487. 'Days means periods of time and states in general. This has been shown in Chapter 1, where the 'days of creation' have no other meaning. In the Word it is very common for a whole period of time to be called 'a day', as it clearly is in the present verse and in verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31, below; and therefore the states that belong to periods of time in general are meant by 'days' as well. And when 'years' is attached, then periods of years mean the natures of those states, and so the states in particular.

[2] The most ancient people had their own particular numbers which they would use to mean different aspects of the Church - for instance, the numbers three, seven, ten, twelve, and many which they obtained from these and other numbers - and in so doing incorporated states of the Church. These numbers therefore contain arcana that would require considerable effort to unravel. Really a number was an evaluation of the states of the Church. The same feature occurs throughout the Word, especially in the prophetical. And the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church also entail numbers specifying periods of time as well as quantities; for example, in connection with sacrifices, minchahs, oblations, and other practices, which in every case have special reference to holy things. Consequently eight hundred in this verse, nine hundred and thirty in the next, and the numbers of years mentioned in the verses that follow after that, embody in particular more matters than can possibly be retold; matters, that is to say, which have to do with changes in the state of their Church in relationship to their own general state. Later on, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the meaning of the simple numbers up to twelve will be given, for without knowing these first of all no one can grasp what compound numbers mean.

7131. 'To gather stubble for straw' means to find some true factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'stubble for straw' as true factual knowledge; for 'stubble' means the kind of truth that is suited to factual knowledge, meant by 'straw'. 'Stubble' means truth such as this because stubble is the stalk, the tip of which contains the seed; and truths and forms of good are meant in the Word by 'seeds'. Thus the stalk underneath the seeds means a general vessel containing truth, and so means true factual knowledge. For stems of factual knowledge about faith and charity are indeed truths; but they are general truths and so are vessels for receiving particular and specific truths, as anyone is also able to recognize. For example, the general truth that charity towards the neighbour is the essential element of the Church is a stem of true factual knowledge. Another stem is the general truth that faith cannot exist except where there is charity; and yet another is the general truth that truth and good can be joined together, but not truth and evil or good and falsity. And there are many more besides these which are examples of true factual knowledge. Such knowledge can be enriched endlessly with details of truth, as may be recognized from the consideration that volumes can be written about them, even though specific truths - the more internal truths of faith - are completely beyond description, since they can be seen only in the light of heaven and cannot find expression in earthly language. Those truths are like charity, which is a spiritual level of affection, in that for the most part words are incapable of expressing any but the most general aspects of it. That is to say, words can express only those aspects that take on a natural appearance and can be likened to things such as exist in the world. All this has been mentioned in order that people may know what is meant by general factual knowledge.