336. And the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, signifies the innumerable who are in truths, and the innumerable who are in goods. This is evident from the signification of "number" as being quantity and quality, quantity in the natural sense, and quality in the spiritual sense, the number employed determining the quantity and quality. But still all numbers in the Word signify something pertaining to the thing, as "two," "three," "four," "five," "seven," "ten," and "twelve," as has been shown where these are treated of; it is similar with "myriad" and "thousand," which are here mentioned. The number "seven," for example, signifies not seven, but all, what is full and whole (See above, n.257). But what "myriads" and "thousands" signify shall now be said. "Myriads" signify things innumerable, "thousands" the like; but "myriads" are predicated of truths, and "thousands" of goods; this is why "myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands," signify the innumerable who are in truths, and the innumerable who are in goods.

[2] Those in the lower heavens of whom these things are said, in like manner as those in the higher heavens who were treated of above, are from two kingdoms, namely the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom; those who are of the spiritual kingdom are meant by those who are in truths, while those who are of the celestial kingdom are meant by those who are in goods; the innumerableness of the latter is signified by "thousands of thousands," and the innumerableness of the former by "myriads of myriads;" but in an abstract sense, which is the true spiritual sense, innumerable truths and innumerable goods are signified. "Myriads" and "thousands" signify things innumerable, because "ten," and consequently also "a hundred," "a thousand," and "ten thousand" signify many; for numbers that are multiples of a similar number have a like signification as the simple numbers of which they are multiples (See n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973). But when innumerable things that are infinitely many are to be expressed, they are called "myriads of myriads," and "thousands of thousands."

[3] Moreover when two numbers related by multiplication, one larger and the other smaller, and having a like signification, are mentioned together, as "ten and a hundred," or "a hundred and a thousand," then the smaller is predicated of goods, and the larger of truths; and for the reason that each good consists of many truths; for good is formed out of truths, and thence good is produced by truths; on which account the larger number is predicated of truths, and the smaller of goods; in like manner here "myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands." That it is so may be illustrated by this, that a single delight of affection may be presented by many ideas of thought, and be expressed by various things in speech; the delight of affection is what is called good, and the ideas of thought and the various things in the speech that proceed from that delight or good are what are called truths. It is similar with one thing of the will in respect to many things of its understanding, and also with one thing of love in respect to many things that express it. From this it is that "many" and "multitude" in the Word are predicated of truths, and "great" and "greatness" of good, for what is great contains in itself many things. But these things are said for those who can be enlightened by examples, that they may know why it is that "thousands," the same as "myriads," signify things innumerable, but that "myriads" are predicated of truths, and "thousands" of goods.

[4] That these numbers have such significations can be seen from the following passages.

In Moses:

In the firstborn of his bullock he hath honor, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall push the peoples together to the uttermost parts of the earth; and these are the myriads of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:17).

These things are said of Joseph, who in a representative sense signifies the Lord in respect to the spiritual Divine and in respect to His spiritual kingdom (See Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417); his two sons "Ephraim" and "Manasseh" signify the two constituents of that kingdom, namely, intellectual truth and voluntary good, "Ephraim" intellectual truth, and "Manasseh" voluntary good; it is therefore said "the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh." (That "Ephraim" and "Manasseh" have this signification, see Arcana Coelestia 3969, 5351, 5353, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296.) What is here signified by the "firstborn of the bullock," and by the "horns of the unicorn," see above n. 316.

[5] In David:

The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands of angels of peace; the Lord is in them, Sinai in the sanctuary (Psalms 68:17).

"The chariots of God" signify the truths of doctrine, and "the angels of peace" the goods of doctrine; therefore "myriads" are predicated of the former, and "thousands" of the latter. (That "chariots" signify the truths of doctrine, see Arcana Coelestia 2762, 5321, 8215; and that "peace" signifies the inmost of good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 284-290.) And because the Lord is called "Lord" from good, and "Sinai" signifies heaven where and from which is Divine truth, therefore it is said, "the Lord is in them, Sinai in the sanctuary," "sanctuary" meaning heaven and the church where Divine truth is. (That the Lord is called "Lord" from Divine good, and "God" from Divine truth, see Arcana Coelestia 4973, 9167, 9194; and that "Sinai" signifies heaven where the Lord is, from whom is Divine truth, that is, from whom is the law, in a strict sense and in a broad sense, n. 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805, 9420)

[6] In the same:

Thou shalt not fear for the dread of the night; for the arrow that flieth by day; for the pestilence that creepeth in thick darkness; for the death that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and a myriad at thy right hand (Psalms 91:5-7).

