Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 495
side and evil reacting on the other side; or between evil acting
on the one side and good reacting on the other side.
[3] With the good the equilibrium is between good acting
and evil reacting; but with the evil the equilibrium is between
evil acting and good reacting. Spiritual equilibrium is between
good and evil, because the whole life of man has reference to
good and to evil, and the will is the receptacle. There is also an
equilibrium between truth and falsity, but this depends on the
equilibrium between good and evil. The equilibrium between
truth and falsity is like that between light and shade, in that
light and shade affect the objects of the vegetable kingdom
only so far as heat and cold are in them. That light and shade
themselves have no effect, but only the heat that acts through
them, is evident from the fact that light and shade are the same
in winter time and in spring time. This comparison of truth
and falsity with light and shade is from correspondence, for
truth corresponds to light, falsity to shade, and heat to the
good of love; in fact, spiritual light is truth, spiritual shade is
falsity, and spiritual heat is good of love (see the chapter where
light and heat in heaven are treated of, n. 126–140).
590. There is a perpetual equilibrium between heaven and
hell. From hell there continually breathes forth and ascends an
endeavor to do evil, and from heaven there continually
breathes forth and descends an endeavor to do good. In this
equilibrium is the world of spirits; which world is intermediate
between heaven and hell (see above, n. 421–431). The world
of spirits is in this equilibrium because every man after death
enters first the world of spirits, and is kept there in a state like
that which he was in while in the world, and this would be
impossible if there were not a perfect equilibrium there; for by
means of this the character of everyone is explored, since they
then remain in the same freedom as they had in the world.
Spiritual equilibrium is freedom in man and spirit (as has been
said just above, n. 589). What each one’s freedom is the angels
recognize by a communi cation of affections and thoughts
therefrom; and it becomes visible to the sight of angelic spirits