487. 'Days means periods of time and states in general. This has been shown in Chapter 1, where the 'days of creation' have no other meaning. In the Word it is very common for a whole period of time to be called 'a day', as it clearly is in the present verse and in verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31, below; and therefore the states that belong to periods of time in general are meant by 'days' as well. And when 'years' is attached, then periods of years mean the natures of those states, and so the states in particular.

[2] The most ancient people had their own particular numbers which they would use to mean different aspects of the Church - for instance, the numbers three, seven, ten, twelve, and many which they obtained from these and other numbers - and in so doing incorporated states of the Church. These numbers therefore contain arcana that would require considerable effort to unravel. Really a number was an evaluation of the states of the Church. The same feature occurs throughout the Word, especially in the prophetical. And the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church also entail numbers specifying periods of time as well as quantities; for example, in connection with sacrifices, minchahs, oblations, and other practices, which in every case have special reference to holy things. Consequently eight hundred in this verse, nine hundred and thirty in the next, and the numbers of years mentioned in the verses that follow after that, embody in particular more matters than can possibly be retold; matters, that is to say, which have to do with changes in the state of their Church in relationship to their own general state. Later on, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the meaning of the simple numbers up to twelve will be given, for without knowing these first of all no one can grasp what compound numbers mean.

727. And pearls. This symbolizes the concepts of goodness and truth contained in the Word among Roman Catholics.

In the spiritual sense pearls symbolize concepts of both celestial and spiritual goodness and truth that come from the Word, in particular from its literal meaning; and because pearls symbolize those concepts, therefore they are mentioned after purple and scarlet and after gold and precious stones.

These concepts are symbolized by pearls also in the following passages:

...the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

The pearl here symbolizes a concept of the Lord.

The twelve gates (in the wall of the New Jerusalem) were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. (Revelation 21:21)

The gates of the New Jerusalem symbolize entrance into the New Church, and the entrance is made possible by concepts of goodness and truth from the Word.

Do not... cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and... tear you in pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

Swine symbolize people who care only for worldly wealth, and not for spiritual wealth, namely for concepts of goodness and truth from the Word.

Because Babylon symbolizes a religion that has cast out all concepts of goodness and truth from the Word, we are told concerning it:

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over (Babylon), because no one buys their merchandise...: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls... (Revelation 18:11-12)