and that there is no time
predetermined, or any limit of number; and that those are called the
"elect" who are in a life of good and truth;{1} and those are called
"poor" who are lacking in knowledges of good and truth and yet desire
them; and such from that desire are also called hungry.{2} Those that
have conceived an idea of the small extent of heaven from the Word
not understood believe it to be in one place, where all are gathered
together; when, in fact, heaven consists of innumerable societies
(see above, n. 41-50). Such also have no other idea than that heaven
is granted to everyone from mercy apart from means, and thus that
there is admission and reception from mere favor; and they fail to
understand that the Lord from mercy leads everyone who accepts Him,
and that he accepts Him who lives in accordance with the laws of
divine order, which are the precepts of love and of faith, and that
the mercy that is meant is to be thus led by the Lord from infancy to
the last period of life in the world and afterwards to eternity. Let
them know, therefore, that every man is born for heaven, and that he
is received that receives heaven in himself in the world, and he that
does not receive it is shut out.

{Footnote 1} Those are the elect who are in a life of good and
truth (n. 3755, 3900). Election and reception into heaven are
not from mercy, as that term is understood, but are in
accordance with the life (n. 5057, 5058). There is no mercy of
the Lord apart from means, but only through means, that is, to
those that live in accordance with His precepts; such the Lord
from His mercy leads continually in the world, and afterwards
to eternity (n. 8700, 10659).

{Footnote 2} By the "poor," in the Word, those are meant who
are spiritually poor, that is, who are ignorant of truth and
yet wish to be taught (n. 9209, 9253, 10227). Such are said to
hunger and thirst, which is to desire knowledges of good and of
truth, by which there is introduction into the church and into
heaven (n. 4958, 10227).

421. XLIV. WHAT THE WORLD OF SPIRITS IS.

The world of spirits is not heaven, nor is it hell, but it is the
intermediate place or state between the two; for it is the place that
man first enters after death; and from which after a suitable time he
is either raised up into heaven or cast down into hell in accord with
his life in the world.

422. The world of spirits is an intermediate place between