727. A rod and staff signify power, and indeed the power of Divine Truth, chiefly for the reason that they were branches or boughs of trees, and these signify the knowledges of truth and good, which are the truths of the natural man; and as they were used to support the body, they signified power. This is yet more true with a rod of iron, because iron also signifies the truth of the natural man, and because of its hardness it signifies power that cannot be resisted. That rods and staves signify the power of Divine Truth is from correspondence. It is from this fact that the use of staffs, in the spiritual world - where all things that appear are correspondences - is representative of the power of those [who use them]; similarly in the Jewish church, which, like the ancient churches, was a representative church. This is why Moses wrought miracles and signs in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness, by stretching forth his staff. For instance, the waters smitten by the staff were turned into blood (Exodus 7:1-21). Frogs came up from the rivers and pools, over which the staff was stretched forth (Exodus 8:1, and following verses). From the dust smitten with the staff there came forth lice (Exodus 8:12, and following verses). When the staff was stretched out towards heaven there came thunders and hail (Exodus 9:23). Locusts came forth (Exodus 10:12, and following verses). The sea Suph (Red Sea), when the staff was stretched over it, was divided and afterwards returned (Exodus 14:16, 21, 26). From the rock in Horeb, smitten with the staff, waters came forth (Exodus 17:5, and following verses; Numbers 20:7-13). Joshua prevailed against Amalek when Moses lifted up his hand with the staff, and Amalek prevailed when Moses let it down (Exodus 17:9-12); also, fire went out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes which Gideon offered, when the angel of Jehovah touched them with the end of his staff (Judg. 6:21). These miracles were wrought by the stretching out of the staff, because the staff signified, from correspondence, the power of the Lord by means of Divine Truth; this power was treated of in the preceding article.

[2] That Divine Truth as to power is also signified in other parts of the Word by rods and staves, is evident from the following passages.

In David:

"Yea, when I shall walk in the shady valley I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me; thou wilt set before me a table in the presence of mine enemies; and thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup shall run over" (Psalm 23:4, 5).

To walk in a shady valley, signifies, in the spiritual sense, an obscure understanding, which does not see truths in their light, Thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me, signifies that spiritual Divine Truth, together with natural Divine Truth, shall protect, because these have power, rod denoting spiritual Divine Truth, staff natural Divine Truth, the two together meaning these as to the power of protecting; for to comfort means to protect. As rod and staff signify Divine truth as to power, these words follow: "Thou wilt set before me a table, thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup shall run over," this signifies spiritual nourishment through Divine Truth; for to set a table signifies to be spiritually nourished, to make fat the head with oil signifies through the good of love, while the cup signifies truth of doctrine from the Word, the cup being used here for wine.

[3] In Ezekiel:

"Thy mother was like a vine planted near the waters, whence she had rods of strength for sceptres of them that rule; but she lifted herself up in her stature among the interwoven boughs, therefore she was overturned in anger, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind withered up her fruit; the rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, the fire consumed them all. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst; a fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, and hath consumed her fruit, so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a sceptre of them that rule" (19:10-14).

This describes the desolation of all truth in the Jewish church; the princes, against whom the lamentation is taken up, signify truths, and the mother who became a lioness signifies the church; about these the above is said. Thy mother was like a vine planted near the waters, signifies that the spiritual church, from its establishment, had been instructed in truths, mother denoting the church in general, a vine the spiritual church, in particular, waters truths, while to be planted denotes to be established. Whence she had rods of strength for sceptres of them that rule, signifies that the church had Divine Truth in its power, and thus dominion over the falsities of evil which are from hell, rods of strength denoting Divine Truth as to power, and sceptres Divine Truth as to dominion; for the sceptres of kings were short staves, from a significative tree, here, from the vine. But she lifted herself up in her stature among the thick boughs, signifies the pride of [their] own intelligence from the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man; such pride is signified by She lifted herself up in her stature, and the knowledges of the natural man are signified by the interwoven boughs. She was overturned in anger, thrown to the ground, signifies its destruction by falsities of evils; the east wind withered her fruit, signifies the destruction of its good, the east wind signifying destruction, and fruit good; that good remaining from the Word with those who are in falsities of evil is meant; and its destruction is signified by the drying up of the fruit by an east wind. The rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, signifies that all Divine Truth was dissipated, consequently that the church had no power against the hells. The fire hath consumed them all, signifies pride from the love of self, which destroyed. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst, signifies desolation, until there is no good of truth or truth of good left. A fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, signifies pride in every particular of it; it hath consumed her fruit, signifies the consumption of good; so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a sceptre of them that rule, signifies the desolation of Divine Truth as to power and as to dominion, as above.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Say ye, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of beauty; come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon; for the spoiler of Moab hath come up against thee, and hath destroyed thy strongholds" (Jeremiah 48:17, 18).

