Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 441

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441. It has been shewn that the tribe of Asher signifies charity towards the neighbour, which is the spiritual internal itself of those who are in the second or middle heaven, and that the tribe of Manasseh signifies the good of life, which is the external spiritual flowing from their internal spiritual. But temptation which is signified by the tribe of Napthali, is the uniting medium, for the internal and external are united by means of temptations. The signification of these three tribes in their order is evident from what has been stated. It is to be observed, that both men and angels must have the internal and the external in harmony with each other, in order to be in heaven. No one can be in heaven who is in one only, that is to say in the internal alone or in the external alone. For the internal is as the soul, and the external as the body; the soul cannot act except by means of the body, nor can the body act except from the soul. Therefore the internal lies impotent and dead as it were, unless the external correspond, or be correspondently harmonious with it, for there must be an external in which, and by means of which, action takes place; just as the soul acts in and by means of its body; and the external, unless there be all internal to which it corresponds, lies, as though dead, for there must be an internal from which the external may act. These things are said to shew that Asher signifies the internal, and Manasseh, the corresponding external; as also above that Judah signifies the internal, and Gad the corresponding external. The case is the same in everything, Therefore man has an internal and an external, the internal being that which is called his Spiritual, and the external that which is called his Natural; the one conjoins itself with the other by correspondences; according to the quality, therefore, of the one, such is that of the other, and everything that does not make one with the other by correspondences, is dissipated and perishes.


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