707. There are three heavens, and those most distinct from each other; the inmost or third, the middle or second, and the ultimate or first. They follow in succession, and subsist together, as the Heaven divided into two Kingdoms. highest of man, which is the head, his middle, 702. Since there are in heaven infinite varieties, which is the body, and the ultimate, which is the and one society is not exactly similar to any other, feet; and as the highest part of a house, its middle, nor indeed one angel to another, therefore heaven and its lowest. In such order also is the Divine is distinguished generally, specifically, and particu- which proceeds and descends from the Lord: larly; generally into two kingdoms, specifically thence, from the necessity of order, heaven is into three heavens, and particularly into innumera-threefold. The interiors of man, which are of his ble societies. H. H. 20.

receive influx from the third or inmost heaven, | honors and gains. The reason why that region of which is the celestial heaven. The spiritual-nat- heaven was then occupied by such, was, because ural angels and the celestial-natural are distinct the good were wanting, and they who were of the from each other, but still they constitute one spiritual church were not as yet prepared, and yet heaven, because they are in one degree. — H. H. it ought every where to be filled by spirits, that 29-31. there might be a continuity from the Lord even to 708. Because there is such a distinction, an angel man, for in case of discontinuity, man would have of one heaven cannot enter to the angels of another perished. There are also at this day some regions heaven; or any one cannot ascend from an inferior of heaven occupied by such, but they who are heaven, nor can any one descend from a superior there are withheld by a strong force from doing heaven. Whoever ascends from an inferior heaven, evil; immediately above the head are they who is seized with anxiety even to pain, nor can he see deceive and seduce by innocence, but above them those who are there, still less speak with them; are the celestial from the most ancient church, who and whoever descends from a superior heaven, is keep them in bonds by such a force, that they candeprived of his wisdom, falters in his voice, and not in any wise occasion evil to any one; behind despairs. There were some from the ultimate the hinder part of the head there is also at this day heaven, who had not yet been instructed that a region, which had been [a region] of heaven, ocheaven consists in the interiors of the angels, cupied by the evil; and likewise in front towards believing that they should come into superior the left. There is also a continual endeavor of the heavenly happiness, should they only come into evil to invade the places where the good are, and the heaven where those angels are. It was also they actually do invade, as soon as they are not permitted that they should enter to them: but filled by the good, which endeavor it has been when they were there, they saw no one, howsoever often given to apperceive. Those regions are oc they searched, although there was a great multi-cupied when the evil are increased in the world, tude; for the interiors of the strangers were not opened to such a degree as the interiors of the angels who were there; hence neither their sight. And a little after they were seized with anguish of heart, insomuch that they scarcely knew whether they were in life or not. Wherefore they hastily betook themselves thence to the heaven whence they were, rejoicing that they were come among their own, and promising that they would no more covet higher things than such as were in agreement with their life. I have also seen some let down from a superior heaven, and deprived of their wisdom, so that they did not know what their own heaven was. The case is otherwise when the Lord elevates any from an inferior heaven into a superior one, that they may see the glory there, which is often done; then they are first prepared, and encompassed by intermediate angels, by whom is communication. From these things it is manifest, that those three heavens are most distinct from each other. -H. H. 35.

709. But, although the heavens are so distinct, that the angels of one heaven cannot associate with the angels of another heaven, still the Lord conjoins all the heavens by immediate and mediate influx; by immediate influx from Himself into all the heavens, and by mediate influx from one heaven into another: and thus He causes the three heavens to be one, and all to be in connection from the first to the last, so that not any thing is given unconnected: what is not connected by intermediates with the first, does not subsist, but is dissipated and becomes nothing. — H. H. 37.

