Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 97
Those who turn themselves to the dense darkness that is in
the place where this world’s sun is are in the hells behind, and
are called genii; while those that turn themselves to the
darkness that is in the place of the moon are in the hells more
in front, and are called spirits. This is why those in the hells are
said to be in darkness, and those in the heavens in light,
“darkness” signifying falsity from evil, and “light” truth from
good. They so turn themselves because all in the other life look
toward what rules in their interiors, thus to their loves; and
with angels and spirits the interiors determine the face; and in
the spiritual world quarters are not fixed, as in the natural
world, but are determined by the face. In respect to his spirit
man turns himself in like manner as a spirit does, backwards
from the Lord if he is in love of self and the world, and toward
the Lord if he is in love to the Lord and the neighbor. But of
this man is ignorant, because he is in the natural world where
quarters are determined by the rising and setting of the sun.
But as this cannot be easily comprehended by men it will be
elucidated hereafter when quarters, space, and time in heaven
are treated of.
124. Because the Lord is the sun of heaven and everything
that is from him looks to him, he is also the common center,
the source of all direction and determination. 95
So, too, all
things beneath are in his presence and under his auspices, both
in the heavens and on the earths.
125. From all this what has been said and shown in previous
chapters about the Lord may now be seen in clearer light,
namely: That he is the God of heaven (n. 2–6). That it is his
Divine that makes heaven (n. 7–12). That the Lord’s Divine in
heaven is love to him and charity toward the neighbor (n.
13–19). That there is a correspondence of all things of the
world with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord (n.
95. The Lord is the common center to which all things of heaven turn
(n. 3633, 3641).