Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 5210

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5210. And he slept. That this signifies an obscure state, is evident from the signification of "sleeping," as being an obscure state. Moreover, in the spiritual sense "sleep" is nothing else, just as "wakefulness" is nothing else than a clear state; for there is spiritual sleep when truths are in obscurity, and spiritual wakefulness when truths are in clearness. Moreover, in the degree of this clearness are spirits awake, and in the degree of the obscurity are they asleep. From this it is plain that "sleeping" means an obscure state.


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