257. Because in this prophetical book numbers are often mentioned; and as no one can know the spiritual sense of what is contained in those numbers unless he knows what the particular numbers signify; for all numbers in the Word, as well as all names, signify spiritual things; and because the number seven is often mentioned amongst others, I am desirous here of showing that seven signifies all, and all things, also what is full and complete for that which signifies all, and all things, signifies also what is full and complete. For what is full and complete is said of the magnitude of a thing, and all and all things of multitude.

That the number seven has such a signification is evident from the following passages. In Ezekiel:

"The inhabitants of the cities of Israel shall set fire to and burn the arms, the shield also and the buckler, with the bow and the arrows, and with the hand-staff, and with the spear; and they shall kindle a fire with them seven years; and they shall bury Gog and all his multitude, and they shall cleanse the land seven months" (39:9, 11, 12).

The subject here treated of is the desolation of all things in the church. The inhabitants of the cities of Israel signify all the goods of truth, to set on fire and burn signifies to consume by evils. The arms, the shield, the buckler, the bows, the arrows, the hand-staff, the spear, denote everything pertaining to doctrine; to kindle fire with them seven years denotes to consume them all and fully by evils. Gog signifies those who are in external worship, and in no internal worship; to bury them and cleanse the land denotes to destroy them all, and completely to purge the church of them.

[2] In Jeremiah:

"Their widows shall be multiplied more than the sand of the seas, and I will bring to them upon the mother of the youths the waster at noon-day. She who hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul" (15:8, 9).

By the widows which will be multiplied are signified those who are in good and desire truths, and, in the opposite sense, as in the present case, those who are in evil and desire falsities. By the mother of the youths is signified the church; by the waster at noon-day is signified the vastation of that church, however much they may be in truths from the Word. By she that hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul, is signified that the church, to which all truths were given because the Word was given them, should perish; for she that hath borne seven signifies those to whom all truths were given. This is specifically said concerning the Jews.

[3] Similarly, in the first book of Samuel:

"They that were hungry ceased, so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children hath failed" (2:5).

The hungry who ceased denote those who desire the goods and truths of the church; the barren who hath borne seven signifies those who are outside the church and are ignorant of truths because they have not the Word, as the Gentiles, to whom all things will be given; she that hath many children failing signifies those who have truths, from whom they will be taken away. Again, in David:

"Render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom" (79:12).

And in Moses,

That the Jews should be punished seven times for their sins (Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28);

seven times here signifying fully.

[4] In Luke:

"And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him" (17:4).

Here, to forgive seven times, if he shall return seven times, denotes to forgive as often as the offender should return, and thus at all times. But lest Peter should understand seven times to be meant by these words, the Lord explains His meaning to him, as recorded in Matthew:

"Peter said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until seventy times seven " (18:21, 22).

Seventy times seven is always, without counting. In David:

"Seven times a day do I praise thee for the judgments of justice" (Psalms 119:164).

Seven times a day denotes always, or at all times.

[5] Again:

"The sayings of Jehovah are pure sayings, as silver refined in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalms 12:6).

Here silver signifies truth from the Divine: purified seven times denotes that it is altogether and fully pure.

[6] In Isaiah:

"The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days" (30:26).

The light of the sun signifies Divine truth from Divine good: and that this light should be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, signifies that the Divine truth in heaven should be without any falsity, thus that it should be altogether and fully pure.

[7] In Matthew,

The unclean spirit "shall take with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and he shall dwell there" (12:45; Luke 11:26).

Here profanation is treated of, and by the seven other spirits with which the unclean spirit is said to return are signified all falsities of evil, thus a plenary destruction of good and truth.

[8] Similar is the signification of the seven times which were to pass over the king of Babylon, in Daniel,

"His heart shall be changed from man, and the heart of a beast shall be given unto him; while seven times shall pass over him" (4:16, 25, 32).

By the king of Babylon are signified those who profane the goods and truths of the Word. By his heart being changed from that of a man to that of a beast is meant that nothing spiritual, that is, truly human, should remain with him, but that instead there should be everything diabolical. By the seven times which were to pass over him is meant profanation, which is a complete destruction of truth and good.

[9] Because the terms seven, and seven times, signified all things, and also what is full, the following commands were given to the children of Israel:

Seven days their hands should be filled (Exodus 29:35).

