4644. The present chapter deals with the following matters - the Good which was Divine and which the Lord had from when He was born; the joining of that Good to the truth and good which, as one who was born a human being, He acquired to Himself; also the derivatives from this. But because these matters, as has been stated, are of a kind which does not come within the range of anyone's understanding, not even that of any angel, it is not therefore possible for them to be explained in detail. What is more, mere names are used to describe that Divine [Natural Good] together with its derivatives, and to explain mere names devoid of any historical context which sheds light confirming the explanation given would leave the whole thing in doubt. For few are able to believe that spiritual things are meant by the names used in the Word, no matter how clearly this is shown to them. For all these reasons the actual words used in this chapter are being copied out, with the addition of no more than a general explanation of them involving the kinds of things which people are able to grasp, yet which are merely vague outlines. For no one can possibly see the things that exist within the Divine; but people can gain a general picture of things emanating from the Divine. What is then seen depends on the kind of understanding within whose range those things can come, though even then they are but vague outlines.

[2] In addition it should be recognized that no human being at all is born into any good. Rather, each person is born into evil - into more internal evil from his father and into more external from his mother - for everyone's heredity is an evil one. The Lord alone was born into good, actually into Divine Good itself, in that He received this from His Father. This Divine Good into which the Lord was born is the subject now. Its derivatives are those things which came to exist in the Lord's Human when He made this Divine and by means of which He glorified it. All this explains why it is possible for just a general explanation to be added here.

2349. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them. This is clear from what is said immediately above, that there 'boys and old men' means falsities and evils, recent as well as confirmed, so that at this point 'people from furthest away' means every single one of them. Also, the word 'people' in general means falsities, see 1259, 1260.

[2] The description at this point then is of the initial state of those inside the Church who are opposed to the good of charity and who are as a consequence opposed to the Lord, for one entails the other. Indeed nobody can be joined to the Lord except by means of love and charity. Love is spiritual conjunction itself, as may become clear from the essence of love, and anybody who is unable to be joined to Him is unable to acknowledge Him either. That those with whom good does not exist cannot acknowledge the Lord, that is, cannot have faith in Him, is clear in John,

Light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. He who performs evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. He however who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be clearly seen, because they have been wrought in God. John 3:19-21.

From these words it is evident that people who are opposed to the good of charity are opposed to the Lord, or what amounts to the same, people immersed in evil hate the light and do not come to the light. That 'the light' is faith in the Lord, and is the Lord Himself, is evident in John 1:9-10; 12:35-36, 46.

[3] The same point is made in another part of the same gospel,

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. John 7:7.

And it is said more plainly still in Matthew,

He will say to those On His left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. Matthew 25:41-43, 45.

[4] This shows in what way they are opposed to the Lord who are opposed to the good of charity. It also shows that everyone is judged according to good that flows from charity, not according to the truth of faith when the latter has been separated from good, as is also shown elsewhere in Matthew,

The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27.

'Deeds' stands for the good actions which flow from charity. The deeds of charity are also called the fruits of faith.