Arcana Coelestia # 4495
4495. 'It happened on the third day' means that which is continuous even to the end. This is clear from the meaning of 'the third day' as that which is complete from beginning to end, dealt with in 2788, and so also as that which is continuous. People who suppose that the historical events described in the Word are no more than the facts of earthly history and are holy only because they appear in a sacred book are scarcely able to believe that 'the third day' has that meaning. But, as shown in preceding explanations, it is not only the actual historical narratives that include spiritual and celestial things which are not plainly visible in the letter, but also every word and every number too. The truth of this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen far more clearly in the prophetical sections which in the sense of the letter do not hold the mind to the sequence of events in the way that the historical sections do. But anyone who looks carefully into the interior contents of the Word comes to see that the number three, like the number seven, and also the number twelve, holds some arcanum. And if these numbers hold such it follows that every other number in the Word holds the same, for the Word is holy in every part.
[2] Sometimes, when I have been talking to angels, I have seen in front of me what looked like numbers written, as if on a sheet of paper, in broad daylight, and I have realized that the spiritual entities about which the angels spoke pass into numbers like these. From this experience I have also been given to know that each number in the Word contains some arcanum. This may be seen plainly from the following in John,
He measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. Revelation 21:17.
And elsewhere,
Let him who has intelligence reckon the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, that is, its number is six hundred and sixty-six. Revelation 13:18.
It is evident that the first of these numbers, namely a hundred and forty-four, is the product of twelve times twelve, and that the number six hundred and sixty-six is a product of that involving three or six; but what degree of holiness is implied by them may be seen from the holiness associated with the number twelve, concerning which number see 577, 2089, 2129 (end), 2130 (end), 3272, 3858, 3913; and concerning the holiness associated with the number three, 720, 901, 1825, 2788, 4010.
[3] Because the number three meant that which is complete even to the end, and so an entire period, whether long or short, it was therefore adopted in the representative Church and used whenever such a meaning needed to be conveyed. It is also used in the same way in the Word, in which every detail carries a spiritual meaning, as may be seen from the following places:
They were to go a three days' journey and to offer sacrifice. Exodus 3:18; 5:3.
They were to be ready on the third day, for on the third day Jehovah would come down onto Mount Sinai. Exodus 19:11, 15-16, 18.
Nothing from the flesh of a sacrifice was to be left until the third day. Leviticus 7:16-18; 19:6-7.
The water of separation was to be sprinkled over the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. Numbers 19:11-end.
Those who touched one killed in war were to be cleansed on the third day and on the seventh day. Numbers 31:19-25.
[4] Joshua commanded the people that within three days they would be crossing the Jordan. Joshua 1:11; 3:2.
Jehovah called Samuel three times, and three times Samuel ran to Eli and the third time Eli understood that Jehovah was calling Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:1-8.
Jonathan told David to hide in the field until the third evening. And Jonathan sent to him on the third day from then, and revealed his father's intention. Jonathan at that point fired three arrows to the side of the stone. And after that David bowed down to the ground three times before Jonathan. 1 Samuel 20:5, 12, 19-20, 35-36, 41.
Three things were set before David, of which he was to choose one - either the coming of famine for seven years, or his fleeing before his enemies for three months, or the existence of pestilence in the land for three days. 2 Samuel 24:11-13.
[5] Rehoboam told the assembly of Israel which asked for relief from his father's yoke that they should go away for three days and then return And they came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king said, Return to me on the third day. 1 Kings 12:5, 12.
Elijah stretched himself over the widow's son three times. 1 Kings 17:21.
Elijah told them to pour water over the burnt offering and the wood a third time and they did so a third time. 1 Kings 18:34.
Jonah was in the stomach of the monster for three days and three nights Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40.
The Lord talked of someone who planted a vineyard and sent servants three times, and after that his son. Mark 12:2, 4-6, Luke 20:12-13.
Of Peter, He said that he was to deny Him three times. Matthew 26:34, John 13:38.
He said to Peter three times, Do you love Me? John 21:15-17.
[6] From these and many other places in the Word it becomes clear that the number three holds an arcanum within it, and that for this reason this number was adopted within the ancient Churches as a meaningful sign. It is evident that it means the entire period of a Church and of things within a Church, whether long or short, and therefore that which is complete and also that which is continuous even to the end, as is plain in Hosea,
Jehovah will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. Hosea 6:2.
Numbers 31
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people."
3
Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh's vengeance on Midian.
4
Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war."
5
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6
Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7
They warred against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses; and they killed every male.
8
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they killed with the sword.
9
The children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their livestock, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
10
All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
11
They took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of animal.
12
They brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13
Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside of the camp.
14
Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
15
Moses said to them, "Have you saved all the women alive?
16
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
17
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
18
But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19
"Encamp outside of the camp seven days: whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
20
As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats' [hair], and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves."
21
Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, "This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses:
22
however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23
everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that doesn't withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.
24
You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean; and afterward you shall come into the camp."
25
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
26
"Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the congregation;
27
and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28
Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, [both] of the persons, and of the cattle, and of the donkeys, and of the flocks:
29
take it of their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh's wave offering.
30
Of the children of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, [even] of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of the tabernacle of Yahweh."
31
Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
32
Now the prey, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
33
and seventy-two thousand head of cattle,
34
and sixty-one thousand donkeys,
35
and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.
36
The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:
37
and Yahweh's tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.
38
The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh's tribute was seventy-two.
39
The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Yahweh's tribute was sixty-one.
40
The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh's tribute was thirty-two persons.
41
Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh's wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
42
Of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men who warred
43
(now the congregation's half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
44
and thirty-six thousand head of cattle,
45
and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
46
and sixteen thousand persons),
47
even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of the tabernacle of Yahweh; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
48
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;
49
and they said to Moses, "Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.
50
We have brought Yahweh's offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh."
51
Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all worked jewels.
52
All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.
53
([For] the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.)
54
Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh.
