8975. 'He shall serve for six years' means a state of labour and some conflict, and of consequent strengthening of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'six years' as states of labour and conflict. For the meaning of 'six' as labour and conflict, see 737, 900, 8888, and 'years' as states, 487, 488, 493, 893, 7839. The reason why strengthening of truth is also meant is that spiritual truth, which is called the truth of faith, is strengthened through labour and conflict. The words 'some conflict' are used because those imbued with the truth of faith and not with complementary goodness of life are not allowed to experience any serious conflict, that is, temptation, since they would go under; for the Lord cannot flow in through good with them and so cannot protect them from the evils and falsities which attack in temptations. They are merely external people, and whatever flows in from the Lord must do so by way of the internal man into the external. When people are not imbued with the good of charity, the internal man does not lie open; for good is what opens the internal man, and is what dwells there.