5101. About heaven
They spoke about heaven and about the magnificent things there and remarked that the angels have a very beautiful human form but are nonetheless invisible to spirits. Some spirits, not so evil, who had recently arrived, wondered at this. They fell quiet with regard to their body, for in this state of quiet they can be transported into heaven among the angels. Their inward parts are then opened, and as a result they are in the state of angels. They were quiet in this state for a half-hour and then fell back into their concern for bodily things with which they had been taken up previously. And in recalling what they had seen then, they said that they had been among the angels, that is, in heaven, and that they had seen amazing things there, everything glistening with gold, silver, and precious stones, and in wonderfully different forms, and that the angels had not taken delight in the outward things themselves, as in the gold, silver, and precious stones, the forms themselves, but in what they represented, for they saw in them indescribable Divine things; they were forms of limitless wisdom. These gave them delight and fed their thoughts and roused wonder for the Divine, and with this, love, beside countless things which can never be expressed in human language nor fall into mental imagery in which there is anything material.
5101. CONCERNING HEAVEN.
They spoke of heaven, and the magnificence there, and remarked that the angels there are in the most beautiful human form, but still invisible to spirits. Some recently arrived spirits, not particularly evil, wondered at this. They fell into a state of quiescence, as regards their body; for thus they can be transferred into heaven amongst the angels, because, then, the interiors are opened so that they can be in the angelic state. They were thus quiescent for half an hour. After that, they relapsed into their corporeals wherein they were before, and into the recollection of what they had then seen. They said that they had been among the angels, or in heaven; and that they there beheld stupendous things, everything resplendent with gold, silver and precious stones, and in wonderful forms, which were varied marvelously; also, that the angels took no delight in those external things themselves, as in the gold, silver and precious stones - the forms themselves - but in what they represented; for they saw therein inexpressible Divine things which are of indefinite wisdom. These were their delights, and these nourished their thoughts, and excited astonishment at the Divine, and at the same time love. There were, besides, innumerable things which can by no means be expressed by human language, nor fall into the ideas where there is anything material.
5101. De Coelo
Loquebantur de coelo et de magnificentia ibi, et quod ibi angeli sint pulcherrimae formae humanae, sed usque invisibiles spiritibus, quidam recentes spiritus non ita mali, hoc admirati, lapsi sunt in quietem quoad corpus suum, nam sic transferri possunt in coelum inter angelos, interiora enim tunc aperiuntur ut in statu angelico sint, ita quieverunt per demihorium, dein relapsi in corporea sua, in quibus prius, et in recordationem quid tunc viderunt, dicebant quod fuerint inter angelos seu in coelo, et quod ibi viderint stupenda, omnia splendentia auro, argento, et lapidibus pretiosis, et in admirandis formis, quae variabantur mirabiliter, et quod angeli non delectati fuerint ipsis externis, ut aureo, argenteo, pretiosis lapidibus, ipsis formis, sed quid repraesentabant, nam videbant in illis Divina inexpressibilia, quae sapientiae indefinitae, haec fuerunt illis delectationi, et nutriebant cogitationes eorum, ac excitabant stuporem pro Divino, ac simul amorem; praeter innumera quae linguis humanis nequaquam possunt exprimi, nec cadunt in ideas, ubi aliquid materiale est.