3033. 'Beware that you do not take my son back there' means that it could not possibly be joined to that affection. This is clear from what has been stated just above in 3031, where the meaning in the internal sense of taking his son back to the land from which Abraham came is explained. The fact that an affection which is incompatible with truth cannot be joined to the good of the Rational may be seen from what has been stated already about good and truth when joined together, or what amounts to the same, about the heavenly marriage, 2173, 2507, 2727-2759. The fact that the ancients therefore established a marriage between the affection for good and the affection for truth, see 1904; and also that falsity cannot possibly be joined to good, nor truth to evil, since they are by nature complete opposites, 2388, 2429, 2531; and that good is introduced into the cognitions of truth as its recipient vessels, and in this way conjunction is effected, 1469, 1496, 1832, 1900, 1950, 2063, 2189, 2261, 2269, 2428, 2434, 2697.

[2] It is not possible for falsity to be joined to good, nor truth to evil, but only falsity to evil and truth to good. This I have been allowed to perceive from actual observation; and I have perceived that the following is the truth of the matter: Whenever anyone who possesses the affection for good, that is, who wills good from the heart, gives any thought to what he ought to will and do, his will for good in that case flows into his thought about it and there attaches itself to and places itself within the cognitions present there as its recipient vessels. And by means of that joining together his will for good impels him to think, will, and act in the way he does. It is so to speak an ingrafting of good in truths or in cognitions of truth. But it is different with someone who has no affection for good, only for evil, that is, someone who wills what is evil - such as one who supposes that everything is good which benefits him personally, making him important and rich, and so enhancing his own position and wealth; and such is his end in view. Whenever that person gives any thought to what he ought to will and do, his will in like manner flows into his thought. There it activates the cognitions which resemble truth, and so impels him to think, will and act. In this case cognitions are used in a wrong way by him and he supposes that he can use certain general ideas which he has absorbed from the literal sense of the Word or from some other source of knowledge in any way he thinks. So it is evil that is coupled to falsity; for truth present there is deprived completely of all that makes it essentially the truth.

[3] In the next life, no matter how much better informed than others they seemed to be during their lifetime, such spirits are more stupid than others. To the extent they are convinced that they possess the truth they bring thick darkness to others. Such spirits as these were once present with me for quite some time, but they were insensitive to any affection for good deriving from truth, no matter how many truths which they had known during their lifetime were called to mind, for evil resided with them to which truths could not be joined. Nor are these spirits able to remain in the company of spirits who are good, but if any natural good at all resides with them they undergo vastation even to the point of not knowing any truth at all, and then some truth is introduced into the good that remains, insofar as the tiny amount of good remaining is capable of receiving it. Those however with whom an affection for good from the heart has been present are receptive of all truth, depending on the extent and character of the good that existed with them.

647. It is bound to seem strange and very far-fetched to everybody that these details have this meaning, that is to say, that the numbers three hundred, fifty, and thirty mean remnants, and in particular that they were few; also that 'length, breadth, and height' means holiness, truth, and good. But in addition to what has been stated and shown above about numbers at verse 3 of this chapter, where a hundred and twenty means the remnants of faith, this matter may also become clear to anybody from the fact that people who possess the internal sense, as good spirits and angels do, are beyond anything earthly, bodily, or purely worldly, and so beyond anything involving numbers and measurements. Yet the Lord enables them to perceive the Word fully, and to do so quite independently from such concepts. This being so, it becomes quite clear that numbers and measurements embody celestial and spiritual things. The latter however are so remote from the sense of the letter that such things cannot possibly be seen. This applies to every single celestial or spiritual thing. From this also anyone may recognize how insane it is to desire to inquire into matters of faith through sensory evidence and factual knowledge and to refuse to believe unless one grasps them by that method.