422. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun. That this signifies the Divine Love going forth from the Lord, is clear from the signification of an angel, as denoting somewhat Divine proceeding from the Lord. For by an angel in the Word in a proximate sense, is meant a whole angelic society, and in a general sense, every one who receives the Divine Truth in doctrine and life; but in the highest sense, by an angel is signified something Divine which proceeds from the Lord, and specifically the Divine Truth. Concerning these significations of an angel see above (n. 90, 130, 200, 302, 307). Here, therefore, by the "angel ascending from the rising of the sun" is signified the Divine going forth from the Love of the Lord. The rising of the sun, or the east, signifies the Divine Love of the Lord, and to ascend thence, signifies to go forth, and to proceed; therefore, by the "angel ascending from the rising of the sun"; is signified the Divine Love going forth from the Lord. Those things which follow also are of the Divine Love, lest the good should suffer hurt. The rising of the sun signifies the Divine Love of the Lord, because the Lord in the angelic heaven is the Sun, and the Lord appears as the Sun from His Divine Love. Where the Lord appears as the Sun, there is the east in heaven, and because He is always there, He is also constantly rising.

[2] In the spiritual world there are four quarters, the eastern, western, southern, and northern. They all derive their position from the Sun, which is the Lord; and where the Sun is, there is the east, opposite this is the west, to the right the south, and to the left the north. In the eastern quarter dwell those angels who are in love to the Lord, because they are under the immediate auspices of the Lord, for the Lord flows into them intimately and directly from Divine Love, and therefore the rising of the sun, and the east, in the Word, signify the Divine Love of the Lord. That the Lord in the angelic heaven appears as a Sun, and that it is the Divine Love of the Lord which so appears, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 116-125); that the sun in the Word therefore signifies the Divine Love, may be seen above (n. 401). That all the quarters in the spiritual world derive their position from the east, where the Lord is as a Sun, see Heaven and Hell 141); and that therefore those dwell in the eastern quarter who are in the good of love to the Lord (n. 148, 149).

[3] The eastern, western, southern, and northern quarters are frequently mentioned in the Word, and those who are unacquainted with the spiritual sense of the Word believe that they mean the quarters in our solar world, and therefore they do not suppose that they involve arcana of heaven and of the church. But the quarters named in the Word mean the quarters in the spiritual world, which differ altogether from the quarters in our world; for all the angels and spirits dwell there in quarters determined according to the quality of their good and truth; those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell in the east and the west, and those who are in truths from that good dwell in the south and north.

The reason of their dwelling in this manner is that the Lord there is the Sun, and from Him as the Sun all heat and light, or all good and truth proceed. The heat there, which is spiritual heat, or the good of love, flows directly from the east into the west, and decreases according to reception by the angels, and therefore according to distances, for in the spiritual world all distance from the Lord is according to the reception of good and truth from Him. And this is the reason why those dwell in the east who are in the good of love in an interior and consequently clear degree, and in the west those who are in an exterior and therefore obscure degree of that good. But light, which is spiritual light, or Divine Truth, also flows directly from the east into the west, and likewise flows in on both sides, but with this difference, that the Divine Truth which flows in from east to west is, in its essence, the good of love, while that which flows in laterally is, in its essence, the truth from that good. Those therefore who dwell respectively in the south and in the north, the quarters situated laterally, are in the light of truth, those in the south being in a clear, and those in the north in an obscure light of truth. The light of truth is intelligence and wisdom. But concerning these quarters more may be seen in Heaven and Hell 141-153). These quarters then are meant in the Word, where mention is made of quarters, therefore they also signify such Divine things as exist in those quarters; for the east signifies the good of love in clearness; the west, the good of love in obscurity; the south, truth from that good in clearness; and the north, truth from that good in obscurity.

[4] Moreover, there are quarters in the spiritual world differing from the quarters just named, and distant from them about thirty degrees, and these are under the auspices of the Lord as a moon; for the Lord appears as a Sun to those who are in love to Him, but as a moon to those who are in charity towards their neighbour, and in faith therefrom. Concerning this appearance, see also Heaven and Hell 118, 119, 122). In the eastern and western quarters there, dwell those who are in the good of charity towards their neighbour; and in the southern and the northern those who are in truths from that good, called the truths of faith. These quarters also are sometimes meant in the Word, where those truths and goods are the subject treated of.

[5] It is evident from these facts that he who knows nothing of the quarters of heaven of which we have spoken, cannot possibly know anything of the spiritual things of the Word where those quarters are mentioned, as in the following passage.

