610. That time shall be no more, signifies that there shall be no longer any understanding of Divine truth, nor any state of the church therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "time," as being here the state of man in respect to the understanding of the Word, and thus the state of the church, because both the one and the other are treated of in this chapter. "Time" signifies state, because times in the spiritual world are determined and distinguished only by particular and general states of life. This is because the sun in that world, which is the Lord, does not move, but remains in the same place in heaven, and that place is the east; that sun does not there revolve through the heavens as the sun in the natural world appears to do. By the apparent revolution of the sun of the natural world times in general and in particular are determined, and thus have existence; in general, the year and its four seasons, called spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Moreover, these four seasons of the year are the four natural states of the natural world corresponding to the same number of states in the spiritual world, which are its general spiritual states. In particular, within these general states in the natural world, there are determined and fixed times, called months and weeks, but especially days, and days are divided into four natural states, which are called morning, noon, evening, and night, corresponding to which there are four states in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world, because the sun, as has been said, does not revolve through the heavens but remains constant and fixed in its east, there are no years, months, weeks, days, or hours, consequently there are no determinations by times, but only determinations by states of life, general and particular. Therefore it is not known there what time is, but only what state is, for the determination of a thing is what gives the idea of it, and according to the idea is the thing named. This, then, is the reason that it is not known in the spiritual world what times are, although they succeed each other there the same as in the natural world, but instead of times there are states and their changes; this is the reason also that times, when mentioned in the Word, signify states. (But respecting time and times in the spiritual world, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169; and on the Changes of States of the Angels, n.154-161. [Note from the Margin:] Notice where it is said, "it shall be when there shall be neither day nor night" [Jeremiah 33:20; Zechariah 14:7.)

[2] Since "time" means the things pertaining to time in the natural world, as those pertaining to the year and the day (those of the year are seedtime and harvest, and those of the day are morning and evening), by these things pertaining to time states of the church are described in the Word, "seedtime" describing and signifying the establishment of the church; "harvest" its fruit bearing; "morning" its first time, and "noon to evening" its progression. These natural states (or conditions) also correspond to spiritual states, which are states of heaven and the church. As concerns the church, the church in general passes through these states, so does each man of the church in particular. Moreover, each man of the church from his earliest age is also inaugurated into these states, but when the church is at its end he can no more be inaugurated, for he does not receive Divine truth, but either rejects or perverts it, therefore he has neither seedtime nor harvest, that is, no establishment and no fruit bearing, nor has he morning or evening, that is, neither beginning nor progression. These states are meant and signified by "times" in the Word; and as in the end of the church these states cease with men of the church, therefore it is here said that "time shall be no more;" and this signifies that there shall be no further understanding of Divine truth or the Word, consequently not any state of the church.

[3] The like is signified by "time" in Ezekiel:

The evil, behold one evil cometh; the end is come, the end is come, it hath awakened upon thee. Behold, the morning is come upon thee, O inhabitant of the land, the time is come (Ezekiel 7:5-7).

This, too, was said of the state of the church. The end of the former church is first described, and the establishment of a new church afterwards, the end of the former church by this, "One evil, behold the evil cometh; the end is come, the end is come;" the establishment of a new church by this, "Behold, the morning is come upon thee, O inhabitant of the land, the time is come," "morning" signifying the state of a new or commencing church, and "time" its progressive state; accordingly the meaning is similar as that of "seedtime and harvest" and "morning and evening," mentioned above, consequently it means the state of the church in respect to the understanding of truth and the will of good.

[4] In Daniel:

The fourth beast shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, for he shall think to change times and the right; and they shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time (Daniel 7:25).

"The fourth beast" means the evil that was about to vastate the church completely; falsities destroying the truths of the church are meant by "the words that he shall speak against the Most High," and by "the saints of the Most High whom he will wear out," "the saints of the Most High" signifying in the abstract sense Divine truths. That the truths of the Word and its goods will then be turned into falsities and evils is signified by "he shall change the times and the right," "times" meaning the states of the church in respect to the understanding of truth. The duration of that state in relation to the end of the church is signified by "for a time and times and half a time," which means a full state of vastation.

