9334. 'Lest perhaps the land becomes desolate' means a deficiency in that case, and little spiritual life, that is to say, if the removal were hurried. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general and also in particular, the Church in particular being a person who becomes an embodiment of the Church, since the Church exists within a person and comprises one who has been regenerated (for the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general, see 9325, and for its meaning as the Church in particular, or a person who has been regenerated, 82, 620, 636, 913, 1411, 1733, 2117, 2118 (end), 2571, 3368, 3379; this person is also called 'the land' in Malachi,

All the nations will declare you blessed, and you will be a land of delight. Malachi 3:12.) and from the meaning of 'desolate' as a deficiency, and little spiritual life. For 'desolate', when used in reference to the Church within a person, means a deficiency of truth and good, thus also a deficiency of spiritual life since that life is provided by these. The implications of this, that there is a deficiency and little spiritual life if falsities and evils are removed hurriedly, are that when a person undergoes regeneration, which is accomplished by the implantation of spiritual truth and good, and at the same time by the removal of falsity and evil, the regeneration is not hurried but takes place slowly.

[2] The reason for this is that all the things the person has thought, intended, or done since early childhood have entered into the composition of his life. They have also formed themselves into a network which is such that one cannot be moved without all of them together being moved. For a wicked person is an image of hell, and a good person is an image of heaven; and also the evils and falsities with a wicked person are interconnected in the same way as the communities of hell are with one another, of which that person is a part, while the forms of good and the truths with a good person are interconnected in the same way as heavenly communities are with one another, of which this person is a part. From this it is evident that the evils and falsities with a wicked person cannot be removed suddenly from where they are. They can be removed only in the measure that forms of good and truths in their proper order have been implanted more deeply within the person; for heaven with a person removes hell. If the removal were done suddenly the person would pass out, for the whole network of things, every single one, would be thrown into confusion and deprive him of his life.

[3] The fact that regeneration or the implantation of the life of heaven with a person begins when he is a young child and continues right on to the final phase of his life in the world, and the fact that after life in the world his perfection continues for evermore, see 2679, 3203, 3584, 3665, 3690, 3701, 4377, 4551, 4552, 5126, 6751, 8772, 9103, 9296, 9297, and in particular 5122, 5398, 5912, 9258. Also, and this is an arcanum, a person's regeneration in the world is merely the foundation for the unending perfection of his life. The person who has led a good life undergoes perfection in the next life; see what has been shown regarding young children, in 2289-2309, and regarding the state and condition of gentiles there, in 2589-2604.

3728. 'And poured oil on the top of it' means holy good [in which it originated]. This is clear from the meaning of 'oil' as the celestial element of love, which is good, dealt with in 886, 3009, and from the meaning of 'the top' as that which is higher, or what amounts to the same, that which is interior - good being that which is higher or interior, and truth that which is lower or exterior, as has been shown in many places. From this one may see what was meant by the ancient practice when people poured oil on the top of a pillar, namely that truth should not be devoid of good but should be grounded in good, thus that good should rule, like the head on top of the body. For truth devoid of good is not truth but is a meaningless sound and the kind of thing that is reduced to nothing. In the next life it is so reduced even with those whose knowledge of truth or matters of doctrine concerning faith, and with those whose knowledge of matters of doctrine concerning love, has been superior to anybody else's, if they have not led a good life and so have not out of a desire for good held on to truth.

[2] Consequently the Church is not the Church by virtue of truth separated from good, nor therefore by virtue of faith separated from charity, but by virtue of truth that is grounded in good, or faith that is grounded in charity. The same is also meant by what the Lord said to Jacob,

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me. Genesis 31:13

Also,

Jacob again set up a pillar, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering over it, and poured oil over it. Genesis 35:14.

'Pouring out a drink-offering over the pillar' means the Divine good of faith, and 'pouring oil over it' the Divine good of love. Anyone may see that unless it meant something celestial and spiritual, pouring oil over a stone would be a ridiculous and idolatrous action.