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?”

93. I have spoken with some in the spiritual world who lived many centuries ago and confirmed themselves in the falsities of their religion, and I found that they remained steadfastly caught up in them.

I have also spoken with some there who were adherents of the same religion and thought as those others did, but who inwardly did not affirm its falsities, and I found that on being instructed by angels, they rejected the falsities and learned truths, and were saved, unlike the others.

Every person after death is instructed by angels, and those who see truths, and falsities in the light of those truths, are accepted. For everyone is given the ability after death to see truths spiritually. Those who have not confirmed themselves in falsities see truths, whereas those who have so confirmed themselves are unwilling to see truths, and if they do see them, they turn their backs on them, and then either deride them or falsify them.