7870. In that night. That this signifies the state of their evil, is evident from the signification of "night," as being a state when there is nothing but evil and falsity; for "night" is opposed to "day," and "thick darkness" to "light," and by "day" and "light" is signified when there is truth and good; consequently by "night" is also signified the last time of the church, for then, because there is no faith and charity, falsities and evils reign (see n. 2353, 6000); by "night" is also signified total devastation (n. 7776), and likewise damnation (n. 7851). From all this it is evident that the state of those who are in hell is called "night"-not that the darkness of night prevails with them, for they see one another; but because the state of truth and good which is in the heavens is called "day," consequently the state of falsity and evil is called "night." Moreover, there is thick darkness there when anything of light from heaven flows in; for then their light from which they see is dissipated and becomes thick darkness.
[2] The light from which they see is indeed derived from the light from the Lord through heaven, for in the other life there is no light from any other source; but this light with those in hell is received by the capacity they have of understanding truth. This capacity of being able to understand remains with them, as it does with every man, however much they are in evil and falsity; but when that heavenly light passes from this capacity into the will, so that they do not wish to understand, and from this passes into evil and falsity, then the heavenly light with them is turned into a light which is like the light from a coal fire; and this light, as already said, is turned into dense thick darkness by the light of heaven when it flows in. (That in the hells there is such a light as is that from a coal fire, see n. 1528, 3340, 4418, 4531; and that this light is turned into thick darkness at the presence of the light of heaven, n. 1783, 3412, 4533, 5057, 5058, 6000.) From all this it can be seen that in the other life everyone has light according as his capacity of understanding is instructed in truths from good, or in falsities from evil.