5219. 'And behold, it was a dream' means in that obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as a state that was obscure, dealt with in 1838, 2514, 2528, 5210. The word obscure is used because truths have been banished; indeed where there are no truths obscurity exists. The light of heaven flows solely into truths, that light being Divine Truth received from the Lord, the source of truths residing with angels and spirits, and with men too. They are subsidiary lights; but they derive their light from Divine Truth through the good present within those truths. For unless truths are rooted in good, that is, unless truths have good present within them, they cannot acquire any light from the Divine. They acquire it through good, for good is like a fire or flame, and truths are like lights radiating from it. In the next life there are also some truths that shine which are devoid of good; but the light shining from them is a wintry light which turns into thick darkness on the arrival of the light of heaven.

[2] From all this one may now see what is meant here by obscurity, namely a natural state when facts that are good are banished by those that are useless. Such obscurity is one that can receive a general enlightenment, 5208, 5218. But obscurity caused by falsities can by no means receive any enlightenment, for falsities are so many masses of darkness which blot out the light of heaven and in so doing bring obscurity which cannot be lightened until those falsities have been removed.

1838. That 'a deep sleep came over Abram' means that the Church was at that time in darkness is clear from the meaning of 'deep sleep'. In relation to wakefulness 'deep sleep' is a state of darkness, a state which is here attributed to the Lord, who is represented by Abram. Not that a deep sleep, or a state of darkness, ever in fact existed with Him, but with the Church. This is similar to the way things are in the next life where the Lord never ceases to be the Sun, and Light itself; yet before the evil He is seen as darkness, for it is according to the state of each individual that the Lord is seen. Thus the same is said here of the Church when in a state of darkness.

[2] Take as an example the vastation, the punishment, and the condemnation which are ascribed to the Lord many times in the Word. These are in fact attributable to the member of the Church, who vastates, punishes, and condemns himself. It appears to the eyes of the individual as though the Lord vastated, punished, and condemned; and because the appearance is such, it is so expressed according to appearances. For unless a person were taught by means of appearances he would never allow himself to be taught at all. What is contrary to the appearance he neither believes nor comprehends until at a later time he has the power of judgement and has been granted the faith that is grounded in charity.

[3] The same applies to the Church. When it is in darkness the Lord is so obscured before the eyes of its members that He does not appear, that is, He is not acknowledged. Yet it is not at all the Lord who is covered in obscurity but the person in whom and with whom the Lord would be. Nevertheless obscuration is attributed to the Lord, as is 'deep sleep' here, by which is meant a dark state of the Church.