4921. 'And the midwife took' means the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the midwife' as the natural, dealt with in 4588. The implications of this will be evident from the following considerations. In the spiritual world 'midwife' means something different from what the word means in the natural world, as may be recognized from the consideration that in the spiritual world there is no such thing as childbirth or consequently midwifery. From this it is evident that when a person reads the words used here, the angels present with him do not perceive a midwife but instead something completely different; indeed they perceive something spiritual. Consequently because angels concentrate their ideas on things to do with a spiritual childbirth, their perception of 'the midwife' is therefore that which assists and receives this offspring - that which assists and receives it being the natural, see what has been shown in 4588.

1619. THE LIGHT IN WHICH ANGELS ARE LIVING - continued; ALSO THEIR PARADISE GARDENS, AND THEIR DWELLING - PLACES

When a person's interior sight - the sight of his spirit - is opened, he then sees things in the next life, things that can never be manifested before his bodily eyes. The visions that the prophets had were nothing else. As has been stated, representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, as well as meaningful signs, are to be seen constantly, so much so that nothing ever comes before the eyes of angels that is not a representative or a meaningful sign. This is the origin of representatives and of meaningful signs in the Word, for the Word derives from the Lord through heaven.