901. 21:13 Three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. This symbolically means that concepts of truth and goodness which have in them spiritual life from the Lord out of heaven and introduce into the New Church are provided for people who possess more or less love or affection for goodness, and for people who possess more or less wisdom or affection for truth.

The gates now symbolize concepts of truth and goodness which have in them spiritual life from the Lord out of heaven, because over the gates were twelve angels with the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel written on them, and these symbolize this life in those concepts, as is apparent from the explanation just above in no. 900. That the gates symbolize concepts of truth and goodness which introduce into the New Church may be seen in no. 899 above.

There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west, because the east symbolizes love and an affection for goodness in a higher degree, thus in greater measure, whereas the west symbolizes love and an affection for goodness in a lower degree, thus in lesser measure; and the south symbolizes wisdom and an affection for truth in a higher degree, thus in greater measure, whereas the north symbolizes wisdom and an affection for truth in a lower degree, thus in lesser measure. The east, west, south and north have these symbolic meanings because the Lord is the sun in the spiritual world, and east and west are determined by the direction He faces, with the south and north on either side - to His right the south, and to His left the north. Consequently people who possess love toward the Lord and its attending affection in a greater measure live in the east, and in a lesser measure in the west, while those who possess wisdom from an affection for truth in a greater measure live in the south, and in a lesser measure in the north.

That the dwellings of angels in heaven are arranged in this way may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell (London 1758), nos. 141-153.

There are three gates facing each of the cardinal points of the compass because the number three symbolizes all (nos. 400, 505).