948. [verse 11] 'Let the unjust [man] go on being unjust, and let the filthy one go on getting filthy, and let the just one go on becoming just, and let the holy one go on being made holy' signifies the state of all in particular after death, and prior to the judgment of each, and in general before the last judgment; that goods will be taken away from those who are in evils, and truths will be taken away from those who are in untruths, while on the other hand that evils will be taken away from those who are in goods, and untruths will be taken away from those who are in truths. By 'unjust' is signified one who is in evils, and by 'just' one who is in goods (n. 668). By 'filthy' or unclean is signified one who is in untruths (n. 702, 728, 924), and by 'holy' is signified one who is in truths (n. 173, 586, 666, 852). It follows from this that by 'let the unjust [man] go on being unjust' is signified that he who is in evils will be still more in evils, and by 'let the filthy one go on getting filthy' is signified that he who is in untruths will be still more in untruths; and, on the other hand, that by 'let the just one go on becoming just' is signified that he who is in goods will be still more in goods, and by 'let the holy one go on being made holy' is signified that he who is in truths will be still more in truths. But the reason why it is signified that goods will be taken away from those who are in evils, and truths will be taken away from those who are in untruths, while on the other hand that evils will be taken away from those who are in goods, and untruths will be taken away from those who are in truths, is because to the extent that goods are taken away from anyone who is in evils, so much the more is he in evils, and to the extent that truths are taken away from anyone who is in untruths, so much the more is he in untruths, while on the other hand to the extent that evils are taken away from anyone who is in goods, so much the more is he in goods, and to the extent that untruths are taken away from anyone who is in truths, so much the more is he in truths. To all after death either the one thing or the other happens, for in this way the evil are prepared for hell, and the good for heaven; for an evil man cannot carry goods and truths to hell with him, neither can a good man carry evils and untruths with him into heaven, for in that way heaven and hell would be mixed up together. [2] But it should be rightly known that the interiorly evil are understood, and the interiorly good. For the interiorly evil can be good exteriorly, for they can act and speak like the good, as hypocrites do; and the interiorly good can from time to time be exteriorly evil, for they can do evils exteriorly and speak untruths, but still they repent and wish to be trained in truths. This is the same thing as the Lord says:-
To everyone who has, it shall be given that he may have abundance, but from him who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away Matt. xiii 12; xxv 29; Mark iv 25 Luke viii 18; xix 26.
So does it happen to all after death before the judgment upon them. It also came to pass in general with those who either perished or were saved at the day of the last judgment, for before this was done the last judgment could not take place, the reason being that so long as the evil retained goods and truths they were conjoined as to external things with the angels of the lowest heaven, and nevertheless they were to be separated. And this is what was foretold by the Lord (Matt. xiii 24-30, and 38-40), which things may be seen expounded above (n. 324, 329, 343, 346, 398). From these considerations it is possible to see what is signified in the spiritual sense by 'let the unjust [man] go on being unjust, and let the filthy one go on getting filthy, and let the just one go on becoming just, and let the holy one go on being made holy'. Similar things are signified by these words in Daniel:-
Go away, Daniel, for the words have been closed up and sealed until the time of the end: many shall be purified and cleansed; they shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the understanding ones shall understand Dan. xii 9, 10.