2353. This night. That this signifies the last time, when these are no longer acknowledged, is evident from the signification of "night," as being a time of darkness, when the things of light are no longer seen. The angels did not come in the night, but in the evening; but as it is the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are in falsity and evil, it is not said in the "evening," but in the "night." For in the Word "night" signifies the time and state when there is no longer any light of truth, but merely falsity and evil. [2] Thus the last time when comes the Judgment; with which signification it is often found, as in Micah:
Against the prophets that lead the people astray: It shall be night unto you that ye have no vision; and it shall be darkness to you, that ye shall not divine, and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them (Micah 3:5-6). "Prophets" here denote those who teach falsities; "night," "darkness," the "going down of the sun," and the "blackening day," denote falsities and evils. [3] In John:
If anyone walk in the day, he stumbleth not; but if anyone walk in the night he stumbleth, because the light is not in him (John 11:9-10);
where "night" denotes falsity from evil; "light," truth from good; for as all the light of truth is from good, so all the night of falsity is from evil. [4] Again:
I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh when no one can work (John 9:4);
"day" denotes the time and state when there is what is good and true; but "night" when there is what is evil and false. [5] In Luke:
I say unto you, in that night there shall be two upon one bed, the one shall be accepted, the other abandoned (Luke 17:34);
here "night" denotes the last time, when there is no longer any truth of faith. [6] Inasmuch as when the sons of Israel went out from Egypt there was represented in that country the vastation of good and truth within the church, and that there then reigned therein nothing but what was evil and false, it was commanded that they should go out at midnight (Exod. 11:4); and it also came to pass that at midnight all the firstborn of Egypt were slain (Exod. 12:12, 29, 30). And inasmuch as they who are in what is good and true, who were represented by the sons of Israel, are guarded when among falsities and evils (as was Lot in Sodom), that night, in respect to them, is called "a night of the guardings of Jehovah" (verse 42).
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