138. [139] There was a plain somewhat more elevated than the valley. In this plain was congregated a multitude of spirits who had learned to practice evils by means of cunning, and to station themselves invisible behind others, and thus force them to think and speak what they wish them to, yea evils and falsities. They have contracted these arts by reason of their having been in the insane love of ruling over others. As it was then disclosed that their wickedness was consummated, their destruction followed. The whole of that plain was overturned; and the earth was then opened elsewhere and there rose up good spirits who had been kept concealed by the Lord in the lower earth and guarded lest they should be infested by the evil; and they succeeded in place of the former, and came in full number into possession of their land. Such things are represented by the sons of Israel to whom the land of Canaan was given after the wickedness of its nations had been consummated.