14. 在诸天堂之中的圣经。
圣经存于诸天堂之中，如同在世那样被诵读，讲道以此为基础；因为圣经是神性真理，是众天使聪明和智慧的源泉。若无圣经，无人知晓关于主、爱和信、救赎的任何内容，也无从知道天堂智慧的一切奥秘。事实上，若无圣经，天堂就不会存在，正如世上若无圣经，教会就不会存在一样。这样就与主无任何连接。
前面我们已经阐明，离了启示—在基督教界离了圣经—不可能自然地产生神学 1。倘若神学在世上不可能自然地产生，对死后的任何人来说依然不可能，因为死后成为灵的每个人在宗教方面的立场与在世时一样。天堂没有任何天使被造于创世之前或与世界同时被造，全由在世曾经为人、后来内心变为天使的人组成。这些人借助圣经进入天堂的属灵智慧，那是内在的智慧，因为圣经在天堂是灵性的。
[2] 圣经在主的属灵王国中与在世上并不相同。圣经在世上是物性的，在属灵国度中则是灵性的；其区别犹如圣经的字义和灵义。《天国的奥秘》中多次提到灵义的性质，该书还解释了《创世纪》和《出埃及记》的全部灵义。二者之别巨大，没有任何表达是相同的。
圣经字面上的名字，在灵界代表的是概念，数字也是如此。圣经字面上的历史记叙，在灵界代表与教会相关的事物。不过，令人惊奇的是，天使读圣经时，居然不知道所读圣经与他在世所读并不一样。原因在于他不再拥有任何物性的观念，取而代之的是灵性的观念，物性与灵性藉着对应就这样连接起来。通过一定的方式，它们其实是同一件相同的事物。
因此，当天使从物性进入到灵性时，灵性的事物对他来说并无不同。事实上，天使意识不到他比在世时更有智慧，即使他现在远胜过先前的智慧，其差别无以言喻，无法比较。天使不知道这样的差别，是因为他在灵性状态下，对在世时曾经的物性状态一无所知。
还因为他不会再回到那个状态，所以就无法检验两者之间的差异并做比较。此外，天使的智慧仍在不断完善中，这个过程在天堂远胜在世之时，因为此时他对真理有更纯洁的灵性爱慕。
[3] 此外，在主的属天国度，圣经要比在属灵国度更加卓越且更加智慧。圣经在属天国度与属灵国度的区别，如同上述在属灵国度和世上的区别。在属天国度中圣经呈现其称为“属天”的核心意义，圣经属天意义的一切内容单单与主相关。 在称呼“耶和华”的地方，此时圣经称为“主”。在称呼“亚伯拉罕”、“以撒”、“雅各”，还有“大卫”、“摩西”、“以利亚”和其余的众先知的地方，此时圣经皆以“主”称呼。这些人所代表的主的具体神圣属性，以各自的标识或记号加以区分。
以色列十二支派和使徒们的名字，在属天国度的圣经中则呈现为与教会相关的主的某方面属性。其他所有内容亦是如此。由此我清晰地看到，圣经的最内在意义自始至终讲述的唯独是主。
圣经在属灵与属天意义上的区别，犹如智识的思维与意志的情感之间的区别。属天国度的天使受对主之爱的激励，拥有爱慕良善的情感；而属灵国度的天使则被对主之信鼓舞，拥有对真理的悟性。
[4] 属灵与属天的圣经在书写风格上不同。属灵国度中的圣经，其书写类似世上的文字，但每个字母皆有意义。因此，即便让你看到那些文字，也无法理解其中任何一个词。那些字母逐个相连成一系列，有各样短线和圆点在其上下。这就是书写风格，因为它与属灵的说话方式相一致，与世上的说话方式无任何共同之处。
天使越有智慧，就越能从这种书写风格的圣经中看出更深层的奥秘，相比简单的天使看到得更深。隐藏在圣经中的奥秘向明智者是显明的，向简朴者则不然。对我们世上的圣经也是如此，甚至更甚，明智者比简单者看到的更多。
另一方面，属天圣经的书写则由世上所未知的字母组成。它们的确是字母，但每个字母的上下都包含弯曲的线条和角状的突起，字母当中有点或标点，上下也有。我被告知，我们这个地球上的上古之人就有类似这样的书写方式。在某些方面，有点像古希伯来文，但只是一点点而已。这种书写风格表达与爱相关的情感，表达出的奥秘超过天使自身能言说的。当天使在该圣经中领悟到任何奥秘，无法用言语表达时，就用替代表达。属天圣经中隐藏的智慧远多于属灵圣经，千倍乃至更多。
[5] 为了方便理解属世、属灵、属天这三种圣经之间的差别，我们以《创世纪》前几章为例，包含亚当和他的妻子还有伊甸园的故事。在属世圣经中，也就是世上的圣经，描述了世界的被造，第一个人的被造，以及他属世的享受与快乐。继他之后直至大洪水的那些人名，表示他的后代，当中的年数是这些后代在世的年龄。
然而，属灵国度的天使则不这么理解他们所读的属灵圣经。他们理解第一章描述了上古教会之人的改造和重生，这还被称为“新的创造”。第二章的伊甸园，描述了该教会之人的聪明。而亚当和他的妻子，则是教会自身。他们那些直到大洪水前夕的后裔，描述了该教会状态的变迁，直至走向终结。最后，以大洪水表示该教会的灭亡。
另一方面，在属天之圣经—或者主的属天国度中的天使拥有的圣经中，第一章则描述了主之人被荣耀的过程。伊甸园描述了祂的神性智慧。那里的亚当本身则代表主的神性本体，同时还代表祂的神性之人。他的妻子代表教会，称其为“夏娃”，意思是“生命”，因为教会的生命源自主。亚当因此称夏娃为他的骨，他的肉，他们是一体，因为教会源于主、因主而存在、与主连接成为一体。亚当后裔的名单，描写的是那教会中的人们接受主并与主连接的后续状态，直至最后，该教会完全拒绝主，也因此断了连接。
[6] 因此，我们圣经的前几章被正直者、尤其是小男孩和小女孩诵读时，他们会感受到万物被造时以及伊甸园时代的喜乐，同时其他意义就在天使面前展开，属灵天使领会到属灵圣经中的相应意义，而属天天使则领会属天圣经中的相应意义；而那时他们并不知道有个人或小孩子正在读经。这些意义依据对应而依次展开，对应事物的如此属性自创世以来便是如此。
由此显然可知圣经所含属性，也就是说，它有三层意义。第一层是为世人而设的终端意义，多涉及世事；即便涉及神性事物，也以世上种种可见事物的用语来表达它们。第二层是居间的属灵意义，描述与教会相关之事。第三层是核心的属天意义，单单论及主。
整个自然界是代表主的国度的一个舞台；而主的国度—即天堂和教会—是代表主自己的一个舞台。此外，当主荣耀祂的圣子之身时，祂就是在使人类重生；当祂使人类获重生时，也就是创造了他们。
[7] 由此可见，圣经之中有何等属性。存于世上基督徒手里的属世圣经，内在包含着属灵圣经和属天圣经。我们世上圣经的属灵意义构成主的属灵国度各天堂的圣经；世上圣经的属天意义—即其核心意义—构成主的属天国度各天堂的圣经。因此，我们的世上圣经包含着属灵和属天之圣经，但属灵和属天圣经并不包含世上圣经。于是，存于这世上的圣经是最充满神性智慧的圣经，也因此比诸天堂之中的圣经更加神圣。
Footnotes:
1. 附注：本书第6章。
14. The Word in Heaven
