664. And after three days and a half.- That this signifies when completed, thus the end of the old church, and the beginning of a new church, is evident from the signification of three days and a half, as denoting fulness or completion at the end of the old church, when there is the beginning of a new church, concerning which see above (n. 658). The reason why it is said, after three days and a half, is, that days, in the Word, signify states, here, the last state of the church. For all times, in the Word, as hours, days, weeks, months, years, and ages, signify states in the Word, as in this case, the last state of the church, when there is no longer any good of love or truth of faith remaining. Because days signify states, and since in the first chapter of Genesis the establishment of the Most Ancient Church is treated of which was accomplished successively from one state to another, therefore it is said there that there was evening and there was morning the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and sixth days, unto the seventh, when it was completed (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), and the days there do not mean days, but the successive states of the regeneration of men at that time, and the consequent establishment of the church with them. So also elsewhere in the Word.

10230. 'And give it to the work of the tent of meeting' means being joined to heaven through the acknowledgement that truths and forms of good come from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'the work of the tent of meeting' as that which produces and forms heaven; for 'the work' is that which produces and forms, and 'the tent of meeting' is heaven where the Lord is. For the meaning of 'the tent of meeting' as heaven where the Lord is, see 9457, 9481, 9485, 9784, 9963. Therefore also that which joins a person to heaven is meant, for that which produces and forms heaven within a person also joins that person to heaven. The reason why being joined to heaven through the acknowledgement that all truths and forms of good come from the Lord is meant is that what was given to the work of the tent of meeting was half a shekel, which is called 'the silver of expiations' on account of the numbering of the people, and 'giving half a shekel' means the attribution to the Lord of all that constitutes faith and love, 10220, 10221, while 'the numbering' means the arrangement in order by Him, 10218.