The nature of angelic wisdom can scarcely be comprehended, because it
so greatly transcends human wisdom that the two cannot be compared;
and whatever is thus transcendent does not seem to be any thing.
Moreover, some truths that must enter into a description of it are as
yet unknown, and until these become known they exist in the mind as
shadows, and thus hide the thing as it is in itself. Nevertheless,
these truths can be known, and when known be comprehended, provided
the mind takes any interest in them; for interest carries light with
it because it is from love; and upon those who love the things
pertaining to Divine and heavenly wisdom light shines forth from
heaven and gives enlightenment.
266. What the wisdom of the angels is can be inferred from the fact
that they are in the light of heaven, and the light of heaven in its
essence is Divine truth or Divine wisdom; and this light enlightens
at the same time their inner sight, or sight of the mind, and their
outer sight, or sight of the eyes. (That the light of heaven is
Divine truth or Divine wisdom may be seen above, n. 126-133.) The
angels are also in heavenly heat, which in its essence is Divine good
or Divine love, and from that they have an affection and longing to
become wise. (That the heat of heaven is Divine good or Divine love
may be seen above, n. 133-140.) That the angels are in wisdom, even
to the extent that they may be called wisdoms, follows from the fact
that their thoughts and affections all flow in accordance with the
heavenly form, and this form is the form of Divine wisdom; also that
their interiors, which are recipients of wisdom, are arranged in that
form. (That the thoughts and affections of angels flow in accordance
with the form of heaven, and consequently their intelligence and
wisdom, may be seen above, n. 201-212.) [2] That the angels have
supereminent wisdom is shown also by the fact that their speech is
the speech of wisdom, for it flows directly and spontaneously from
thought, and their thought from their affection, thus their speech is
thought from affection in outward form; consequently there is nothing
to withdraw them from the Divine influx, and nothing from without
such as enters into the speech of man from other thoughts. (That the
speech of angels is the speech of their thought and affection may be
seen above, n. 234-235.) That the angels have such wisdom is in
accord with the fact that all things that they behold with their eyes
and perceive by their senses agree with their wisdom, since they are
correspondences of it, and thus the objects perceived are
representative forms of the things that constitute their wisdom.
(That all things seen in the heavens are correspondences with the
interiors of angels and representations of their wisdom may be seen
above, n. 170-182.) [3] Furthermore, the thoughts of angels are not
limited and contracted by ideas from space and time, as human
thoughts are, for spaces and times belong to nature, and the things
that belong to nature withdraw the mind from spiritual things, and
deprive intellectual sight of its proper range. (That the ideas of
angels are apart from time and space, and thus less limited than
human ideas, may be seen above, n. 162-169 and 191-199.) Again, the
thoughts of angels are neither brought down to earthly and material
things, nor interrupted by anxieties about the necessities of life;
thus they are not withdrawn by such things from the delights of
wisdom, as the thoughts of men in the world are; for all things come
to them gratuitously from the Lord; they are clothed gratuitously,
are fed gratuitously, are housed gratuitously (n. 181-190), and
besides this they receive delights and pleasures in the degree of
their reception of wisdom from the Lord. These things have been said
to make clear why it is that angels have so great wisdom.{1}
{Footnote 1} The wisdom of angels, that it is incomprehensible
and ineffable (n. 2795, 2796, 2802, 3314, 3404, 3405, 9094,
9176).
267. Angels are capable of receiving such wisdom because their
interiors are open; and wisdom, like every other perfection,
increases towards the interiors, thus to the extent that interiors
are opened.{1} In every angel there are three degrees of life,
corresponding to the three heavens (see n. 29-40)--those in whom the
first degree has been opened are in the first or outmost heaven;
those in whom the second degree has been opened are in the second or
middle heaven; while those in whom the third degree has been opened
are in the third or inmost heaven. The wisdom of angels in the
heavens is in accordance with these degrees. Therefore the wisdom of
the angels of the inmost heaven immeasurably surpasses the wisdom of
angels of the middle heaven, and the wisdom of these immeasurably
surpasses the wisdom of angels of the outmost heaven (see above,
n. 209, 210; and what degrees are, n. 38). There are such differences
because the things which are in the higher degree are particulars,
and those in the lower degree are generals, and generals are
containants of particulars. Particulars compared with generals are as
thousands or myriads to one; and such is the wisdom of the angels of
a higher heaven compared with the wisdom of the angels of a lower
heaven. In like manner the wisdom of the latter surpasses the wisdom
of man, for man is in a bodily state and in those things that belong
to the bodily senses, and man's bodily sense belongs to the lowest
degree. This makes clear what kind of wisdom those possess who think
from things of sense, that is, who are called sensual men, namely,
that they have no wisdom, but merely knowledge.{2} But it is
otherwise with men whose thoughts are raised above the things of
sense, and especially with those whose interiors have been opened
even into the light of heaven.
