813、这表示上古教会的终点，“一百五十天”既是终点，也是起点，这一点无法像频繁出现的简单数字那样容易从圣言证实，然而，这一点从前面提到的数字“十五”（7:20，798节）清楚看出来；“十五”表示如此之少，几近于无。这层含义更适用于“一百五十”这个数字，它是十五乘以十的积，“十”表示余剩。与分数相乘，如二分之一，四分之一，或十分之一，会得出更小的数，直到最后接近于无；这时，结局或终点就到来了。“一百五十”这个数字还出现在下一章（8:3），在那里，经上说：“过了一百五十天，水就退了”，在那里的意思是一样的。
圣言中提到的数字要以完全从字义中抽象出来的意义来理解。如前面所阐述和说明的（482:1，755:4，5），引入数字只是为了使字义上的历史事件连贯起来。例如，当数字“七”出现时，它表示神圣之物，完全从这个数字通常用来量化的时间或尺寸中抽象出来了，或说与时间或尺寸毫不相干。事实上，感知圣言内义的天使对时间或尺寸一无所知，更不用说一个具体数字表示什么了。然而，当人阅读圣言时，他们完全理解。因此，当一个数字出现时，无论在哪个地方，他们不可能有任何数字的概念，只有这个数字所表示的真实事物的概念。此处也一样，他们对这个数字的理解是，它表示上古教会的终点；在下一章（8:3），它表示古教会或新教会的起点。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]813. The symbolism of these words as the ending point of the earliest church and of one hundred fifty as an ending point and a starting point is not so susceptible to proof from the Word as the meanings of the simpler numbers, which appear over and over. Still it can be deduced from the fact that the number fifteen, dealt with above at verse 20 [798], symbolizes what is so meager as to be hardly anything. All that much more so the number one hundred fifty, which is a product of fifteen and ten, since the latter symbolizes remaining traces. Multiplying a small amount — a half, quarter, or tenth, for instance — results in an even smaller product, so small finally as to be almost nothing.{*1} In consequence, it is a conclusion or ending point. The same number appears again in Genesis 8:3 ("the waters receded at the end of one hundred fifty days"), where the meaning is similar.
We need to view the numbers in the Word quite separately from the literal meaning. They are added simply to spin out the thread of the story found in the letter, as stated and shown before [482:1, 755:4, 5]. Where seven occurs, for instance, it means holiness, with no reference whatever to the periods of time and the measurements that it usually quantifies. Angels, who perceive the inner meaning of the Word, know nothing of time and measure, let alone what number is specified. Yet when we read the Word, they fully understand it.{*2} Wherever a number comes up, then, they are unable to form any idea of a number but picture instead the phenomenon that the number symbolizes. So by the number here they understand the ending point of the earliest church, and in verse 3 of the next chapter they understand the starting point of the ancient church, which was the new church.
Footnotes:
{*1} Swedenborg seems to be viewing fifteen and ten as symbolizing fractional amounts, which vanish into almost nothing when multiplied together. [LHC]
{*2} According to Swedenborg, there are always angels with everyone (Secrets of Heaven 697). When people read Scripture, the angels who are with them follow along, so to speak, and yet the angels understand the contents in a spiritual way, while people tend to remain in an earthly understanding (Secrets of Heaven 1767, 3735:2). In this way Scripture provides a link between heaven and earth (Heaven and Hell 305). Although Swedenborg states here in a general way that angels "fully understand" Scripture when we read, elsewhere he cites various factors that either improve or inhibit their understanding. For example, angels' understanding is improved when children read Scripture (Secrets of Heaven 1776, 1871), or when adults read it because they love to do so (Secrets of Heaven 1767), or view it as a sacred text (Secrets of Heaven 3735:2), or read it with innocence (Secrets of Heaven 3839:1) or as part of a quest for truth and for guidance in life (Secrets of Heaven 9188:8). The angels' understanding decreases when people bring predetermined false notions to their reading, or read primarily for worldly or selfish reasons (Secrets of Heaven 9039:1, 9188:8, 10551:3). [JSR]
Potts(1905-1910) 813
813. That this signifies the last limit of the Most Ancient Church, and that "a hundred and fifty" is the last limit, and the first, cannot indeed be so well confirmed from the Word as can the more simple numbers, which are frequently occurring. And yet it is evident from the mention of the number "fifteen" (concerning which above at verse 20), which signifies so few as to be scarcely any; and this is still more the case with the number "a hundred and fifty" composed of fifteen multiplied by ten, which last signifies remains. The multiplication of a few (like the multiplication of a half, a fourth, or a tenth), makes it still less, so that at length it becomes almost none, consequently the end or last limit. The same number occurs in the following chapter (Gen. 8:3), where it is said: "the waters receded at the end of a hundred and fifty days" with the same signification. [2] The numbers mentioned in the Word are to be understood in a sense entirely abstracted from that of the letter. They are introduced (as has been said and shown before) merely to connect together the historic series that is in the sense of the letter. Thus where "seven" occurs, it signifies what is holy, entirely apart from the times and measures with which the number is commonly joined. For the angels, who perceive the internal sense of the Word, know nothing of time and measure, still less of the number designated; and yet they understand the Word fully, when it is being read by man. When therefore a number anywhere occurs, they can have no idea of any number, but of the thing signified by the number. So here by this number they understand that it denotes the last limit of the Mat Ancient Church; and in the following chapter (verse 3), that it denotes the first limit of the Ancient or new Church.
