Commentary

 

Six

  

Like most numbers in the Bible, "six" can have various meanings depending on context, but has a couple that are primary. When used in relation to time -- six days, six hours, six years, etc. -- six generally represents a state of labor, struggle and conflict, especially the conflict involved with spiritual growth. The six days of creation, for instance, represent the stages we go through in our lives, working toward the peaceful seventh day, in which our evil desires are removed from us and we can rest. In most other references, six represents all desires for good and all the true ideas that come from those desires for good -- or in the contrary sense, all evil and all the resulting false thinking.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6968

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6968. 'And behold, it was restored like his [other] flesh' means that now it was the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'flesh' as the will side of a person's proprium when it has been made alive by the Proprium of the Lord's Divine Human, which is a heavenly proprium, dealt with in 3813. And since this is meant by 'flesh', the good of love to the Lord and towards the neighbour is what is meant. Among those however who belong to the spiritual Church it is the good of truth, for with them good is the product of truth and accords with the truth as taught by their Church. When this truth becomes part of anyone's life it is called good.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.