Late on the first Easter Sunday, after the Lord had risen from the sepulcher, ten of the disciples gathered for the evening in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem (John 20). They were afraid and probably confused. Since their leader had been crucified by the Roman power, as organized by their own Jewish leaders, they feared that now his followers might also be hunted down and punished. They closed and locked the doors. Were any of the women there? The story does not say, but Peter and John were, who saw and talked with the angels that morning, and the stories of the women were known. Some time must have been spent wondering and perhaps arguing - was He really alive? How could they know it was really Him? This kind of thing, coming back to life after you’re dead, this doesn’t happen in this real world, there must be some mistake!

Then two of the followers, not of the twelve, but the two that had gone to the village of Emmaus, came in, excited and bursting with their news. They had seen Him! They had walked with Him for seven miles and He had told them wondrous things! They had only recognized Him when He broke bread and ate with them. "Don’t doubt us, it really was Jesus!"

And then as they all talked and argued, there He was, standing with them in the room. "Peace be unto you," He said, and He showed them His hands and feet and His side, where he was wounded. He calmed them, and told them that just as he had come down to mankind, so they must go out and teach to all people all the true things that He had taught in the years He was with them.

It was these truths about how to live one’s life that were saving, not the disciples themselves. These saving truths have the power to remit or retain sins, because they were from the Lord, the disciples only transmitted them from the Lord to those who would listen and take them to heart. Then He breathed on them - representing His holy spirit - so that they would not only want to pass these truths on to people, but would also be given the words to say whenever the times came. And then He was gone again.

Thomas was not there that night. We don’t know why. And Thomas, when he heard the story, just could not swallow it. "Except I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe", he said. (John 20:25.)

The next verse tells us that the next Sunday they gathered again, and that Thomas was present this time. As before, the Lord was suddenly there, saying again, "Peace be unto you", and then directly to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger… and reach hither thy hand… and be not faithless but believing". Now Thomas's response was, "my Lord and my God". It seems as if the Lord came this time just to convince Thomas, because it was Thomas who needed Him.

I think He does work this way. I am reminded of another story, from the gospel of Mark (Mark 9:17-27) where a father comes to Jesus with a young son who is possessed by a devil, and asks Jesus to cure him, and is asked in turn: "Do you believe I can do this?" In Mark 9:24 the father responds. Crying out, he said with tears, "I believe, help thou my unbelief."

I think many people have this conflict between lingering doubts and a desire to have the doubts taken away. If we carry on and make our decisions in life as if the doubts were indeed gone, then indeed they will lose their strength and actually will be gone.

These are the only details given of these two meetings in Jerusalem. Chronologically the next post-Easter stories are the ones that take place in Galilee.

John does go on to say at the end of his gospel "...many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God...." (John 20:30-31). Perhaps there were more post-Easter stories that weren't written down, but the ones we do have are strong. For the disciples who were involved, there was an unstoppable impact from the life and teachings of the Lord, and His crucifixion, and physical death, and now - in these stories - His resurrection. Hearing the Lord's charges to them, these Galilean fishermen and their colleagues launch out into the wide world, and work to achieve the Great Commission, enduring hardships and persecution, and succeeding - probably beyond their wildest dreams!

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.