Seven days they should be sanctified (Exodus 29:37).

Seven days Aaron should put on the garments when he was being initiated (Exodus 29:30).

Seven days they should not go out of the tabernacle when they were being initiated into the priesthood (Leviticus 8:33, 34).

Seven times expiation should be made upon the horns of the altar (Leviticus 16:18, 19).

Seven times should the altar be sanctified with oil (Leviticus 8:11).

Seven times should the blood be sprinkled before the veil (Leviticus 4:16, 17).

Seven times should the blood be sprinkled with the finger towards the east, when Aaron went in to the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:12-15).

Seven times should the water of separation be sprinkled towards the tabernacle (Num. 19:4).

Seven times should blood be sprinkled for the cleansing of leprosy (Leviticus 14:7, 8, 27, 38, 51).

The lampstand had seven lamps (Exodus 25:32, 37; 37:18-25).

Feasts should be celebrated for seven days (Exodus 34:18; Leviticus 23:4-9, 39-44; Deuteronomy 16:3, 4, 8).

Seven days of the feast there should be a burnt offering of seven bullocks and seven rams daily (Ezekiel 45:23).

Baalam built seven altars, and sacrificed seven oxen and seven rams (Num. 23:1-7, 15-18, 29, 30).

They numbered seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, and then should cause the trumpet of the jubilee to be sounded in the seventh month (Leviticus 25:8, 9).

From the signification of the number seven, it is evident what is signified

By the seven days of creation (Genesis 1).

Also by four thousand men being filled from seven loaves, and that seven basketsful of fragments remained over (Matthew 15:34-37; Mark 8:5-9).

Hence now it is clear what is signified in the Apocalypse,

By the seven churches (1:4, 11).

By the seven golden lampstands, in the midst of which was the Son of man (1:13).

By the seven stars in His right hand (1:16, 20).

By the seven spirits of God (3:1).

By the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (4:5).

By the book sealed with seven seals (5:1).

By the seven angels to whom were given seven trumpets (8:2).

By the seven thunders which uttered their voices (10:3, 4).

By the seven angels having the seven last plagues, (15:1, 6).

By seven vials full of the seven last plagues (16:1; 21:9)

and elsewhere in the Word, where seven is mentioned.

483. And shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.- This signifies, in Divine truths, as is evident from the signification of living fountains of waters, which denote Divine truths. By living is signified living from the Divine; by a fountain is signified the Word, and by waters are signified truths thence. Mention is frequently made of living waters in the Word, and by these are meant truths, which come from the Lord and are received. The reason why they are said to be living, is that the Lord is Life Itself, as He Himself teaches, and that which comes from Life Itself is alive; but that which comes from man is dead. The Lord, in order to give life to truths, flows into them, by means of good, and the good vivifies them. He also flows in from the higher or interior, opens the spiritual mind, and gives to it the affection for truth; and the spiritual affection for truth is the very life of heaven in man. This is the life which the Lord instils into man by means of truths. Hence it is evident what living waters and living fountains of waters mean in the following passages.

[2] Thus in Isaiah:

"The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst. I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness (desertum) a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters" (41:17, 18).

The subject here is the salvation of the Gentiles by the Lord, and they are here called poor and needy from a want of and ignorance of truth; their desire to know truths from those who are in the church, where no truths existed, is described by their seeking water when there is none, and their tongue failing for thirst, water denoting truth, and thirst the desire thereof. That they shall be instructed by the Lord, is signified by, "I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys." To open rivers denotes to impart intelligence; on the heights denotes in the interior man; in the midst of the valleys denotes in the exterior man, and to make fountains signifies to instruct in truths. To make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters, signifies abundance of truth with those who were before in want of and in ignorance [of truth]. The wilderness denotes where there is no good because no truth, and the dry land, where there is no truth and thence no good; a pool of water and springs of water denote abundance of the knowledges of truth. From this it is evident that waters, fountains, springs, rivers, and pools of water, are not here meant, but the knowledges of truth, and thence intelligence, whence comes salvation.

[3] In the same prophet:

"Behold, your God will come with vengeance, and will save you. Then shall the parched place become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of waters" (35:4, 7).