[5] So, too, in the following words in Daniel:

And I heard the man clothed in linen, that he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto the heavens, and sware by Him that liveth unto the ages of the ages that it shall be for a fixed time of fixed times, and a half, when they are to make an end of dispersing the people of holiness, all these things shall be finished (Daniel 12:7).

"Time" here signifies state; and "time, times and a half" signifies a full state of vastation; therefore it is said, "when they are to make a full end of dispersing the people of holiness," "the people of holiness" meaning those of the church who are in Divine truths; or in an abstract sense Divine truths. With a similar meaning it is said in Revelation:

That the woman should be nourished in the wilderness for a time and times and half a time (Revelation 12:14).

[6] As by "time" things pertaining to time are meant, such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter, these signifying the states of one who is to be regenerated, or is regenerated, also the things pertaining to these times, such as seedtime and harvest, these signifying the state of the church in respect to the implantation of truth and the fructification of good therefrom, and as like things are signified by the times of the day, which are morning, noon, evening, and night, so these times have this signification in the following passages. In Genesis:

During all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:22).

This may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 930-937). In David:

The day is Thine, the night also is Thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; summer and winter hast Thou formed (Psalms 74:16, 17).

In Jeremiah:

Jehovah giveth the sun for a light of the day, and the statutes of the moon and stars for a light of the night. If these statutes shall depart from before Me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days (Jeremiah 31:35, 36).

In the same:

Jehovah said, If I shall not have set My covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth, I will reject also the seed of Jacob and of David ¹ My servant (Jeremiah 33:25, 26).

"The statutes of the sun, moon, and stars," also "the covenant of day and night," and "the statutes of heaven and earth," have a similar signification as "times," since "times" exist from those statutes. That "seedtime and harvest, summer and winter," also "day and night," have a similar signification as "times" has been said above.

[7] It follows that "times" have the same signification in these words in Genesis:

God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years (Genesis 1:14-19).

The two "luminaries," the sun and moon, signify love and faith; for that chapter treats in the spiritual sense of the new creation, or the regeneration of the man of the church, and the things said respecting the sun and moon signify the things that chiefly regenerate man and make the church; therefore these words and those that follow describe the process by which regeneration is effected, and afterwards it describes their states. This makes evident what is signified by "time shall be no more."

Footnotes:

2235. That 'righteousness' means in regard to good, and 'judgement' to truth, becomes clear from the meaning of 'righteousness' and from the meaning of 'judgement'. Righteousness and judgement are mentioned together many times in the Word, but what they mean in the internal sense has not yet been known. In the proximate sense 'righteousness' has reference to that which is righteous, and 'judgement' to that which is upright. That which is righteous occurs when something is judged from good, and according to conscience, but that which is upright when it is judged from law, and so from the righteous demands of the law, thus also according to conscience since the law gives conscience its standards. In the internal sense however, 'righteousness' is that which stems from good, and 'judgement' that which stems from truth. Good is everything that belongs to love and charity, truth everything that belongs to faith derived from love and charity. Truth derives its essence from good, and is called truth derived from good, just as faith is derived from love, and so also judgement from righteousness.

[2] That such is the meaning of 'righteousness and judgement' is clear from the following places in the Word: In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Do judgement and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Woe to him who builds his house in unrighteousness, and his upper rooms not in judgement! Did not your father eat and drink, and do judgement and righteousness? Then it was well with him. Jeremiah 22:3, 13, 15.

'Judgement' stands for the things connected with truth, 'righteousness' for those connected with good. In Ezekiel,

If the wicked man turns away from his sin and does judgement and righteousness, all his sins which he has committed will not be remembered; he has done judgement and righteousness; he will surely live. When the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does judgement and righteousness he will live because of these. Ezekiel 33:14, 16, 19.

