241. The Word in heaven is written in a spiritual style which is quite different from the natural style. The spiritual style is composed simply of letters, each one of which denotes a particular meaning; and there are dashes, curves and points above, between and within the letters, which heighten the meaning. The letters used by the angels of the spiritual kingdom resemble printed type in our world; the letters used by the angels of the celestial kingdom are in some cases like Arabic letters, in others like ancient Hebrew letters, but with curves above and below, and pointing above, between and inside them. Even a single one of these points conveys a complete meaning.
[2] Since this is the nature of writing among the angels, the names of persons and places are marked in their copies of the Word, so that the wise may understand the spiritual and celestial meaning of each. For instance, Moses stands for the Word of God written through him, what is generally known as the historical Word; Elijah for the prophetic Word; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for the Lord as regards the celestial, spiritual or natural Divines. Aaron stands for priesthood, David for kingship, in both cases that of the Lord. The names of the sons of Jacob, that is, of the twelve tribes of Israel, stand for various meanings connected with heaven and the church; and the meaning of the names of the Lord's twelve disciples is similar. Zion and Jerusalem stand for the church as regards doctrine learned from the Word; the land of Canaan for the church itself; the places and cities in it either side of the Jordan for various meanings associated with the church and its doctrine. It is the same with numbers; these do not even exist in the vocabulary of heaven, but instead there are the subjects to which the numbers correspond. These facts may establish that the Word in heaven is like ours in its literal sense and at the same time corresponds to it, so that they form one.
[3] It is a remarkable fact that the Word in the heavens is so written as to be understood straightforwardly by the simple and in a learned way by the wise. For it contains many curves and marks over the letters which, as said before, heighten the meaning. The simple pay no attention to them and do not recognise them; but the wise notice them and give them meanings dependent upon their degree of wisdom even up to the highest. All the larger communities have a copy of the Word written by angels inspired by the Lord, which is kept stored in their shrine, for fear the Word elsewhere should be changed in even a point. The Word we have in our world resembles that in heaven in as much as the simple understand it straightforwardly and the wise in a learned way; but the way this happens is different.
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