§543 the lord governs the hells 329
Like heaven, hell is differentiated into communities. In fact, there 541
are just as many communities in hell as there are in heaven, since each
heavenly community has an opposite number in hell, for the sake of the
balance.
However, the communities in hell are differentiated according to
their evils and consequent falsities because the communities in heaven
are differentiated according to their good will and consequent truths. We
may be sure that there is some evil opposite to everything good and some
falsity opposite to everything true from the fact that nothing exists with-
out a relationship to its opposite. The opposite enables us to know its
actual nature and level. Opposition is the source of all perception and
sensation.
This is why the Lord is constantly taking care that every community
of heaven has its opposite in some community of hell and that there is a
balance between them.
Because hell is differentiated into as many communities as heaven is, 542
there are also as many hells as there are communities of heaven. As each
community of heaven is a heaven in smaller form (see §§ 51 – 58 ), so each
community of hell is a hell in smaller form.
Because there are three heavens overall, there are also three hells overall.
There is a deepest hell that is opposite to the inmost or third heaven; there
is a middle hell that is opposite to the middle or second heaven; and there is
a highest hell that is opposite to the outmost or fi rst heaven.
I need to explain briefl y how the hells are governed, though. Over- 543
all, the hells are governed by a general impingement of divine good and
divine truth from the heavens through which the general effort that
fl ows out of the hells is restrained and controlled. There is also a specifi c
impingement from each heaven and from each community of heaven.
Specifi cally, the hells are governed by means of angels who are given
the ability to look into the hells and check the insanities and riots there.
Sometimes angels are sent there, and their very presence brings matters
under control.
In general, though, all the people in the hells are governed by their
fears, some by fears sown and still in place from the world. However,
since these fears are not adequate and gradually weaken, they are gov-
erned through fears of punishment, which are the primary means of
preventing them from doing evil. There are many kinds of punishment
there, milder or more severe depending on the evil [they are restraining].
Most of the time, the relatively malevolent spirits are in power, having