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)

1012. (Verse 17) And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air. That this signifies the state of the church manifested as to all things of thought, is evident from the signification of the angel pouring out the vial, as denoting the state of the church manifested, as above; and from the signification of the air, as denoting thought, in this case everything of thought, because it is the last state of the church that is here described; therefore on the manifestation of that state, it is said, "It is done, that is, consummated."

The reason why the air signifies thought is, that respiration, which takes place by means of the air, corresponds to the thought of the understanding, as the motion of the heart corresponds to the affection of the will. That the respiration of the lungs corresponds to thought is quite clear from the fact that their operation is simultaneous and synchronous. For as a man thinks so he breathes. If he thinks tacitly he also breathes tacitly, and, on the contrary, if he thinks forcibly. If he thinks intensely and interiorly in himself, he then by degrees checks respiration, and also suspends it. Thus a man varies the state of his respiration in accommodation to every state of his thought. The reason is, that a man has two lives - the life of the understanding and the life of the will; and all the things of the body correspond to those two lives of the mind. Thus, in general, the life of the respiration corresponds to the life of the understanding and of the thought therefrom; and the life of the motion of the heart corresponds to the life of the will and of the love therefrom. These two lives are also meant by soul and heart in the Word, where it is said, with the whole soul and the whole heart, which signifies with the whole understanding and the whole will; or, with every thought of faith, and every affection of love. These things are said, in order that it may be known, that by the air is signified thought, because breathing takes place by its means.

[2] The reason why the vial was, lastly, poured out into the air is, that everything in a man closes in his thoughts. For such as a man is as to the church and the goods and truths of the church, also as to love; in a word, such as he is as to his spiritual, moral, and civil life, such is he as to thought. And this may especially be observed in the spiritual world; for when any angel comes out of his own society into one not his own, his breathing then labours, because he does not think from a similar affection. This also is why an infernal spirit when he ascends into an angelic society experiences difficulty and pain in breathing, and comes into fancifulness and blindness of thought. From these things it is evident that such as a man is, such is his thought.

[3] In what follows some things shall now be related concerning the Seventh Precept, which is, "Thou shalt not kill."

All the precepts of the Decalogue, like everything in the Word, involve two internal senses, besides the highest, which is the third; one which is proximate, and is called the spiritual-moral sense; another which is more remote, and is called the celestial-spiritual sense. The proximate sense of this precept, "Thou shalt not kill," which is the spiritual-moral sense, is, that thou shalt not hate thy brother or thy neighbour, and thence not treat him with contempt and ignominy; for thus thou dost damage and destroy his good name and honour, from which is his life amongst his brethren, called civil life. Consequently, he will afterwards live in society as dead, being numbered amongst the vile and wicked, with whom no one will hold any intercourse. This, when done from enmity, hatred, or revenge, is murder. This proceeds, and is estimated by many in the world, in a way similar to that of the life of the body. He, therefore, who does this, is as guilty before the angels in the heavens as if he had killed his brother. For enmity, hatred, and revenge breathe out murder, and would do this unless restrained and held in by the fear of the law, of resistance, and of reputation. Still these three are efforts to murder; and every effort is as an act, for it goes forth into act when fear is removed. These things the Lord teaches in Matthew:

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whoso shall kill shall be liable to judgment. But I say unto you, that whoso is angry with his brother rashly, shall be liable to judgment; and whoso shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the gehenna of fire" (5:21-26).

This may be seen explained above (n. 693, 746).

[4] But the more remote sense of this precept, "Thou shalt not kill," which is called the celestial-spiritual sense, is, Thou shalt not take away from a man the faith and love of God, and thus his spiritual life, this being murder itself. For from this life a man is a man, the life of the body serving thereto as the instrumental cause to its principal cause.

From this spiritual murder comes moral murder. Therefore he who is in the one is also in the other; for he who desires to take away man's spiritual life hates him if he cannot take it away; for he hates his faith and love, and thus the man himself.

These three, namely, spiritual murder, which is that of faith and love; moral murder, which is that of good name and honour; and natural murder, which is that of the body, follow in a series, one from the other, as cause and effect.