چهارشنبه ۲۸ شهریور ۰۳ | ۱۵:۲۹ ۸ بازديد
be indescribable in a few words. Volumes might be filled, and
yet there would be still deeper arcana, relating more closely to
their uses, which science would be unable to exhaust. Since
these things, too, are from the spiritual world, that is, from
heaven, which is in the human form (as has been shown above
in its own chapter), so all the particulars in this kingdom have
a certain relation to such things as are in man, as some in the
learned world know. That all things in this kingdom also are
correspondences has been made clear to me by much
experience. Often when I have been in gardens and have been
looking at the trees, fruits, flowers, and plants there, I have
recognized their correspondences in heaven, and have spoken
with those with whom these were, and have been taught
whence and what they were.
110. But at the present day no one can know the spiritual
things in heaven to which the natural things in the world
correspond except from heaven, since the knowledge of
correspondences is now wholly lost. But the nature of the
correspondence of spiritual things with natural I shall be glad
to illustrate by some examples. The animals of the earth
correspond in general to affection, mild and useful animals to
good affections, fierce and useless ones to evil affections. In
particular, cattle and their young correspond to the affections
of the natural mind, sheep and lambs to the affections of the
spiritual mind; while birds correspond, according to their
species, to the intellectual things of the natural or the spiritual
mind. 78
For this reason various animals, as cattle and their
78. From correspondence animals signify affections; mild and useful
animals good affections, fierce and useless ones evil affections (n. 41, 45, 46,
142, 143, 246, 714, 716, 719, 2179, 2180, 3519, 9280); illustrated by
experience from the spiritual world (n. 3218, 5198, 9090). Influx of the
spiritual world into the lives of animals (n. 1633, 3646).
Cattle and their young from correspondence signify affections of the
natural mind (n. 2180, 2566, 9391, 10132, 10407). What sheep signify (n.
4169, 4809); and lambs (n. 3994, 10132).
young, rams, sheep, he-goats, and she-goats, he-lambs and she-
lambs, also pigeons and turtledoves, were devoted to a sacred
use in the Israelitish church, which was a representative church,
and sacrifices and burnt offerings were made of them. For they
correspond in that use to spiritual things, and in heaven these
were understood in accordance with the correspondences.
Moreover, animals according to their kinds and species,
because they have life, are affections; and the life of each one is
solely from affection and in accordance with affection;
consequently every animal has an innate knowledge that is in
accord with its life’s affection. Man is like an animal so far as
his natural man is concerned, and is therefore likened to
animals in common speech; for example, if he is gentle he is
called a sheep or lamb, if fierce a bear or wolf, if cunning a fox
or serpent, and so on.
111. There is a like correspondence with things in the
vegetable kingdom. In general, a garden corresponds to the
intelligence and wisdom of heaven; and for this reason heaven
is called the Garden of God, and Paradise; 79
and men call it the
heavenly paradise. Trees, according to their species, correspond
to the perceptions and knowledges of good and truth which are
the source of intelligence and wisdom. For this reason the
ancient people, who were acquainted with correspondences,
held their sacred worship in groves; 80
and for the same reason
Flying creatures signify intellectual things (n. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866,
988, 991, 5149, 7441); with a difference according to their genera and
species, from experience in the spiritual world (n. 3219).
79. From correspondence a garden and a paradise signify intelligence
and wisdom (n. 100, 108); from experience (n. 3220).
All things that have a correspondence have in the Word the same
significance (n. 2896, 2987, 2989–2991, 3002, 3225).
80. Trees signify perceptions and knowledges (n. 103, 2163, 2682,
2722, 2972, 7692).
For this reason the ancient people held Divine worship in groves under
trees according to their correspondence (n. 2722, 4552). Influx of heaven
into subjects of the vegetable kingdom, as into trees and plants (n. 3648).
trees are so often mentioned in the Word, and heaven, the
church, and man are compared to them; as the vine, the olive,
the cedar, and others, and the good works done by men are
compared to fruits. Also the food derived from trees, and more
especially from the grain harvests of the field, corresponds to
affections for good and truth, because these affections feed the
spiritual life, as the food of the earth does the natural life;
81
and
bread from grain, in a general sense, because it is the food that
specially sustains life, and because it stands for all food,
corresponds to an affection for all good. It is on account of this
correspondence that the Lord calls himself the bread of life;
and that loaves of bread had a holy use in the Israelitish
church, being placed on the table in the tabernacle and called
“the bread of faces”; also the Divine worship that was
performed by sacrifices and burnt offerings was called “bread.”
Moreover, because of this correspondence the most holy act of
worship in the Christian church is the Holy Supper, in which
bread is given, and wine. 82
From these few examples the nature
of correspondence can be seen.
112. How conjunction of heaven with the world is effected
by means of correspondences shall also be told in a few words.
The Lord’s kingdom is a kingdom of ends, which are uses; or
what is the same thing, a kingdom of uses which are ends. For
this reason the universe has been so created and formed by the
Divine that uses may be everywhere clothed in such a way as to
be presented in act, or in effect, first in heaven and afterwards
in the world, thus by degrees and successively, down to the
81. From correspondence foods signify such things as nourish the
spiritual life (n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 4976, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410,
5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 6277, 8562, 9003).
82. Bread signifies every good that nourishes the spiritual life of man (n.
2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 9323, 9545,
10686). Such was the signification of the loaves that were on the table in the
tabernacle (n. 3478, 9545). Sacrifices in general were called bread (n. 2165).
