364. 'To number' in the spiritual sense signifies to have a knowledge of the quality, because a 'number' in the Word does not signify a number but the quality of a thing (n. 10). Here therefore by the statement 'a great crowd which no one could number' is understood in the natural sense, in accordance with the words, that there was such a huge crowd; but in the spiritual sense is understood that no one except the Only Lord has a knowledge of their qualities For the Lord's heaven consists of innumerable societies and the societies have been distinguished in accordance with the varieties of affections in general, in like manner as all have been distinguished in any one society in its specific case. The Only Lord gets to know the quality of the affection of each individual, and He disposes all into an order in accordance therewith. To have a knowledge of this quality is what the angels understand by 'to number'; in like manner in the Word, in these places:-
When Belshazzar drank wine out of the vessels of the Jerusalem temple, there was written upon the wall, Thou hast been numbered, thou hast been numbered Dan. v 2, 5, 25.
I am going away to the gates of hell, I have been numbered Isa. xxxviii 10.
The voice of the tumult of the kingdoms, Jehovah Zebaoth numbers the host of war Isa. xiii 4.
See Who has created these, Who brings out their host by number Isa. xl 26.
Jehovah Who numbers the host of the stars Ps. cxlvii 4.
The flocks shall pass over again close by the hand of him who numbers Jer. xxxiii 13.
My steps have been numbered Job xiv 16.
The houses and towers of Zion and Jerusalem have been numbered Isa. xxii 9, 10; xxxiii 18, 19; Ps. xlviii 1-13 [H.B. 12-14].
'To number' [stands] for to have knowledge of their qualities. From the signification of 'numbers' and 'to number' it can be established why David had punishments announced to him on account of the numbering of the people or the tribes of Israel, and why he said to the prophet Gad, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done' (2 Sam. xxiv to the end). And why, when the people was numbered by Moses as to all the tribes thereof, it was commanded that:-
Each one should give an expiation for his soul to Jehovah in the numbering, so that there might be no plague among them in numbering them Exod. xxx 12.
This was because 'to number' used to signify to have knowledge of their quality as to the spiritual state, thus as to the state of the Church understood by the twelve tribes of Israel, which the Only Lord knows,
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