From The Doctrines For Spiritual Christianity
When the whole heaven is presented before the sight as one man, the inmost or third heaven answers to the head, the middle or second heaven to the body, and the lowest or first to the feet. The inmost or third heaven answers to the head because it is celestial, and the middle or second answers to the body because it is spiritual, and the lowest or first answers to the feet because it is natural. (Arcana Coelestia 5328)
It is well known that there are three heavens, that one heaven is interiorly within another, and that the third heaven is the inmost. These heavens are utterly distinct and separate, each a separate degree from the others. Members of the inmost or third are closer to the Lord; members of the less interior or second are more remote; and members of the exterior or first are more remote still. No communication between those heavens is possible other than a communication like that of the inmost parts of the human being with the exterior parts of him, for anyone who is governed by love to the Lord and by charity towards the neighbour is a miniature heaven, corresponding in image to the three heavens. In addition, he receives from those three heavens an influx, in three similar degrees, of good and truth from the Lord. What each of these is like compared with the other two becomes clear from the two examples introduced above in 3688 and 3690. Those who are governed by true love to the Lord, so much so that they have a perception of that love, are in the higher degree of good and truth. They are in the inmost or third heaven, thus closer to the Lord, and are called celestial angels. Those however who are governed by charity towards the neighbour, so much so that they have a perception of that charity but not so much a perception of love to the Lord, are in a lower degree of good and truth. They are in the interior or second heaven, accordingly more remote from the Lord, and are referred to as spiritual angels. Those however who are governed by charity towards the neighbour that arises solely from an affection for truth, so much so that they do not have any perception of that charity towards the neighbour except from the truth for which they have an affection, are in a still lower degree of good and truth. They are in the exterior or first heaven, accordingly more remote still from the Lord, and are termed good spirits. This shows to some extent the relationship of these degrees to one another, that is to say, it shows that things existing in a higher degree present an image of themselves that is formed from the things belonging to the degree immediately below them. Love to the Lord contains the closest image of the Lord. That image is called a likeness and therefore people who are governed by true love to the Lord are called likenesses of Him. Charity too contains an image of the Lord, though in a more remote way – for within genuine charity the Lord is present – and therefore people who are governed by such charity are referred to as His images, see 50, 51, 1013. But those who are governed by the affection for truth and consequently by a certain kind of charity towards the neighbour are also images of the Lord, yet in a more remote way still. Into these separate degrees the three heavens are distinguished, and in accordance with those same degrees the Lord flows in with Divine Good and Truth, and so with wisdom and intelligence, together with heavenly joy and happiness. (Arcana Coelestia 3691{3-5})
The angels in the Lord’s celestial kingdom, from their more interior reception of the Divine of the Lord, far excel in wisdom and glory the angels that are in His spiritual kingdom; for they are in love to the Lord, and consequently are nearer and more closely conjoined to Him. These angels are such because they have received and continue to receive Divine truths at once in their life, and not first in memory and thought, as the spiritual angels do. Consequently they have Divine truths written in their hearts, and they perceive them, and as it were see them, in themselves; nor do they ever reason about them whether they are true or not. They are such as are described in Jeremiah: I will put my law in their mind, and will write it in their heart. They shall teach no more everyone his friend and everyone his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah. They shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them (31:33, 34). And they are called in Isaiah: Taught of Jehovah (54:13). That the “taught of Jehovah” are those who are taught by the Lord He Himself teaches in John (6:45, 46). (Heaven and Hell 25)
The inmost heaven, the middle heaven, and the ultimate heaven, or what amounts to the same, the third, second, and first heavens. The inmost or third heaven is celestial, the angels there being called celestial because they are governed by love to the Lord and as a consequence are the ones most closely linked to the Lord. And that being so they excel all other angels in wisdom. They are innocent and are for that reason called embodiments of innocence and wisdom. These angels are divided into internal and external, the internal being more celestial than the external. The middle or second heaven is spiritual, the angels there being called spiritual because they are governed by charity towards the neighbour, that is, by mutual love, the nature of which is such that one angel loves another more than himself. And because their nature is such, intelligence is present within them and for that reason they are called embodiments of intelligence. These angels too are divided into internal and external, the internal being more spiritual than the external. But the ultimate or first heaven is also celestial and spiritual, though not in the same degree as the previous ones; for the natural is closely associated with them, and so for that reason they are called celestial-natural and spiritual-natural. They too are governed by mutual love, but they do not love others more than themselves, only as themselves. What governs them is an affection for good and a knowledge of truth. They also are divided into internal and external. (Arcana Coelestia 4286)
Key Points From The Video
Heaven Represented by the Human Body: Heaven is symbolically represented by the human body, with three degrees or levels of mind: celestial, spiritual, and natural, each reflecting Divine love and truth.
The Celestial Heaven: The highest heaven, the celestial heaven, is characterised by intrinsic love to the Lord, giving angels a deep spiritual intimacy with the Divine.
