9680. And the veil shall divide for you between the holy and the holy of holies. That this signifies between spiritual good which is the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith in the Lord, and celestial good which is the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love, is evident from the signification of “the holy,” as being the good that reigns in the middle heaven; and from the signification of “the holy of holies,” as being the good that reigns in the inmost heaven. That this good is the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love; and that the former, namely, the good that reigns in the middle heaven, is the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith in the Lord, is evident from all that has been shown concerning each kind of good, celestial and spiritual, in the passages cited above (see n. 9670). The good of love to the Lord in the inmost heaven is the internal good there, and the good of mutual love is the external good there. And the good of charity toward the neighbor is the internal good in the middle heaven, and the good of faith in the Lord is the external good there. In each heaven there is an internal and an external, just as there is in the church, which is both internal and external (as may be seen above, n. 409, 1083, 1098, 1238, 1242, 4899, 6380, 6587, 7840, 8762, 9375).

[2] All good is holy, and all truth is holy insofar as it has good in it. Good is called “holy” from the Lord, because the Lord alone is holy, and because from Him is all good and all truth (n. 9229, 9479). From this it is evident why the Habitation is called “the holy; and why the ark in which was the Testimony is called “the holy of holies;” for the Testimony denotes the Lord Himself as to Divine truth (n. 9503); and “the ark” denotes the inmost heaven where the Lord is (n. 9485). The Lord is also in the middle heaven; but He is more fully present in the inmost heaven; for they who are conjoined with the Lord by the good of love are with Him; but they who are conjoined with the Lord by the good of faith are indeed with Him, but more remotely. In the middle heaven there is conjunction with the Lord through faith implanted in the good of charity toward the neighbor. From all this it is evident why the Habitation that was outside the veil is called “the holy;” and why the Habitation that was within the veil is called “the holy of holies.”

[3] That it is the Lord from whom is all the holy, and that He is the very holy of holies, is evident in Daniel:

Seventy weeks have been decreed upon My people, to anoint the holy of holies (Daniel 9:24).

Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy (Revelation 15:4).

Therefore also the Lord is called “the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 60:9, 14; Jeremiah 50:29; 51:5; Ezekiel 39:7; Psalms 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; 2 Kings 19:22). Therefore among the sons of Israel whatever represented the Lord, or the good and truth which proceed from Him, after inauguration was called “holy,” for the reason that the Lord alone is holy. The “Holy Spirit” in the Word is also the holy which proceeds from the Lord.

2388. Hast thou yet anyone here? Son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the place. That this signifies that all who are in the good of charity, and that all things belonging thereto, would be saved, and also those who are in the truth of faith, provided they would recede from evil, is evident from the signification of “sons-in-law,” of “sons,” of “daughters,” of “city,” and of “place,” concerning which in what follows.

[2] As regards those being saved who are in the truth of faith, provided they recede from evil, the case is this. The truths of faith are the very receiving vessels of good (n. 1900, 2063, 2261, 2269); and they receive good insofar as the man recedes from evil; for good continually flows in from the Lord, and it is the evil of life that hinders its being received in the truths which are with man in his memory or knowledge. Therefore insofar as a man recedes from evil, so far good enters and applies itself to his truths; and then the truth of faith with him becomes the good of faith. A man may indeed know truth, may also confess it under the incitement of some worldly cause, may even be persuaded that it is true; and yet this truth does not live so long as he is in a life of evil. For such a man is like a tree on which there are leaves, but no fruit; and His truth is like light in which there is no heat, such as there is in the time of winter when nothing grows. But when there is heat in it, the light then becomes such as there is in the time of spring, when all things grow. In the Word truth is compared to light and is called “light,” but heat is compared to love, and is also called spiritual heat. In the other life also truth manifests itself by light, and good by heat; but truth without good by cold light, and truth with good by light similar to that of spring. This shows what the truth of faith is without the good of charity. Hence it is that the sons-in-law and the sons, by whom such truths are signified, were not saved; but only Lot with His daughters.

[3] As it is here said that those also who are in the truth of faith are saved, provided they recede from evil, be it known that these are they who profess faith and think nothing about charity for the reason that they have been so instructed, and do not know what charity is (supposing that it consists merely in the giving of our own to others, and in pitying everybody), and who also do not know what the neighbor is toward whom charity is to be exercised (for they suppose that the neighbor is almost everybody, without distinction), and yet who live in the life of charity toward the neighbor, because in the life of good. It does these persons no harm to profess faith along with all the rest, for in their faith there is charity, since this means all the good of life in general and in particular. What therefore charity is, and what the neighbor, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.