1825. The fact that three years old covers all eras and conditions of religion can be seen from the symbolism of three in the Word. Three symbolizes an entire religious era from beginning to end, so it symbolizes every state along the way. Consequently the end of a religious era is symbolized by a third day, week, month, year, or age, 1 which all mean the same thing.
Just as the number three symbolizes the condition of religion, it also symbolizes conditions in a religious person and in fact the condition of any feature of religion. This can be seen from the meaning of that number in the scriptural passages quoted in §§720, 901.
[2] This symbolism of a three-year-old heifer as an era or state of religion all the way to its end (when it has been devastated or stripped bare inwardly) can also be seen in Isaiah:
My heart cries out over Moab; those who flee it as far as Zoar are a three-year-old heifer. For they will ascend in tears on the ascent to Luhith, since on the way to Horonaim they will raise a cry for the wreckage. (Isaiah 15:5)
And in Jeremiah:
Gladness and exultation have disappeared from Carmel and from the land of Moab; and wine from the winepresses I will put an end to. No one will tread the hedad; the hedad will not be a hedad. 2 From the cry of Heshbon all the way to Elealeh, all the way to Jahaz, they have uttered their voice, from Zoar all the way to Horonaim — a three-year-old heifer; because the waters of Nimrim will also become wastelands. (Jeremiah 48:33-34)
No one could ever tell what these words mean without knowing what is symbolized by Moab, Zoar, the ascent to Luhith, the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh, Jahaz, Horonaim, the waters of Nimrim, and the three-year-old heifer; although it is clear that they depict final devastation. 3
Footnotes:
1. The Latin word here translated "age" is saeculum, which in Swedenborg's usage can refer to a decade (see §433), a century, or an even longer period. In Christian texts the word is sometimes translated "the world," that is, the current dispensation of time as a whole. See Lewis and Short 1879, under saeculum. [LHC, RS]
2. On the Hebrew word hedad, see note 4 in §971. The idea is that there will be no grape-treading and no jubilant shouting to accompany it. [LHC]
3. For more on the inner meaning of Moab, see §§2468:7-11, 17; 8315. On Zoar, see §§1589, 2429:4. Although Swedenborg never fully explains in one place the meaning of the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh, he does later provide separate clues to the meanings of Heshbon, Elealeh, and the cry itself; see Revelation Explained (Swedenborg 1994-1997a) §§393, 435:7, 911:10. The specific meanings of the ascent to Luhith, Jahaz, Horonaim, and the waters of Nimrim are not given by Swedenborg. [SS, LSW]