Bread includes all food (n. 2165). Thus it signifies all heavenly and spiritual
food (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478, 6118, 8410).
outmost things of nature. Evidently, then, the correspondence
of natural things with spiritual things, or of the world with
heaven, is through uses, and uses are what conjoin; and the
form in which uses are clothed are correspondences and are
conjunctions just to the extent that they are forms of uses. In
the nature of the world in its threefold kingdom, all things that
exist in accordance with order are forms of uses, or effects
formed from use for use, and this is why the things in nature
are correspondences. But in the case of man, so far as he is in
accordance with Divine order, that is, so far as he is in love to
the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, are his acts uses
in form, and correspondences, and through these he is
conjoined to heaven. To love the Lord and the neighbor means
in general to perform uses. 83
Furthermore, it must be
understood that man is the means by which the natural world
and the spiritual world are conjoined, that is, man is the
medium of conjunction, because in him there is a natural
world and there is a spiritual world (see above, n. 57);
consequently to the extent that man is spiritual he is the
medium of conjunction; but to the extent that a man is
83. Every good has its delight as well as its quality from use and in
accordance with use; therefore such as the use is, such is the good (n. 3049,
4984, 7038).
Angelic life consists in the goods of love and charity, that is, in
performing uses (n. 454). The Lord, and consequently the angels, look only,
in regard to man, to ends, which are uses (n. 1317, 1645, 5854).
The Lord’s kingdom is a kingdom of uses, that is, of ends (n. 454, 696,
1103, 3645, 4054, 7038). Serving the Lord is performing uses (n. 7038).
Each thing and all things in man have been formed for use (n. 3626,
4104, 5189, 9297); also from use, that is, the use is prior to the organic
forms in man through which the use is performed, because use is from the
inflowing of the Lord through heaven (n. 4223, 4926). Moreover man’s
interiors, which constitute his mind, when he grows to maturity are formed
from use and for use (n. 1964, 6815, 9297).
Consequently man is such as are the uses with him (n. 1568, 3570,
4054, 6571, 6935, 6938, 10284). Uses are the ends for the sake of which (n.
3565, 4054, 4104, 6815).
Use is the first and the last, thus the all of man (n. 1964).
natural, and not spiritual, he is not a medium of conjunction.
Nevertheless, apart from this mediumship of man, a Divine
influx into the world and into the things pertaining to man
that are of the world goes on, but not into man’s rational
faculty.
113. As all things that are in accord with Divine order
correspond to heaven, so all things contrary to Divine order
correspond to hell. All things that correspond to heaven have
relation to good and truth; but those that correspond to hell
have relation to evil and falsity.
114. Something shall now be said about the knowledge of
correspondences and its use. It has been said above that the
spiritual world, which is heaven, is conjoined with the natural
world by means of correspondences; therefore by means of
correspondences communication with heaven is granted to
man. For the angels of heaven do not think from natural
things, as man does; but when man has acquired a knowledge
of correspondences he is able, in respect to the thoughts of his
mind, to be associated with the angels, and thus in respect to
his spiritual or internal man to be conjoined with them. That
there might be such a conjunction of heaven with man the
Word was written wholly by correspondences, each thing and
all things in it being correspondent. 84
If man, therefore, had a
knowledge of correspondences he would understand the
spiritual sense of the Word, and from that it would be given
him to know arcana of which he sees nothing in the sense of
the letter. For there is a literal sense and there is a spiritual
sense in the Word, the literal sense made up of such things as
are in the world, and the spiritual sense of such things as are in
heaven. And such a Word, in which everything down to the
least jot is a correspondence, was given to men because the
84. The Word was written wholly by correspondences (n. 8615).
By means of the Word man has conjunction with heaven (n. 2899,
6943, 9396, 9400, 9401, 10375, 10452).
conjunction of heaven with the world is effected by means of
correspondences.
85
115. I have been taught from heaven that the most ancient
men on our earth, who were celestial men, thought from corre
spondences themselves, the natural things of the world before
their eyes serving them as means of thinking in this way; and
that they could be in fellowship with angels and talk with them
because they so thought, and that thus through them heaven
was conjoined to the world. For this reason that period was
called the Golden Age, of which it is said by ancient writers
that the inhabitants of heaven dwelt with men and associated
with them as friends with friends. But after this there followed
a period when men thought, not from correspondences
themselves, but from a knowledge of correspondences, and
there was then also a conjunction of heaven with man, but less
intimate. This period was called the Silver Age. After this there
followed men who had a knowledge of correspondences but
did not think from that knowledge, because they were in
natural good, and not, like those before them, in spiritual
good. This period was called the Copper Age. After this man
gradually became external, and finally corporeal, and then the
knowledge of correspondences was wholly lost, and with it a
knowledge of heaven and of the many things pertaining to
heaven. It was from correspondence that these ages were
named from gold, silver, and copper,
86
and for the reason that
from correspondence gold signifies celestial good in which were
the most ancient people, silver spiritual good in which were the
ancient people that followed, and copper natural good in
85. Concerning the spiritual sense of the Word see the little work White
Horse referred to in Revelation.
86. Gold from correspondence signifies celestial good (n. 113, 1551,
1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881). Silver signifies spiritual good,
that is, truth from a celestial origin (n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658). Copper
signifies natural good (n. 425, 1551). Iron signifies truth in the outmost of
order (n. 425, 426).
which were the next posterity; while iron, from which the last
age takes its name, signifies hard truth apart from good.
14
The Sun in Heaven
116. In heaven neither the sun of the world, nor anything
from that sun, is seen, because it is wholly natural. For nature
has its beginning from that sun, and whatever is produced by
means of it is called natural. But the spiritual, to which heaven
belongs, is above nature and wholly distinct from what is
natural; and there is no communication between the two
except by correspondences. What the distinction between them
is may be understood from what has been already said about
degrees (n. 38), and what the communication is from what has
been said in the two preceding chapters about correspondences.
117. Although the sun of the world is not seen in heaven,
nor anything from that sun, there is nevertheless a sun there,
and light and heat, and all things that are in the world, with
innumerable others, but not from a like origin; since the things
in heaven are spiritual, and those in the world are natural. The
sun of heaven is the Lord; the light there is the Divine truth
and the heat the Divine good that go forth from the Lord as a
sun. From this origin are all things that spring forth and are
seen in the heavens. This light and heat and things existing
therefrom in heaven will be treated of in the following
chapters; in this chapter we will speak only of the sun there. In
heaven the Lord is seen as a sun, for the reason that he is
Divine love, from which all spiritual things, and by means of
the sun of the world all natural things, have their existence.
That love is what shines as a sun.
