
“亚设”表示属灵的祝福，这是来自爱与仁的祝福，这一点可见于以西结书，那里论述了新地和新城，那地作为产业在以色列众支派当中被分配；经上也声称这城有十二个门，一个支派一个门。以西结书48:1–3描述了亚设的产业，并以这些话描述了门：
朝海的角落四千五百肘；有三个城门，一为迦得门，一为亚设门，一为拿弗他利门。四围共一万八千肘；从那天起，这城的名字为耶和华在那里。(以西结书48:34–35)
要作为产业在众支派当中分配的“地”表示教会；它要在其中被分配的“以色列人”表示整体上属于教会的来自良善的一切真理；“城”表示来自爱之良善的真理的教义，因此它被称为耶和华沙玛，或“耶和华在那里”；“门”表示引入的真理，也就是教义；数字“四千五百”表示来自良善的一切真理，“一万八千”表示围绕和保卫的教义的一切真理。这不仅清楚表明那里所提到的一切细节，甚至直到数字，都表示教会的事物，还表明那里所表示的，不是以色列的任何支派，相反，被提名的每个支派都表示教会的某种普遍本质成分。此外，“亚设”在此表示对真理的属灵情感，这情感与对邻之仁构成一体，这也是显而易见的。“亚设”在至高意义上表示永恒，在内在意义上表示来自爱与仁之情感的祝福的生活幸福，在外在意义上表示由此而来的属世快乐(参看《属天的奥秘》，3938, 3939, 6408节)。
438. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies charity towards the neighbour, and that all who are in it are in heaven, and come into heaven, is evident from the signification of the tribe of Asher, which denotes that spiritual affection, which is charity, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of twelve thousand sealed, as denoting those who are in heaven, and who come into heaven, as above (n. 433). That the tribe of Asher signifies love towards the neighbour, which is called charity, will be evident from what follows, and is also clear from this fact, that the twelve tribes taken together represented heaven and the church, and therefore signify these in the Word, and that each tribe represented, and therefore signifies, some universal essential which makes heaven and the church. There are in general three universal essentials which make these, that is, love to the Lord, charity towards the neighbour, and the obedience of faith. Love to the Lord is signified by the first three tribes, Judah, Reuben, and Gad, as shown above; charity towards the neighbour is signified by the following three tribes, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh; but the obedience of faith is signified by the three following, Simeon, Levi, and Issachar; the conjunction of all these with the Lord is signified by the last three tribes, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. This is the signification in brief of all the tribes named in the above order; for their significations are governed by the order in which they are named, as shown above (n. 431:12, 435, 436).
[2] Moreover the sealed mean those who are separated from the evil and are received into heaven. The first three tribes mean those who are received into the highest or third heaven, where all are in love to the Lord. The next three tribes, which are now the subject, mean those who are received into the middle or second heaven, where all are in charity towards the neighbour; but the three tribes which follow these mean those who are received into the ultimate or first heaven, where those are who are in obedience, which is called the obedience of faith. The last three tribes mean the reception of all these into the three heavens by the Lord. For there are three heavens which are distinguished one from another according to the degrees of the good of love. From these considerations, it is evident in the first place, that this second class of the tribes, that is, the three tribes, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh, mean those who are in charity towards the neighbour. The tribe of Asher denotes charity towards the neighbour; Naphtali, the regeneration of these; and Manasseh, their good of life.
[3] But it shall first be explained, what Asher signifies in the kingdom of the Lord, or in the church. Asher signifies the blessedness of spiritual affections, and thence spiritual affection itself. And because spiritual affection is that which is called love towards the neighbour or charity, therefore Asher here signifies charity, consequently, the twelve thousand of that tribe here signify all who are in charity, and therefore in the second or middle heaven.
[4] That Asher was named from what is blessed, or blessedness, is evident not only from the signification of that expression in the Hebrew, but also from these words spoken respecting him by Leah, the wife of Jacob, when he was born.
"Zilpah Leah's handmaid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, In my blessedness, for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher" (Arcana Coelestia 6408-6410).
[5] The signification of Asher is similar in the blessing pronounced upon him by Moses, namely, the delight of the affection of truth from the Word. The blessing is as follows:
"And of Asher he said, Blessed above sons be Asher; let him be acceptable to his brethren, dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe shall be iron and brass; and as the days thy fame" (176) that brass signifies natural good, also above (n. 70); and that shoe signifies the ultimate of the natural, which is the sensual, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 1748, 2162, 6844).
