429. And I heard the number of them that were sealed.- That this signifies the quality of those who are in good, and separated from the evil, is evident from the signification of number, which denotes the quality of the thing treated of, with which signification we shall deal presently; and from the signification of the sealed, as denoting those who are in good, distinct and separate from others. Concerning which signification see just above (n. 427:1).

Number and measure are mentioned in many places in the Word, and it is supposed that nothing more is meant by these than number and measure; but by number and measure in the spiritual sense is meant the quality of the thing treated of. The quality itself is determined by the numbers expressed, as in this place by a hundred and forty and four thousand, and afterwards by twelve thousand out of every tribe. The signification of these numbers shall therefore be explained in the following article. The reason why number signifies the quality of the thing treated of, is that the Word is spiritual, and consequently every detail contained in it is spiritual, and spiritual things are not numbered and measured, but yet they fall into numbers and measures when they [descend] out of the spiritual world, or out of heaven, where angels are, into the natural world or earth, where men are; and similarly, when they pass out of the spiritual sense of the Word in which angels are, into the natural sense of the Word in which men are. The natural sense of the Word is the sense of its letter. This is the reason that in this sense there are numbers, and that they signify spiritual things, or such as relate to heaven and the church. It has been often shown me that the spiritual things of heaven, such as those which the angels think and speak, also fall into numbers. When they were conversing, their discourse fell into pure numbers, and these were seen upon paper; they afterwards said that it was their discourse which had fallen into numbers, and that those numbers in a series contained everything they uttered. I was also instructed as to their signification, and how they were to be understood; upon this subject we shall have frequent occasion to speak in the following pages. But concerning writings from heaven in pure numbers, see Heaven and Hell 263). That all numbers in the Word signify things pertaining to heaven and the church, see also above (n. 203, 336).

333. And we shall reign on the earth. That this signifies the power that belongs to the Lord alone by means of the Divine truth, united to the Divine good, and the power and wisdom thence to those who are of the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdom, is clear from the signification of reigning, as denoting to be in truths and goods, and thence, from the Lord, to be in the power of resisting the evils and falsities that are from hell; and because truths and goods are from the Lord alone, and all power is in truths from good, therefore by reigning is signified the power that belongs to the Lord alone by means of the Divine truth united to the Divine good, and the power thence to those who are in the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdom. He who does not rightly understand the Word in the spiritual sense, will suppose that they will be as kings and priests, and reign with the Lord; but, in the spiritual sense, by kings are meant truths, and by priests goods apart from persons, or in persons, from the Lord; hence it follows that truths from good shall reign, thus the Lord alone, from whom they are. The angels indeed possess great power; but still they have no power of themselves; indeed should one who is in heaven believe that he has power from himself, he is instantly deprived of it, and then he is altogether impotent. The reason it is said in the sense of the letter, that they shall reign, is, because the sense of the letter is personal; wherefore, when in that [sense] it is said, that they shall be kings and priests, it is also said that they shall reign; but in the spiritual sense everything associated with person is put off, and thence everything of dominion belonging to it, and it is left to the Lord alone.

Similar to this case is that in which the Lord said to His disciples, that they should sit upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). Then what the Lord said to Peter, That to him belonged the keys of the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 16:19). By this is not meant that the disciples and Peter should have that power, but the Lord alone; because, in the spiritual sense, by the twelve disciples are meant all the truths and goods of the church from the Lord; and by Peter is meant truth from good from the Lord. (That by the disciples are meant all the truths and goods of the church from the Lord, may be seen above, n. 100, 122. That Peter signifies truth from good from the Lord, may be seen in the small work concerning the Last Judgment 57; and above, n. 9, 206, 209. That all power belongs to truth from good from the Lord, thus to the Lord alone, and that thence the angels have power, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 228-233.) That by, we shall reign, is also signified that they have wisdom from the Lord, is, because by kings and priests are signified truths and goods, and all wisdom is from truths that are from good from the Lord. It is said that they shall reign upon the earth, because by the earth is meant the Lord's church in the heavens and in the earths (see above, n. 304). That the earth also here does not signify the earth, is evident; thus neither that we shall be kings and priests. The reason why to reign signifies to be in truths from good, and thence in power and wisdom from the Lord, is, because a kingdom signifies heaven and the church as to truths, and a king truth from good. (That kingdom in the Word signifies heaven and the church as to truths, may be seen above, n. 48; and a king, truth from good, also above, n. 31. The same is signified by reigning in the following passages, 20:4, 6; 22:4.)