The daughter of Dibon signifies the external of the church, and thus the external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, and the spoiler of Moab signifies its adulteration. This makes it clear what is signified by The staff of strength is broken, the staff of beauty - namely, that they no longer possessed Divine Truth in its power, which, as it is in the natural sense of the Word, is signified by the staff of strength, and in the spiritual sense by the staff of beauty, Come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon, signifies the deprivation and want of Divine Truth; to come down from glory denoting the deprivation thereof, glory meaning Divine Truth in light, and thirst the want of it; for the spoiler of Moab hath come up against thee, signifies the adulteration of the Word as to its literal sense; and hath destroyed thy strongholds, signifies the taking away of defence, a stronghold denoting defence against falsities and evils; the literal sense of the Word is that defence.

[5] In David:

"Jehovah shall send the staff of thy strength out of Zion" (Psalm 110:2).

The staff of strength here also signifies Divine Truth in its power, and Zion the church which is in love to the Lord, and is therefore called a celestial church.

[6] In Micah:

"Tend (pasce) thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead according to the days of an age" (7:14).

Tend thy people with thy rod, signifies the instruction of those who are of the church in Divine truths from the Word, to tend signifying to instruct; people mean those of the church who are in truths, and the rod means there the Word, because it is Divine Truth. The flock of heritage signifies those of the church who are in the spiritual things of the Word, which are the truths of its internal sense; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead, signifies instruction in the goods of the church and in its truths from the natural sense of the Word.

[7] In Isaiah:

"He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the impious" (11:4).

Here also the rod of the mouth of Jehovah signifies Divine Truth or the Word in the natural sense; and the breath of his lips signifies Divine Truth or the Word in the spiritual sense, both of these destroying the falsities of evil in the church, which is signified by smiting the earth and slaying the impious. "To smite with a rod" (Micah 5:1), and "to pierce through with staves the head of the unfaithful" (Habak. 3:14), have a similar signification.

[8] In Moses:

"Israel sang a song" concerning the fountain in Beer; "O fountain, the princes digged, the chiefs of the people digged out, by [command of] the lawgiver with their staffs" (Numbers 21:17, 18).

The fountain in Beer here signifies doctrine from the Word, "Beer" in the original meaning a fountain; the princes who digged, and the chiefs of the people who digged, signify those who are intelligent, and wise from the Lord, who is meant by the lawgiver. The staves with which they digged and digged out, signify the understanding enlightened in Divine truths.

[9] In Zechariah:

"There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and a man in whose hand is a staff (scipio) by reason of the multitude of days" (8:4).

Old men and old women, signify those who are intelligent from doctrine and from affection for truth; the man in whose hand is a staff by reason of the multitude of days, signifies the wise who trust not to themselves but to the Lord alone; that these will be in the church, where there is the doctrine of genuine truth, is signified by In the streets of Jerusalem - Jerusalem denoting the church as to doctrine, and streets truths of doctrine, here genuine truths.

[10] In Jeremiah:

"Every man is become foolish by knowledge (scientia), every goldsmith is made ashamed by the graven image; the part of Jacob is not like these; but he is the Former of all things, and Israel is the staff of his inheritance, Jehovah Zebaoth is his name" (10:14, 16; chap. 51:19).

Every man is become foolish by knowledge, signifies by the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man separated from the spiritual; every goldsmith is made ashamed by the graven image, signifies by falsities from [their] own intelligence. But He is the Former of all things, signifies the Lord from whom is all understanding of truth; Israel is the staff of his inheritance, signifies the church that has Divine Truth, and its power against falsities; and because the subject here treated of is intelligence through Divine Truth, it is said, "Jehovah Zebaoth is his name." The Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth from Divine truths in their whole extent, for Zebaoth means armies, and armies signify all the truths and goods of the church and heaven.

[11] When the sons of Israel murmured in the wilderness against Moses and Aaron on account of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, because they were swallowed up by the earth, it was commanded that

"the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staves in the tent of assembly, before the testimony; and when this was done, the staff of Aaron blossomed, and brought forth almonds" (Numbers 17:2-10).