The Word exists in all the heavens, and it is read there and preached from as in the world. For it is the Divine truth from which angels have their intelligence and wisdom. Indeed, without the Word no one would know anything about the Lord, about love and faith, redemption, or any of the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact, without the Word there would not be a heaven, just as in the world there would not be a church without the Word. Thus there would be no conjunction with the Lord.
We have already shown above that a natural theology is not possible apart from revelation, and in the Christian world apart from the Word. 1If a natural theology is not possible in the world, neither would it be possible for anyone after death, since every person on becoming a spirit after death is in the same condition with respect to religion as he was with respect to his religion in the world. Nor does heaven consist of any class of angels created before the world or together with the world, but it consists entirely of people who were once people in the world and who inwardly then became angels. These come by means of the Word in heaven into spiritual wisdom, which is an interior wisdom, because the Word there is spiritual.
[2] The Word in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is not the same as the Word in the world. The Word in the world is natural, while in the spiritual kingdom it is spiritual. The difference is like that between the Word's natural meaning and its spiritual meaning. The nature of the spiritual meaning has been shown many times in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), where the entire contents of Genesis and Exodus have been expounded according to that meaning. The difference is such that not one expression is the same. Instead of names, the Word in the spiritual kingdom has concepts. So, too, in place of numbers. And instead of historical narratives it contains matters having to do with the church. But surprisingly, when an angel reads that Word, he does not know it is not the same as the Word he read in the world. The reason is that he no longer possesses any natural ideas, but spiritual ideas in their stead, and natural things and spiritual things by correspondence are so joined that, in a way, they constitute one and the same thing. As a result, when an angel comes from natural things into spiritual things, the spiritual things seem no different to him. In fact, an angel is not aware that he is wiser than he had been in the world, even though he has a wisdom so far superior to his former wisdom that it is indescribable in comparison. Nor can he know the difference, because in his spiritual state he knows nothing of his natural state, the state he was in in the world. And because he does not go back to that state, he cannot examine the two states together and see the differences and so make a comparison. Nevertheless, an angel is still continually being perfected in his wisdom-in heaven more so than in the world, because he has a purer spiritual affection for truth.