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The Heavens before the Lord's Coming. 710. As to what further concerns this subject, it is to be known, that before the Lord's coming, heaven was not distinguished into three heavens, namely, into the inmost or third, into the middle or second, and into the ultimate or first, as after the Lord's coming, but was one; the spiritual heaven was not as yet: the region where the spiritual heaven was about to be, was occupied by those who were in the false and evil, but who could be kept in some truth and good by external means, especially by ideas of eminence and dignity, in like manner as is the case in the world, where they who are in evil and the false, are still obliged, as it were, to think and speak truths, and, as it were, to will and do goods, by external means, which are

and the good are diminished, for in this case evil spirits accede to man, and good spirits recede from him, and so far as these latter recede, so far the regions proximate to man are occupied by the evil; when this is generally the case, the inhabitants of those regions are changed. This is the case when the church is near its end, for then evil and the false prevail: but about the end of the church they are cast down, and the regions occupied are given to the good, who in the mean time have been prepared for heaven. This is meant by these words in the Apocalypse: "War was made in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, but did not prevail, neither was their place found any more in heaven,” xii. 7, 8. — A. C. 8054.

Expanses of the Heavens.

711. "And no one in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book," Rev. v. 3. "In heaven, in earth, neither under the earth" means in the superior and inferior heavens; in like manner, as in the thirteenth verse, where it is said, "And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying." Since he heard them all speaking, it is evident that it was angels and spirits that spake; for John was in the spirit, as he himself says in the preceding chapter (verse 2)-in which state no other earth appeared to him than the earth of the spiritual world: for there are earths there as well as in the natural world, (as may appear from the description of that world in the work "Concerning Heaven and Hell.") The superior heavens appear there upon mountains and hills, the inferior heavens in the earth beneath, and the ultimate heavens as it were under the earth. For the heavens are expanses, one above another, and each expanse is like the earth, under the feet of those who are there. The uppermost expanse is like the top of a mountain; the next expanse is under it, but extending itself on all sides round about; the lowest expanse is still more extensive; and since this last is under the other, they who are there are "under the earth." The three heavens also appear thus to the angels who are in the superior heavens, because to them there appear two heavens beneath them; in like manner they appeared to John, because he was with them, for he

had ascended to them, as is evident from its being said, "Come up hither and I will show thee the things, which must be hereafter." Those who are ignorant of the spiritual world and of the earths there, can by no means know what is meant by "under the earth," nor by "the lower parts of the earth" in the Word, as in Isaiah, "Sing, O ye heavens; shout ye lower parts of the earth, break forth into singing ye mountains, for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob;" and in other places. Who does not see, that the earths of the spiritual world are here meant? for no man lives "under the earth" in the natural world. — A. R. 260.

Societies of the Heavens.

and sees them, it is as if he had known them from infancy; it is spiritual relationship and friendship, which causes this: yea, more; no one in a society can dwell in any other house but his; every one in a society has his house, which he finds ready for him, as soon as he enters the society; he can be in intercourse with others out of his house, but still not tarry elsewhere than in his: and what is still more, no one can sit in another's apartment, except in his own place; if in another, he becomes as out of his mind and dumb; and what is wonderful, every one, when he enters the apartment, knows his place the like takes place in the temples, and also when they are congregated in assemblies. From these things it is manifest that the spiritual state is altogether different from the natural state, and such that no one can be elsewhere than where his reigning love is; for there is the delight of his life, and every one wishes to be in the delight of his life; and the spirit of man cannot be elsewhere, because that makes his life, yea, his very respiration, as also the pulse of his heart.-D. P. 338.

714. All who form one angelic society are of a like face in generals, but not in particular. Thence also it is, that an angel who excels in wisdom, sees the quality of another instantly from his face: no one there is able to conceal his interiors by his countenance, and to feign, nor in any way to lie and deceive by cunning and hypocrisy. It sometimes happens that hypocrites insinuate themselves into societies, who have learned to conceal their interiors, and to compose their exteriors so as to appear in the form of the good in which those in the society are, and thus to feign themselves angels of light. But these cannot stay there long, for they begin to be inwardly troubled, to be tortured, to grow livid in the face, and as it were to become lifeless; they suffer thus from the contrariety of the life which flows in and operates : wherefore they quickly cast themselves down into the hell where similar ones are; nor do they desire any more to ascend. These are they who are meant by him who was found among the invited guests, not having on a wedding garment, and was cast into outer darkness, Matt. xxii. 11, and follow