This happened, because they murmured against Jehovah, that is, against the Lord, and indeed against Divine Truth, which is from Him; for Moses and Aaron represented the Lord as to the law, which is the Word; for this reason it was commanded that the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staves in the tent of assembly, before the testimony. For the twelve tribes, and in particular their princes, and also their twelve staves signified the truths of the church in their whole extent, while the tent of assembly represented and thus signified heaven, from which are the truths of the church; and the testimony represented the Lord Himself. The staff of Aaron blossomed and produced almonds, because his staff represented and thus signified truth from the good of love; and because truth from the good of love is the only truth that brings forth fruit, which is the good of charity, therefore it was his staff that blossomed, and brought forth almonds, almonds signifying that good, the same as the tribe of Levi, as may be seen above (n. 444). It must be observed that tribe (tribus) and staff (baculus) are expressed by the same word (as in Numbers 1:16; chap, 2:5, 7); therefore the twelve staves have a similar signification to that of the twelve tribes, namely, the Divine truths of the church in their whole extent. Concerning the twelve tribes, see above (n. 39, 430, 431, 657).

[12] As a staff signifies the power of Divine Truth, it signifies also the power to resist evils and falsities.

In Isaiah:

"Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the stay (scipio), the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water, the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet" (3:1, 2).

To remove the whole staff of bread and the whole staff of water, signifies here to take away all the good and truth of the church, and when these are taken away there is no longer any power to resist evils and falsities, so as to hinder their free entrance. Bread signifies the good of the church, water its truth, and staff good and truth as to their power to resist evils and falsities; the words therefore follow that the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, will also be removed, and the mighty man and the man of war signify truth fighting against evil and falsity, and the judge and prophet the doctrine of good and truth.

[13] In Ezekiel:

"Behold I break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, that they may eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure and with astonishment" (4:16).

To break the staff of bread, signifies that good and truth shall fail in the church, for bread here signifies good and truth, therefore the words follow, "They shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure," which signifies a deficiency of good and truth, and thus of the power to resist evils and falsities. To break the staff of bread and of water (Ezekiel 5:16; 14:13; Psalm 105:16; Leviticus 26:26) has a similar signification.

[14] As rod and staff signify the power of Divine Truth, and thus Divine Truth as to power, therefore in the opposite sense they also signify the power of infernal falsity, and thence infernal falsity as to power. In this sense rod and staff are named in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule" (14:5).

To break the staff of the wicked signifies to destroy the power of falsity from evil; and to break the rod of them that rule, signifies the rule of falsity.

[15] In David:

"The staff of impiety shall not rest upon the lot of the just, that the just may not put forth their hands to perversity" (Psalm 125:3).

The staff of impiety, signifies the power of falsity from evil; upon the lot of the just, signifies over truths from good, which the faithful have, and especially those who are in love to the Lord, for these, in the Word, are called the just; lest the just put forth their hands to perversity, signifies lest they falsify truths.

[16] In Lamentations:

"I am the man that hath seen misery by the rod of his fury; he hath led me into darkness, and not into light" (Lamentations 3:1, 2).

This is said of the devastation of the church; and by the rod of fury is signified the rule of infernal falsity; He hath led me and brought me into darkness, and not into light, signifies into mere falsities, and thus not into truths.

[17] In Isaiah:

"Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor" (9:4).

This is said of the nations who were in falsities from ignorance, because they had not the Word, and to whom therefore the Lord was not known. The evil with which they were oppressed, and the falsity by which they were infested, are signified by the yoke of the burden, the staff of the shoulder, and the rod of the oppressor; to break signifies to destroy these, for to break is said of a yoke, a staff, and a rod, but to destroy is said of evil and falsity, which heavily weigh upon, powerfully persuade and compel to obedience.

[18] In the same:

"At the voice of Jehovah, Asshur shall be dismayed, he shall be smitten with a staff; then every passage of the rod of foundation, upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest, shall be with timbrels and harps" (30:31, 32).

This treats of the time of a last judgment, when there shall be a new church. Asshur who shall be dismayed at the voice of Jehovah, and shall be smitten with a staff, signifies reasoning from falsities, which shall be dispersed by Divine Truth. That then the truths of the literal sense of the Word will be understood and received with joy, is signified by the words, "Then the passage of the rod of the foundation shall be with timbrels and harps," passage signifying opening and free reception, and timbrels and harps signifying the delights of the affection for truth. The truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified by the rod of the foundation, because that sense is a foundation for the truths of its spiritual sense; and as the spiritual sense rests upon the literal sense, it is said, "Upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest."