[3] In the Lord's celestial kingdom, moreover, the Word is much more excellent and full of wisdom than the Word in His spiritual kingdom. These two differ in the same measure as the natural Word in the world and the spiritual Word just described. For that Word has in it an inmost meaning, called celestial, and everything of the Word in that meaning has to do with the Lord alone. In place of "Jehovah" this Word says "the Lord;" and the Lord is named instead of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, also instead of David, and instead of Moses, Elijah, and the rest of the prophets. The particular Divine attribute of the Lord meant by each of these persons is specified by its own sign or mark. Instead of the names of the tribes of Israel-the twelve tribes-and also instead of the names of the apostles, the Word in the celestial kingdom refers to some aspect of the Lord in relation to the church. And so on in respect to everything else in it. It was apparent to me from this that the Holy Scripture from beginning to end in its inmost meaning has to do with the Lord alone.
The difference that exists between these two Words, the spiritual and the celestial, is like that between thoughts of the intellect and affections of the will. For angels of the celestial kingdom are motivated by love for the Lord and thus have an affection for good, while angels of the spiritual kingdom are motivated by faith in the Lord and thus have a perception of truth.
[4] The spiritual Word and the celestial Word differ as well in respect to their style of writing. The writing of the spiritual Word consists of letters similar to printed letters in our world, but every letter carries a meaning. Consequently, if you saw that writing, you would not understand a single word. For the letters are written one after another in an unbroken series, with little lines and points above and below. This is the style of writing, because it accords with spiritual speech, which has nothing in common with natural speech. The wiser angels are, the more interior the secrets which they see from their Word thus written-secrets more interior than simpler angels see. The secrets hidden there are clearly apparent to the eyes of the wise, but not to the eyes of the simple. It is the same-only more so-as in the case of our Word, in which the wise also see more than the simple.
The writing of the celestial Word, on the other hand, is composed of letters unknown in the world. They are, indeed, alphabetical letters, but each consists of curved lines with little hornlike projections above and below, and the letters have dots or points in them and also above and below them. I have been told that the most ancient people on this earth had writing like this. In certain respects it is like Hebrew writing, but only a little. This style of writing expresses affections which have to do with love, so that it involves more secrets than the angels themselves can put into words. Any secrets they perceive in their Word that they cannot put into words they express by means of representations. The wisdom that lies hidden in this Word exceeds a thousand times and more the wisdom hidden in the spiritual Word.
[5] In order to understand the difference between the three Words, natural, spiritual and celestial, take for example the first chapters of Genesis, containing the story of Adam, his wife, and the Garden of Eden. In the natural Word, the Word that exists in the world, these chapters describe the creation of the world, the first creation of man, and his earthly enjoyments and delights. By the names of the persons after him down to the Flood are meant his descendants, and by the numbers the ages of those descendants.
In the spiritual Word, however-the Word as it exists among angels in the spiritual kingdom-these things are not perceived. Instead, the first chapter describes the reformation and regeneration of the people of the Most Ancient Church, which is also called a new creation. By the Garden of Eden in the second chapter is described the intelligence of the people of that church. By Adam and his wife, the church itself. By their descendants then down to the Flood are described the changes in state of that church until it came to an end, and by the Flood, finally, its death.
In the celestial Word, on the other hand, or in the Word as it exists among angels in the Lord's celestial kingdom, the first chapter describes the glorification of the Lord's humanity. Instead of the Garden of Eden, His Divine wisdom is described. By Adam himself there is meant the Lord in respect to the Divine itself and at the same time in respect to His Divine Humanity. And by his wife is meant the church, called Eve from a word meaning "life," because the church has life from the Lord. So, too, Adam says of her that she was his bone and his flesh, and that they were one flesh, because the church is from the Lord and exists from Him and with Him as in a union. By the names listing the descendants of Adam are described in that Word the reception of the Lord and conjunction with Him by the people of that church in succeeding states, until finally there was no reception at all and thus no conjunction.
[6] As a result, when the first chapters of our Word are read by upright people, and especially by little boys and girls, and they are affected with joy over the state at the time of the creation of everything and over the Garden of Eden, then these other meanings are unfolded before the angels, and spiritual angels understand the things said in accordance with their Word, and celestial angels in accordance with theirs, without their being aware that a person or young child is reading it. For these meanings are unfolded in turn because they correspond, and the nature of correspondent things is such from creation. It is apparent from this what the character of the Word is within, namely, that it has three meanings. The first is an outmost one for people, which is natural, which for the most part deals with worldly matters; and even when it deals with Divine matters, It puts them in terms of the kinds of things found in the world. The second meaning is an intermediate one, which is spiritual, in which are described such matters as have to do with the church. And the third meaning is an inmost one, which is celestial, which contains things having to do with the Lord. For all of nature is a theater representative of the Lord's kingdom; and the Lord's kingdom, or heaven and the church, is a theater representative of the Lord Himself. Moreover, as the Lord glorified His humanity, so He also regenerates mankind; and as He regenerates mankind, so He also created them.
