9659. And there shall be eight planks, and their bases of silver. That this signifies support in every way by good, and through the truth which is from good, is evident from the signification of “eight,” as being in every way, of which in what follows; from the signification of “planks,” as being the good which supports (see n. 9634); and from the signification of “bases of silver,” as being support through the truth which is from good (n. 9643).

[2] That “eight” denotes in every way is because by this number is signified the same as by “two,” and by “four,” for it arises from these multiplied together, and by “two” and “four” is signified conjunction to the full (n. 5194, 8423, 8877), and from this also what is full (see n. 9103), and consequently in every way; for that which is in fullness is also in every way. By “eight” is also signified what is full and in every way, from the fact that by a “week” is signified an entire period from beginning to end (n. 2044, 3845); consequently by “the eighth day” is signified a full state, from which there is afterward made a new beginning. From this it was that male children were circumcised when eight days old (Genesis 17:12; 21:4); for by “circumcision” was signified purification from filthy loves by means of the truth of faith (n. 2039, 2046, 2799, 3412-3413, 4462); the foreskin corresponded to the defilement of good by these loves (n. 4462, 7045, 7225); and “the sword of stone,” with which the circumcision was performed, signified the truth of faith by means of which purification is effected (n. 2039, 2046, 2799, 7044).

[3] What is full and in every way is also signified by “eight” after “seven,” in Micah:

When Asshur shall come into our land, and shall tread our palaces, then shall we set over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men. And they shall feed on the land of Asshur with the sword; and He shall deliver us from Asshur (Micah 5:5-6);

“Asshur” denotes reasoning about the goods and truths of the church from man’s own intelligence; total or complete deliverance from the falsity thence, is signified by the “eight princes of men who shall destroy;” the “princes of men” denote the primary truths of good.

[4] That “eight” denotes what is full, and in every way, is also plain from experience concerning the admission and reception of societies into heaven (as may be seen above, n. 2130). The societies that were first received appeared up to twelve in number, and afterward eight; for those who are admitted and received into heaven are those who have been purified from earthly things, and therefore from the loves of them, and who have afterward been instructed; by the number “eight” was then signified what is full.

[5] The like is signified by “eight” in other parts of the Word, as by the porch of the gate from the house being “eight ells,” and by there being “eight steps” to the house, in Ezekiel 40:9, 31, 41. A new house is there treated of, by which is signified a New Church of the Lord; the truths which lead to good, and from good to truths, are signified by the porch and by the steps.

[6] He who knows not that in the Word numbers infold realities, is bound to get the idea that where the tabernacle, the temple of Solomon, and afterward a new house, and a new temple, and a new earth, are described in Ezekiel, the measurements and numbers have no real meaning, and therefore no holiness, although in the Word not a syllable is void of meaning. Let him who has intelligence consider the measurements and numbers in Ezekiel, from chapter 40 to chapter 48, and the measurements and numbers given by John in the Revelation, chapter 21, where also it is said that “the angel measured the wall of the New Jerusalem a hundred forty and four cubits,” and that “this measure is that of a man, that is, of an angel” (verse 17); also in another passage: “He that hath intelligence, let him compute the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty-six” (Revelation 13:18); besides those given in many other passages. (That all the numbers mentioned in the Word signify real things, see n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 5291, 5335, 5708, 6175, 7973; and in the places where it has been shown what is signified by some numbers in particular.)

3412. And all the wells that his father’s servants digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up. That this signifies that they who were in the memory-knowledge of knowledges were not willing to know interior truths which are from the Divine, and thus obliterated them, is evident from the signification of “wells,” as being truths (n. 2702, 3096), here, interior truths which are from the Divine, inasmuch as the wells by which truths are signified are said to have been digged by his father’s servants in the days of Abraham his father, for by Abraham is represented the Lord’s Divine Itself (n. 2011, 2833, 2836, 3251, 3305); from the signification of “stopping up,” as being not to be willing to know, and thus to obliterate; and from the representation of the Philistines, as being those who are solely in the memory-knowledges of knowledges (n. 1197, 1198).

[2] Appearances of truth of a lower degree are now treated of, in which they may be who are in the memory-knowledge of knowledges, and who are here meant by the “Philistines.” With interior truths which are from the Divine, and which are obliterated by those who are called “Philistines,” the case is this: In the Ancient Church and afterwards, those were called “Philistines” who applied themselves little to life, but much to doctrine, and who in process of time even rejected the things which are of life, and acknowledged as the essential of the church the things which are of faith, which they separated from life; consequently who made light of the doctrinal things of charity, which in the Ancient Church were the sum and substance of doctrine, and thus obliterated them, and instead thereof vaunted much the doctrinal things of faith, and made the whole of religion to consist in these; and inasmuch as thereby they departed from the life which is of charity-that is, from the charity which is of life-they preeminently were called the “uncircumcised;” for by the “uncircumcised” were signified all who were not in charity, however much they might be in doctrinal things (n. 2049).

[3] Those who thus departed from charity removed themselves also from wisdom and intelligence; for no one can be wise and intelligent in regard to truth unless he is in good, that is, in charity, because all truth is from good, and looks to good; so that they who are without good cannot understand truth, and are not even willing to know it. In the other life, when such persons are far from heaven, there sometimes appears with them a snowy light; but this light is like that of winter, which being devoid of heat produces no fruit; and therefore when such persons draw near to heaven their light is turned into mere darkness, and their minds are plunged into the like, that is, into stupor. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by the statement that those who are in the mere memory-knowledge of knowledges were not willing to know interior truths which are from the Divine, and thus obliterated them.