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439. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. That this signifies regeneration and temptation, is evident from the representation, and thence the signification of Napthali and his tribe, as denoting temptation, and also the state that follows it. And because temptations take place for the sake of regeneration, regeneration also is signified by Napthali. That those who are being regenerated undergo temptations, may be seen in the Genesis 30:7, 8).
The wrestlings of God signify spiritual temptations. And because Rachel represented the internal church, which is spiritual, and Leah, the external church, which is natural, it is evident that by Rachel wrestling with her sister and prevailing signifies combat between the spiritual man and the natural, in which all temptation consists. For the spiritual man loves and wills the things pertaining to heaven, because he is in heaven, while the natural man loves and wills the things pertaining to the world, because he is in the world, and therefore the desires of each are opposite; for this reason there is a collision or combat which is called temptation.
[2] That Naphtali here signifies temptation, and the state which follows it, and thence regeneration, is further evident from the following passages; thus from the blessing by his father Israel:
"Naphtali is a hind let loose; giving goodly words" (Arcana Coelestia 6412, 6413, 6414),
[3] and also from the blessing pronounced on Napthali by Moses:
"And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full of the blessing of Jehovah; possess thou the west and the south" (Deuteronomy 33:23).
Here also the state after temptation is described, or that state in which man is filled with all the good of love, and with truths therefrom. For after temptations he is filled with joy, and the fructification of good, and the multiplication of truth then take place with him. To be filled with the good of love, is meant by being satisfied with the favour of Jehovah; and to be filled with truths thence, is signified by being full of the blessing of Jehovah; the resulting enlightenment and affection for truth, are signified by "possess thou the west and the south"; the affection of truth is signified by the west, and enlightenment by the south. It is said, "possess thou the west and the south" because those who are elevated into heaven, after instruction, are carried through the west to the south, thus through the affection for truth into the light of truth.
[4] The same is signified by Naphtali, in the song of Deborah and Barak, in the book of Judges:
"Zebulun, a people that devoted the soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field" (5:18).
These were the two tribes which fought against Sisera, the captain of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, and conquered, the other ten tribes remaining at rest; and by this was represented spiritual combat against the evils which infest the church, as is also evident from the prophetic song of Deborah and Barak, in which that fact is treated of. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali alone fought, because Zebulun signifies the conjunction of good and truth, which makes the church, and Naphtali, combat against the evils and falsities that infest it, and resist the conjunction of good and truth, and therefore by both are signified reformation and regeneration. The heights of the field, signify the interior things of the church, from which there is combat. Zebulun and Naphtali together, also signify reformation and regeneration by means of temptations, in Isaiah (8:22; 9:1); and thence in Matthew (4:12-16).
[5] But in the highest sense, Zebulun and Naphtali signify the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, for in the highest sense the subject is the Lord alone in regard generally to the glorification of His Human, the subjugation of the hells, and the arrangement of the heavens by Him. In this sense Zebulun and Naphtali are mentioned in David:
"They have seen thy steps, O God; the steps of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments after, in the midst of virgins playing with timbrels, Bless ye God in the congregations, the Lord from the fountain of Israel. There is little Benjamin their ruler, the princes of Judah their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. Thy God hath commanded thy strength; shew thyself powerful, O God; this thou hast wrought for us out of thy temple at Jerusalem. Kings shall bring presents unto thee. Rebuke the wild beast of the reed, the congregation of the mighty among the calves of the peoples, trampling down pieces of silver, he scattered the people, they desire wars. Fatlings shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God" (340:4). There is little Benjamin their ruler, signifies the innocence of the Lord, by which He wrought and performed all things. The princes of Judah their council, signifies the Divine Truth from the Divine Good. The glorification or union of the Divine and Human, by His own power, is signified by the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. Thy God hath commanded thy strength; shew thyself powerful, O God; this thou hast wrought for us out of thy temple at Jerusalem, signifies that hence Divine power belongs to the Lord's Human. The temple signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, and Jerusalem the church for which He did this. Rebuke the wild beast of the reed, the congregation of the mighty among the calves of the peoples, trampling down pieces of silver, he scattered the people, they desire wars, signifies the subjugation of the hells. The wild beast of the reed and the congregation of the mighty, denote the Scientific of the natural man perverting the truths and goods of the church; the calves of the peoples denote the goods of the church; the pieces of silver the truths of the church; he scattered the people, they desire wars signifies to pervert the truths of the church and to reason against them.
