9431. 'Six days' means when passing through the state of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'six days' as a state of labour and conflict, dealt with in 737, 8510, 8888, 8975. It is a state of truth because a person who is being regenerated by the Lord experiences two states, the first of which is called the state of truth and the second the state of good. The reason why the first state is called the state of truth is that during it the person is being brought by means of truth towards good; and the reason why the second state is called the state of good is that the person, when governed by good, has been brought to it. Also, while the person is in the state of truth he is outside heaven; but when governed by good he is in heaven, and has accordingly been brought to the Lord. Furthermore while the person is passing through the first state or the state of truth he experiences labour and conflict, since he undergoes temptations then; but when he is in the second state or the state of good he experiences rest and the serenity which peace brings. The former state is what has been represented in the Word by the six days which come before a seventh, whereas the latter state is what has been represented by the seventh day or the sabbath, see 8890, 8893, 9274. Regarding these two states with the person who is being regenerated, which are called the state of truth and the state of good, see what has already been shown extensively in 7923, 7992, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8513, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8722, 8772, 9139, 9224, 9227, 9230, 9274.

8888. 'Six days you shall labour and do all your work' means the conflict which comes before and is preparatory to that marriage. This is clear from the meaning of 'six days' as states of conflict, conflict being meant by 'six', see 720, 737, 900, and states by 'days', 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 4850, 5672, 5962, 6110, 8426; and from the meaning of 'labouring and doing one's work' as attending to the necessary things of life, here those of spiritual life, which is life in heaven.

[2] Furthermore by the conflict which comes before and is preparatory to the heavenly marriage one should understand spiritual conflict or temptation. For before a person enters into the heavenly marriage, that is, before being regenerated, he is involved in conflict with the evils and falsities residing with him; these have to be removed before truth and good from the Lord can be received. They are removed - those evils and falsities - by means of the truths of faith; for a person not only learns through those truths what good is, but is also led to good by means of them. This state is the first that a person who is being regenerated passes through; and it is called the state which comes before and is preparatory to the heavenly marriage. But when the person is governed by good and is led by the Lord by means of good, he has entered into the heavenly marriage, and so is in heaven since the heavenly marriage is heaven. The first state is what is meant by the six days that come before the seventh, the second is what is meant by the seventh day. Regarding these two states with a person, see 7923, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8722.

[3] Since the heavenly marriage, which is heaven, is meant by 'the sabbath', the Lord's kingdom in the heavens is called an everlasting sabbath, that is, everlasting rest and peace; and there the six days of labour are no more.