2353. This night. That this signifies the last time, when these are no longer acknowledged, is evident from the signification of “night,” as being a time of darkness, when the things of light are no longer seen. The angels did not come in the night, but in the evening; but as it is the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are in falsity and evil, it is not said in the “evening,” but in the “night.” For in the Word “night” signifies the time and state when there is no longer any light of truth, but merely falsity and evil.

[2] Thus the last time when comes the Judgment; with which signification it is often found, as in Micah:

Against the prophets that lead the people astray: It shall be night unto you that ye have no vision; and it shall be darkness to you, that ye shall not divine, and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them (Micah 3:5-6).

“Prophets” here denote those who teach falsities; “night,” “darkness,” the “going down of the sun,” and the “blackening day,” denote falsities and evils.

[3] In John:

If anyone walk in the day, he stumbleth not; but if anyone walk in the night he stumbleth, because the light is not in him (John 11:9-10); where “night” denotes falsity from evil; “light,” truth from good; for as all the light of truth is from good, so all the night of falsity is from evil.

[4] Again:

I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh when no one can work (John 9:4);

“day” denotes the time and state when there is what is good and true; but “night” when there is what is evil and false.

[5] In Luke:

I say unto you, in that night there shall be two upon one bed, the one shall be accepted, the other abandoned (Luke 17:34);

here “night” denotes the last time, when there is no longer any truth of faith.

[6] Inasmuch as when the sons of Israel went out from Egypt there was represented in that country the vastation of good and truth within the church, and that there then reigned therein nothing but what was evil and false, it was commanded that they should go out at midnight (Exodus 11:4); and it also came to pass that at midnight all the firstborn of Egypt were slain (Exodus 12:12, 29-30). And inasmuch as they who are in what is good and true, who were represented by the sons of Israel, are guarded when among falsities and evils (as was Lot in Sodom), that night, in respect to them, is called “a night of the guardings of Jehovah” (verse 42).

548. I have sometimes spoken with spirits fresh from the world concerning the state of eternal life, telling them how important it was for them to know who is the Lord of that kingdom, and what is the nature and form of its government, just as those in this world who go into another kingdom are especially interested to know who and of what sort is the king, what is the nature of the government, and many other things that belong to the kingdom; and how much more should they be interested in this kingdom, where they are to live forever. I told them that the Lord alone rules both heaven and the universe, for He who rules the one must rule the other; and that the kingdom in which they were now is the Lord’s kingdom, the laws of which are eternal truths, all of which are based on the one great law that men shall love the Lord above all things and their neighbor as themselves, and now even more than themselves, for if they would be as the angels this is what they must do. To all this they could make no reply, because in their bodily life they had heard something of the kind, but had not believed it. They marveled that there is such love in heaven, and that it is possible for anyone to love his neighbor more than himself, seeing that they had heard that they were to love their neighbor as themselves. But they were instructed that in the other life all goods are immeasurably increased, and that the life in the body is such that men can go no further than loving the neighbor as themselves because they are in the things of the body, but that when these are removed, the love becomes purer, and at last angelic, which consists in loving the neighbor more than themselves. The possibility of such love is evident from the conjugial love that exists with some persons, who would suffer death rather than let their married partner be injured; and also from the love of parents for their children, in that a mother will endure starvation rather than see her infant hunger, and this even among birds and animals; and likewise from sincere friendship, in that perils will be undergone for our friends; and even from polite and feigned friendship, that would emulate real friendship in offering the better things to those to whom we wish well, making great professions even when they do not come from the heart. And finally its possibility is evident from the very nature of love, which finds its joy in being of service to others, not for the sake of self but for the love’s own sake. But all this could not be comprehended by those who loved themselves more than others, and who in the bodily life had been greedy for gain, and least of all by the avaricious.