712. The angels of each heaven are not in one place together, but distinguished into societies greater and smaller, according to the differences of the good of love and faith in which they are; those who are in similar good form one society. Goods in the heavens are in infinite variety, and every angel is as his own good. The angelic societies in the heavens are also distant from each other, as the goods differ generally and specifically for distances in the spiritual world are from no other origin than from the differences of the state of the interiors, thence in the heavens from the difference of the states of love; those are widely distant who differ much, and those little distant who differ little. Similarity causes them to be together. All in one society are likewise distinct from each other: those who are more perfect, that is, who excel in good, thus in love, wisdom and intelligence, are in the middle; those who excel less are round about, at a distance according to degrees, as the perfection is diminished. The case with this is as with light decreasing from the centre to the circumferences. Those who are in the middle also are in the greatest light; those who are at the circumferences, in less and less. Like ones are as if of themselves carried to like ones; for they are, with their like, as with their own, and as at home; but with others as with strangers, and as abroad. When they are with their like, they are also in their freedom, and thence in every delight of life. Hence it is mani-ing verses.- H. H. 47, 78. fest that good consociates all in the heavens, and 715. It was said above, that in the heavens that they are distinguished according to its quality. there are societies greater and less: the greater But still it is not the angels who thus consociate consists of myriads, the less of some thousthemselves, but the Lord, from whom is good. He ands, and the least of some hundreds of anleads them, conjoins them, distinguishes them, and gels. There are also some who live solitary, as holds them in freedom, as far as they are in good; it were house by house, and family by family; thus every one in the life of his love, of his faith, these, although they live so dispersed, still are arof his intelligence and wisdom, and thence in hap-ranged in like manner as those who are in societies; piness. All who are in similar good also know that is, the wiser of them are in the midst, and the cach other, just as men in the world know their kindred, their relations, and their friends, although they never before saw them: the reason is, because in the other life there are no other kindreds, relationships and friendships, than spiritual ones, thus those which are of love and faith. This it has been sometimes given me to see, when I have been in the spirit, and thus withdrawn from the body, and so in company with angels: then some of them I have seen as if known from infancy, but others as if not known at all. Those who seemed as if known from infancy, were those who were in a similar state with the state of my spirit; but those who were not known were in a dissimilar state.-H. H. 41–46.

713. Every one after death comes into the society of his own, who are those that are in like love, and he knows these as relations and as friends; and what is wonderful, when he meets

more simple in the boundaries. These are more nearly under the divine auspices of the Lord, and are the best of the angels.-H. H. 50.

716. The societies are distinguished from each other according to the differences of their mutual love and faith towards the Lord, which are so innumerable that it is impossible to recount even their most universal genera. Indeed, not the slightest appreciable difference exists which is not arranged in the most orderly manner, so as to conspire unanimously to the general unity, and this general oneness or unity, to the unanimity of the individuals, hence to the happiness of all as promoted by that of each, and to the happiness of each as promoted by that of all. Thus every individual angel, and every particular society, is an image of the universal heaven, and a kind of heaven in miniature. Consociations in the other life are truly wonderful, being comparatively like

Heaven.

717. When the Lord presents Himself in any society, He appears there according to the quality of the good in which the society is, thus not in the same manner in one society as in another; not that the dissimilitude is in the Lord, but in those who see Him from their own good, thus according to that. They are also affected at the sight of Him according to the quality of their love: those who love Him inmostly are inmostly affected: those who love Him less are less affected; the evil who are out of heaven are tortured at his presence. When the Lord appears in any society, He appears there as an angel; but He is distinguished from others by the Divine which shines through.-H. H. 55.

