10153. 'And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel' means the Lord's presence and His influx through good in heaven and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling', when this is said of the Lord, as His being present and flowing in, His doing so through Divine Good being meant because 'dwelling' has reference to good, see 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613, 8269, 8309, which is why the words 'in the midst' are used, because 'the midst' means what is inmost, and that which is inmost is good (for this meaning of 'the midst', see 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103); and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as the Church, dealt with in 9340.

[2] The reason why 'dwelling in the midst', when said of the Lord, means His presence and influx through Divine Good is that the Lord flows into and is present with a person in the good he receives from the Lord. Good composes the person's true self, for everyone's character is conditioned by his good. By good, love should be understood, since anything that is loved is called good. The fact that a person's love or good makes him what he is may be recognized by anyone at all who observes what another is like; for having observed him he can direct him by means of his love wherever he wishes him to go, so much so that when that other person is held under the sway of his own love he is no longer his own master, and reasons which disagree with his love count for nothing with him, while those which collude with his love count for everything.

[3] The truth of this is also plainly evident in the next life. All spirits there are recognized by their loves, and when they are held under the sway of those loves they cannot act in any way contrary to them; for if they act contrary to those loves they act contrary to themselves. They are therefore embodiments of their loves, those in the heavens being embodiments of heavenly love and charity, so beautiful that they are beyond description, whereas those in the hells are embodiments of their own loves, namely self-love and love of the world, and are consequently embodiments also of hatred and vengeance, thus are monsters so awful that they defy description.

[4] Since therefore a person's love makes him altogether what he is, it is evident that the Lord cannot be present in a person's love if it is evil, only in a person's love that is good, thus in his good. People think that the Lord is present in truth called the truth of faith; but He is not present in truth devoid of good. Where good exists however He is present in truth through that good; and He is present in truth to the extent that it leads to good and to the extent that it emanates from good. Truth devoid of good cannot be said to be within a person; it is merely in his memory, residing there as factual knowledge which does not enter the person and form part of him until it becomes part of his life. It becomes part of his life when he loves it, and in love lives in accord with it. When this happens the Lord dwells with him, as also the Lord teaches in John,

He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:21, 23.

'Manifesting Himself' means enlightening with the truths of faith from the Word; 'coming to him' means being present; and 'making Their home with him' means dwelling in his good.

2712. 'He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran' means the life of the spiritual man as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as being used in reference to good residing in truth, which is spiritual good, that is, good present with the spiritual man. The essential nature of that good is described by his dwelling in the wilderness of Paran, dealt with immediately below. That 'dwelling' is used in reference to good residing in truth, or to the affection for truth, is clear from many places in the Word where it is said of cities, which mean truths, that they will be without any inhabitant, by whom good is meant, 2268, 2449, 2451; for truths are inhabited by good, and truths devoid of good are like a city that has no one dwelling in it, as in Zephaniah,

I have laid their streets waste, so that none passes through; their cities are desolate, so that there is no one dwelling in them. Zephaniah 3:6.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah was leading us through the wilderness. No man passed through in that [land], and no one dwelt there. They have turned his land into a solitary place, his cities have been burned, so that none is dwelling there. Jeremiah 2:6, 15.

In the same prophet,

Every city has been forsaken, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 4:29.

In the same prophet,

In the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate there is no human being, no inhabitant, no beast. Jeremiah 33:10.

'Streets' stands for truths, 2336, 'no human being' for no celestial good, 'no inhabitant' for no spiritual good, 'no beast' for no natural good. In the same prophet,

The cities of Moab will become a desolation, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 48:9.

[3] With each particular expression in the Prophets there exists the marriage of truth and good. Consequently when 'a city' is said to be desolate, the phrase 'no one dwelling in it' is also added, the reason being that 'a city' means truths and 'one dwelling in it' good. Otherwise it would be superfluous to say 'no one dwelling in it' when it has been stated that the city is desolate. In a similar way certain terms occur consistently to mean things that belong to celestial good, others that belong to spiritual good, and others also that belong to truths, as in Isaiah,

Your seed will possess the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. Isaiah 54:3

Here 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In the same prophet,

My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. Isaiah 65:9.

Here the meaning is similar.

[4] In David,

God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it, and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. Psalms 69:35-36.

'Dwelling there' and at the same time 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In Isaiah,

He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in; and to the cities of Judah, You will be built. Isaiah 44:26.

Here 'dwelling in' has reference to the good of the spiritual Church, which is Jerusalem. To such an extent do the terms used in the Word have reference to their own goods and their own truths that simply from a knowledge of that usage of terms one may recognize what the subject is in general that is being dealt with.