9226. Seven days it shall be with its mother. That this signifies their first state, when they are in truths, is evident from the signification of “seven days,” as being the first state of those who are being regenerated, for “days” denote states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 5672, 5962, 8426, 9213), and “seven” denotes from the beginning to the end, thus what is full (n. 728, 6508); and from the signification of “mother,” as being the church as to truth, thus also the truth of the church (n. 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897). From this it follows that by “seven days it shall be with its mother” is signified the first state to the full, that is, an entire state from beginning to end, while they are in truths. How the case herein is will be told in the following article.

289. It has also been shown above that by “wife” is meant the church, and in the universal sense the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens and on earth; and from this it follows that the same is meant by “mother.” In the Word the church is very frequently called “mother” as in Isaiah:

Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement ? (Isaiah 50:1).

In Jeremiah:

Your mother is greatly ashamed: she that bare you was suffused with shame (Jeremiah 50:12).

In Ezekiel:

Thou art thy mother’s daughter that loathed her man and her sons; your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite (Ezekiel 16:45),

where “man [vir]” denotes the Lord and all that is celestial; “sons” the truths of faith; a “Hittite” what is false: and an “Amorite” what is evil. In the same:

Thy mother is like a vine in thy likeness, planted near the waters; she was fruitful and full of leaves because of many waters (Ezekiel 19:10).

Here “mother” denotes the Ancient Church. The term “mother” is more especially applicable to the Most Ancient Church, because it was the first church, and the only one that was celestial, and therefore beloved by the Lord more than any other.