1. The Sacred Scripture, or Word, Is Divine Truth Itself

Everyone says that the Word comes from God, is Divinely inspired, and so is holy. But even so, no one has known before this wherein the Divinity in it lies. For in its letter the Word appears as though written in the ordinary way, in a foreign style, neither as sublime or nor as lucid as writings of the present age seem to be.

As a result, a person who worships nature as God, or in preference to God, and so thinks prompted by self and his own self-interest, and not prompted by heaven in response to the Lord, may easily fall into error regarding the Word, and into scorning it, and when reading it, saying to himself, “What is this? What is that? Is this Divine? Can God, whose wisdom is infinite, speak so? Where is the holiness in it, and what makes it holy, other than some teaching of religion and so conviction?”

42. Since our Word in its inmost embrace is, owing to its celestial sense, like a flame that kindles, and since in its intermediate embrace it is, owing to its spiritual sense, like a light that enlightens, therefore the Word in its outmost embrace is, owing to its natural sense and the two inner senses it contains, like a ruby and a diamond — like a ruby because of the celestial flame, and like a diamond because of the spiritual light.

Because that is the nature of the Word in its literal sense as regards its transparence, therefore the Word in that sense is meant by the foundations of the wall of Jerusalem, by the Urim and Thummim in the ephod of Aaron, by the Garden of Eden in which the King of Tyre had been; and also by the curtains and veils of the Tabernacle, and by the outer arrangements of the Temple in Jerusalem. However, it is meant in its real glory by the Lord when He was transfigured.

221. Divine Worship in Heaven

Outwardly, divine worship in the heavens is not unlike divine worship on earth, but inwardly it is different. People there too have doctrines and sermons and church buildings. The doctrines agree in essentials, but those in the higher heavens are of deeper wisdom than those of lower heavens. The sermons are in keeping with the doctrines; and just as they have homes and mansions (183-190), they also have church buildings where the instruction takes place.

The reason things like this exist in heaven is that angels are constantly being perfected in wisdom and love. They have volition and intellect just as we do, and their intellect, like their intentions, is by nature constantly striving toward perfection — their intellect by means of the truths that constitute intelligence and their intentions through the values that constitute love. ¹

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