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.

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4735. 'Do not shed blood' means not to do violence to what is holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' as that which is holy, dealt with below, and therefore 'shedding blood' means doing violence to it. Everything holy in heaven proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, as consequently does everything holy in the Church. For this reason to prevent people from doing violence to that which is holy the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, in which it is explicitly declared that the bread there is His flesh and the wine His blood, thus that His Divine Human is the source of that which is holy in the Holy Supper. Among the Ancients 'flesh and blood' meant the human proprium, for that which is human consists of flesh and blood. This explains what the Lord said to Simon,

Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:17.

Therefore the flesh and blood meant in the Holy Supper by the bread and wine are the Lord's Human Proprium. The Lord's actual Proprium which He acquired to Himself by His own power is Divine. His Proprium was since His conception that which He had from Jehovah His Father and was Jehovah Himself, and therefore the Proprium which He acquired to Himself within the Human was Divine. It is this Divine Proprium within the Human that is called flesh and blood, 'flesh' being His Divine Good, 3813, 'blood' Divine Truth that goes with Divine Good.

[2] The Lord's Human, now that it has been glorified or made Divine, cannot be thought of as something merely human but as Divine Love within a human form. This is more true of Him than it is of angels, who - when they come to be seen, as I myself have seen them - are seen as forms of love and charity taking on a human appearance, the Lord enabling this to be so. For it was by Divine Love that the Lord made His Human Divine, even, as has been stated, as heavenly love serves to make someone an angel after death, so that he too is seen as a form of love and charity taking on a human appearance. From this it is evident that in the celestial sense the Lord's Divine Human means Divine Love itself, which is a love directed towards the whole human race whom He wishes to save, making them blessed and happy for ever, and to whom He wishes to impart, insofar as its members can accept it, what is His and is Divine, so that it becomes their own. This love, and man's reciprocated love to the Lord as well as his love towards the neighbour, are meant and represented in the Holy Supper, Divine celestial love by the flesh or bread in it and Divine spiritual love by the blood or wine.

[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by eating the Lord's flesh and drinking His blood in John,

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever. But the bread which I shall give is My flesh. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drank His blood you will have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. John 6:50-58.

Because 'flesh' and 'blood' mean the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual that proceed from the Lord's Divine Human, as has been stated, or what amounts to the same, mean Divine Good and Divine Truth that proceed from His Love, 'eating' and 'drinking' mean making these things one's own. They become one's own through the life of love and charity which is also the life of faith. For 'eating' means making good one's own, and 'drinking' making truth one's own, see 2187, 3069, 3168, 3513, 3596, 3734, 3832, 4017, 4018.

[4] Because 'blood' in the celestial sense means the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human, it therefore means that which is holy, for Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human is Holiness itself. There is no other Holiness, nor any other source of it.

[5] As regards 'blood' meaning that Holiness, this may be seen from many places in the Word, of which let the following be quoted here: In Ezekiel,

Son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the air, to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink wine. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth - rams, lambs, and he-goats, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.

This refers to the calling together of all people to the Lord's kingdom, and specifically to the establishment of the Church among gentiles. 'Eating flesh and drinking wine' means making Divine Good and Divine Truth one's own, and so making one's own the Holiness which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human. Is there anyone who cannot see that here in the references to their eating the flesh of the mighty and drinking the blood of the princes of the earth, and their being glutted with horse, chariot, the mighty, and every man of war, 'flesh' is not used to mean flesh nor 'blood' to mean blood?

[6] Similarly in John,

I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, Come, gather yourselves together to the supper of the Great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, small and great. Revelation 19:17-18.

Can anyone ever understand these things unless he knows what 'flesh' means in the internal sense, or what 'kings', 'captains', 'mighty men', 'horses', 'those seated on them', 'free men and slaves' mean?

[7] Also in Zechariah,

He will speak peace to the nations; His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River even to the ends of the earth As for you also, through the blood of your covenant I will let out your bound ones from the pit. Zechariah 9:10-11.

This refers to the Lord. 'The blood of the covenant' is Divine Truth proceeding from His Divine Human and is the Holiness itself which has gone out from Him since He was glorified. This Holiness is that which is also called the Holy Spirit, as is evident in John,

Jesus said, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. This He said about the spirit which those believing in Him were to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39.

As regards the holiness proceeding from the Lord being 'the spirit', see John 6:63.

[8] Further to 'blood' meaning the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human - in David,

From deceit and from violence He will redeem ¹ their soul, and precious will their blood be in His eyes. Psalms 72:14.