[7] It can be seen from this what the character of the Word is within. The natural Word as it exists in this world among Christians contains within it both a spiritual Word and a celestial Word. For the spiritual meaning of our Word is the Word in the heavens that make up the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the celestial meaning of our Word-its inmost meaning-is the Word in the heavens that make up the Lord's celestial kingdom. Therefore our natural Word contains both the spiritual Word and the celestial Word, but the spiritual and celestial Words do not contain the natural Word. Consequently the Word in our world is the most full of Divine wisdom, and so is holier than the Words in the heavens.
Footnotes:
1. See no. 6.
14. XIV. The Word in the heavens.
The Word exists in all the heavens, and it is read there as it is in the world, and sermons are based on it. For it is the Divine Truth which is the source of the angels' intelligence and wisdom. For without the Word no one knows anything about the Lord, love and faith, redemption, and all the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact without the Word heaven would not exist, just as without the Word there would be no church in the world, so that there would be no linking with the Lord. I demonstrated above that natural theology is impossible without revelation, and in the Christian world without the Word. If it is not granted in the world, neither would it be granted after death. For the nature of a person's religious belief in the world dictates its nature after death, when he becomes a spirit. The whole of heaven is not made up of angels created before the world or at the same time as it, but of those who were people on earth, and were then angels inwardly. By means of the Word these in heaven acquire spiritual, that is, inner wisdom, because the Word there is spiritual.
[2] The Word in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is not the same as the Word in the world. In the world there is the natural Word, but in that kingdom there is a spiritual Word. The difference is like that between its natural and spiritual senses. The nature of the spiritual sense has been demonstrated at length in my Arcana Caelestia, where the whole contents of Genesis and Exodus have been explained in accordance with that sense. The difference is such that no word is the same. Things take the place of names, and likewise of numbers; the histories are replaced by matters concerning the church. The surprising thing is that, when an angel reads it, he is unaware that it is not the same as what he read in the Word while in the world. This is because he no longer has any natural ideas, since they are replaced with spiritual ones; and the natural and the spiritual are linked by correspondences into a kind of unity.
So when someone passes from the natural into the spiritual, it seems to him as if they were the same. In fact an angel does not know that he is wiser than he was in the world, though his wisdom is really so superior as to be comparatively indescribable. He is unable to recognise the difference, because in his spiritual state he knows nothing of the natural state, which he had in the world; and he is unable to compare and differentiate them, because he cannot return to his former state so as to make a comparison. Still an angel in heaven is constantly being brought to a higher degree of perfection in wisdom than he had in the world, because his affection for spiritual truth is purer. 1
[3] However, the Word in the Lord's celestial kingdom is far superior and wiser than the Word in His spiritual kingdom. The difference is of the same kind as that which distinguishes the natural Word in the world from the spiritual Word, as has been stated. For that Word contains an inmost sense, called celestial, which in all its details refers to nothing but the Lord. In this Word the Lord is read in place of Jehovah, and of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and also the Lord is named in place of David, Moses, Elijah and the rest of the Prophets; and His divinity is distinguished by special marks. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and also the names of the Apostles, when read there, convey something about the Lord as regards the church; and so with all the rest. From this it became plain to me that the whole of the Sacred Scripture deals in its inmost sense with nothing but the Lord.
The difference which distinguishes the two Words, the spiritual and the celestial, is like that between thoughts, the province of the intellect, and affections, the province of the will. For the angels of the celestial kingdom are guided by love to the Lord and so affection for good; the angels of the spiritual kingdom are guided by faith in the Lord and so by perception of truth.
[4] Another difference between the celestial and spiritual Words is their script. The script of the spiritual Word is made up of letters resembling the printed letters of our world; but each letter has a meaning. If therefore you were to see that script, you would not understand a single word. For one letter succeeds another without a break, with dashes and dots above and below, since it is in accordance with spiritual speech, which has nothing in common with natural speech. The wiser angels are, the more they see of the inner secrets of their Word so written, more so than the simpler angels. What is stored there is plainly visible to the eyes of the wise, but not to the eyes of the simple. It is similar to what happens with our Word, but to a greater degree; here too the wise see more than the simple.
The script of the celestial Word, however, is made up of letters not known in the world. They are indeed alphabetical, but each one of them is composed of curved lines with serifs above and below, and there are small marks or dots in the letters, and also above and below them. I was told that the most ancient people on this earth had such a script. Some details agree with the Hebrew script, but not much. Such a script expresses the affections which make up a love; so it contains more secrets than they themselves can ever utter. They express these unutterable secrets which they perceive from their Word by means of representations. The wisdom hidden away in this Word surpasses the wisdom in the spiritual Word as a thousand does one.
