Lesson Seven

Spirituality or Prayer and Praise

1. By the employment of many symbols the Bible describes man in his wholeness--Spirit, soul, and body. The symbols used are men, places, tents, temples, and so forth. The name of every person mentioned in the Bible has a meaning representative of that person's character. The twelve sons of Jacob represent the twelve foundation faculties of man. The name of each of these sons, correctly interpreted, gives the development and office of its particular faculty in triune association; that is, its relation to consciousness in Spirit, in soul, and in body. For example, when the sons of Jacob were born, their mothers revealed the character of the faculty which each represented. This is set forth in the twenty-ninth and thirtieth chapters of Genesis.

2. It is written of the birth of Reuben, "Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction." The emphasis is upon the word "looked," and by referring to the concordance we find that the meaning of the word Reuben is, "One who sees; vision of the son." It is clear that this refers to the bringing forth of sight.

3. "And she conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated." Here the emphasis is upon the word heard, and we find that Simeon means, "That hears or