453. Which no one could number, signifies that the Lord alone knows of what quality and how much of good and truth there is in them. This is evident from the signification of "number," as meaning what is the quality of a thing, so "to number" means to know the quality of a thing, here, the quality of the good and truth with those now treated of. It also signifies that the Lord alone knows this, as is meant by "which no one could number;" for no man and no angel knows the quality of good and truth with another in every series and connection, but only something of it that is apparent in externals; and yet every quality is of infinite extension, for it joins and associates itself with innumerable things that lie concealed within, and that abide without, and that spread out in every direction. All this no one sees but the Lord alone; therefore it is the Lord alone by whom all are arranged and disposed according to their quality, for He sees the quality of everyone, thus what his nature is and what will happen to him to eternity, since the Lord's sight which is called omniscience, foresight, and providence, is eternal. This is why no one except the Lord alone knows the quality of good and truth with anyone. It may seem strange that "to number" signifies to know the quality of good and truth, for one reading these words and remaining in the meaning of the letter can have no other thought than that it means simply that the multitude was too great to be numbered; yet in the spiritual sense "number" signifies quality, and thus "to number" signifies to know the quality, and to arrange and dispose according to it.

[2] Because of this signification of numbering a punishment was inflicted upon David for numbering the people, which is thus described in the second book of Samuel:

Again the anger of Jehovah glowed against Israel, and He incited David against them saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. And the king said to Joab, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. Joab dissuaded him, but the king's word prevailed. And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people; and David said, I have sinned exceedingly in that I have done; but now let, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, the iniquity of Thy servant pass away, for I have done very foolishly. So the prophet Gad was sent to David, announcing to him three punishments, and of these David chose the pestilence, of which seventy thousand died (2 Samuel 24:1-25 to the end).

Who does not know that there is no iniquity in numbering a people? Yet here the iniquity was so great that David, on account of it, was threatened with three punishments from which he was to choose one, and of the pestilence which he chose seventy thousand died. But there was a reason for this, namely, that "Israel and Judah" represented, and thence signified, the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on the earth, and "to number" signified to know their quality, and to arrange and dispose accordingly, and that this belongs to the Lord alone; which shows that "to number" in the Word has this signification.

[3] "To number" has a like meaning in Moses:

When thou takest up the sum of the sons of Israel as to the numbering of them, then shall they give every man an expiation for his soul unto Jehovah in numbering them, that there be no plague among them in numbering them (Exodus 30:12).

Here, also, "to number" signifies to know their quality, or the quality of the church with them, and to arrange and dispose according to it; and because this belongs to the Lord alone, it is said, "everyone shall give an expiation for his soul unto Jehovah in numbering them, that there be no plague among them in numbering them." (For a further explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 10216-10232.)

[4] In Daniel:

Because Belshazzar drank wine out of the vessels of gold and of silver from the temple at Jerusalem, a hand went forth and wrote on the wall, Numbered, thou art numbered, weighed, and divided. God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it (Daniel 5:2, 5, 25, 26).

"Numbered, numbered," signifies here to be seen and explored as to the quality of good and truth; and "hath numbered the kingdom" signifies hath arranged and disposed. (What the rest signifies see above, n. 373.)

[5] In like manner in Isaiah:

By the relinquishment of my days I shall go to the gates of hell [of the grave]; I am numbered, the remainder of my years (Isaiah 38:10).

These are the words of Hezekiah the king when he was sick, and "to be numbered" signifies to be explored and concluded. "To number" and "to be numbered" have a different signification in the spiritual sense of the Word from that which they have in the letter or its natural sense, as is evident from the fact that with angels in heaven, numbers and measures have no place in their spiritual idea, that is, they do not think from numbering or measuring, but from the quality of a thing; but this thought of theirs falls into numbers and measures when it comes down therefrom into the natural sphere; and yet the Word is written equally for angels as for men, consequently angels, in numbers and numbering in the Word, perceive the quality of the thing treated of, while men understand numbers and numbering. This can still further be seen from this, that every number in the Word signifies somewhat of thing or state (of which see above, n. 203, 336, 429, 430).

[6] As numbering is mentioned in some passages of the Word, and it signifies to know the quality of a thing, and to arrange and to dispose according to it, I will also cite these passages in confirmation. In Isaiah:

A voice of a tumult of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; Jehovah of Hosts numbering the host for war (Isaiah 13:4).

