110、灵界太阳与天使显现出一定距离，是因为他们照适合其状态的热与光的量而接受神性之爱与神性智慧。事实上，天使因是受造和有限的，故无法在热与光的第一层级，如无法在太阳里面接受主；否则，必彻底灭亡。因此，天使在对应于其爱与智慧的热与光的层级上接受主。以下内容可用来说明：一位处于最低层天堂的天使无法升到第三层天堂的天使那里，他若上去并进入他们的天堂，就会陷入昏厥，他的生命处于垂死挣扎的状态；原因在于，他的爱之热和智慧之光，与他的爱和智慧一样处于较低层级。如果天使真的升到太阳那里，并进入它的火，后果会是什么呢？由于天使对主的接受不同，众天堂也看似彼此分开。称为第三层的最高层天堂，看似在第二层天堂之上，第二层天堂又看似在第一层天堂之上；并不是说天堂是分开的，只是看似分开，因为无论与最低层天堂的天使，还是与第三层天堂的天使，主的同在都是一样的。距离的表象产生的原因不在于主，而在于主体，也就是天使。
110. The reason the spiritual world's sun appears at a distance from angels is that they accept divine love and wisdom at an appropriate level of warmth and light. Since angels are created and finite, they cannot accept the Lord at the prime level of warmth and light, as it is in the sun. That would mean being totally consumed; so they accept the Lord at the level of warmth and light that matches their own love and wisdom.
The following may serve to illustrate. Angels of the lowest heaven cannot rise up to angels of the third heaven. If they were to rise up and enter their heaven, they would collapse in a kind of faint, as though their life were struggling against death. This is because their love and wisdom is at a lower level, and so is the warmth of their love and the light of their wisdom. What would happen, then, if an angel were to rise up toward the sun and enter its fire?
As a result of the differences in angels' acceptance of the Lord, the heavens appear to be marked off from each other. The highest heaven, called the third heaven, seems to be over the second, and the second over the first. It is not that the heavens are distant from each other, but that they seem to be. In fact, the Lord is just as present with people in the most remote heaven as he is with people in the third heaven. What causes the appearance of distance is in the subjects, the angels, and not in the Lord.
110. The sun in the spiritual world appears to be at a distance from the angels for the reason that Divine love and wisdom are received by them in a matching degree of heat and light. For being created and finite, an angel cannot receive the Lord in the first degree of heat and light such as exists in the sun, because he would in that case be entirely consumed by it. Angels therefore receive the Lord in a degree of heat and light corresponding to their love and wisdom.
This can be illustrated by the following circumstance. An angel of the lowest heaven cannot ascend to angels of the third heaven, for if he ascends and enters their heaven, he falls as though into a swoon and his life appears to struggle with death. The reason is that he possesses love and wisdom in a lesser degree, and in that same degree are the warmth of his love and the light of his wisdom.
What then would be the case if an angel were to ascend on toward the sun and enter into its fire?
Because of the differences in angels' reception of the Lord, the heavens also appear to be set apart from each other. The highest heaven, called the third heaven, 1 appears above the second heaven, and the second heaven above the first. Not that the heavens are separated by distance, but they appear to be. For the Lord is just as present in angels who are in the lowest heaven as He is in angels who are in the third. What causes the appearance of distance lies in the recipient vessels, in this case the angels, not in the Lord.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2.
110. The Sun of the spiritual world appears at a distance from the angels because they receive the Divine Love and Wisdom in the degree of heat and light adequate to them. For an angel, because created and finite, cannot receive the Lord in the first degree of heat and light such as is in the Sun, for he would then be entirely annihilated. Therefore the Lord is received by them in the degree of heat and light corresponding to their love and wisdom. The following can serve as illustration. An angel of the lowest heaven cannot ascend to the angels of the third heaven; if he doe so and enters their heaven, he falls as it were into a fainting condition, and his life struggles as it were with death; the reason is that the love and wisdom with him is in a lesser degree, and the heat of his love and the light of his wisdom are in the same degree as his love and wisdom. What, then, would happen if an angel were to ascend even to the sun and come into its fire? Because of the differences of reception of the Lord by the angels, the heavens also appear distinct from one another. The highest heaven, which is called the third, appears above the second, and the second above the first-not that the heavens are separated but they appear to be so. For the Lord is equally present with those who are in the lowest heaven as with those who are in the third heaven. That which causes the appearance of distance is in the subjects, that is, the angels, but not in the Lord.
110. The sun of the spiritual world appears at a distance from the angels, because they receive Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in the measure of heat and light that is adequate to their states. For an angel, because created and finite, cannot receive the Lord in the first degree of heat and light, such as is in the sun; if he did he would be entirely consumed. The Lord, therefore, is received by angels in a degree of heat and light corresponding to their love and wisdom. The following may serve for illustration. An angel of the lowest heaven cannot ascend to the angels of the third heaven; for if he ascends and enters their heaven, he falls into a kind of swoon, and his life as it were, strives with death; the reason is that he has a less degree of love and wisdom, and the heat of his love and the light of his wisdom are in the same degree as his love and wisdom. What, then, would be the result if an angel were even to ascend toward the sun, and come into its fire? On account of the differences of reception of the Lord by the angels, the heavens also appear separate from one another. The highest heaven, which is called the third, appears above the second, and the second above the first; not that the heavens are apart, but they appear to be apart, for the Lord is present equally with those who are in the lowest heaven and with those who are in the third heaven. That which causes the appearance of distance is not in the Lord but in the subjects, that is, the angels.
110. Quod Sol Mundi spiritualis appareat in distantia ab angelis, est quia Divinus Amor et Divina sapientia recipitur in gradu caloris et lucis adaequato ab illis; non enim potest Angelus, quia creatus et finitus est, recipere Dominum in primo gradu caloris et lucis, qualis est in Sole, tunc enim plane consumeretur, quare Dominus recipitur ab illis in gradu caloris et lucis eorum amori et sapientiae correspondente. Hoc illustrari potest per hoc; quod Angelus ultimi Coeli non possit ascendere ad Angelos tertii Coeli, si enim ascendit et intrat coelum illorum, cadit sicut in deliquium, et luctatur vita ejus sicut cum morte; causa est, quia amor et sapientia ei est in minore gradu, et in simili calor amoris et lux sapientiae ejus: quid tunc si Angelus ascenderet usque versus Solem et veniret in ignem ejus. Propter differentias receptionis Domini ab Angelis, etiam Coeli apparent inter se distincti; supremum Coelum, quod vocatur Tertium, apparet supra Secundum, et hoc supra Primum; non quod Coeli distent, sed quod appareant distare; Dominus enim aeque praesens est apud illos qui in Ultimo Coelo sunt, ut est apud illos qui in Tertio; id quod facit apparentiam distantiae est in subjectis, quae sunt Angeli, non in Domino.