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.

675. And the tenth part of the city fell.- That this signifies that no truths of doctrine existed any longer in those who remained, is evident from the signification of ten, as denoting all persons and all things, also many persons and many things; and of the tenth part, as denoting all and much, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of city, as denoting doctrine, and also the truth of doctrine, for doctrine, in order to be the doctrine of the church, must consist of truths from the Word (that a city signifies doctrine may be seen above, n. 223); and from the signification of to fall, as denoting to be separated, consequently not to exist; for to be separated and not to exist is said of truths of doctrine, while to fall is predicated of a city.

[2] For every particular thing has its own proper and analogous expression, according to the correspondence of the subject in the natural sense and of the subject in the spiritual sense; and the subject in the natural sense here is a city, and the subject in the spiritual sense is the truth of doctrine. That no truths existed with those who remained, follows from what was said in the preceding article, namely, that, when the good were removed from the society in which the good and evil were intermingled, and were taken up into heaven, then, truths of doctrine no longer remained with the evil, because they were cut off from that communication with the good by which they could be as it were in truths as to their external and thus speak concerning truths from doctrine.

[3] For in the spiritual world there is a communication of affections, and thence of thoughts; and from such communication, one is held by another, thus all in the same society are mutually held in a similar affection, consequently in a similar good; so also the evil are held by the good. But these evil were of such a nature as to be able to put on an external appearance of sanctity, piety, intelligence, and zeal for the church and its doctrine; and also in the life an appearance of being just and sincere from the heart, although interiorly in themselves they had none of these things. These are the evil, with whom truths of doctrine no longer existed, after the good meant by the two witnesses who ascended by command into heaven, had been taken away.

[4] It is to be observed that there were in the spiritual world many societies formed of such, and that these societies taken together are meant by the first heaven (prius coelum) which passed away (Apoc. 21:1).

In regard to these societies or this heaven, many things have been related in the small work concerning the Last Judgment. Such of the evil as are described above, and, at the same time, the good associated with them, were in those societies, and so long as they were united in one society, the evil as to externals appeared like the good, but when they were separated, then the external good in them, which was only simulated and hypocritical, was separated, and their interiors, which were infernal, abounding with mere evils and falsities therefrom were laid open. Such a separation, and such a consequent state existed in the spiritual world a little before the Last Judgment, this, therefore, is the state which is here described; for the subject here treated of is the last time of the church, when a general judgment is at hand.

[5] That ten signifies all persons and all things, and also many persons and many things, is evident from passages in the Word where that number occurs.

As in Moses:

Jehovah "hath commanded you his covenant, which he covenanted with you to do, the ten words, which he wrote upon the two tables of stone" (Deuteronomy 4:13).

And again:

"Jehovah wrote upon the tables, according to the former writing, the ten words which he spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire." (Deuteronomy 10:4).

There were ten words or ten commandments forming the decalogue, because ten signifies all things, and therefore by ten words is meant the law in its whole extent.

[6] Since ten signifies all persons, therefore the Lord compared the kingdom of the heavens to ten virgins having lamps, going forth to meet the bridegroom, of whom five were wise (prudentes) and five foolish" (Matthew 25:1, 2, and following verses). The ten virgins to whom the kingdom of the heavens is likened signify all who are of the church, ten signifying all, and virgins the church. But five signifies some or some part, for some of [the virgins] were wise and some foolish. Such is the signification of the number five in the Word. Lamps signify knowledges of truth and good, in this case, from the Word, also, the truths of doctrine and of faith. Oil signifies the good of love and of charity; the bridegroom means the Lord, and the wedding heaven and the church, which are called a wedding from the marriage of good and truth. And because where that marriage does not exist, there neither heaven nor the church exists, therefore those are called foolish who know the truths of faith and have not the good of love, while those who possess this are called wise. For, as stated, lamps there denote the truths of faith, and oil, the good of love. Virgins signify the church, because virgin and daughter, in the Word, signify the affection for good and truth; and a church is a church from that affection. For this reason mention is made in very many places of the virgin or the daughter of Zion, the virgin or daughter of Jerusalem, the virgin and daughter of Israel and of Judah, and by these expressions the church is everywhere meant.

[7] Whereas ten signifies all and many, therefore the Lord said of the nobleman who went into a far country, that "he called his ten servants, and gave them ten pounds (minas) to trade with. And after they had traded, one said that his pound had gained ten pounds; to him he said, thou shalt have power over ten cities; and the second said, thy pound hath made five pounds; to him he said, be thou over five cities; and of the third, who laid his pound in a napkin, and did not trade with it, he said, take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds" (Luke 19:12-14, 16-20, 24). The numbers ten and five are also used here, because ten signifies all persons and all things, and five signifies some persons and some thing. The ten servants, whom the nobleman called to himself when he went into a far country, mean all who are in the world, and in particular, all who are of the church. For by the nobleman is meant the Lord, and by His departure into a far country is meant His departure out of the world, and His apparent absence. By the ten pounds which He gave to the ten servants to trade with are signified all the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, with the power to perceive them; for a pound [mina], which was silver and money, signifies knowledges of truth and the power to perceive them, and to trade signifies to procure intelligence and wisdom by means of these; those who procure for themselves much, are meant by the servant who from a pound gained ten pounds; and those who procure for themselves some, are meant by him who from a pound gained five pounds. The cities which are there said to be given to them signify the truths of doctrine, and possessing them signifies intelligence and wisdom, and life and felicity therefrom; the signification of ten cities and five cities is therefore evident. Because those who procure for themselves nothing of intelligence are like the foolish virgins spoken of above, who possess truths in the memory only, and not in the life, therefore they are deprived of these after their departure out of this world; but those who possess truths both in the life and in the memory, become rich in intelligence to eternity, and therefore it is said, that they should take the pound from him who had gained nothing with it, and give it to him who had ten pounds.