This is said of falsities and evils that are not known to be falsities and evils, and of falsities and evils that are known to be such, and yet creep into the thought and into the will, and destroy men. Falsities that are known to be falsities are meant by "the arrow that flieth by day," and evils that are known to be evils and yet gain entrance are meant by "the death that wasteth at noonday;" and falsities that are not known to be falsities are meant by "the dread of the night;" and evils that are not known to be evils by "the pestilence that creepeth in thick darkness;" the destruction of these evils is signified by "the thousand that shall fall at his side;" and the destruction of the falsities by "the myriad that shall fall at his right hand;" "the side at which they shall fall," also signifying good, and "the right hand," the truth of good. "Thousand" is predicated of evils, and "myriad" of falsities, because falsities are the contraries of truths, and evils of goods; and in the Word opposites are expressed by like words and similar numbers.

[7] In the same:

Our garners are full, yielding from food to food; our flocks are thousands, myriads in our streets (Psalms 144:13).

"Garners" and "food" signify the goods and truths of the church; for spiritual foods are the knowledges of truth and good, by which there is intelligence; like things, but interior, are signified by "flocks;" therefore the goods of the church are meant by "thousands," and its truths by myriads;" and because truths are meant by "myriads," it is said, "myriads in our streets," for the "streets" of a city signify the truths of doctrine. (That "food" signifies both good and truth, see Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 6277, 8418, 8562, 9003; consequently also "garners," which are storehouses for food, have a like signification. That "flocks" signify interior goods and truths, which are called spiritual, see n. 1565, 2566, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783, 3795, 5913, 6044, 6048, 8937, 10609.)

[8] In Micah:

Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? (Micah 6:7).

Because "rams" signify spiritual goods, and "rivers of oil" truths proceeding from good, "myriads" are predicated of the latter, and "thousands" of the former. (That "rams" signify spiritual goods, see Arcana Coelestia 2830, 4170.) And as "oil" signifies the good of love, "rivers" of it signify what proceeds from it, namely, truths.

[9] In Daniel:

I beheld till thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit. A stream of fire issued and went forth from before Him; a thousand of thousands ministered unto Him, and a myriad of myriads stood before Him (Daniel 7:9-10).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the "thrones that were cast down" signify the falsities of the church which were destroyed; "the Ancient of Days" means the Lord from eternity; "the stream of fire issuing and going forth from before Him" signifies the Divine good of love and Divine truth therefrom; "a stream of fire issuing," the Divine good of love and the same "going forth," Divine truth proceeding; because both of these are signified it is said, "a thousand of thousands ministered unto Him, and a myriad of myriads stood before Him," "thousand" referring to Divine good, and "myriad" to Divine truth; "ministering" also is predicated of good (See above, n. 155), and "standing," as well as "going forth," is predicated of truth.

[10] In Moses:

When the ark rested, Moses said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel (Numbers 10:36).

As the "ark" signified the celestial Divine proceeding from the Lord, because of the law or testimony that was in it, and as "Israel" signified the church in respect to the reception of Divine good and Divine truth, therefore it is said, "the myriads of the thousands of Israel," which signify truths from good, which are in "Israel," that is, in the church. But what "a chiliad" or "a thousand" [chilias seu mille] signifies when "ten thousand," that is, a "myriad," is not joined with it, will be seen hereafter in its own article; likewise what is signified by "number."

