497. And cast it unto the earth, signifies influx into the lower parts where those were who were to be separated and removed. This is evident from the signification of "casting down the censer filled with the fire of the altar," as being the influx of Divine love out of the heavens (of which presently); also from the signification of "the earth," as being the lower parts, where those were who were to be separated and removed from each other. For in the spiritual world there are lands, hills, and mountains, and these lands, hills, and mountains are inhabited: on the hills and mountains the angels dwell, and these are the heavens; and upon the lands which are below the hills and mountains those who were to be separated from each other dwell; so "lands" (earths) here signify the lower parts. (That the face of things in the spiritual world is similar in this respect as upon our globe is shown in many passages in the work on Heaven and Hell; also in the small work on The Last Judgment; as well as frequently in the above explanations.) From this it can be seen that "he cast the censer filled with the fire of the altar unto the earth" signifies the influx of the Divine love out of the heavens into the lower parts, where those were who were to be separated and removed. For there were societies below upon the lands there, in which the good and the evil were together, and these had to be separated from each other before the Last Judgment could take place; for from the time of the Lord until the time of the Last Judgment, all who could live an external moral life, and thus imitate a spiritual life in appearance were tolerated. (That these were tolerated even until the judgment, and why, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 59, 69, 70; and that "the former heaven" which was destroyed was formed out of these, n. 65-72.) And in the same societies, or "in the former heaven," there were also the simple good, some associated with the others there, and some elsewhere, but conjoined with the others by a holy and pious external; and yet it was necessary that the good should be separated from the evil before the judgment, in order that the good might be elevated into heaven and the evil be cast into hell; and as this separation was effected by the influx of Divine good and truth out of the heavens into those lower parts where they all were, thence it can be seen that "He cast down the censer filled with the fire of the altar" signifies this influx into the lower parts. (Respecting the operation of this influx with the good and its operation with the evil see above, n. 413, 418-419, 426, 489, 493.)

3241. 'And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim' means the derivatives from the second division. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Dedan' as those governed by the good of faith, or to be precise, those governed by the truth of faith derived from good, 3240 (end). The fact that they are derivatives from the second division is self-evident. These three sons mean in particular the truths of faith derived from good, though just what each one means can indeed be stated but not confirmed from elsewhere in the Word since they are not mentioned again.

[2] In the Lord's kingdom there are countless variations to goods and truths, yet all those countless variations make up one heaven. Indeed there are so many that one community is in no sense exactly like another, that is, governed by the same good and truth, see 684, 685, 690. One heaven there is made up of many varying parts arranged by the Lord in such a way that they all accord. This accordance or harmony of the many is effected by the Lord through the relationship which each of them has to Him, 551. It is like the organs, members, and viscera of the body. None is exactly like another. Yet although they are all different from one another they nevertheless make one, through the relatedness of them all to one soul, and through this soul to heaven and so to the Lord. For anything that has no connection with the Lord is in reality nothing. From this it may be seen that specific differences in truth and good are countless. But the kinds of these, indeed the most general kinds, which belong to the spiritual Church, are meant by these sons and grandsons of Abraham by Keturah.

[3] Because members of the spiritual Church do not have perception, as those of the celestial Church do, of what good and truth are, but instead acknowledge as truths things which they have had to learn, they are therefore constantly engaged in discussion about them and in reasoning whether they are true. Everybody adheres to the teaching which his own Church upholds and calls it the truth. This is what gives rise to so many differences. Furthermore the majority make their minds up about goods and truths from appearances and illusions - each one in a different way from another. But no one does so from any perception; indeed they do not know what perception is. Since their understanding is so darkened as regards goods and truths of faith, it is no wonder that disagreements exist about the most essential truth of all, that is to say, about the Lord's Divine, His Human, and His Holy proceeding from these. Those who are celestial perceive that these are not three but one, but in the case of those who are spiritual a mental image of three remains, though they are willing to think of them as one. Since therefore disagreements exist regarding this most essential truth, it may be seen that the variations and differences in matters of doctrine are countless. From this one may know the origin of the derivatives meant by the names of those mentioned at this point. But although there are so many variations and differences in matters of doctrine, or so many derivatives, nevertheless they all together form one Church when everyone acknowledges charity to be the essential thing of the Church, or what amounts to the same, when everyone regards life as the end in view of doctrine - that is, when everyone asks, How does a member of the Church live? rather than, What does he think? For in the next life everyone is allotted a place by the Lord that accords with the good constituting his life, not with the truth he knows from doctrine separated from that good.