Arcana Coelestia #893
893. Verse 13 And it happened in the six hundred and first year, at the beginning, on the first of the month, that the waters dried up from over the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out, and behold, the face 1 of the ground was dry.
'It happened in the six hundred and first year' means a finishing point. 'At the beginning, on the first of the month' means a starting point. 'The waters dried up from over the earth' means that falsities were not at that time apparent. 'And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out' means the light, once falsities had been removed, shed by the truths of faith, which he acknowledged and in which he had faith. 'And behold, the face 1 of the ground was dry' means regeneration.
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1. literally, the faces
[893a] 1
That 'it happened in the six hundred and first year means a finishing point is clear from the meaning of the number six hundred, dealt with at Chapter 7:6, in 737, as a beginning, and in particular in that verse as the beginning of temptation. The end of it is specified by the same number, with a whole year having now passed by. It took place therefore at the end of a year, and this also is why the words are added 'at the beginning, on the first of the month', meaning a starting point. In the Word any complete period is specified either by a day, or a week, or a month, or a year, and even by a hundred or a thousand years - for example, 'the days' mentioned in Genesis 1, which meant stages in the regeneration of the member of the Most Ancient Church. For in the internal sense day and year mean nothing else than a period of time; and meaning a period of time they also mean a state. Consequently a year stands in the Word for a period of time and for a state, as in Isaiah,
To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:2.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. In the same prophet,
The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed had come. Isaiah 63:4.
Here too 'day' and 'year' stand for a period of time and for a state. In Habakkuk,
Your work, O Jehovah, in the midst of the years make it live, in the midst of the years do You make it known. Habakkuk 3:2.
Here 'years' stands for a period of time and for a state. In David,
'You are God Himself, and Your years have no end. Psalms 102:27.
This statement, in which 'years' stands for periods of time, means that time does not exist with God. The same applies in the present verse where 'the year' of the flood in no way means any one particular year but a period of time that is not determined by a specific number of years. At the same time it means a state. See what has been said already about 'years' in 482, 487, 488, 493.
1. This paragraph is not numbered in the Latin.
Apocalypse Explained #773
773. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 13.
1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy.
2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death; and the stroke of his death was healed; and the whole earth wondered after the beast.
4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given unto him authority to work forty-two months.
6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.
7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation.
8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9. If anyone hath an ear let him hear.
10. If anyone shall lead into captivity he shall go into captivity; if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him; and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose stroke of his death was healed.
13. And he doeth great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men;
14. And he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast; saying to them that dwell on earth that they should make an image to the beast which hath the stroke of the sword and did live.
15. And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast may both speak, and may cause that as many as do not worship the image of the beast be killed.
16. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads;
17. And that no one be able to buy or to sell if he hath not the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18. Here is wisdom. He that hath intelligence let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy.
1. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life n. 774; "having seven heads," signifies knowledge [scientia] of holy things, which are falsified and adulterated n. 775; "and ten horns," signifies much power n. 776; "and upon his horns 1 ten diadems," signifies power from the appearances of truth in abundance (n. 777); "and upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the falsifications of the Word n. 778.
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