164. And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. That this signifies grievous temptations to those who give themselves up to their falsities is evident from the signification of committing adultery, as being to falsify truths (concerning which see above, 141); hence to commit adultery with Jezebel is to give themselves up to the falsities of those signified by Jezebel; and from the signification of tribulation as being infestation of truth by falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 47), in this case temptation, inasmuch as temptation is nothing else but infestation of truth by falsities with man (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 188, 196, 197). Therefore by casting those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, is signified the grievous temptations of those who give themselves up to their falsities. The subject here treated of is those with whom the spiritual or internal man is not so much closed, because they are in some spiritual affection for truth, and yet suffer themselves to be led astray by those who are in the doctrine of falsities (as may be seen above, n. 162). Because these receive falsities into the memory of their natural man, with which the spiritual internal man cannot agree - for this receives nothing but truths - therefore a combat commences between the spiritual and the natural man: this combat is temptation, which is signified by great tribulation. (That temptation is a combat between the spiritual and natural man, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 190, 194, 197, 199.)

199. The benefit of crises of the spirit. An overview of what crises of the spirit accomplish: 1692, 1717, 1740, 6144, 8958-8969. Through spiritual crises our spiritual or inner self gains control over our earthly or outer self; so goodness gains control over evil and truth over falsity, since goodness resides in our spiritual self. In fact, we have no goodness anywhere but in our spiritual self; evil resides in our earthly self: 8961. Since a spiritual crisis is a battle between these two, what is at stake is control-namely, whether or not the spiritual self will gain control over the earthly, whether or not goodness within us will gain control over evil, and therefore whether the Lord or hell will have control over us: 1923, 3928. It is through crises of the spirit that our outer or earthly self accepts truths that align with the desire for truth that has developed in our inner or spiritual self: 3321, 3928. Our inner, spiritual self is opened up by spiritual crises and joined to our outer self, so that both parts of us can be lifted up and can turn to the Lord: 10685. The reason our inner, spiritual self is both opened by spiritual crises and joined by them to our outer self is that the Lord acts from within and flows from there into our outer self, where he puts evils aside and conquers them, and during this process renders our outer self subject and subordinate to our inner self: 10685.

[2] Crises of the spirit happen so that goodness and truth can be joined together in us and so that the falsities that cling to goodness and truth can be dispelled (4572); so through spiritual crises, goodness is joined to truths (2272). Vessels in our minds that are receptive to truths are softened by spiritual crises and take on a state that is also receptive to goodness: 3318. Through spiritual crises, truths and goodness of various kinds take root and are strengthened in us; therefore our faith and caring increase: 8351, 8924, 8966, 8967. Meanwhile, evil and falsity in us are moved aside so that there is room for goodness and truth: 7122. Through spiritual crises, our love for ourselves and our love for the world-the sources of everything that is evil and false-are broken up (5356) and we are taught humility (8966, 8967). Through spiritual crises, what is evil and false in us is tamed, separated, and put aside, but is not destroyed: 868. Through spiritual crises, bodily concerns and cravings are tamed: 857, 868. Through spiritual crises we learn what goodness truth are, in part from the contrast between them their opposites, evil falsity: 5356. We also learn that everything we have is nothing but evil and that anything good we have comes from the Lord and his mercy: 2334.

Through spiritual crises in which we are victorious, evil spirits are deprived of their power to do anything further against us: 1695, 1717. The hells do not dare rise up against people who have undergone spiritual crises and have been victorious: 2183, 8273.

After crises of the spirit in which we are victorious, there is a joy that arises from the joining together of goodness and truth, though we are not aware that this is the source of our joy: 4572, 6829. We then gain an enlightenment regarding the truth that leads to faith and a perception of the goodness that comes from love: 8367, 8370. From crises of the spirit we also gain intelligence and wisdom: 8966, 8967. Truths increase immensely after spiritual crises: 6663. Goodness takes the lead or occupies first place, while truth comes second: 5773. With respect to our inner, spiritual self we are brought into angelic communities, and therefore into heaven: 6611.

Before we undergo crises of the spirit, the truths we have, as well as the good things in us, are set in order for us by the Lord so that we can resist the evil and falsity that are with us from hell and will be stirred up: 8131. In spiritual crises, the Lord provides a good outcome where the hellish spirits intend nothing but evil: 6574. After spiritual crises, the Lord sets our truths, as well as the good things in us, in a new order and arranges them in a heavenly form: 8370. On the arrangement of the deeper parts of the spiritual self into a heavenly form, see the chapter in Heaven and Hell titled "Heaven's Form, Which Determines How People Associate and Communicate There" (§§200-212).

People who give up the fight in spiritual crises come into damnation because the evil and falsity win and the earthly self triumphs over the spiritual and takes control; and our latter state becomes worse than our former one: 8165, 8169, 8961.