{Footnote 1} Interior things flow in successively into exterior things even down to the extreme or outmost, and there they come forth and have permanent existence (n. 634, 6451, 6465, 9215, 9216).  They not only flow in, but in the outmost they form the simultaneous, in what order (n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099).  Thereby all interior things are held together in connection, and have permanent existence (n. 9828).  Deeds or works are the outmosts which contain the interiors (n. 10331).  Therefore being recompensed and judged according to deeds and works is being recompensed and judged in accordance with all things of one’s love and faith, or of his will and thought because these are the interiors contained in deeds and works (n. 3147, 3934, 6073, 8911, 10331, 10332).

476.  All this makes clear what the life is that awaits man after death, namely, that it is his love and his faith therefrom, not only in potency, but also in act; thus that it is his deeds or works, because in these all things of man’s love and faith are contained.

477.  It is man’s ruling love that awaits him after death, and this is in no way changed to eternity.  Everyone has many loves; but they are all related to his ruling love, and make one with it or together compose it.  All things of the will that are in harmony with the ruling love are called loves, because they are loved.  These loves are both inner and outer; some directly connected and some mediately; some nearer and some more remote; they are subservient in various ways.  Taken together they constitute a kingdom, as it were, such being the order in which they are arranged in man, although man knows nothing what ever about that arrangement.  And yet something of it is made manifest to him in the other life, for the spread of his thought and affection there is in accordance with the arrangement of his loves, his thought and affection extending into heavenly societies when the ruling love is made up of the loves of heaven, but into infernal societies when it is made up of the loves of hell.  That all the thought and affection of spirits and of angels has extension into societies may be seen above, in the chapters on the wisdom of the angels of heaven, and on the form of heaven which determines affiliations and communications there.

478.  But what has been said thus far appeals only to the thought of the rational man.  That it may also be presented to the perception derived from the senses, I will add some experiences by which it may be illustrated and confirmed.  First, Man after death is his own love or his own will.  Second, Man continues to eternity such as his will or ruling love is.  Third, The man who has heavenly and spiritual love goes to heaven, while the man who has corporeal and worldly love, and no heavenly and spiritual love, goes to hell.  Fourth, Unless faith is from heavenly love it does not endure in man.  Fifth, Love in act, that is, the life of man, is what endures.