3057. About the time that the drawers go out. That this signifies a state of instruction, is evident from the signification of “time,” as being state (see just above, n. 3056); and from the signification of a “drawer,” that is, one who draws water, as being to be instructed-to be explained in what follows. What has now been told (from n. 3054) is what is signified in the internal sense by the things related historically in this verse; but what these particulars involve in a series is not easily made plain to one who has not been instructed concerning the natural man, and concerning the memory-knowledges and doctrinal things therein, and also how truths are elevated therefrom into the rational, and become rational; and still less if he does not know what is the quality of the rational relatively to the natural, that is, the quality of the things in the rational relatively to those in the natural.

[2] The things in the rational are not apparent to man while he lives in the body; for those in the natural are what come to perception, and seldom those in the rational, except by a certain kind of light illuminating the things in the natural, or as an inflowing capacity by which the ideas of thought are disposed into order; and also as a faculty of perceiving that which the mind is considering. Unless these and other things be known, what is contained in this versecan with difficulty be explained to the apprehension, as that there is a holy disposing of the general memory-knowledges, and then a removal from doctrinal things for receiving the truths of faith; and that when this is taking place there is an obscure state, and that such is the state of instruction. Nevertheless we may briefly state as much as can be apprehended, and here, how the case is with a man when he is being reformed by the Lord; for the reformation of a man is a kind of image of what took place with the Lord then He was in the world (as was said above,n. 3043).

[3] When a man is being reformed, the general things in his natural man are disposed by the Lord to correspondence with those which are in heaven. (What correspondence is, and that it is between spiritual things and natural things, may be seen above, n. 2987, 2989-2991, 3002.) General things are first disposed, in order that particulars may be successively insinuated into them by the Lord, and singulars into the particulars; for if the general things are not in order, there cannot come forth order in the particulars, because the particulars enter into the generals, and confirm them; still less can there be order in the singulars, because these enter into the particulars as into their generals, and illustrate them. These are the things that are meant by a holy disposing of general memory-knowledges; and this is meant in the internal sense by “making the camels kneel down;” for so they submit themselves for the reception of influx.

[4] When the general memory-knowledges are being disposed in this way, doctrinal things are removed, as they are conclusions from these knowledges; for there flows in through the rational as it were a dictate that this is true, and this not true; but in this way-that it is true because it agrees with the orderly disposition of the general memory-knowledges; and that it is not true because it disagrees; there is no other influx as to truths. Doctrinal things are indeed there before, but they are not doctrinal things until they are believed, but are merely memory-knowledges; and therefore when the man thinks about them, no conclusion is drawn from them, but only concerning them, from other things. This is what is meant by removal from doctrinal things, and it is what is here signified in the internal sense by “without the city.” But this is the state that is called an obscure state, and is signified by the “time of evening;” whereas when doctrinal things have been confirmed, so that they are believed, then comes the “morning,” or a state of light. The other things contained in this verse are evident from what has been already stated.

2323. That “evening” signifies the time of visitation, is evident from the signification of “evening.” The states of the church are compared in the Word both to the seasons of the year and the times of the day; to the seasons of the year because to its summer, autumn, winter, and spring; to the times of the day because to its noon, evening, night, and morning; for the two things are similarly circumstanced. The state of the church which is called “evening,” is when there is no longer any charity, consequently when there begins to be no faith, thus when the church is ceasing to be; this is the “evening” that is followed by the “night” (see n. 22). There is also an “evening” when charity shines forth, consequently when faith does so, and thus when a new church is rising up; this “evening” is the twilight before the morning (see n. 883). Thus “evening” has both significations, for it is provided by the Lord that when a church is ceasing to be, a new one is rising up, and this at the same time; for without a church somewhere on the globe the human race cannot subsist, because it would have no conjunction with heaven (as shown above in n. 468, 637, 931, 2054).

[2] In the present chapter both states of the church are treated of, namely, the rising up of a new church, which is represented by “Lot,” and the destruction of the old, which is signified by “Sodom and Gomorrah;” as can be seen from the Contents. This is why it is here said that the two angels came to Sodom “in the evening;” and why there is told what was done in the evening (verses 1-3), what in the night (verses 4-14), what in the morning or rising dawn (verses 15-22), and what after the sun had gone forth (verses 23-26).

[3] As the “evening” signifies these states of the church, it also signifies the visitation which precedes Judgment; for when a Judgment is close at hand, that is, the salvation of the faithful and the condemnation of the unfaithful, then visitation precedes, or an exploration of what quality they are, that is, whether there is any charity and faith. This visitation takes place in the “evening;” and therefore the visitation itself is called “evening,” as in Zephaniah:

Woe to the inhabitants of the region of the sea, the nation of the Cherethites. The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; and I will cause to destroy thee, till there shall be no inhabitant. The remnant of the house of Judah shall feed in the houses of Ashkelon, in the evening shall they lie down; for Jehovah their God will visit them, and will bring back their captivity (Zeph. 2:5, 7).