636. And they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days.- That this signifies that they shall teach, and what shall be taught, even until the end of the old church, and the beginning of a new, is evident from the signification of prophesying as denoting to teach. Concerning this see above (n. 624). In this case it signifies both to teach and to be taught, for it is said of the two witnesses, who signify the good of love and of charity and the truth of doctrine and of faith, for these are those things with man that teach, and that are also taught. For those who are in goods of love, and in truths of doctrine, are they who teach, while the goods of love and truths of doctrine are what are taught by them. And from the signification of a thousand two hundred and sixty days as denoting even to the end of the old and the beginning of a new church. For a thousand two hundred and sixty days have the same signification as three and a half, because a thousand two hundred and sixty days make three years and a half, reckoning three hundred and sixty days to the year, and by three and a half is signified the end of a former state and the beginning of a new one, here, the end of the former church and the beginning of a new one, the subject being the last time of the church. Because that number has this signification, it is therefore said, in the ninth verse of this chapter, "They shall see their bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer them to be put in sepulchres"; and afterwards in verse eleven: "And after the three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them." In these passages by three days and a half is signified the end of the old church, when the good of love and the truth of doctrine will not be received at all; and also the beginning of a new church when they will be received. The end of the former church is signified by the beast ascending out of the abyss to kill the witnesses, while the beginning of a new church is signified by the spirit of life from God entering into them.
[2] The reason why the number a thousand two hundred and sixty has a signification similar to three and a half, is, that in the Word ages, years, months, weeks, days, and hours have a similar signification, for these simply mean times, and times generally and particularly, or times greater or less, equally signify states, for a period greater or less designated by numbers does not change the signification of the thing, as was also shown above (n. 571, 633:1). The same number of days in the next chapter of the Apocalypse has a similar signification -
"And the woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days" (xii. 6).
The woman there means the church. The wilderness where she shall be nourished signifies where non-reception of good and truth exists; and the accomplishment of those days signifies a new state of the church.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church