Apocalypse Revealed # 505
505. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their bodies for three and a half days. (11:9) This symbolizes all those who were or who would be caught up in doctrinal falsities and the resulting evil practices at the end of the church still existing, when they have heard and later hear about these two essential elements at the beginning of the New Church, namely, an acknowledgment of the Lord and of works in accordance with the Ten Commandments.
Peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations mean all those of the Protestant Reformed who were or who would be caught up in doctrinal falsities and the resulting evil practices owing to their faith alone. Peoples symbolize people caught up in doctrinal falsities (no. 483), tribes the falsities and evils in the church (no. 349), tongues a confession and acceptance of these (no. 483), and nations people caught up in evil practices (no. 483). Therefore the four together symbolize all those individually and collectively who were or who would be of such a character, thus all those who were in that great city and all those like them who would later come from the world.
The bodies that they would see, those of the two witnesses, symbolize the two essential elements of the New Church, as said in no. 501 above. That they would see them means, symbolically, when they have heard and later hear about them, since it is bodies that are said to be seen, and the two essential elements that are heard.
Three and a half days mean, symbolically, at the end and then the beginning, namely, at the end of the church still existing and the beginning of a new one.
Putting all these things together now into a single meaning, it is apparent that "those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their bodies for three and a half days" has, in the spiritual sense, the symbolic meaning stated above.
Three and a half days mean, symbolically, at the end and then the beginning because a day symbolizes a state, the number three symbolizes something completed to the end, and a half symbolizes a new beginning. For three and half days have the same symbolic meaning as a week, six days of which symbolize something completed to the end, and the seventh day something holy. That is because the number three and a half is one half of seven, and seven days constitute a week; and a number doubled or divided has the same symbolic meaning.
[2] That the number three symbolizes something completed, thus something completed to the end, can be seen from the following accounts in the Word:
That Isaiah was to go naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah 20:3).
That Jehovah called three times to Samuel, and Samuel ran three times to Eli, and that the third time Eli understood (1 Samuel 3:1-8).
That Elijah stretched himself out three times on the widow's son (1 Kings 17:21).
That Elijah ordered that water be poured on the burnt sacrifice three times (1 Kings 18:34).
That Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal (Matthew 13:33).
That Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times (Matthew 26:34).
That the Lord asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" (John 21:15-17).
That Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).
That Jesus said He would destroy the Temple and in three days build it (Matthew 26:61, John 2:19)
That Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39-44).
That Jesus rose on the third day (Matthew 28:1ff.).
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 16:14; Hosea 6:2; Exodus 3:18; 10:22-23; 19:1, 11, 15-16, 18; Leviticus 19:23-25; Numbers 19:11-22; 31:19-24; Deuteronomy 19:2-4; 26:12; Joshua 1:11; 3:2; 1 Samuel 20:5, 12, 19-20, 35-36, 41; 2 Samuel 24:11-13; Daniel 10:1-3; Mark 12:2, 4-6; Luke 20:12; 13:32-33.
Seven, like three, symbolizes something full and complete, but seven is predicated of holy things, while three is predicated of things not holy.
Numbers 26:5-57
5
Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: [of] Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
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of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
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These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
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The sons of Pallu: Eliab.
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The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh,
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and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
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Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn't die.
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The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
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of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
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These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
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The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
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of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
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of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
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These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
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The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
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The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
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The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
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These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
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The sons of Issachar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
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of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
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These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
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The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
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These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
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The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
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The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
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These are the sons of Gilead: [of] Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
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and [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
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and [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
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Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
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These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
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These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
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These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
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These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
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The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
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of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
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The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
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These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
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These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
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All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
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The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
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Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
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The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
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These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.
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The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
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of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
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These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
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These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.
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Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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"To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
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To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given.
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Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
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According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer."
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These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