[5] To make the difference between the three Words, the natural, the spiritual and the celestial, intelligible, let us take as an example the first chapters of Genesis, which deal with Adam, his wife and the Garden. 2In the natural Word which we have in this world there is a description of the creation of the world, the first creation of man, and the earthly pleasures and delights of man and the world. By the persons named following him up to the Flood are meant his descendants, and the numbers mean their ages. But in the spiritual Word the angels of the spiritual kingdom have, this is not what is meant. The first chapter is a description of the reform and regeneration of the people of the most ancient church; this too is called a new creation. The second chapter describes as the Garden the intelligence of the people of that church; Adam and his wife stand for the church itself, and their descendants down to the Flood describe the changes in the state of that church, up to the time when it came to an end and was finally destroyed by the Flood.
But in the celestial Word possessed by the angels of the Lord's celestial kingdom, the first chapter describes the glorification of the Lord's Human; the Garden describes his Divine wisdom. Adam himself is understood to mean the Lord as regards the Divine itself and at the same time the Divine Human. His wife stands for the church, which since it has life from the Lord is called Eve from [the Hebrew word for] life. Adam says of her that she was to be his bone and his flesh, and [they should be] one flesh, because the church comes from the Lord, and is out of Him and with Him as if one. The names of the descendants of Adam describe the successive states by which the Lord was received by the people of that church and linked with them, until there was nothing at all received and so no linking.
[6] So when the first chapters in our Word are read by upright people, especially by boys and girls, and they feel joy at the state when everything was created and at the Garden, then these meanings are unfolded, and the spiritual angels understand them in accordance with their Word, and the celestial angels in accordance with theirs, without being aware that a person or a child is reading it. These meanings are unfolded in their due sequence because they correspond, and correspondences are from creation like this. This makes it plain what the Word is like in its depths, that is, it has three senses. The last is the natural one for men on earth; this deals mainly with worldly matters and where it deals with Divine matters, they are still described by the kind of things which the world contains. The middle sense is the spiritual one, which describes the kind of things which belong to the church. The inmost sense is the celestial one, which contains the kind of things which belong to the Lord. For the whole of nature is a theatre representing the Lord's kingdom; and the Lord's kingdom, heaven and the church, is a theatre representing the Lord Himself. For just as the Lord glorified His Human, so too He regenerates a person; and as He regenerates a person, so too did He create him.
[7] These facts may establish what the Word is like in its depths. The natural Word as possessed by the Christian part of the world contains within itself a spiritual and a celestial Word. For the spiritual sense of our Word is the Word in the heavens which make up the Lord's spiritual kingdom; and the celestial sense of our Word, its inmost sense, is the Word in the heavens which make up the Lord's celestial kingdom. Our Word therefore contains both the spiritual and the celestial Words; but the spiritual Word and the celestial Word do not contain the natural Word. The Word of our world is therefore the one most full of Divine wisdom, and consequently more holy than the Word of the heavens.
Footnotes:
1. Reading veri spiritualis for veri spirituali. -Translator
2. i.e. the Garden of Eden. -Translator
14. XIV. THE WORD IN THE HEAVENS.
The Word is in all the heavens. It is read there as in the world and they preach from it, for it is the Divine truth from which the angels have intelligence and wisdom; since without the Word no one knows anything of the Lord, of love and faith, of redemption, or of any other arcana of heavenly wisdom. Yea, without the Word there would be no heaven, as without the Word there would be no church in the world, thus there would be no conjunction with the Lord. That there is no such thing as natural theology without revelation, and in the Christian world without the Word, has been shown above. If it cannot exist in the world, neither can it exist after death, for such as a man is as to his religion in the world, such he is as to his religion after death when he becomes a spirit; and the whole heaven does not consist of any angels created before the world, or with the world, but of those who have been men, and were then interiorly angels. These through the Word come in heaven into spiritual wisdom, which is interior wisdom, because the Word there is spiritual.
[2] The Word in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord is not like the Word in the world; in the world the Word is natural, but in that kingdom it is spiritual. The difference is as that between its natural sense and its spiritual sense, and what this spiritual sense is has been shown in many places in the Arcana Coelestia, where all things in Genesis and Exodus have been explained according to that sense. Such is the difference that no word is the same; instead of names there are in the spiritual sense things, instead of numbers and historical facts are things relating to the church. But, what is wonderful, when an angel reads the Word in heaven, he knows not otherwise than that it is like the Word which he read in the world. The reason is that he no longer has any natural ideas, but in their place spiritual ideas, and the natural and the spiritual are so conjoined by correspondences that they make, as it were, one. When therefore one comes from what is natural into what is spiritual, it appears to him as if it were the same. Yea, an angel does not know that he is wiser than he had been in the world, although he has wisdom so supereminent as to be ineffable in comparison. Nor can he know the distinction, because in his spiritual state he knows nothing of his natural state, in which he was in the world. Neither can he compare and discriminate them, because he does not return into his former state, and so make a comparison. Nevertheless an angel is perfected in wisdom continually, in heaven more than in the world, because he is in purer affection for spiritual truth.