These things also are said concerning the instruction of the Gentiles in truths, and their reformation by the Lord when He should come into the world. By the parched place becoming a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of waters, are signified things similar to those mentioned above, by which the wilderness shall become a pool or collection of waters, and the dry land springs of waters.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"They shall come with weeping; and with prayers will I bring them; I will lead them to fountains of waters in a straight way, let them not stumble in it" (31:9).

Here also the subject is the reception of the Lord by the Gentiles. That he would instruct them in genuine truths is signified by his leading them in a straight way, let them not stumble in it.

In Isaiah:

"They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the fountains of water shall he guide them" (49:10).

Here also the instruction of the Gentiles by the Lord is treated of. Instruction in truths is meant by leading them by the springs of water.

[5] The signification of hungering and thirsting, may be seen above (n. 480), and also of heat and of sun (481).

In Joel:

"And it shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine (mustum), and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the stream of Shittim" (3:18).

The signification of "the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters," is explained above (n. 433:13). A fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the river of Shittim, signifies truth out of heaven from the Lord illustrating the scientifics and knowledges which are in the natural man.

[6] In David:

"Thou bringest forth, O earth, at thy presence, at the presence of the God of Jacob; who turned the rock into a lake of waters, the flint into a fountain of waters" (Psalm 114:7,8).

The lake of waters, and the fountain of waters here also mean truths in abundance, by which the church is formed; for by the earth bringing forth is signified the commencement of the church, which is said to bring forth, when truths are produced there, the earth denoting the church.

[7] So again:

Jehovah "who sendeth forth fountains into rivers; let them run between the mountains. They give drink to the beast of the fields; the wild asses quench their thirst. By them the fowl of the heavens have their habitation" (Psalm 104:10-12).

To send forth springs into the rivers signifies to give intelligence by means of truths from the Word; their going between the mountains, signifies that they are from the good of love; fountains denoting truths from the Word, rivers the things which pertain to intelligence, and mountains the goods of love. The instruction of those who are in the good of the church is signified by the words they give drink to the beast of the fields; and the instruction of those in the church who desire truths is signified by the wild asses quench their thirst; that thence the understanding is perfected, is signified by the fowl having their habitation near them. The beasts of the fields, in the spiritual sense, mean the Gentiles who are in the good of life, and wild asses, natural truth. Thirst means a desire for truths; and by the bird of the heavens are meant thoughts from the understanding.

[8] That a fountain, in the highest sense, means the Lord as to Divine Truth, or Divine Truth from the Lord, consequently the Word, is evident from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to hew them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water" (2:13).

Here Jehovah, that is, the Lord, calls Himself a fountain of living waters, by which is signified the Word, or Divine Truth, consequently the Lord Himself, who is the Word; for it is said, "they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to hew them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water," which signifies that they had framed to themselves doctrinals from their own intelligence, in which there are no truths. Cisterns denote doctrinals, broken cisterns denote doctrinals that are not consistent. That can hold no water, signifies in which there are no truths. Such are the doctrinals that are not from the Word, that is from the Lord through the Word (for the Lord teaches by means of the Word), but they are from man's own intelligence. That they were not taught by the Lord by means of the Word, is meant by the words they have forsaken the fountain of living waters.

[9] Again,

"All that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters" (17:13).

Here similarly Jehovah, that is, the Lord, calls Himself a fountain of living waters from the Divine Truth, which is from Himself. To be written in the earth signifies to be condemned, concerning which see above (n. 222:6).

[10] Again, in David:

"They shall be filled with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt cause them to drink of the stream of delights. For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light we see light" (36:8, 9).

Fatness signifies the good of love, and the stream of delights, truth from that good; to cause them drink denotes to teach. With thee is the fountain of life, signifies that Divine Truth is with the Lord and from Him; because this is signified by the fountain of life, it is therefore added, "in thy light we see light," for the light of the Lord signifies Divine Truth.

[11] In Zechariah:

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" (13:1, 2).

