2. 就内在而言，圣经是活的。
人在读经时若尊其为圣，圣经的属世意义就在第二层天堂变为属灵，在第三层天堂变为属天，属世意义接连着被脱离；因为属世、属灵、属天之间彼此对应，圣经无非以此方式书写而成。
圣经的属世意义正如圣经在字面上的意义，其点点滴滴在诸天堂之中变为属灵，然后变为属天。当它变为属灵时，就活在那里的真理之光芒中；当变为属天时，就活在那里的良善之火热中。
第二层天天使的属灵观念源自那里的光芒，那光本质上是神性的真理；但第三层天天使的属天观念源自良善之火热，其本质是神性的良善。
在第二层天堂，光是白光，那层天堂中的天使在那样的光芒中思考；在第三层天堂，如同燃烧的火光，让那里的天使能够思考。
天使的想法与世人的想法截然不同。他们凭借白光或火焰似的光芒来思考，其中奥妙远超世间语言能描述的范围。
由此可显明，就内在而言，圣经是活的；人在读经时若对圣经持圣洁的思想，圣经对他来说，不是死的，而是活的。
而且，圣经的一切被主激活，因主同在而有生命，正如主在《约翰福音》中说：我对你们所说的话就是灵、就是生命（约翰福音1:1,4）。
2. The Word is Inwardly Full of Life
When a person reads the Word and considers it holy, then its natural meaning becomes spiritual in the second heaven and celestial in the third. In this way its natural quality is progressively removed. This takes place because natural, spiritual and celestial things correspond to each other, and the Word was written solely in terms of things that correspond. The natural meaning of the Word is the sort found in the meaning of the letter, and everything of this becomes spiritual and then celestial in the heavens. When it becomes spiritual, it is then alive in that heaven from the light of truth there; and when it becomes celestial, it is alive from the flame of good there. The reason is that spiritual ideas among angels of the second heaven draw their life from the light in that heaven, which in its essence is Divine truth, while celestial ideas among angels of the third heaven draw their life from the flame of good, which in its essence is Divine good. For in the second heaven the light is bright white, and the angels there think from this; and in the third heaven the light is flaming, and the angels there think from that. The thoughts of angels are altogether different from the thoughts of people. Angels think by means of the kinds of light they have, bright white or flaming, and these are such that they cannot be described in natural terms.
It is apparent from this that the Word is inwardly full of life, consequently that it is not dead but alive in a person who reads it and thinks of it in a reverent way. Moreover, everything in the Word is made alive by the Lord, for with the Lord it becomes life, as the Lord also says in John:
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. (John 6:63)
The life that flows in from the Lord through the Word is the light of truth that flows into the intellect and the love of good that flows into the will. This love and that light together make the life of heaven in a person, which is called eternal life. The Lord also teaches:
... the Word was God.... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1, 4)
2. II. The Word is inwardly alive.
When the Word is read by a person who treats it as holy, then in the second heaven its natural sense becomes spiritual, and in the third celestial, as the natural is successively shed. This happens because there is a correspondence between the natural, spiritual and celestial, and the Word is written by means of nothing but correspondences. The Word's natural sense is as it is in the literal sense, all of which becomes spiritual, and then celestial, in the heavens. And when it becomes spiritual, then it there lives from the light of truth in it, and when it becomes celestial it lives from the flame of good in it. For the spiritual ideas of the angels of the second heaven derive from the light there, which is in essence Divine truth; but the celestial ideas of the angels of the third heaven derive from the flame of good, which is in essence Divine good. For in the second heaven the light is brilliant white, and this enables the angels there to think; and in the third heaven the light is flame-like, and this enables the angels there to think.
The thoughts of angels are utterly different from those of people on earth. Their thinking takes place by means of light, either brilliant white or flame-like; these are beyond the range of a natural description. These facts make it clear that the Word is inwardly alive, and so is not dead but living for a person who has holy thoughts about the Word when he reads it. Moreover, everything in the Word is made alive by the Lord, for it becomes life with the Lord, as the Lord says in John:
The words I speak to you are spirit and life. John 6:63.
