505. Verse 9. And they of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, shall see their bodies three days and a half, signifies that when all they who, until the end of the present church and the beginning of the New Church, have been and will be in falsities of doctrine and thence in evils of life from faith alone, have heard and shall hear of these two essentials, which are the acknowledgment of the Lord and of works according to the Decalogue. By "peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations," are meant all of the Reformed who have been and will be in falsities of doctrine, and thence in evils of life from faith alone; by "peoples" are signified those who are in falsities of doctrine (n. 483); by "tribes" falsities and evils of the church (n. 349); by "tongues," confession and reception thereof (n. 483); and by "nations" those who are in evils of life (n. 483). Therefore, by these four are signified all and everyone who have been and who will be such, thus all they who have been "in that great city," and they that are like unto them; who will thenceforth come there out of the world. By "their bodies," or those "of the two witnesses," are signified the two essentials of the New Church above mentioned (n. 501); by "they shall see" is signified when they have heard and shall hear of them, because "to see" is said of their bodies, and "to hear," of these two essentials; by "three days and a half" is signified to the end and the beginning, that is, to the end of the present church and the beginning of the New. Now from these things collected into one sense, it is evident, that by these words, "They of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, shall see their bodies three days and a half," the things above mentioned are signified in the spiritual sense. The reason why "three days and a half" signify to the end and the beginning is because "day" signifies state; the number "three," what is complete to the end; and "a half," the beginning; for the same is signified by "three days and a half" as by "a week," six days of which signify what is complete to the end, and the seventh day signifies what is holy; for the number "3 1/2" is half of the number "7," which makes a week, and a double number, and the divided number of which it consists, have a similar signification.
[2] That "three" signifies what is complete, thus to the end, may be seen from these passages in the Word, that:
Isaiah walked naked and barefoot three years (Isa. 20:3).
Jehovah called Samuel three times, and Samuel ran three times to Eli, and the third time Eli understood (1 Sam. 3:1-8).
Elijah stretched himself three times over the widow's son (1 Kings 17:21).
Elijah commanded them to pour water upon the burnt-offering three times (1 Kings 18:34).
Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures till the whole was leavened (Matt. 13:33).
Jesus said unto Peter, that be would deny Him three times (Matt. 26:34).
The Lord asked Peter three times, Lovest thou Me? (John 21:15-17).
Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).
Jesus said the temple would be destroyed, and He would build it up again in three days (Matt. 26:61).
Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:39-44).
Jesus rose again on the third day (Matt. 28:1). Besides many others; as in Isa. 16:14; Hosea 6:2; Exod. 3:18; 10:22-23; 19:1, 11, 15-16, 18; Lev. 19:23-25; Num. 19:11, to the end; 31:19-25; Deut. 19:2-3; 26:12; Josh. 1:11; 3:2; 1 Sam. 20:5, 12, 19-20, 35-36, 41; 2 Sam. 24:11-13; Dan. 10:1-3; Mark 12:2, 4, 6; Luke 20:12-13:32-33.
"Seven" as well as "three" signifies what is full and complete; but "seven" is said of things holy, and "three" of things not holy.