8858. A person's whole character is determined by the nature of whatever dominates his life; this is what marks him off from others. His heaven is formed in accordance with it if he is good, or his hell if he is bad. For it constitutes his true will and so the true being of his life, which is unchangeable after death. From all this one may see what the life is like in a person who has been regenerated, and what it is like in one who has not been regenerated.

9832. 'And they shall take the gold' means the good reigning universally. This is clear from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, dealt with in 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9490, 9510. Its reigning universally is meant by the fact that the gold was interwoven everywhere in the ephod, as is clear from what is stated later on in this book,

They beat out ¹ the plates of gold and cut them up into threads, to work in among the violet, and in among the purple, and in among the twice-dyed scarlet, and in among the fine linen. Exodus 39:3.

'Reigning universally' describes that which is dominant and so is present in each individual part, see 5949, 6159, 7648, 8067, 8853-8858, 8865. The reason why the gold was interwoven everywhere was that Aaron's garments represented the spiritual heaven, 9814, and in that heaven good holds sway, as it also does in the remaining heavens. In the inmost heaven it is the good of love to the Lord, in the middle one the good of charity towards the neighbour, and in the lowest the good of faith. The truth however which belongs to faith leads the way to good, and afterwards is brought forth from it. From this it is evident that a person is not in heaven until good is present within him. If merely the knowledge of truths, called the truths of faith, is present in a person he does no more than stand in front of the door; or if, knowing those truths, he is looking towards good he goes through into the porch. But if, in knowing those truths, he is not looking towards good he cannot see heaven, not even from a long way off. The reason for saying that a person is not in heaven until good is present within him is that a person must have heaven within him while in the world if he is to enter it after death. For heaven exists within people; and it is granted in mercy to those who during their life in the world allow themselves to be led by means of the truths of faith into charity towards the neighbour and into love to the Lord, that is, into good. People are not in heaven until they have come into that state in which the Lord leads them by means of good, see 8516, 8539, 8722, 8772, 9139. By good is meant the good of life; and the good of life consists in the performance of what is good because there is a will for what is good, and a will for what is good springs from love; for what a person loves, he wills.

脚注:

983. 'being fruitful' means goods stemming from charity, and 'multiplying' means truths of faith which they were now to receive as increases. This is clear from the meaning of both expressions in the Word where 'being fruitful', or bearing fruit, always has reference to charity, while 'multiplying' has reference to faith. See what has been stated already about the meaning of these two expressions in 43, 55. And by way of further confirmation let the following places from the Word be brought forward: In Jeremiah,

Return, O estranged children; I will give you shepherds after My own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and intelligence, and it will be that you will be multiplied and you will be fruitful in the land. Jeremiah 3:14-16.

Here 'being multiplied' manifestly stands for the growth of knowledge and intelligence, that is, of faith, while 'being fruitful' stands for goods stemming from charity. Indeed these words describe the establishment of the Church, in which faith or 'multiplying' comes first.

[2] In the same prophet,

I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their folds, and they will be fruitful and be multiplied. Jeremiah 23:3.

This refers to the Church which has been established, and so is 'to be fruitful' as regards the goods of charity and 'to be multiplied' as regards the truths of faith. In Moses,

Furthermore I will have regard for you and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will establish My covenant with you. Leviticus 26:9.

The subject at this point in the internal is the celestial Church, and sense therefore 'being fruitful' has reference to goods of love and charity, 'being multiplied' to goods and truths of faith. In Zechariah,

I will redeem them, and they will be multiplied as they have been multiplied. Zechariah 10:8.

It is evident from the promise that they are to be redeemed that 'being multiplied' here has reference to truths of faith.

[3] In Jeremiah,

The city will be built upon its mound, and out of them will come confession and the voice of those who are playing, and I will multiply them and they will not grow fewer; and its sons will be as they were of old. Jeremiah 30:18-20.

This refers to the affections for truth and to the truths of faith. Affections for truth are expressed by 'confession and the voice of those who are playing', while increases in truths of faith are expressed by 'being multiplied'. Here 'sons' also stands for truths.