199. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. That this signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of the state of man's life (see above, n. 148) and from the signification of the book of life, as denoting heaven, concerning which we shall speak presently. Hence, not to blot their name out of the book of life signifies that they will be in heaven because their state as to love and faith is heavenly, thus because they are fitted for heaven. The reason why heaven is signified by the book of life is, that a man who is in love and faith to the Lord is a heaven in its least form, and this heaven corresponds to heaven in the greatest form: therefore he who has heaven in himself, also comes into heaven, for he is fitted for it. (That there is such a correspondence, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) Hence it is, that the book of life is that in man which corresponds to the heaven in which he is; and because the former remains with him to eternity, if he becomes spiritual by the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, therefore, it is here said, "I will not blot out his name from the book of life. In the world, indeed, it may be blotted out, if a man does not remain spiritual even unto the end of his life; but if he does remain spiritual it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith; and conjunction with the Lord, such as took place in the world, remains with man after death.

From these considerations it is evident, that by the book of life is meant that from the Lord which is inscribed on a man's spirit, that is, which is inscribed on his heart and soul, or, what is the same, on his love and faith; and that which is inscribed by the Lord on man, is heaven.

[2] It is therefore evident what is meant by the book of life in the following passages; in Daniel:

"The Ancient of days did sit, and the books were opened" (7:9, 10).

Again:

"The people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (12:1).

In David:

"Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the righteous" (Psalms 69:28).

In Moses:

Moses said, "Blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:32, 33).

In the Apocalypse:

"All shall worship the beast, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb" (13:8; 17:8).

In another place:

"And the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire" (Apoc. 20:12, 13, 15).

Again:

"And there shall not enter into the New Jerusalem any but those that are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Apoc. 21:27).

In David:

"My bone was not hid from thee when I was made in secret. Upon thy book all my days were written in which they were formed: not one of them is wanting" (Psalms 139:15, 16).

By all the days being written, are meant all the states of man's life. (That all the separate things which he has thought, willed, spoken and done, yea, which he has seen and heard, are with man in his spirit as if inscribed therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 462, 463, and in Arcana Coelestia, 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is the book of man's life, 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505; and likewise, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.)

462. [a] And yet there is a great distinction between man's life in the spiritual world and his life in the natural world, in regard both to his external senses and their affections and his internal senses and their affections. Those who are in heaven have more exquisite senses, that is, a keener sight and hearing, and also think more wisely than when they were in the world; for they see from the light of heaven, which surpasses by many degrees the light of the world (see above, 126); and they hear by means of a spiritual atmosphere, which likewise surpasses by many degrees the earthly atmosphere (235). The difference in respect of the external senses is like the difference between a clear [sky] and a dark cloud in the world, or between noonday light and evening shade. For the light of heaven, since it is Divine Truth, enables the eyes of angels to perceive and distinguish the most minute things. [2] Moreover, their external sight corresponds to their internal sight or understanding; for with angels one sight so flows into the other as to act as one with it; and this gives them their great keenness of vision. In like manner, their hearing corresponds to their perception, which pertains both to the understanding and to the will, and in consequence they perceive in the tone and words of one speaking the most minute things of his affection and thought; in the tone the things pertaining to his affection, and in the words the things pertaining to his thought (see above, 234-245). But the rest of the senses with the angels are less exquisite than the senses of seeing and hearing, for the reason that seeing and hearing serve their intelligence and wisdom, but the rest do not; and if the other senses were equally exquisite they would detract from the light and joy of their wisdom, and would let in the delight of pleasures pertain to various appetites and to the body; and so far as these prevail they obscure and weaken the understanding. This takes place in the world, with men who become gross and stupid as regards spiritual truths so far as they are indulgent to the sense of taste and the allurements of the sense of bodily touch. [3] From the things already said and shown in the section on the wisdom of the angels of heaven (265-275), it can be confirmed that the interior senses also of the angels of heaven, which pertain to their thought and affection, are more exquisite and perfect than the senses they had in the world. But as regards the state of those who are in hell as compared with the state of those in the world, there is also a great distinction, for as great as is the perfection and excellence of the external and internal senses with the angels in heaven, with those who are in hell the imperfection is equally great. But the state of these will be treated of hereafter.

462. [B] That when a man leaves the world he takes with him all his memory has been shown to me in many ways, and many of the things I have seen and heard are worthy of mention, some of which I wish to relate in order. There were some who denied their crimes and villainies which they had perpetrated in the world; and in consequence, that they might not be believed guiltless, all their deeds were disclosed and reviewed from their memory in order, from their earliest to their latest years; these were chiefly adulteries and whoredoms. [2] There were some who had deceived others by wicked arts and had committed thefts. The deceits and thefts of these were also enumerated in detail, many of which had been known to scarcely any in the world except themselves. These deeds they confessed, because they were plainly set forth, with every thought, intention, pleasure and fear which occupied their minds at the time. [3] There were others who had accepted bribes, and had rendered venal judgments, who were similarly explored from their memory, and from it everything they had done from the beginning to the end of their office was reviewed. Every detail in regard to what and how much they had received, as well as the time, and their state of mind and intention, were brought to their recollection and made visibly clear to the number of many hundreds. This was done with several, and what is wonderful, in some cases their memorandum-books, in which they had recorded these things, were opened and read before them page by page. [4] Others who had enticed maidens to shame or had violated chastity were called to a like judgment; and the details of their crimes were drawn forth from their memory and reviewed. The very faces of the maidens and women were also exhibited as if present, with the places, words and intentions, and this as unexpectedly as when an apparition is seen. Sometimes these manifestations lasted for hours. [5] There was one who had made light of slandering others; and I heard his slanders recounted in order, and his defamations, with the very words, and the persons about whom and before whom they were uttered; all of which were produced and presented to the very life, although while he lived in the world he had most carefully concealed everything. [6] There was one who had deprived a relative of his inheritance under a fraudulent pretext, and he was in like manner convicted and judged; and what is wonderful, the letters and papers that passed between them were read in my hearing, and it was said that not a word was lacking. [7] The same person shortly before his death had also secretly poisoned his neighbour. This was disclosed in this way. He appeared to be digging a trench under his feet, from which a man came forth as out of a grave, and cried out to him, "What have you done to me?" Then everything was revealed, how the poisoner had talked with him in a friendly manner, and had held out the cup, also what he thought beforehand, and what happened afterwards. When all this had been disclosed he was sentenced to hell. [8] In a word, to each evil spirit all his evils, villainies, robberies, artifices, and deceits are made clear, and are brought forth from the very memory of them, and his guilt is fully established; nor is there any possible room for denial, because all the circumstances are exhibited together. Moreover, I have learned from someone's memory, when it was seen and inspected by angels, what his thoughts had been for a month, one day after another, and this without mistake, the thoughts being recalled just as they arose from day to day. [9] From these examples it can be established that man carries with him all of his memory, and that nothing can be so concealed in the world as not to be disclosed after death, which is done in the company of many, according to the Lord's words:

"There is nothing concealed that shall not be uncovered, and nothing secret that shall not be known; therefore what ye have spoken in the dark shall be heard in the light and what ye have spoken in the ear shall be proclaimed on the housetops."Luke 12:2-3.