429. And I heard the number of them that were sealed.- That this signifies the quality of those who are in good, and separated from the evil, is evident from the signification of number, which denotes the quality of the thing treated of, with which signification we shall deal presently; and from the signification of the sealed, as denoting those who are in good, distinct and separate from others. Concerning which signification see just above (n. 427:1).

Number and measure are mentioned in many places in the Word, and it is supposed that nothing more is meant by these than number and measure; but by number and measure in the spiritual sense is meant the quality of the thing treated of. The quality itself is determined by the numbers expressed, as in this place by a hundred and forty and four thousand, and afterwards by twelve thousand out of every tribe. The signification of these numbers shall therefore be explained in the following article. The reason why number signifies the quality of the thing treated of, is that the Word is spiritual, and consequently every detail contained in it is spiritual, and spiritual things are not numbered and measured, but yet they fall into numbers and measures when they [descend] out of the spiritual world, or out of heaven, where angels are, into the natural world or earth, where men are; and similarly, when they pass out of the spiritual sense of the Word in which angels are, into the natural sense of the Word in which men are. The natural sense of the Word is the sense of its letter. This is the reason that in this sense there are numbers, and that they signify spiritual things, or such as relate to heaven and the church. It has been often shown me that the spiritual things of heaven, such as those which the angels think and speak, also fall into numbers. When they were conversing, their discourse fell into pure numbers, and these were seen upon paper; they afterwards said that it was their discourse which had fallen into numbers, and that those numbers in a series contained everything they uttered. I was also instructed as to their signification, and how they were to be understood; upon this subject we shall have frequent occasion to speak in the following pages. But concerning writings from heaven in pure numbers, see Heaven and Hell 263). That all numbers in the Word signify things pertaining to heaven and the church, see also above (n. 203, 336).

8. And he signified [this], sending by his angel unto his servant John. That this signifies, which are revealed to those who are in the good of love, is evident from the signification of he signified, as denoting those things which, in the sense of the letter, contain, and thus signify, those which are in the internal sense. For it is said, "the revelation which God gave to show; and he signified [this]"; and by the things which He signified are meant those which are in the sense of the letter, because all these are significative; and the things which are signified are those that are contained in the internal sense. For all things in the Word are significative of spiritual things which are in the internal sense. The above is also evident from the signification of sending by his angel, as denoting things revealed from heaven; for to send, denotes to reveal, and by an angel, denotes from heaven. The reason why to send denotes to reveal, is, because everything sent from heaven is a revelation; for what exists there is revealed, this being something spiritual concerning the church and its state; but this with man is turned into natural ideas, such as are in the sense of the letter, in the Apocalypse and other parts of the Word. That which comes from heaven cannot be present with man in any other way; for the Spiritual falls into its corresponding Natural, when it descends from the spiritual world into the natural. This is the reason why the prophetic Word is such in the sense of the letter, and since it is such, that it is inwardly spiritual and Divine. By an angel means, from heaven, because that which an angel speaks is from heaven; for when an angel speaks with a man such things as relate to heaven and the church he does not speak as one man to another, who utters from memory the dictates of another, but that which an angel speaks enters into him continually by influx, and not into his memory, but directly into the understanding, and thence into words. This is the reason why every thing spoken by angels to the prophets was Divine, and nothing whatever from the angels. Whether it is said that such things are revealed from heaven, or from the Lord, it is the same; because the Divine of the Lord with the angels constitutes heaven, and nothing whatever from the proprium of the angels. (But this may be better understood from what is said and shown in the work,Heaven and Hell 2-12, and n. 254.)

It is remarked above, that predictions are revealed from heaven to those who are in the good of love, because it is said, "sending by his angel unto his servant John," and by John are represented and meant those who are in the good of love. For by the twelve apostles were represented and signified all those in the church who are in truths from good; consequently, all truths from good, from which the church is; and by each apostle in particular is represented and signified something specific. For example, by Peter is represented and signified faith; by James, charity; and by John, the good of charity, or the good of love. Because John represented this good, therefore the revelation was made to him; for revelation from heaven, such as is here described, can be made to none but those who are in the good of charity or of love. Others, indeed, may hear the things that are uttered from heaven, but they cannot perceive them. They alone have spiritual perception who are in the good of love; the reason is, that they receive those things, not only in the hearing, but also in the love; and to receive in the love is to receive fully, since the things so received are loved; and those who thus receive, see those things in their understanding, in which is the sensation of their internal sight. That this is the case has been made evident to me from much experience, and it might also be illustrated by much rational argument; but upon this subject it is not yet permissible to speak. Here it is only necessary to observe, that all the names mentioned in the Word, signify, not persons, but things; thus, John signifies those who are in the good of love, and therefore, in the abstract, the good of love itself. (That all names in the Word signify things, may be seen inArcana Coelestia 768, 1888, 4310, 4442, 10329. That the names of persons and places in the Word cannot enter heaven, but that they are changed into the things which they signify, n. 1876, 5225, 6516, 10216, 10282, 10432. How elegant the internal sense of the Word is, although mere names are mentioned, is illustrated by examples, n. 1224, 1264, 1888. That the twelve disciples of the Lord represented, and thence signified, all things of love and faith in the aggregate, in like manner as the twelve tribes of Israel, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397. That Peter, James, and John represented, and hence signified, faith, charity, and the good of charity, in their order, see the Prefaces to Genesis 18 and 22, and n. 3934, 8581, 10087.)