[3] But the Word in the celestial kingdom of the Lord is of far greater excellence and wisdom than is the Word which is in His spiritual kingdom; and they differ in a degree similar to that of the difference between the natural Word which is in the world, and the spiritual Word of which we have been speaking; for in that Word there is an inmost sense, which is called the celestial, in which all things of the Word treat of the Lord alone. In this Word instead of Jehovah is read the Lord, and instead of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, also instead of David, Moses, Elijah, and the other prophets, the Lord is named, and His Divine as meant by them is distinguished by peculiar marks. By the names of the tribes of Israel, which are twelve, and also by the names of the apostles in the Word, something of the Lord as to the church is read; and so throughout. From this it has been made plain to me that the whole Sacred Scripture in its inmost sense treats of the Lord alone. There is a like difference between those two Words, the spiritual and the celestial, as between the thoughts which are of the understanding, and the affections, which are of the will; for the angels of the celestial kingdom are in love toward the Lord, and thence in the affection of good, and the angels of the spiritual kingdom are in faith in the Lord, and thence in the perception of truth.
[4] The spiritual Word and the celestial Word differ also as to the writing. The writing of the spiritual Word is of letters which are similar to the type letters in our world, but every letter expresses a meaning. If, therefore, you should see that writing, you would not understand a single expression, for it is written letter next to letter in a continuous series, with little lines and points above and below, being written according to spiritual speech, which has nothing in common with natural speech. The angels, in proportion as they are wiser, see in their Word so written, more interior arcana than simpler angels see. The hidden things therein appear clearly before the eyes of the wise, but not before the eyes of the simple; in like manner as with our Word, though still more so, in which also the wise see more than the simple. But the writing of the celestial Word is composed of letters unknown in the world. They are indeed alphabetic letters, but each one is made up of curved lines, with little horns above and below, and there are dots or points in the letters, and also below and above them. It was said that the most ancient people on this earth had such writing, agreeing in some respects, but only slightly, with Hebrew writing. By such writing are expressed the affections of love, so that it involves more arcana than they themselves can utter, and they express these unutterable arcana which they perceive from their Word, by representations. The wisdom which lies hid in this Word, transcends the wisdom which is in the spiritual Word as thousands to one.
[5] That the difference between the three Words, the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial, may be understood, let us take for illustration the first chapters of Genesis, which treat of Adam, his wife, and paradise. In the natural Word which is in the world, is described the creation of the world and the first creation of man, and its and his pleasures and earthly delights; and by the persons named after him even to the flood, are meant his posterity, and by the numbers their ages. But in the spiritual Word, which is with the angels of the spiritual kingdom, are not meant those things, but in the first chapter is described the reformation and regeneration of the men of the Most Ancient Church, which is also called the new creation. In the second chapter, by "paradise" is described the intelligence of the men of that church; by "Adam" and his "wife," that church itself, and by their posterity, even to the flood, are described the changes of state of that church, until it declined, and finally its destruction by the flood. But in the celestial Word, or in the Word which is with the angels in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, in the first chapter is described the glorification of the Lord's Human. Instead of "paradise" is described His Divine wisdom; by "Adam" himself is there meant the Lord as to the Divine itself, and at the same time the Divine Human; and by his "wife," the church, which is called "Chavah" [Eve], from life, because it has life from the Lord. Of her Adam said that she was his "bone" and his "flesh," and that they were "one flesh," because the church is from the Lord and of Him, and as one with Him. By the names which are the posterity of Adam, are there described the successive states of reception of the Lord, and of conjunction with Him, by the men of that church, even until there was no longer any reception, and therefore no conjunction.
[6] When therefore these first chapters of our Word are read by upright men, and especially when they are read by little boys and girls, and they are affected with joy from the state of the creation of all things, and from paradise, then those senses are evolved, and the spiritual angels understand them according to their Word, and the celestial angels according to theirs, without knowing that the man or child is reading it; for those senses are evolved in their order, because they correspond, and correspondences are such from creation. From these things it is plain what the Word is in its bosom, namely, that there are in it three senses, the ultimate which is natural for man, and which in many places treats of worldly things, and where it treats of Divine things, still they are described by such things as are in the world; a middle sense which is spiritual, in which are described such things as relate to the church; and an inmost sense which is celestial, in which are contained such things as relate to the Lord. For all nature is a theater representative of the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom, which is heaven, and the church, is a theater representative of the Lord Himself; for as the Lord glorified His Human, so also He regenerates man, and as He regenerates man, so also He created him.
