7680. All that day, and all the night. That this signifies in everything of the perception both obscure and not obscure with the infesters, namely, there was destruction, is evident from the signification of “day,” as being a state of perception not obscure; and from the signification of “night,” as being a state of obscure perception; for the times of the day - morning, noon, evening, and night, correspond to the states of enlightenment that belong to intelligence and wisdom (seen. 5672, 6110), thus to perceptions; and so in general do day and night. It is here said “perceptions,” not “states of enlightenment,” because the evil who infest have no enlightenment, and yet have perception; but they have perception only so long as any knowledge of truth and good from the church in which they have lived remains with them, for by means of truth and good they communicate with those who are in heaven. But when they have been deprived of these knowledges, which is done when they have been devastated, they then no longer have any perception. The infernals can indeed confirm their evils, and also their falsities, but this is not perception. Perception is to see that truth is truth, and good good; and also that evil is evil, and falsity falsity; but it is not perception to see truth as falsity and good as evil; or the reverse, evil as good and falsity as truth. They who do this, instead of perception, have phantasy, which produces an appearance of perception, whereby such know how to confirm falsities and evils by such things as are obvious to the senses and are in favor of concupiscences.

5672. Against Joseph came at noon. That this signifies until the internal should be present with light, is evident from the signification of “against he came” as being when it should be present; from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (see n. 5648); and from the signification of “noon,” as being a state of light (n. 1458, 3195, 3708). That “noon” denotes a state of light is because the times of day, as morning, noon, and evening, correspond to the enlightenments in the other life, and the enlightenments there are those of intelligence and wisdom, for in the light of heaven there is intelligence and wisdom. There are alternations of enlightenment there, like morning, noon, and evening on earth. The states of shade, like those of evening, do not arise from the sun there, that is, the Lord, who is always giving light, but from the angels’ own, for insofar as they are let into their own they come into a state of shade or evening, and insofar as they are lifted out of their own into a heavenly own, they come into a state of light. From this it is plain why noon corresponds to a state of light.