The "kingdoms of nations gathered together" of which there was a tumult, do not mean nations gathered from kingdoms, for this passage is prophetical and not historical; but "kingdoms of nations gathered together" signifies the falsities of evils that have been made to cohere, and "their tumult" signifies their threats and eagerness to fight against truths; for "kingdoms" are predicated of truths, and in the contrary sense of falsities, while "nations" signify goods, and in the contrary sense evils (See above, n. 175, 331); and "tumult" is predicated of the eagerness for fighting, here against truths; "Jehovah of Hosts numbering the host" signifies the arrangement of truths from good by the Lord against the falsities from evil; the Lord is called in the Word "Jehovah of Hosts," from truths and goods fighting against falsities and evils, for "zebaoth" means hosts, and "hosts" signify the truths and goods of heaven and the church; and "to number" signifies to arrange these, and "war" signifies spiritual combat.

[7] In the same:

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these things, who hath led out their host in number, who calleth them all by name (Isaiah 40:26).

The "host of the heavens" means in the literal sense, the sun, moon, and stars, for these are called in the Word "the host of Jehovah," but in the spiritual sense "host" signifies all the goods and truths of heaven and the church in the complex, for the "sun" signifies the good of love, the "moon" the good of faith, and the "stars" signify the knowledges of good and truth; this makes clear the signification of "Lift up your eyes and see who hath created these things." "To create," when predicated of goods and truths, signifies to form them with man, and to regenerate him; "to lead out the host in number" signifies to arrange truths and goods according to the quality of those with whom they are; "who calleth them all by name" signifies who knows the quality of all and disposes accordingly, for "name" in the Word signifies the quality of a thing or state.

[8] So, too, in John:

The sheep hear His voice, and He calleth His own sheep by name and leadeth them out (John 10:3);

where the same expressions, "to lead out" and "to call by name" are used as above in Isaiah, and they have a similar signification. (That "name" signifies the quality of a thing or state, see above, n. 102, 135, 148)

In David:

Jehovah counteth the number of the stars; He called them all by their names (Psalms 147:4).

"To count the number of the stars, and to call them all by their names," signifies to know all truths and goods, and to dispose them according to their quality in heaven and the church. For what other reason could it be said of Jehovah that "He numbers the stars, and calls them by their names"?

[9] In Jeremiah:

In the cities of the mountain, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the circuits of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again by the hands of him that numbereth them (Jeremiah 33:13).

What "mountain," "lowland," "the south," "the land of Benjamin," "the circuits of Jerusalem," and "the cities of Judah," signify in the spiritual sense may be seen just above (n. 449, where they are explained). "The flocks shall pass by the hands of him that numbereth them" signifies that there will be interior goods and truths in the church according to their order and quality, for "flocks" signify interior goods and truths; "flocks" meaning lambs, sheep, she-goats, rams, and kids, and these signify interior goods and truths, which are spiritual goods and truths, while "herds," which consist of calves, bullocks, cows, and oxen, signify exterior goods and truths, which are natural truths and goods. (That this is so see Arcana Coelestia 1565, 2566, 5913, 6048, 8937, 10609)

[10] In David:

Mount Zion shall be glad, the daughters of Judah shall exult, because of Thy judgments. Encompass Zion and encircle her; number her towers, set your heart to the bulwarks, mark ye well her palaces; that ye may tell the generation following (Psalms 48:11-13).

"Mount Zion which shall be glad," signifies the celestial church, in which are those who are in love to the Lord; "the daughters of Judah who shall exult," signify the affections of good and truth which those have who are of that church; "because of Thy judgments" signifies because of Divine truths which they have from the Lord; "encompass Zion and encircle her" signifies to embrace the things belonging to that church from love; "to number her towers" signifies to give thought to the higher or interior truths of that church, "to number" meaning to see and give thought to their quality, and "towers" meaning the higher or interior truths; "set your heart to the bulwarks" signifies to love the exterior truths that defend that church against falsities; "mark ye well her palaces" signifies to perceive the goods of truth, for "houses" mean goods, and "palaces" the more noble goods of truth; "that ye may tell the generation following" signifies their permanence to eternity.

