9511. 'At the two ends of the mercy-seat' means celestial good and spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cherub at one end' as access through celestial good; and from the meaning of 'a cherub at the other end' as access through spiritual good. The same thing is meant here by 'the two ends' as by the Lord's 'right' and 'left'. His 'right' means the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord, and His 'left' means the good of spiritual love, which is the good of love towards the neighbour. So it is also that everything in the right side of a person corresponds to celestial good, and everything in the left to spiritual good; for everything in the human being corresponds to heaven. People who are governed by those two kinds of good are meant by 'to sit on the Lord's right and left' in Mark,

To sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Mark 10:40.

'Giving to those for whom it has been prepared' means granting it in mercy to those who are governed by good in life and faith, 9305, thus who are governed by celestial good and by spiritual good.

9305. 'To bring you to the place which I have prepared' means being brought into heaven by Him according to goodness of life and of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing to the place', that is, into the land of Canaan, as bringing into heaven, for 'the land of Canaan' means the Church, and also heaven, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516 (bringing the children of Israel into that land represented the bringing of faithful believers into heaven); and from the meaning of 'preparing', when it refers to heaven, meant by 'the land of Canaan', as granting it in mercy to those with whom goodness of life and of faith is present, for it is they for whom heaven is said to have been prepared, as in Matthew,

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, take possession, as an inheritance, of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34.

In Mark,

To sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Mark 10:40.

And in John,

I go away to prepare a place for you. And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:2-3.

'Preparing heaven' means preparing those who are to be brought into heaven; for heaven is granted according to their degree of preparation, that is, of their reception of good. Heaven exists within a person, and the place a person has in heaven is determined by the state of life and faith that is his. For people's place there corresponds to their state of life, and therefore also a place seen in the next life is in accord with a state of life, and in itself is a state, 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381.