True Christian Religion (Chadwick) n. 242

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242. The angels themselves declare that all their wisdom comes through the Word; for the light they enjoy depends upon how deep is their understanding of the Word. The light of heaven is Divine wisdom, which is visible to their eyes as light. In the shrine where a copy of the Word is stored, the light is flame-like and brilliant, surpassing in intensity any light in heaven outside it. The wisdom of the celestial angels exceeds that of the spiritual angels, more or less to the same extent as that exceeds that of human beings. This is because the celestial angels have the good of love from the Lord, and the spiritual angels have the truths of wisdom from the Lord. Where the good of love is, there too dwells wisdom; but where truths are, wisdom does not dwell except to the extent that the good of love is there too. This is why the Word is written differently in the Lord's celestial kingdom from that in His spiritual kingdom. For in the Word of the celestial kingdom the expressions convey the different kinds of good of love and the characters the affections of love; in the Word of the spiritual kingdom the expressions convey the truths of wisdom, the characters the inward perceptions of truth. These facts will allow one to conclude what wisdom there is lurking hidden in the Word we have in the world. For in it lies hidden all the wisdom of the angels, which is beyond description; and a person after death enters into possession of this wisdom, if by means of the Word he is made an angel by the Lord.


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