The Spiritual Heaven: The middle heaven, the spiritual heaven, focuses on love of the neighbour, creating a community of selfless support and altruism.
The Nature of Charity: Charity in the spiritual heaven surpasses self-love, prioritising the well-being of others, aligning with the Divine principle of selflessness.
The Natural Heaven: The lowest heaven, the natural heaven, is characterised by a balanced love for goodness and a knowledge of spiritual truth.
Natural Love and Spiritual Truth: Angels of the natural heaven love others as themselves and are classified as celestially-natural or spiritually-natural, reflecting their unique spiritual qualities.
Hierarchy and Harmony in Heaven: The hierarchical structure of heaven creates a cohesive spiritual entity where each level contributes to the overall harmony of the heavenly community.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How is heaven represented in Spiritual Christianity?
a) As a physical place
b) As a single level
c) Through material wealth
d) By the human body
Answer: d)
2. What characterises the celestial heaven?
a) Love for material possessions
b) Intrinsic love to the Lord
c) Charity towards neighbours
d) Knowledge of spiritual truth
Answer: b) Intrinsic love to the Lord
3. What is the primary focus of the spiritual heaven?
a) Direct love for the Lord
b) Selfish desires
c) Love of the neighbour
d) Material wealth
Answer: c)
4. How is charity in the spiritual heaven described?
a) Focused on self-love
b) Prioritising the well-being of others
c) Based on material possessions
d) Limited to family and friends
Answer: b)
5. What distinguishes the natural heaven?
a) Direct connection with the Divine
b) Complete detachment from material world
c) Focus on self-love
d) Balanced love for goodness and spiritual truth
Answer: b)
Reflective Questions
1. How can understanding the hierarchical structure of heaven influence your spiritual practices and priorities?
2. In what ways can you cultivate a balance between love for goodness and knowledge of spiritual truth in your daily life?
3. How does the principle of selflessness in the spiritual heaven inspire you to enhance your relationships with others?
Experiential Integration Exercise
Reflection on Spiritual Hierarchy
- Morning Intention: Start your day by setting an intention to embody the qualities of the celestial, spiritual, and natural heavens.
- Throughout the Day: Practice acts of selflessness towards others, reflecting on how these actions align with Divine love and truth.
- Evening Reflection: Reflect on how practicing these qualities influenced your interactions throughout the day. Again, without judging them, also take note of what resistances came up for you .
Further Exploration
Only he who knows how degrees are related to Divine order can comprehend how the heavens are distinct, or even what is meant by the internal and the external man. Most men in the world have no other idea of what is interior and what is exterior, or of what is higher and what is lower, than as something continuous, or coherent by continuity, from purer to grosser. But the relation of what is interior to what is exterior is discrete, not continuous. Degrees are of two kinds, those that are continuous and those that are not. Continuous degrees are related like the degrees of the waning of a light from its bright blaze to darkness, or like the degrees of the decrease of vision from objects in the light to those in the shade, or like degrees of purity in the atmosphere from bottom to top. These degrees are determined by distance. On the other hand, degrees that are not continuous, but discrete, are distinguished like prior and posterior, like cause and effect, and like what produces and what is produced. Whoever looks into the matter will see that in each thing and all things in the whole world, whatever they are, there are such degrees of producing and compounding, that is, from one a second, and from that a third, and so on. Until one has acquired for himself a perception of these degrees he cannot possibly understand the differences between the heavens, nor between the interior and exterior faculties of man, nor the differences between the spiritual world and the natural world, nor between the spirit of man and his body. So neither can he understand the nature and source of correspondences and representations, or the nature of influx. Sensual men do not apprehend these differences, for they make increase and decrease, even according to these degrees, to be continuous, and are therefore unable to conceive of what is spiritual otherwise than as a purer natural. And in consequence they remain outside of and a great way off from intelligence. (Heaven and Hell 38{1-3})
Finally, a certain arcanum respecting the angels of the three heavens, which has not hitherto come into any one’s mind, because degrees have not been understood, may be related. In every angel and also in every man there is an inmost or highest degree, or an inmost or highest something, into which the Divine of the Lord primarily or proximately flows, and from which it disposes the other interiors in him that follow in accordance with the degrees of order. This inmost or highest degree may be called the entrance of the Lord to the angel or man, and His veriest dwelling-place in them. It is by virtue of this inmost or highest that a man is a man, and is distinguished from irrational animals, for these do not have it. From this it is that man, unlike the animals, is capable, in respect to all his interiors which pertain to his mind and disposition, of being raised up by the Lord to Himself, of believing in the Lord, of being moved by love to the Lord, and thereby beholding Him, and of receiving intelligence and wisdom, and speaking from reason. Also, it is by virtue of this that he lives to eternity. But what is arranged and provided by the Lord in this inmost does not distinctly flow into the perception of any angel, because it is above his thought and transcends his wisdom. (Heaven and Hell 39)