[6] By the subjugation of the hells is meant the subjugation of the natural man. For in the natural man there are evils from hell, because therein are the delights of the loves of self and of the world, and the scientifics that confirm them; and these delights, when they are regarded as ends and rule, are contrary to the goods and truths of the church. That the natural man, when subjugated, supplies concordant scientifics and the knowledges of good and truth, is signified by "fatlings shall come out of Egypt"; Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God. Egypt denotes the natural man in regard to scientifics, and Ethiopia, the natural man in regard to the knowledges of truth and good. From these few instances it is evident that Napthali and his tribe in the Word, signify in the highest sense, the Lord's own power, from which He subjugated the hells, and glorified His Human; in the internal sense, temptation, and the state after temptation; and in the external sense resistance from the natural man; therefore Napthali also signifies reformation and regeneration, because these are the effects of temptations.
439. Of the tribe Naphtali twelve thousand sealed, signifies regeneration and temptation. This is evident from what is represented and thence signified by "Naphtali" and his tribe, as meaning temptation and the state after it; and as temptations occur for the sake of regeneration, regeneration too is signified by "Naphtali." (That those who are regenerated undergo temptations see in Genesis 30:7, 8).
"Wrestlings of God" signify spiritual temptations; and as Rachel represented the internal church, which is spiritual, and Leah the external church, which is natural, Rachel's wrestling with her sister and prevailing signifies evidently the combat between the spiritual and the natural, since every temptation is a combat between the spiritual man and the natural; for the spiritual man loves and wills the things that are of heaven, since it is in heaven, while the natural man loves and wills the things that are of the world, since it is in the world; consequently the desires of the two are opposite, which gives rise to collision and combat, and this is called temptation.
[2] That "Naphtali" signifies temptation and the state after it, and thence regeneration, is further evident from the following passages. From the blessing he received from his father Israel:
Naphtali is a hind let loose; giving sayings of elegance (n. 6412-6414.)
[3] Again, from the blessing he received from Moses:
And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with the good pleasure and full of the blessing of Jehovah; possess thou the west and the south (Deuteronomy 33:23).
This, too, describes the state after temptation, in which man is filled with every good of love and with truths therefrom; for after temptations he is filled with joy, and good bears fruit, and truth is multiplied with him; to be filled with the good of love is meant by "satisfied with the good pleasure of Jehovah;" and to be filled with truths therefrom is signified by "full of the blessing of Jehovah;" the consequent affection of truth and illustration are signified by "possess thou the west and the south," the affection of truth is signified by "the west," and illustration by "the south." It is said "possess thou the west and the south," because those who are raised up into heaven after having been instructed are carried through the west to the south, that is, through the affection of truth into the light of truth.
[4] "Naphtali" has a similar signification in the song of Deborah and Barak, in the book of Judges:
Zebulun, a people that devoted their soul to death, and Naphtali upon the heights of the field (Judges 5:18).
These were the two tribes that fought against Sisera, the captain of the host of Jabin, king of Canaan, and conquered him, the other ten tribes remaining quiet; and this represented the spiritual combat against the evils that infest the church; as is evident also from the prophetic song of Deborah and Barak, of which this is the subject. Only the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali fought, because "Zebulun" signifies the conjunction of good and truth which constitutes the church, and "Naphtali" the combat against the evils and falsities that infest it and that resist the conjunction of good and truth, consequently the two signify reformation and regeneration; "the heights of the field" signify the interiors of the church, from which combat is maintained. Again "Zebulun and Naphtali" together also signify reformation and regeneration by means of temptations (in Isaiah 8:22; 9:1, 2; also in Matthew 4:12-16).
[5] In the highest sense however "Zebulun and Naphtali" signify the uniting of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, for the highest sense treats solely of the Lord, in general of the glorification of His Human, and the subjugation of the hells, and the arranging of the heavens by Him. In this sense Zebulun and Naphtali are mentioned in David:
They have seen Thy goings, O God; the goings of my God, my King in the midst of the sanctuary. The singers went before, the minstrels after, in the midst of the maidens playing on timbrels. Bless ye God in the assemblies, the Lord from the fountain of Israel. There little Benjamin is set over them, the princes of Judah their company, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. Thy God hath commanded thy strength; put on strength, O God; this Thou hast wrought for us out of Thy temple at Jerusalem; kings shall bring oblations to Thee. Rebuke the wild beast of the reed, the congregation of the mighty among the calves of the peoples; trampling upon the plates of silver, He hath scattered the peoples, they desire combats. Those that are fat shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hasten her hands unto God (340.) The innocence of the Lord, by which He wrought and accomplished all things, is signified by "there little Benjamin is set over them;" Divine truth from Divine good is signified by "the princes of Judah their company;" His glorification, or the uniting of the Divine and Human by His own power, is signified by "the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali;" that from this the Lord's Human has Divine power is signified by "thy God hath commanded thy strength; put on strength, O God; this Thou hast wrought for us out of Thy temple at Jerusalem," "temple" meaning here the Lord's Divine Human, and "Jerusalem" the church for which He did this. The subjugation of the hells is signified by "rebuke the wild beast of the reed, the congregation of the mighty, among the calves of the peoples; trampling upon the plates of silver, He hath scattered the peoples, they desire combats;" "the wild beast of the reed and the congregation of the mighty" mean the knowing faculty of the natural man perverting the truths and goods of the church; "the calves of the people" mean the goods of the church; "the plates of silver" mean the truths of the church; "He hath scattered the people, they desire combats," signifies to pervert truths and reason against them.
