3017. And Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things. That this signifies when all things were disposed by the Lord into Divine order, or what is the same, when the Lord had disposed all things into Divine order, is evident from the fact that “Jehovah” is the Lord as to the Divine Itself (see n. 1343, 1736, 1815, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921); and that in this case Abraham represents the Lord as to the Divine Human (n. 2833, 2836); and therefore when it is said that “Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things,” in the internal sense is meant that the Lord from the Divine Itself in His Human disposed all things into Divine order; for to “bless,” when said of the Lord’s Human, signifies these things. For to “be blessed,” when predicated of man, means to be enriched with spiritual and celestial good (see n. 981, 1096, 1420, 1422); and he is enriched with it when the things in him are disposed by the Lord into spiritual and celestial order, thus into the image and likeness of Divine order (n. 1475); the regeneration of man being nothing else. But what is meant when it is said that all things were disposed by the Lord into Divine order in His Human, is evident from what follows in this chapter, namely, that His Divine rational, represented by Isaac, which was conceived from the Divine Good represented by Abraham, and was born of the Divine Truth represented by Sarah, was now disposed into such Divine order that Divine truths from the Human itself could be conjoined with it. These are the arcana contained in this chapter in the internal sense, concerning which the angels have clear light from the Lord. For in the light of heaven these things are open as in clear day; whereas in the light of the world in which man is, scarcely anything is so, except something in an obscure manner with one who is regenerate, for he also is in some light of heaven.

487. That by “days” are signified times and states in general, was shown in the first chapter, where the “days” of creation have no other signification. In the Word it is very usual to call all time “days” as is manifestly the case in the present verse, and in those which follow, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31 (5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31); and therefore the states of the times in general are likewise signified by “days;” and when “years” are added, then by the seasons of the years are signified the qualities of the states, thus states in special. The most ancient people had their numbers, by which they signified various things relating to the church, as the numbers “three” “seven” “ten” “twelve” and many that were compounded of these and others, whereby they described the states of the church; wherefore these numbers contain arcana which would require much time to explain. It was an account or reckoning of the states of the church. The same thing occurs in many parts of the Word, especially the prophetical. In the rites of the Jewish Church also there were numbers, both of times and measures, as for instance in regard to the sacrifices, meat-offerings, oblations, and other things, which everywhere signify holy things, according to their application. The things here involved, therefore, in the number “eight hundred” and in the next verse, in the number “nine hundred and thirty” and in the numbers of years in the verses following-namely, the changes of state of their church as applied to their own general state-are too many to be recounted. In a future part of this work, of the Lord’s Divine mercy we shall take occasion to show what the simple numbers up to “twelve” signify, for until the signification of these is known, it would be impossible to apprehend the signification of the compound numbers.