4901.“约过了三个月”表一个新状态。这从“三”和“月”的含义清楚可知：“三”是指完整之物，因而是指末后，同时也指首先，或是指结束，同时也指开始（参看1825，2788，4495节）；“月”是指状态（3814节）。因为就内义而言，所有时间段都表示状态，如小时、天、周、月、年、世纪。构成这些的时间段，或说这些时间段的细化同样表示状态，如正午、傍晚、夜间、早晨，也就是一天四个时辰；再如夏天、秋天、冬天、春天，也就是一年四季；以及生命的各个阶段，如幼儿期，童年期，青年期，成年期和老年期。所有这些时间段，以及其它时间段都表示状态。至于是何状态，可参看前文（4850节）。
时间段之所以表示状态，是因为这类时间段在来世并不存在。诚然，灵人和天使的生命似乎按时间顺序向前发展；但时间段对其思维的形成不像对世人思维的形成那样起任何作用。确切地说，其思维来自生命的状态，无需时间观念的帮助。这类时间段表示状态的进一步原因是，其生命的发展并不区分为不同的年龄段；事实上，他们在那里不会变老，那里也没有天数或年份，因为他们的太阳，也就是主，总是升起，从不落下。因此，进入他们思维的，只是状态及其发展的观念，而非时间的观念。在人的感觉面前出现并存在的事物才是他们所获取观念的源头。
这些事看上去定然显得自相矛盾，只因人的每一个思维观念都有些许时空之物附着于它。他的记忆和回忆，以及他的低层思维都来自这个源头，其观念被称为物质的。不过，这类观念所出自的这种记忆在来世处于休眠状态。来世之人都运用其内部记忆及其思维观念。从这内部记忆所流出的思维没有附着于它的时间和空间，取而代之的是状态及其发展。正因如此，时间段与这些相对应，并且由于这种对应，在圣言中，时间表示状态。人有一个适合他在肉身期间的外部记忆，也有一个适合其灵的内部记忆（2469-2494节）。
“约过了三个月”之所以表示一个新状态，是因为“月”（世上的时间也被划分为月）表示状态，“三”表示末后，同时表示首先，或表示结束，同时表示开始，如前所述。由于在灵界，状态不断从一个发展到另一个，因而每个状态的末后或结束都包含下一个状态的首先或开始，从而形成一个连续序列，故“约过了三个月”表示一个新状态。这也适用于教会，教会就是灵界，或主在地上的国。一个民族当中的教会的末后总是另一个民族当中的教会的首先。由于末后以这种方式延续到首先的，故经上数次论到主说，祂是末后的，是首先的（如以赛亚书41:4；44:6；启示录21:6；22:13）；以此在相对意义上表示持续之物，在至高意义上表示永恒之物。
Potts(1905-1910) 4901
4901. And it came to pass about three months after. That this signifies a new state, is evident from the signification of "three" as being what is complete, and hence the last and the first together, or the end and the beginning together (see n. 1825, 2788, 4495); and from the signification of "month" as being state (n. 3814). For in the internal sense all periods of time signify states, as hour, day, week, month, year, age; and also the lesser divisions of time, as noon, evening, night, and morning, which are times of the day; and as summer, autumn, winter, and spring, which are times of the year; and also the several periods of life, as infancy and childhood, youth, adult age, and old age; all of which times, with others, signify states. What states are may be seen above (n. 4850). [2] That times signify states is because times do not exist in the other life. The progression of the life of spirits and angels indeed appears as in time; but they have no thought from times, as men in the world have; their thought is from states of the life, and this without notion of times. The reason of this is that the progressions of their life are not distinguished into different ages, for there they do not grow old, and there are no days or years, because their sun, which is the Lord, is always rising and never sets. Hence no notion of time enters their thoughts, but only a notion of state and its progressions - notions being taken from the things that are and exist before the senses. [3] These things must needs seem paradoxical, but only for the reason that man in every idea of his thought has somewhat adjoined from time and space. From this source are his memory and recollection, and also his lower thought, the ideas of which are called material. But that memory out of which comes such ideas is quiescent in the other life. They who are in that life are in interior memory, and in the ideas of its thought; and thought from this latter memory has not times and spaces adjoined to it, but states and their progressions instead. Hence also it is that they correspond, and in consequence of such correspondence times in the Word signify states. (That man has an exterior memory which is proper to him in the body, and also an interior memory which is proper to his spirit, may be seen above, n. 2469-2494.) [4] That by "about three months after" is signified a new state, is because by "months," into which also times in the world are distinguished, is signified state, and by "three" is signified the last and the first together, or the end and the beginning together, as said above. Because in the spiritual world there is a continual progression of states from one into another, and consequently in the last or end of every state there is a first or beginning, hence what is continuous, therefore by the words "about three months after" is signified a new state. It is similar also in the church, which is the spiritual world or the Lord's kingdom on earth, the last of the church with one nation being always the first of the church with another. As the last is thus continued into the first, it is several times said of the Lord that He is the Last and the First (as in Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; Rev. 21:6; 22:13); and thereby in the relative sense is signified what is perpetual, and in the supreme sense what is eternal.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4901
4901. 'So it was about three months later' means a new state. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as that which is complete, and therefore the last and at the same time the first, or the end and at the same time the beginning, dealt with in 1825, 2788, 4495; and from the meaning of 'a month' as a state, dealt with in 3814. All periods of time in the internal sense mean states, such as an hour, day, week, month, year, or age. And states are likewise meant by the periods making up these, such as the times of day, which are midday, evening, night, and morning; the seasons of the year, which are summer, autumn, winter, and spring; and also the phases of life, which are infancy and childhood, adolescence, adult years, and old age. All these periods and many more have states as their meaning. What a state actually is, see 4850.