[6] The subjugation of the hells means the subjugation of the natural man; for evils from hell are in the natural man, for in it, too, are the delights of the love of self and of the world and the knowledges [scientifica] that confirm these delights; and when these delights are regarded as ends and become dominant they are against the goods and truths of the church. That when the natural man has been subjugated it supplies accordant knowledges [scientifica)], and also cognitions of truth and good, is signified by "those that are fat shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall hasten her hands unto God." "Egypt" meaning the natural man in respect to knowledges [scientifica], and "Ethiopia" the natural man in respect to cognitions of good and truth. From these few instances the signification of "Naphtali" and his tribe in the Word can be seen, namely, that it signifies in the highest sense the Lord's own power, by which He subjugated the hells and glorified His Human, in the internal sense temptation and the states after temptation, and in the external sense resistance by the natural man; therefore "Naphtali" signifies also reformation and regeneration, because these are results of temptations.
439. "Ex tribu Naphthali duodecim millia signati." - Quod significet regenerationem et tentationem, constat ex repraesentatione et inde significatione "Naphthali" et ejus tribus, quod sit tentatio et status post illam; et quia tentationes fiunt propter regenerationem, etiam regeneratio per "Naphthali" significatur. (Quod qui regenerantur tentationes subeant, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 187-201).
Quod "Naphthali" et inde tribus ab illo nominata significet tentationem et statum post illam, proinde etiam regenerationem, constare potest ex Rachelis verbis quando Bilha ancilla ejus peperit illum, quae haec sunt:
"Et concepit adhuc et peperit Bilha ancilla Rachelis filium secundum Jacobo: et dixit Rachel, Luctationibus Dei luctata sum cum sorore mea, et valui; et vocavit nomen ejus Naphthali" (Genesis 30:7, 8):
"luctationes Dei" significant tentationes spirituales; et quia Rachel repraesentabat ecclesiam internam quae spiritualis, et Leah ecclesiam externam quae naturalis, patet quid significatur per quod Rachel luctata sit cum sorore sua et quod valuerit, quod nempe Spiritualis homo cum naturali pugnaverit; omnis enim tentatio est pugna inter spiritualem hominem et naturalem; spiritualis enim homo amat et vult illa quae caeli sunt, nam ille est in caelo, ac naturalis homo amat et vult illa quae mundi sunt, nam ille est in mundo; inde desideria utriusque sunt opposita; ex eo est collisio et pugna quae vocatur tentatio.
[2] Quod "Naphthali" significet tentationem et Statum post illam, et inde regenerationem, constare adhuc potest ex sequentibus locis:Ex benedictione ejus ab Israele patre,
"Naphthali cerva demissa, dans sermones elegantiae" (Genesis 49:21):
"Naphthali" hic significat statum post tentationem, qui status est plenus gaudio ex affectione quod spirituale et naturale ac bonum et verum conjuncta sint, conjunguntur enim per tentationes; "cerva demissa" significat liberum affectionis naturalis; "dans sermones elegantiae" significat laetitiam mentis. (Sed haec amplius explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 6412-6414.)
[3] Et quoque ex benedictione ejus a Mose,
"Et Naphthali dixit, Naphthali satur beneplacito, et plenus benedictione Jehovae; occidentem et meridiem posside" (Deuteronomius 33:23):
etiam hic describitur status post tentationem, quod nempe impleantur omni bono amoris et veris inde; nam post tentationes homo impletur gaudio, ac apud illum fructificatur bonum et multiplicatur verum; impleri bono amoris intelligitur per "satur beneplacito Jehovae"; et impleri veris inde, per "plenus benedictione Jehovae": quod inde affectio veri ac illustratio, significatur per "Occidentem et meridiem posside", affectio veri per "occidentem", et illustratio per "meridiem"; quod dicatur "Occidentem et meridiem posside", est quia illi qui post instructiones in caelum elevantur, per occidentem feruntur ad meridiem, ita per affectionem veri in lucem veri.
