5217. 'And the thin heads swallowed up the seven fat and full heads' means that the facts which were useless banished the facts that were good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thin heads' as facts that are useless, dealt with above in 5214; from the meaning of 'fat and full heads' as facts into which matters of faith and charity could be instilled, dealt with in 5213, which are consequently facts that are good; and from the meaning of 'swallowing up' as banishing, which is similar to 'devouring', as said of the cows above in 5206. Regarding the banishment of good facts by useless ones, or the banishment of truths by falsities, see 5207.

[2] The same applies in the spiritual world. Where falsities are present no truths can remain; and conversely, where truths are present no falsities can remain. The one group banishes the other, since they are complete opposites, for the reason that falsities originate in hell and truths in heaven. Sometimes it does seem as though falsities and truths are present together in the same subject; but the falsities in this case are not complete opposites of the truths there, but ones that are attached to those truths through the ways they are used. A subject in which truths and falsities that are complete opposites exist together is called lukewarm, while a subject in which falsities and truths have become mixed together is called profane.

5213. 'Fat and good' means into which facts matters of faith and charity could be instilled. This is clear from the meaning of 'fat' when used in reference to known facts meant by 'heads of grain' (in that facts are able to receive the good of faith and can therefore have matters of faith instilled into them; for facts are vessels, and when 'fatness' is used in reference to them, the ability to receive such things as are matters of faith springing from charity is meant); and from the meaning of 'good' when used in reference to known facts meant by 'heads of grain' (in that facts are able to receive the good of charity and can therefore have matters of charity instilled into them). 'Fat' has regard to matters of faith and 'good' to matters of charity because these are their usual connotations throughout the Word. For whenever these two adjectives are applied to the same thing, one is connected with matters of faith, the other with matters of charity; and this is so on account of the marriage of truth and good present in every individual part of the Word, 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 4137 (end), 5138. The fact that 'fat' means matters of faith and 'good' matters of charity is also evident from the previous parallel description regarding the cows, 5199, 5200.

[2] The facts which are able to have matters of faith and charity instilled into them are very many. They include all facts known to the Church which are meant in the good sense by 'Egypt', dealt with in 4749, 4844, 4964, 4965, consequently all facts which are truths about correspondences, representatives, meaningful signs, influx, order, intelligence and wisdom, affections. Indeed they include all truths, both visible and invisible ones, that are descriptive of the interior and the exterior aspects of the natural world, because such truths correspond to spiritual truths.