[7] From this it may be evident what is the nature of the Word in its bosom. The natural Word, such as is in the world, in Christendom, contains within itself both the spiritual Word and the celestial Word; for the spiritual sense of our Word is the Word in the heavens which constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom; and the celestial sense of our Word, which is its inmost sense, is the Word in the heavens which constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom. Consequently in our natural Word is contained both the spiritual Word and the celestial Word; but in the spiritual Word and the celestial Word is not contained the natural Word. For this reason the Word of our world is the most full of the Divine wisdom, and therefore more holy than the Words of the heavens.
14. De Verbo in coelis
[1] Est in omnibus coelis Verbum, ac legitur ibi sicut in mundo, et praedicatur ex illo, est enim Divinum Verum ex quo intelligentia et sapientia est Angelis, nam absque Verbo nemo scit aliquid de Domino, de amore et fide, de redemptione, et de reliquis sapientiae coelestis arcanis, imo absque Verbo non foret coelum, sicut absque Verbo non foret Ecclesia, in Mundo; ita non foret conjunctio cum Domino; quod non detur aliqua Theologia naturalis absque revelatione, et in Christiano orbe absque Verbo, supra ostensum est; si non datur in mundo, nec daretur alicui post mortem, nam qualis homo quoad religiosum suum est in mundo, talis est quoad religiosum post mortem dum fit spiritus: ac universum Coelum non consistit ex aliquibus angelis ante mundum seu cum mundo creatis, sed ex illis qui fuerunt homines, ac tunc interius angeli; hi per Verbum in coelo in sapientiam spiritualem, quae est sapientia interior, veniunt, quia Verbum ibi est spirituale.
[2] Verbum in Regno spirituali Domini, non est sicut Verbum in mundo; in mundo est Verbum naturale, in illo regno autem est spirituale; differentia est sicut inter naturalem ejus, et sensum spiritualem ejus, qui qualis sit, multis ostensum est in Arcanis Coelestibus, ubi omnia quae in Genesi et in Exodo sunt, secundum illum sensum explicata sunt; talis differentia est, ut nulla vox sit similis; pro nominibus ibi sunt res, similiter pro numeris, et pro Historicis ibi sunt Ecclesiastica: at quod mirabile est, dum angelus illud legit, non scit aliter quam quod simile sit Verbo quod in mundo legit; causa est, quia non amplius ei aliquae ideae naturales sunt, sed loco illarum ideae spirituales, ac naturale et spirituale per correspondentias ita conjuncta sunt, ut faciant sicut unum, quare cum e naturali in spirituale venit, apparet ei sicut idem sit; imo Angelus nec scit quod sapientior sit, quam fuerat in mundo, tametsi illi sapientia ei [sapientiae] tam supereminens est, ut sit respective ineffabilis, nec nosse potest discrimen, quia in statu suo spirituali non scit aliquid de statu suo naturali, in quo fuit in mundo, nec potest conferre et discriminare, quia non redit in illum, et sic comparationem facere: sed usque perficitur angelus sapientia jugiter in coelo plus quam in mundo, quia in puriore affectione veri spirituali est.
[3] Verbum autem in Regno coelesti Domini multo praestantius et sapientius est Verbo, quod est in spirituali Regno Ipsius, ac simili gradu differunt sicut Verbum naturale quod est in mundo et Verbum spirituale, de quo actum est; est enim in illo Verbo sensus intimus, qui vocatur coelestis, in quo omnia Verbi agunt de solo Domino; in hoc Verbo pro Jehovah legitur Dominus, et pro Abrahamo, Isaco et Jacobo, tum pro Davide, ut et pro Mose, Elia et reliquis prophetarum, nominatur Dominus, ac Divinum Ipsius per illos intellectum per peculiares signaturas distinguitur; pro nominibus tribuum Israelis, quae sunt duodecim, et quoque pro nominibus apostolorum ibi aliquid Domini quoad Ecclesiam legitur; et sic in reliquis. Exinde patuit mihi quod universa scriptura sacra in sensu intimo de solo Domino agat. Differentia intercedit inter bina illa Verba, spirituale et coeleste, sicut inter cogitationes quae sunt intellectus, et inter affectiones quae sunt voluntatis, sunt enim angeli regni coelestis in amore in Dominum et inde in affectione boni, et angeli regni spiritualis in fide in Dominum, et inde in perceptione veri.