'Precious blood' stands for the holiness which they are to receive. In John,

These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14.

And in the same author,

They have conquered the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony; and they did not love their soul even to death. Revelation 12:11.

[9] The Church at the present day knows no more than this, that 'the blood of the Lamb' here means the Lord's passion, for it believes that people are saved solely through the Lord's passion and that it was to endure this that He was sent into the world, a belief which may be enough for the simple who are incapable of grasping interior arcana. The Lord's passion was the last stage of His temptation, by which He fully glorified His Humanity, Luke 24:26; John 12:23, 27-28; 13:31-32; 17:1, 4-5. But 'the blood of the Lamb' here in Revelation is the same as the Divine Truth or that which is holy proceeding from His Divine Human, and so is the same as 'the blood of the covenant' referred to just above, and also in Moses,

[10] Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, who said, All that Jehovah has spoken we will do and hear. Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it over the people. and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which Jehovah has made with you, upon all these words. Exodus 24:7-8.

'The book of the covenant' was Divine Truth as it existed with them at that time, which Truth was corroborated by means of the blood that bore witness to the fact that such Truth proceeded from His Divine Human.

[11] In the ritual requirements of the Jewish Church 'blood' meant nothing other than the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human. When people were being consecrated blood was therefore used to effect this, as when Aaron was consecrated along with his sons. At that time the blood was sprinkled over the horns of the altar, the residue being poured out at the base of it. Some was also put on the tip of their right ear, on their right thumb and the big toe of their right foot, and on their vestments, Exodus 29:12, 16, 20-21; Leviticus 8:15, 19, 23, 30. And when Aaron went within the veil to the mercy-seat the blood had also to be sprinkled with his finger seven times over the east side of the mercy-seat, Leviticus 16:12-15. Likewise in all other consecrations, as well as expiations and cleansings, mentioned in Exodus 12:7, 13, 22; 30:10; Leviticus 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2 , 8, 13; 4:6-7, 17-18, 25, 30, 34; 5:9; 6:27-28; 14:14-19, 25-30; 16:12-15, 18-19; Deuteronomy 12:27.

[12] As 'blood' in the genuine sense means that which is holy, so in the contrary sense 'blood' and 'bloods' mean things which bring violence to it. This is because 'shedding innocent blood' means doing violence to that which is holy. For the same reason too infamous deeds in life and profane acts of worship are called 'blood'. The fact that such things are meant by 'blood' and 'bloods' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of purging. Isaiah 4:4.

In the same prophet,

The waters of Dimon are full of blood. Isaiah 15:9.

In the same prophet,

Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Isaiah 59:3, 7.

In Jeremiah,

Yes, in your skirts the blood of poor innocent souls is found. Jeremiah 2:34.

[13] In the same prophet,

For the sins of the prophets, the iniquities of the priests who shed in the midst of Jerusalem the blood of the righteous. They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Lamentations 4:13-14.

In Ezekiel,

I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood, ² and I said to you, Live in your blood; ² I indeed said to you, Live in your blood'. I washed you with water and washed away your blood ² from upon you, and anointed you with oil. Ezekiel 16:6, 9.

In the same prophet,

You, son of man, will you dispute with the city of blood? ² Declare to her all her abominations. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you are defiled. Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ³ have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and among you have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6, 9.

In Moses,

If anyone sacrifices anywhere else than on the altar at the tent of meeting it shall be [regarded as] blood, and as though he had shed blood. Leviticus 17:1-9.

[14] Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane is meant in the following references to 'blood': In Joel,

I will give portents in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into thick darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Joel 2:30-31.

In John,

The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12.

In the same author,

The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. Revelation 8:8.

In the same author,

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of one dead, from which every living soul died in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of water, and blood was made. Revelation 16:3-4.

[15] A similar meaning occurs in the turning of the rivers, pools and ponds in Egypt into blood, Exodus 7:15-22, for 'Egypt' means knowledge which enters of its own accord into heavenly arcana and as a consequence perverts Divine truths, refuses to accept them, and renders them profane, 1164, 1165, 1186. Being Divine ones, all the miracles performed in Egypt embodied the same kind of meanings. 'The rivers' which were turned into blood means the truths that go with intelligence and wisdom, 108, 109, 3051, as likewise do 'waters', 680, 2702, 3058, and 'springs', 2702, 3096, 3424. 'Seas' means factual truths taken as a single whole, 28. 'The moon', which, it is also said, is to be turned into blood, means Divine Truth, 1529-1531, 2495, 4060. From this it is evident that the turning of the moon, sea, springs, waters, and rivers into blood means Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane.

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