96. These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand. That this signifies from whom are all the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth, is evident from the signification of the seven stars, as denoting all the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth (concerning which see above, n. 72), and from the signification of the right hand, when said of the Lord, as being that they are from Him (concerning which also see above, n. 72, 79); hence by these words, "who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand," is signified, that from the Lord are all the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth. The reason why it is stated that He so speaks who holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, and walketh in the midst of the golden lampstands, is, because by stars are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth, and by golden lampstands, the New Heaven and the New Church. A Divine characteristic is thus prefixed to the description of each church, which indicates the subject treated of (as also in the description of the churches following, verses 8, 12, 18; chap. 3:1, 7, 14). The reason why the characteristics are so prefixed, is, that the all of the church is from the Lord; hence also it is clear, that in the first chapter the Lord as to His Divine Human is described by representatives seen by John, so that there might be taken thence what was to be prefixed to the description of each church, for a testimony and a memorial that the all of the church is from the Lord, and indeed from His Divine Human; for from this proceed all the good of love and the truth of faith which constitute the church.

What immediately proceeds from His essential Divine does not come to man, because His essential Divine is invisible, and therefore does not fall into the thought, and what does not fall into the thought does not enter into faith; for everything of faith must be the subject of thought. (That the Son of man, who is described by the representatives seen by John in the first chapter, is the Lord as to the Divine Human and the Divine truth thence proceeding, may be seen above, n. 63.) The reason why the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good are here first treated of, is, that they are the first things of the church; for no one can be initiated into faith and charity, which constitute the church, except by knowledges (cognitiones) pertaining to the church from the Word (as may be seen in the Appendix from the Arcana Coelestia in Heaven and Hell, after n. 356).

590. There is a perpetual equilibrium between heaven and hell. From hell there continually breathes forth and ascends an effort to do evil, and from heaven there continually breathes forth and descends an effort to do good. In this equilibrium is the world of spirits; which world is intermediate between heaven and hell (see above, 421-431). The world of spirits is in this equilibrium because every man after death enters first the world of spirits, and is there kept in a state like that in which he was while in the world, and this would be impossible if there were not a perfect equilibrium there; for by means of this the character of everyone is explored, since there they are left in the same freedom as they had been in the world. Spiritual equilibrium is freedom with man and spirit (as has been said just above, 589). What each one's freedom is, the angels recognize by a communication of affections and thoughts therefrom; and it becomes visible to the sight of angelic spirits by the ways in which the spirits go. Those who are good spirits there travel in the ways that go towards heaven, but evil spirits in the ways that go towards hell. Ways actually appear in that world; and that is the reason why "ways" in the Word signify the truths that lead to good, or in the opposite sense the falsities that lead to evil; and for the same reason "going", "walking", and "journeying" in the Word signify progressions of life. ¹ Such ways I have often been permitted to see, also spirits going and walking in them freely, in accord with their affections and the thoughts therefrom.

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