408. (Verse 15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men. That this signifies all internal goods and truths, and all external goods and truths, by means of which there are wisdom and intelligence, is clear from the signification of kings, as denoting truths from good in their whole extent (concerning which see above, n. 31); from the signification of great men, and rich men, as denoting internal goods and truths, concerning which we shall speak presently; from the signification of chief captains, and mighty men, as denoting external goods and truths; the chief captains denoting such goods, and the mighty men such truths, concerning which also we shall speak presently. It is said also, by which there are wisdom and intelligence, because from internal goods and truths, which are spiritual goods and truths, there is wisdom, and from external goods and truths, which are natural goods and truths from spiritual, there is intelligence. Wisdom is distinguished from intelligence in this, that wisdom is from the light of heaven, and intelligence from the light of the world enlightened by the light of heaven. Hence it is that wisdom is said of spiritual goods and truths, and intelligence of natural goods and truths; for spiritual goods and truths are from the light of heaven, because the spiritual mind, or the internal mind, is in the light of heaven; and natural goods and truths are from the light of the world, because the natural and external mind is in the light of the world; but in proportion as this mind receives the light of heaven through the spiritual mind, in the same proportion it is in intelligence. He who supposes that intelligence is from the light of the world only, which is called natural light, is much deceived. To see goods and truths from themselves, whether they be civil, moral, or spiritual, is understood by intelligence; but to see them from another, is not intelligence but knowledge. But that it may be known how these things are to be understood, see what is said in the preceding article (n. 406), namely, that man has two minds, the one spiritual or internal, the other natural or external, and that the spiritual or internal mind is opened with those who apply the goods and truths of the Word to the life, but that it is not opened with those who do not apply the goods and truths of the Word to the life, but only the natural or external mind; hence the latter are called natural men, but the former spiritual; to which it must be added, that in proportion as the spiritual or internal mind is opened, in the same proportion spiritual light, which is the light of heaven, flows in thereby from the Lord into the natural or external mind, and enlightens it and imparts intelligence. The goods and truths that make the spiritual or internal mind are meant by the great men, and the rich men; goods by the great men, and truths by the rich men; and the goods and truths which make the natural or external mind are meant by the chief captains, and the mighty men; such goods by the chief captains, and such truths by the mighty men. Hence it is clear that these words, in the internal sense, include all things with man; for the extinction of all things is treated of in what follows. All things in man have reference to good and truth, as also all things in the universe, man having all wisdom and intelligence from and according to these.

[2] He who considers the sense of the letter only, cannot see otherwise than that kings, and the chief men in their kingdoms, are meant, and that so many are mentioned in order that the sense may be exalted. But no word in the Word is without meaning, because it is Divine in everything therein; therefore by them are meant things Divine pertaining to heaven and the church, which in general speech are called things celestial and spiritual, from which the Word is Divine, celestial, and spiritual. The Word also was given, that by its means there may be a conjunction of heaven with the church, or of the angels of heaven with the men of the church (as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 303-310); and such conjunction cannot exist if nothing else were meant by these words but what appears in the sense of the letter, namely, that the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, and the mighty men, also every bondman and every freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, these things also being natural; but when thereby spiritual things are at the same time meant, then there is conjunction. For otherwise the angels could not be conjoined with men, since the angels are spiritual, because [they are] in the spiritual world, and hence think spiritually and also speak spiritually; but men are natural, because in the natural world, and hence think naturally and speak naturally. These observations are made in order that it may be known that by the kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief captains, and mighty men are also signified spiritual things. That spiritual things are meant; namely, by great men and rich men, internal goods and truths, and by the chief captains and the mighty men, external goods and truths, is evident from their signification where they are mentioned in the Word.

