The Bible

 

Genesis 29:23

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23 Vakare jis įvedė savo dukterį Lėją pas jį, ir jis įėjo pas ją.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3814

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3814. 'And he dwelt with him for a full month' means a new state of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with in 1293, 3384, 3613, and from the meaning of 'a full month' as a new state. All periods of time mean states, see 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3404, so that years, months, and days mean such. What kind of states are meant however is clear from the numbers attached to them. When however year, month, or day is used in the singular, an entire state is meant, and so the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, as has also been shown in various places in the explanations. Here therefore 'month' means the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, and so means a new state, as in other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

At length from month to its month, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before Me, said Jehovah. Isaiah 66:23.

In John,

He showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month. Revelation 22:1-2.

'Yielding its fruit each month' stands for a state for ever new as regards the reception of good and the consequent practice of it. In Moses, Count the sons of Levi according to their father's house and according to their families. Every male a month old and over shall you count. Count every firstborn male of the children of Israel, a month old and over, and take the number of their names. Numbers 3:15, 40.

[2] It was because the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, that is, a new state, was meant by 'a month' that they were ordered to count those who were 'a month old and over'. In the same author,

If you see among captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her so that you would take her to yourself for a wife, she shall remove the clothing of her captivity from upon her, and she shall sit in your house and lament her father and her mother for a full month. After that you shall go in to her and know her, and she shall be your wife. Deuteronomy 21:11, 13.

Here 'a full month' clearly stands for the end of the previous and the beginning of the next or new state.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3254

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3254. 'In a good old age, an old man and full [of years]' means a new state of representation. This is clear from the meaning of 'old age' in the internal sense as laying aside the old and taking up the new, dealt with in 1854, 2198, 3016. The reason why that which is new, or a new state, is meant by 'old age' in the internal sense is that with angels for whose sake the internal sense of the Word exists there is no concept of time, and so no concept of things that belong to time, such as the ages of man, which are those of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Instead of all these they have the concept of states - instead of the time of infancy they have the concept of the state of innocence; instead of the time of childhood and adolescence the concept of the state of affection for goodness and truth; instead of adulthood the concept of the state of intelligence; and instead of old age the concept of the state of wisdom, 3183. And since, when he dies, a person passes from things belonging to time into those of the life where time does not exist, and in so doing he assumes a new state, 'old age' means that which is new, here a new representative; for it is to this representation involving Abraham that 'old age', and also 'an old man and full [of years]' have reference, as may become clear from what has been stated just above.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.