[19] In Zechariah:

"The pride of Asshur shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart" (10:11).

The pride of Asshur signifies the pride of [man's] own intelligence, and the staff of Egypt signifies the power arising from the confirmation of its falsities by the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man.

[20] In Isaiah:

"Woe to Asshur, the rod of mine anger and the staff of mine indignation, which is in their hand. O my people, inhabitant of Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt" (10:5, 24, 26).

Here also Asshur signifies reasonings from [man's] own intelligence, by which truths are perverted and falsified; the consequent falsities, and perversions of truth, are signified by the rod of mine anger, and by the staff of mine indignation, which is in their hand. That truths will not be perverted with those of the church who are in celestial love and in truths therefrom, is signified by Fear not, O inhabitant of Zion. That he smite thee with a rod, and lift up a staff upon thee in the way of Egypt, signifies that falsity urges, excites, and strives to pervert by means of such things as pertain to the natural man, the way of Egypt denoting the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man from which reasonings arise. Since Egypt signifies the natural man with the things that are in it, and, the natural man separated from the spiritual is in mere falsities, therefore Egypt is called the staff of a bruised reed, which entereth into and pierceth the hand, when one leaneth upon it (Ezekiel 29:6, 7; Isaiah 36:6). This may be seen explained above (n. 627:10).

[21] In Isaiah:

"Rejoice not, O Philistia, that the rod of him that smiteth thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk, whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent (prester volans)" (14:29).

That Philistia signifies a religion of faith separated from charity, the serpent's root that false principle, the basilisk the destruction of the good and truth of the church, and the fiery flying serpent reasonings from the falsities of evil, may be seen above (n. 386:3). Thus these serpents have a similar signification to that of the dragon in this chapter of the Apocalypse. That Philistia should not rejoice that the rod of him that smiteth her is broken, signifies that she should not boast that the dominion of that falsity is not yet destroyed.

[22] In Hosea:

"My people ask questions of wood, and their staff answereth them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath seduced them, and they have committed whoredom under their god" (4:12).

This treats of the falsification of the Word. To ask questions of wood, or of an idol of wood, signifies to consult the intelligence which is from their proprium which favours its loves. The staff answereth them, signifies falsity in which confidence is reposed, for when the proprium is consulted falsity replies; the proprium is of the will, thus of the love, and its falsity is of the understanding, thus of the thought. The spirit of whoredoms that has seduced them, signifies the desire to falsify; to commit whoredom under their god, signifies to falsify the truths of the Word.

[23] From these things it is now evident what rod and staff signify in both senses; and also the meaning of the rod of iron, with which the male child is to tend all nations, can be seen; and also of these words in the Apocalypse, "Out of the mouth" of him who sat upon the white horse proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he may smite the nations; and he shall tend (pascet) them with a rod of iron (19:15).

Also by these words above,

"To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations, that he may rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken" (2:26, 27).

The explanation of this may be seen above (n. 176). The signification of the following words in David is similar:

"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, as the vessel of a potter thou shalt scatter them" (Psalm 2:9).

5291. 'And let him take up a fifth part of the land [of Egypt]' means which are to be preserved and then stored away. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking up a fifth part' as that which implies something similar to taking tenths. In the Word 'taking tenths' means preserving remnants, and preserving remnants is a gathering together and then storing away of forms of truth and good. For remnants are the forms of good and truth that the Lord has stored away in the interior man, see 468, 530, 560, 561, 661, 1050, 1906, 2284, 5135, and 'tenths' is used in the Word to mean remnants, 576, 1738, 2280, and so also is 'ten', 1906, 2284. And the number five, which is half of ten, is likewise used to mean the same. Half or twice any number when used in the Word holds the same meaning as the number itself. Twenty for example holds the same meaning as ten, four the same as two, six the same as three, twenty-four the same as twelve, and so on. A multiplication of a number also holds the same meaning. A hundred or a thousand for example holds the same as ten; seventy-two and also a hundred and forty-four hold the same as twelve. Therefore what it is that composite numbers hold within them may be seen from the simple numbers of which they are the products. What the more simple numbers hold within them may be seen in a similar way from their integers. Five for example may be seen from ten, two and a half from five, and so on. In general it should be recognized that multiples hold the same meaning as their factors, yet more completely, while quotients hold the same meaning as their dividends, yet less completely.