[3] That great men in the Word signify internal goods, which are the goods of the internal or spiritual man, is because great and greatness, in the Word, are said of good, and many and multitude, of truth (as may be seen above, n. 336, 337). That internal goods are signified by great men, is, that by these four, namely, great men, rich men, chief captains, and mighty men, are signified all the goods and truths in man, thus both the goods and truths of the internal or spiritual man, and of the external or natural man. By the great men and the rich men [are meant] the goods and truths of the internal or spiritual man; and by the chief captains and the mighty men, the goods and truths of the external and natural man; therefore it is also added, every bondman and every freeman, the bondman signifying the external of man, which is called the natural man, and the freeman, the internal of man, which is called the spiritual man. Similar things are also signified by great men elsewhere in the Word (namely, in Jeremiah 5:5; in Nahum 3:9; and in Jonah 3:7). That rich men signify internal truths, which are spiritual truths, or those who are in such truths, is plain from what has been shown above (n. 118, 236). That chief captains signify external goods, which are goods of the natural man, was also shown above (n. 336); wherefore it is unnecessary to adduce more concerning them. But that the mighty men signify external truths, or truths of the natural man, is plain from many passages in the Word, where mighty men, and strong men, also power and strength, are mentioned; the reason is, that all power belongs to truths from good, and indeed to the truths that are in the natural man. That all power belongs to truths from good, is, because good does not act of itself, but by means of truths, for good forms itself into truths, and clothes itself with them, as the soul with the body, and so acts; the reason why it acts by means of truths in the natural man, is, that all interior things are together therein, and in their fulness. That all power pertains to truths from good, or to good by truths, may be seen above (n. 209, 333; and in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 231, 232, 539); and that all power is in ultimates, because the Divine is therein in its fulness, above (n. 346; and in the Arcana Coelestia 9836, 10044). From these things it is evident that by mighty men are meant external truths, or the truths of the natural man.

336. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands. That this signifies that those are innumerable who are in truths, and innumerable those who are in goods, is clear from the signification of number, as denoting quantity and quality, quantity in the natural sense, and quality in the spiritual sense, the suitable number determining them; but still by all numbers in the Word is signified something of the thing treated of, as by two, three, four, five, seven, ten, and twelve, as has been shown in their proper places. It is the same thing with myriad and thousand, which are here mentioned. The number seven, for example, does not signify seven, but all things, full, and whole (see above, n. 257). But what myriads and thousands signify, shall now be explained. Myriads signify things innumerable; similarly thousands; but myriads are predicated of truths, and thousands of goods; hence it is that by myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, are signified that those are innumerable who are in truths, and innumerable those who are in goods.

[2] Those who are in the lower heavens, concerning whom these things are said, belong to those who are in the higher heavens, treated of above, like two kingdoms, namely, the spiritual kingdom, and the celestial kingdom; those who belong to the spiritual kingdom are meant by those who are in truths, but those who belong to the celestial kingdom are meant by those who are in goods; the latter being innumerable is signified by thousands of thousands, and the former being innumerable is signified by myriads of myriads; but in the abstract sense, which is the true spiritual sense, innumerable truths and innumerable goods are signified. The reason why myriads and thousands signify things innumerable, is, because ten signifies many, and thence also a hundred, a thousand, and ten thousand; for numbers multiplied by a similar number signify the same as the simple numbers by which they are multiplied (see n.5291, 5335, 5708, 7973). But when things innumerable, which are infinitely many, are to be expressed, they are called myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands.

[3] Moreover, when two multiplied numbers, the one greater and the other less, which have a like signification, are mentioned together, as when ten and a hundred, or a hundred and a thousand, then the less is predicated of goods, and the greater of truths; the reason is, because every single good consists of several truths, for good is formed from truths, and hence good is produced by truths; it is from this fact that the greater number is predicated of truths, and the less of goods; similarly here myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands. That it is so may be illustrated by the following consideration, that one delight of affection may be presented by several ideas of thought, and expressed by various things in speech; the delight of the affection is what is called good, and the ideas of thought and various things in the speech, which proceed from that delight or good, are what are called truths. The case is similar with one thing of the will in reference to many things of its understanding, and also with one thing of love to many things which express it; this is why much and multitude in the Word are predicated of truths, and great and greatness of good, for what is great contains in itself many things. But these things are said for those who can be instructed by examples, in order that they may know whence it is that thousands equally as myriads signify things innumerable, but still that myriads are predicated of truths, and thousands of goods.

[4] That these numbers signify such things is evident from the following passages.

In Moses:

"In the first-born of his bullock he hath honour, and his horns [are] the horns of unicorns; with them he shall thrust the people together to the ends of the earth; and these are the myriads of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh" (Deuteronomy 33:17).

These things are said concerning Joseph, by whom, in a representative sense, is signified the Lord as to the Divine Spiritual, and as to His spiritual kingdom (see n. 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417). By his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh are signified two parts of that kingdom, namely, intellectual truth and voluntary good; by Ephraim intellectual truth, and by Manasseh voluntary good; hence it is that myriads are predicated of Ephraim and thousands of Manasseh. That these are signified by Ephraim and Manasseh may be seen in theArcana Coelestia 3969, 5351, 5353, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296. What is signified by the first-born of the bullock, and by the horns of the unicorn, may be seen above (n. 316).

