12.⑸天堂的完美随着它的居民数量增加而增加。这一点从它的形式明显看出来，该形式决定了人们交往的模式和交流的方式。天堂的形式是最完美的形式；就最完美的形式而言，那里的人越多，他们之间就越有朝向一体的同意，他们的结合就越紧密，他们的一致性就越大。同意和由此而来的结合随着人数增长而增长，因为那里的每个个体元素都作为一个媒介被安插在两个或更多元素之间；被如此安插的东西会巩固这种结合。
天堂的形式就像人类心智的形式，其完美随着真理和良善，也就是聪明和智慧的源头增长而增长。拥有天上智慧和聪明的人类心智的形式之所以类似天堂的形式，是因为心智是该形式的最小形像。这就是为何这些人和天使对良善和真理的思维和情感在各个方面与他们周围的天堂社群共享。它们随着智慧的增长，也就是说，随着更多真理被理解并植入理解力，更多对良善的情感被植入意愿而延伸得越来远。换句话说，这取决于植根于他们心智的东西，因为心智由理解力和意愿构成。
人类和天使的心智具有这种性质：它能被丰富到永远，这种丰富会增加它的完美。当一个人被主引领时，这种情形尤其会发生，因为那时，他被引入植入其理解力的纯正真理和植入其意愿的纯正良善。此时主安排这种心智的整个结构，使之类似天堂的形式，直到它成为一个最小形式的天堂。从这种对照明显可知，天使数量的增加会使天堂变得更完美，因为这两种情况是相似的。
每个形式都由各个部分组成。一个形式若不是由各个部分组成的，就不是一个形式，因为它没有任何品质和状态的变化。每个形式的品质都取决于它里面各个元素的排列，它们的相互联系，以及它们同意成为一体的方式；这些因素决定了每个形式被视为一体的程度。一个形式的性质是这样：它里面被排列的元素越多，它就越完美，因为如刚才所述，其中每个元素都巩固、强化、联结，从而完善它。
这些事实从《天堂与地狱》一书，尤其论述以下事实的地方看得更清楚：每个天堂社群都是一个较小形式的天堂，每位天使都是一个最小形式的天堂（51-58节）；还有论述天堂形式的地方，该形式决定了人们在那里如何联系和交流（200-212节）；以及论述天堂天使智慧的地方（265-275节）。
12. 5. Heaven's perfection increases as the number of its inhabitants increases. This follows from its form, which determines the patterns in which people associate and the ways communication flows there.
Heaven's form is the most perfect form of all; and in the case of the most perfect form, the more people there are, the more there is a shared motion toward oneness among them; and they are therefore joined together more closely and harmoniously. The harmony and consequent joining together increase as the numbers increase because each new constituent there is placed between two or more others in order to connect them together, and therefore the new element provides strength and connection.
[2] Heaven's form is like the form of the human mind, whose perfection grows as the mind gains more goodness and truth, leading to greater intelligence and wisdom. The reason the form of a human mind devoted to heavenly wisdom and intelligence is like the form of heaven is that a mind like this is in fact a miniature image of heaven's form. That is why, both for people like this and for angels, there is such complete communication of their thoughts and feelings regarding what is good and true with the communities of heaven that surround them. That communication extends farther into heaven the more their wisdom grows-that is, the more varied are the kinds of knowledge of truth that have taken root in their understanding and the greater is the abundance of desires to do good that have taken root in their will. In other words, it depends on what has taken root in their minds, because the mind consists of the understanding and the will.
[3] It is the nature of the human and angelic mind that it can be enriched more and more to eternity; and as it is enriched, it is perfected. This happens especially when people are being led by the Lord, because then they are introduced to genuinely true thoughts that become rooted in their understanding and to genuinely good desires that become rooted in their will, since the Lord is arranging everything in this kind of mind into a form of heaven-so completely that eventually it becomes a heaven in miniature.
This comparison makes it possible for us to see that the increase in the number of angels perfects heaven, because the situation in that case is much the same.