Here similarly 'judgement' stands for the truth of faith, and 'righteousness' for the good of charity.

[3] In Amos,

Let judgement flow like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Amos 5:24.

Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Keep judgement and do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to reveal itself. Isaiah 56:1.

In the same prophet,

To peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in judgement and righteousness, from now and even for evermore. Isaiah 9:7.

Here 'judgement and righteousness' stands for the existence with them of the truths of faith, and of the goods of charity. In the same prophet,

Jehovah is exalted, for He dwells on high. He has filled Zion with judgement and righteousness. Isaiah 33:5.

'Judgement' stands for faith, 'righteousness' for love, 'Zion' for the Church. 'Judgement' is mentioned first because love comes through faith; but when 'righteousness' is mentioned first it is for the reason that faith is derived from love, as in Hosea,

I will betroth you to Me for ever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and judgement, and in mercy and in compassion, ¹ and I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. Hosea 2:19-20.

Here 'righteousness' is mentioned first, as also is 'mercy', which are the attributes of love, while 'judgement' is mentioned second, as also is 'compassion', which are the attributes of faith that is derived from love. And both are called 'faith' or faithfulness.

[4] In David,

O Jehovah, Your mercy is in the heavens; Your truth reaches up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgements like the great deep. Psalms 36:5-6.

Here both 'mercy' and 'righteousness' are in a similar way the attributes of love, while 'truth' and 'judgements' are those of faith. In the same author,

Let truth spring out of the ground, and let righteousness look down from heaven. Jehovah will indeed give what is good, and our land will give its increase. Psalms 85:11-12.

Here 'truth', which constitutes faith, stands for judgement, and 'righteousness' for love or mercy. In Zechariah,

I will lead them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness. Zechariah 8:8.

From this place also it is evident that 'judgement' is truth and 'righteousness' good, since 'truth' is mentioned here in place of judgement. Similarly in David,

He who walks blameless and performs righteousness and speaks the truth. Psalms 15:2.

[5] Because faith is grounded in charity, that is, because truth is grounded in good, truths rooted in good are in various places called 'the judgements of righteousness', so that 'judgements' has virtually the same meaning as commandments, as in Isaiah,

Let them seek Me day by day and desire the knowledge of My ways, as though a nation that does righteousness and does not forsake the judgement of their God. Let them ask of Me the judgements of righteousness, let them desire the approach of God. Isaiah 58:2.

That 'commandments' means virtually the same may be seen in David,

Seven times in the day I have praised You for Your judgements of righteousness. All Your commandments are righteousness. Psalms 119:164, 172.

It is said in particular of the Lord that He performs 'judgement and righteousness' when He creates man anew, as in Jeremiah,

Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Jehovah who performs mercy, judgement and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I am well pleased. Jeremiah 9:24.

Here mercy, which is an attribute of love, is described as 'judgement and righteousness'. In the same prophet,

I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will rule as king, and act intelligently, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15.

[6] Hence the following in John,

If I go away I will send the Paraclete to you. And when He comes He will convince the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I go away to the Father, and you will see Me no more; in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. John 16:7-11.

'Sin' here stands for all faithlessness. 'He will convince in regard to righteousness' means in regard to everything that is contrary to good, when yet the Lord united the Human to the Divine to save the world, meant by 'I go away to the Father and you will see Me no more'. 'In regard to judgement' means in regard to everything that is contrary to the truth, when yet evils were cast down into their own hells so that they could not do harm any more, meant by 'the prince of this world is judged'. In general 'He will convince in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement' means in regard to all faithlessness contrary to good and truth, and so means that no charity and faith exist. For in ancient times righteousness and judgement were used, in reference to the Lord, to mean all mercy and grace, but in reference to man all charity and faith.

Footnotes: