2089. Twelve chieftains he will father symbolizes the main precepts of [a faith born of] charity. This can be seen from the symbolism of twelve as all aspects of faith, and from that of chieftains as main principles.
The Word refers to monarchs and chieftains throughout, yet in the inner sense they never mean monarchs or chieftains but whatever is the main feature of the subject they are connected with. Monarchs symbolize all truth collectively, as shown above in §2015. Chieftains symbolize main truths, which are precepts, §1482. That is why angels–even spiritual ones–are called principalities, because they possess truth. It is truth having to do with charity that is referred to as a chieftain, since, as noted above at §2088, it is through truth, or at least what seems to be true to them, that spiritual people receive their feelings of charity from the Lord; and through charity, a conscience.
[2] The symbolism of twelve as all aspects of faith has so far been unknown to the world, and yet every time it comes up in either the narrative or the prophetic parts of the Word, that is exactly what it symbolizes. The twelve sons of Jacob and therefore the twelve tribes named for them symbolize nothing else. Likewise the Lord's twelve disciples. Each of the former and the latter represented one of faith's main essentials. The representation of each son of Jacob and so of each tribe of Israel will be given later, where the story of Jacob's sons in Genesis 29 and 30 comes up for discussion, the Lord in his divine mercy willing.
