The phrase “it came to pass,” often also translated as “it happened,” generally indicates the end of one spiritual state and the beginning of a new one. To some degree, the phrase is used in the place of punctuation in the original language, marking the transition from one set of circumstances to another.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 4979, 4987, 5031, 5220, 5578)

5578. 'And it happened' means a new situation. This is clear from the meaning of 'so it was' or 'it happened' as that which implies a new state, dealt with in 4979, 4987, 4999, 5074, 5466. In the original language used in ancient times the meaning was not indicated with the aid of punctuation marks; rather the text continued without any breaks in the same way as speech does in heaven. Instead of punctuation marks the conjunction 'and' was used, also the verb 'so it was' or 'it happened'. This explains why these expressions occur so many times and why 'so it was' or 'it happened' means a new situation.