relationships on earth, since they regard each other | between itself and its opposite; so that each ind as parents, children, brethren, kinsfolk, or connec-vidual by himself, and several individuals united, tions according to the degrees of their love. These live in the most perfect equilibrium. No evil can varieties are indefinite, and the communicative per- therefore befall any one, without its being immeceptions so exquisite as to admit of no description. diately counteracted; for when there is a preponThey are altogether irrespective of the parents, derance of evil, then evil, or the evil person, is children, kinsfolk, and relations on earth, and of chastised by the law of equilibrium, as of itself, any particular person, whoever he may be, and but solely for this end, that good may come. In consequently of dignities, riches, and the like; this form, and hence in equilibrium, consists celesbeing regulated solely by the differences of mutual tial order, which is formed, disposed, and preserved love and faith, the faculty of receiving which each by the Lord alone to all eternity. It is further to had obtained from the Lord during his abode in be observed, that no one society ever entirely and the world. It is the Lord's mercy, or in other absolutely resembles another, nor is one individual words, his love towards the universal heaven, and in any society exactly like another; but there is the whole human race, consequently it is the Lord an agreeing and harmonizing variety in all, the alone, who determines all and each into societies. varieties being so ordered by the Lord that they It is this mercy which produces conjugial love, and tend to one end, which is effected by love and faith thereby the love of parents towards their children, towards Him, whence comes union. For the same these two being the fundamental and principal reason the heaven and the heavenly joy of one loves from which are derived all others, with in-person are never entirely and absolutely similar definite variety, according to which they are most to that of another, these being according to the distinctly arranged into societies. Such being the varieties of love and faith. This is a general denature of heaven, it is impossible for an angel or scription of the states of the societies constituting spirit to have any vitality, unless he be in some heaven, grounded on manifold and daily experisociety, and thus in the harmony of united num-ence.-A. C. 684–691. bers the harmonious union of many individuals constituting a society. There is no such thing in The Lord's Appearance in the Societies of existence as life in an individual, unconnected with the life of others; nay, it is impossible for any angel, or spirit, or society, to have life, that is, to be affected with good, or to will, and to be affected with truth, or to think, unless he have conjunction by several of his society with heaven and with the world of spirits. The case is similar with all mankind, since no man whatsoever can possibly live, that is, be affected with good or be capable of willing, and with truth or be capable of thinking, unless he in like manner have conjunction with heaven by means of associated angels, and also with the world of spirits, yea, even with hell, through the medium of attendant spirits. Every one whilst he lives in the body is in some society of spirits and angels, notwithstanding his utter ignorance thereof; and it would be impossible for him to live a single moment, unless he had conjunction with heaven and the world of spirits by means of the society of which he is a member. This may be illustrated by the state of the human body, in which, whatever part has not conjunction with the rest by means of fibres and vessels, and thus by some relation as to function, ceases to be a constituent of our frame, and is straightway dissociated and rejected as a thing destitute of vitality. The societies in which and with which men have been during their life in the body, are shown to them when they come into the other life; and when they thus enter into their own society after the death of the body, they come into the very essence of the life which they had in the body, and from that commence a new life. Hence, according to the quality of the life which they lived in the body, they either descend into hell, or are elevated into heaven. As there is a conjunction of all with each, and of each with all, so also there is a similar conjunction of the most minute particulars of affection and the most minute particulars of thought. Hence there is an equilibrium of all and of each in reference to celestial, spiritual, and natural things, so that no one can think, feel, and act, except by virtue of his consociation with others, and yet every individual imagines that he thinks, feels, and acts most freely from himself. In like manner nothing exists which is not counterbalanced by its opposite, and by intermediates

The Universal Heaven in the Form of a Man.

718. That heaven in the whole complex resembles one man, is an arcanum not yet known in the world; but in the heavens it is very well known. To know that, and the specific and particular things concerning it, is the chief of the intelligence of the angels there: on that also depend many more things, which, without that as their common principle, would not enter distinctly and clearly into the ideas of their mind. Because they know that all the heavens, together with their societies, resemble one man, therefore also they call heaven THE GREATEST AND THE DIVINE MAN; divine from this, that the Divine of the Lord makes heaven.- H. H. 59.

719. The angels indeed do not see heaven in the whole complex in such a form, for the whole heaven does not fall into the view of any angel; but they sometimes see remote societies, which consist of many thousands of angels, as one in such a form; and from a society, as from a part, they conclude as to the whole, which is heaven. For in the most perfect form the wholes are as the parts, and the parts as the wholes; the distinction is only as between similar things greater and less. Hence they say, that the whole heaven is such in the sight of the Lord, because the Divine from the inmost and supreme sees all things.

720. Because heaven is such, therefore also it is ruled by the Lord as one man, and thence as a one;