[2] The reason periods of time mean states is that in the next life such periods do not really exist. Spirits' and angels' lives do, it is true, seem to move forward within a time-sequence; but periods of time play no part in the formation of their thought, as those periods do in the formation of men's in the world. Rather, states of life contribute to the formation of their thought, without the help of any temporal notion. Also, a further reason why such periods of time mean states is that consecutive stages in the lives of spirits and angels are not distinguished as separate times of life. For those in the next life do not age; nor are there any days or years there because the Sun there - the Lord - is always rising and never sets. Consequently no temporal notion can enter their thinking, only the notion of a state and of the stages by which this moves forward It is the things present and taking place before people's senses that are the source of the notions gained by them.
[3] These matters are bound to look like a paradox, but the reason they do so is that every single idea present in a person's thought has something of time and space attached to it. These are the source of what is in his memory and of what he recollects, and they are the source of his lower level of thought, consisting of ideas called material ones. But the memory from which such ideas are recollected is quiescent in the next life. Those who are in the next life use their interior memory and the ideas present in the thought there. Thought flowing from this interior memory does not have any temporal or spatial content, but instead of this states and the stages by which those states move forward. Consequently periods of time correspond to these, and because they correspond periods of time are used in the Word to mean states. For details about man's possession of an exterior memory which belongs properly to him while in the body, and also of an interior memory which belongs properly to his spirit, see 2469-2494.
[4] The reason 'about three months later' means a new state is that 'months', into which periods of time in the world are also divided, means state, and that, as mentioned above, 'three' means the last and at the same time the first, or the end and at the same time the beginning. Because in the spiritual world states are constantly moving forward from one into another, and as a consequence the last phase or end of each state includes the first phase or beginning of the next, resulting in a continuous sequence, 'about three months later' therefore means a new state. The same applies within the Church too, which is the spiritual world or the Lord's kingdom on earth. The last phase of the Church among one nation is always the first phase of the Church among another. Because a last phase is in this way continued into a first, the Lord is spoken of several times as the Last and the First, as in Isa 41:4; 44:6; Rev 21:6; 22:13; and by this is meant in the relative sense that which is perpetual, and in the highest sense that which is eternal.
Latin(1748-1756) 4901
4901. `Fuit circiter a tribus mensibus': quod significet statum novum, constat a significatione `trium' quod sint completum, et inde ultimum et simul primum, seu finis et simul principium, de qua n. 1825, 2788, 4495; et a significatione `mensis' quod sit status, de qua n. 3814; omnia enim tempora in sensu interno significant status, sicut hora, dies, septimana, mensis, annus, saeculum {1}, (m)et quoque tempora temporum, sicut meridies, vespera, nox, mane, quae sunt tempora diei, et sicut aestas, autumnus, hiems, {2}ver, quae sunt tempora anni, et quoque tempora aetatis, ut infantia et pueritia, adolescentia, adulta aetas, senectus, {2} haec omnia et plura significant status(n); quid status, videatur n. 4850. Quod `tempora' significent status, est quia 2 tempora non dantur in altera vita; apparet quidem progressio vitae spirituum et angelorum sicut in tempore, sed nulla est cogitatio ex illis, sicut est hominibus in mundo, sed cogitatio est ex statibus vitae, et hoc absque notione temporum; causa etiam est quia vitae eorum progressiones non distinctae sunt in aetates, ibi enim non senescunt, et quia ibi non sunt dies et anni, quia Sol ibi qui est Dominus, semper oritur et nusquam occidit, inde est quod nulla notio temporis ingrediatur cogitationes eorum, sed notio status et ejus progressionum; ex illis quae sunt et existunt coram sensibus, capiuntur notiones. Haec 3 non possunt non apparere sicut paradoxon, sed ex causa quia homo in singulis ideis suae cogitationis aliquid ex tempore et spatio adjunctum habet, inde ejus memoria (c)et reminiscentia, et quoque inde ejus cogitatio inferior, cujus ideae vocantur materiales; sed illa memoria ex qua tales ideae, in altera vita quiescit; sunt ibi in memoria interiore ac in ejus cogitationis ideis; cogitatio ex hac memoria non `sibi adjuncta' habet tempora (c)et spatia, sed loco illorum status et eorum progressiones; inde quoque est quod correspondeant et, quia correspondent, {3} quod tempora in Verbo significent status; quod homini memoria exterior sit quae propria ei in corpore, et quod etiam memoria interior quae 4 propria ejus spiritui, videatur n. 2469-2494. Quod `circiter a tribus mensibus' significet statum novum, est quia per `menses' in quos etiam tempora in mundo distincta sunt, significatur status, et quia per `tres' significatur ultimum et simul primum, seu finis et simul principium, ut supra dictum; in mundo spirituali quia est continua progressio statuum ab uno in alterum, consequenter in cujusvis status ultimo seu fine est primum seu principium{4}, inde continuum, idcirco per `circiter a tribus mensibus' significatur status novus; similiter etiam se habet in Ecclesia, quae est mundus spiritualis seu regnum Domini in tellure; Ecclesiae ultimum apud unam gentem est semper Ecclesiae primum apud aliam; quia ultimum sic continuatur in primum, ideo aliquoties de Domino dicitur quod sit Ultimus et Primus, ut Esai. xli 4; xliv 6; Apoc. xxi 6; xxii 13, et per illud (t)in sensu respectivo significatur perpetuum et in sensu supremo aeternum. @1 i ut pluries ostensum$ @2 i et$ @3 etiam$ @4 i sequentis$