Thus, in Isaiah:

"I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth" (43:5, 6).

Jacob and Israel is here the subject, and unless it be known that the spiritual things explained above are meant by those quarters, it may be supposed that nothing more is implied, than that the sons of Israel and Jacob are to be gathered from all sides. But by Jacob and Israel is meant the church which is from those who are in the good of love and in truths from that good; and by their seed are meant all who are of that church. The bringing and gathering together of those who are in the good of love, is meant by, "I will bring thy seed from the east, and will gather thee from the west"; and the same, with respect to those who are in truths from that good, is meant by, "I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back." That all who are in those truths and goods, even to those who are in the ultimates, shall be brought together, is signified by "bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth." Sons denote those who are in truths, and daughters denote those who are in goods; the words, "from far, and from the end of the earth," signify those who are in the ultimate truths and goods of the church. Similar things are also signified by those quarters in the following passages. Thus, in David:

Jehovah will gather the redeemed from the earth, "from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the sea" (107:3).

And in Moses:

Jehovah said to Jacob in a dream, "thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south" (Genesis 28:14).

In Luke:

"They shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall recline (accumbentes), ¹ in the kingdom of God" (13:29).

[6] In very many passages it is said from east to west only, and not at the same time from the south and from the north; in such passages all who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbour are meant. These quarters also imply the two others, because all who are in good are also in truths, for good and truth everywhere act as one; these therefore are meant where it is said "from east to west."

Again, in Matthew:

"Many shall come from the east and the west, and shall recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens" (8:11).

In the passage quoted above from Luke, it is said of those who shall recline in the kingdom of the heavens, "that they shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south;" but in the passage in Matthew it is simply said the east and the west; the reason of which is that these quarters imply the two others as just stated. Similarly in the following passages.

Thus in Malachi:

"From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the gentiles" (1:11).

And in David:

"From the rising of the sun even to his setting, the name of Jehovah is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3).

And in Isaiah:

"They shall fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun" (59:19).

Again, in the same prophet:

"That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me" (45:6).

Again, in David:

"God, God Jehovah speaks, and will call the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof" (Psalm 50:1).

And in Zechariah:

"Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country" (8:7).

In these passages "from the rising and setting" signifies all who are in the goods and truths of heaven and the church. Similar things are signified by the quarters according to which the temple was measured (Ezekiel 42); also according to which the land was measured for an inheritance (47); and was distributed among the tribes of Israel (48); then according to which the Israelites measured the camp (Numbers 2), according to which they journeyed (10); and according to which the gates of the new city were placed (Ezekiel 40; Rev. 21:12), besides similar things elsewhere.

[7] The reason why the temple was measured according to the quarters as in Ezekiel, and the land distributed among the tribes according to the quarters, as mentioned both in Ezekiel and in Joshua, and also the reason why the sons of Israel encamped, and also journeyed, according to the same order, is, that everything in the spiritual world is arranged according to the quarters, not only generally but also particularly. In general, all angels and spirits dwell in the quarters corresponding to their states of good and truth, as said above. The case is the same individually, for in all their assemblies, those who are present take their places in the quarters that correspond to the states of their life; there they sit in the temples, and dwell in their houses in a similar manner. There in a word, all things generally and particularly are arranged according to the quarters of heaven; for the form of heaven is the same in every detail as it is in general. From these considerations it is clear what is signified in the Word by arrangements according to the quarters, also by the quarters according to which the tabernacle was built, and according to which the temple was built by Solomon; besides other similar things.

[8] So far concerning the quarters generally. That the east signifies the Lord as to Divine Love, and therefore the good of love to the Lord with those who are recipients of it, is plain from the following passages.

Thus in Ezekiel:

"He brought me to the gate of the temple that looketh toward the east; and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and his voice was like the voice of many waters; and the earth shone with his glory. The glory of Jehovah came into the house by the way of the gate, whose prospect is toward the east. Then the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house" (Ezekiel 43:1-5).

