948. Verse 11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is just, let him be just still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still, signifies the state of all in particular after death, and before his judgment, and in general before the Last Judgment, that from those who are in evils goods will be taken away; and from those who are in falsities, truths will be taken away; and, on the other hand, that from those who are in goods, evils will be taken away, and from those who are in truths, falsities will be taken away. By "unjust" is signified he who is in evils, and by "just" he who is in goods (n. 668); by "filthy" or unclean is signified he who is in falsities (n. 702, 708, 924), and by "holy" is signified he who is in truths (n. 173, 586, 666, 852); hence it follows that by "he that is unjust, let him be unjust still" is signified that he who is in evils will be still more in evils, and that by "he that is filthy, let him be filthy still" is signified that he who is in falsities will be still more in falsities; and, on the other hand, that by "he that is just, let him be just still" is signified that he who is in goods will be still more in goods, and by "he that is holy, let him be holy still" is signified that he who is in truths will be still more in truths. But the reason why it signifies that from those who are in evils goods will be taken away, and from those who are in falsities truths will be taken away, and that, on the contrary, from those who are in goods evils will be taken away, and from those who are in truths falsities will be taken away, is because as far as goods are taken away from anyone who is in evils, so much the more is he in evils, and as far as truths are taken away from anyone who is in falsities, so much the more he is in falsities, and, on the other hand, as far as evils are taken away from anyone who is in goods, so much the more is he in goods, and as far as falsities are taken away from anyone who is in truths, so much the more is he in truths; either the one or the other happens to everyone after death, for thus the evil are prepared for hell and the good for heaven; for the evil cannot carry with them goods and truths into hell, neither can the good carry evils and falsities into heaven, for this would be to confuse both heaven and hell together. [2] But it should be clearly known that they are meant who are interiorly evil and interiorly good; for they who are interiorly evil may be exteriorly good, for they can act and speak like the good, as hypocrites do; and they who are interiorly good may sometimes be exteriorly evil, for they may exteriorly do evils, and speak falsities, but yet they may repent, and desire to be informed of truths; this is the same as what the Lord said:
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath (Matt. 13:12; 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26). Thus it happens with 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 happened, the Last Judgment could not be executed, by reason that so long as the evil retained goods and truths, they were conjoined with the angels of the lowest heaven as to externals, and nevertheless they were to be separated; and this is what was foretold by the Lord (Matt. 13:24-30, 38-40), which may be seen explained above (n. 324, 329, 343, 346, 398). From these considerations it may be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by "he that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is just, let him be just still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." The following passage in Daniel has a like signification:
Go, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end. Many shall be purified and cleansed; they shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand (Dan. 12:9-10).