[11] In Isaiah:

He that walketh in righteousness and speaketh uprightness, thine eyes ¹ shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold the land of wide extent. Thy heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the weigher? where is he that counteth the towers? Thou wilt not see an obstinate people, a people of depths of lip (Isaiah 33:15, 17-19).

"To walk in righteousness and to speak uprightness" signifies to live in the good of love and charity, and to think and perceive truths; for "to walk" signifies to live, "righteousness" is predicated of good, and "uprightness" is truth; "thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty" signifies that they shall attain to wisdom, "king" signifying truth from good, and "beauty" its wisdom, for in wisdom Divine truth is in its beautiful form; "they shall behold the land of wide extent" signifies the extension of wisdom into heaven, "land" signifying the church, and also heaven, and "wide extent" extension there; "thy heart shall meditate terror; where is the scribe? where is the weigher? where is he that counteth the towers?" signifies remembrance of the state of the church, when there is no intelligence, no wisdom, and when interior truths are falsified; "terror" meaning that state, "scribe" intelligence, "weigher" wisdom, "towers" interior truths; to destroy the quality of these by falsifications is here signified by "numbering them;" "thou wilt not see an obstinate people" signifies not seeing those who are in the falsities of evil, or in an abstract sense those falsities themselves; "a people of depths of lip" signifies falsities of doctrine confirmed until they appear as truths, "lip" signifying the truths of doctrine, here falsity that will not be seen.

[12] "To number" signifies also evil arrangement, consequently destruction by falsifications, as is evident in the same:

Ye have seen the breaches of the house of David that they are many; and ye have brought together the waters of the lower pool. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, that ye might tear down the houses to fortify the wall (Isaiah 22:9, 10).

"The house of David" means the church in respect to the truths of doctrine; and "its breaches" signify falsities breaking in; "to bring together the waters of the lower pool" signifies to collect many things from the sense of the letter of the Word and from the natural man; the "pools in Jerusalem" signified such truths as are in the exterior and interior senses of the Word; "the waters of the higher pool" such truths as are in the interior sense of the Word, and "the waters of the lower pool" such as are in the exterior sense of the Word, that is, the sense of the letter, for "waters" mean truths, and the "pools" in Jerusalem have a similar signification as the "lakes" and "seas" outside of Jerusalem, namely, a collection of truths; "to number the houses of Jerusalem" signifies to falsify the goods of truth, "the houses of Jerusalem" signifying the goods of truth of the church, and "to number" signifying wrong apprehension and evil arrangement, which is to interpret falsely or to falsify; "that ye might tear down the houses to fortify the wall" signifies to destroy these goods in order to build up a doctrine consisting of mere falsities, "wall" meaning the truth of doctrine defending, here truth falsified, because without good.

[13] These things make evident what is signified by "numbering days, steps, and hairs," as in the following passages.

In David:

To number our days (Psalms 90:12).

In Job:

Dost Thou not number ² my steps? (Job 14:16).

Doth He not see my ways and number all my steps? (Job 31:4).

In Luke:

The hairs of your head are all numbered (Luke 12:7).

Here "to number" signifies to know the quality from least to greatest, and to arrange and dispose according to it, that is, to provide. What "days," "steps," and "hairs," signify has been told and shown elsewhere.

Poznámky pod čarou:

4769. 'And killed a he-goat of the she-goats' means external truths received from delights. This is clear from the meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the Word as natural truths, that is, truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life, and also as external truths received from delights, dealt with below. Truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life are Divine truths such as are present in the literal sense of the Word, which form the basis of the teachings of the genuine Church. These truths are meant strictly speaking by 'the he-goat', and the delights which spring from them are meant by 'the she-goats'. This being so, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the genuine sense means those who know truths of this kind and enjoy the delights that spring from them. But in the contrary sense 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who know external truths, that is, appearances of truth drawn from the sense of the letter which go along with their delights of life, such as things delighting the body, which are generally called pleasures, and those delighting the mind, which are generally called honours and gains. People of this kind are meant in the contrary sense by 'a he-goat of the she-goats'. In short, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in this contrary sense means adherents to faith separated from charity, for these people take no other truths from the Word than those which are in agreement with their delights of life, that is, which accord with self-love and love of the world. And they reduce other truths to the same level by the use of interpretations, and in this way they present falsities as appearances of truth.