[8] The case is similar with those to whom talents were given, to one five, to another two, and to a third one; the first of whom from his five talents gained other five; and the second from two talents gained other two; and the third hid his talent in the earth, of whom the Lord said, take from him that hath not traded and gained, and give to him that hath ten talents,

"for to every one that hath shall be given, that he may abound, and from him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath" (Matthew 25:14-30).

Five and ten here also signify something and much, and thus, that the first from some knowledges of truth and good procured for himself much wisdom. It is taken away from him who has procured nothing of intelligence for himself, and given to him who has much, because when a man, after death, becomes a spirit, he carries with him every single thing that he has drawn from the Word, and from the doctrine of the church. But those who by means of these have procured nothing of intelligence for themselves, are interiorly evil, and therefore pervert the truths and goods of heaven and the church - which they possessed in the memory only - for the purpose of ruling over and doing evil to the simple-good who are in the ultimate heaven. This is the reason why those truths and goods are taken away from them, and given to those who have many, since the latter do not pervert them, but perform uses with them.

[9] That those who in the world do not procure for themselves spiritual intelligence by means of knowledges of truth and good from the Word, are evil, is evident from this fact, that all are born into evils of every kind, and that these cannot be removed, except by means of Divine truths from the Word, that is, by the application of these to uses, and thus to reception in the life. To those therefore who have gained, it is said, "Good and faithful servants, ye have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things, enter ye into the joy of your Lord" (verses 21, 23); and to him who had gained nothing, "Cast ye out the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (verse 30).

[10] Because ten signifies all and much, that number is therefore used by the Lord in other passages, where all and much is to be understood, as of the woman having ten pieces of silver (drachmas); if she lost one piece, would she not light a candle and sweep the house, and seek carefully till she found it? (Luke 15:8). Ten here signifies much. This is said of a woman, and of her lighting a candle, and sweeping the house, on account of the spiritual sense in every detail of the Word. In that sense woman signifies the church as to the affection for truth, thus also, affection for the truth which pertains to the church. A piece of silver (drachma) signifies truth, and losing the piece of silver signifies to lose one of the truths or of the cognitions of truth. Lighting a candle signifies self-examination from affection; sweeping the house signifies to go over the whole mind, and to examine everything therein, where the truth lies hidden. Such is the spiritual sense of these words. A hundred like ten signifies much; therefore a similar parable speaks of a hundred sheep, if one were lost (Matthew 18:12, 13; Luke 15:3-7).

[11] Ten signifies all and much also in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Many houses, great and fair, shall be a devastation, without inhabitant; for ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath" (5:9, 10).

This is said of the desolation of truth with those who are of the church; many houses which shall be a desolation signify the men of the church, in particular these as to truths from good; great and fair, that is, houses, signify the affection for good and the understanding of truth; for great is used in reference to good and affection for it, and fair is used in reference to truth and the understanding of it. Ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath signifies that in all things pertaining to the church with man, there is scarcely any truth from good, for bath has a signification similar to that of wine, that is, truth from good; therefore ten acres of vineyard signify all things of the church with man.

[12] In Moses:

If ye will go contrary to me, "I will break the staff of bread, that ten women shall bake your bread in one oven; and I will deliver your bread by weight" (Leviticus 26:23, 26).

To break the staff of bread signifies to take away spiritual food, and thus spiritual nourishment; for bread signifies everything that nourishes the soul, and in particular the good of love, therefore by ten women shall bake your bread in one oven is signified that in all things of the church with man there is so little of good and truth, as to be scarcely anything. Ten women signify all things of the church; bread signifies good and truth which nourish the soul; and oven signifies where spiritual food is prepared, thus the man in whom it is; to deliver the bread by weight signifies the failure and want of such things as spiritually nourish.

[13] In Zechariah:

"Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem, and to supplicate the faces of Jehovah; in those days ten men out of all the tongues of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a man that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (8:22, 23).

These things are said concerning the calling together of the nations and their admission to the church by the Lord. Ten men out of all tongues signify all of whatever religion, that is those who come to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem, in other words, who wish to be added to the church, and to confess the Lord; therefore ten men denote all such, and the tongues of the nations their religions. But this together with the rest of the passage may be seen explained above (n. 433:26), where it is shewn that Jerusalem does not mean Jerusalem, nor "Jew" any Jew.

