2354. Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. That this signifies that they desired to show that it is false to acknowledge that these exist (namely, the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding), is evident from the signification of the “two angels” (see n. 2320); as also from the angry feeling with which these things were said, and in which there is what is expressive of denial.

[2] There is here described the first state of a vastated church; that is, the state when there begins to be no faith because there is no charity; which state as before said is that because they are against the good of charity they are also in no faith, and especially in no acknowledgment of the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding. These are at heart denied by all who are in a life of evil, that is, by all who despise others in comparison with themselves, who hate those who do not pay them respect, who feel a delight in being revenged on them, who even feel delight in cruelty, and who regard adulteries as matters of no moment. The Pharisees of old, who openly denied the Lord’s Divinity, did better than is the case with such men at the present day, who for the sake of their own exaltation and sordid enrichment outwardly worship Him in a holy manner, but inwardly cherish that profane state. The successive development and doom of such as these is described in what follows by the men of Sodom, and finally by the overthrow of that city (verses 24-25).

[3] The case with man (as before stated several times) is that there are with him evil spirits, and at the same time angels. Through the evil spirits he communicates with hell, and through the angels with heaven (n. 687, 697). Insofar therefore as his life approximates to what is evil, so far hell flows in; but insofar as his life approximates to what is good, so far heaven flows in, and therefore the Lord. From this it is evident that they who are in a life of evil cannot acknowledge the Lord, but frame for themselves innumerable things against Him; because the phantasies of hell flow in and are received by them. But they who are in a life of good acknowledge the Lord, because heaven flows in, in which love and charity are the main thing; because heaven is the Lord’s, from whom come all things of love and charity (see n. 537, 540, 547, 548, 551, 553, 685, 2130).

2131. Individuals who are being intromitted are received by the angelic societies with inmost charity and its joy, and all love and friendship are shown them. But when they do not willingly desire to be in the societies to which they first come, they are received by other societies, and this successively until they come to that society with which they are in agreement, in accordance with the life of mutual love which they have; and they remain there until the time when they go forth still more perfect, and are then elevated and exalted thereby into greater happiness-and this from the Lord’s mercy, in accordance with the life of love and charity which they had received in the world. But the transference from one society into another never takes place by their being rejected by the society where they are, but by a certain willingness in themselves, in accordance with a longing that is insinuated into them by the Lord; and because it takes place in accordance with their longings, there is nothing that is not done from freedom.