10189. Upon its two ribs. That this signifies conjunction with truths on the one side, and preservation by means of them, is evident from the signification of “ribs,” when by them are meant sides, as being truths; for the sides which are called “ribs” look to the south and the north, and by the “south” is signified truth in light (see n. 9462), and by the “north” truth in shade (n. 3708). But by “sides” properly so called is signified good, because they look to the east and the west, and by the “east” is signified good in clearness, and by the “west” good in obscurity (n. 3708, 9653). Therefore it is here said, “thou shalt make for it two rings of gold from beneath the border, upon the two ribs thereof thou shalt make them, upon the two sides thereof.” That the sides properly so called look to the east and the west, but that the sides which are called “ribs” look to the south and the north, is plain in Exodus 26:13, 26-27, 35. Moreover “ribs,” being supports of the breast, signify the truths that support good.

[2] In heaven however the case is this. On the right are those who are in the light of truth, thus who are in the south; but on the left are those who are in the shade of truth, thus who are in the north; before the face are those who are in the clear perception of good, thus who are in the east; but at the back are those who are in the obscure perception of good, thus who are in the west. These, who are in good, constitute the celestial kingdom of the Lord; and the former, who are in truth, constitute His spiritual kingdom. This is the appearance to the angels there in whatever direction they turn themselves, for the angels have the Lord, who is the very East, continually before the face; but the contrary is the case with those who are in hell, for these have the Lord continually at the back.

[3] For in the other life the quarters are not determined toward fixed regions, as they are in the world; but according to fixed and ruling loves.

[4] For an angel or a spirit is his own love, and where the love is, thither he turns himself; they who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, and from this in faith, look at the Lord before them wherever they turn their bodies and their faces. For the Lord turns them to Himself, because He enters by the way of the east into them, and constantly keeps them in a determination toward Himself. Hence their external sight, determined by the internal sight that belongs to the understanding, and this by the love that belongs to the will, looks in the direction in which the love carries it. It is similar with men in the world in respect to their interiors that belong to their spirit. Moreover, in the other life all are distinguished according to the way in which each one turns himself. (That the spaces and places in the other life are of this nature, and that from this they signify states, see n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381, 9440, 9667, 10146)

4882. And went. That this signifies life, is evident from the signification of “going,” as being to live (n. 3335, 3690). That in the internal sense “to go” is to live does indeed appear rather remote or abstracted from the ideas of thought in which man is, and this because man is in space and in time, and has formed the ideas of his thought therefrom, as for instance his idea of going, advancing, journeying, traveling, and moving. As these actions exist in space, and also in time, and as space and time are therefore inwoven in his ideas concerning them, it is difficult for man to apprehend that states of life are signified by them. But when the idea from space and time concerning them is separated or put off, there results the spiritual thing which is signified. For in the spiritual world or in heaven nothing of space or time enters the ideas, but instead what belongs to the state of life (n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3356, 3404, 3827, 4814). It does indeed appear to spirits and angels that they advance and move from place to place, just as it appears to men; but still it is changes of the state of life that produce this appearance; just as it appears to them, as well as to men, that they live from themselves, when yet they do not live from themselves, but from the Divine of the Lord from whom is the all of life. These appearances with the angels are called real, because they appear as if they really were.

[2] I have sometimes spoken with spirits about these appearances; and those who are not in good, and consequently not in truth, are unwilling to hear that it is an appearance that they live of themselves, for they wish to live of themselves. But besides their being shown by living experience that they do not live of themselves, and that progressions from place to place are changes and progressions of the state of life, they were also told that they might be satisfied in not knowing but that they have life from themselves, as they could have no more even if the life in them were really from themselves; but that still it is better to know how the case really is, because then they are in the truth, and if in the truth, they are also in the light of heaven, for the light of heaven is the truth itself which is from the Divine of the Lord; and thus they would neither claim good for themselves, nor would evil adhere to them. The angels are in this truth, not only by knowledge, but also by perception.

[3] That times and spaces in the spiritual world are states of life, and that the all of life is from the Lord, may be seen from the following experience. Every spirit and angel sees the good at the right, and the evil at the left, and this to whatever quarter he turns; the good and the evil so appear to him if he looks toward the east, and so if he looks to the west, or to the south, or the north. This is true of every spirit and angel; so that if two were looking, one toward the east, and the other toward the west, still to both the good would appear on the right, and the evil on the left. The appearance is the same to those who are remote from the spirits who are seen, even though these should be behind them. From this it may be clearly inferred that the all of life is from the Lord, or that the Lord is in the life of everyone; for the Lord appears there as the sun, and on His right are the good, or the sheep, and on his left are the evil, or the goats. Hence it is similar with everyone, because as already said the Lord is the all of life. This cannot but seem a paradox to man, because so long as he is in the world he has ideas from worldly things, and consequently from space and time; whereas in the spiritual world, as said above, the ideas are not from space and time, but from the state of the affections and of the derivative thoughts. From this also it is that spaces and times in the Word signify states.