628. And the angel stood near, saying.- That this signifies the will of the Lord, and command, is evident from the signification of standing near, which here denotes the will, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of angel, as denoting the Lord as to the Word, as shown above (n. 593); and from the signification of saying, when from the Lord, as denoting command, for that which the Lord says is to come to pass, or must be done by any one, is command. The reason why the angel standing near denotes in this passage the will of the Lord, is, that in the spiritual world, thought with the desire and will to see another, to speak with him, and give him a command, causes the other to be present, that is, to stand near. For in that world distances are not fixed and therefore measurable, as in the natural world; but similitude of affection, and of thought thence, causes presence, while their dissimilitude causes absence; all distances in that world have this origin. The basis of this fact is the universal law that the Lord is present with every one according to his love for Him, and according to his love towards the neighbour, and the thoughts therefrom. From this universal principle all distances, that is, presence and absence, among angels and spirits exist. When, therefore, any one desires to speak with another, that is to say, when he thinks about him, from a desire or will to speak with him, that other becomes immediately present, or he himself is present with him. That this is the case, may also be seen in Heaven and Hell (n. 191-199), where space in heaven is treated of. From these things it is now evident why the angel standing near signifies the will of the Lord; for to stand near is to be present.