5836. 'It will be, when he sees that the boy is not there, that he will die' means that spiritual good will perish, that is, if the truth which is 'Benjamin' were to depart. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with previously, and from the meaning of 'dying' as ceasing to be what it once was, 494, and so perishing. As regards the perishing of good if its truth were to depart, see above in 5830, 5832, 5837.

6477. For many years I have noticed around me the general sphere produced by the things flowing in. The sphere has consisted of an unceasing endeavour from the hells on one hand to do evil, and a constant endeavour from the Lord on the other to do good. By means of these kinds of endeavour that are the opposite of each other I have been kept all the time in a state of equilibrium. Those kinds of endeavour and the state of equilibrium they produce exist with everyone; from them people have the freedom that enables them to turn whichever way they like. Yet that state of equilibrium varies according to the evil or good reigning with a person. This too has gone to prove to me that the Lord flows in in a universal manner, and when in a universal manner, in specific ways too. I have also been told that the contrary endeavour from hell is nothing else than a perversion into evil of good going forth from the Lord.