3707. 'And your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means that Divine natural Truth would be as natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with immediately above in 3706, 'your seed' - that is, Jacob's - consequently meaning Divine natural Truth, for as shown above 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural; and from the meaning of 'the dust of the earth' as good, dealt with in 1610. Consequently 'your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means in the internal sense that Divine natural Truth will be as Divine natural Good. The reason 'the dust of the earths means good is that 'the earth' means the Lord's kingdom and accordingly good, as shown just above in 3705. 'The dust of the earth' therefore means good, though natural good since the earth, as also shown in that place, means that which is lower in the Lord's kingdom, thus the natural, while heaven when mentioned as well means that which is interior, or the rational. This is why the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth are described in various places by means of expressions stating that someone's seed will be as the stars of heaven and as the dust of the earth. 'The stars of heaven' in that case means rational concepts, and 'the dust of the earth' natural images, which will increase in this fashion. What is meant by natural truth becoming as natural good will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.

3643. I have noticed that those in heaven dwell beneath a clear, bright sky like that of morning and midday, extending also towards evening, and likewise in a warmth like that of spring, summer, and autumn. But those in hell dwell under a dim, cloudy, and darkened sky, and also in the cold [of winter]. I have noticed that between the two in general a balance is kept; also that insofar as love, charity, and consequently faith are present in angels, they dwell under a clear sky and in the warmth of spring, and that insofar as hatred and consequently falsity are present in those in hell they dwell in thick darkness and in coldness. And as stated above, the light in the next life holds intelligence within it, the warmth love within it, while thick darkness holds insanity within it, and cold hatred within it.