[14] In Amos:

"Jehovah said, I hate the pride of Jacob, and his palaces, therefore I will shut up the city, and the fulness thereof; if there be left ten men in one house they shall die" (6:8, 9).

The pride of Jacob, and his palaces, which Jehovah hates, signify the love and faith of falsity with those who are of the church, pride signifies the love of falsity, and palaces signify falsities themselves, and these are called palaces because they belong to the proud, and because their falsities are embellished in the external form, so as to appear magnificent, although they are most vile, like cottages full of rubbish and filth. By shutting up the city and the fulness thereof is signified to condemn the doctrine, because it is full of and possessed by falsities of evil, city denoting doctrine, and fulness the falsities of evil. If there be left ten men in one house they shall die, signifies therefore that all truths of good with every one shall perish, ten men denoting all truths, house man as to good, while to die denotes to perish.

[15] In Zechariah:

The prophet saw a flying roll, "the length thereof twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits; this is the curse that goeth forth over the faces of the whole earth" (5:2, 3).

The flying roll, which signified the curse that goeth forth over the faces of the whole earth, was in length twenty cubits, and in breadth ten, because twenty and ten signify all, in this place, all good changed into evil, and all truth into falsity, twenty being said of good and everything belonging to it, and ten of truth and everything belonging to it; length also signifies good, and breadth truth, as may be seen above (n. 355:28, 627:4, 629:4, and in Heaven and Hell 197).

[16] Because ten signifies all things and many things, therefore, ten times signifies so often, how often, and always, in the following passages.

In Daniel:

"Among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; in every word of wisdom and intelligence, which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the astrologers and diviners that were in all his kingdom" (1:19, 20).

In Moses:

"All the men, who have seen my glory and my signs, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who tempted me these ten times, shall not see the land" (Numbers 14:22, 23).

In Job:

"Ten times have ye reproached me, ye are not ashamed, ye harden yourselves" (19:3).

[17] Ten times, in these passages, signifies at all times or always, and so often, how often. In Daniel and the Apocalypse, horns are attributed to the beasts, to some ten, to some seven, and to some three, and by the horns of the beasts is signified the power of falsity against truth, and of evil against good, and by ten horns, the highest power.

In Daniel:

"The fourth beast" coming up out of the sea "had ten horns; as to the ten horns out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise" (7:7, 20, 24).

The ten horns of the beast here signify the highest power of falsity against truth; ten kings signify falsities in their whole extent, and kingdom signifies that church perverted.

In the Apocalypse:

"The dragon had seven heads and ten horns, and upon the heads seven diadems" (12:3).

Again:

The beast coming up out of the sea "had seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems" (13:1).

And again:

"The woman sitting upon the scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, had seven heads and ten horns; the ten horns, which thou sawest, are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom; yet they shall receive power as kings one hour with the beast" (17:3, 7, 12).

The signification of the particulars of these passages will be seen in the explanations below.

[18] Because ten signifies all persons and all things, it follows that the tenth part signifies everything. Tenths and tithings derived their origin from this, and signified that everything was holy and blessed when the tenth part of the threshing floor and of the wine-press, or of the corn and the wine, was given to the Levites; similarly for the Levites, when the tenth part was again tithed and given to Aaron. It is thus written concerning this in the Word:

"Tithing thou shalt tithe all the produce of thy seed, which is brought forth into the field year by year" (Deuteronomy 14:22).

And again:

"Say unto the Levites, that the tenths shall be given to them for an inheritance, and that they shall take therefrom a heave-offering to Jehovah, tenths of the tenths, and this from the corn of the threshing floor, and from the fulness of the wine-press; and the tenth of the tenth shall they give to Aaron the priest" (Numbers 18:24-28).

[19] That the tenths signified blessings in all things, thus that everything was holy and blessed, is evident in Malachi:

"Bring all the tenths to the treasure house, that there may be food in my house; then prove ye me in this, if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing upon you, until there shall not be room enough" (3:10).

To open the windows and pour out a blessing signifies the Divine influx, which is the source of intelligence and eternal life; the same is signified by rain (above, n. 644); this is properly meant by the blessing which would be given if the tenths were brought; tithes therefore signify that everything was thus blest.

"In order that everything that Abraham took from his enemies might be blessed it is said, that he gave to Melchisedek, who was king in Salem, and at the same time priest to God most high, tenths of all" (Genesis 14:18, 19).

Similarly Jacob promised

"that if he should return in peace unto the house of his father, of everything that Jehovah gave him, he would give a tenth unto Him" (Genesis 28:21, 22).

From these passages, and many others, the signification of ten and the tenth part in the Word is evident.

[20] The reason why ten signifies all things, is derived from heaven itself; for heaven in the whole and every part has reference to man, and therefore it is called the Grand Man (Maximus Homo). All the forces of the life of that Grand Man or of heaven terminate in the two hands and two feet, and the hands terminate in ten fingers, the feet in ten toes; therefore all things of man, as to power and support, are finally brought together into ten fingers and toes, hence these signify all things pertaining to him; and moreover ultimates, in the Word, signify all things.