The Bible

 

Ezekiel 4:6

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6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

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Secrets of Heaven #720

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720. The symbolism of two each as things that are relatively profane can be seen from the symbolism of the number itself.

Two symbolizes marriage (and when it symbolizes the heavenly marriage it is a holy number), but it also symbolizes the same thing as six. Two has the same relation to three as the six days of labor have to the seventh, holy day of rest. So in the Word the third day is interchangeable with the seventh and involves almost the same meaning. This is because of the Lord's resurrection on the third day. For the same reason, just as the seventh day speaks of the Lord's entry into the world and into his glory (and all the other times he comes as well), so also does the third day. In consequence, the two preceding days are not holy but relatively profane, as in Hosea:

Come, let us return to Jehovah, because he has injured us and will heal us. He has struck us and will bandage us. He will bring us to life after two days; on the third day he will raise us up and we will live before him. (Hosea 6:1-2)

In Zechariah:

"It will come about in all the earth," says Jehovah, "that two parts in it will be cut off, will die, and a third will be left in it. And I will lead the third part through fire, and smelt them as silver is smelted." (Zechariah 13:8-9)

And Psalms 12:6 says that the silver would be very pure when purified seven times.

Just as seven each does not mean seven each but what is holy, then, two each plainly does not mean two each but what is relatively profane. In no way does this imply that the ratio of unclean animals (or negative emotions in those people) to clean animals (or good impulses) was as low as two to seven. On the contrary, we harbor immeasurably more evil than good.

  
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Many thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation and its New Century Edition team.