118. That the Lord is actually seen in heaven as a sun I have
not only been told by angels, but it has occasionally been
granted me to see it; and therefore what I have heard and seen
respecting the Lord as a sun I shall be glad to tell in a few
words. The Lord is seen as a sun, not in heaven, but high above
the heavens; and not directly overhead or in the zenith, but
before the faces of the angels at a middle height. He is seen at a
considerable distance, in two places, one before the right eye
and the other before the left eye. Before the right eye he is seen
exactly like a seyes, from good of
love through the right eye, and from good of faith through the
left eye;
89
since with angels and also with men all things at the
right correspond to good from which truth is derived, and all
at the left to truth that is from good. 90
Good of faith is in its
essence truth from good.
119. This is why in the Wordwledges of good and
truth.
91
These are said to be darkened, to lose their light, and
to fall from heaven, when they are no more. That the Lord is
seen as a sun in heaven is evident also from his appearance
when transfigured before Peter, James, and John:
That his face did shine as the sun (Matt. 17:2).
These disciples thus saw the Lord when they were withdrawn
from the body, and were in the light of heaven. It was because
of this correspondence that the ancient people, with whom was
a representative church, turned the face to the sun in the east
when they were in Divine worship; and for the same reason
they gave to their temples an eastern aspect.
120. How great the Divine love is and what it is can be seen
by comparison with the sun of the world, that it is most
ardent, if you will believe it, much more ardent than that sun.
For this reason the Lord as a sun does not flow without
mediums into the heavens, but the ardor of his love is gradually
91. “Stars” and “constellations” in the Word signify knowledges of good
and truth (n. 2495, 2849, 4697).
tempered on the way. These temperings appear as radiant belts
about the sun; furthermore, the angels are veiled with a thin
adapting cloud to prevent their being harmed by the influx.
92
For this reason the heavens are more or less near in accordance
with reception. As the higher heavens are in good of love they
are nearest to the Lord as the sun; and as the lower heavens are
in good of faith they are farther away from him. But those that
are in no good, like those in hell, are farthest away, at different
distances in accordance with their opposition to good. 93
121. When, however, the Lord appears in heaven, which
often occurs, he does not appear encompassed with a sun, but
in the form of an angel, yet distinguished from angels by the
Divine shining through from his face, since he is not there in
person, for in person the Lord is constantly encompassed by
the sun, but he is present by look. For it is a common
occurrence in heaven for persons to appear to be present in a
place where their look is fixed or is terminated, even when this
place is far away from where they really are. This presence is
92. What the Lord’s Divine love is, and how great it is, is illustrated by
comparison with the fire of this world’s sun (n. 6834, 6849, 8644).
The Lord’s Divine love is love toward the whole human race to save it
(n. 1820, 1865, 2253, 6872).
The love that first goes forth from the fire of the Lord’s love does not
enter heaven, but is seen as radiant belts about the sun (n. 7270).
The angels are veiled with a corresponding thin cloud, to prevent their
being harmed by the inflow of burning love (n. 6849).
93. The Lord’s presence with the angels is in proportion to their
reception of good of love and faith from Him (n. 904, 4198, 4320, 6280,
6832, 7042, 8819, 9680, 9682, 9683, 10106, 10811).
The Lord appears to each one in accordance with what he is (n. 1861,
3235, 4198, 4206).
The hells are at a distance from the heavens because they cannot bear
the presence of Divine love from the Lord (n. 4299, 7519, 7738, 7989,
8137, 8265, 9327).
For this reason the hells are very far away from the heavens, and this is
the “great gulf” (n. 9346, 10187).
called the presence of internal sight, which will be treated of
further on. I have also seen the Lord out of the sun in an
angelic form, at a height a little below the sun; also nearby in a
like form, with shining face, and once in the midst of angels as
a flamelike radiance.
122. To the angels the sun of the world appears like a dense
darkness opposite to the sun of heaven, and the moon like a
darkness opposite to the moon of heaven, and this constantly;
and for the reason that the world’s fieriness corresponds to the
love of self, and the light from it corresponds to what is false
from that love; and the love of self is the direct opposite of the
Divine love; and what is false from that love is the direct
opposite of the Divine truth; and the opposite of the Divine
love and the Divine truth is to the angels thick darkness.
Therefore, in the Word, to worship the sun and moon of this
world and bow down to them, signifies to love self and the
falsities that spring from the love of self, and it is said that such
would be cut off (Deut. 4:19; 16:3–5; Jer. 8:1, 2; Ezek. 8:15,
16, 18; Rev. 16:8; Matt. 13:6). 94
123. As it is from the Divine love that is in and from him
that the Lord appears in heaven like a sun, so all in the heavens
are turned constantly to him—those in the celestial kingdom
to him as a sun and those in the spiritual kingdom to him as a
moon. But those that are in hell turn themselves to an opposite
darkness and dense darkness, that is, they turn backwards,
away from the Lord; and for the reason that all in the hells are
in love of self and the world, thus antagonistic to the Lord.
94. The sun of the world is not seen by the angels, but in its place
something dark behind, opposite to the sun of heaven or the Lord (n. 7078,
9755).
In the opposite sense the “sun” signifies the love of self (n. 2441); and in
this sense “to worship the sun” signifies to worship what the face; and in
the spiritual world quarters are not fixed, as in the natural
world, but are determined by the face. In respect to his spirit
man turns himself in like manner as a spirit does, backwards
from the Lord if he is in love of self and the world, and toward
the Lord if he is in love to the Lord and the neighbor. But of
this man is ignorant, because he is in the natural world where
quarters are determined by the rising and setting of the sun.
But as this cannot be easily comprehended by men it will be
elucidated hereafter when quarters, space, and time in heaven
are treated of.
124. Because the Lord is the sun of heaven and everything
that is from him looks to him, he is also the common center,
the source of all direction and determination. 95
So, too, all
things beneath are in his presence and under his auspices, both
in the heavens and on the earths.
