Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 154
heaven. The same is true everywhere, both in elevated places
and in those not elevated. A society of a higher heaven has no
communication with a society of a lower except by
correspondences (see above, n. 100); and communication by
correspondences is what is called influx.
208. One heaven is joined with another, or a society of one
heaven with the society of another, by the Lord alone, both by
direct and by mediate influx, directly from himself, and
mediately through the higher heavens in order into the
lower. 153
As the conjunction of the heavens by this inflowing is from
the Lord alone there is a most careful precaution against any
angel of a higher heaven looking down into a society of a lower
heaven and talking with anyone there; for the angel is thus
immediately deprived of his intelligence and wisdom. The
reason of this also shall be told. As there are three degrees of
heaven, so each angel has three degrees of life, those in the
inmost heaven having the third or inmost degree open, while
the second and first degrees are closed; those in the middle
heaven having the second degree opened and the first and third
closed; and those in the lowest heaven having the first degree
opened and the second and third closed. Consequently, as soon
as an angel of the third heaven looks down into a society of the
second heaven and talks with anyone there his third degree is at
once closed; and as his wisdom resides in that degree, if that is
closed he is deprived of his wisdom, for he has none in the
second or first degree. This is what is meant by the words of
the Lord in Matthew:
153. There is direct influx from the Lord and mediate influx through
heaven (n. 6063, 6307, 6472, 9682, 9683). There is a direct influx of the
Lord into the minutest parts of all things (n. 6058, 6474–6478, 8717, 8728).
Of the mediate influx of the Lord through the heavens (n. 4067, 6982,
6985, 6996).