901. [verse 13] 'Towards the east three gates, towards the north three gates, towards the south three gates, and towards the west three gates' signifies that the cognitions of truth and good, in which they have spiritual life out of heaven from the Lord, by means of which introduction into the New Church is effected, are for those who are in the love or affection of good, [some] more and [some] less, and for those who are in the wisdom or affection of truth, [some] more and [some] less. By 'the gates' are now signified the cognitions of truth and good in which there is spiritual life out of heaven from the Lord, because over the gates were twelve angels, and the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written, by which is signified that life in those cognitions, as is plain from the exposition just above (n. 900). That 'the gates' signify the cognitions of truth and good by which introduction into the New Church is effected, may be seen above (n. 899). The reason why there were three gates towards the east, three towards the north, three towards the south and three towards the west, is because by 'the east' is signified the love and affection of good in a higher degree, thus more; and by 'the west' is signified the love and affection of good in a lower degree, thus less; and by 'the south' is signified the wisdom and affection of truth in a higher degree, thus more; and by 'the north' is signified the wisdom and affection of truth in a lower degree, thus less. The reason why those things are signified by 'east', 'west', 'south' and 'north' is because the Lord is the Sun of the spiritual world, and facing Him are the east and the west, and the south and north are towards the sides, the south on the right and the north on the left. Those therefore who are in love directed to the Lord and consequently are more in affection dwell in the east, those who are less so being in the west, and those who are more in wisdom derived from the affection of truth dwell in the south, while those who are less so dwell in the north. That the dwelling-places of the angels of heaven are in such an order may be seen in the work CONCERNING HEAVEN AND HELL, published at London in 1758 (n. 141-153). The reason why there were three gates towards each quarter is because 'three' signify all (n. 400, 505).