548. But that they should torment them five months, signifies that the understanding would be darkened and drawn away by the falsities of evil from seeing truth, so long as they were in that state. This is evident from the signification of "to torment," as being to have the understanding darkened and withdrawn from seeing truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "five months," as being so long as they are in that state. "To torment" here signifies to have the understanding darkened and drawn away from seeing truth, because this is said of the locusts and their power to hurt like scorpions, and "locusts" mean the ultimate of man's life, which is called the sensual, and the power to hurt like scorpions signifies a persuasiveness that can take away from the understanding the light of truth and induce infernal darkness; therefore it now follows that "their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a man," for a "scorpion" signifies such persuasiveness (See above, n. 544). This is said "to torment," because it is said above that "the locusts should hurt men, but should not kill them;" and that which hurts but does not kill, torments; and the persuasiveness also, which is of the sensual man that is in the falsities of evil, hurts the understanding by darkening it and drawing it away from seeing truth, although it does not deprive it of the faculty to understand and perceive; and because it is compared with the pain from a scorpion "when it striketh a man," it is said "to torment."
[2] "Five months" signify so long as men are in that state, because a "month" signifies a state, and "five" signifies somewhat, and thus so long as "months" signify states, because all times in the Word, as "ages," "years," "weeks," "days," and "hours," signify the states of life (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169), so likewise "months." That "five" signifies somewhat can be seen from the passages in the Word where that number occurs; for the numbers ten, one hundred, one thousand, signify much and all, therefore "five" signifies somewhat; for the numbers that signify much arise from the number five, which signifies somewhat, and composite and derived numbers take their signification from the simple numbers of which by multiplication they are composed, and from which they are derived (See above, n. 429, 430). "Five" also signifies so long as, because it is said "five months," and "months" here signify a state of duration. This signification of "five months" seems remote, because so long as man lives in the world he is in natural thought, and natural thought derives its ideas from spaces and times and also from numbers and measures; for these are proper to nature, because all things in nature are determined by them; while spiritual thought is without any determinate idea of space, time, number, and measure. For this reason it seems remote and strange to a man in the world, that "five months" should signify so long as that state, that is, a state of the persuasion of falsity continues, for so long the understanding is darkened and drawn away from seeing truth; but when the persuasion of falsity is removed man comes into the faculty to see truth if he wishes to see it, for every man has this faculty.
[3] That "five" signifies in the Word somewhat and some, likewise all such, and like things, can be seen from the following passages. In Matthew:
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins, five of whom were prudent, and five foolish (Matthew 25:1, 2).
The Lord compared the kingdom of the heavens to ten virgins, because "the kingdom of the heavens" signifies the church, as does a "virgin;" and "ten virgins" signify all who are of the church; it is said that "five were prudent and five foolish," because "five" signifies some of them, or all who are such on the one part. That a "virgin" signifies the church can be seen from many passages in the Word where mention is made of "the virgin of Zion," "the virgin of Jerusalem," "the virgin of Israel," by whom the church is signified.
[4] "Ten" and "five" have a like signification in the Lord's parable of the nobleman who gave to his servants pounds to trade with:
And one from a pound gained ten pounds; and another from a pound gained five pounds; and they were therefore to have authority over so many cities (Luke 19:13-20).
The numbers "ten" and "five" are mentioned by the Lord, because "ten" signifies much, and "five" somewhat; while "their trading" signifies gaining or purchasing heavenly intelligence; and "authority over cities" signifies intelligence and wisdom, for "city" in the Word signifies doctrine, and "to have authority over it" signifies to be intelligent and wise; and "over ten cities" signifies much, and "over five" some.
[5] Again, some and all who are such, are signified by "five" in the Lord's parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
That the rich man told Abraham that he had five brethren, and asked that Lazarus might be sent to them (Luke 16:27, 28).
The rich man said that he had "five brethren" because "five" signifies all who are such. Likewise in the Lord's parable of those who were invited to the great supper:
That one excused himself because he had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go to prove them (Luke 14:19).
"Oxen" signify in the Word natural affections, and "five yoke of oxen" signify all those affections or desires that lead away from heaven; heaven and the church in regard to spiritual nourishment or instruction are signified by "the great supper" to which they were invited. Who cannot see that the number "five" in these four parables involves an arcanum, since it was employed by the Lord?
[6] Likewise in Isaiah:
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak with the lips of Canaan, and that swear to Jehovah of Hosts. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt (Isaiah 19:18, 19).
"In that day" signifies the Lord's coming; and "five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lips of Canaan" signifies that then some who are natural will become spiritual, and will acknowledge the truths of genuine doctrine, and will worship the Lord from the good of charity (this may be seen particularly explained above, n. 223. So here it is said "five cities," to mean some at that time, and also some truths of doctrine.
[7] In the same:
There shall be left in it gleanings, as in the shaking of an olive-tree, two three berries in the top of the bough, four five in the branches of the fruitful one (Isaiah 17:6).
And in Luke:
Jesus said, From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two, and two against three (Luke 12:52).
That in these passages "five" signifies some, and all who are such, may be seen above (n. 532), where these passages are explained. There was a law given with the sons of Israel:
That whoever had stolen an ox, and had either killed it or sold it, should pay back five oxen (Exodus 22:1).
Here an "ox" means in the spiritual sense the good of the natural man; "to pay back five oxen for an ox" signifies that one should make sufficient amends for what he had perverted and extinguished; "to steal" means to take away, "to kill" to extinguish, and "to sell" to pervert.
[8] "The fifth part" also signifies as much as is sufficient, in Leviticus 5:16; 6:5; 22:14; 27:13, 15, 19, 27, 31; Numbers 5:6-8. Likewise:
The fifth part that Pharaoh took from the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty (Genesis 41:34; 47:24).
Likewise:
At the fifth [rib] at which Abner smote Asahel with the hinder end of his spear (2 Samuel 2:23);
"at the fifth" signifying as much as was sufficient for death; for the same number that signifies somewhat, and all on the one part, signifies also as much as is sufficient, when it is predicated of quantity, and so long as, when it is predicated of time.
[9] As this number signifies somewhat, and all of one part, so it signifies also a little and a few whenever a great quantity that is also designated by numbers follows or precedes; for then all of one part is relatively a few. Thus in Isaiah:
One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee (Isaiah 30:17).
And in Moses:
Among the curses it was said that five should chase an hundred, and an hundred, ten thousand (Leviticus 26:8).
And in the Gospels:
That the Lord fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-22; Mark 6:38-43; Luke 9:13-16; John 6:9-13).
That they then took up "twelve baskets of fragments" signifies fullness, thus full instruction and full blessing.
[10] Again, "five" signifies few in Luke:
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Fear not, therefore, ye are better than many sparrows (Luke 12:6, 7).
It is said "five sparrows" because fewness and what is of little value in comparison with men are meant, for it is afterwards said, "Ye are better than many sparrows." Anyone can see that this number would not have been mentioned so often by the Lord unless it had been significative. Because "five" signifies all of one part, it was commanded:
That over the tabernacle they should make ten curtains, and the five curtains should be coupled together one to another, and the other five curtains should be coupled one to another (Exodus 26:1, 3.
That "ten" signifies all in the whole complex, and "five" all of one and of the other part, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9595, 9604).
