612. Heaven does not see words and names, but things
From what has already been told about spirits, it is clear that the bodily elements themselves must be laid aside - which is accompanied by pains of various kinds - and thus given to death; and later, so must the earthly elements clinging to spiritual ones. For that nature cannot enter heaven. Finally, there remains in the spirit or mind what is spiritual and heavenly.
Since, therefore, they must shed bodily and earthly elements, which in themselves are dead, before the soul is able to enter into heaven, it is most clearly evident that Heaven can never hear or understand the things in words that pertain to the body and to nature, but the things that are spiritual, heavenly and Divine, and consequently far, farther, and farthest removed from the literal meaning.
Just as when we would think more lofty thoughts than others, we are not concerned with the words, but the meaning emerging from the words, and the even loftier meaning emerging from the direct meanings - so it is absurd to think that Heaven hears, and understands, the Word according to its letter, or that it understands the names of men, women, cities, and the like; for heaven perceives the realities concealed within them, while the meaning of the letter does not reach beyond the air, or sound in the ear, consequently not beyond the body. So why would you believe that the Lord God, our Savior, attends to things that are merely bodily and merely earthly, when He Himself is heaven, and causes heaven to hear? 1748, the 31st day of January.
612. THAT HEAVEN DOES NOT LOOK AT WORDS AND NAMES, BUT THINGS
From what has been already said about spirits, it is evident that corporeal things are first to be put off and thus given to death and this with sufferings of various kinds, and afterwards the natural things inhering in the spiritual, for such a nature cannot enter heaven until at length there remains in the spirit or the "animus", [only] what is spiritual and celestial. Since, therefore, things corporeal and natural which in themselves are dead must be put off before the soul can enter into heaven, it can be most manifestly evident that heaven can never hear nor understand the corporeal and natural things in words, but [only] those that are spiritual, celestial and Divine, thus those which are remote, more remote, and most remote from the literal sense. Similarly, when a man thinks more sublimely than others, he cares nothing for the words but for the meaning of the words, and for a meaning still more sublime from the senses next succeeding. So that it is absurd to think that heaven hears and understands the Word according to the letter, or that it understands the names of men, women, cities and the like, since heaven is in the sense of the things hidden therein. The sense of the letter does not extend beyond the air or the sound of the ear, consequently not beyond the body. Why, then, do you believe that the Lord God our Savior should attend to those things that are merely corporeal and merely natural, since He Himself is heaven, and causes heaven to hear? 1748, Jan. 31.
612. Quod coelum non voces et nomina sed res videat
Ex iis quae de spiritibus prius dicta sunt 1
, constat quod nempe corporea primum exuenda, et quidem cum doloribus variis, sic morti danda, postea naturalia inhaerentia spiritualibus, nam natura talis intrare coelum nequit, tandem manet in spiritu aut animo spirituale et coeleste, quum itaque exuere debeant corporea, et naturalia, quae in mortua sunt, antequam anima intrare in coelum possit, constat manifestissime, quod nusquam Coelum possit audire nec intelligere ea quae in vocibus sint corporea naturalia, sed quae sunt spiritualia, coelestia, et Divina, quae remota, remotiora et remotissima sunt a sensu literali; sicut homo dum sublimius aliis cogitaret, nihil curat voces sed sensum ex vocibus, et sublimiorem adhuc sensum, sensibus proximis; ita quod Coelum audiat, et intelligat Verbum secundum literam, est absonum cogitare, nec quod intelligat nomina virorum, mulierum, urbium, et similium, cum coelum est in sensu rerum ibi latentium, sensus literae non ultra aerem seu sonum auris proinde ultra corpus non pervenit. Quid sic credis, quod Dominus Deus, Salvator noster attendat ad ea, quae mere corporea et mere naturalia sunt? cum 2
Ipse est coelum, et faciat ut coelum audiat. 1748, die 31 Jan.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has dictum est
2. The Manuscript has sunt; cum