7240. And it was in the day that Jehovah spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt. That this signifies the state of the church then, when commandment was given through the law from the Divine to those who were of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, when yet they were in proximity to those who are in the hells, is evident from the signification of “day,” as being state (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 6110), here the state of the church, because this is the subject treated of; from the signification of “Jehovah spoke,” as being a command, here to those of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom; from the representation of Moses, as being the law from the Divine (n. 6771, 6827); and from the signification of “the land of Egypt,” as being where they who were of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom were infested by falsities; that this was in the lower earth, which is near the hells, may be seen above (n. 7090). The land of Egypt, where the sons of Israel were, and which was called “Goshen,” signifies that lower earth; but where the Egyptians were, signifies the hells around, from which came the infestations by falsities.

493. That by “days” and “years” are signified times and states needs no further explication, except to say that in the world there must needs be times and measures, to which numbers may be applied because they are in the ultimates of nature; but whenever they are applied in the Word, the numbers of the days and years, and also of the measures, have a signification abstractedly from the times and measures, in accordance with the signification of the number; as where it is said that there are six days of labor, and that the seventh is holy, of which above; that the jubilee should be proclaimed every forty-ninth year, and should be celebrated in the fiftieth; that the tribes of Israel were twelve, and the apostles of the Lord the same; that there were seventy elders, and as many disciples of the Lord; and so in many other instances where the numbers have a special signification abstractedly from the things to which they are applied; and when thus abstracted, then it is states that are signified by the numbers.