4639. About heaven, and the Sun there
In a vision I was shown the Sun, Who is the Lord, such as He appears in the third or innermost heaven. He appears there as an intensely glowing, gleaming flame, whose glow and gleam is indescribable. It is wholly such in the morning. As it verges toward noonday that intensely glowing flame then forms a great belt; in the middle it is obscure.
As it verges toward evening, 1the flaming begins to glow less and less, and after this it becomes bright white, and finally cloudy white, and then it is dusk. When it looks like this, then that so to speak whiteness begins to advance from it toward the right there, toward the moon, and adds itself to the moon, causing the moon to grow in splendor, and then it becomes morning in the spiritual heaven. There too the splendor of the moon gradually decreases, and then morning begins in the innermost heaven, and so on.
[2] For when it is morning in the innermost heaven, it is evening in the second or spiritual heaven. The reason for this is that the flaming or heavenly goodness in the second heaven produces that change [to evening], since they cannot allow this to enter the mind.
Changes of state of this kind are common: [in the first heaven] there are changes of state as to wisdom and in the second heaven as to intelligence. The alternations of times of day in the world correspond to these alternations. Here states appear as times, due to the apparent daily orbiting of the sun, but in themselves they are states. In heaven they are states, because it is wisdom and intelligence that are varied and because the sun there does not [appear to] rotate as in the world; but its absence was evidenced by a diminution of the gleaming flame.
In the heavens there are things the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, for which reason, if described, they would not be believed. Who is going to believe that there are palaces there, containing most magnificent things, that there are furnishings of all kinds in them. But why mention such things? It would not be believed.
4639. CONCERNING HEAVEN, AND THE SUN THERE.
(There was shown me, by a vision, a sun, which is the Lord as He appears in the third or inmost heaven. To those [in this heaven], there appears a very fiery redness, and a very gleaming flame, 1whose redness and gleaming cannot be described. The whole [of the sun] is such, since it is everything. When it verges towards noon, then that very fiery flaming [color] forms a great zone, and in the middle is obscurity: when towards evening, the flaming [color] first begins to be less red, then less, and afterwards to become as it were white, and, at length, so that it is a cloudy white; and then it is the first evening state. When it has so appeared, then, that quasi lucidity begins to advance towards the right there, in the direction of the moon, and to add itself to the moon; from this the moon begins to gather luster, and then it becomes morning, in the spiritual heaven. There, also, the splendor of the moon diminishes by degrees; and then morning thus begins in the inmost heaven, and so forth. For, when it is morning in the inmost heaven, it is evening in the second or spiritual heaven. The reason is, because the flaming [quality], or celestial good, in the second heaven produces that change, since they are not able to admit it. There are such general changes of state; and they are changes of state as to wisdom, and, in the second heaven, as to intelligence. To these alternations correspond the alternations of the times of day in the world. There, states appear as the times of day from the appearance of the daily gyration of the sun; but, in, themselves, they are states: in heaven they are states, because it is wisdom and intelligence which are varied, and because the sun, there, does not gyrate as in the world; but [the equivalent of] its absence becomes apparent by a diminution of the flaming redness. In the heavens are things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard; wherefore, if they were described, they would not be believed. Who would credit that there are palaces there, in which they live, of the most magnificent character, and that in them, there, there are utensils of every kind? But why relate such things? they would not be believed.)
Footnotes:
1. Sidenote: "Brillancy."
4639. De coelo, et Sole ibi
Ostensus mihi per visionem Sol, Qui est Dominus, qualis apparet in tertio seu intimo coelo, apparet ibi rutilissimus et coruscantissimus flamma, cujus rutilum et coruscum non describi potest; totus talis est, cum est mane; cum vergit ad meridiem, tunc flammeum illud rutilantissimum facit magnum cingulum, et in medio obscurum; cum versus vesperam, tunc incipit flammeum incipere minus rutilare, dein minus, et postea fieri sicut candidum, et tandem ut nubilum candidum, et tunc est status vesperae primae; cum ita apparuit, incipit quasi lucidum illud inde progredi versus dextrum ibi, ad lunam, et se lunae addere, ex quo luna incipit splendescere, et tunc fit mane in coelo spirituali; ibi quoque splendor lunae per gradus decrescit, et tunc incipit ita mane in coelo intimo, et sic porro, cum enim mane est in coelo intimo, est vespera in coelo secundo seu spirituali, causa est, quia flammeum seu bonum coeleste in secundo coelo facit illam mutationem, cum id non possunt admittere. Sunt tales status mutationes communes, sunt status mutationes quoad sapientiam, et in secundo coelo quoad intelligentiam, his vicibus correspondent vices temporum in mundo, ibi status apparent ut tempora, ob apparentiam gyrationis diurnae solis, at in se sunt status, in coelo sunt status, quia est sapientia et intelligentia quae variatur, et quia sol ibi non gyrat sicut in mundo; sed absentia ejus apparet per diminutionem rutili flammei. In coelis sunt quae oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, quare si describerentur non crederentur, quis crediturus quod ibi sint palatia in quibus sunt, magnificentissima, quod illis ibi sint utensilia omnis generis; sed quid talia memorem, non crederetur.