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).

7035. 'Israel is My son, My firstborn' means that those guided and governed by spiritual truth and good have been adopted. This is clear from the meaning of 'son', when used by Jehovah or the Lord to speak of those who belong to the spiritual Church, as one who has been adopted, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'firstborn' as the faith that is wedded to charity, which the spiritual Church possesses, dealt with in 367, 2475, 3725, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930; and from the representation of 'Israel' as the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637. 'Israel is My son, My firstborn' means that those guided and governed by spiritual truth and good - that is, those belonging to the spiritual Church - have been adopted and so recognized as sons because the Lord saved them by His Coming into the world, see 6854, 6914. For this reason also, as well as by virtue of their faith in the Lord, they are called 'the firstborn son'; and they are the ones who are meant by the Lord in John,

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. John 10:16.