[p029]
68. That every society of heaven is in the human form and likeness, it has at times been granted me to see. There was a certain society into which many spirits had insinuated themselves who, being hypocrites, knew how to feign themselves angels of light. While these hypocrites were being separated from the angels, I saw that the whole society appeared at first as one indistinct object, then by degrees assumed the human form but still indistinctly, and at last appeared clearly as a man. Those who were in that human form and composed it were imbued with the good of that society. The rest, who were not in that human form and did not compose it, were hypocrites who were rejected, but the others were retained; in this way separation was effected. Hypocrites are those who speak and act with propriety, but consult their own advantage in every thing. They talk like angels about the Lord, heaven, love and heavenly life; and they also act with propriety, that they may appear to be such in action as they are in speech; but their thoughts are different, for they believe nothing that they say and do not wish well to any but themselves. When, therefore, they do good, it is for the sake of themselves, and even if they do good for the sake of others it is only in order to be seen doing it and thus still for the sake of themselves.
- $/ with propriety: 예법에 따라 적절히
69. That a whole angelic society, when the Lord manifests Himself as present, appears as one object in human form, it has also been granted me to see. There appeared on high towards the east, as it were, a cloud of shining whiteness with a rosy tinge, encompassed with little stars. It was descending, and as it gradually came down it became brighter till at length it was seen to be in a perfect human form. The little stars round about the cloud were angels who appeared as stars by virtue of light proceeding from the Lord.
[p030]
70. It is to be observed that although all who dwell in a society of heaven, when seen collectively, appear as one object in a human form, yet no one society is in exactly the same human form as another. They differ from one another, for the reason given above (n. 47), because they vary according to the different kind of good in which they live; for this determines their form. The societies in the inmost or highest heaven, and especially in its center, are those which appear in the most perfect and beautiful human form.
71. It is worthy of remark that the more members there are in any society of heaven, all acting in unison, the more perfect is its human form; for variety arranged in a heavenly form produces perfection, as has been shown above (n. 56); and numbers produce variety. Every society of heaven, also, increases in number daily, and as it increases, it becomes more perfect. Thus not only the society but also heaven as a whole is being perfected, because heaven is composed of various societies. Since increasing numbers make heaven more perfect, it is evident how much they are deceived who believe that heaven will be closed when it is full. On the contrary, heaven will never be closed, for the fuller it becomes, the greater its perfection. Accordingly the angels desire nothing more earnestly than to receive new angel guests among them.
72. Every society, when viewed collectively, appears in the human form, because heaven as a whole has that form, as was shown in the preceding chapter; and because in a most perfect form, such as that of heaven, the parts bear the likeness of the whole, and the smaller divisions that of the greater. The smaller divisions and parts of heaven are the societies of which it consists, and that these are heavens on a smaller scale may be seen above (n. 51-58). This likeness is constant, because in the heavens the good of all is derived from one single love as its source. The single love which is the source of all the good of heaven is love to the Lord derived from Himself; hence it is that the whole of heaven in general, each society less generally and each angel in particular bears the likeness of the Lord, as has already been shown (n. 58).
즐겨찾는 글동네 > 되돌아볼 옛 고전 > Emanuel Swedenborg
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