8315. The mighty ones of Moab. That this signifies those who are in the life of falsity from this love, is evident from the signification of “mighty ones,” as being things that reign and prevail; and from the representation of Moab, as being those who are in natural good and suffer themselves to be easily led astray (see n. 2468), thus who are in a consequent life of falsity; for they who are in natural good, and not in good from the truth of faith, thus not in spiritual good, suffer themselves to be led away to believe any falsities whatever, thus to live according to them. They are led away from truths to falsities especially by those things which favor their loves. These are they who are meant by “Moab.” (That they who are in natural good, and not in spiritual good, cannot possibly be led by any influx from heaven, see n. 3470, 3471, 3518, 4988, 4992, 5032, 6208, 7197, 8002.) The word by which “the mighty ones” are expressed in the original tongue, is predicated of those who are in truth from good, and in the opposite sense, of those who are in falsity from evil; in this latter sense is this word in Ezekiel 31:11, an. 2 Kings 24:15.

7197. The land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. That this signifies where the things of faith and charity are, about which they have been instructed, and according to which they have lived, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens and on earth (of which jus t above, n. 7196), thus also the things of the Lord’s kingdom, which, it is known, are faith and charity, and therefore these also are signified by the “land of Canaan” where the subject treated of is the instruction and life which are signified by “sojourning;” and from the signification of “sojourning,” as being instruction and life (n. 1463, 2025, 3672). From this it is evident that by “the land of their sojournings wherein they sojourned” is signified where the things of faith and charity are, about which they have been instructed and according to which they have lived. The case herein is this. In the other life heaven is given to everyone in accordance with the things of faith and charity in him, for charity and faith make heaven with everyone; but when it is said that charity and faith make heaven, there is meant the life of charity and faith. But note well that the life which has heaven in it, is a life according to the truths and goods of faith about which the man has been instructed. Unless these are the rules and principles of his life, in vain does he look for heaven, no matter how he has lived; for without these truths and goods a man is like a reed which is shaken by every wind; for he is bent by evils equally as by goods, because he has nothing of truth and good made firm within him, whereby he may be kept by the angels in truths and goods, and be withdrawn from the falsities and evils which the infernals are continually injecting. In a word, the life of Christian good is what makes heaven; not a life of natural good.