9653. 'And for the two legs of the dwelling-place towards the sea' means a joining to heaven where good dwells in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'two' as a joining together, as above in 9645; from the meaning of 'the legs' as the borders where good dwindles into obscurity, dealt with in 7859; from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place' as heaven, dealt with in 9594; and from the meaning of the west or 'the sea' as a state of good in obscurity, dealt with in 3708, 8615. This state is meant by 'the west' because the Lord in respect of the good of love is meant by 'the sun', 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321 (end), 7078, 7083, 7171, 8644, 8812. Therefore 'the east' where the sun rises means the good of love from the Lord where the perception of it is clear, and 'the west' where the sun goes down means good from Him where the perception of it is obscure. And since a person's and an angel's perception is clear when they have been raised towards more internal parts or into the light of heaven, and their perception is obscure when they remain in more external parts, 9648, thus when they remain in the light of the world, the west is also called the sea. For 'the sea' means factual knowledge in general, 28, 2850, and factual knowledge resides in the external or natural man, where good lies in obscurity. All factual knowledge, since it belongs to the natural man, dwells in the light of the world.

2849. 'Like the stars of the heavens' means a whole multitude of cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the stars' as cognitions of good and truth, dealt with in 1808, 2495. Those who are spiritual are compared in various places in the Word to 'the stars', this comparison being made for the reason that they possess cognitions of good and truth, whereas those who are celestial are not so compared because they do not possess cognitions but perceptions. And a further reason for the comparison is that the stars illuminate the night, and those who are spiritual have a night-time light - like that shed by the moon and stars - in comparison with the day-time light in which those dwell who are celestial. For more regarding the truth that those who are spiritual, compared with those who are celestial, dwell in obscurity, see 1043, 2708, 2715.