{Footnote 1} So far as man is raised up from outward towards
inward things he comes into light, that is, into intelligence
(n. 6183, 6313). There is an actual elevation (n. 7816, 10330).
Elevation from outward to inward things is like elevation out
of a mist into light (n. 4598). As outer things in man are
farther removed from the Divine they are relatively obscure (n.
6451). Likewise relatively confused (n. 996, 3855). Inner
things are more perfect because they are nearer to the Divine
(n. 5146, 5147). In what is internal there are thousands and
thousands of things that appear in what is external as one
general thing (n. 5707). Consequently as thought and perception
are more interior they are clearer (n. 5920).
{Footnote 2} The sensual is the outmost of man's life adhering
to and inhering in his bodily part (n. 5077, 5767, 9212, 9216,
9331, 9730). He is called a sensual man who judges all things
and draws all his conclusions from the bodily senses, and
believes nothing except what he sees with his eyes and touches
with his hands (n. 5094, 7693). Such a man thinks in externals,
and not interiorly in himself (n. 5089, 5094, 6564, 7693). His
interiors are so closed up that he sees nothing of spiritual
truth in them (n. 6564, 6844, 6845). In a word, he is in gross
natural light and thus perceives nothing that is from the light
of heaven (n. 6201, 6310, 6564, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624,
6844, 6845). Interiorly he is antagonistic to the things of
heaven and the church (n. 6201, 6316, 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949).
The learned who have confirmed themselves against the truths of
the church come to be such (n. 6316). Sensual men are more
cunning and malicious than others (n. 7693, 10236). They reason
keenly and cunningly, but from the bodily memory, in which they
place all intelligence (n. 195, 196, 5700, 10236). But they
reason from the fallacies of the senses (n. 5084, 6948, 6949,
7693).
268. It can be seen how great the wisdom of angels is from the fact
that in the heavens there is a communication of all things;
intelligence and wisdom are communicated from one to another, and
heaven is a common sharing of all goods; and this for the reason that
heavenly love is such that it wishes what is its own to be another's;
consequently no one in heaven perceives his own good in himself to be
good unless it is also in another; and this is the source of the
happiness of heaven. This the angels derive from the Lord, for such
is His Divine love. That there is such a communication of all things
in the heavens it has been permitted me to know by experience.
Certain simple spirits were at one time taken up into heaven, and
when there they entered into angelic wisdom, and then understood
things that they were never before able to comprehend, and spoke
things that they were unable to utter in their former state.
269. The wisdom of the angels is indescribable in words; it can only
be illustrated by some general things. Angels can express in a single
word what a man cannot express in a thousand words. Again, a single
angelic word contains innumerable things that cannot be expressed in
the words of human language; for in each of the things uttered by
angels there are arcana of wisdom in continuous connection that human
knowledges never reach. Again, what the angels fail to express in the
words of their speech they make up by the tone, in which there is an
affection for the things in their order; for (as has been said above,
n. 236, 241) tones express affections, as words express ideas of
thought from the affections; and for this reason the things heard in
heaven are said to be ineffable. So, too, the angels are able to
express in a few words every least thing written in an entire volume,
and give to every word meanings that elevate the mind to interior
wisdom; for their speech is such as to be in accord with their
affections, and each word is in accord with their ideas; and their
words are varied in infinite ways in accord with the series of things
which in complex are in the thought. [2] Still again, the interior
angels are able to perceive from the tone and from a few words the
entire life of one speaking; for from the tone as varied by the ideas
in the words they perceive his ruling love upon which, as it were,
every particular of his life is inscribed.{1} All this makes clear
the nature of angelic wisdom. In comparison with human wisdom it is
as a myriad to one, or as the moving forces of the whole body, which
are numberless, to the activities from them which appear to human
sense as a single thing, or as the thousand particulars of an object
seen under a perfect microscope to the one obscure thing seen by the
naked eye. [3] Let me illustrate the subject by an example. An angel
from his wisdom was describing regeneration, and brought forward
arcana respecting it in their order even to some hundreds, filling
each of them with ideas in which there were interior arcana, and this
from beginning to end; for he explained how the spiritual man is
conceived anew, is carried as it were in the womb, is born, grows up
and is gradually perfected. He said that the number of arcana could
be increased even to thousands, and that those told were only about
the regeneration of the external man, while there were numberless
more about the regeneration of the internal man. From these and other
like things heard from the angels it has been made clear to me how
great is their wisdom, and how great in comparison is the ignorance
of man, who scarcely knows what regeneration is, and is ignorant of
every least step of the process when he is being regenerated.