[4] Simile significatur per "Naphthali" in Cantico Deborae et Baraki, in Libro Judicum,
"Sebulon, populus devovit animam [suam] ad moriendum, et Naphthali, super altitudinibus agri" (5:18):
erant illae binae tribus quae pugnarunt contra Siseram, principem exercitus Jabini regis Canaanis, et vicerunt, quiescentibus decem reliquis tribubus; et per id repraesentabatur pugna spiritualis contra mala quae infestant ecclesiam, ut quoque constat ex cantico prophetico Deborae et Baraki, in quo de illa re agitur; quod solum tribus Sebulonis et Naphthali pugnaverint, erat causa quia per "Sebulonem" significatur conjunctio boni et veri quae facit ecclesiam, et per "Naphthali" pugna contra mala et falsa infestantia illam et resistentia conjunctioni boni et veri; et inde per utrumque significatur reformatio et regeneratio: per "altitudines agri" significantur interiora ecclesiae, e quibus pugna.
Per "Sebulonem et Naphthali" simul, significatur etiam reformatio et regeneratio per tentationes, Apud Esaiam, cap. 8:22, 23 [B.A. 8:22, cap. 9:1] ; cap. 9:1 [B.A. 2] : et inde apud Matthaeum, cap. 4:12-16.
[5] In supremo autem sensu per "Sebulonem et Naphthali" significatur unitio Divini ac Humani in Domino; in supremo enim sensu agitur unice de Domino, in genere de glorificatione Humani Ipsius, ac de subjugatione infernorum et ordinatione caelorum ab Ipso: in hoc sensu nominantur Sebulon et Naphthali apud Davidem,
"Viderunt gressus tuos, Deus, gressus Dei mei, Regis mei in sanctuario; praecesserunt cantantes post pulsantes in medio virginum tympanizantium; in congregationibus benedicite Deo, Domino e fonte Israelis; ibi Benjamin parvus praeest illis; principes Jehudae coetus eorum; principes Sebulonis, principes Naphthali: praecepit Deus tuus robur tuum; indue robur, Deus: hoc fecisti nobis e Templo tuo super Hierosolymam; Tibi adducent reges munus. Increpa feram arundinis, congregationem fortium, inter vitulos populorum; conculcans laminas argenti, dispersit populos, bella desiderant. Venient pingues ex Aegypto; Aethiopia accelerabit manus suas Deo" (Psalms 68:25-32 [B.A. 24-31]):
agitur ibi in sensu spirituali de adventu Domini, ac de glorificatione Humani Ipsius, tum de subjugatione infernorum, ac de salvatione inde. Celebratio Domini propter adventum Ipsius describitur in his verbis, "Viderunt gressus tuos, Deus, gressus Dei mei, Regis mei in sanctuario; praecesserunt cantantes post pulsantes in medio virginum tympanizantium; in congregationibus benedicite Deo, Domino e fonte Israelis ": (quid autem singula haec significant, explicata videantur supra, n. 340 [a]): innocentia Ipsius, ex qua omnia operatus est et peregit, significatur per "Benjamin parvus praeest illis"; Divinum Verum ex Divino Bono, significatur per "principes Jehudae coetus eorum"; glorificatio, seu unitio Divini et Humani ex propria potentia, per "principes Sebulonis et principes Naphthali"; quod inde Divina potentia Humano Domini, per "Praecepit Deus tuus robur tuum; indue robur, Deus; hoc fecisti nobis e Templo tuo super Hierosolymam"; per "Templum" ibi intelligitur Divinum Humanum Domini, et per "Hierosolymam" ecclesia pro qua: subjugatio infernorum significatur per "Increpa feram arundinis, congregationem fortium, inter vitulos populorum, conculcans laminas argenti, dispersit populos, bella desiderant"; "fera arundinis, et congregatio fortium" est scientificum naturalis hominis pervertens vera et bona ecclesiae; "vituli populorum" sunt bona ecclesiae; "laminae argenti" sunt vera ecclesiae; "dispersit populos, bella desiderant", significat pervertere et ratiocinari contra illa.
[6] Per subjugationem infernorum intelligitur subjugatio naturalis hominis, nam ibi sunt mala ex inferno; sunt enim ibi jucunda amoris sui et mundi, et sunt scientifica confirmantia illa; quae jucunda, quando pro fine sunt et praedominantur, sunt contra bona et vera ecclesiae: quod naturalis homo, quando subjugatus est, subministret scientifica concordantia, ac cognitiones veri et boni, significatur per quod "venient pingues ex Aegypto, Aethiopia accelerabit manus suas Deo"; "Aegyptus" est naturalis homo quoad scientifica, et "Aethiopia" est naturalis homo quoad cognitiones boni et veri. Ex his paucis constare potest quid significatur per "Naphthali" et ejus tribum in Verbo, quod nempe in supremo sensu propria potentia Domini, ex qua subjugavit inferna, et glorificavit Humanuum suum; in sensu interno tentatio, et status post tentationem; ac in sensu externo resistentia a naturali homine; inde quoque per "Naphthali" significatur reformatio et regeneratio, quia hae sunt effectus tentationum.