883. 'The dove returned to him at evening time' means that these started to show themselves a little; and 'evening time' is similar to pre-morning twilight. This in like manner becomes clear from that has been stated already at verse 8, and also from the fact that here it is called 'evening time'. Concerning 'evening', see what has been stated in Genesis 1, where six times the statement is made 'there was evening and there was morning'. 'Evening' is a word that has to do with regeneration and indeed with that state when a person is still in near-darkness, or when there is still only a tiny quantity of light showing itself to him. Morning itself is described in verse 13 below by 'he removed the roof from the ark and saw out'. Because 'evening' meant the pre-morning twilight, mention of the evening is made so many times in the Jewish Church. This also is why sabbaths and festivals began from evening onwards, and why Aaron was commanded to light the sacred lamp 'in the evening', Exodus 27:21.

644. 'Rooms' means the two parts of man, that of the will and that of the understanding. This is clear from what has been stated about those two parts, will and understanding, being quite distinct and separate from each other, and from the fact, as has been stated, that the human brain therefore is divided into two parts called hemispheres. To its left hemisphere belong the powers of the understanding, to the right those of the will. This is the most general difference. In addition both will and understanding are divided into countless parts, for the divisions of the things constituting man's understanding, and also of those constituting his will, are so many that not even the broad genera, still less the species, can possibly be described or counted up. Man is like some most miniature heaven. He corresponds to the world of spirits and to heaven, where all the groups and all the divisions of things constituting the understanding or the will are so distinct and separate, being so perfectly ordered by the Lord, that every smallest part is distinct and separate. These considerations in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on. In heaven these divided parts are called communities, in the Word 'habitations', and by the Lord in John 14:2 'rooms'. Here however because they have reference to the ark, which means the member of the Church, they are called 'rooms'.