{Footnote 1} That which universally rules or is dominant in man
is in every particular of his life, thus in each thing and all
things of his thought and affection (n. 4459, 5949, 6159, 6571,
7648, 8067, 8853-8858). A man is such as his ruling love is (n.
917, 1040, 8858); illustrated by examples (n. 8854, 8857). That
which rules universally constitutes the life of the spirit of
man (n. 7648). It is his very will, his very love, and the end
of his life, since that which a man will he loves, and that
which he loves he has as an end (n. 1317, 1568, 1571, 1909,
3796, 5949, 6936). Therefore man is such as his will is, or
such as his ruling love is, or such as the end of his life is
(n. 1568, 1571, 3570, 4054, 6571, 6935, 6938, 8856, 10076,
10109, 10110, 10284).
270. The wisdom of the angels of the third or inmost heaven shall now
be described, and also how far it surpasses the wisdom of the angels
of the first or outmost heaven. The wisdom of the angels of the third
or inmost heaven is incomprehensible even to those who are in the
outmost heaven, for the reason that the interiors of the angels of
the third heaven have been opened to the third degree, while the
interiors of angels of the first heaven have been opened only to the
first degree; and all wisdom increases towards interiors and is
perfected as these are opened (n. 208, 267). [2] Because the
interiors of the angels of the third or inmost heaven have been
opened to the third degree, Divine truths are as it were inscribed on
them; for the interiors of the third degree are more in the form of
heaven than the interiors of the second and first degrees, and the
form of heaven is from the Divine truth, thus in accord with the
Divine wisdom, and this is why the truth is as it were inscribed on
these angels, or are as it were instinctive or inborn in them.
Therefore as soon as these angels hear genuine Divine truths they
instantly acknowledge and perceive them, and afterwards see them as
it were inwardly in themselves. As the angels of that heaven are such
they never reason about Divine truths, still less do they dispute
about any truth whether it is so or not; nor do they know what it is
to believe or to have faith. They say, "What is faith? for I perceive
and see that a thing is so." This they illustrate by comparisons; for
example, that it would be as when any one with a companion, seeing a
house and the various things in it and around it, should say to his
companion that he ought to believe that these things exist, and that
they are such as he sees them to be; or seeing a garden and trees and
fruit in it, should say to his companion that he ought to have faith
that there is a garden and trees and fruits, when yet he is seeing
them clearly with his eyes. For this reason these angels never
mention faith, and have no idea what it is; neither do they reason
about Divine truths, still less do they dispute about any truth
whether it is so or not.{1} [3] But the angels of the first or
outmost heaven do not have Divine truths thus inscribed on their
interiors, because with them only the first degree of life is opened;
therefore they reason about truths, and those who reason see almost
nothing beyond the fact of the matter about which they are reasoning,
or go no farther beyond the subject than to confirm it by certain
considerations, and having confirmed it they say that it must be a
matter of faith and must be believed. [4] I have talked with angels
about this, and they said that the difference between the wisdom of
the angels of the third heaven and the wisdom of the angels of the
first heaven is like that between what is clear and what is obscure;
and the former they compared to a magnificent palace full of all
things for use, surrounded on all sides by parks, with magnificent
things of many kinds round about them; and as these angels are in the
truths of wisdom they can enter into the palace and behold all
things, and wander about in the parks in every direction and delight
in it all. But it is not so with those who reason about truths,
especially with those who dispute about them, as such do not see
truths from the light of truth, but accept truths either from others
or from the sense of the letter of the Word, which they do not
interiorly understand, declaring that truths must be believed, or
that one must have faith, and are not willing to have any interior
sight admitted into these things. The angels said that such are
unable to reach the first threshold of the palace of wisdom, still
less to enter into it and wander about in its grounds, for they stop
at the first step. It is not so with those that are in truths
themselves; nothing impedes these from going on and progressing
without limit, for the truths they see lead them wherever they go,
and into wide fields, for every truth has infinite extension and is
in conjunction with manifold others. [5] They said still further that
the wisdom of the angels of the inmost heaven consists principally in
this, that they see Divine and heavenly things in every single
object, and wonderful things in a series of many objects; for
everything that appears before their eyes is a correspondent; as when
they see palaces and gardens their view does not dwell upon the
things that are before their eyes, but they see the interior things
from which they spring, that is, to which they correspond, and this
with all variety in accordance with the aspect of the objects; thus
they see innumerable things at the same time in their order and
connection; and this so fills their minds with delight that they seem
to be carried away from themselves. That all things that are seen in
the heavens correspond to the Divine things that are in the angels
from the Lord may be seen above (n. 170-176).
