Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 129
and when it seems good to the Lord these are opened, and man
is then withdrawn from the natural light that he is in from the
bodily senses and is raised up into spiritual light, which he is in
from his spirit. In that light the things in heaven have been
seen by me.
172. But although the things seen in heaven are in large part
like those on the earth, in essence they are unlike them; for the
things in heaven come forth from the sun of heaven, and those
on the earth from the sun of the world. The things that come
forth from the sun of heaven are called spiritual; those that
come forth from the sun of the world are called natural.
173. The things that come forth in heaven do not come
forth in the same manner as those on the earth. All things in
heaven come forth from the Lord in correspondence with the
interiors of the angels. For angels have both interiors and
exteriors. All things in their interiors have relation to love and
faith, thus to the will and understanding, since the will and
understanding are their receptacles; while their exteriors
correspond to their interiors. That exterior things correspond
to interior things may be seen above (n. 87–115). This is
illustrated by what has been said above about the heat and light
of heaven—that angels have heat in accordance with the
quality of their love, and light in accordance with the quality of
their wisdom (n. 128–134). The like is true of all other things
that present themselves to the senses of angels.
174. When I have been permitted to be in company with
angels, the things there appeared precisely the same as those in
the world; and so plainly that I would not have known that I
was not in the world and in a king’s palace. I also talked with
the angels as man with man.
175. As all things that correspond to interiors also represent
them they are called “representatives”; and as they differ in
each case in accordance with the state of the interiors they are
called “appearances.” Nevertheless, the things that appear