203. Verse 7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, signifies those of the church who are in the faith of charity. This is evident from the things written to the angel of this church understood in the internal sense, for (as was said above, n. 20) the "seven churches" mean, not seven churches, but all persons whatever who are of the church, or all things whatsoever with man that constitute the church; for "seven" in the Word means all persons and all things; for every number in the Word signifies something either of thing or state, as can be most plainly seen in this prophetic book, in which numbers are so frequently mentioned; and also in Ezekiel (chap. 40-48), where the new temple and the new earth are described, which is done by measurements given in numbers. The "new temple" and "new earth," here mean a new church, and each measurement or each number signifies something pertaining to the church. (That all numbers in the Word signify things and states, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 263.)

8793. 'Onto Mount Sinai' means into the good in which truth is to be implanted. This is clear from the meaning of 'Mount Sinai' as the good in which the truths of faith are to be implanted, dealt with above in 8753. Truth that is to be implanted in good is the subject in the next chapter, the Ten Commandments declared from Mount Sinai being internal truths, and the laws and statutes that are commanded in the chapters which come after that being external truths. Both the latter and the former mean the truths that are to be implanted in good.