574. And I heard the number of them, signifies their quality perceived. This is evident from the signification of "to hear," as being to perceive (See above, n. 14, 529); also from the signification of "number," as being the quality of the thing treated of (See above, n. 429); here the quality of the falsities of evil conspiring against the truths of good, from which falsities and in favor of which are the reasonings of the sensual man, which are signified by "the number of the armies of the horsemen" (of which just above). But the quality of these is further described in the next verse in these words, "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat on them, having breast-plates fiery, and hyacinthine, and brimstone-like; and the heads of the horses as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone." These words describe the quality here signified by "number." Something of number may seem to be meant here by "number," but in the spiritual world there are no numbers, for spaces and times there are not measured and determined by numbers as in the natural world, therefore all numbers in the Word signify things, and the number itself signifies the quality of the thing (See above, n. 203, 336, 429, 430; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 263).

767. Verse 17. And the dragon was angry against the woman, signifies the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" against the church that is the New Jerusalem, enkindled by a perception that it is favored by many. This is evident from the signification of "anger," as being, in reference to the dragon, hatred (of which above, n. 754, 758), therefore "to be angry" means to hate; that this is a grievous hatred enkindled by a perception that the church is favored by many, follows as a consequence from what precedes and from what follows; from what precedes, namely, that "the earth opened her mouth and helped the woman, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth," which signifies that the church, in which there are also dragons, rendered assistance, and did not accept their keen reasonings respecting faith alone; and from what follows namely, that "the dragon went away to make war with the remnant of her seed," which signifies an ardent effort from that hatred to assault the truths of doctrine of that church. So "the anger of the dragon" here signifies such hatred enkindled by a perception that it is favored by many; for, as has been said above, "the woman fled into the wilderness into a place prepared by God" signifies that the church which is the New Jerusalem was among a few, while provision was making for it among many, and for its growing to fullness.