The Bible

 

Genesis 1:7

Study

       

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #257

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

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.

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #775

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

775. Having seven heads. That this signifies the knowledge of the holy things of the Word that are falsified and adulterated, is evident from the signification of the head, as denoting intelligence and wisdom; and in the opposite sense, insanity and folly; concerning which see above (n. 553, 577). And because intelligence and wisdom cannot be spoken of in reference to those who by reasonings from the natural man confirm the separation of faith and life, these being meant by the beast coming up out of the sea; therefore, by his head knowledge is signified. Knowledge of the holy things of the Word is meant, because there were seven heads; and the number seven is used of things holy, as may be seen above (n. 257). The reason why such knowledge is meant is that those meant by the dragon are not hostile to the Word; for they call the Word holy and Divine because they seek out from it confirmations of their own dogmas. Nevertheless, that the holy things of the Word, of which they have the knowledge, are falsified and adulterated by them, will be evident from what follows; and in general from this, that those who separate faith from life, cannot do otherwise, because such separation is contrary to each and all things of the Word. For in these there is a marriage of good and truth, which is perfectly clear from the spiritual sense of the Word. On this account, also, there are, in most passages, two expressions, which appear to be a repetition of the same thing. One of them, however, has reference to good, and the other to truth; thus both make, as it were, a marriage, which is called a Divine marriage, a celestial marriage, and a spiritual marriage, and which, strictly regarded, is the marriage of good and truth; concerning which see above (n. 238, 288, 484, 660). The marriage of faith and love, or of faith and good works, should be similar; for faith pertains to truth, and truth to faith; and love pertains to good, and good to love. Hence it is clear, that those who separate faith from the life thereof, or, what is the same, from love, cannot but falsify the Word, because they explain the sense of the letter in a manner contrary to that marriage of good and truth which is contained in each and all things of the Word.

[2] It was said, that the head signifies wisdom and intelligence, and that in the case of those who do not possess wisdom and intelligence, it signifies knowledge; hence in the case of those who falsify and pervert the Word, it signifies insanity and folly, the same as above (n. 715), where the signification of the seven heads of the dragon was explained. Hence the same also is here signified by the head of this beast; for the beast here mentioned is the dragon, as to reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life.

The head signifies wisdom, intelligence, and the knowledge of truths, and, in the opposite sense, folly, insanity, and the knowledge of falsities, because these things reside in the head and they are there in their beginnings. This is quite evident from the fact that the origins of all the fibres are there; these proceed thence to all the sensory and motor organs of the face and the whole body. There are substances there, infinite in number, which appear like little spheres, and are called by anatomists the cortical and cineritious substances. From these proceed small fibres, the primary of which are not evident to the sight, and which afterwards form fascicles. From these the medullary substance of the whole cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata is produced; and from this medullary substance proceed fibres visible to the sight, which, when conjoined, are called nerves. By means of these the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal marrow form the entire body, and each and all things pertaining to it, and thus each and all things belonging to the body are under the rule of the brains.

[3] From these things it is evident that the understanding and the will, which are designated by the one term, mind - consequently also intelligence and wisdom - reside in the brains, and that they are there in their beginnings. Also that the organs which are formed to receive sensations and produce motions are derivations therefrom; just as streams are derived from their fountains, or as results from their causes, or as substantial products from their respective substances. Moreover those derivations are such that the brain is everywhere present, almost in the same way as the sun, by its light and heat, is present in each and all things of the earth.

Hence it follows that the whole body, and each and all things belonging to it, are forms under the direction and government of the mind, and also subservient thereto; and the mind is in the brain; and that it is so constructed to obey the direction of the mind, that the part where the latter were not present, or to which it did not communicate its life, would be no part of man's life.

[4] From these things it is evident that the mind, while it is in its thought which belongs to the understanding, and in its affection which pertains to the will, extends into every individual part of the body, and there by means of its own forms ranges at large, as the thoughts and affections of the angels do in the societies of the whole heaven. The case is also similar in the present instance, because all the things belonging to the human body correspond to all the things of heaven; therefore, the form of the whole heaven, in the sight of the Lord, is the human form. This subject is treated of at great length in the Arcana Coelestia, and also in the work concerning Heaven and Hell.

[5] These things have been said in order that it may be known why it is that the head signifies wisdom and intelligence; as also, in the opposite sense, folly and insanity. For such as a man is in primaries, such is he in the whole; the body, together with each and every part of it, being a derivation, as just stated. If, therefore, the mind is in the belief of falsity, and in the love of evil, then the entire body - that is the whole man - is in a similar state.

This is also quite evident as soon as a man becomes a spirit, whether good or evil; for then his whole spiritual body, from head to foot, is entirely qualified by his mind. If the mind is heavenly, the whole spirit also as to the body is heavenly. If the mind is infernal, the whole spirit also as to the body is infernal. Wherefore the latter spirit appears in a horrible form as a devil; but the former in a beautiful form as an angel of heaven. But on this subject we shall treat further elsewhere.

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.