The life which flows from the Lord through the Word is the light of truth working on the intellect, and the love of good working on the will. This love and that light linked together make the life of heaven for a person, what is called everlasting life. The Lord too teaches:
The Word was God. In Him was life and His life was the light of men. John 1:4.
2. II. THE WORD INWARDLY IS LIVING.
When the Word is read by a man who esteems it holy, its natural sense then becomes spiritual in the second heaven, and celestial in the third heaven, thus it is successively stripped of its natural (sense); the reason is, because the natural, spiritual, and celestial (senses) correspond to each other, and the Word is written by mere correspondences. The natural sense of the Word is such as it is in the sense of the letter, every particular of which becomes spiritual, and afterwards celestial in the heavens; and when it becomes spiritual it then lives in heaven from the light of truth therein, and when it becomes celestial, it lives from the flame of good therein; for spiritual ideas, with the angels of the second heaven, derive their origin from the light existing there, which in its essence is Divine Truth; but the celestial ideas, with the angels of the third heaven, derive their origin from the flame of good, which in its essence is Divine Good. For in the second heaven there is a white light, from which the angels who are in that heaven think, and in the third heaven there is a flaming light, from which the angels who are in that heaven think. The thoughts of angels differ entirely from the thoughts of men; they think by lights either bright white or flamy, which are such that they can never be described in natural language. From this it appears that the Word is inwardly living, consequently that it is not dead, but alive with that man who, while reading the Word, thinks holily concerning it. Moreover, everything of the Word is vivified by the Lord; because with the Lord it becomes life, as the Lord also says in John:
The words which I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life (John 6:63).
The life, which by means of the Word flows in from the Lord, is the light of truth in the understanding, and the love of good in the will; this love and that light constitute together the life of heaven, which life with man is called eternal life. The Lord also teaches:
God was the Word, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4.)
2. Quod Verbum interius vivum sit
Cum Verbum legitur ab homine, qui illud sanctum habet, tunc sensus ejus naturalis fit spiritualis in secundo coelo, et fit coelestis in tertio; ita successive exuitur naturale; hoc fit quia naturale, spirituale et coeleste sibi correspondent, ac Verbum per meras correspondentias conscriptum est; sensus naturalis Verbi est qualis est in sensu literae, cujus omne fit spirituale, et dein coeleste in coelis; et cum fit spirituale, tunc ibi vivit ex luce veri ibi, et cum fit coeleste vivit ex flamma boni ibi: ideae enim spirituales apud angelos secundi coeli trahunt ex luce ibi, quae in sua essentia est Divinum Verum; ideae autem coelestes apud angelos tertii coeli, trahunt ex flamma boni, quae in sua essentia est Divinum Bonum; nam in secundo coelo est Lux candida, ex qua angeli ibi cogitant, et in tertio coelo est lux flammea, ex qua angeli ibi cogitant; cogitationes angelorum prorsus differunt a cogitationibus hominum; cogitant per luces, candidas vel flammeas, quae tales sunt ut naturaliter describi nequeant. Ex his patet, quod Verbum interius vivat, ita quod non mortuum sit sed vivum apud hominem, qui de Verbo, cum id legit, sancte cogitat: praeterea omne Verbi vivificatur a Domino, fit enim apud Dominum vita, ut quoque Dominus dicit apud Johannem,
Verba quae Ego loquor vobis, spiritus sunt, et vita sunt, 6:63;
vita quae per Verbum a Domino influit est lux veri in intellectum, et amor boni in voluntatem; hic amor et illa lux conjunctim faciunt vitam coeli, quae vocatur vita aeterna, apud hominem; docet etiam Dominus, Deus erat Verbum; in Ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum, Johannem 1:1, 4.