488. As has been stated, 'days' means states in general, and 'years' states in particular. This too becomes clear from the Word, as in Ezekiel,

You have brought your days near, and you have come even to your years. Ezekiel 22:4.

This refers to people who behave abominably and sin to the fullest extent, and so 'days' has reference in this case to such people's state in general, 'years' to that state in particular.

In David,

You will add days to the king's days; and his years as generation after generation! Psalms 61:6.

This refers to the Lord and His kingdom, where again 'days' and 'years' stand for the state of His kingdom.

In the same author,

I have considered the days of old, the years of long ago. Psalms 77:5.

Here 'days of old' is states of the Most Ancient Church, and 'years of long ago' states of the Ancient Church. In Isaiah,

The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. Isaiah 63:4.

This stands for the final times, where 'the day of vengeance' stands for a state of condemnation, and 'the year of the redeemed' for a state of blessedness.

Similarly, in the same prophet,

To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:2.

Here again 'days' and also 'years' are mentioned and mean states.

In Jeremiah,

Renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:21.

Here 'days' plainly stands for state.

[2] In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a tiny of cloud and gloom, as has never happened of old, nor will be again after it through the years of generation after generation. Joel 2:1-2, 11.

Here 'day' stands for a state of darkness, thick darkness, cloud and gloom - a state of individuals in particular and of all in general.

In Zechariah,

I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. Zechariah 3:9-10.

And elsewhere in Zechariah,

There will be one tiny, it is known to Jehovah, which is neither day nor night, and at evening time there will be light. Zechariah 14:7.

State is clearly meant here, for it is said that 'it will be a day, which is neither day nor night; at evening time there will be light'.

The same meaning is also clear from the following in the Decalogue,

Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may be well with you in the land. Deuteronomy 5:16; 25:15.

Here 'a prolonging of days' does not mean living on into old age but a state that is happy.

[3] In the sense of the letter 'day' cannot be seen to mean anything other than a period of time, but in the internal sense it means a state. Angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, do not know what a period of time is, for the activity of the sun and moon with them does not produce divisions of time. As a consequence they do not know what a day or a year is, but only what states and changes of state are. This is why among angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, anything connected with matter, space, and time, goes unnoticed, as with the following usages in the sense of the letter in Ezekiel,

The day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near, a day of cloud; it will be a time of the nations. Ezekiel 30:3.

And in Joel,

Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction. Joel 1:15.

Here 'a day of cloud' stands for cloud or falsity, 'a day of the nations' for the nations or wickedness, and 'the day of Jehovah' for vastation. When the concept of time is removed there remains the concept of the state of the things existing during that period of time. The same applies to the days and the years that are mentioned so many times in this chapter.

1460. That 'there was a famine in the land' means a lack of cognitions which still existed with the Lord when He was a boy is clear from what has been stated already. In childhood the cognitions that reside with man never come from that which is interior but from the objects of the senses, most of all from hearing; for, as has been stated, with the external man there are recipient vessels which are called those of the memory. Those vessels, as anyone may know, are formed by means of cognitions, the internal man flowing in and assisting that formation. Consequently the learning of cognitions and their implantation in the memory take place in the measure that the internal man is flowing in. So also with the Lord when a boy, for He was born as any other and received instruction as any other. But in His case the interiors were celestial, which fashioned the vessels to receive cognitions, and after that these cognitions to become vessels for receiving the Divine. The interiors with Him were Divine, being from Jehovah His Father, but the exteriors were human, being from Mary His mother. From this it becomes clear that in childhood a lack of cognitions within His external man existed with the Lord as much as with all others.

[2] That 'famine' means a lack of cognitions is clear from elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,

They do not look closely at the work of Jehovah, and they do not regard what His hands have done. Therefore My people will go into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men will be famished,' and their multitude parched with thirst. Isaiah 5:12-13.

'Honourable men famished ¹ stands for a lack of celestial cognitions, 'multitude parched with thirst' for a lack of spiritual cognitions. In Jeremiah,

They have lied against Jehovah and said, It is not He; and no evil will come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine. And the prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Jeremiah 5:12-13.

'Sword and famine' stands for becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good. 'Prophets' stands for those who teach, in whom 'the word is not'. That 'being consumed by sword and famine' means becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good, and that these have to do with vastation, 'sword' as to spiritual things, 'famine' as to celestial things, is clear from many parts of the Word, such as Jeremiah 14:13-16, 18; Lamentations 4:9; and elsewhere.

[3] So also in Ezekiel,

I will bring more famine upon you, and will break for you the staff of bread; and I will send famine and evil beasts upon you, and they will rob you of your children. And I will bring the sword upon you. Ezekiel 5:16-17.

'Famine' stands for when one has been robbed of celestial cognitions, or cognitions of good, and therefore falsities and evils occur. In David,

And He summoned a famine over the land, He broke every staff of bread. Psalms 105:16.

'Breaking the staff of bread' stands for being deprived of celestial nourishment, for the life of good spirits and of angels is sustained by no other food than cognitions of good and truth, and by goods and truths themselves. This is the origin of the meaning in the internal sense of famine and bread. In the same author,

He has satisfied the longing soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with good. Psalms 107:9.

This stands for those desiring cognitions. In Jeremiah,

Lift up your hands for the soul of your little children who faint from famine at the head of every street. Lamentations 2:19.

'Famine' stands for an absence of cognitions, 'streets' for truths. In Ezekiel,

They will dwell securely and not be made afraid; and I shall raise up for them a plant for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land. Ezekiel 34:28-29.

This stands for their being deprived no longer of the cognitions of good and truth.

[4] In John,

They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more. Revelation 7:16.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom where they have an abundance of all celestial cognitions and goods, meant by 'not hungering', and of spiritual cognitions and truths, meant by 'not thirsting'. The Lord said something similar, in John,

I am the Bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35.

In Luke,

Blessed are you that hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Luke 6:21.

In the same gospel,

He has filled the hungry with good things. Luke 1:53.

This refers to celestial goods and the cognitions of these. In Amos there is a plain statement that 'famine' means the lack of cognitions,

Behold, the days are coming, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah. Amos 8:11-12.

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