488. As has been stated, 'days' means states in general, and 'years' states in particular. This too becomes clear from the Word, as in Ezekiel,

You have brought your days near, and you have come even to your years. Ezekiel 22:4.

This refers to people who behave abominably and sin to the fullest extent, and so 'days' has reference in this case to such people's state in general, 'years' to that state in particular.

In David,

You will add days to the king's days; and his years as generation after generation! Psalms 61:6.

This refers to the Lord and His kingdom, where again 'days' and 'years' stand for the state of His kingdom.

In the same author,

I have considered the days of old, the years of long ago. Psalms 77:5.

Here 'days of old' is states of the Most Ancient Church, and 'years of long ago' states of the Ancient Church. In Isaiah,

The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. Isaiah 63:4.

This stands for the final times, where 'the day of vengeance' stands for a state of condemnation, and 'the year of the redeemed' for a state of blessedness.

Similarly, in the same prophet,

To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:2.

Here again 'days' and also 'years' are mentioned and mean states.

In Jeremiah,

Renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:21.

Here 'days' plainly stands for state.

[2] In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a tiny of cloud and gloom, as has never happened of old, nor will be again after it through the years of generation after generation. Joel 2:1-2, 11.

Here 'day' stands for a state of darkness, thick darkness, cloud and gloom - a state of individuals in particular and of all in general.

In Zechariah,

I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. Zechariah 3:9-10.

And elsewhere in Zechariah,

There will be one tiny, it is known to Jehovah, which is neither day nor night, and at evening time there will be light. Zechariah 14:7.

State is clearly meant here, for it is said that 'it will be a day, which is neither day nor night; at evening time there will be light'.

The same meaning is also clear from the following in the Decalogue,

Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may be well with you in the land. Deuteronomy 5:16; 25:15.

Here 'a prolonging of days' does not mean living on into old age but a state that is happy.

[3] In the sense of the letter 'day' cannot be seen to mean anything other than a period of time, but in the internal sense it means a state. Angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, do not know what a period of time is, for the activity of the sun and moon with them does not produce divisions of time. As a consequence they do not know what a day or a year is, but only what states and changes of state are. This is why among angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, anything connected with matter, space, and time, goes unnoticed, as with the following usages in the sense of the letter in Ezekiel,

The day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near, a day of cloud; it will be a time of the nations. Ezekiel 30:3.

And in Joel,

Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction. Joel 1:15.

Here 'a day of cloud' stands for cloud or falsity, 'a day of the nations' for the nations or wickedness, and 'the day of Jehovah' for vastation. When the concept of time is removed there remains the concept of the state of the things existing during that period of time. The same applies to the days and the years that are mentioned so many times in this chapter.

529. And I beheld, and I heard one angel flying in the midst of heaven.- That this signifies the Lord enlightening all in the heavens concerning the state of the church at its end, is evident from the signification of seeing and hearing, as denoting to open the understanding to perceive, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of angel, as denoting the Lord; that angels in the Word mean the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Lord Himself, as to Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 130, 200, 302); here the Lord, as to revealing what the quality of the church would be in the last times as to the reception of the Divine Truth; and from the signification of flying, as denoting to enlighten and impart understanding, concerning which also we shall speak presently; and from the signification of "in the midst of heaven," as denoting in the whole heaven, or all who are in the heavens. That in the midst signifies in the whole, and thus all, may be seen above (n. 213). It is evident therefore, that, "I beheld, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven," signifies the enlightenment of all in the heavens concerning the state of the church at its end. Illustration concerning the state of the church is signified, because this is the subject treated of in what follows. The reason why seeing and hearing signify the opening of the understanding to perceive, is, that to see signifies to understand, and to hear signifies to perceive. That to see signifies to understand, may be seen above (n. 260); and that to hear signifies to perceive, may also be seen above (n. 14, 108).

[2] To fly, when stated of the Lord, signifies to enlighten, because "to fly" is used in reference to the understanding, and to the extension of the sight thereof round about; when therefore it is stated of the Lord, it signifies the enlightenment of the understanding. That to fly when stated of the Lord signifies omnipresence, may be seen above (n. 282); it therefore also signifies enlightenment, for where the Lord is present, there is illustration. The same is signified by flying, in David:

God "rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he was carried upon the wings of the wind" (Psalm 18:10; 2 Sam. 22:11).

A cherub signifies the inmost heaven; riding signifies to give understanding, and to enlighten, flying, and being carried upon the wings of the wind, have a similar signification. But by riding is signified to give understanding and to enlighten, here the inmost heaven, signified by a cherub. Flying also signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten the middle heaven; but by being carried upon the wings of the wind, signifies to give understanding and to enlighten the ultimate heaven. That to ride signifies to give understanding, may be seen above (n. 355, 364); and that cherub signifies the inmost heaven, may be seen above (n. 313, 322, 362, 462). To fly signifies to enlighten the middle heaven, because this heaven is the spiritual heaven, and spiritual things in the Word are signified by various birds, and by their wings and flights. The reason why to be carried upon the wings of the wind signifies to enlighten the ultimate heaven is, that wings pertain to flying, and here signify illustration; and wind signifies the Spiritual of this heaven. By all these things is therefore described the omnipresence of the Lord in the heavens, and hence also the enlightening of the understanding; for as was said above, where the Lord is present, there is enlightenment.