9334. 'Lest perhaps the land becomes desolate' means a deficiency in that case, and little spiritual life, that is to say, if the removal were hurried. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general and also in particular, the Church in particular being a person who becomes an embodiment of the Church, since the Church exists within a person and comprises one who has been regenerated (for the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general, see 9325, and for its meaning as the Church in particular, or a person who has been regenerated, 82, 620, 636, 913, 1411, 1733, 2117, 2118 (end), 2571, 3368, 3379; this person is also called 'the land' in Malachi,

All the nations will declare you blessed, and you will be a land of delight. Malachi 3:12.) and from the meaning of 'desolate' as a deficiency, and little spiritual life. For 'desolate', when used in reference to the Church within a person, means a deficiency of truth and good, thus also a deficiency of spiritual life since that life is provided by these. The implications of this, that there is a deficiency and little spiritual life if falsities and evils are removed hurriedly, are that when a person undergoes regeneration, which is accomplished by the implantation of spiritual truth and good, and at the same time by the removal of falsity and evil, the regeneration is not hurried but takes place slowly.

[2] The reason for this is that all the things the person has thought, intended, or done since early childhood have entered into the composition of his life. They have also formed themselves into a network which is such that one cannot be moved without all of them together being moved. For a wicked person is an image of hell, and a good person is an image of heaven; and also the evils and falsities with a wicked person are interconnected in the same way as the communities of hell are with one another, of which that person is a part, while the forms of good and the truths with a good person are interconnected in the same way as heavenly communities are with one another, of which this person is a part. From this it is evident that the evils and falsities with a wicked person cannot be removed suddenly from where they are. They can be removed only in the measure that forms of good and truths in their proper order have been implanted more deeply within the person; for heaven with a person removes hell. If the removal were done suddenly the person would pass out, for the whole network of things, every single one, would be thrown into confusion and deprive him of his life.

[3] The fact that regeneration or the implantation of the life of heaven with a person begins when he is a young child and continues right on to the final phase of his life in the world, and the fact that after life in the world his perfection continues for evermore, see 2679, 3203, 3584, 3665, 3690, 3701, 4377, 4551, 4552, 5126, 6751, 8772, 9103, 9296, 9297, and in particular 5122, 5398, 5912, 9258. Also, and this is an arcanum, a person's regeneration in the world is merely the foundation for the unending perfection of his life. The person who has led a good life undergoes perfection in the next life; see what has been shown regarding young children, in 2289-2309, and regarding the state and condition of gentiles there, in 2589-2604.

5721. The most ungovernable spirits of all are those who in their life in the world appeared to be more just than others, and who were at the same time appointed to high offices, for both of which reasons they had authority and great influence. Yet they did not have any real belief and led a wholly selfish life, being fired by the utter hatred of, and desire for revenge on all who failed to show them any favour or pay them any respect, and even more so on those who opposed them in any way. If they discovered in the latter any imperfection they made a great evil of it and denigrated those persons, even though they may have been some of the finest citizens.

[2] In the next life spirits like these speak as they did in the world, that is to say, with authority and great influence, and seemingly from an awareness of what is just, as a consequence of which many think that people should trust what they say more than what others say. But they are very wicked spirits. When they come into contact with a person they introduce intense pain through a feeling of fatigue which they instill and increase all the time to a point when it is totally unbearable, a fatigue which renders the mind and consequently the body so weak that the person can hardly get out of bed. This has been demonstrated to me by the experience that when those spirits were present weakness like that overcame me; yet the weakness left me to the extent they were moved away from me.

[3] They employ many a device to infuse that feeling of fatigue and consequent weakness; in particular they introduce the general sphere that is a product of insults and slanders they hurl at one another and at family and friends. When they engage within their own chambers in reasoning about Divine worship, faith, and eternal life, they sweep these completely aside, doing so, it seems, with a wisdom that is greater than anyone else's. In the next life they are quite prepared to be called devils provided that they are allowed to reign over hells, and by reigning over these, so they believe, to act in opposition to the Divine. Inwardly they are foul, for they surpass all others in self-love, consequently in hatred and revenge, and in cruelty to all who do not pay them any respect.

[4] They undergo severe punishment, which I have also heard taking place, until they leave off misleading others by their outward pretence of being just. When that pretence is removed from them they speak in a different tone of voice. After this they are cast away from the world of spirits, to the left hand side, where they are sent to a hell very deep down. That hell is positioned on the left, a fair distance away.