9606. Upon the edge of the one curtain at the extremity in the joining. That this signifies the conjunction of one sphere with the other, is evident from the signification of “the edge of a curtain at the extremity in the joining,” as being where one ceases and the other begins, and thus the common boundary where the two are joined together. That the sphere is what is signified is because in heaven spheres conjoin. For there are spheres which proceed from each angelic society in heaven, and from each angel in a society. These spheres, with everyone, exhale from the life of the affections of truth and of good, and are thence diffused to a distance. From this it is that the quality of spirits and of angels is known at a distance. Angels and angelic societies are conjoined, and are also disjoined, in accordance with these spheres; for similar spheres, that is, similar affections of truth and good, conjoin; and dissimilar spheres disjoin. (But see what has been already shown concerning these spheres in n. 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1520, 1695, 2401, 2489, 4464, 5179, 6206, 6598-6613, 7454, 8630, 8794, 8797, 9490-9492, 9498, 9534.) Whether you say angels and angelic societies, from which the spheres proceed, or truth and good, it is the same; for the spheres are from the affections of truth and good, by virtue of which angels are angels from the Lord. Be it known that insofar as these spheres derive anything from the Lord, so far they conjoin; but insofar as they derive it from the angel’s own, so far they disjoin. From this it is evident that the Lord alone conjoins.

9534. And thou shalt make unto it a closure of a handbreadth round about. That this signifies conjunction there with truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of “a closure,” as being the ultimate of the bounding, because it was outside the border, and thus it signifies conjunction with truth from the Divine. That this is signified by the “closure” cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with the extension and the bounding by the Lord of the sphere of good which compasses and thus protects heaven. (That the sphere of Divine good encompasses heaven and all the societies in heaven, and thus protects them from the breaking in of evils from hell, see above, n. 9490, 9492, 9498)

[2] This Divine sphere extends even into the hells, and likewise guards them. Hence it is that the Lord reigns also in the hells, but with this difference, that the Divine sphere which encompasses and protects heaven is a sphere of Divine truth conjoined with Divine good; whereas the sphere which guards hell is a sphere of Divine truth separate from Divine good. That this is the sphere in hell, is because all who are there reject Divine good; thus the Lord’s mercy. Such a sphere reigns in hell in the external form, but still in the internal form there reigns the sphere of Divine truth conjoined with Divine good; by which latter sphere those there are guarded lest one do evil to another beyond measure.

[3] From this it is evident that the sphere of Divine good in the external form ceases where heaven ceases; and that the sphere of Divine truth separate from Divine good begins where hell begins; and that in the interval between them there is conjunction, which is signified by “the closure of a handbreadth round about.”