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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).
429. Verse 4. And I heard the number of those sealed, signifies the quality of those who are in good who are separated from the evil. This is evident from the signification of "number," as being the quality of the thing treated of (of which presently); also from the signification of "those sealed," as being those who are in good, distinguished and separated from others (of which just above, n. 427. "Number" and "measure" are mentioned in many passages in the Word, and it is believed that these mean simply number and measure; but "number" and "measure" in the spiritual sense mean the quality of the thing treated of. The quality itself is determined by the numbers expressed, as here by the "hundred and forty-four thousand," and afterwards the "twelve thousand" out of every tribe. What is signified by these numbers will be told in the following article. Number signifies the quality of the thing treated of for the reason that the Word is spiritual, and therefore each and every thing that it contains is spiritual, and spiritual things are not numbered or measured, but still they fall into numbers and measures when they come down out of the spiritual world or out of heaven where the angels are into the natural world or upon the earth where men are; and likewise in the Word, when they come down out of its spiritual sense in which the angels are into the natural sense in which men are; the natural sense of the Word is the sense of its letter. This is why there are numbers in that sense, and why the numbers there signify things spiritual, or such as pertain to heaven and the church. That the spiritual things of heaven, such as the angels think and speak about, also fall into numbers, has often been shown to me. When they spoke with each other, what they said was determined into pure numbers, which were seen upon paper; and they afterwards said that this was what they had said determined into numbers, and that these numbers in series contained everything they had said; I was also taught what they signified and how they were to be understood; this will be spoken of frequently in what follows. (But respecting writings in pure numbers out of heaven, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 263; that all numbers in the Word signify the things of heaven and the church, see above, n. 203, 336[1-10])
429. (Vers. 4.) "Et audivi numerum signatorum." - Quod significet quale eorum qui in bono sunt separati a malis, constat ex significatione "numeri", quod sit quale rei de qua agitur (de qua significatione sequitur); et ex significatione "signatorum", quod sint qui in bono distincti et separati ab aliis (de qua mox supra, n. 427(a)). Multis in locis in Verbo dicitur "numerus" et "mensura", et creditur quod per utrumque intelligatur solum numerus et mensura; sed per "numerum" et "mensuram" in sensu spirituali intelligitur quale rei de qua agitur: ipsum quale determinatur per numeros qui exprimuntur; ut hic per "centum quadraginta quatuor millia", ac postea per "duodecim millia" ex unaquavis tribu; quid itaque per hos numeros significatur, dicetur in sequente articulo.
Quod "numerus" significet quale rei de qua agitur, est causa quia Verbum est spirituale, et inde omnia et singula, quae ibi continentur, sunt spiritualia, ac spiritualia non numerantur et mensurantur; sed usque cadunt in numeros et mensuras dum e mundo spirituali seu e caelo ubi angeli, in mundum naturalem seu in terram ubi homines; similiter in Verbo e sensu ejus spirituali, in quo sunt angeli, in sensum naturalem, in quo sunt homines; sensus naturalis Verbi est sensus litterae ejus: haec causa est, quod in hoc sensu sint numeri, et quod numeri ibi significent spiritualia seu res caeli et ecclesiae. Quod spiritualia caeli, qualia sunt quae angeli cogitant et loquuntur, cadant etiam in numeros, saepe mihi ostensum est: locuti sunt inter se, et loquela eorum determinata est in meros numeros visos super charta; ac postea dixerunt quod fuerit loquela eorum determinata in numeros, et quod numeri illi in serie contineant omnia quae locuti sunt; instructus etiam sum quid significabant et quomodo intelligendi, de qua re passim in sequentibus. (Sed de scriptura in meris numeris e caelo, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 263; quod par omnes numeros in Verbo significentur res caeli et ecclesiae, supra, n. 203 et 336.)