Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 79

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

79. That this is true has been proved to me by much experience, about which something will now be said. All the angels who are in the heavens never perceive the Divine in any other than a human form, and what is wonderful, those in the higher heavens are unable to think of the Divine in any other way. The necessity of their thinking in this way comes from the Divine Itself which inflows, and also from the form of heaven in accordance with which their thoughts extend around. For, every thought that an angel has, is extended into heaven, and he has intelligence and wisdom in accordance with that extension. It is in consequence of this that all in heaven acknowledge the Lord, because there is no Divine Human except in Him. Not only have I been told all this by angels, but when elevated into the inner sphere of heaven, I have been enabled also to perceive it. From this it is evident that the wiser the angels are, the more clearly do they perceive this truth; and it is as a result of this that the Lord appears to them. For the Lord appears in a Divine angelic form which is Human to those who acknowledge and believe in a visible Divine, but not to those who believe in an invisible one. For the former can see their Divine, but the latter cannot see theirs.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church