[6] Because Asher signifies the delight of affections, such as those have who are in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, therefore that tribe, together with the tribe of Dan, and the tribe of Naphtali, encamped to the north (431:12-13), and those dwell in the heavens to the north who, from the good of charity, are in the affection of spiritual knowledges.
[7] That Asher signifies spiritual blessedness, which is blessedness from love and charity, is also evident in Ezekiel, where a new earth and a new city are treated of, and the land said to be distributed as an inheritance among all the tribes of Israel. The city is also stated to have twelve gates, one for each tribe. The inheritance of Asher is there treated of, chapter Arcana Coelestia 3938, 3939, 6408).
438. Verse 6. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand sealed, signifies charity towards the neighbor, and that all who are in it are in heaven and come into heaven. This is evident from the signification of "the tribe of Asher," as being the spiritual affection which is charity (of which presently); and from the signification of "twelve thousand sealed," as being those who are in heaven and who come into heaven (as above, n. 433). That "the tribe of Asher" signifies love towards the neighbor, which is called charity, will be made clear from what follows, and is also clear from this, that the twelve tribes taken together represented heaven and the church, and therefore signify these in the Word, and that each tribe represented, and thence signifies, some universal essential that is a constituent of heaven and the church. Heaven and the church are constituted, in general, of three universal essentials, namely, love to the Lord, charity towards the neighbor, and the obedience of faith; love to the Lord is signified by the first three tribes, Judah, Reuben, and Gad (as was shown above); charity towards the neighbor is signified by these three tribes, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh; while the obedience of faith is signified by the three tribes next named, Simeon, Levi, and Issachar; the conjunction of all of these with the Lord is signified by the last three tribes, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. This, in brief, is the signification of all these tribes named in this order, for their signification is determined by the order in which they are named (as has been said and shown above, n. 431, 435, 436).
[2] Furthermore, the "sealed" mean those who have been separated from the evil and received into heaven; and the first three tribes mean those who have been received into the highest or third heaven, in which all are in love to the Lord; the three tribes next named, which are now under consideration, mean those who have been received into the middle or second heaven, in which all are in charity towards the neighbor; while the three tribes that next follow mean those who have been received into the lowest or first heaven, where those are who are in the obedience that is called the obedience of faith; and the last three tribes mean the reception of all these into the three heavens by the Lord; for there are three heavens, distinguished from one another according to the degrees of the good of love. From all this it can first be seen that this second class of tribes, that is, the three tribes, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh, mean those who are in charity towards the neighbor; "the tribe of Asher" meaning charity towards the neighbor; "Naphtali" the regeneration of those who are in that charity, and "Manasseh" their good of life.
[3] But what "Asher" signifies in the Lord's kingdom, that is, in the church, shall first be told. "Asher" signifies the blessedness of spiritual affections, and thence spiritual affection itself; and as spiritual affection is what is called love towards the neighbor or charity, so "Asher" here signifies charity; consequently the "twelve thousand" of that tribe here signify all who are in charity, and are thus in the second or middle heaven. That Asher was so called from what is blessed or from blessedness is evident both from the meaning of the word in Hebrew and also from what was said of him by Leah the wife of Jacob, when he was born, which is the following:
Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, In my blessedness, for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher (84-107. The rest of the passage may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 3936-3939).
[4] That "Asher" signified blessedness which is of love and charity is further evident from the blessing of Asher by Israel his father:
From Asher his bread is fat, and he shall yield the delicacies of a king (Arcana Coelestia 6408-6410.)
[5] "Asher" has a similar significance in Moses' blessing, namely, the delight of the affection of truth from the Word; the blessing is this:
Of Asher he said, Blessed above sons be Asher; let him be acceptable unto his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil; thy shoe is iron and brass; and as the days so thy fame (176; that "brass" signifies natural good, n. 70; and that "shoe" signifies the ultimate of the natural, which is the sensual, see Arcana Coelestia 1748, 2162, 6844)
[6] Because "Asher" signifies the delight of affections, such as those have who are in truths from the sense of the letter:
That tribe encamped, together with the tribe of Dan and the tribe of Naphtali, to the north (431), and there to the north are the dwelling places of those who, from the good of charity, are in the affection of spiritual knowledges.
[7] That "Asher" signifies spiritual blessedness, which is blessedness from love and charity, can be seen in Ezekiel, where the new land and the new city are treated of, and that land is distributed as an inheritance among all the tribes of Israel; and to the city twelve gates are assigned, one for each tribe. The inheritance of Asher is there described in chapter Ezekiel 48:1-3, and the gates in these words:
The corner towards the sea four thousand and five hundred; 1the gates of the city three; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. Round about eighteen thousand; and the name of the city from that day, Jehovah-is-there (verses Arcana Coelestia 3938, 3939, 6408.)
