Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 158
24
Governments in Heaven
213. As heaven is divided into societies, and the larger
societies consist of some hundreds of thousands of angels (n.
50), and all within a society, although in like good, are not in
like wisdom (n. 43), it must needs follow that governments
exist there, since order must be observed, and all things of
order must be guarded. But the governments in the heavens
differ; they are of one sort in societies that constitute the Lord’s
celestial kingdom, and of another sort in the societies that
constitute his spiritual kingdom; they differ also in accordance
with the functions of the several societies. Nevertheless, no
other government than the government of mutual love is
possible in the heavens, and the government of mutual love is
heavenly government.
214. Government in the Lord’s celestial kingdom is called
righteousness because all in that kingdom are in the good of
love to the Lord from the Lord, and whatever is from that good
is called righteous. Government there belongs to the Lord
alone. He leads them and teaches them in the affairs of life.
The truths that are called truths of judgment are written on
their hearts; everyone knows them, perceives them, and sees
them; 154
and in consequence matters of judgment there never
154. The celestial angels do not think and speak from truths, as the
spiritual angels do, because they have from the Lord a perception of all things
of truth (n. 202, 597, 607, 784, 1121, 1384, 1398, 1442, 1919, 7680, 7877,
8780, 9277, 10336).
In respect to truths the celestial angels say, Yea, yea, or Nay, nay; but
the spiritual angels reason about them whether they are true or not (n. 2715,