125. From all this what has been said and shown in previous
chapters about the Lord may now be seen in clearer light,
namely: That he is the God of heaven (n. 2–6). That it is his
Divine that makes heaven (n. 7–12). That the Lord’s Divine in
heaven is love to him and charity toward the neighbor (n.
13–19). That there is a correspondence of all things of the
world with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord (n.
95. The Lord is the common center to which all things of heaven turn
(n. 3633, 3641).
87–115). Also that the sun and moon of the world are
correspondences (n. 105).
15
Light and Heat in Heaven
126. That there is light in the heavens those who think from
nature alone cannot comprehend; and yet such is the light in
the heavens that it exceeds by many degrees the noonday light
of the world. That light I have often seen, even during the
evening and night. At first I wondered when I heard the angels
say that the light of this world is little more than a shadow in
comparison with the light of heaven; but having seen it I can
testify that it is so. The brightness and splendor of the light of
heaven are such as cannot be described. All things that I have
seen in the heavens have been seen in that light, thus more
clearly and distinctly than things in this world.
127. The light of heaven is not a natural light, like the light
of the world, but a spiritual light, because it is from the Lord as
a sun, and that sun is the Divine love (as has been shown in the
foregoing chapter). That which goes forth from the Lord as a
sun is called in the heavens Divine truth, but in its essence it is
Divine good united to Divine truth. From this the angels have
light and heat, light from Divine truth, and heat from Divine
good. As the light of heaven, and the heat also, are from such a
source, it is evident that they are spiritual and not natural.
96
96. All light in the heavens is from the Lord as a sun (n. 1053, 1521,
3195, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809).
The Divine truth that goes forth from the Lord appears in heaven as
light, and furnishes all the light of heaven (n. 3195, 3222, 3223, 5400, 8644,
9399, 9548, 9684).
128. The Divine truth is light to the angels because the
angels are spiritual and not natural. Spiritual beings see from
their sun, and natural beings from theirs. It is from Divine
truth that angels have understanding, and their understanding
is their inner sight, which flows into and produces their outer
sight; therefore in heaven whatever is seen from the Lord as the
sun is seen in light. 97
This being the source of light in heaven
the light is varied there in accordance with the reception of
Divine truth from the Lord; or what is the same, in accordance
with the intelligence and wisdom in which the angels are, thus
differently in the celestial kingdom and in the spiritual
kingdom, and differently in each society. In the celestial
kingdom the light appears flaming because the angels there
receive light from the Lord as a sun; but in the spiritual
kingdom the light is shining white, because the angels there
receive light from the Lord as a moon (see above, n. 118). So,
too, the light differs in different societies, and again in each
society, those that are at the center being in greater light and
those in the circumference in less light (see n. 43). In a word,
the angels have light in the same degree in which they are
recipients of Divine truth, that is, are in intelligence and
wisdom from the Lord; 98
and this is why the angels of heaven
are called angels of light.
129. As the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth, and the
Divine truth there is light, so in the Word he is called Light,
likewise all truth is from him, as in the following passages:
97. The light of heaven illumines both the sight and the understanding
of angels and spirits (n. 2776, 3138).
98. The light in heaven is in harmony with the intelligence and wisdom
of the angels (n. 1524, 1529, 1530, 3339).
Differences of light in the heavens are as many as there are angelic
societies; and as there are in the heavens endless varieties of good and truth,
so are there are of wisdom and intelligence (n. 684, 690, 3241, 3744, 3745,
4414, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836).
so united that they are not two, but one. Nevertheless, with
angels they are separate, for there are angels that receive more
of Divine good than of Divine truth, and there are those that
receive more of Divine truth than of Divine good. Those who
receive more of Divine good are in the Lord’s celestial
kingdom, and those who receive more of Divine truth are in
his spiritual kingdom. Those that receive both in a like degree
are the most perfect angels.
134. The heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is
everywhere different. It is different in the celestial kingdom
from what it is in the spiritual kingdom, and it is different in
each society therein. It differs both in degree and in quality. It
is more intense and more pure in the Lord’s celestial kingdom,
because the angels there receive more of Divine good; and it is
less intense and pure in his spiritual kingdom, because the
angels there receive more of Divine truth. Also in each society
the heat differs in accordance with reception. There is heat in
the hells, but it is unclean heat.
104
The heat in heaven is what is
meant by holy and heavenly fire, and the heat of hell by
profane and infernal fire. Both mean love—heavenly fire
meaning love to the Lord and love to the neighbor and every
affection of those loves, and infernal fire meaning love of self
and love of the world and every lust of thoburning,
boiling, being on fire, both in regard to the affections of the
love of good and the lusts of the love of evil.
135. Love going forth from the Lord as a sun is felt in heaven
as heat, because the interiors of the angels are in a state of love
from the Divine good that is from the Lord; and in
consequence their exteriors which grow warm therefrom are in
a state of heat. For this reason heat and love so correspond to
each other in heaven that everyone there is in heat such as his
love is, according to what has been said just above. This
world’s heat does not enter heaven at all, because it is too gross,
and is natural, and not spiritual; but with men it is otherwise,
because they are in both the spiritual world and the natural
world. As to their spirits they grow warm in exact accordance
with their loves; but as to the body they grow warm both from
the heat of their spirit and from the heat of the world. The
former flows into the latter, because they correspond. The
nature of the correspondence of the two kinds of heat can be
seen from animal life, in that the love of animals—the chief of
which is the love of propagating offspring of their kind—bursts
forth and becomes active in accordance with the presence and
influence of heat from the sun of the world, which is the heat
of the spring and the summer seasons. Those who believe that
the world’s heat flows in and excites these loves are greatly
mistaken, for there can be no influx from the natural into the
spiritual, but only from the spiritual into the natural. This
influx is of Divine order, but the other would be contrary to
Divine order. 105
105. There is spiritual influx, but not physical, that is, there is influx
from the spiritual world into the natural, but not from the natural world into
the spiritual (n. 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322, 9109, 9110,
9111).
the heat and light of
heaven correspond. By the world’s heat when conjoined with
light, as in spring and summer, all things on the earth are
quickened and grow, but by light separate from heat nothing is
quickened or grows, but everything lies torpid and dies. They
are not conjoined in winter, when heat is absent though light
remains. From this correspondence heaven is called paradise,
since truth is there joined with good, or faith with love, as light
is with heat in springtime on the earth. All this makes more
clear the truth set forth in its own chapter (n. 13–19), that the
Divine of the Lord in Heaven is love to him and charity
toward the neighbor.
