4177. 'Fourteen years for your two daughters' means the first period, the purpose of which was that He might acquire to Himself the affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'fourteen', or two 'weeks', as the first period (for the expression 'weeks' in the Word means nothing else than a whole period, long or short, see 2044, 3845; and when 'two weeks' are referred to as a single period the same applies, since the doubling and the squaring of a number does not alter the meaning. From this it is evident what 'fourteen' or two 'weeks' means here); and from the meaning of 'two daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, and in addition in 2362, where the meaning of 'daughters' as affections is dealt with.

3757. Few however know what is meant by profaning that which is holy. But this may be seen by looking at what has been stated and shown already -

Those who know, acknowledge, and are endowed with good and truth are able to profane these, but not those who have not acknowledged them, still less those who do not know them, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 3398.

So it is possible for those inside the Church to profane holy things but not those outside it, 2051.

It is possible for members of the celestial Church to profane any holy good, and for members of the spiritual Church to profane any holy truth, 3399.

To the Jews therefore interior truths were not disclosed, lest they profaned them, 3398.

Least of all are gentiles able to profane them, 2051.

Profanation is mixing and linking good and evil together, and also truth and falsity together, 1001, 1003, 2426.

It was meant by eating blood, something strictly forbidden in the Jewish Church, 1003.

People are therefore withheld as far as possible from an acknowledgement of and a faith in what is good and true if they are unable to remain steadfast in the same, 3398, 3402, and are therefore kept in ignorance, 301-303; and their worship also becomes external, 1327, 1328.

Internal truths are not revealed until the Church has undergone vastation, for at that point it is no longer possible for good and truth to be rendered profane, 3398, 3399.

As soon as this was the case therefore the Lord came into the world, 3398.

How much danger lies in profaning the Word and that which is holy, 571, 582.