Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 202

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202. First something will here be said as to what is meant by being in the form of heaven. Man has been created into the image of heaven and into the image of the world, his internal into the image of heaven and his external into the image of the world (see above n. 57), and whether you say into the image or in accordance with the form, it is the same thing. But because man, by the evils of his will and consequent falsities of thought, has destroyed in himself the image and thus the form of heaven, and in its place has introduced the image and form of hell, therefore, his internal has been closed even from birth. This is why man is born into absolute ignorance, differently from animals of every kind. Indeed, so that man may have the image or form of heaven restored to him, he must be taught the things that pertain to order, for, as has been said above, form is in accordance with order. The Word contains all the laws of Divine order, for these laws are the precepts therein. Therefore, to the extent that man knows these and lives in accordance with them, so far is his internal opened, and there the order or image of heaven is formed anew. This makes clear what is meant by being in the form of heaven, namely, that it is to live in accordance with those things that are in the Word.# # Divine truths are the laws of order (n. 2447, 7995). Man is a man to the extent that he lives in accordance with order, that is, to the extent that he is in good in accordance with Divine truths (n. 4839, 6605, 6626). All things of Divine order are gathered up in man and he is from creation Divine order in form (n. 3628, 4219, 4222, 4223, 4523, 4524, 5114, 6013, 6057, 6605, 6626, 9706, 10156, 10472). Man is not born into good and truth, but into evil and falsity, that is, into the opposite of Divine order, and consequently is in complete ignorance; and for this reason he must needs be born anew that is, be regenerated, which is effected by means of Divine truths from the Lord, that he may be introduced into order (n. 1047, 2307, 2308, 3518, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283, 10284, 10286, 10731). When the Lord forms man anew, that is, regenerates him, He arranges all things in him in accordance with order, which means, into the form of heaven (n. 5700, 6690, 9931, 10303).


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