Before the world was created, they were not beholding each other face to face (as explained above in the Book of Mysteries in Terumah, section 3; study there well). Hence the earlier worlds, that is, the seven kings of dots, were destroyed, shattered and died. The earlier worlds were imperfectly formed, and that king that was not balanced was called sparks and flashes, meaning that his reign and rule resembled the light of a spark that is soon extinguished and is gone.
It is like a craftsman who strikes an iron tool with a hammer. It emits sparks in every direction. The sparks come out blazing and shining but are soon extinguished. These are called the earlier worlds, and for that reason they were destroyed and did not endure until Atika Kadisha had been perfected and the craftsman went about his craft as explained in the Book of Mysteries section 4; study there).