June 16

And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144 thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed 12 thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed 12 thousand. (Revelation 7:4-8)

And I heard the number of them which were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, signifies all who acknowledge the Lord to be the God of heaven and earth, and are in truths of doctrine from the good of love from Him through the Word… That all numbers signify the adjuncts of things, determining their quality or quantity, may appear manifest from numbers in Revelation, which, if they were without some specific signification, would yield no sense whatever in many places. From what has been said it may be seen that by “one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed,” and by “twelve thousand out of each tribe,” is not to be understood that this many were sealed and chosen out of the tribes of Israel, but all who are in the truths of doctrine from the good of love from the Lord. (Apocalypse Revealed 348:1-2)

Sealed out of every tribe of Israel signifies the Lord’s heaven and church from them. By a “tribe” is signified religion as to the good of life, and by “every tribe” is signified the church as to every good of love and as to every truth from that good, from which is the good of life. For there are two things which make the church, the good of love and the truth of doctrine; the marriage of these is the church.

The twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signified the church as to that marriage, and each tribe some universal truth of good or good of truth in it. (Apocalypse Revealed 349)

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