Here the subject is the building of the new temple which signifies the New Church to be established by the Lord; and because introduction into it is effected by the good of love to the Lord, and by truth from that good, therefore the gate that looketh toward the east, and the God of Israel coming from the way of the east were seen. By the gate is signified introduction and approach; by the God of Israel is meant the Lord; by the east, the good of love from Him and manifested towards Him; and by glory, truth from that good. For the Lord enters into heaven, and thence into the church, from His Divine Love, which, as said above, appears in the heavens as the Sun; thence are all the Divine Good and the Divine Truth there. The glory of Jehovah seen to enter the house by the way of the gate whose prospect was towards the east, and also the glory of Jehovah filling the house, have a similar signification; for the house or temple signifies heaven and the church. By glory in the Word is signified the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord; by "the glory of the God of Israel," the Divine Truth enlightening those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom; and by "the glory of Jehovah," the Divine Truth enlightening those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom. The Divine Truth is called glory because it is the light of heaven, and that light is the cause of all splendour, magnificence, and glory in the heavens; for everything that appears before the eyes in the heavens is from that light. So also it is said that "the earth shone with his glory," and by the earth is meant the church. The influx of Divine Truth towards lower things on every side is signified by "his voice was like the voice of many waters," voice signifying influx, and waters, truths.

[9] Again:

"Then he brought me back by the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary that looketh toward the east; and it was shut; but Jehovah the God of Israel will enter in by it" (Ezekiel 44:1, 2).

And in the same:

"The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six days of labour; but on the day of the sabbath it shall be opened" (46:1).

By the "gate that looketh toward the east" is also signified introduction into heaven and the church by the Lord by means of the good of love proceeding from Him, which is therefore meant by the east; and that this is from the Lord, is signified by Jehovah the God of Israel entering by that gate. That introduction is the result of the worship of Him from that good, is signified by the words "on the day of the sabbath it shall be opened;" and that introduction does not take place when worship is not from that good, is signified by the gate being shut during the six days of labour.

[10] Again, in the same prophet:

"And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and they stood at the door of the gate [of the house] of Jehovah toward the east; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above" (10:19).

The cherubim signify the Lord as to Divine Providence, and as to defence, to prevent His being approached except by means of the good of love; see above (n. 152, 277); and because the Lord is signified by cherubim, and from the Lord as the Sun, where the east is, proceed all the good of love, and all truth from that good, therefore the cherubim were seen to stand at the door of the gate of the house of Jehovah towards the east, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. By the house of Jehovah, by the east, and by the glory of the God of Israel, similar things are signified here as above.

[11] So in Isaiah:

"Who raised up one from the east, called him in justice to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings?" (41:2).

This is said of the Lord, who is said to be raised up from the east, because conceived from the Divine Itself, which in its essence is Divine Love, and from which also the Lord is the Sun of the angelic heaven. To call in justice, here signifies to restore heaven and the church; for the justice of the Lord in the Word signifies, that from His own power He saved the human race, which was accomplished by reducing all things in the heavens and the hells into order (see n. 293). The signification of the rest of this passage is explained above (n. 357:5).

[12] Thus also in the second book of Samuel,

"The spirit of Jehovah spake in me. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me. As the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; from the clear shining after rain cometh grass out of the earth" (23:2-4).

"The God of Israel," and "the Rock of Israel," are the Lord, and because He is the Sun of the angelic heaven, and from Him as the Sun proceeds and flows all the Divine Truth, which enlightens angels and men, imparts intelligence, and reforms, it is said as "the light of the morning when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; through the clear shining after rain cometh grass out of the earth." The light of the morning when the sun riseth, signifies the Divine Truth from the Lord as the Sun; a morning without clouds, denotes its purity, rain its influx, and the grass out of the earth, intelligence, and reformation therefrom; for these are signified by grass because it springs out of the earth by the power of the sun after rain, but intelligence comes from the Lord as the Sun by the influx of Divine Truth.

[13] Again in Isaiah:

"Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the nations shall walk according to thy light, and kings according to the brightness of thy rising" (60:2, 3).

This is said of the Lord. The Divine in Him is meant by "Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." The Divine Good of Divine Love is meant by Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and the Divine Truth from that Good is meant by His glory shall be seen upon thee. The nations signify those who are in good, and kings those who are in truths from good. It is said of the former that "they shall walk according to thy light," which signifies a life according to the Divine Truth; and of the latter, they shall walk "according to the brightness of thy rising," which signifies the life of intelligence from Divine Good; to walk denoting to live; light, the Divine Truth; and the brightness of His rising, the Divine Truth from the Divine Good from which comes intelligence.

[14] Again in Ezekiel:

"The cherubim did lift up their wings; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of Jehovah ascended over the midst of the city, and stood over the mountain which is on the east of the city" (11:22, 23).

