101. 'And you shall have affliction ten days' signifies that this is going to last for a full period, that is, so long as they wish to remain in untruths. 'Affliction' here signifies the infestation (of which above, n. 33, 95), thus temptation; and 'ten days' signify the duration of that state to repletion; and therefore it follows, 'Be thou faithful even unto death', by which is signified a reception and acknowledgment of truths (veritas) until by their means untruths have been removed and, as it were, abolished. 'Ten days' signify the duration of the state even to repletion, because 'days' signify states, and 'ten' what is full; for in the Word times signify states (n. 947), and numbers add their quality (n. 10). [2] Since 'ten' signify what is full, they also signify much and many, also every and all, as can be established from the following passages:-
The men who have seen My glory have tempted Me ten times Num. xiv 22.
You have brought me to dishonour ten times Job xix 3.
Daniel was discovered to be ten times wiser than the astrologers Dan. i 20.
Ten women shall bake bread in one oven Lev. xxvi 26.
Ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man Zech. viii 23.
Because 'ten' signify many, and also all, therefore the things that were written by Jehovah on the tables of the Decalogue are called TEN WORDS (Deut. iv 13; x 4). 'Ten words' are all truths, for they include them. And because 'ten' signify all people and all things, the Lord therefore compared the kingdom of the heavens to 'ten virgins' (Matt. xxv 1). Moreover in a parable He said of the nobleman that he gave his servants 'ten minas' to trade with (Luke xix 12-27). Many things are also signified:-
By the ten horns of the beast coming up out of the sea Dan. vii 7.
And by the ten horns, and the ten diadems upon the horns, of the beast again coming up out of the sea Rev. xiii 1.
Also by the ten horns of the dragon Rev. xii 3.
And by the ten horns of the scarlet-coloured beast on which the woman sat Rev. xvii 3, 7, 12.
[3] By 'ten horns' are signified much power. It can be seen from the signification of the number 'ten', being what is full, much, and all, why it was arranged that a tenth part of all produce was given to Jehovah, and by Jehovah to Aaron and the Levites (Num. xviii 24, 28; Deut. xiv 22), also, why Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all (Gen. xiv 18-20). From these things it can now be established that by 'to have affliction ten days' is signified that the temptation is going to last for a full period, that is, so long as they wish to remain in untruths. For untruths are never taken away from a man against his will, but with it.
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