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph has "five hundred and four thousand" for "four thousand and five hundred."
438. [Vers. 6.] "Ex tribu Ascheris duodecim millia signati." - Quod significet charitatem erga proximum, et quod omnes qui in illa sunt, in caelo sint et in caelum veniant, constat ex significatione "tribus Ascheris", quod sit affectio spiritualis, quae est charitas (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "duodecim millium signatorum", quod sint qui in caelo sunt, et in caelum veniunt (ut supra, n. 433 [a]).
Quod "tribus Ascheris" amorem erga proximum, qui charitas vocatur, significet, patebit ex sequentibus; etiam patet ex eo, quod duodecim tribus simul sumptae repraesentaverint caelum et ecclesiam, et quod inde in Verbo significent illa, et quod unaquaevis tribus repraesentaverit et inde significet aliquod universale essentiale quod facit caelum et ecclesiam. Sunt in genere tria universalia essentialia quae faciunt; nempe, amor in Dominum, charitas erga proximum, et fidei obedientia: amor in Dominum significatur per tres primas tribus, nempe Jehudae, Reubenis et Gadis (ut supra ostensum est); charitas erga proximum significatur per has tres tribus, nempe Ascheris, Naphthali et Menassis; fidei vero obedientia significatur per tres sequentes tribus, nempe Simeonis, Levi et Isascharis; conjunctio omnium illorum cum Domino significatur per ultimas tres tribus, nempe Zebulonis, Josephi et Benjaminis: haec in summa significantur per omnes has tribus in hoc ordine nominatas, nam significationes illarum sunt secundum ordinem in quo nominantur (ut supra, n. 431 [c] 435 [a] , 436. dictum et ostensum est).
[2] Praeterea per "signatos" intelliguntur qui separati a malis et recepti in caelum, ac per tres primas tribus intelliguntur qui recepti in caelum supremum seu tertium, ubi omnes sunt in amore in Dominum; per tres subsequentes tribus, de quibus nunc, intelliguntur qui recepti in caelum medium seu secundum, ubi omnes sunt in charitate erga proximum; per tres vero adhuc sequentes tribus intelliguntur qui recepti in caelum ultimum seu primum, ubi sunt qui in obedientia quae fidei vocatur; perque tres ultimas tribus intelligitur receptio omnium illorum in tres caelos a Domino; sunt enim tres caeli, unum ab altero distinctum secundum gradus boni amoris. Ex his et illis primum constare potest quod per secundam hanc classem tribuum, seu per tres tribus, nempe Ascheris, Naphthali et Menassis, intelligantur illi qui in charitate erga proximum sunt; per "tribum Ascheris" charitas erga proximum, per. "Naphthali" regeneratio eorum et per "Menassen" bonum vitae eorum qui in illa.
[3] Quid autem "Ascher" significat in regno Domini seu in ecclesia, primum dicetur: "Ascher" significat beatum affectionum spiritualium, et inde ipsam affectionem spiritualem; et quia affectio spiritualis est quae vocatur amor erga proximum seu charitas, inde est quod per "Ascherem" hic charitas significetur; consequenter per "duodecim millia" ex illa tribu significantur hic omnes qui in charitate sunt, et sic in caelo secundo seu medio. Quod Ascher dictus sit ex beato seu beatitudine, constat non modo ex significatione vocis illius in lingua Hebraea, sed etiam ex dictis de illo ex Lea uxore Jacobi, cum natus, quae haec sunt,
"Peperit Silpah, ancilla Leae, filium secundum Jacobo; et dixit Leah, In beatitudine mea, quia beatificabunt me filiae; et Vocavit nomen ejus Ascher" (Genesis 30:12, 13):
per "filias" quae beatificabunt, significantur affectiones veri spirituales quae faciunt ecclesiam, ex quibus omnis beatitudo interna quae caelestis, in qua beatitudine sunt illi qui in charitate erga proximum sunt; nam charitas erga proximum est affectio veri spiritualis (ut mox supra dictum est); affectio enim veri spiritualis est amare verum in sua essentia, hoc est, amare verum quia est verum: proximus etiam in spirituali sensu nec aliud est quam bonum et verum, et charitas est amor ejus (ut constare potest ex illis quae in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, De Amore erga Proximum, qui vocatur Charitas, n. 84-107, dicta et ostensa sunt: reliqua videantur explicata in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1
[4] Quod "Ascher" significet beatum quod est amoris et charitatis, adhuc constare potest a benedictione ejus ab Israele patre, quae talis,
"Ab Aschere pinguis panis ejus, et ille dabit delicias regis" (Genesis 49:20):
"ab Aschere" significat ab affectionibus caelestibus et spiritualibus, quae sunt amoris in Dominum et charitatis erga proximum; "pinguis panis ejus" significat jucundum ex bono; "et ille dabit delicias regis" significat amoenum ex vero. (Sed haec amplius explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 6408- 6410.)
