8765. 'And brought you to Myself' means thus to the good of love existing in heaven. This is clear from the consideration that Jehovah, who says that they were drawn to Himself, is the Divine Good of Divine Love, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921 (end), 4402, 7010, 7268, 7873, 8301, 8760, at this point the Divine Good of Divine Love as it exists in heaven, 8761. In what way these things link together with those that come immediately before them is self-evident. The words in what comes immediately before, bore you on eagles' wings', mean that they were raised by means of truths to heavenly light, while the words here, 'brought you to Myself', mean to the Divine Good of love as it exists in heaven; for the truths of faith are the means by which a person is brought to good, and so into heaven, and to the Lord there. A person is not in heaven, nor thus with the Lord, until he is governed by good, that is, by charitable affection.

[2] People who suppose that salvation lies in faith alone, and not at the same time in the life of faith, that is, in the life of charity, believe that anyone can enter heaven and come to the Lord, irrespective of the life he has led. They do not know what the life of man is; and not knowing what this is they imagine that the life is of no importance at all. Consequently if they are asked whether a bad person is able to be among the good, they say that by God's mercy he can be, since it is the work of an almighty power. Indeed if they are asked whether the devil is able to become an angel of heaven, they say Yes, provided that he wishes to receive faith. Nor are they in any doubt about his ability to receive it. But if they are told that evil is not able to be turned into good, nor thus hell into heaven with a person, and that such a conversion is impossible because it is contrary to order, therefore contrary to God's truth, and so contrary to God Himself who is order, they reply that such ideas are false reasonings about salvation that do not interest them. All these and countless other considerations go to show how great a blindness regarding salvation and eternal life is caused by teachings about faith alone.

8306. 'The earth swallowed them' means that as a result simply of His presence damnation and hell befell them. This is clear from the meaning of 'being swallowed by the earth' as damnation and hell, for that swallowing means falling or being cast down into hell. Hell is also positioned deep down below, being furthest away from the Sun of heaven, that is, the Lord, who occupies the highest position there. The distances of positions away from Him are determined by the nature and amount of evils and of falsities arising from them; and this is why heaven is seen above and hell below. The place where those ruled by falsities arising from evil and consequently in a state of damnation are is also seen as a wilderness-land, which is called the land of damnation. Below this land are cast those sent down to hell, 7418, which happens as a result simply of the Lord's presence, 8265. This now explains why 'the earth swallowed them' means damnation and hell, as is also evident in Moses,

Moses said to the assembly regarding Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, If Jehovah does something new, ¹ and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, so that they go down alive into hell, you will know that these men have provoked Jehovah. And the earth which was under them was split apart; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them. And they went down, and all who were theirs, alive into hell. Numbers 16:30-33.

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