1797. Moreover, angels of the inward heaven, when they are portrayed before spirits, appear to them in tasteful garments. Virgins, for example, appear in dresses with white and black elegantly combined in stripes, modest, neatly fitted to their body.
Angels of the very inward heaven, however, are portrayed before spirits in very ornate garments, decorated with various kinds of flowers, of shining blue and red colors especially.
But angels of the innermost heaven appear as naked little children.
These are portrayals before spirits, and they indicate that the angels' earthly elements are of such or such a nature. But in the heavens, fantasies of this kind do not exist, and for this reason, clothes appear to be taken off when they enter into the heavens. By the clothes and their color, one can tell where the portrayals originate.
1797. Moreover, the angels of the interior heaven, while they are represented to spirits, appear to them in comely garments, like virgins, their dress being of white and black mixed and elegantly plaited, modest, and handsomely fitted to the form. But the angels of the more interior heaven are represented before the spirits in most beautiful garments, adorned with various kinds of flowers, and shining in blue and red as the prevailing colors, while the inmost angels appear naked as infants. Those representations are made to spirits, and signify the quality of the natural things of the angels, for such phantasies [as those mentioned above] do not exist in the heavens, wherefore garments appear to be laid aside at the entrance of heaven. From the garments and their color it may be known whence such representations flow.
1797. Praeterea angeli interioris coeli, dum repraesentantur spiritibus, tunc 1
iis apparent in vestibus concinnis, sicut virgines, veste cum albo et nigro concinne ac paene striatim mixto 2
, modesta, aptata ad corpus eorum concinne. Angeli vero intimioris coeli coram spiritibus repraesentantur vestibus ornatissimis cum variis generibus florum, colore cumprimis coeruleo et rubro splendente. At vero angeli intimi, ut nudi ac infantes. Repraesentationes istae sunt coram spiritibus, et significant eorum naturalia, quod talia sunt, nam in coelis tales phantasiae non sunt, quare apparent vestes deponi, quando intrant in coelos, ex vestibus et earum colore, potest sciri 3
, unde tales repraesentationes fluunt.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition tum
2. The Manuscript has mixta
3. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has scire