[2] This meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' as adherents to faith separated from charity may be seen in Daniel,

Behold, a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; ¹ and this goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. Out of one of the four horns there came forth one little hoary, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. Indeed, it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them; and it cast down truth to the earth. Daniel 8:5, 9-10, 12.

This refers to the state of the Church in general, not merely to the state of the Jewish Church but also to the state of the Church that followed it, the Christian one; for the Word of the Lord is all-embracing. When used in reference to the Jewish Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who considered internal truths to be worthless; but they did accept external truths, insofar as these were in accord with their loves, which were their desire to be the greatest and to be the wealthiest people. Consequently they did not think of their expected Christ or Messiah as anyone other than a king who would exalt them above all nations and peoples throughout the world and would make these subject to them as the meanest slaves. This was the level to which they reduced their love of Him. As for what love towards the neighbour was, they had no knowledge at all, except as being associated with others with whom they shared the exalted position referred to above and as enjoying material gain.

[3] But when used in reference to the Christian Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who possess external truths received from delights, that is, who adhere to faith separated from charity, for these people too have no interest at all in internal truths. If they do teach these it is solely so that they may thereby earn acclaim, be raised to exalted positions, and acquire material gains. These are the delights their hearts are set on when they utter truths with their lips. What is more, by wrong interpretations of the truths of genuine faith they make these accord with their own loves. From this one may see what the words in Daniel that are quoted above mean in the internal sense. The phrase 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity. The he-goat 'came from the west' means coming from evil, for 'the west' means evil, see 3708. It came 'across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground' means coming into the whole Church, for 'earth' or 'land' in the Word means nothing else than the earth where the Church exists, and so means the Church, 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4435, 4447. 'The horns' it had means powers derived from falsity, 2832, 'a conspicuous horn between the eyes' meaning power derived from reasoning about the truths of faith, as becomes clear from what has been shown regarding the eye in 4403-4421, 4523-4534. 'The one horn which grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' means the expansion of power derived from faith separated from charity even into states lit by the light of heaven - states of goodness and truth; for 'the south' means a state of light, see 3708, 'the east' a state of goodness, 1250, 3249, 3708, 'the glorious [land]' a state of truth, as is clear from various places in the Word. 'It grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them' means that such a thing happened to cognitions of good and truth, for 'the hosts of heaven, and the stars' means cognitions of good and truth, 4697. From this one may see what is meant by 'it cast down truth to the earth', namely that faith itself was cast down, which in essence is charity; for faith looks to charity because it stems from it. That which in the Ancient Church was called truth is in the new one called faith, 4690.

[4] 'He-goat' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel,

Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams and he-goats. Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture and tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures; you drink the water that has settled down ² and stir up the rest with your feet. You butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] till you have scattered them abroad. Ezekiel 34:17-18, 21.

Here also 'he-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity, that is, those who set doctrine above life and at length have no interest at all in life. Yet it is life that makes the human being, not doctrine separated from life; and it is life that remains after death, not doctrine except insofar as this teaches about life. Of these people it is said that they feed off the good pasture and tread down the rest of the pastures with their feet, and that they drink the water that has settled down and stir up the rest with their feet; also that with their horns they butt the weak [sheep] till they have scattered them.

[5] From this one may now see which persons are meant by 'the he-goats', and which by 'the sheep', that the Lord speaks of in Matthew,

Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the he-goats; and He will peace the sheep at His right hand, out the he-goats at the left, etc. Matthew 25:32-33.

The fact that 'the sheep' means those who have charity and therefore have the truths of faith, and that 'the he-goats' means those who do not have any charity even though they have the truths of faith - that is, they are adherents to faith separated from charity - is plain from each detail in this passage, where such people are described.

[6] Which ones are the adherents to faith separated from charity, meant by 'the he-goats', and what kind of people they are, may be seen from the following two places: In Matthew,

Every tree that does not make good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. Matthew 7:19-23.

And in Luke,

Then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I to not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:25-27.

These are the ones who adhere to faith separated from charity and are called 'the he-goats'. But what is meant by 'he-goats' in the good sense, such as the ones used in sacrifices and those mentioned in various places in the Prophets, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.

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