Divine Love and Wisdom (Rogers) n. 108

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108. The distance between the sun and angels in the spiritual world is an appearance in accordance with their reception of Divine love and wisdom. All misconceptions that prevail in evil people and in the simple originate from affirming appearances. As long as appearances remain appearances, they are apparent truths, and everyone may think and speak in terms of them. But when they are accepted as actual truths, which happens when people affirm them, then apparent truths become falsities and misconceptions. For example, it is an appearance that the sun travels daily about the earth and proceeds annually in a path along the ecliptic. As long as this is not affirmed, it is an apparent truth, and everyone may think and speak in terms of it. For one may say that the sun rises and sets, and so produces in succession morning, midday, evening and night. Or one may say that the sun is now in such and such a degree of the ecliptic or of its altitude and now in that, and so produces in succession spring, summer, fall and winter. But when one affirms this appearance as being the actual truth, then out of his misconception the affirmer thinks and speaks falsity. So it is with countless other appearances, not only in natural, civil and moral matters, but also in spiritual ones.


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