5424. Spirits from everywhere were gathered together in the heavens who had unquestionably lived well in a moral sense and had regularly gone to church, the holy supper, and had then been outwardly devout, but yet who do not in the least care about knowing the doctrinal teachings of the Church, only about listening to sermons, without a desire to learn, doing so only from a rather superficial sense of holiness, and also didn't care about knowing anything more than passages from the Word, in a word, those who had no affection for truth for the sake of truth, but merely for the sake of outward holiness. For those who don't love to learn the doctrinal teachings of the Church, however much they listen to sermons and read the Word, still have no affection for truth, and those who have no affection for truth can have no angelic wisdom. They are admitted, of course, but live separately and have no social interaction with them. For this reason they live on the outskirts; and when they turn to the angels, they take away the joy and happiness the angels have from wisdom, and dull their minds and dim the light. They are let in, nonetheless. An enormous number of people like this have been admitted into heaven over the centuries, although they are in heaven they have not had heaven, because no one can have heaven apart from understanding what is true and having wisdom about what is good. The Lord flows into goodness that arises from truths, not into those who are empty.
5424. There were gathered together in the heavens, from every quarter, those who have, indeed, lived well in a moral point of view, and also have frequented churches and the Holy Supper, and have then been in devotion, but, nevertheless, have not had the least care to know the doctrinals of the Church - only to listen to preachings without any inclination to learn, but only from a certain outward sanctity, and who, also, have not cared to know anything else but passages in the Word: in a word, who have not been in any affection of truth for the sake of truth, but only for the sake of outward sanctity. For they who do not love to learn the doctrinals of the Church, however much they may listen to preachings and read the Word still are not in any affection of truth; and they who are not in any affection of truth, are not able to be in angelic wisdom. They are admitted, indeed, [into heaven]; but they live separately, nor do they associate with them [i.e. the angels]. Wherefore, they dwell there in the outskirts; and, when they turn themselves towards the angels, they take away their happiness and good-fortune, which they enjoy by reason of [their] wisdom; they also blunt their minds and make the light dim. They are indeed admitted: such have been admitted into heaven within many centuries, till there is a vast multitude of them. But, although in heaven, they have not possessed heaven, because no one is able to possess heaven except he be in the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good. It is into good which is from truths that the Lord inflows; and not into empty [goods].
5424. In coelis undequaque collecti erant, qui quidem moraliter bene vixerunt, et quoque frequentarunt templa, sacram coenam, et in devotione tunc fuerunt, sed tamen prorsus nihil curarunt scire doctrinalia Ecclesiae, modo audire praedicationes absque studio discendi, solum ex sancto aliquo externo, et qui quoque nihil aliud scire curarunt quam loca Verbi, verbo qui in nulla affectione veri propter verum fuerunt, sed solum propter sanctum externum, nam qui non discere amant doctrinalia Ecclesiae, utcunque audiunt praedicationes, et legunt Verbum, usque in nulla affectione veri sunt, et qui in nulla affectione veri sunt, non possunt esse in sapientia angelica; admittuntur quidem, sed separatim vivunt, nec conversantur cum illis, quare circumcirca ibi habitant, et cum se vertunt ad angelos, adimunt felix et faustum eorum quod habent ex sapientia, et hebetant mentes eorum, ac lucem faciunt obscuram, admittuntur quidem, tales in coelum intra plura saecula quoad ingentem multitudinem admissi sunt, tametsi in coelo non habuerunt coelum, quia nemo coelum habere potest nisi in intelligentia veri et sapientia boni, in bonum quod ex veris Dominus influit, et non in vacuos.