137. It is said in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and God was the Word. All things were made through him, and
106. Truths apart from good are not in themselves truths because they
have no life; for truths have all their life from good (n. 9603). Thus truths
apart from good are like a body without a soul (n. 3180, 9154). Truths apart
from good are not accepted by the Lord (n. 4368).
What truth apart from good, that is, what faith apart from love is, and
what truth from good or faith from love is (n. 1949–1951, 1964, 5830,
5951). It amounts to the same thing whether you say truth or faith, or
whether you say good or love, since truth is of faith and good is of love (n.
2839, 4352, 4353, 4997, 7178, 7623, 7624, 10367).
HEAVEN AND HELL 108
without him was not anything made that hath been made. In Him
was life, and the life was the light of men. He was in the world,
and the world was made through him. And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory (John 1:1–14).
Evidently the Lord is here meant by “the Word,” for it is said
that “the Word became flesh.” But what is specifically meant
by “the Word” is not known and shall therefore be explained.
Here “the Word” means the Divine truth which is in the Lord
and from the Lord;
107
and this is why it is also called “the
Light,” which is the Divine truth, as has been already shown in
this chapter. That it was by means of Divine truth that all
things were created and made shall now be explained.
[2] In heaven Divine truth has all power, and apart from it
there is no power whatever.
108
From the Divine truth angels are
called powers, and are powers to the extent that they are
recipients or receptacles of it. By means of it they prevail over
the hells and over all that oppose them. A thousand enemies
there cannot stand against a single ray of the light of heaven,
which is Divine truth. As angels are angels by their reception of
Divine truth it follows that the entire heaven is from no other
source, since heaven consists of angels.
107. In the Sacred Scripture “word” signifies variofrom good and truth
that man moves his whole body, and a thousand things therein
rush with one accord to do their will and pleasure. This makes
clear that the whole body is formed for subservience to good
and truth, consequently is formed by good and truth.
[4] By the power of heat and light from tok of Genesis,
light is first spoken of, and then the things that are from light
(Gen. 1:3, 4). For this reason also all things in the universe,
both in heaven and in the world, have relation to good and
truth and to their conjunction, in order to be anything.
139.111HEAVEN AND HELL 112
the Lord as to its common center; to that center do all the
angels turn themselves. Also on the earth, as is well known,
there is a directing of all things toward a common center; but
there is this difference between this directing in the world and
that in heaven, that in heaven the front parts are turned to the
common center, but in the world the lower parts of the body.
In the world this directing is called centripetal force, also
gravitation. The interiors of angels are actually turned
forwards; and since interiors manifest themselves in the face it
is the face that determines the quarters.
113
143. It is still more difficult to comprehend in the world that
in every turning of their face and body the angels have the east
before the face, since man according as he turns, has every
quarter before his face. This shall also bbefore their faces it has
been granted me to know and also to perceive from much
experience; for whenever I have been in company with angels I
have noticed the Lord’s presence before my face, not actually
seen, and yet perceptible in a light; and an because each
society represents heaven, and is a heaven in a smaller form (see
above, n. 51–58). The same arrangement prevails in their
assemblies. They are brought into this order by virtue of the
form of heaven, from which everyone knows his own place.
The Lord also provides that there be in each society those of
every kind, for the reason that in form heaven is everywhere
like itself; and yet the arrangement of the whole heaven differs
from the arrangement of a society as what is general from its
parts, since the societies toward the east surpass those toward
the west, and those toward the south surpass those toward the
north.lace of thatom and intelligence
therefrom, states are predicated of these and are called states of
love and faith, and states of wisdom and intelligence. How
with angels these states are changed shall now be told.
155. Angels are not constantly in the same state in respect to
love, and in consequence in the same state in respect to
wisdom; for all their wisdom is from their love and in
accordance with their love. Sometimes they are in a state of
intense love, sometimes in a state of love not so intense. The
state decreases by degrees from its greatest degree to its least.
When in their greatest degree of love they are in the light and
warmth of their life, or in a clear and delightful state; but in
their least degree they are in shade and cold, or in an obscure
and undelightful state. From this last state they return again to
the first, and so on, these alternations following one after
another with variety. There is a sequence of these states like the
varied states of light and shade, or of heat and cold, or like
morning, noon, evening, and night, day after day in the world,
with unceasing variety throughout the year. There is also a
correspondence, morning corres moon a darkness
over against the moon of heaven. For this reason the quarters
with those in the hells are opposite to the quarters of heaven.
The east to them is where that dense darkness and darkness
are, the west is where the sun of heave intelligence and
perception of truth, but no affection for good; but as soon as
they turn back to their own quarters they have no intelligence
or perception of truth; and then they declare that the truths
they heard and perceived are falsities and not truths, and they
wish falsities to be truths. In respect to this turning I have been
told that with the evil the intellectual part of the mind can be
so turned, but not the voluntary part; and that this is provided
by the Lord to the end that everyone may have the ability to
see and acknowledge truths, but that no one can receive truths
unless he is in good, since it is good, and never evil, that
receives them; also that man has a like ability to the end that he
may be made better by means of truths. Nevertheless, he is
made better only so far as he is in good; consequently a man
can in like manner be turned to the Lord; but if his life is evil
he immediately turns himself bacaven is, the south is to their
right, and the north to their left, and this also in every turning
of their bodies. Nor can they face otherwise, because the whole
bent and consequent determination of their interiors tends and
strives that way. It has been shown above (n. 143) that the bent
and consequent actual determination of the interiors of all in
the other life are in harmony with their love. The love of those
in the hells is the love of self and the world, and these loves are
what are signified by the world’s sun and the earth’s moon (see
n. 122); and these loves are opposite to love to the Lord and
love toward the neighbor;
119
and this is the cause of their
turning themselves backwa
150. Because of this the quarters in the heavens signify such
things as pertain to those that dwell in them—the east
signifying love and its good clearly perceived, the west the same
obscurely perceived, the south wisdom and intelligence in clear
light, and the north the same in obscure light. And because of
this signification of the quarters in heaven they have a like
signification in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word,
117
since the internal or spiritual sense of the Word is in entire
accord with what is in heaven.
