4198. And Mizpah; for he said, Jehovah watch between me and thee. That this signifies the presence of the Lord’s Divine natural, namely, in the good which is now represented by Laban, is evident from the signification of “looking,” or “watching,” as being presence; for he who looks at another, or sees him from a high outlook, is present with him by sight. Besides, “to see,” when predicated of the Lord, denotes foresight and providence (n. 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863), thus also presence, but by foresight and providence. As regards the presence of the Lord, He is present with everyone, but according to the reception; for everyone’s life is from the Lord alone. They who receive His presence in good and truth, are in the life of intelligence and wisdom; but they who do not receive His presence in good and truth, but in evil and falsity, are in the life of insanity and folly; but yet are in the capacity of understanding and being wise. That they are nevertheless in this, may be seen from their knowing how to feign and simulate what is good and true in the outward form, and thereby to captivate men, which would be by no means the case if they had not this capacity. The quality of the presence is signified by “Mizpah;” here, the quality with those who are in the goods of works, that is, with the Gentiles, who are here represented by Laban; for in the original language the name “Mizpah” is derived from “looking.”

553. They who are in mutual love in heaven are continually advancing to the springtime of their youth, and to a more and more gladsome and happy spring the more thousands of years they live, and this with continual increase to eternity, according to the advance and degree of mutual love, charity, and faith. Those of the female sex who have died in old age and enfeebled with years, and who have lived in faith in the Lord, in charity toward the neighbor, and in happy conjugial love with their husbands, after a succession of years come more and more into the bloom of youth and early womanhood, and into a beauty that surpasses all idea of beauty such as is ever perceptible to the natural sight; for it is goodness and charity forming and presenting their own likeness, and causing the delight and beauty of charity to shine forth from every least feature of the countenance, so that they are the very forms of charity: some have beheld them and been amazed. The form of charity, as is seen to the life in the other world, is such that it is charity itself that portrays and is portrayed, and this in such a manner that the whole angel, and especially the face, is as it were charity, the charity both plainly appearing to the view and being perceived by the mind. When this form is beheld, it is unutterable beauty that affects with charity the very inmost life of the beholder’s mind. Through the beauty of this form the truths of faith are presented to view in an image, and are even perceived from it. Such forms, or such beauties, do those become in the other life who have lived in faith in the Lord, that is, in the faith of charity. All the angels are such forms, with countless variety, and of such is heaven.