965. (Verse 3) And the second angel poured out his vial into the sea. That this signifies the state of the church manifested as to the knowledges of truth in the natural man, is evident from the signification of the angel pouring out the vial, as denoting the state of the church manifested (see above, n. 960, 961); and from the signification of the sea, as denoting the generals of truth in the natural man (see (n. 275, 342, 511, 876, 931, 934); in the present case from the Word, from which the generals of truth are knowledges. Hence by the sea is signified the natural man as to the knowledges of truth from the Word; and also the knowledges of good therefrom; for the knowledges of good are also knowledges of truth; for to know that this is good, and that it is such a good, is truth; also, to see in the understanding various goods, and their differences, and also their opposites, which are called evils, in so far as these are knowledges, are truths. Nor are they essentially goods, except when they are felt as delightful, or not delightful, thus, when they are sensibly perceived, or from some kind of love.

[2] We now come to the explanation of the

Third Precept of the Decalogue, which is, that the Sabbath is to be sanctified.

The third and fourth precepts of the Decalogue refer to those things that are to be done, that is, that the Sabbath is to be sanctified, and parents to be honoured.

The rest of the precepts refer to those things that are not to be done; that is, that other gods are not to be worshipped; that the name of God is not to be profaned; that a man must not steal, must not commit adultery, must not bear false witness, must not covet the goods of others.

The reason why these two precepts are precepts to be done is, that the sanctity of the rest of the precepts depends upon them. For the Sabbath signifies the union of the very Divine and the Divine Human in the Lord, also His conjunction with heaven and the church; and, consequently, the marriage of good and truth with the man who is being regenerated.

Because the Sabbath signifies these things, therefore it was the principal representative of everything of worship in the Israelitish Church, as is evident in Jeremiah (17:20-27), and elsewhere. The reason of its being the principal representative of everything of worship was, that the primary principle of everything of worship is the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human of the Lord. For without that acknowledgment a man cannot believe and act except from himself, and to believe from himself is to believe falsities, and to act from himself is to do evils, as is also evident from the words of the Lord Himself in John:

The Lord answered those asking, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus said, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom God hath sent" (6:28, 29).

And again:

"He who abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me, ye cannot do nothing" (John 15:5).

[3] That the Sabbath represented that union, and the holy acknowledgment of it, has been shown in many passages in Arcana Coelestia, that is, that the Sabbath, in the highest sense, signified the union of the very Divine and the Divine Human in the Lord; in the internal sense, the conjunction of the Lord's Human with heaven and the church, in general, the conjunction of good and truth; thus, the heavenly marriage (n. 8495, 10356, 10730). Hence, that rest on the day of the Sabbath signified the state of that union, because the Lord then has rest; and also there is thereby peace and salvation in the heavens and on the earth. And, in the relative sense, that rest signified the conjunction of man with the Lord, because he has then peace and salvation (n. 8494, 8510, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730). That the six days which precede the Sabbath, signified the labours and combats before union and conjunction (n. 8510, 8888, 9431, 10361, 10667).

[4] There are two states pertaining to a man who is being regenerated; the first, while he is in truths, and, by means of truths, is led to good and into good; the other, when he is in good. When a man is in the first state, he is then in combats or temptations; but when he is in the second state, he is then in the tranquillity of peace.

The former state is what is signified by the "six days of labour " which precede the Sabbath; and the latter state by the rest on the Sabbath-day (n. 9274, 9431, 10360). That there were also two states pertaining to the Lord; the first, when He was Divine truth, and from it fought against the hells and subjugated them; the other, when He was made Divine good by union with the very Divine in Himself.

The former state was signified, in the highest sense, by the

"six days of labour;" and the latter, by "the Sabbath" (n. 10360). Because such things were represented by the Sabbath, therefore it was the principal representative of worship, and the holiest of all (n. 10357, 10372). That to do work on the day of the Sabbath, signified not to be led by the Lord, but by self; thus to be disjoined (n. 7892, 8495, 10360, 10362, 10365). That the day of the Sabbath is not now representative, but that it is a day of instruction (n. 10360 at the end).

488. As has been stated, 'days' means states in general, and 'years' states in particular. This too becomes clear from the Word, as in Ezekiel,

You have brought your days near, and you have come even to your years. Ezekiel 22:4.

This refers to people who behave abominably and sin to the fullest extent, and so 'days' has reference in this case to such people's state in general, 'years' to that state in particular.

In David,

You will add days to the king's days; and his years as generation after generation! Psalms 61:6.

This refers to the Lord and His kingdom, where again 'days' and 'years' stand for the state of His kingdom.

In the same author,

I have considered the days of old, the years of long ago. Psalms 77:5.

Here 'days of old' is states of the Most Ancient Church, and 'years of long ago' states of the Ancient Church. In Isaiah,

The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. Isaiah 63:4.

This stands for the final times, where 'the day of vengeance' stands for a state of condemnation, and 'the year of the redeemed' for a state of blessedness.

Similarly, in the same prophet,

To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:2.

Here again 'days' and also 'years' are mentioned and mean states.

In Jeremiah,

Renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:21.

Here 'days' plainly stands for state.

[2] In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a tiny of cloud and gloom, as has never happened of old, nor will be again after it through the years of generation after generation. Joel 2:1-2, 11.

Here 'day' stands for a state of darkness, thick darkness, cloud and gloom - a state of individuals in particular and of all in general.

In Zechariah,

I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. Zechariah 3:9-10.

And elsewhere in Zechariah,

There will be one tiny, it is known to Jehovah, which is neither day nor night, and at evening time there will be light. Zechariah 14:7.

State is clearly meant here, for it is said that 'it will be a day, which is neither day nor night; at evening time there will be light'.

The same meaning is also clear from the following in the Decalogue,

Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may be well with you in the land. Deuteronomy 5:16; 25:15.

Here 'a prolonging of days' does not mean living on into old age but a state that is happy.

[3] In the sense of the letter 'day' cannot be seen to mean anything other than a period of time, but in the internal sense it means a state. Angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, do not know what a period of time is, for the activity of the sun and moon with them does not produce divisions of time. As a consequence they do not know what a day or a year is, but only what states and changes of state are. This is why among angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, anything connected with matter, space, and time, goes unnoticed, as with the following usages in the sense of the letter in Ezekiel,

The day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near, a day of cloud; it will be a time of the nations. Ezekiel 30:3.

And in Joel,

Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction. Joel 1:15.

Here 'a day of cloud' stands for cloud or falsity, 'a day of the nations' for the nations or wickedness, and 'the day of Jehovah' for vastation. When the concept of time is removed there remains the concept of the state of the things existing during that period of time. The same applies to the days and the years that are mentioned so many times in this chapter.