527. That the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night likewise, signifies that the spiritual light of truth and the natural light of truth were completely extinguished. This is evident from the signification of "day," as being spiritual light, and from the signification of "night," as being natural light. This is the signification, since it was said above that "the third part of the sun, the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, were darkened;" and "day" means the light of the sun, and "night" the light of the moon and stars, since the sun gives light during the day, and the moon and the stars give light at night. In the first place, let something be said respecting light from the sun, which is called the light of the day, and respecting light from the moon and the stars, which is called "the light of the night."

[2] By light from the sun, which is called "the light of the day" and by "day," spiritual light is meant, such as the angels have who see the Lord as a sun; and by light from the moon and stars, which is called "the light of the night" and by "night," natural light is meant, such as the angels have who behold the Lord as a moon. (That the Lord appears to the angels both as a sun and as a moon, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, 116-125.) Those heavens behold the Lord as a sun that are in the spiritual affection of truth, that is, that love truth because it is truth. Because this is spiritual, therefore the light that is from the Lord as a sun is spiritual. But those heavens behold the Lord as a moon that are in the natural affection of truth, that is, that love truth that they may be learned and may instruct others. These love truth because of its usefulness to themselves, and not for the truth's own sake; therefore they are in a light that proceeds from the Lord as a moon. This light differs from the light that goes forth from the Lord as a sun, as the light of day from the sun differs from the light of night from the moon and stars in our world; and in like manner as the lights differ with them do truths differ, since Divine truth proceeding from the Lord produces all light in the heavens (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140).

[3] Those, therefore, who are in spiritual light are in genuine truths, and also when they hear truths that they had not before known, they immediately acknowledge them and see that they are truths. It is otherwise with those who are in natural light. When such hear truths they receive them, not because they see or perceive them, but because they are told them by men of reputation in whom they have confidence; the faith, therefore, of most of such is from others, and yet they are in a life according to faith. Into these heavens all come who have lived well, although they have been in falsities of doctrine; nevertheless the falsities are there continually purified, until at length they appear as truths. This makes evident what is signified by "that the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night likewise." (That "the third part" signifies all, fullness, and wholly, see above, n. 506.)

[4] "Day and night" here have a similar signification as "day and night" in the first chapter of Genesis, where it is said:

God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided between the light and the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day (Genesis 1:3-5).

And afterwards:

And God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years. And God made two great luminaries; the great luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to rule by day and by night, and to divide between the light and the darkness. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19).

The "light" that came the first day signifies the Divine light, that in itself and in its essence is Divine truth, thus spiritual light that enlightens the understanding. This chapter in the internal sense treats of the establishment of a church by the Lord with the most ancient people; and as the first thing is to have the understanding enlightened, for until that is enlightened by the Lord there is no reformation, thus no church with man, therefore first of all light is spoken of, or it is said that "light" was made on the first day. That "God saw the light that it was good" signifies that illustration and reception with them were good. But "darkness" signifies the lumen that is in the natural man, which is called natural lumen, because this lumen in comparison with spiritual light is like darkness, consequently this is meant by "darkness." For every man has a lower or exterior mind, and a higher or interior mind; the lower or exterior mind is the natural mind, which is called the natural man, while the higher or interior mind is the spiritual mind, and is called the spiritual man. The mind is called a man, for the reason that man is man because of his mind. These two minds, the higher and the lower, are altogether distinct; by the lower mind man is in the natural world, together with the men there, but by the higher mind he is in the spiritual world with the angels there.

These two minds are so distinct that while man is living in the world he does not know what is going on in himself in his higher mind; and when he becomes a spirit, as he does immediately after death, he does not know what is going on in his lower mind; therefore it is said "God divided between the light and the darkness, and He called the light day, and the darkness night." This makes evident that "day" signifies spiritual light, and "darkness" natural light. Because all the heavens are so divided that those who are in spiritual light are in light from the Lord as a sun, and those who are in spiritual-natural light are in light from the Lord as a moon (as was just said in this article), it is said, "Let there be two luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day and the night, and to rule by day and by night, and to divide between the light and the darkness." From this, therefore, it is evident that "day" here means spiritual light, and "night" natural light, which in heaven is called spiritual-natural light.

[5] Day and night have a similar signification in the following passages. In David:

Jehovah who hath made the heavens by His intelligence, who hath spread out the earth above the waters; who hath made great luminaries, the sun for rule by day, the moon and stars for rule by night (Psalms 136:5-9).

In Jeremiah:

Jehovah giveth the sun for the light of the day, and the statutes of the moon and stars for the light of the night (Jeremiah 31:35).

In David:

Jehovah, the day is Thine, the night also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun (Psalms 74:16).

In Jeremiah:

If ye have rendered void My covenant of the day and My covenant of the night, that there be no day and night in their time, My covenant also with David My servant shall become void, that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne, and with the Levites the priests, My ministers. If I shall not have set ¹ My covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth, then I reject also the seed of Jacob and David (Jeremiah 33:20, 21, 25, 26).

"The covenants of the day and of the night" mean all the statutes of the church prescribed unto the sons of Israel in the Word, by which they had conjunction with heaven and through heaven with the Lord. These are called "the covenant of the day and of the night," because they are for heaven and also for the church, the spiritual things that are represented and signified are for heaven, and the natural things that represent and signify are for the church; therefore "the covenants of the day and of the night" are here called "the statutes of heaven and earth," and "the covenant of the night" is called "the statutes of the moon and stars;" "to render void" signifies not to keep. That unless these are kept there could be no conjunction with the Lord through Divine truth or through Divine good is signified by "My covenant with David shall become void, that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne, and with the Levites the priests, My ministers," "the covenant with David" meaning conjunction with the Lord through Divine truth; "no son upon his throne" signifying no reception of Divine truth by anyone, and "the covenant with the Levites the priests, My ministers," meaning conjunction with the Lord through Divine good.