[4] Every form is made up of varied elements. A form that is not made up of varied elements is not really a form at all, because it has no characteristics and is incapable of undergoing changes of state. The characteristics of any form are determined by the way its constituent elements are related to each other, the way they interact with each other, and the way they agree to be one, which factors determine the extent to which any form is regarded as a single entity. The nature of a form is such that the more constituent elements there are that are arranged in a given way within it, the more perfect it is, because as just stated, each of its constituents strengthens, reinforces, interconnects, and thus perfects it. 1
[5] These facts can be better confirmed, though, by material presented in the book Heaven and Hell, especially where it deals with the fact that each community of heaven is a heaven in smaller form and each angel a heaven in smallest form (51-58); where it treats of heaven's form, which determines how people associate and communicate there (200-212); and where it treats of the wisdom of heaven's angels (265-275).
Footnotes:
1. For a related topic, the function of fullness and variety in the approach to the perfection of a form, see note 2 in Other Planets 9. [Editors]
12. The perfection of heaven increases as its numbers grow. This is clear from its form, which determines the arrangement of associations there and their interconnexions, achieving the highest degree of perfection. The more people there are in such a perfect arrangement, the more there are who can be guided to agree on a single aim, and the closer is their linking and the greater their unanimity. Agreement and the resultant linking increase as numbers grow, for each individual element is inserted as an intermediate connexion between two or more others; and what is so inserted strengthens the link.
[2] The form of heaven resembles that of the human mind. Its perfection increases as truth and good, the sources of intelligence and wisdom, increase. The reason why the form of a human mind possessed of heavenly wisdom and intelligence resembles that of heaven is that the mind is a model of heaven on the smallest scale. That is why the thoughts and affections for good and truth of such people and of the angels are shared in every way with the communities of heaven around them. They reach out further as wisdom increases, that is, the more truths are grasped and planted in the intellect, and the more affections for good are planted in the will; this means in the mind, since the mind is composed of the intellect and the will.
[3] The mind of human beings and of angels is such that it can be enriched to eternity and enrichment increases its perfection. This happens especially when a person is guided by the Lord, for then he is led to real truths which are planted in the intellect and to real kinds of goodness which are planted in the will. Then the Lord arranges the whole structure of such a mind so as to resemble that of heaven, until finally it becomes a small-scale model of heaven. This comparison makes it plain that the increase in the number of angels makes heaven more perfect, since the two cases are similar.
[4] Again, every form is composed of different elements. A form not composed of different elements would not be a form since it would lack a peculiar quality and would not be able to change. The peculiar quality of each form arises from the mutual arrangement of its different elements, from their relationship to each other, and from their unity of purpose which causes every form to be regarded as a unit. The perfection of such a form increases, the more elements there are combined in it in this manner. For each element, as I said before, strengthens and augments the linking, so increasing the perfection.
[5] These statements can be better demonstrated by the proofs offered in HEAVEN AND HELL, especially the sections showing that each community in heaven is a small-scale heaven, and each angel a heaven on the smallest scale (51-58); also those dealing with the form of heaven as shown by association and connexion of communities there (200-212), and with the wisdom of the angels of heaven (265-275).
