474. Since the generation or continuance of the Most Ancient Church is therefore the subject, a description is first of all given of how that Church from being spiritual became celestial, for consecutive generations developed from that stage onwards.

'Forty' represents completeness because 'four' and 'ten' both mean what is complete. Forty is the product of four and ten. Compound numbers have a meaning similar to the simple numbers which compose them, and all numbers in the Word represent spiritual realities.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 9437; Exodus 24:18)