5194. And it came to pass from the end of two years of days. That this signifies after a state of conjunction of the sensuous things of the exterior natural with things of the interior natural, which has been treated of in the preceding chapter, is evident from the signification of “two years of days,” or of the time of two years, as being states of conjunction; for “two” signifies conjunction (see n. 1686, 3519), and “years,” as also “days,” signify states. (That “years” have this signification can also be seen above, n. 487, 488, 493, 893; and also “days,” n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850.) That “two” signifies conjunction is because all things in general and in particular in the spiritual world, and consequently in the natural world, have reference to two things, namely, good and truth-to good as what acts and flows in, and to truth as what suffers and receives; and because they have reference to these two, and nothing is produced unless the two make a one by a certain image of marriage, therefore conjunction is signified by “two.”

[2] Such an image of marriage is in all and each of the things of nature and its three kingdoms, and without it nothing whatever comes forth; for in order that anything may come forth in nature, there must be heat and light-heat in the natural world corresponding to the good of love in the spiritual world, and light corresponding to the truth of faith. These two, heat and light, must act as a one if anything is to be produced; and if they do not act as a one, as in winter time, nothing at all is produced. That this is also true spiritually, is very plain in the case of man. Man has two faculties, the will and the understanding, the will being formed to receive spiritual heat, that is, the good of love and of charity, and the understanding to receive spiritual light, that is, the truth of faith. Unless these two make a one in man nothing is produced; for the good of love without the truth of faith does not determine or qualify anything, and the truth of faith without the good of love does not effect anything; and therefore in order that the heavenly marriage may be in a man, or that he may be in the heavenly marriage, these two must make a one in him. For this reason the ancients compared to marriages one and all of the things in the world, and also in man (n. 54, 55, 568, 718, 747, 917, 1432, 2173, 2516, 2731, 2739, 2758, 3132, 4434, 4823, 5138). From this it is evident why “two” signifies conjunction.

2758. That genuine conjugial love is heaven, is represented in the kingdoms of nature; for there is nothing in all nature that does not in some way represent the Lord’s kingdom in general, since the natural kingdom derives all its origin from the spiritual. What is without an origin prior to itself is nothing. Nothing exists that is unconnected with a cause, and thus with an end. What is unconnected falls away in a moment, and becomes nothing; from this then are the representatives of the Lord’s kingdom in the kingdoms of nature. That conjugial love is heaven, is manifest from the transformation of little worms into nymphs and chrysalides, and thus into winged insects; for when their time of nuptials comes-which is when they put off their earthly form, or their worm-like form, and are embellished with wings and become flying creatures-they are then elevated into the air, which is their heaven; and there they sport with each other, perform their marriage rites, lay eggs, and nourish themselves on the juices of flowers. They are then also in their beauty; for they have wings decorated with golden, silver, and other elegantly marked colors. Such things does the marriage principle produce among such vile little worms.