[5] Simile etiam significatur per "Ascherem" in benedictione ejus a Mose, nempe jucundum affectionis veri ex Verbo, quae benedictio est talis,
"Ascheri dixit, Benedictus prae filiis Ascher, sit acceptus fratribus suis, et intingens in oleum pedem suum; ferrum et aes calceus tuus; et sicut dies fama tua" (Deuteronomius 33:24, 25):
in benedictione filiorum Israelis a Mose continentur arcana de Verbo, et per "Ascherem", qui ultimo loco ibi nominatur, significatur affectio spiritualis veri ex Verbo; quare dicitur "Benedictus prae filiis Ascher, sit acceptus fratribus suis"; "filii" significant vera, et "fratres" ecclesiam ex illis, ac "benedictus" et "acceptus" dicuntur de affectione illorum: bonum amoris ex quo vera Verbi in sensu litterae, significatur per "intingens in oleum pedem suum"; per "pedem" significatur verum in ultimis, quod est verum sensus litterae Verbi, et per "oleum" significatur bonum amoris: quod ultimum Verbi sit verum et bonum naturale, significatur per "ferrum et aes calceus tuus"; verum naturaele significatur per "ferrum", et bonum naturale per "aes", ac ultimum per "calceum: quod Verbum duraturum sit in aeternum, significatur per "Sicut dies fama tua."
(Quod "ferrum" significet verum naturale, videatur supra, n. 176; quod "aes" bonum naturale, etiam supra, n. 70; et quod "calceus" ultimum naturalis, quod est sensuale, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1748, 2
[6] Quoniam "Ascher" significat jucundum affectionum, quale est illis qui in veris sunt ex sensu litterae, ideo
Castrametabatur illa tribus una cum tribu Danis et tribu Naphthali ad septentrionem (Numeri 2:25-31).
Per castrametationes filiorum Israelis in deserto repraesentabantur ordinationes societatum angelicarum in caelis (videatur supra, n. 431 [c]); et ibi ad septentrionem habitant qui in affectione cognitionum spiritualium sunt ex bono charitatis.
[7] Quod "Ascher" significet beatum spirituale, quod est beatum ex amore et charitate, etiam constare potest apud Ezechielem, ubi agitur de nova terra, et de nova urbe, ac terra ibi distribuitur ut hereditas inter omnes tribus Israelis, ac urbi designantur duodecim portae, una pro quavis tribu: de hereditate Ascheris agitur ibi, cap. Ezech. 48:1-3 3
; et de portis, his verbis,
"Angulus versus mare 4
quingentae [ulnae] et quatuor millia: portae urbis tres; porta Gadis una, porta Ascheris una, porta Naphthali una: circuitus octodecim millia, et nomen urbis a die, Jehovah schammah" ([vers.] 34, 35, 35):
per "terram", quae distribuetur in hereditatem, significatur ecclesia; per "filios Israelis" inter quos distribuenda, significantur omnia vera ex bono quae sunt ecclesiae in complexu; per "urbem" significatur doctrina veri ex bono amoris, quare illa vocatur "Jehovah schammah", seu "Jehovah ibi"; per "portas" significantur vera introducentia, quae sunt doctrinalia; per numerum " 5
quatuor millia et quingenta" significantur etiam omnia vera ex bono, et per "octodecim millia" omnia vera doctrinae cingentia et tutantia. Ex quibus patet quod non modo omnia et singula ibi, usque ad numeros, significent res ecclesiae, sed etiam quod non aliqua tribus Israelis ibi intellecta sit, sed pro tribu nominata aliquod universale essentiale ecclesiae: ibi etiam constat quod per "Ascherem" significetur affectio veri spiritualis, quae unum facit cum charitate erga proximum. (Quod per "Ascherem" in supremo sensu significetur aeternitas, in interno felicitas vitae ex beato affectionum quae sunt amoris at charitatis, et in externo jucundum naturale inde, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 3938, 3939, 6408.)
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