270. Verse 4. And around the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment. This is evident from the signification of "throne" on which was "One sitting," as being the Lord in respect to the Last Judgment (on which see just above, n. 267; and that "throne" signifies judgment, see n. 253. Also from the signification of "the four and twenty thrones around it, and four and twenty elders on them," as being all the truths of heaven in the complex, arranged before judgment. "Four and twenty" signifies all, "thrones" judgment, and "elders" those who are in truths from good, and abstractly truths from good. The higher heavens are here meant, because all who are in them are in truths from the good of love, and because the lower heavens are treated of in what immediately follows. ("Twenty-four" signifies all, because that number signifies the like with the number "twelve," and "twelve" signifies all, and is predicated of truths, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. The number "twenty-four" signifies the like with the number "twelve," because it is the double thereof, and the double of a number signifies something similar as the number from which it arises by multiplication, as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)

[2] The like is signified by "the thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit," of which in Matthew:

Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30);

the "twelve apostles" signifying all truths in the complex. Likewise in the following words in Revelation:

I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (Revelation 20:4).

"Judgment was given to those who sat upon thrones" signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone, for "elders" in the Word signify all who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truths from good by which is judgment. He who supposes that "elders" and "apostles" in the Word mean elders and apostles is much mistaken; in the spiritual sense of the Word no persons are perceived, but things abstractly from persons, for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. It is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in that sense not only are persons mentioned, but the idea of person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus be a basis for the spiritual sense. It is the same with the signification of "elders" as with that of "infants," "children," "young men," "old men," "virgins," "women," and many words of that kind; in the natural sense these are all thought of simply as persons; but in the spiritual sense "infants" mean innocence, "children" charity, "young men" intelligence, "old men" wisdom, "virgins" the affection of truth and good, and "women" the goods of the church; and so in other cases.

The same is true of the natural and spiritual senses of "neighbor;" in the natural sense "neighbor" means any man whatever; but in the spiritual sense the good, truth, sincerity, and justice itself that are in the person. Everyone who reflects can see that this is the neighbor in the spiritual sense; for who loves a person for any other reason? For good and truth make the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and body.

[3] But to return to the signification of "elders." That "elders" signify truths from good can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. In Isaiah:

Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed, and Jehovah of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory (Isaiah 24:23).

The "moon" and "sun" mean their idolatrous worship and the falsity of faith and the evil of love; "Mount Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean heaven and the church; "the elders" mean truths from good; it is therefore said, "before them shall be glory," for "glory" signifies Divine truth in heaven (See above n. 33).

[4] In Lamentations:

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders expired in the city (Lamentations 1:18-19).

Here the vastation of the church is treated of, over which there is lamentation; there is such vastation when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and thence no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and when there is then no truth. The "virgins," that are gone into captivity, mean the spiritual affection of truth, "the young men" intelligence; "captivity" is removal from this affection and intelligence; the "elders," who expired, mean the truths of the church.

[5] In Ezekiel:

Slay to destruction the old man, the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from My sanctuary; therefore they began from the elders who were before the house (Ezekiel 9:6).

Here too, the vastation of the church is treated of; an "old man" and "young man" mean wisdom and intelligence; "virgin" means the affection of truth and good; "infant" innocence; "women" the goods of the church; "to slay to destruction" signifies devastation; the "sanctuary," from which they should begin, is the church in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are "the elders who are before the house."

[6] In Lamentations:

The faces of the old men were not honored. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music (Lamentations 5:12, 14).

"Old men" signify the wisdom that is of good; "elders," the truths that are from good; "young men," intelligence. That the God of Israel was seen:

Under His feet as a work of sapphire, by Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy elders, and not by the rest (Exodus 24:1, 9-12);

signified that the Lord is seen solely by those who are in good and in truths from good (See the explanation of the passage in The Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). This is what the seventy elders of Israel represented, and what the "four and twenty elders" sitting upon as many thrones signified; this also is what the "twelve apostles" signify, of whom it is said that "they are to sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

(That the "twelve apostles" signify all truths from good, Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397;

that the "twelve tribes of Israel" have a like signification, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335;

likewise the "elders of Israel," n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404)

5335. 'And Joseph was a son of thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants was complete. This is clear from the meaning of 'thirty' as a completed number of remnants, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in 482, 487, 488, 493, 893. In the Word the number thirty can mean some existence of conflict, or else it can mean a completed number of remnants. The reason why that number has this twofold meaning is that it is arrived at by multiplying five and six, or else by multiplying three and ten. When it is the product of five times six it means some existence of conflict, 2276, because 'five' means some, 649, 4638, 5291, and 'six' conflict, 720, 737, 900, 1709. But when thirty is the product of three times ten it means a completed number of remnants, because 'three' means that which is complete, 2788, 4495, and 'ten' means remnants, 576, 1906, 2284. A composite number implies much the same as the simple ones of which it is the product, 5291. Remnants are the truths joined to good which have been stored away by the Lord in a person's interior parts, see 468, 530, 560, 561, 576, 660, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135.

[2] A completed number of remnants is likewise meant by 'thirty' - as it is also by 'sixty', and by 'a hundred' too - in Mark,

The seed which fell into good ground yielded fruit growing up and increasing. One bore thirty-fold, and another sixty, and another a hundred. Mark 4:8, 10.

Each of these numbers, being a multiple of ten, means a completed number of remnants. Also, because no one can be regenerated - that is, permitted to enter into spiritual temptations, by means of which regeneration is effected - until he has received a completed number of remnants, it was therefore laid down that no Levite should carry out any work in the tent of meeting until he was fully thirty years old. Their work or function is also called 'military service', being referred to in Moses as follows,

Take a census of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi - from sons thirty years of age and over, up to sons fifty years of age, everyone coming to perform military service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. Numbers 4:2-3.

Much the same is said regarding the sons of Gershon, and much the same regarding the sons of Merari, in verses 22, 23, 29, 30, and then in verses 35, 39, 43. Of that same chapter in Moses. And something similar is implied where it says that David began to reign when he was a son thirty years of age, 2 Samuel 5:4.

[3] From all this one may now see why the Lord did not make Himself known until He was thirty years of age, Luke 3:23. At that age a completed number of remnants existed with Him, though these remnants which the Lord possessed were ones that He Himself had acquired for Himself. They were also Divine ones and the means by which He united His Human Essence to His Divine Essence and made that Human Essence Divine, 1906. In Him therefore lies the reason why 'thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants is complete and why the priests the Levites began to perform their specific functions when they were thirty years old. And because he was to represent the Lord's kingship, David did not begin to reign until he was that same age. For every representative is derived from the Lord, and therefore every representative has reference to Him.