1963. Abram was a son of eighty years and six years. That this signifies the Lord’s state in respect to the celestial good acquired by means of the combats of temptations, is evident from the signification of “eighty,” in which number is involved much the same as in “forty;” and that these numbers signify temptations has been already shown (n. 730, 862); and from the signification of “six,” as being combat, also explained before (n. 720, 737, 900); and further from the signification of “ten,” as being remains (treated of, n. 576); which remains in the Lord’s case were the possessions of celestial goods by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence (n. 1906, at the end). These three numbers are components of the number eighty-six, in which such things are involved, and which thus signifies the Lord’s state in regard to the celestial good acquired by means of the combats of temptations; for all numbers in the Word signify actual things (as before shown, n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813). As in this case the numbers mentioned are numbers of years, and as they are also mentioned in historical connection with Abram, it appears as if they were not significative of such things. But there is nothing written in the Word which does not pass into a spiritual and a celestial sense when it passes over to the angels; for angels are in none other than spiritual and celestial ideas, and when the Word is being read by a man, the angels neither know nor perceive what “eighty-six” is, nor do they care of what age Abram was when Hagar bare Ishmael to him; but from such a number, when read, the things involved in the numbers immediately come to them; and the same is the case with all the other expressions, as they have been explained in the internal sense.

862. And it came to pass at the end of forty days. That this signifies the duration of the former state, and the beginning of the following one, is evident from the signification of “forty” which was explained at n. 730; where, the subject being temptation, it is said “forty days and forty nights” signifying the duration of the temptation. But because the subject here is the state following temptation, it is said “forty days” but not forty nights. The reason is, that charity, which in the Word is compared to “day” and called “day” now begins to appear; and faith which precedes being not yet so conjoined with charity, is compared to “night” and called “night” (as in Genesis 1:16; and in other parts of the Word). In the Word faith is also called “night” from its receiving its light from charity, as the moon does from the sun; and hence faith is compared to the “moon” and called the “moon” and love or charity is compared to the “sun” and called the “sun.” “Forty days” (or the duration which they signify) have respect both to what precedes and to what follows, wherefore it is said, “at the end of forty days;” thus they signify the duration of the former state and the beginning of that now treated of. Here then commences the description of the second state of the man of this church after temptation.