s a conjunction of the Lord with the angels
and of the angels with Him, therefore is reciprocal. The Lord flows into
the life's love of the angels, and they receive Him in wisdom, thus in
turn conjoining themselves with Him. It must be said, however, that it
seems to the angels that they conjoin themselves to the Lord by wisdom;
actually the Lord conjoins them to Himself by their wisdom, for the
wisdom is also from the Lord. It is the same thing if we say that the
Lord conjoins Himself to the angels by good and they in turn conjoin
themselves to the Lord by truth, for all good is of love, and truth, of
wisdom.
[3] This reciprocal conjunction is an arcanum, however, which few can
understand unless it is explained. I want therefore to unfold it so far
as it can be done by things within one's grasp. We showed in the treatise
_Divine Love and Wisdom_ (nn. 404, 405) how love unites itself with
wisdom, namely, through affection for knowing from which comes an
affection for truth, through affection for understanding from which comes
perception of truth, and through affection for seeing what is known and
understood, from which comes thought. Into all these affections the Lord
flows, for they are all derivatives of one's life's love, and the angels
receive the influx in perception of truth and in thought, for in these
the influx becomes apparent to them, but not in the affections.
[4] As the perceptions and thoughts appear to the angels to be their own,
although they arise from affections which are from the Lord, the
appearance is that the angels reciprocally conjoin themselves to the
Lord, when nevertheless the Lord conjoins them to Himself. The affection
itself produces the perceptions and thoughts, for the affection, which is
of love, is their soul. Apart from affection no one can perceive or think
anything, and every one perceives and thinks according to his affection.
It is evident that the reciprocal conjunction of the angels with the Lord
is not from them, but as it were from them. Such, too, is the conjunction
of the Lord with the church and of the church with Him, a union called
celestial and spiritual marriage.
29. All conjunction in the spiritual world is effected by intent regard.
When anyone there thinks of another with a desire to speak with him, the
other is at once present, and the two come face to face. Likewise, when
one thinks of another from an affection of love; by this affection,
however, there is conj
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