7985. It says that 'the dwelling of the children of Israel, when they dwelt in Egypt, lasted four hundred and thirty years', and in addition to this that 'at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even on this same day, all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt'. But in actual fact the dwelling of the children of Israel from Jacob's going down into Egypt until the departure of his descendants at this time lasted no more than half that time, no more than 215 years, as is evident from chronological references in Sacred Scripture. For Moses was begotten by Amram, Amram by Kohath, and Kohath by Levi; and Kohath came into Egypt along with Levi his father, Genesis 46:11. Kohath lived 133 years, Exodus 6:18; Amram, who beget Aaron and Moses, lived 137 years, Exodus 6:20 and Moses was eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, Exodus 7:7. No mention is made of Kohath's age in years when Amram was born, or of Amram's when Moses was born. But the length of time the people were in Egypt was clearly not 430 years, since the ages of these three do not add up to as much as 430 years, only to 350, as one may see by adding the 133 years of Kohath's life to the 137 years of Amram's, and then these to Moses' 80 years when he stood before Pharaoh. And they are less than that if one adds the years from father's birth to son's. The length of time was 215 years, as chronological references show. But the time from Abraham's going down into Egypt to the departure of the children of Israel was 430 years, as again chronological references show. And from this it now becomes clear that 430 years here is used to mean the whole period of time beginning right back with Abraham, not with Jacob. These years have been marked out and referred to as 'the years of the dwelling of the children of Israel in Egypt' on account of the internal sense. In the internal sense those years mean a state made complete and the duration of vastation undergone by those belonging to the spiritual Church who were held back on the lower earth until the Lord's Coming, when they were delivered, matters regarding which, see 6854, 6914, 7035, 7091, 7828, 7932.

7828. 'The first shall it be for you in the months of the year' means the starting point of all states following for evermore. This is clear from the meaning of 'being the first', when used in reference to months of the year and in the internal sense to states of life, as the starting point; from the meaning of 'the months' as states, dealt with immediately above in 7827; and from the meaning of 'the year' as the period of life from start to finish, dealt with in 2906. Here, since it is speaking about members of the spiritual Church in the next life, whose period of life has a starting point but no finish, 'the year' means the period of life from the start and continuing for evermore (as 'year' can also mean, see end of 2906). The reason why this month became 'the head of months' and the first of all is that it means the starting point in the deliverance of those belonging to the spiritual Church who till then were in a state of captivity, since they were held back on the lower earth, where they were molested by the evil ones represented by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The reason why their first state when they were delivered is the chief one of all and why it is the starting point of all following for evermore is that those who were there were delivered by the Lord's Coming into the world. They could not possibly have been saved without the Lord's Coming into the world; and their deliverance took place when the Lord rose again. From this it is evident that that state - when they were delivered - was for them the chief of all states. It was to be the same after that for all who belonged to the spiritual Church. They too could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world and glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine. With regard to those who belonged to the spiritual Church before the Lord's Coming, that they were held back on the lower earth, and that the Lord delivered and saved them, see 6854, 6914; and in general, that members of the spiritual Church were saved by the Lord's Coming, 2661, 1716, 6372, 7035, 7091 (end). So it is that the words under consideration here mean in the highest sense that the glorification and resurrection of the Lord, of His Human, are the source of all salvation.