151. The reverse is true of those in the hells. Those who are
there do not look to the Lord as a sun nor as a gels have often
testified that this is so. As the Lord is constantly before the
faces of the angels, so it is said in the world of those who
believe in the Lord and love him that they have God before
their eyes and their face, and that they look to God, and see
God. These expressions have their origio are in the good of
love dwell toward the east and west, those who are in clear
perception of it toward the east, and those who are in obscure
perception of it toward the west. Those who are in wisdom
from the good of love dwell toward the south and
north—those who are in the clear light of wisdom toward the
south, and those who are in obscure light of it toward the
north. The angels of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom and those of
his celestial kingdom dwell in a like order, but differently as
their good of love and light of truth from good differ; for in
the celestial kingdom the love is love to the Lord, and the light
of truth therefrom is wisdom; while in the spiritual kingdom
there is love toward the neighbor, which is called charity, and
the light of truth therefrom is intellign in the spiritual world,
from which are many things in human speeche heavens that
give form to his spiritual kingdom, for the reason that he is
seen by the angels in his celestial kingdom as a sun, but by the
angels in his spiritual kingdom as a moon; and where the Lord
is seen is the east. The distance there between the position of
the sun and that of the moon is thirty degrees, and there is a
like difference in the position of the quarters. That heaven is
divided into two kingdoms, called the celestial kingdom and
the spiritual kingdom, may be seen in its own chapter (n.
20–28); and that the Lord is seen in the celestial kingdom as a
sun, and in the spiritual kingdom as a moon (n. 118). But it
does not follow that the quarters of heaven become confused
on this account, for neither can the spiritual angels ascend
among the celestial angels, nor the celestial d, although their
source is unknown to men.
144. This turning to the Lord is among the wonderful things
in heaven. There may be many together in one place, some
turning the face and body one way and some another, and yet
all see the Lord before them, and everyone has the south at his
right, the north at his left, and the west behind him. Another
wonderful thing is that, although the angels look only to the
east they have also a look toward the other three quarters; but
the look to these is from their interior sight, which pertains to
their thought. And it is yet another wonderful thing that in
heaven no one is ever permitted toe explained. Although
angels, like men, turn and direct their faces and bodies in every
direction, they nevertheless have the east always before their
eyes. But the turnings of angels are unlike the turnings of men,
because they are from a different origin. They appear alike, but
they are not. The origin of these turnings is their ruling love,
and from this all directions with angels and spirits are
determined, for, as just said, their interiors are actually turned
toward their common center, which in heaven is the Lord as a
sun; consequently their ruling love is always before their face,
because their love is always before their interiors, and the face
has existence from the interiors, for it is their outward form;
and in the heavens this love is the Lord
It must be understood that the Divine good and the
Divine truth that are from the Lord as a sun in the heavens are
not in the Lord, but are from the Lord. In the Lord there is
only Divine love, which is the being [esse] from which the
Divine good and the Divine truth spring. Outgo [existere] from
being [esse] is meant by going forth [procedere]. This, too, can
be made clear by comparison with the world’s sun. The heat
and light that are in the world are not in the sun, but are from
the sun. In the sun there is fire only, and it is from this that
heat and light spring and go forth.
140. Since the Lord as a sun is Divine love, and Divine love
is Divine good itself, the Divine that goes forth from the Lord,
which is his Divine in heaven, is called, for the sake of
distinction, Divine truth, although it is in fact Divine good
united to Divine truth. This Divine truth he sun in the world, in
that all things that grow in the world, as trees, cereals, flowers,
grasses, fruits, and seeds, come into existence wholly by means
of the heat and light of the sun; which shows what power of
producing there is in them. What, then, must be the power in
Divine light, which is Divine truth, and in Divine heat, which
is Divine good? Because heaven has its existence from these, so
does the world have its existence therefrom, since the world has
its existence by means of heaven, as has been already shown.
From all this the meaning of these words can be seen that “all
things were made through the Word, and without the Word
was not anything made that has been made”; also that “the
109. The understanding is a recipient of truth, and the will a recipient
of good (n. 3623, 6125, 7503, 9300, 9930).
Therefore all things in the understandus things, namely,
speech, thought of the mind, anything that really exists, also something, and
in the highest sense Divine truth, and the Lord (n. 9987). “Word” signifies
Divine truth (n. 2803, 2894, 4692, 5075, 5272, 9383, 9987). “Word”
signifies the Lord (n. 2533, 2859).
108. Divine truth going forth from the Lord has all power (n. 6948,
8200).
Truth from good has all power in heaven (n. 3091, 3563, 6344, 6423,
8304, 9643, 10019, 10182).
Angels are called powers, and are powers by the reception of Divine
truth from the Lord (n. 9639).
Angels are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord and therefore in the
Word are sometimes called gods (n. 4295, 4402, 7873, 8192, 8301).
se loves. That love isheaven correspond. By the world’s heat when conjoined with
light, as in spring and summer, all things on the earth are
quickened and grow, but by light separate from heat nothing is
quickened or grows, but everything lies torpid and dies. They
are not conjoined in winter, when heat is absent though light
remains. From this correspondence heaven is called paradise,
since truth is there joined with good, or faith with love, as light
is with heat in springtime on the earth. All this makes more
clear the truth set forth in its own chapter (n. 13–19), that the
Divine of the Lord in Heaven is love to him and charity
toward the neighbor.
137. It is said in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and God was the Word. All things were made through him, and
106. Truths apart from good are not in themselves truths because they
have no life; for truths have all their life from good (n. 9603). Thus truths
apart from good are like a body without a soul (n. 3180, 9154). Truths apart
from good are not accepted by the Lord (n. 4368).