The cherubim signify the Lord as to Divine Providence and defence, and the glory of the God of Israel signifies the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as was said above. And because the Divine Truth, which is light, proceeds from the Lord as the Sun in the angelic heaven, therefore the glory of Jehovah was seen to ascend over the midst of the city, and to stand over the mountain which is on the east side of the city. By the city is meant Jerusalem, which signifies the church as to doctrine; and because the doctrine of the church is from the Divine Truth, therefore the glory of Jehovah was seen to ascend over the midst of the city; and since all Divine Truth proceeds from the Lord as the Sun, where the east is, therefore the glory was seen to stand over the mountain on the east of the city. The mountain on the east of the city was the mount of Olives. That the mount of Olives signifies the Divine Love of the Lord, and that therefore the Lord used sometimes to be there, may be seen above (n. 405:24); and that the mount of Olives was situated before Jerusalem on the east, may be seen in Zech. 14:4.

[15] Again in Ezekiel:

"He brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the forefront of the house was toward the east; and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, from the south side of the altar. He brought me out by the way of the gate towards the north, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters from the right side. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the eastern boundary, and go down into the plain, and come towards the sea; which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. Whence it comes to pass, that every living soul, which creepeth, whithersoever the rivers come, lives; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, cometh up every tree for food, whose leaf falleth not, neither is the fruit thereof consumed" (47:1, 2, 8, 9, 12).

The New Church to be established in the heavens and on the earth by the Lord is here described, when all the Divine will proceed from His Divine Human; for before the coming of the Lord the Divine proceeded from His Divine, which He calls the Father, but this did not extend to ultimates after the church was vastated. By house is here signified the church; by its gate, approach and introduction; by the east, the Lord, where His Divine love appears as the Sun; and by the waters going forth thence is signified the Divine Truth proceeding therefrom. By the plain and the sea are signified the ultimates of the church, or where those are who are in ultimate truths and goods because they are natural and sensual, and who are spiritual only in a slight degree; to these the Divine did not previously extend. Life from the Divine to these also after the coming of the Lord, is signified by the waters of the sea being healed by the inflowing of the river from the east; the very great multitude of fish, signifies abundance of cognitions and scientifics which also become spiritually living with them. The fructification of good and multiplication of truth are signified by every tree for food coming up upon the bank of the river, whose leaf falleth not, neither is the fruit thereof consumed. From this it is evident what the particulars in a series there signify, and that the east, where they all originate, signifies the Lord and His Divine Love.

[16] The same is signified in Zechariah,

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; part of them toward the eastern sea" (14:8).

Here also the subject is the Lord. "In that day," signifies His coming, and the eastern sea signifies the ultimate boundary towards the east in the spiritual world, where there was no reception of Divine Truth before the coming of the Lord, but when it proceeded from His Divine Human then there was reception. That the ultimate [boundaries] in the spiritual world are like seas, may be seen above (n. 342); and that there are dry and waste places there, may be seen in Joel 2:20.

[17] Since the Lord in heaven where the angels are appears as the Sun, and [where He appears] there is the east, therefore when Aaron offered the sin offering for himself and his house, he sprinkled the blood of the bullock on the mercy-seat towards the east (Leviticus 16:14, 15); and therefore Moses, Aaron and his sons measured out the camp before the tabernacle of the congregation towards the east (Numbers 3:38); and also the tribe of Judah (Numbers 2:3). Moses, Aaron, and his sons, and the tribe of Judah, represented the Lord as to the Divine Good and the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Love; their camp was therefore towards the east. So also the ancients in their worship turned their faces to the rising of the sun, and therefore they built their temples in such a way that the front, where the most sacred place was, should look towards the east; this is also the case at the present day, the practice being derived from ancient custom. The whole angelic heaven also is turned to the Lord as the Sun, thus collectively to the east. All the interiors of the angels in the heavens are also turned in the same direction; consequently the angels of heaven turn their faces to the Lord. Many important facts upon this subject are related in Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142, 143, 144, 272).

[18] Because the Lord is the east, therefore it is said in Matthew,

"For as the lightning cometh forth out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be" (24:27).

Since, when man is the subject, the rising of the sun signifies the good of love proceeding from the Lord as the Sun, and received by him, it is therefore said in the book of Judges,

"So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah; but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might" (5:31).

These words occur in the prophetic song of Deborah and Barak; and of those who love Jehovah, that is those who are in the good of love to the Lord, it is said, "as the sun when he goeth forth in his might."

[19] In Moses:

Joseph shall possess "the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and the precious things of the hills of an age" (Deuteronomy 33:15).

