9334. 'Lest perhaps the land becomes desolate' means a deficiency in that case, and little spiritual life, that is to say, if the removal were hurried. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general and also in particular, the Church in particular being a person who becomes an embodiment of the Church, since the Church exists within a person and comprises one who has been regenerated (for the meaning of 'the land' as the Church in general, see 9325, and for its meaning as the Church in particular, or a person who has been regenerated, 82, 620, 636, 913, 1411, 1733, 2117, 2118 (end), 2571, 3368, 3379; this person is also called 'the land' in Malachi,

All the nations will declare you blessed, and you will be a land of delight. Malachi 3:12.) and from the meaning of 'desolate' as a deficiency, and little spiritual life. For 'desolate', when used in reference to the Church within a person, means a deficiency of truth and good, thus also a deficiency of spiritual life since that life is provided by these. The implications of this, that there is a deficiency and little spiritual life if falsities and evils are removed hurriedly, are that when a person undergoes regeneration, which is accomplished by the implantation of spiritual truth and good, and at the same time by the removal of falsity and evil, the regeneration is not hurried but takes place slowly.

[2] The reason for this is that all the things the person has thought, intended, or done since early childhood have entered into the composition of his life. They have also formed themselves into a network which is such that one cannot be moved without all of them together being moved. For a wicked person is an image of hell, and a good person is an image of heaven; and also the evils and falsities with a wicked person are interconnected in the same way as the communities of hell are with one another, of which that person is a part, while the forms of good and the truths with a good person are interconnected in the same way as heavenly communities are with one another, of which this person is a part. From this it is evident that the evils and falsities with a wicked person cannot be removed suddenly from where they are. They can be removed only in the measure that forms of good and truths in their proper order have been implanted more deeply within the person; for heaven with a person removes hell. If the removal were done suddenly the person would pass out, for the whole network of things, every single one, would be thrown into confusion and deprive him of his life.

[3] The fact that regeneration or the implantation of the life of heaven with a person begins when he is a young child and continues right on to the final phase of his life in the world, and the fact that after life in the world his perfection continues for evermore, see 2679, 3203, 3584, 3665, 3690, 3701, 4377, 4551, 4552, 5126, 6751, 8772, 9103, 9296, 9297, and in particular 5122, 5398, 5912, 9258. Also, and this is an arcanum, a person's regeneration in the world is merely the foundation for the unending perfection of his life. The person who has led a good life undergoes perfection in the next life; see what has been shown regarding young children, in 2289-2309, and regarding the state and condition of gentiles there, in 2589-2604.

10814. At this point I was led to talk to the angels present with me about dominion. There are two kinds, one being that which belongs to love towards the neighbour, the other that which belongs to self-love. Dominion belonging to love towards the neighbour exists among those who dwell separated into households, families, and clans, whereas dominion belonging to self-love exists among those who dwell together in society. Among those who live separated into households, families, and clans, the one who is father of the clan has dominion, as do the heads of families under him, and as do the fathers of each household under these; 'father of the clan' describes one from whom families descend, and from those families households. But in the exercise of dominion all these leaders are moved by a love like that of a father towards his children, who teaches them how they must live, does what is good to them, and as far as he can gives them what is his. It never enters his mind to make them subordinate to himself as subjects or as domestic servants; rather, he loves them to obey him like sons obedient to their father. And since, as is well known, this love increases as it descends, the father of the clan is moved to action by a love more internal than that of the actual father from whom the sons directly spring. This kind of dominion also exists in the heavens because it is the kind of dominion that is the Lord's. His dominion arises out of Divine Love towards the whole human race.

[2] But dominion belonging to self-love, which is the opposite of dominion belonging to love towards the neighbour, came into being when people alienated themselves from the Lord; for to the extent that people do not love and worship the Lord they love and worship themselves, and also love the world rather than heaven. At this point it became necessary, for their own safety, for the clans consisting of families and households to come together in a single body and institute various forms of government. For to the extent that this love increased, so did evils of every sort, such as enmity, envy, hatred, vengeance, deceit, and brutality directed against all who opposed them. Furthermore the nature of that love is such that so far as it is given rein it rushes along, till at length everyone ruled by it wishes to have dominion over all others throughout the world, and everyone wishes to possess all the goods belonging to others. Nor indeed does it stop there; everyone wishes to have dominion as well over the whole of heaven, as may be recognized from the present-day Babylon. Such then is dominion belonging to self-love, dominion belonging to love towards the neighbour being as different from it as heaven is from hell.

[3] But although dominion belonging to self-love is such among people living in society, dominion belonging to love towards the neighbour nevertheless exists, even in kingdoms, among those who are wise on account of their belief in and love to God; for these love their neighbour. These too dwell in heaven divided into clans, families, and households, even though they live together in society; but they do so in accord with spiritual relationships, which are those of the good of love and the truth of faith. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be spoken of elsewhere.

10814a. 'This sixth planet out in space' is continued at the end of the next chapter.