Here also the subject is the coming of the Lord. That those who are in the kingdom of the Lord shall then understand the Word, or the Divine Truth contained therein, is signified by, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem," a fountain signifying the Word, the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spiritual kingdom of the Lord with those in the heavens and on the earth who are in Divine Truths; for sin and for uncleanness, signifies the removal of evils and falsities by means of truths from the Word. Because a fountain means the Word or the Divine Truth therein, it is therefore said, "I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." False religion is signified by idols, false doctrine by prophets, and the evils flowing from falsities of doctrine by the unclean spirit; for when man lives according to the falsities of religion and of doctrine, he becomes an unclean spirit.

[12] That Divine Truth from the Lord is meant by a fountain, the Lord Himself plainly teaches in John.

When He sat at Jacob's well in the land of Samaria, He said to the Samaritan woman, "Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life" (4:6, 13, 14).

Here it is evident that the water which the Lord gives, does not mean water, but Divine Truth, for it is said from the water which the woman of Samaria came to draw, that a man thirsts again, but not so from the water which the Lord gives. That there is life in that truth, is meant by that water becoming in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. That there is life in truths when the Lord gives them, may be seen in this article above. The reason why the Lord said these things to the woman of Samaria, when He sat at the well of Jacob, was, that by the Samaritans the Lord meant the Gentiles, who would receive Divine truths from Him; and by the woman of Samaria, the church from them; and by Jacob's well He meant Divine Truth from Himself, or the Word.

[13] In Moses:

"Thus Israel dwelleth in safety alone at the fountain of Jacob" (Deuteronomy 33:28).

These words form the conclusion of the prophecy of Moses concerning the sons of Israel. Because in that prophecy Israel signifies the church which is in Divine truths from the Word, therefore it is said at the fountain of Jacob, which means the Word, and thus also the Lord as to the Word; for He is the Word, because He is the Divine Truth, as He teaches in John (chap. 1:1-3). These things are said at the end of that prophecy, because in it the Word is treated of. The same is meant by that fountain in the prophecy of the patriarch Israel concerning Joseph:

"The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one near a fountain" (Genesis 49:22).

A fountain here means the fountain of Jacob, for the field in which that fountain was situated, was given to Joseph by his father (John 4:5, 6). What is signified by Joseph being the son of a fruitful one near a fountain, may be seen above (n. 448:6). By a fountain is also meant the Word, and by fountains Divine truths therefrom, as in David:

"Bless ye God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel" (Psalm 68:26).

In the Apocalypse:

"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (21:6).

In Isaiah:

"Therefore with joy shall ye draw waters out of the fountains of salvation" (12:3).

In David:

"All my fountains are in thee," O Jehovah (87:7).

[14] Since most things in the Word have an opposite sense, and so also have the words fountain and fountains, in which sense they signify the doctrine of falsities, and the falsities of doctrine, as in Jeremiah:

"I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry" (51:36).

This is spoken of Babylon; and by her sea are signified her falsities in their entirety, and by her fountain the doctrine of falsity.

[15] So in Hosea:

"An east wind shall come, the wind of Jehovah shall come up from the wilderness, and his fountain shall become dry, and his spring shall be dried up" (13:15).

This is spoken of Ephraim, who there signifies the perverted understanding of the Word, by which falsities are confirmed by means of the Word; the destruction thereof is signified by his fountain becoming dry, and his spring being dried up by the east wind, the wind of Jehovah from the wilderness. A fountain denotes the doctrine of falsity, a spring, the false thereof, and the east wind from the desert the destruction of it from fallacies which are from sensual externals. For sensual external things, when they are not illustrated from things internal, destroy the understanding of man, because all fallacies are thence derived.

[16] Again, in David:

"Thou didst break up the sea by thy strength; thou brakest the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people of Tziim. Thou didst break through the fountains and the river; thou driedst up mighty rivers" (Psalm 74:13-15).

Here also, by fountains and rivers are signified the falsities of doctrine from man's own intelligence; the mighty rivers are confirmed principles of falsity thence. The sea monsters and leviathan signify the scientifics which pertain to the sensual and natural man, from which all falsity springs when the spiritual man above them is closed. Man's proprium resides in the sensual and natural man, therefore conclusions formed from these alone are formed from the proprium, or from man's own intelligence; for the Divine flows in through the spiritual man into the natural, but not into the natural when the spiritual above it is closed, whereas the spiritual man is opened by means of truths, and by a life according to them. The people Tziim to whom leviathan is said to be given for meat, signify those who are in infernal falsities.