Joseph, in the representative sense, signifies the Lord's spiritual kingdom, it is therefore said of him that he shall possess the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and the precious things of the hills of an age. The firstfruits of the mountains of the east signify the genuine goods of love to the Lord, and thence of charity towards the neighbour, the mountains of the east denote goods of love to the Lord, and firstfruits those things that are genuine and primary; and the hills of an age signify the goods of charity towards the neighbour, these when genuine being called precious. The rest of the blessing of Joseph is explained above (n. 405:31).

[20] The church existed, in ancient times, in several kingdoms of Asia, as in the land of Canaan, in Syria and Assyria, in Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Chaldea, in Tyre and Sidon, and in other parts; but with those peoples it was a representative church, for in every detail of their worship, and in each of their statutes, spiritual and celestial things, which are the interior things of the church, were represented, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. These representatives of their worship and statutes remained with many even up to the time of the Lord's coming, and from these they possessed a knowledge of His coming. This is evident from the predictions of Balaam, who was from Syria, and who prophesied concerning the Lord, in these words:

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall come forth a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17).

Then again it is evident from the fact that certain wise men from the east, when the Lord was born, saw a star in the east, and followed it; of this circumstance Matthew thus speaks:

"In the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was" (Matthew 2:1, 2, 9).

The star was seen in the east by the wise men, because the Lord is the East; and because they knew of the coming of the Lord from those representatives which remained with them, therefore they saw the star and it went before them, first to Jerusalem, which represented the church itself, as to doctrine and the Word, and then to the place where the infant Lord was. A star also signifies the cognitions of good and truth, and in the highest sense, knowledge concerning the Lord. That stars in the Word signify cognitions of good and truth, see above (n. 72, 179, 402). As the Orientals possessed such knowledges, they were on that account called "sons of the east." That those who came from Arabia were thus called, is seen in Jeremiah (49:28). By sons of the east in the Word, knowledges of good and truth are also signified; similarly by Kedar or Arabia. That Job was of the sons of the east is evident from chapter 1:3.

[21] As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also has the "east," which, in this sense, signifies the love of self, because this love is the opposite of love to the Lord. In this sense the east is named in Ezekiel (8:16); and in Isaiah (2:6). That the east signifies the Lord as to Divine Love, and consequently the good of love to Him, is still further evident from what has been stated above concerning the sun (n. 401), and concerning the morning (n. 176); for in the angelic heaven, the east is where the sun is situated; and since where the sun rises is the morning, and the Sun there is always in its rising, and never sets, therefore the morning also has a similar signification.

Footnotes:

58. Where in the spiritual world their dwellings have been up to now. I said above (48) that the arrangement of all the nations and peoples in the spiritual world were seen to be as follows. In the centre were seen gathered those called the Reformed; around this centre those of the Roman Catholic religion, beyond them the Mohammedans, and in the last place the different heathens. This will show that the Roman Catholics made up the circle nearest to the Reformed in the centre. They occupy this position because the centre is occupied by those who enjoy the light of truth coming from the Word; and those who enjoy that light also enjoy the light of heaven, since the light of heaven comes from Divine truth, and it is the Word which contains this. For the light of heaven coming from Divine truth see HEAVEN AND HELL 126-140, and for the Word being Divine truth (303-310). The light spreads outwards from the centre and gives illumination. This is why those of the Roman Catholic religion are in the circle closest to the centre; for they have the Word, and it is read by those in religious orders, though not by the people. This is the reason why the Roman Catholics in the spiritual world were given their dwellings surrounding those who enjoy the light of truth coming from the Word.

[2] I shall now relate how they lived before their dwellings were utterly destroyed and turned into a desert. Most of them lived in the south and the west, only a few in the north and the east. Those who lived in the south were those who were more intelligent than the rest and had convinced themselves of their religious belief; and there too lived a large number of nobles and wealthy people. They did not live above ground there, but underground for fear of robbers, with guards at the entrances. In that quarter there was a large city, extending almost from the east to the west of it, and also a short distance into the west, occupying the position nearest to the centre where the Reformed were. That city was the home of tens of thousands of people or spirits. It was full of churches and monasteries. The ecclesiastics also brought together into that city all the precious objects they were able to amass by various devices, and hid them there in their cells and underground crypts. These crypts were so elaborately constructed that no one else could find their way in, since they were entered circuitously as in a maze. Their heart was in the treasures heaped up there, and they were confident that they could never be destroyed. I visited the crypts and was surprised to see how cunningly they were contrived and how they could be enlarged without limit. Most of those belonging to what they call the Society of Jesus were there, and they kept up friendly relations with the wealthy who were all round them. In that quarter there was towards the east a Council chamber, where they deliberated about extending their power and about methods of keeping the people in blind obedience (on this see above 56). So much for their dwellings in the southern quarter.

