3252. A hundred years, and seventy years, and five years. That this signifies the things that belong to this state, is evident from the fact that all numbers in the Word signify things (see n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252); and therefore so does this number, which signifies the things that are of the state now treated of. While the mind dwells solely on what is historical, it appears as if numbers, such as these of the years of the age of Abraham, do not involve any interior sense; yet that they do involve such a sense is evident from all that has been shown above concerning numbers, and can be seen from the fact that in number simply as number there is nothing holy, and yet the least of all the things in the Word is holy.

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.