6
After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Daniel 7:6
Apocalypse Explained # 336
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."
Genesis 30
1
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."
2
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3
She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."
4
She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5
Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6
Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
7
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8
Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.
9
When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.
11
Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
12
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.
13
Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me Happy." She named him Asher.
14
Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
15
She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?" Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
16
Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." He lay with her that night.
17
God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18
Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Issachar.
19
Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20
Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zebulun.
21
Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23
She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
24
She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son to me."
25
It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
26
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you."
27
Laban said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake."
28
He said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."
29
He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30
For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?"
31
He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
32
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.
33
So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen."
34
Laban said, "Behold, let it be according to your word."
35
That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36
He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37
Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38
He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
39
The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40
Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into Laban's flock.
41
It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
42
but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43
The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
