900. The symbolism of the second month as all the stages that precede rebirth can be seen from the symbolism of two in the Word. Two symbolizes the same thing as six, which is the fighting and hard work that come before rebirth. So here it means all the stages we go through before becoming regenerate.

The longest and shortest intervals in the Word are generally split in three or in seven and are called days, weeks, months, years, or "ages." ¹ Three and seven are holy; two and six, being just one less, are not holy but relatively profane, as shown before (§720).

Three and seven also mean something sacrosanct, each because of its connection with the Last Judgment, predicted as coming on the third or else the seventh day. ² Every person — both collectively and individually — has a last judgment when the Lord comes. There was a last judgment when the Lord came into the world. There will be a last judgment when he enters into his glory. There is a last judgment when he comes individually to each person. There is also a last judgment for each person who dies. This last judgment is the third day and the seventh day, which is holy for those who have lived good lives but unholy for those who have lived evil lives. Consequently, a third day and a seventh is predicted for those judged worthy of death and for those judged worthy of life, so that the numbers symbolize what is unholy for those with a verdict of death but what is holy for those with a verdict of life.

Two and six, the numbers just before three and seven, bear a relationship to them and symbolize in general every preceding stage. This is the meaning of the numbers two and six, and the meaning adapts to the subject at hand and to whatever the subject applies to, which the numbers describe.

All of this will become clearer from the discussion of the number twenty-seven in the next section.

Footnotes:

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: