Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 119
17
Changes of State
of the Angels in Heaven
154. By changes of state of angels their changes in respect to
love and faith, and wisdom and intelligence therefrom, are
meant, thus their changes in respect to states of life. States are
predicated of life and of what belongs to life; and as angelic life
is a life of love and faith, and of wisdom 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 corresponding to the state of their
love in its clearness, noon to the state of their wisdom in its
clearness, evening to the state of their wisdom in its obscurity,