[6] In David:

If I shall say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, even the night shall be light for me. Even the darkness shall not make darkness before Thee; but the night shall be light as the day; as the darkness so shall be the light (Psalms 139:11, 12).

This signifies that the natural man as well as the spiritual is enlightened by the Lord. Natural light is signified by "darkness" and "night," and spiritual light by "light" and "day." "The night shall be light as the day, and as the darkness so shall be the light," has the same signification as in Isaiah:

The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun (Isaiah 30:26).

These things have been cited to make known that spiritual light is signified by "the day should not shine for the third part of it," and natural light by "the night likewise;" thus that these expressions have a similar signification as "light from the sun and light from the moon. "

Footnotes:

3195. 'And was dwelling in the land of the south' means consequently in Divine light. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in 1293, and from the fact that it has reference to good, 2268, 2451, 2712; and from the meaning of 'the land of the south' as Divine light. For 'the south' means light, indeed the light of intelligence, which is wisdom, 1458, but 'the land of the south' the place and state where that light exists. Thus the whole verse here 'Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south' means that Divine Rational Good, because it had been born from Divine Truth, was in Divine light.

[2] Light is mentioned many times in the Word, and in the internal sense it means truth springing from good. In the highest internal sense however 'light' means the Lord Himself since He is Good and Truth themselves. He Himself is also in actual fact the light in heaven, but this is infinitely brighter than the light on earth, see 1053, 1117, 1521-1533, 1619-1632. In that light spirits and angels behold one another, and by means of it all the glory that exists in heaven is clearly visible. In brightness that light seems to be much the same as the light in the world, but this is not the case, for it is not a natural light but a spiritual one. It holds wisdom within itself, so much so that it is nothing else than wisdom that shines in this manner before the eyes of those in heaven. Consequently the wiser the angels are, the brighter the light surrounding them, 2776. This light also enlightens the understanding of man, especially of one who is regenerate, but man does not discern it during his lifetime because the light of the world reigns at that time. Evil spirits too in the next life behold one another, and also behold many representatives which manifest themselves in the world of spirits. They do so indeed by the light of heaven. Yet it is an inferior light like that coming from a coal fire, for when the light of heaven reaches them it is turned into this inferior light.

[3] As for the source itself of light, this from eternity has existed from the Lord alone, for Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, the source of light, is the Lord. The Divine Human which existed from eternity, John 17:5, was that actual light. Because such light was unable any longer to influence the human race which had retreated so far from good and truth, and so from the light, and had cast itself into darkness, the Lord was therefore willing to be born and assume the Human itself. Indeed in so doing He was able to bring light not only to man's rational concepts but also to his natural ideas. For the Lord made Divine within Himself both the Rational and the Natural so that people who were in such gross darkness could have light.

[4] As regards the Lord's being 'the light', that is, Good and Truth themselves, and so the source of all intelligence and wisdom, and consequently of salvation, this becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John came to bear witness to the light. He was not that light but [came] to bear witness to the light. He was the true light which enlightens every man coming into the world. John 1:1, 4, 7-9.

'The Word' was Divine Truth, and so the Lord Himself as regards the Divine Human, of which it is said that 'the Word was with God, and the Word was God'.

[5] In the same gospel,

This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light. John 3:19.

'Light' stands for Divine Truth. In the same gospel,

Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk darkness but will have the light of life. John 8:12.

In the same gospel,

The light is with you for a brief while longer. Walk, as long as you have the light, lest the darkness overtakes you. As long as you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of the light. John 12:35-36.

In the same gospel,

He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

John 12:45-46.

In Luke,

My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. Luke 2:30-32.

This is Simeon's prophecy regarding the Lord which was made after

His birth.

[6] In Matthew,

The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. Matthew 4:16; Isaiah 9:2.

From all these places it is quite evident that as regards Divine Good and Truth within the Divine Human the Lord is called 'the light'. The same is also seen in prophetical parts of the Old Testament, as in Isaiah,

The light of Israel will be a fire, and his Holy One a flame. Isaiah 10:17.

In the same prophet,

I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and I will give You for a covenant of the people, and a light of the nations. Isaiah 42:6.

In the same prophet,

I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6.

In the same prophet,

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1, 3.

[7] All the light of heaven, consequently wisdom and intelligence, come from the Lord. This is taught in John,

The Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, has no need of the sun or of the moon to shed light in it; the glory of God will give it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 21:2-3.

And further regarding the same city,

There will be no night there, nor do they need a lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. Revelation 22:5.

[8] Also in Isaiah,

The sun will no longer be to you a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give light to you, but Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will no longer go down and your moon will not be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light. Isaiah 60:19-20.

'The sun will no longer be a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give its light' stands for the fact that it is not the things that belong to natural light but those that belong to spiritual light which are meant by 'Jehovah will be an everlasting light'. The name Jehovah used here and elsewhere in the Old Testament means the Lord, see 1343, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035.

[9] His being the light of heaven was also disclosed to the three disciples Peter, James, and John - that is to say, at the Transfiguration when His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as the light, Matthew 17:2. 'Face like the sun' meant Divine Good, 'garments as the light' Divine Truth. From this one may know what is meant by the words that occur in the blessing,

Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be merciful to you. Numbers 6:25.

'Jehovah's face' is mercy, peace, and good, see 222, 223; and as 'the sun' means Divine Love, the Lord's Divine Love is accordingly seen in the angelic heaven as the sun, 30-38, 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495.