[2] As regards the number five specifically, this has a dual meaning. First, it means that which is little and consequently something; second, it means remnants. It receives its meaning of that which is little from its relationship with other numbers meaning that which is much, namely a thousand and a hundred, and therefore ten also. For 'a thousand' and 'a hundred' mean that which is much, see 2575, 2636, and so therefore does 'ten', 3107, 4638, as a consequence of which 'five' means that which is little, and also something, 649, 4638. But 'five' means remnants when it has a connection with ten, 'ten' in this case meaning remnants, as stated above. For all numbers used in the Word have spiritual realities as their meaning, see 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265.

[3] Anyone who does not know that the Word has an internal sense which is not visible in the letter will be utterly astonished by the idea that spiritual realities too are meant by the numbers used in the Word. The specific reason for his astonishment is his inability to use numbers to give shape to any spiritual idea, when yet the spiritual ideas known to angels present themselves as numbers, see 5265. The identity of those ideas or spiritual realities to which numbers correspond can, it is true, be known; but the origin of such correspondence remains hidden, such as the origin of the correspondence of 'twelve' to all aspects of faith, the correspondence of 'seven' to things that are holy, as well as that of 'ten' and also 'five' to forms of good and truth stored up by the Lord within the interior man, and so on. Even so, it is enough if people know simply that such a correspondence does exist and that by virtue of that correspondence each number used in the Word denotes something present in the spiritual world, consequently that what is Divine has been inspired into them and so lies concealed within them.

[4] Examples of this are seen in the following places where 'five' is mentioned, such as the Lord's parable in Matthew 25:14 and following verses about the man who, before going away to a foreign country, placed his resources in the hands of his servants. To the first he gave five talents, to the second two, and to the third one. The servant who received five talents traded with them and earned five talents more. In a similar way the one who received two earned two more; but the servant who received one hid his master's money ¹ in the earth. The person whose thought does not extend beyond the literal sense knows no other than this, that the numbers five, two, and one have been adopted merely to make up the story told in the parable and that they entail nothing more, when in fact those actual numbers hold some arcanum within them. The servant who received the five talents means those people who have accepted forms of good and truth from the Lord and so have received remnants. The one who received the two talents means those who at a more advanced stage in life have linked charity to faith, while the servant who received the one means someone who receives faith alone devoid of charity. Regarding this servant it is said that he hid his master's money ¹ in the earth - the reason for this description being that the money ¹ he is said to have received means in the internal sense truth which is the truth of faith, 1551, 2954; but faith that is devoid of charity cannot earn any interest, that is, it cannot be fruitful. These are the kinds of matters that numbers hold within them.

[5] Much the same is contained in other parables, such as the parable in Luke 19:12 and following verses regarding someone who journeyed to a far country to receive a kingdom. He gave his servants ten minas and told them to trade with these until he came back. When he returned the first said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten minas'. He said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you have been faithful over a very little, be over ten cities'. The second said, 'Sir, your mina has made five minas', and to him too he said, 'You also, be over five cities'. The third had kept his mina stored away in a handkerchief. But the master said, 'Take the mina from him and give it to him who has ten minas'. Here in a similar way 'ten' and 'five' mean remnants, 'ten' rather more, 'five' somewhat less. The one who kept his mina stored away in a handkerchief describes those who acquire the truths of faith but do not join them to the good deeds of charity, so that these truths do not gain interest or become fruitful at all.

[6] The same meaning exists in other places where the Lord uses these numbers, such as the place where He refers to what one of those invited to a supper said,

I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going away to test them. Luke 14:19.

Also in the place where He refers to what the rich man said to Abraham,

I have five brothers; send [Lazarus] to speak to them, lest they come into this place of torment. Luke 16:28.

And in the place where He talks about ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five were foolish, Matthew 25:1-13. The following words spoken by the Lord in a similar way contain such numbers,

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division; for from now on there will be in one house five divided; three against two, and two against three. Luke 12:51-52.

And the following details given in the historical narrative also contain such numbers - the Lord fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes; He commanded them to sit down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty; and after they had eaten they collected twelve baskets of broken pieces, Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:38 and following verses; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-13.

[7] It is hardly credible that the numbers included in such details, since these belong to a historical narrative, have a spiritual meaning. That is, five thousand, the number of people, has a spiritual meaning; so does five, the number of loaves, as well as two, the number of fishes. A hundred, and likewise fifty, the numbers of people sitting down together, each have a spiritual meaning; and so lastly does twelve, the number of baskets containing broken pieces. Though it may seem incredible, every detail holds some arcanum. Every single thing occurred providentially, to the end that Divine realities might be represented by them.

