574. And I heard the number of them, signifies their quality perceived. This is evident from the signification of "to hear," as being to perceive (See above, n. 14, 529); also from the signification of "number," as being the quality of the thing treated of (See above, n. 429); here the quality of the falsities of evil conspiring against the truths of good, from which falsities and in favor of which are the reasonings of the sensual man, which are signified by "the number of the armies of the horsemen" (of which just above). But the quality of these is further described in the next verse in these words, "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat on them, having breast-plates fiery, and hyacinthine, and brimstone-like; and the heads of the horses as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone." These words describe the quality here signified by "number." Something of number may seem to be meant here by "number," but in the spiritual world there are no numbers, for spaces and times there are not measured and determined by numbers as in the natural world, therefore all numbers in the Word signify things, and the number itself signifies the quality of the thing (See above, n. 203, 336, 429, 430; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 263).

6862. 'And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me' means compassion on those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cry' as a calling for help, dealt with in 6801, and consequently when it says that the cry came to Jehovah or the Lord, much the same is implied by it as by 'hearing' ('hearing' means bringing the help of His mercy, or having compassion, see 6852); and from the meaning of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637.