1974. As for the meaning of "evening and morning," in all phases of regeneration, both general and particular, the progression starts from evening, and tends toward morning. In general, the evening of those who are being regenerated is misery, temptations, despair, but they arrive at the morning. So also in detail, in all phases of regeneration one begins from evils, which are turned into good. And it is worth remembering that evil spirits begin, out of their own fantasies and passions, to arouse the person, but that these evils are turned into good in various ways. This has been revealed to me by experience lasting 3 years. So that is "evening and morning," and it applies to every least phase. Therefore it is the process not only of regeneration, but also of the perception of goodness. 1748, 16 May.

6597. The internal sense of things in the Book of Genesis has now been dealt with; but since that book consists entirely of historical narratives, apart from Chapters 48, 49, in which prophetical declarations also occur, it can hardly be apparent that what has been expounded really is the internal sense. For historical narratives confine the mind to the literal sense and so move it away from the internal sense, especially as the internal sense is entirely different from the literal since the internal sense deals with spiritual and celestial things, the literal sense with worldly and earthly ones. But the fact that the nature of the internal sense is as has been expounded is evident from every detail that has been explained, and above all from the consideration that it has been declared to me from heaven.