9261. Keep thee far from the word of a lie. That this signifies an aversion for the falsity of evil, is evident from the signification of “a lie,” as being falsity from evil (see n. 8908, 9248). The reason why there is signified falsity from evil is that this falsity must be kept far away, because it derives its essence from evil; and evil and good are opposites; for evil is from hell, and good is from heaven, and there it is from the Lord. But falsity not derived from evil, which is the falsity of ignorance, is not of such a nature (see n. 1679, 2863, 4551, 4552, 4729, 4736, 6359, 7272, 7574, 8149, 8311, 8318, 9258). And from the signification of “keeping far away,” as being to feel aversion for. That “removal far away” denotes aversion, originates from the removals of this kind which appear in the spiritual world, in that they are according to dissimilarities, differences, and aversions, in respect to the things of spiritual life. For those who appear there in one place are in a like state of the affections and of the derivative thoughts; but as soon as they are at variance, they are separated and go far away from one another; and this according to the degree of their variance. This comes to pass because in the spiritual world both spaces and times are states, and therefore distances are differences of states. Nevertheless, before the external sight, states appear there as spaces, and their differences as distances. (That spaces and distances, and also times, are states, see n. 1273-1277, 1376-1382, 2625, 3356, 3387, 3404, 3638-3641, 4321, 4882, 7381, 9104; but that nevertheless there are appearances of spaces and distances, which originate from changes of state in the interiors, n. 5605.) From this it is now evident that in the internal sense “removal far away” denotes aversion.

5605. And we will arise and go, and we will live, and not die. That this signifies spiritual life according to degrees, is evident from the signification of “arising,” as being elevation to higher or interior things, consequently to the things of spiritual life (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103, 4881); from the signification of “going,” as being to live (n. 3335, 3690, 4882, 5493), and as the words follow “and we will live,” “going” signifies the first spiritual life; from the signification of “living,” as being spiritual life, for no other life is meant in the internal sense of the Word; and from the signification of “not dying,” as being no longer to be damned, that is, to be out of a state of damnation, for in the internal sense of the Word no other than spiritual death is meant, which is damnation. From this it is plain that by “we will arise and go, and we will live and not die” is signified life according to degrees; namely, introduction into life by “arising,” the first of life by “going,” life itself by “living,” and being led out from the things of no life by “not dying.”

[2] That “to go” in the internal sense is to live, seems strange to him who knows nothing about spiritual life; but it is like “journeying,” which denotes the order of life and what is successive of life (n. 1293, 4375, 4554, 4585), and like “sojourning,” which denotes to be instructed and to live accordingly (n. 1463, 2025, 3672). The reason why “going,” “journeying,” and “sojourning” have these significations might indeed be told, but the reason is of such a nature as could scarcely be accepted by those who are ignorant of the nature of movements in the other life. Movements and progressions there are nothing else-because from no other source-than changes of the state of life. These changes appear in externals exactly like progressions from place to place. That this is so can be confirmed by much experience in the other life; for I have walked there in spirit with them and among them, through many of their abodes, and this though in body I remained in the same place. I have also talked with them as to how this could be, and have been informed that it is the changes of the state of life that make progressions in the spiritual world.

[3] This was also confirmed by the fact that by means of changes induced on their states, spirits can appear on high, and then in a moment beneath, or now far to the west, and in a moment to the east, and so on. But as before said this cannot but seem strange to him who knows nothing about life in the spiritual world; for there are no spaces or times there, but states of life instead. These states produce in externals a most living appearance of progressions and motions. The appearance is as living and real as that life itself is in us and therefore our own, when yet life flows in from the Lord, who is the fountain of all life (see n. 2021, 2658, 2706, 2886-2888, 3001, 3318, 3337-3338, 3484, 3619, 3741-3743, 4151, 4249, 4318-4320, 4417, 4523, 4524, 4882). As “going” and “moving” signify living, it was therefore said by the ancients, that “in God we move, live, and have our being” [Acts 17:28; and by “moving” they meant the external of life, by “living” its internal, and by “being” its inmost.