9606. Upon the edge of the one curtain at the extremity in the joining. That this signifies the conjunction of one sphere with the other, is evident from the signification of “the edge of a curtain at the extremity in the joining,” as being where one ceases and the other begins, and thus the common boundary where the two are joined together. That the sphere is what is signified is because in heaven spheres conjoin. For there are spheres which proceed from each angelic society in heaven, and from each angel in a society. These spheres, with everyone, exhale from the life of the affections of truth and of good, and are thence diffused to a distance. From this it is that the quality of spirits and of angels is known at a distance. Angels and angelic societies are conjoined, and are also disjoined, in accordance with these spheres; for similar spheres, that is, similar affections of truth and good, conjoin; and dissimilar spheres disjoin. (But see what has been already shown concerning these spheres in n. 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1520, 1695, 2401, 2489, 4464, 5179, 6206, 6598-6613, 7454, 8630, 8794, 8797, 9490-9492, 9498, 9534.) Whether you say angels and angelic societies, from which the spheres proceed, or truth and good, it is the same; for the spheres are from the affections of truth and good, by virtue of which angels are angels from the Lord. Be it known that insofar as these spheres derive anything from the Lord, so far they conjoin; but insofar as they derive it from the angel’s own, so far they disjoin. From this it is evident that the Lord alone conjoins.

9498. And thou shalt put the staves into the rings. That this signifies the power of the Divine sphere, is evident from the signification of “staves,” as being power (of which just above, n. 9496); and from the signification of “the rings,” as being Divine truth conjoined with Divine good, which is everywhere round about (of which also above, n. 9493), thus the Divine sphere which encompasses and encloses heaven in general, and the heavenly societies and the individual angels themselves in particular, according to what has been before shown (n. 9490, 9492). For the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord is not to be conceived of as speech and the influx thereof into the ear; but as a sphere from the sun, which by degrees, as it is removed from the sun, decreases in ardor and brightness, and at last becomes so tempered as to be accommodated to the reception of the angels. Within this sphere, but far from the sun on account of its ardor and brightness, is the angelic heaven. This sphere also extends outside heaven down into hell, but those who are there do not receive it in a suitable manner, but turn it into the opposite. From this it can be seen what is meant by the Divine sphere which encloses and holds together heaven, namely, that it is Divine truth conjoined with Divine good, which is everywhere around heaven, and around those who are in heaven. The heat that proceeds from the Lord as the sun in heaven is the Divine good of His Divine love accommodated to the reception of the angels who are in heaven; and the light that proceeds from the Lord as the sun is the Divine truth of His Divine good. Nevertheless both together are called “the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord.”