4926. 'And she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself?' means this truth's apparent separation from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a breach' as an infringement upon and perversion of truth through its separation from good, dealt with below. Here 'making a breach' plainly means pulling away the twice-dyed thread from the hand and so separating good; for good is meant by 'twice-dyed', 4922. As regards this separation being an apparent one, this follows from the fact that it appeared to the midwife that a separation had taken place; but in reality it was not the twin with the twice-dyed thread who came out but his brother, who represents truth. On these matters, see what has been shown immediately above in 4925, where it is shown that good is in actual fact the firstborn but that truth appears to be such. This can be illustrated further still from the functions and members within the human body. The appearance is that the members and organs are first and that the functions these perform are subsequent; for the organs and members present themselves to the eye and are also known before their functions are seen or known. But in spite of this appearance the functions are prior to the members and organs since these derive their existence from the functions they serve and so receive their own forms to accord with these functions. Indeed the function itself gives them these forms and accommodates them to itself. If this were not so, all the individual parts of the human body could not possibly act together in so harmonious a way that they make a single whole. The same may be said about good and truth. The appearance is that truth is first, but in reality good is, in that good gives truths the forms they take and accommodates them to itself. Therefore regarded essentially truths are nothing else than goods which have been given form, that is, they are the forms good takes. In relation to good, truths are also like the internal organs and the fibres of the body in relation to the functions these perform. Also, regarded essentially good is nothing else than the function.

[2] The meaning of 'a breach' as an infringement upon truth and a perversion of it through its separation from good is also clear from other places in the Word, as in David,

Our storehouses are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets, our oxen are laden; there is no breach. Psalms 144:13-14.

This refers to the Ancient Church as it was in its youth. 'The food' with which 'the storehouses are full' stands for spiritual food, that is, for truth and good. 'Flocks' and 'oxen' stand for forms of good, internal and external. 'There is no breach' stands for the fact that truth has not suffered any infringement upon it or perversion of it through separation from good.

[3] In Amos,

I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will restore its destroyed places; and I will build it as in the days of old. Amos 9:11.

This refers to a Church where good is present. 'The tent of David that is fallen down' means the good of love and charity received from the Lord. For 'a tent' meaning that good, see 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312, 4128, 4391, 4599, and 'David' the Lord, 1888. 'Closing up the breaches' stands for correcting falsities which have entered in through the separation of truth from good. 'Building it as in the days of old' stands for as the state of the Church was in ancient times. In the Word that state at that time is called 'the days of eternity', 'the days of old', and also 'of generation upon generation'.

[4] In Isaiah,

He that is of you is building the waste places of old; raise up the foundations of generation upon generation, and may you be called the one repairing the breach, the one restoring paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12.

This refers to a Church where charity and life are the essential thing. 'Repairing the breach' again stands for correcting falsities which have crept in through the separation of good from truth, the origin of all falsity. 'Restoring paths to dwell in' stands for truths which are linked to good, for 'paths' or ways are truths, 627, 2333, and 'dwelling in' is used in reference to good, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613.

[5] In the same prophet,

You saw that the breaches of the city of David were very many, and you collected the waters of the lower pool. Isaiah 22:9.

'The breaches of the city of David' stands for falsities of doctrine. 'The waters of the lower pool' stands for traditions by which they introduced blemishes into the truths contained in the Word, Matthew 15:1-6; Mark 7:1-13. In Ezekiel,

You have not gone up into the breaches and made a hedge for the house of Israel, so that you might stand in war on the day of Jehovah. Ezekiel 13:5.

In the same prophet,

I sought from among them a man making a hedge and standing in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30.

'Standing in the breach' stands for defending and guarding against the intrusion of falsities. In David,

Jehovah said He would destroy the people, unless Moses His chosen had stood in the breach before Him. Psalms 106:23.

'Standing in the breach' again means guarding against the intrusion of falsities; 'Moses' here meaning the Word - see Preface to Chapter 18 of Genesis, and 4859 (end).

[6] In Amos,

They will drag out the last of you with fish-hooks; you will go out through the breaches, every one from her own region; and you will cast down the palace. Amos 4:2-3.

'Going out through the breaches' stands for doing so through falsities resulting from reasonings. 'The palace' means the Word and consequently the truth of doctrine that is grounded in good. And because 'breaches' means falsity which arises through the separation of good from truth, the same is also meant in the representative sense by 'strengthening and repairing the breaches of the house of Jehovah', 2 Kings 12:5, 7-8, 12; 22:5. In the second Book of Samuel,

It grieved David that Jehovah had made a breach into Uzzah; therefore he called that place Perez Uzzah. 2 Samuel 6:8.

This refers to Uzzah, who died because he touched the ark. 'The ark' represented heaven, or in the highest sense the Lord, and therefore Divine Good. But 'Uzzah' represented that which ministers, and so represents truth since truth ministers to good. This separation is meant by 'a breach into Uzzah'.