What truth apart from good, that is, what faith apart from love is, and
what truth from good or faith from love is (n. 1949–1951, 1964, 5830,
5951). It amounts to the same thing whether you say truth or faith, or
whether you say good or love, since truth is of faith and good is of love (n.
2839, 4352, 4353, 4997, 7178, 7623, 7624, 10367).
without him was not anything made that hath been made. In Him
was life, and the life was the light of men. He was in the world,
and the world was made through him. And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory (John 1:1–14).
Evidently the Lord is here meant by “the Word,” for it is said
that “the Word became flesh.” But what is specifically meant
by “the Word” is not known and shall therefore be explained.
Here “the Word” means the Divine truth which is in the Lord
and from the Lord;
107
and this is why it is also called “the
Light,” which is the Divine truth, as has been already shown in
this chapter. That it was by means of Divine truth that all
things were created and made shall now be explained.
[2] In heaven Divine truth has all power, and apart from it
there is no power whatever.
108
From the Divine truth angels are
called powers, and are powers to the extent that they are
recipients or receptacles of it. By means of it they prevail over
the hells and over all that oppose them. A thousand enemies
there cannot stand against a single ray of the light of heaven,
which is Divine truth. As angels are angels by their reception of
Divine truth it follows that the entire heaven is from no other
source, since heaven consists of angels.
107. In the Sacred Scripture “word” signifies variofrom good and truth
that man moves his whole body, and a thousand things therein
rush with one accord to do their will and pleasure. This makes
clear that the whole body is formed for subservience to good
and truth, consequently is formed by good and truth.
[4] By the power of heat and light from tok of Genesis,
light is first spoken of, and then the things that are from light
(Gen. 1:3, 4). For this reason also all things in the universe,
both in heaven and in the world, have relation to good and
truth and to their conjunction, in order to be anything.
139.111HEAVEN AND HELL 112
the Lord as to its common center; to that center do all the
angels turn themselves. Also on the earth, as is well known,
there is a directing of all things toward a common center; but
there is this difference between this directing in the world and
that in heaven, that in heaven the front parts are turned to the
common center, but in the world the lower parts of the body.
In the world this directing is called centripetal force, also
gravitation. The interiors of angels are actually turned
forwards; and since interiors manifest themselves in the face it
is the face that determines the quarters.
113
143. It is still more difficult to comprehend in the world that
in every turning of their face and body the angels have the east
before the face, since man according as he turns, has every
quarter before his face. This shall also bbefore their faces it has
been granted me to know and also to perceive from much
experience; for whenever I have been in company with angels I
have noticed the Lord’s presence before my face, not actually
seen, and yet perceptible in a light; and an because each
society represents heaven, and is a heaven in a smaller form (see
above, n. 51–58). The same arrangement prevails in their
assemblies. They are brought into this order by virtue of the
form of heaven, from which everyone knows his own place.
The Lord also provides that there be in each society those of
every kind, for the reason that in form heaven is everywhere
like itself; and yet the arrangement of the whole heaven differs
from the arrangement of a society as what is general from its
parts, since the societies toward the east surpass those toward
the west, and those toward the south surpass those toward the
north.lace of thatom and intelligence
therefrom, states are predicated of these and are called states of
love and faith, and states of wisdom and intelligence. How
with angels these states are changed shall now be told.
155. Angels are not constantly in the same state in respect to
love, and in consequence in the same state in respect to
wisdom; for all their wisdom is from their love and in
accordance with their love. Sometimes they are in a state of
intense love, sometimes in a state of love not so intense. The
state decreases by degrees from its greatest degree to its least.
When in their greatest degree of love they are in the light and
warmth of their life, or in a clear and delightful state; but in
their least degree they are in shade and cold, or in an obscure
and undelightful state. From this last state they return again to
the first, and so on, these alternations following one after
another with variety. There is a sequence of these states like the
varied states of light and shade, or of heat and cold, or like
morning, noon, evening, and night, day after day in the world,
with unceasing variety throughout the year. There is also a
correspondence, morning corres moon a darkness
over against the moon of heaven. For this reason the quarters
with those in the hells are opposite to the quarters of heaven.
The east to them is where that dense darkness and darkness
are, the west is where the sun of heave intelligence and
perception of truth, but no affection for good; but as soon as
they turn back to their own quarters they have no intelligence
or perception of truth; and then they declare that the truths
they heard and perceived are falsities and not truths, and they
wish falsities to be truths. In respect to this turning I have been
told that with the evil the intellectual part of the mind can be
so turned, but not the voluntary part; and that this is provided
by the Lord to the end that everyone may have the ability to
see and acknowledge truths, but that no one can receive truths
unless he is in good, since it is good, and never evil, that
receives them; also that man has a like ability to the end that he
may be made better by means of truths. Nevertheless, he is
made better only so far as he is in good; consequently a man
can in like manner be turned to the Lord; but if his life is evil
he immediately turns himself bacaven is, the south is to their
right, and the north to their left, and this also in every turning
of their bodies. Nor can they face otherwise, because the whole
bent and consequent determination of their interiors tends and
strives that way. It has been shown above (n. 143) that the bent
and consequent actual determination of the interiors of all in
the other life are in harmony with their love. The love of those
in the hells is the love of self and the world, and these loves are
what are signified by the world’s sun and the earth’s moon (see
n. 122); and these loves are opposite to love to the Lord and
love toward the neighbor;
119
and this is the cause of their
turning themselves backwa
150. Because of this the quarters in the heavens signify such
things as pertain to those that dwell in them—the east
signifying love and its good clearly perceived, the west the same
obscurely perceived, the south wisdom and intelligence in clear
light, and the north the same in obscure light. And because of
this signification of the quarters in heaven they have a like
signification in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word,
117
since the internal or spiritual sense of the Word is in entire
accord with what is in heaven.
