49. The four quarters are called in the Word the four winds, and their being gathered is a gathering from the four winds; as in Matthew, dealing with the Last Judgment:

There will be gathered before the Son of Man all nations, and he will separate one group from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and he will place the sheep to the right and the goats to the left. Matt. 25:32, 33. This means that the Lord will separate those who possess truths and also good from those who possess truths without good; for in the spiritual sense of the Word, right means good and left means truth, and much the same is meant by sheep and goats. Nor was judgment carried out on any others; for the wicked who possessed no truths were long since in the hells. That is where all the wicked are cast after death, without waiting for a judgment, who in their hearts deny the Divine and reject any belief in the church's truths. The former heaven which passed away was composed of those who possessed truths without good; and the new heaven was formed from those who possess truths and at the same time good.