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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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