151. The reverse is true of those in the hells. Those who are
there do not look to the Lord as a sun nor as a gels have often
testified that this is so. As the Lord is constantly before the
faces of the angels, so it is said in the world of those who
believe in the Lord and love him that they have God before
their eyes and their face, and that they look to God, and see
God. These expressions have their origio are in the good of
love dwell toward the east and west, those who are in clear
perception of it toward the east, and those who are in obscure
perception of it toward the west. Those who are in wisdom
from the good of love dwell toward the south and
north—those who are in the clear light of wisdom toward the
south, and those who are in obscure light of it toward the
north. The angels of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom and those of
his celestial kingdom dwell in a like order, but differently as
their good of love and light of truth from good differ; for in
the celestial kingdom the love is love to the Lord, and the light
of truth therefrom is wisdom; while in the spiritual kingdom
there is love toward the neighbor, which is called charity, and
the light of truth therefrom is intellign in the spiritual world,
from which are many things in human speeche heavens that
give form to his spiritual kingdom, for the reason that he is
seen by the angels in his celestial kingdom as a sun, but by the
angels in his spiritual kingdom as a moon; and where the Lord
is seen is the east. The distance there between the position of
the sun and that of the moon is thirty degrees, and there is a
like difference in the position of the quarters. That heaven is
divided into two kingdoms, called the celestial kingdom and
the spiritual kingdom, may be seen in its own chapter (n.
20–28); and that the Lord is seen in the celestial kingdom as a
sun, and in the spiritual kingdom as a moon (n. 118). But it
does not follow that the quarters of heaven become confused
on this account, for neither can the spiritual angels ascend
among the celestial angels, nor the celestial d, although their
source is unknown to men.
144. This turning to the Lord is among the wonderful things
in heaven. There may be many together in one place, some
turning the face and body one way and some another, and yet
all see the Lord before them, and everyone has the south at his
right, the north at his left, and the west behind him. Another
wonderful thing is that, although the angels look only to the
east they have also a look toward the other three quarters; but
the look to these is from their interior sight, which pertains to
their thought. And it is yet another wonderful thing that in
heaven no one is ever permitted toe explained. Although
angels, like men, turn and direct their faces and bodies in every
direction, they nevertheless have the east always before their
eyes. But the turnings of angels are unlike the turnings of men,
because they are from a different origin. They appear alike, but
they are not. The origin of these turnings is their ruling love,
and from this all directions with angels and spirits are
determined, for, as just said, their interiors are actually turned
toward their common center, which in heaven is the Lord as a
sun; consequently their ruling love is always before their face,
because their love is always before their interiors, and the face
has existence from the interiors, for it is their outward form;
and in the heavens this love is the Lord
It must be understood that the Divine good and the
Divine truth that are from the Lord as a sun in the heavens are
not in the Lord, but are from the Lord. In the Lord there is
only Divine love, which is the being [esse] from which the
Divine good and the Divine truth spring. Outgo [existere] from
being [esse] is meant by going forth [procedere]. This, too, can
be made clear by comparison with the world’s sun. The heat
and light that are in the world are not in the sun, but are from
the sun. In the sun there is fire only, and it is from this that
heat and light spring and go forth.
140. Since the Lord as a sun is Divine love, and Divine love
is Divine good itself, the Divine that goes forth from the Lord,
which is his Divine in heaven, is called, for the sake of
distinction, Divine truth, although it is in fact Divine good
united to Divine truth. This Divine truth he sun in the world, in
that all things that grow in the world, as trees, cereals, flowers,
grasses, fruits, and seeds, come into existence wholly by means
of the heat and light of the sun; which shows what power of
producing there is in them. What, then, must be the power in
Divine light, which is Divine truth, and in Divine heat, which
is Divine good? Because heaven has its existence from these, so
does the world have its existence therefrom, since the world has
its existence by means of heaven, as has been already shown.
From all this the meaning of these words can be seen that “all
things were made through the Word, and without the Word
was not anything made that has been made”; also that “the
109. The understanding is a recipient of truth, and the will a recipient
of good (n. 3623, 6125, 7503, 9300, 9930).
Therefore all things in the understandus things, namely,
speech, thought of the mind, anything that really exists, also something, and
in the highest sense Divine truth, and the Lord (n. 9987). “Word” signifies
Divine truth (n. 2803, 2894, 4692, 5075, 5272, 9383, 9987). “Word”
signifies the Lord (n. 2533, 2859).
108. Divine truth going forth from the Lord has all power (n. 6948,
8200).
Truth from good has all power in heaven (n. 3091, 3563, 6344, 6423,
8304, 9643, 10019, 10182).
Angels are called powers, and are powers by the reception of Divine
truth from the Lord (n. 9639).
Angels are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord and therefore in the
Word are sometimes called gods (n. 4295, 4402, 7873, 8192, 8301).
heat from a spiritual source is sho
heavenly love or to the Lord (n. 2441, 10584).
To those in the hells the sun of heaven is thick darkness (n. 2441).
likened to the sun, and in respect to faith to the moon; also
that the “sun” signifies love from the Lord to the Lord, and the
“moon” signifies faith from the Lord in the Lord, as in the
following passages:
The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the
light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isa.
30:26).
And when I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens and
make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and
the moon shall not make her light to shine. All luminaries of light
in the heavens will I make dark over thee, and I will set darkness
upon thy land (Ezek. 32:7, 8).
88. “Fire” in the Word signifies love, both in a un, as it were, with a glow and size like that of
the sun of the world. But before the left eye he is not seen as a
sun, but as a moon, glowing white like the moon of our earth,
and of like size, but more brilliant, and surrounded with many
little moons, as it were, each of them of similar whiteness and
splendor. The Lord is seen so differently in two places because
every person sees the Lord in accordance with the quality of his
reception of the Lord, thus he is seen in one way by those that
receive him with the good of love, and in another by those that
receive him with the good of faith. Those that receive him with
the good of love see him as a sun, fiery and flaming, in
accordance with their reception of him; these are in his celestial
kingdom; while those that receive him with the good of faith
see him as a moon, white and brilliant in accordance with their
reception of him, and these are in his spiritual kingdom. 87
This is so because the good
dfs3434