This happens because of the continuity; and
in what is continuous there is no appearance of distance except from
things not continuous. This is even more true of the angels, because
their sight acts as one with their thought, and their thought acts as
one with their affection, and things appear near or remote, and also
varied, in accordance with the states of their interiors, as has been
said above.
197. It follows from this that in the Word places and spaces, and all
things that in any way relate to space, signify such things as relate
to states, such as distances, near, far off, ways, journeys,
sojourning, miles and furlongs, plains, fields, gardens, cities and
streets, motions, measures of various kinds, long, broad, high, and
deep, and innumerable other things; for most things in man's thought
from the world take on something from space and time. [2] I will
mention here only what is signified in the Word by length, breadth,
and height. In this world, that is called long or broad which is long
or broad in relation to space, and the same is true of height. But in
heaven, where there is no thought from space, length means a state of
good, breadth a state of truth, and height the distinction between
them in accordance with degrees (see n.
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