[5] In David:

"The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands of angels of peace; the Lord is among them, in the holy place of Sinai" (Psalms 68:17).

By the chariots of God are signified truths of doctrine, and by the angels of peace are signified the goods thereof; therefore myriads are predicated of the former, and thousands of the latter. (That chariots signify truths of doctrine, may be seen, n. 2762, 5321, 8215; and that peace signifies the inmost of good, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 284-290.) And because the Lord is called Lord from good, and Sinai signifies heaven where and whence the Divine truth is, therefore it is said the Lord is among them, in the holy place of Sinai, the holy place denoting heaven and the church where Divine truth is. (That the Lord is called Lord from Divine good, and God from Divine truth, may be seen, n. 4973, 9167, 9194; and that Sinai signifies heaven where the Lord is, from whom is Divine truth, or from whom is the law, in the strict sense, and in the broad sense, n. 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805, 9420.)

[6] In the same:

"Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night; of the dart that flieth by day, of the pestilence that creepeth in darkness; of death that wasteth at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and a myriad at thy right hand" (Psalms 91:5-7).

These things are said concerning the falsities and evils that are not known to be falsities and evils, and that yet creep into the thought and the will, and destroy men; falsities that are known to be falsities, are meant by the dart that flieth by day, and evils that are known to be evils and yet enter, are meant by the death that wasteth at noon-day; and falsities that are not known to be falsities, are meant by the terror of the night, and evils which are not known to be evils, by the pestilence that creepeth in darkness. The destruction of these evils is signified by a thousand that shall fall at his side; and the destruction of the falsities by the myriad that shall fall at his right hand; by the side also, at which they shall fall, is signified good, and by the right hand the truth of good. The reason why a thousand is predicated of evils, and a myriad of falsities is, because falsities are opposed to truths, and evils opposed to goods; and in the Word opposites are expressed by the same words and the same numbers.

[7] In the same:

"Our garners [shall be] full, yielding from food to food; our flocks shall bring forth thousands, myriads in our streets" (Psalms 144:13).

By garners and by food are signified the goods and truths of the church; for spiritual foods are the knowledges of truth and good, by which there is intelligence. Similar but interior things are signified by flocks; therefore the goods of the church are meant by thousands, and the truths thereof by myriads; and because truths are meant by myriads, therefore it is said, myriads in our streets; for by the streets of a city are signified truths of doctrine. (That food signifies both good and truth, may be seen n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 6277, 8418, 8562, 9003; hence also garners, which are the storehouses thereof. That by flocks are signified interior goods and truths, which are called spiritual, n. 1565, 2566, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783, 3795, 5913, 6044, 6048, 8937, 10609.)

[8] In Micah:

"Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil?" (Micah 6:7).

Because by rams are signified spiritual goods, and by rivers of oil are signified the truths proceeding from good, therefore, myriads are predicated of the latter, and thousands of the former. (That by rams are signified spiritual goods, may be seen, n. 2830, 4170.) And because the good of love is signified by oil, therefore by the rivers thereof are signified the things proceeding from it, which are truths.

[9] In Daniel:

"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit. A stream of fire issuing and going forth from before him; a thousand of thousands ministered unto him, and a myriad of myriads stood before him" (7:9, 10).

The Lord's advent is here treated of, and by the thrones that were cast down, are signified the falsities of the church, which were destroyed; by the Ancient of days is meant the Lord from eternity; by a stream of fire issuing and going forth from before Him, are signified the Divine good of love, and the Divine truth thence; by a stream of fire issuing, the Divine good of love; and by the same going forth, the Divine truth proceeding. Because each is signified, therefore it is said, a thousand of thousands ministered unto Him, and a myriad of myriads stood before Him, a thousand being predicated of Divine Good, and a myriad of Divine truth; to minister is also predicated of good (see above, n. 155); and to stand as well as to go forth is predicated of truth.

[10] In Moses:

"When the ark rested, Moses said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel" (Num. 10:35, 36).

Because the ark signified the Divine Celestial proceeding from the Lord, from the law or testimony which was in it, and by Israel was signified the church as to the reception of Divine good and Divine truth, therefore it is said, "The myriads of the thousands of Israel," by whom are signified the truths from good, which are in Israel or in the church. But what a thousand signifies when ten thousand or a myriad are not adjoined to it, will be seen in its proper article in the following pages; similarly what is signified by number.