[4] Verbum spirituale et Verbum coeleste differunt etiam quoad scripturam; scriptura Verbi spiritualis consistit ex literis quae similes sunt literis typographicis nostri mundi, sed unaquaevis litera facit sensum, quare si videris illam scripturam, non intelligeres unam vocem, est enim litera juxta literam in continua serie, cum lineolis et punctis supra et infra, nam est secundum loquelam spiritualem, quae nihil commune habet cum loquela naturali. Angeli quo sapientiores sunt vident arcana interiora ex Verbo suo ita scripto, quam vident angeli simpliciores; recondita ibi patent clare coram oculis sapientum, non autem coram oculis simplicium, similiter, sed plus, quam fit in nostro Verbo, in quo etiam sapientes plura vident quam simplices. Scriptura autem Verbi coelestis est ex literis ignotis in mundo; sunt quidem literae alphabeticae, sed quaelibet ex lineis inflexis cum corniculis supra et infra, consistit, ac sunt jothae seu puncta in literis, et quoque infra et supra illas; dictum est, quod talis scriptura fuerit antiquissimis in hac tellure; in quibusdam cum scriptura Hebraea concordat, sed parum; per talem scripturam exprimuntur affectiones quae amoris sunt, quare plura arcana involvit, quam ut possint ipsi enuntiare; exprimunt arcana non enuntiabilia, quae ex suo Verbo percipiunt, per repraesentationes. Sapientia quae in hoc Verbo recondita latet, transcendit sapientiam quae in Verbo spirituali, sicut millia unitatem.
[5] Ut intelligatur differentia inter tria Verba, naturale, spirituale et coeleste, sint exemplo Capita Prima Geneseos, ubi agitur de Adamo, ejus uxore, et Paradiso; in Verbo naturali, quod in mundo est, describitur Creatio Mundi, et prima Creatio hominis, et hujus jucunditates et delitiae terrestres, et per nominatas personas post illum usque ad diluvium intelliguntur posteri ejus, et per numeros, aetates illorum; at in Verbo spirituali, quod apud angelos qui in Regno spirituali sunt, non intelliguntur illa, sed in primo capite describitur reformatio et regeneratio hominum Ecclesiae Antiquissimae, quae etiam nova creatio vocatur; in secundo Capite per Paradisum describitur intelligentia hominum istius Ecclesiae, per Adamum et ejus uxorem ipsa illa Ecclesia, et per posteros illorum usque ad diluvium, describuntur mutationes status illius Ecclesiae, usque cum desiit, et tandem ejus interitus per diluvium: in Verbo autem coelesti, seu in Verbo quod est apud angelos qui in Regno coelesti Domini sunt, in primo Capite describitur glorificatio Humani Domini; pro Paradiso describitur Divina Ipsius Sapientia; per ipsum Adamum ibi intelligitur Dominus quoad Ipsum Divinum ac simul Divinum Humanum, et per uxorem ejus Ecclesia, quae quia vitam a Domino habet, vocatur Chavah a Vita, et de illa dicit Adamus, quod esset os suum et caro sua, et quod [essent] una caro, quia Ecclesia est a Domino, et ex Ipso et cum Ipso sicut unum; per nomina, quae sunt posteritates Adami, describuntur ibi successivi status receptionis Domini, et conjunctionis cum Ipso, ab hominibus illius Ecclesiae, usque dum prorsus nulla receptio et inde nulla conjunctio esset.
[6] Cum itaque prima illa Capita ex nostro Verbo ab hominibus probis, et imprimis a pueris et puellis infantibus leguntur, et afficiuntur gaudio ex statu creationis omnium, et ex Paradiso, tunc evolvuntur illi sensus, et angeli spirituales illa intelligunt secundum suum Verbum, et angeli coelestes secundum suum, praeter quod sciant, quod homo aut puer infans id legat, evolvuntur enim illi sensus in suo ordine, quia correspondent, et correspondentiae sunt ex creatione tales. Ex his patet, quale est Verbum in suo sinu, quod nempe ei tres sensus sint, ultimus qui est naturalis pro homine, qui in plerisque agit de mundanis, et ubi agit de Divinis, usque per talia quae in mundo sunt, describuntur; sensus medius qui est spiritualis, in quo talia quae sunt Ecclesiae describuntur; et intimus sensus qui est coelestis, in quo talia quae sunt Domini, continentur; nam universa natura est theatrum repraesentativum regni Domini, et regnum Domini, quod est coelum et Ecclesia, est theatrum repraesentativum Ipsius Domini; nam sicut Dominus glorificavit Humanum suum, ita quoque regenerat hominem, et sicut hominem regenerat, ita quoque illum creavit.
[7] Ex his constare potest, quale est Verbum in suo sinu; Verbum naturale, quale est in mundo in Christiano orbe, intus in se continet et Verbum spirituale, et Verbum coeleste, nam sensus spiritualis nostri Verbi, est Verbum in coelis, qui Regnum spirituale Domini constituunt, et sensus coelestis nostri Verbi, qui est sensus ejus intimus, est Verbum in coelis, qui Regnum coeleste Domini constituunt, quare in Verbo nostro naturali continetur et Verbum spirituale et Verbum coeleste, sed in Verbo spirituali et coelesti non continetur Verbum naturale, quare Verbum nostri mundi est sapientia Divina plenissimum, et inde sanctius Verbis coelorum.