[3] In the north were living those who were less intelligent and had less convinced themselves of their religious belief, because their powers of perception were dim and they lived in blind faith. There was not such a large number there as in the south. Most of them were in a large city extending in length from the eastern corner towards the west, and a short distance into the west. This city too was full of churches and monasteries. On its extreme eastern edge were many from different religions including some of the Reformed. A few districts in that quarter outside the city were also occupied by Roman Catholics.

[4] In the east lived those of them whose chief delight in the world had been in ruling; and they enjoyed a natural kind of illumination. They were to be seen in the mountains there, but only on the side facing north, not on the other side facing south. In the corner towards the north there was a mountain, on the summit of which they placed someone out of his mind, whom they could influence to give any orders they wished by a method of sharing thoughts well known in the spiritual world, but unknown in the natural. They gave it out that he was the God of heaven Himself appearing in human form, and thus secured Divine worship for him. This was because the people wanted to abandon their idolatrous worship, so they had thought up this means of holding them to their obedience.

[5] That is the mountain meant in Isaiah (Isaiah 14:13) by the mountain of meetings on the sides of the north; those who live in the mountains are meant by Lucifer there (Isaiah 5:12). For those of the Babylonian crowd who were in the east had more illumination than the rest, but it was artificial illumination they had contrived for themselves. Some were to be seen building a tower intended to reach heaven where the angels are; but this was only a representation of their designs. For designs are presented in the spiritual world by many things visible to those standing a way off, though they are not really produced among the people devising them. This is a common event there. By means of this appearance I was given to understand the meaning of the tower, the top of which was in heaven, from which the place was called Babel (Genesis 11:1-10). So much for their dwellings in the east.

[6] In the west towards the front lived those of that religion who had lived during the Dark Ages, most of them underground, one generation beneath another. The whole front region, which faces north, was as if hollowed out and filled with monasteries. Their entrances were through caves with covers over them. They went in and out through these caves, but rarely talked with those who had lived in later centuries since they differed in character. They were not so malicious, because in their time there had been no struggle with the Reformed, so they did not have such cunning and malice arising from hatred and a desire for vengeance. In the western quarter beyond that region there were many mountains inhabited by the most malicious of this people, who denied the Divine at heart, although their oral confession and their pious gestures displayed a more pious attitude than that of the rest. The people there had thought out unspeakable schemes to keep the common herd obedient to their rule, and to force others to submit to it. I am not allowed to describe those schemes because they are unspeakable, but there is a general account of their nature in HEAVEN AND HELL 580.

[7] The mountains where they lived are what is meant in the book of Revelation by the seven mountains, and those who lived there are meant by the woman mounted upon the scarlet beast in this passage:

I saw a woman mounted on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names and having seven heads and ten horns. She had a name written on her forehead, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. Revelation 17:3, 5, 9.

Woman in the internal sense means the church; here in the contrary sense a profane religious system. The scarlet beast means the profanation of heavenly love; and the seven mountains the profane love of ruling. So much for the dwellings of those in the west.

[8] The reason why their homes are in different quarters is that all in the spiritual world move to a quarter and a place within the quarter corresponding to their affections and loves, and none can go anywhere else; on this see the discussion of the four quarters of heaven in HEAVEN AND HELL 141-153.

[9] Generally speaking all the deliberations of these Babylonian people have the tendency to establish their rule not only over heaven, but also over all the earth, and so to possess heaven and earth, earth by means of heaven and heaven by means of earth. To achieve this they continually think out and devise new rules and new teachings. They labour to produce the same kind of results in the other life as in the world, for each individual remains after death such a person as he was in the world, especially as regards his religious belief. I was allowed to listen to some of their prelates deliberating about a doctrine to serve as a standard for the ordinary people. It contained a number of paragraphs, but they were all intended to seize control over the heavens and lands upon earth, claiming all power for themselves and allowing none to the Lord. These doctrinal statements were later read to those present upon which they heard a voice from heaven declaring that, although they were unaware of it, these statements had been dictated from the deepest hell. To prove this a crowd of devils of the blackest and foulest appearance came up from that hell, and tore the statement away from them, not with their hands, but with their teeth, and carried it down to their hell. The ordinary people who witnessed this were thunderstruck.