t seen or are seen obscurely as a single thing by
those who are only in natural light.

{Footnote 1} The church specifically is where the Word is and
where the Lord is known by means of it, thus where Divine
truths from heaven are revealed (n. 3857, 10761). The Lord's
church is with all in the whole globe who live in good in
accordance with the principles of their religion (n. 3263,
6637, 10765). All wherever they are who live in good in
accordance with the principles of their religion and who
acknowledge the Divine are accepted of the Lord (n. 2589-2604,
2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197, 6700, 9256). And besides these
all children wheresoever they are born (n. 2289-2309, 4792).

309. Unless such a Word had been given on this earth the man of this
earth would have been separated from heaven; and if separated from
heaven he would have ceased to be rational, for the human rational
exists by an influx of the light of heaven. Again, the man of this
earth is such that he is not capable of receiving direct revelation
and of being taught about Divine truths by such revelation, as the
inhabitants of other earths are, that have been especially described
in another small work. For the man of this earth is more in worldly
things, that is, in externals, than the men of other earths, and it
is internal things that are receptive of revelation; if it were
received in external things the truth would not be understood. That
such is the man of this earth is clearly evident from the state of
those who are within the church, which is such that while they know
from the Word about heaven, about hell, about the life after death,
still in heart they deny these things; although among them there are
some who have acquired a pre-eminent reputation for learning, and who
might for that reason be supposed to be wiser than others.

310. I have at times talked with angels about the Word, saying that
it is despised by some on account of its simple style; and that
nothing whatever is known about its internal sense, and for this
reason it is not believed that so much wisdom lies hid in it. The
angels said that although the style of the Word seems simple in the
sense of the letter, it is such that nothing can ever be compared to
it in excellence, since Divine wisdom lies concealed not only in the
meaning as a whole but also in each word; and that in heaven this
wisdom shines forth. They wished to declare that this wisdom is the
lig