351. 'Out of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed' signifies the wisdom out of celestial love with those who will be in the New Heaven and in the Lord's New Church. By 'Reuben' in the highest sense is signified Omniscience; in the spiritual sense wisdom, intelligence and knowledge, also faith; in the natural sense sight. Here, however, wisdom is signified by 'Reuben', because he follows after 'Judah', by whom celestial love is signified, and celestial love produces wisdom; for love is not bestowed without its consort, which is knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. The consort of natural love is knowledge, of spiritual love is intelligence, and of celestial love is wisdom. [2] That these are signified by 'Reuben' is because he was named from 'sight', and spiritual-natural sight is knowledge, spiritual sight is intelligence, and celestial sight is wisdom. Reuben also was Jacob's first-born, and therefore by Israel he was said to be:-
His strength, the beginning of his forces, excelling in eminence, and excelling in worth Gen. xlix 3.
Such indeed is the wisdom derived from celestial love. And because 'Reuben', on account of his primogeniture, used to represent and consequently to signify the wisdom of the men of the Church, therefore he exhorted his brothers not to kill Joseph, and was grieved when Joseph was not found in the pit (Gen. xxxvii 21, 22[ ,29, 30]). For the same reason his tribe encamped 'on the south', and used to be called 'the camp of Reuben' (Num. ii 10-16). The 'south' also signifies the wisdom derived from love; and therefore those who are in that wisdom dwell to the south in heaven, as may be seen in the work concerning HEAVEN AND HELL (n. 148-ISO). This wisdom is signified by 'Reuben' in the prophetic utterance of Deborah and Barak, by these words:-
In the divisions of Reuben are great statutes of the heart; wherefore dost thou settle Issachar among the burdens, to hear the hissings of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben, where are great searchings of the heart Judg. v 15, 16.
The 'divisions of Reuben' are the cognitions of every kind that are of wisdom. [3] Because all the tribes also signify opposite things, so also does the tribe of Reuben, and in the opposite sense it signifies wisdom separated from love, and consequently also faith separated from charity; and on this account he was cursed by his father Israel (Gen. xlix 3, 4); and therefore he was deprived of his birthright (primogenitura) (1 Chron. v 1). Let n. 17 above be seen. Therefore also an inheritance was given to Reuben beyond the Jordan and not in the land of Canaan, so that Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, were acknowledged instead of both Reuben and Simeon (Gen. xlviii 5). Nevertheless Reuben still retained the representation and consequently the signification of wisdom.
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