4176. About a portrayal and glorification of the Lord
It was given me to recount whence, and what, glorification of the Lord is, but in such a way that I portrayed in succession beautiful birds, how they hungrily eat up grains and breadcrumbs and herbs that they relish, as well as gravel, and how they drink. They also make love and kiss, and so doing enjoy the pleasure of their life; and after a little repose, when their delight has spread throughout their nervous system, they then begin to sing beautifully, thus breaking the silence. I was given to portray these actions in sequence as if they were actual, for portrayals appear as real.
All this time the angels were experiencing those things by heavenly and spiritual senses, thus not as portrayals, but in a heavenly manner, which I could feel. This showed what a glorification of the Lord is, and also what kind of portrayals there are with the angels. 1749, Mar....
4176. CONCERNING REPRESENTATION, AND THE GLORIFICATION OF THE LORD.
It was given me to relate whence and what was a glorification of the Lord, but still so that I represented in an orderly way certain beautiful birds, how, when hungry, they fed upon grains and crumbs of bread, and then had recourse to such grasses as they relished, and to sand or gravel, and then drank. They have also mutual love and endearments with each other, and while in these things feel the delight of their life; afterwards they rest awhile until that delight diffuses itself throughout the nerves, and then they begin to sing most beautifully, prompted by the quiet serenity which they enjoy. All this it was given to represent in order to the life, for the representations were as if living. The angels then perceived all these objects in a celestial and spiritual sense, not being as representatives to them, but as conveying a deep celestial meaning, and in this perception I also shared. Thence it appeared what is the quality of the glorification of the Lord, and what the nature of representatives among the angels. - 1749. . . . .
4176. De repraesentatione, et glorificatione Domini
Dabatur narrare unde et quae glorificatio Domini, sed ita quod ego ordine repraesentavi aves pulchras, quomodo dum famelici edunt grana, et panes frustillatim, tum herbas iis sapidas, et arenam, tum bibant; etiam se mutuo ament et osculentur, et cum in iis, tunc jucunditatem vitae suae sentiunt; et postquam paulum resederint, usque dum illa se diffuderit per nervos, quod tunc incipiant pulchre canere, ex quiete inde; haec repraesentare datum ordine sicut ad vivum, nam repraesentationes apparent ut vivae, tunc angeli percipiebant omnia illa sensu coelesti et spirituali, ita non ut repraesentativa sunt, sed modo coelesti, quod percepi; inde quid glorificatio Domini constabat, tum qualia repraesentativa apud angelos. 1749....