842. 'And bound him for a thousand years' signifies that those who are here understood by 'the dragon' were withdrawn and torn away from the rest in the world of spirits, so that for a while or for a considerable time there should not be communication with them. That by 'to bind' here is signified to withdraw and tear away from the rest in the world of spirits so that there should not be communication with them will be seen in the paragraph following. The reason why by 'a thousand years' is not understood a thousand years but for a while or for a considerable time is because a thousand without other numbers added signifies that in the spiritual world. He who believes that 'a thousand years' signifies a thousand years does not know that all the numbers in the Word signify things, and thus he can be misled about the meaning of the things, especially in the Apocalypse where numbers are read, as where the numbers 5, 7, 10, 12, 144, 666, 1200, 1600, 12,000, 144,000 and many others occur. In these latter numbers the 'thousand' only signifies something added, and when the 'thousand' is applied to designate times it signifies somewhat more; but when it is mentioned on its own, as here, it signifies for a while or for a considerable time. That it is so has been told me out of heaven, where in the Word that is there not any number is read but instead of the number a thing, and instead of 'a thousand' a while. They are astonished there that, when the men of the Church see in the Apocalypse so many numbers that can but signify things, they still adhere to the conjectures of the Chiliasts or Millenarians, and thereby have become impressed with empty ideas about the last state of the Church.