e considered more
fully hereafter, where the form of heaven in accord with which the
angelic societies are arranged, and also the wisdom and intelligence
of angels, will be treated of, for in accordance with that form all
extension of affections and thoughts proceeds.
{Footnote 1} A spiritual sphere, which is the sphere of life
flows out from every man, spirit, and angel, and encompasses
them (n. 4464, 5179, 7454, 5630). It flows forth from the life
of their affection and thought (n. 2459, 4464, 6206). These
spheres extend themselves far into angelic societies in
accordance with the quality and quantity of their good (n.
6598-6612, 8063, 5794, 5797).
{Footnote 2} In the heavens a sharing of all goods is possible
because heavenly love shares with another everything that is
its own (n. 549, 550, 1390, 1391, 1399, 10130, 10723).
50. It has been said above that in the heavens there are larger and
smaller societies. The larger consist of myriads of angels, the
smaller of some thousands, and the least of some hundreds. There are
also some that dwell apart, house by house as it were, and family by
family. Although these live in this scattered way, they are arranged
in order like those who live in societies, the wiser in the middle
and the more simple in the borders. Such are more closely under the
Divine auspices of the Lord, and are the best of the angels.
51. VII. EACH SOCIETY IS A HEAVEN IN A SMALLER FORM, AND EACH ANGEL
IN THE SMALLEST FORM.
Each society is a heaven in a smaller form, and each angel in the
smallest form, because it is the good of love and of faith that makes
heaven, and this good is in each society of heaven and in each angel
of a society. It does not matter that this good everywhere differs
and varies, it is still the good of heaven; and there is no
difference except that heaven has one quality here and another there.
So when any one is raised up into any society of heaven he is said to
come into heaven; and those who are there are said to be in heaven,
and each one in his own. This is known to all in the other life;
consequently those standing outside of or beneath heaven, when they
see at a distance companies of angels, say that heaven is in this or
that place. It is comparatively like civil and military officers and
attendants in a royal palace or castle, who, although dwelling apart
in their own quarters or chambers above and below, are yet in the
same palace or c
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