4264. Thirty milch camels and their colts, forty heifers and ten bullocks, twenty she-asses and ten foals. That this signifies things of service general and special, is evident from the signification of “camels and their colts,” and of “heifers and bullocks,” also of “she-asses and their foals” as being the things which are of the natural man (concerning which see above—as to camels, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145; bullocks, n. 1824, 1825, 2180, 2781, 2830; and she-asses, n. 2781). That the things which are of the natural man are relatively things of service, may also be seen above (n. 1486, 3019, 3020, 3167). Hence it is that by these animals are signified things of service general and special. As regards the number, of she-goats two hundred, of he-goats twenty, of ewes two hundred, of rams twenty, of camels and their colts thirty, of heifers forty, of bullocks ten, of she-asses twenty, and of their foals ten, these are arcana which cannot be opened without much explication and ample deduction; for all numbers in the Word signify actual things (n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252); and what they signify has been shown in the foregoing pages where they have occurred.

[2] I have sometimes wondered that when the speech of the angels fell down into the world of spirits, it fell also into various numbers; and also that where numbers were read in the Word, real things were understood by the angels. For number never penetrates into heaven, because numbers are measures of both space and of time, these being of the world and of nature, to which in the heavens correspond states and changes of states. The most ancient people, who were celestial men and had communication with angels, knew what was signified by every number, even by the compound ones; and from them their signification was handed down to their posterity, and to the sons of the Ancient Church. These are things which will hardly be credited by the man of the church at this day, who believes nothing to have been stored up in the Word more holy than what appears in the letter.

1825. That “three years old” involves all things of the church as to times and states, is evident from the signification of “three” in the Word. By “three” is signified the full time of the church, from its origin even to its end, and thus all its state. The last time of the church is therefore signified by the third day, the third week, the third month, the third year and the third age, which are all the same. As the state of the church is signified by the number three, so also is the state of everyone who is a church, and everything which is of the church, as may be seen from the signification of this number in the passages adduced from the Word (n. 720, 901).

[2] That “a heifer of three years” thus signifies the time or state of the church even to the last, that is, when it has been vastated or made desolate, may also be seen in Isaiah:

My heart crieth out upon Moab; her fugitives are unto Zoar, a heifer of three years old; for by the ascent of Luhith, with weeping he shall go up in it; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of breaking to pieces (Isaiah 15:5).

Also in Jeremiah:

Gladness and exultation are gathered from Carmel, and from the land of Moab; and I will make ¹ wine to cease from the winepresses; none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting. From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, even unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto ² Horonaim, a heifer of three years old; for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolations (Jeremiah 48:33-34).

No one could possibly perceive what these things mean unless he knew what is signified by “Moab,” by “Zoar,” “the ascent of Luhith,” “the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh,” by “Jahaz,” by “Horonaim,” “the waters of Nimrim,” and by “a heifer three years old.” That this is an uttermost vastation is plain.

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