664. And after three days and a half.- That this signifies when completed, thus the end of the old church, and the beginning of a new church, is evident from the signification of three days and a half, as denoting fulness or completion at the end of the old church, when there is the beginning of a new church, concerning which see above (n. 658). The reason why it is said, after three days and a half, is, that days, in the Word, signify states, here, the last state of the church. For all times, in the Word, as hours, days, weeks, months, years, and ages, signify states in the Word, as in this case, the last state of the church, when there is no longer any good of love or truth of faith remaining. Because days signify states, and since in the first chapter of Genesis the establishment of the Most Ancient Church is treated of which was accomplished successively from one state to another, therefore it is said there that there was evening and there was morning the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and sixth days, unto the seventh, when it was completed (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), and the days there do not mean days, but the successive states of the regeneration of men at that time, and the consequent establishment of the church with them. So also elsewhere in the Word.

1831. 'And he laid each part opposite the other' means a parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things. This becomes clear from the fact that the parts on one side mean the Church and those on the other the Lord. And when these are set in their proper places opposite each other, nothing else is meant than parallelism and correspondence. And because the heifer, the she-goat, and the ram, which mean celestial things, as stated just above at verse 9, were cut in half as described and laid in their proper places, it is clear that there is a parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things. As regards spiritual things however, which will be dealt with shortly, the situation is different. As often stated, celestial things are all those that have to do with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. It is the Lord who imparts love and charity, the Church that receives; and that which unites is conscience, which has love and charity implanted within it. Consequently the space in between the parts means those things present in man which are called perception, internal dictate, and conscience. The things that exist above that perception, dictate, and conscience are the Lord's, those that are below reside in man. Thus because these things above and those below look towards one another, a parallelism is said to exist; and because they correspond to one another, as active and passive, a correspondence is said to exist.