663. Verses 11, 12. And after the three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. And they heard a great voice out of heaven saying unto them, Come up hither! And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

11. "And after the three days and a half," signifies when it is finished, thus the end of the old church and the beginning of the New Church (n. 664); "the spirit of life from God entered into them," signifies enlightenment and the reception of the influx of Divine truth from the Lord with some for the beginning of the New Church n. 665; "and they stood upon their feet," signifies a new life such as the regenerated man of the church has n. 666; "and great fear fell upon them that beheld them," signifies a state of anxiety with those who did not receive and acknowledge (n. 667).

12. "And they heard a great voice out of heaven saying unto them," signifies the Lord's Divine providence (n. 668); "Come up hither," signifies separation and consequent protection (n. 669); "and they went up into heaven in the cloud," signifies separation in respect to things internal, and their protection n. 670; "and their enemies beheld them," signifies knowledge and acknowledgment with those who are interiorly opposed to the goods and truths of the Word and of the church n. 671.

3298. 'Her days for bringing forth were completed' means the first state of the effect. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788. The first state of the effect is meant by 'the days for bringing forth were completed' because 'bringing forth' in the spiritual sense has to do with good and truth, and means in that sense the manifestation of these, 2621, 2629. Good and truth are similar to offspring, in that they are conceived, carried in the womb, born, and after that grow to maturity. After conception the efficient, or conceived, seed starts to produce the effect. This takes place in the womb. Once these states have been completed and the time to give birth is at hand, the effect at that point begins to exist, which is called the first state of the effect. For at that point the offspring begins to act independently so to speak and to strive to reach that state which is called the state of the effect.