3405. And found in that year a hundred measures. That this signifies abundance, is evident from the signification of “year,” as being the entire state that is treated of (n. 487, 488, 493, 893); from the signification of a “hundred,” as being much and full (n. 2636); and from the signification of “measure,” as being the state of a thing as to truth (n. 3104). All these things collected into a one signify the abundance of truth. In the supreme sense here, as everywhere, the subject treated of is the Lord-that He too when in the maternal human was in appearances of truth; but that as He put off this human, He put off the appearances also, and put on the infinite and eternal Divine Itself. But in the internal or relative sense the subject is appearances of a higher degree which exist with the angels, as above stated, the abundance of which is signified by the finding in that year of a hundred measures. With appearances of truth, or with truths from the Divine, the case is that such as are of a higher degree immeasurably surpass those which are in a lower degree, both in abundance and in perfection; for myriads, nay myriads of myriads of things which are distinctively perceived by those who are in a higher degree, appear only as one thing to those who are in a lower degree; for lower things are nothing but the composites of higher things, as may be inferred from the memories in man, the interior of which, because in a higher degree, so immeasurably excels the exterior one which is in a lower degree (n. 2473, 2474). From this we can see how great is the angelic wisdom in comparison with that of man; the angels of the third heaven being in the fourth degree above man; concerning which wisdom therefore nothing can be told except that it is incomprehensible, nay, ineffable.

2473. The interior memory immeasurably surpasses the exterior, and is relatively as are some myriads to one, or as light is to darkness; for myriads of the ideas of the interior memory flow into a single thing of the exterior memory, and there present a general obscure something. Hence all the faculties of spirits, and still more those of angels, are in a more perfect state, that is, both their sensations, and their thoughts and perceptions. In what way the interior memory excels the exterior, may be seen from examples. When a man calls to remembrance any other man whose quality is known to him from the interaction of many years, whether a friend or an enemy, that which he then thinks about him is presented as one obscure thing; and this because he is thinking from the exterior memory. But when the same man has become a spirit, and calls the other to remembrance, that which he then thinks about him is presented as to all the ideas which he had ever conceived concerning him; and this because he is then thinking from the interior memory. And so it is with everything: the thing itself about which anyone has known many things presents itself in the exterior memory as a single general thing; but in the interior memory it presents itself as to all the particulars about which he has ever acquired for himself an idea in respect to that thing; and this in a wonderful form.