4495. And it came to pass on the third day. That this signifies what is continuous even to the end, is evident from the signification of the “third day,” as being what is complete from beginning to end (see n. 2788), thus also what is continuous. That this is the signification of the “third day,” can scarcely be believed by those who regard the historicals of the Word as mere worldly histories, holy merely because they are in the sacred volume. But that not only the historicals of the Word themselves enfold within them spiritual and heavenly things which are not apparent in the letter, but that so also do all the words, and even all the numbers, has been shown in the preceding explications; that such is really the case will of the Lord’s Divine mercy become still more evident in the prophetic parts, which do not keep the mind so closely engaged with the succession of statements in the sense of the letter as do the historical parts. But that the number “three,” also the number “seven,” and the number “twelve,” enfold deep secrets within them, must be evident to everyone who examines the Word in regard to its interiors; and if these numbers are so full of significance, it follows that there must be something deeply hidden in all the other numbers that occur in the Word, for the Word is holy throughout.

[2] Sometimes when speaking with angels, as it were written numbers appeared before my eyes like those seen on paper in bright day, and I perceived that the very things they were speaking of fell into such numbers; and from this experience I learned that every number mentioned in the Word holds within it some mystery, as is very evident from the following passages:

He measured the wall of the Holy Jerusalem a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Revelation 21:17).

He that hath intelligence let him compute the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty six (Revelation 13:18).

That the number first mentioned—“144”—results from the multiplication of twelve into itself, and that the number “666” is a product of three and six, is manifest, but what holy thing they enfold within them may appear from the holiness of the number “twelve” (see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913), and of the number “three” (n. 720, 901, 1825, 2788, 4010).

[3] This latter number—“three”—being significative of what is complete even to the end, thus of one period, great or small, was received in the representative church, and was employed whenever such a thing was signified; and also in the Word (in which all things have a signification both in general and in particular) as may be seen from the following instances:

That they should go three days’ journey and should sacrifice (Exodus 3:18; 5:3).

That they should be ready against the third day, because on the third day Jehovah would come down upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:11, 15-16, 18).

That nothing should be left of the flesh of the sacrifice until the third day (Leviticus 7:16-18; 19:6-7).

That the water of separation should be sprinkled upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day (Numbers 19:11-22).

That they who touched one slain in war should be purified on the third day and on the seventh day (Numbers 31:19-25).

That Joshua commanded the people to pass over Jordan within three days (Josh. 1:11; 3:2).

That Jehovah called Samuel three times, and Samuel ran to Eli three times, and Eli understood the third time that Jehovah had called Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-8).

That Jonathan said to David that he should hide himself in the field unto the third day at even, and that Jonathan sent to him on the third morrow, and revealed the disposition of his father; and that Jonathan then shot three arrows at the side of the stone; and that after this David bowed himself three times to the earth before Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:5, 12, 19-20, 35-36, 41).

That three things were offered to David to chose from: that there should come seven years of famine, that he should flee three months before his enemies, or that there should be three days’ pestilence in the land (2 Samuel 24:11-13).

That Rehoboam said to the congregation of Israel who sought to be relieved from the yoke of his father, that they should go away three days, and come again; and that they came to Rehoboam the third day, as the King bade, saying, Come to me again the third day (1 Kings 12:5, 12).

That Elijah stretched himself upon the widow’s son three times (1 Kings 17:21).

That Elijah told the people to pour water upon the burnt-offering and the wood the third time, and they did it the third time (1 Kings 18:34).

That Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40).

That the Lord spoke of a man who planted a vineyard and sent his servants three times, and afterwards his son (Mark 12:2, 4-6; Luke 20:12-13).

That He said of Peter that he should deny Him thrice (Matthew 26:34; John 13:38).

That He said to Peter three times, Lovest thou Me? (John 21:15-17).

From these and many other places in the Word it may be seen that there was some mystery in the number “three,” and that therefore this number was received among the significatives in the ancient churches. That it signifies an entire period of the church and of the things in the church, whether great or small, is manifest; and that it consequently signifies what is complete and also continuous to the end, is very plain in Hosea:

Jehovah will vivify us after two days; on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him (Hos. 6:2).

901. That the “seven and twentieth day” signifies what is holy, is evident from what has just been said, since it is composed of three multiplied by itself twice. Three multiplied by itself is nine, and nine multiplied again by three is twenty-seven. In “twenty-seven” therefore three is the ruling number. Thus did the most ancient people compute their numbers, and understood by them nothing but actual things [res]. That “three” has the same signification as “seven” is evident from what has been just said. There is a hidden reason why the Lord rose on the third day. The Lord’s resurrection itself involves all holiness, and the resurrection of all, and therefore in the Jewish Church this number became representative, and in the Word is holy; just as it is in heaven, where no numbers are thought of, but instead of “three” and “seven” they have a general holy idea of the resurrection and of the coming of the Lord.

[2] That “three” and “seven” signify what is holy, is evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Moses:

He that toucheth the dead shall be unclean seven days; the same shall expiate himself therefrom on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he expiate not himself on the third day, on the seventh day he shall not be clean. He that toucheth one slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days; the clean shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall expiate him, and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even (Numbers 19:11-12, 16, 19).

That these things are representative, or that the outward things signify internal ones, is very evident, as that one would be unclean who had touched a dead body, one slain, a bone of a man, a grave. All these things signify in the internal sense things proper to man, which are dead and profane. So also the washing in water and being clean at even were representative, and also the third day and the seventh day, which signify what is holy because on those days he was to be purified and would thus be clean.

[3] In like manner concerning those who returned from battle against the Midianites:

Encamp ye without the camp seven days; whosoever hath slain a soul, and whosoever hath touched one slain, ye shall expiate yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day (Numbers 31:19).If this were but a ritual, and the third day and the seventh were not representative and significative of holiness, or of expiation, it would be a dead thing, like that which is without a cause, and like a cause without an end, or like a thing separated from its cause, and this cause from its end, and thus in no way Divine. That the “third day” was representative, and thus significative, of what is holy, is very evident from the coming of the Lord upon Mount Sinai, for which it was thus commanded:

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Jehovah will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:10-11, 14-15).

[4] For a similar reason Joshua crossed the Jordan on the third day:

Joshua commanded, Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to inherit the land (Joshua 1:11; 3:2).

The crossing of the Jordan represented the introduction of the sons of Israel, that is, of those who are regenerate, into the kingdom of the Lord; Joshua, who led them in, represented the Lord; and this was done on the third day. Because the third day was holy, as was the seventh, it was ordained that the year of tithes should be the third year, and that then the people should show themselves holy by works of charity (Deuteronomy 26:12-15); the “tithes” represented remains, which because they are of the Lord alone, are holy. That Jonah was three days and three nights in the bowels of the fish (Jonah 1:17) manifestly represented the burial and resurrection of the Lord on the third day (Matthew 12:40).

[5] That “three” signifies that holy thing is evident also in the Prophets, as in Hosea:

After two days will Jehovah revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him (Hosea 6:2),where also the “third day” plainly denotes the coming of the Lord and His resurrection.

In Zechariah:

It shall come to pass that in all the land two parts therein shall be cut off and expire, but the third shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried (Zechariah 13:8-9),

where the “third part” like “three” denotes what is holy. The same is involved by the third part as by three, and also by the third part of the third part, as in the present passage, for three is the third of the third of twenty-seven.