664. And after three days and a half.- That this signifies when completed, thus the end of the old church, and the beginning of a new church, is evident from the signification of three days and a half, as denoting fulness or completion at the end of the old church, when there is the beginning of a new church, concerning which see above (n. 658). The reason why it is said, after three days and a half, is, that days, in the Word, signify states, here, the last state of the church. For all times, in the Word, as hours, days, weeks, months, years, and ages, signify states in the Word, as in this case, the last state of the church, when there is no longer any good of love or truth of faith remaining. Because days signify states, and since in the first chapter of Genesis the establishment of the Most Ancient Church is treated of which was accomplished successively from one state to another, therefore it is said there that there was evening and there was morning the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and sixth days, unto the seventh, when it was completed (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), and the days there do not mean days, but the successive states of the regeneration of men at that time, and the consequent establishment of the church with them. So also elsewhere in the Word.

1398. There were once many spirits around me who were far from good. An angel came, and I saw that the spirits could not endure his presence, for they backed further and further away as he drew nearer. This amazed me, but I was given to see that the spirits could not abide the sphere he brought with him. From this it was also clear, and from other experience as well, that one angel is able to drive away tens of thousands of evil spirits, for they cannot withstand the sphere of mutual love. Nevertheless I perceived that this angel's sphere had been tempered through links with other angels. If it had not been modified every one of those spirits would have been put to flight. This shows what kind of perception exists in the next life, and how spirits are joined together into communities or withheld from such associations, in accordance with perceptions.