Air" in the Bible represents thought, but in a very general way – our capacity to perceive ideas and the way we tend to think, rather than our specific ideas about specific things. We see the world around us through the air, and seeing corresponds to understanding. We hear through the air, and hearing corresponds to being taught and obeying. Birds fly in the air, and they represent specific thoughts and ideas. And breathing itself – taking in air and passing oxygen to the blood – represents our understanding of true spiritual ideas.

In Genesis 1:26, when used with fowls or birds of the air refers to the air we breathe, but sky, or heavens where are stars, and together these terms refer to both the spiritual and natural man, and to their food, or goods and truths. (Arcana Coelestia 57, 58)

In Genesis 3:8, the only Old Testament reference to air is in the phrase "cool of the day" (at the time of the evening breeze) which signifies the period when the church still had some spiritual perception. (Arcana Coelestia 221)

In Revelation 9:2; 16:17, air signifies the divine truth, darkened by infernal falsities. (Apocalypse Explained 541, Apocalypse Revealed 423)

In Revelation 16:17, everyone in the spiritual world breathes air according to his faith. (Apocalypse Revealed 708, Apocalypse Explained 1012, Apocalypse Revealed 708)

10530. '[Go up] to a land flowing with milk and honey' means feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a land' as the Church, dealt with in the places referred to in 9325; from the meaning of 'milk' as spiritual good, which is the good of faith, dealt with in 2184; from the meaning of 'honey' as celestial good, which is the good of love; and from the meaning of 'flowing' as being full. And since these things are meant by 'a land flowing with milk and honey', feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love are also meant, see 5620. 'Feelings of pleasure and delight' derived from such good are spoken of because the good of faith and love brings real heavenly pleasure and delight. All good brings its own delight; for the word 'good' is used to denote that which is loved, and every feeling of delight owes its existence to love. The feelings of delight meant by heavenly joy and eternal happiness spring from nothing other than the love of what is true and good. The superiority of these feelings of delight to all those belonging to any love that exists in the world is completely unknown to those who suppose that all delight resides in worldly, bodily, and earthly things.