[8] In the following places too 'five' means things of a similar nature in the spiritual world, and it corresponds to such in both senses, the genuine sense and the contrary one: In Isaiah,

Gleanings will be left in it, as in the shaking of an olive tree, ² two or three berries on the top of the [highest] branch, four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree. Isaiah 17:6-7.

In the same prophet,

On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lips of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. Isaiah 19:18.

In the same prophet,

One thousand at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five you are fleeing, until you remain like a flagstaff on top of a mountain, like a signal upon a hill. Isaiah 30:17.

In John,

The fifth angel sounded, at which point I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key of the pit of the abyss. It was given the locusts which were coming out from there, that they should not kill the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads, but that they should torment them five months. Revelation 9:1, 3, 5, 10.

In the same book,

Here is intelligence, if anyone has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits; and there are seven kings. Five have fallen; and one is, the other has not yet come. And when he comes he must remain a short time. Revelation 17:9-10.

[9] The number five holds a similar representative meaning in the following places,

The valuation for a man or for a woman was determined by their ages - between one month and five years, and between five years and twenty years. Leviticus 27:1-9.

If a field was redeemed, one-fifth was to be added. Leviticus 27:19.

If tithes were redeemed, again one fifth was to be added. Leviticus 27:31.

The firstborn who were in excess [of the Levites] were to be redeemed for five shekels [each]. Numbers 3:46-end.

The firstborn of an unclean beast was to be redeemed with the addition of one-fifth. Leviticus 27:27.

In the case of any wrongs that were done one-fifth was to be added as a penalty. Leviticus 22:14; 17:13, 15; Numbers 5:6-8.

Anyone who stole an ox or one of the flock, and who slaughtered it or sold it, had to restore five oxen for an ox, and four of the flock for one of the flock. Exodus 11:1.

[10] The fact that the number five contains some heavenly arcanum, as does ten also, is evident from the cherubs referred to in the first Book of Kings,

In the sanctuary Solomon made two cherubs of olive wood, each ten cubits high. The wing of one cherub was five cubits, and the wing of the other cherub five cubits; ten cubits from the tips of the wings of one to the tips of the wings of the other. Thus a cherub was ten cubits; both cherubs were the same size and same shape. 1 Kings 6:23-25.

The same fact is evident from the lavers around the temple, and also from the lampstands, described in the same book,

Five bases for the lavers were placed on the right side of the house, ³ and five on the left side of the house. ³ Also, five lampstands were placed on the right, and five on the left in front of the sanctuary. 1 Kings 7:39, 49.

The bronze sea was ten cubits from one brim to the other, and five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference. 1 Kings 7:13.

All this was prescribed so that holy things might be meant spiritually not only by the numbers ten and five but also by thirty, for although geometrically this number giving the circumference is not right for the stated diameter, it nevertheless implies spiritually what is meant by the rim of a vessel.

[11] All numbers mentioned in the Word mean things existing in the spiritual world, as is clearly evident from the numbers used in Ezekiel, where a new land, a new city, a new temple, and a detailed measuring of these by the angel are described; see Chapters 40-43, 45-49 [sic.]. Numbers are used in these chapters to describe practically every sacred object, and therefore anyone unacquainted with what those numbers hold within them can know scarcely anything about the arcana present there. The number ten and the number five occur there in Ezekiel 40:7, 11, 48; 41:2, 9, 11-12; 42:4; 45:11, 14, in addition to the multiplications of such numbers, namely twenty-five, fifty, five hundred, and five thousand. As regards the new land, the new city, and the new temple mentioned in those chapters, these mean the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and therefore His Church on earth, as is clear from every detail mentioned there.

[12] All the references above to 'five' have been gathered together for the reason that here and in what follows the subject is the land of Egypt, where, in the seven years of abundance, a fifth part of the corn was to be gathered and preserved for use in the succeeding years of famine. This demonstrates that 'the fifth part' means the forms of good and truth which a person has received from the Lord, who has stored them away and preserved them in that person for future use when there is a famine, that is, when there is an absence and deprivation of goodness and truth. For unless the Lord stored away in a person such forms of good and truth, there would be nothing to raise him up in a state of temptation and vastation and consequently to make it possible for him to be regenerated, so that he would be left without any means of salvation in the next life.

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