12. IV. The perfection of heaven increases according to its numbers, is evident from its form, according to which its associations are disposed in order, and its communications flow, for it is the most perfect of all; and in proportion to the increase of numbers in that most perfect form, there is given a direction and consent of more and more to unity, and therefore a closer and a more unanimous conjunction; the consent and the conjunction derived from it increase from numbers, for everything is there inserted as a mediate relation between two or more, and what is inserted confirms and conjoins. The form of heaven is like the form of the human mind, the perfection of which increases according to the increase of truth and good, from whence are its intelligence and wisdom. The form of the human mind, which is in heavenly wisdom and intelligence, is like the form of heaven, because the mind is the least image of that form; hence it is, that on all sides there is a communication of the thoughts and affections of good and truth in such men, and in angels, with surrounding societies of heaven; and an extension according to the increase of wisdom, and thus according to the plurality of the knowledges of truth implanted in the intellect and according to the abundance of the affections of good implanted in the will; and therefore in the mind, for the mind consists of the intellect and the will. The human and angelic mind is such that it may be infilled to eternity, and as it is infilled, so it is perfected; and this is especially the case, when man is led by the Lord, for he is then introduced into genuine truths, which are implanted in his intellect, and into genuine goods, which are implanted in his will, for the Lord then disposes all things of such a mind into the form of heaven, until at length it is a heaven in the least form. From this comparison, which is a true parallel, it is evident, that the increasing number of the angels perfects heaven. Moreover, every form consists of various parts; a form which does not consist of various parts, is not a form, for it has no quality, and no changes of state; the quality of every form results from the arrangement of various things within it, from their mutual relation, and from their consent to unity, from which every form is considered as one; such a form, in proportion to the multitude of the various things arranged within it, is the more perfect, for every one of them, as was said above, confirms, corroborates, conjoins, and so perfects. But this is still more evident from what has been shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, especially where it treats of this: That every Society of Heaven is a Heaven in a lesser form, and every Angel a heaven in the least form (51-58); and also in the article, On the Form of Heaven, according to which Consociations and Communications have place there (200-212); and On the Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven (265-275).
12. ((iv.)) Quod perfectio Caeli crescat secundum Pluralitatem, constat ex ejus forma, secundum quam consociationes ibi ordinatae sunt, et communicationes fluunt, quod sit omnium perfectissima; et in forma perfectissima quo plures sunt eo plurium directio et consensus ad unum datur, et eo arctior et unanimior conjunctio; consensus et inde conjunctio crescit ex pluralitate, nam unumquodvis ibi inseritur ut affine intermedians duos aut plures, et quod inseritur hoc confirmat et conjungit. Forma caeli est similis formae mentis humanae, cujus perfectio crescit secundum incrementa veri et boni, unde intelligentia et sapientia; quod forma mentis humanae, quae est in sapientia et intelligentia caelesti, sit similis formae caeli, est quia mens est minima imago ejus formae; inde est quod communicatio omnimoda sit cogitationum et affectionum boni et veri apud homines tales et apud angelos cum societatibus caeli circumcirca, et extensio secundum incrementa sapientiae, ita secundum pluralitatem cognitionum veri quae implantatae sunt intellectui, et secundum copiam affectionum boni quae implantatae sunt voluntati, ita quae menti, nam mens consistit ex intellectu et voluntate. Mens humana et angelica talis est, ut locupletari queat in aeternum, et sicut locupletatur, ita perficitur; quod fit imprimis cum homo ducitur a Domino, nam tunc introducitur in genuina vera quae implantantur intellectui, et in genuina bona quae implantantur voluntati, nam Dominus tunc disponit omnia mentis talis in formam caeli, usque tandem ut sit caelum in minima forma. Ex hac comparatione patet, quia similis res est, quod pluralitas angelorum perficiat caelum. Omnis etiam forma ex variis consistit; forma quae non ex variis consistit, non est forma, quia non habet quale, nec aliquas mutationes status: quale cujusvis formae est ex ordinatione variorum inibi inter se, et ex respectu eorum mutuo, exque consensu ad unum, ex quo omnis forma consideratur ut unum; talis forma, quo plura sunt taliter inibi ordinata, eo perfectior est, nam unumquodvis, ut supra dictum est, confirmat, corroborat, conjungit, et sic perficit. Sed haec melius constare possunt ex illis quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno ostensa sunt, imprimis ubi actum est de eo, Quod unaquaevis Societas caeli sit Caelum in minore forma, et unusquisque Angelus in minima (51-58); tum ubi actum est De Forma Caeli, secundum quam Consociationes et Communicationes ibi (200-212), et De Sapientia Angelorum Caeli (265-275).