737. 'Noah was a son of six hundred years' means his initial state of temptation. This is clear from the fact from here down to Eber in Chapter 11 nothing else is meant by numbers, years of age, or names than real things, as was the case also with the ages and names of all those mentioned in Chapter 5. Here 'six hundred years' means the initial state of temptation. This becomes clear from its prime factors which are ten and six multiplied again by ten. When the same factors are involved it makes no difference whether the number arrived at is large or small. As for ten, this has been shown already at 6:3 to mean remnants, while the meaning of six here as labour and conflict is clear from places throughout the Word. For the situation is this: What has gone before dealt with man's preparation for temptation, that is to say, he was supplied by the Lord with truths of the understanding and with goods of the will. These truths and goods are remnants, but they are not brought forth so as to be acknowledged until man is being regenerated. In the case of those who are being regenerated by means of temptations the remnants existing with any man are for the angels present with him. From these remnants they draw out those things with which they protect him against the evil spirits who activate falsities with him and in this way attack him. It is because remnants are meant by 'ten' and conflict by 'six' that six hundred years are spoken of, a number in which ten and six are the prime factors and which means a state of temptation.

[2] As regards conflict being the particular meaning of 'six', this is clear from Genesis 1, which describes the six days of man's regeneration prior to his becoming celestial. During those six days there was constant conflict, but on the seventh day came rest. Consequently there are six days of labour, and the seventh is the sabbath, a word which means rest. This also is why a Hebrew slave was to serve for six years and in the seventh was to go free, Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:14, and why for six years they were to sow the land and gather in the produce, but in the seventh they were to leave it alone, Exodus 23:10-12. The same applied to a vineyard. It is also the reason why in the seventh year the land was to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to Jehovah, Leviticus 25:3-4. Because 'six' means labour and conflict it also means the dispersion of falsity, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which looks towards the north, every man with a weapon of dispersion in his hand. Ezekiel 9:2.

And in the same prophet, against Gog,

I will cause you to turn about, and I will split you into six, and cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north. Ezekiel 39:2.

Here 'six' and 'splitting into six' stand for dispersion, 'the north' for falsities, and 'Gog' for people who seize on doctrinal matters based on things of an external nature with which they destroy internal worship. From Job,

He will deliver you in six troubles, and in a seventh no evil will touch you. Job 5:19.

This stands for the conflict that constitutes temptations.

[3] 'Six' occurs in other parts of the Word where it does not mean labour, conflict, or the dispersion of falsity, but the holiness of faith. In these instances it is related to twelve, which means faith and all things of faith in their entirety, and to three which means that which is holy. Consequently there is also a genuine derivative meaning to the number six, as in Ezekiel 40:5, where the man's measuring rod with which he measured the holy city of Israel was six cubits long; and in other places. The reason for this derivative is that in the conflict of temptation the holiness of faith is present, and also that six days of labour and conflict look forward to the holy seventh day.

299. A book written within and on the back. That this signifies the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth, in general and in particular, is evident from the signification of a book, in this case of the book of life, as denoting what is inscribed or implanted by the Lord in the spirit of man, that is, in the heart and soul, or what is the same thing, in the love and faith (concerning which see above, n. 199): hence by the book is here signified the state of life of all in heaven and on earth, and by its being written, is signified what is implanted by the Lord; (that to write signifies to implant, may be seen also above, n. 222); and from the signification of within and on the back, as denoting its being in the heart and soul, or in the love and faith. For with man and spirit love is within, because it constitutes his life; whereas faith, unless it is in his love, is not within, but behind or at the back; for the faith which is faith, makes entirely one with the love, for what a man loves belongs to his faith, but what he does not love does not belong to his faith. That appears, indeed, to be faith which any one thinks from the memory, and teaches from doctrine, but if he loves it only from a natural and not a spiritual love, it is the sight only of the thought of the external man, which sight counterfeits faith; but this faith, being without life before it is implanted in the internal man and its love, is not in the man, but behind him, or at his back. The faith implanted in the internal man and its love, is to believe and love the truth because it is truth, and not to love it chiefly for the sake of a reputation for learning, and of honour or gain therefrom. From these considerations it is evident what is signified by being written within and on the back.

[2] The subject treated of in this chapter is, that the Lord alone knows the states of the life of all in general and of each in particular, and that no one [knows this] besides Him. This is representatively set forth by the book written, which no one could open, read, and look into, but the Lamb alone, that is, the Lord. The reason why no one knows this except the Lord alone, is, because He is God alone, and because He formed the angelic heaven to the image of Himself, and man to the image of heaven: therefore He knows all things of heaven in general, and He who knows all things of heaven in general, also knows everything in particular; for a man who is in truths from good, and an angel, is an image of heaven, for he is a form of it; hence it also follows, that no one knows the states of any one in particular but he who knows the general state of all, for the one depends inseparably upon the other. But these things cannot be described in a few words; therefore see what is shown in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, where they are more distinctly and clearly described, in the following articles: That the Divine of the Lord makes heaven (n. 7-12); That every angel is a heaven in the least form (n. 51-58); That the whole heaven in the aggregate has reference to one man (n. 59-67); Similarly each society there (n. 68-72); That hence every angel is in a perfect human form (n. 73-77); That heaven, which is from the Divine Human of the Lord, in the whole and in part, has reference to man (n. 78-86); That there is a correspondence of all things of heaven with all things of man (n. 87-102); Concerning the conjunction of heaven with mankind (n. 291-302).

[3] It must be noted that here and elsewhere in the Word a book is mentioned, but by this a scroll (volumen) is meant; for in ancient times they wrote upon parchments, which were rolled together, and the parchment was called a book, and a scroll of a book, as may be seen in the Word.

As in Ezekiel:

"I looked, when behold, a hand sent unto me; and lo, in it a scroll of a book written within and without" (2:9, 10).

And in David:

"Then said I, Lo, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me" (Psalms 40:7).

Wherefore also, it is said in Isaiah:

"All the host of the heavens shall waste away, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll" (34:4).

Also in the Apocalypse:

"The heaven departed, as a book when it is rolled together" (6:14).

From these considerations it can be known how the book, which John saw, was written within and on the back.