Elliott(1983-1999) 813
813. That these words mean the point at which the Most Ancient Church finally came to an end, and that 'a hundred and fifty' means that which is both a finishing point and a starting point, cannot be confirmed so easily from the Word as the more simple numbers can which occur frequently. Nevertheless the matter is clear from the number fifteen, dealt with above at verse 20. Fifteen means so few as to be hardly any. This meaning applies all the more to the number 'a hundred and fifty', which is the product of fifteen multiplied by ten, which means remnants. Multiplying fractions, such as a half, a quarter, or a tenth, produces smaller fractions still, till at length there is practically nothing, and then the end or finishing point has been reached. The same number occurs in Chapter 8:3 below where it is said that the waters retreated at the end of a hundred and fifty days. There the meaning is similar. Numbers in the Word have to be understood abstractedly - quite apart from the sense of the letter, for as stated and shown already, they have been included merely to produce the flow of historical events that belongs to the sense of the letter. For example, when seven occurs it means that which is holy - quite abstractedly from periods of time or measurements which it is normally used to quantify. Indeed angels, who perceive the internal sense of the Word, know nothing whatever about periods of time or measurements, let alone what a specific number denotes. Yet they understand the Word completely when it is being read by man. Consequently when a number occurs anywhere at all they cannot possibly have the idea of any numerical value, only of the real thing meant by the number. Likewise in the present context they understand by this number the point at which the Most Ancient Church finally came to an end, and in verse 3 of the next chapter the starting point of the Ancient or new Church.
Latin(1748-1756) 813
813. Quod haec significent terminum ultimum Antiquissimae Ecclesiae, et 'quinquaginta et centum' terminum ultimum et primum non quidem ex Verbo ita confirmari potest sicut numeri simpliciores qui frequenter occurrunt; sed usque constat a numero quindecim, de quo supra ad vers. 20, qui significat ita paucum ut vix quicquam; ita adhuc magis numerus 'quinquaginta et centum,' qui est compositus inde per multiplicationem in decem, quae significant 'reliquias'; multiplicatio pauci, sicut multiplicatio dimidiae, quartae aut decimae partis, facit ut adhuc minus sit, sic tandem ut paene nihil, proinde quod sit finis seu terminus ultimus; occurrit idem numerus in cap. seq. viii vers. 3, quod 'recesserint aquae, a fine quinquaginta et centum dierum,' ubi simile significat. Numeri in Verbo prorsus abstracte a sensu litterae intelligendi sunt, inserti modo ad concinnandum seriem historicam quae in sensu litterae, ut prius dictum et ostensum: sicut ubi septem occurrunt, significant sanctum, prorsus abstracte a temporibus et mensuris quibus adjungi solent; angeli enim, qui sensum internum Verbi percipiunt, non sciunt quicquam temporis et mensurae, minus quid numerus designatus, et usque plene intelligunt Verbum cum legitur ab homine; quare cum numerus alicubi occurrit, nusquam possunt habere ideam alicujus numeri, sed rei per numerum significatae; ita hic per hunc numerum, quod terminus ultimus sit Antiquissimae Ecclesiae, et in cap. seq. vers. 3, quod terminus primus Ecclesiae Antiquae, seu novae.