387. And with death. That this signifies the consequent extinction of spiritual life, is plain from the signification of death, as denoting the extinction of spiritual life (concerning which see above, n. 78, 186). That this is here signified by death is plain from the series of things in the internal sense; for it is said that power was given unto them to kill with the sword, with famine, and with death: and by the sword is signified falsity destroying truth; by famine, the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; whence by death is signified the extinction of spiritual life, for where falsity reigns, and where there are no knowledges of truth and good, there is no spiritual life; for it is acquired by the knowledges of truth and good applied to the uses of life. For man is born into all evil and the falsity thence, therefore he is also born entirely ignorant of all spiritual knowledges; in order, therefore, that he may be led from the evils and the falsities thence, into which he is born, and be led into the life of heaven, and be saved, it is necessary that he should learn the knowledges of truth and good, by which he can be introduced [into spiritual life] and become spiritual. From this series of things in the internal sense it is evident, that by death is here signified the extinction of spiritual life; this also is signified by spiritual death.

9704. When intelligence permeates what a person thinks and wisdom what he wills, thought and will spring from the internal man; but when intelligence does not permeate what a person thinks nor wisdom what he wills, thought and will do not spring from the internal man. Consequently when a person's thought about the Lord and things that are the Lord's is right and good, and his thought about the neighbour and things that are the neighbour's is right and good, and when his will in regard to all this is right and good, his thought and will spring from the internal man. But when a person's thought about them is wrong and bad, and his will is wrong and bad, his thought and will do not spring from the internal man. Right thinking is a product of belief in what is true, and right willing a product of the love of what is good. But wrong thinking is a product of belief in what is false, and wrong willing a product of the love of what is evil.