{Footnote 1} The celestial angels know innumerable things, and
are immeasurably wiser than the spiritual angels (n. 2718). The
celestial angels do not think and talk from faith, as the
spiritual angels do, for they have from the Lord a perception
of all things that constitute faith (n. 202, 597, 607, 784,
1121, 1384, 1442, 1898, 1919, 7680, 7877, 8780, 9277, 10336).
In regard to the truths of faith they say only "Yea, yea, or
Nay, nay," while the spiritual angels reason about whether a
thing is true (n. 2715, 3246, 4448, 9166, 10786, where the
Lord's words, "Let your discourse be Yea, yea, Nay nay" (Matt.
5:37), are explained).
271. Such are the angels of the third heaven because they are in love
to the Lord, and that love opens the interiors of the mind to the
third degree, and is a receptacle of all things of wisdom. It must be
understood also that the angels of the inmost heaven are still being
continually perfected in wisdom, and this differently from the angels
of the outmost heaven. The angels of the inmost heaven do not store
up Divine truths in the memory and thus make out of them a kind of
science; but as soon as they hear them they perceive them and apply
them to the life. For this reason Divine truths are as permanent with
them as if they were inscribed on them, for what is committed in such
a way to the life is contained in it. But it is not so with the
angels of the outmost heaven. These first store up Divine truths in
the memory and stow them away with their knowledge, and draw them out
therefrom to perfect their understanding by them, and will them and
apply them to the life, but with no interior perception whether they
are truths; and in consequence they are in comparative obscurity. It
is a notable fact that the angels of the third heaven are perfected
in wisdom by hearing and not by seeing. What they hear from
preachings does not enter into their memory, but enters directly into
their perception and will, and comes to be a matter of life; but what
they see with their eyes enters into their memory, and they reason
and talk about it; which shows that with them the way of hearing is
the way of wisdom. This, too, is from correspondence, for the ear
corresponds to obedience, and obedience belongs to the life; while
the eye corresponds to intelligence, and intelligence is a matter of
doctrine.{1} The state of these angels is described in different
parts of the Word, as in Jeremiah:
I will put My law in their mind, and write it on their
heart. They shall teach no more everyone his friend and
everyone his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah; for they
shall all know Me, from the least of them even unto the
greatest of them (31:33, 34).
And in Matthew,
Let your speech be Yea, yea, Nay, nay; what is more than
these is from evil (5:37).
"What is more than these is from evil" because it is not from the
Lord; and inasmuch as the angels of the third heaven are in love to
the Lord the truths that are in them are from the Lord. In that
heaven love to the Lord is willing and doing Divine truth, for Divine
truth is the Lord in heaven.
{Footnote 1} Of the correspondence of the ear and of hearing
(n. 4652-4660). The ear corresponds to and therefore signifies
perception and obedience (n. 2542, 3869, 4653, 5017, 7216,
8361, 9311, 9397, 10061). The ear signifies the reception of
truths (n. 5471, 5475, 9926). The correspondence of the eye and
its sight (n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534); from which the sight of
the eye signifies the intelligence that belongs to faith, and
also faith (n. 2701, 4410, 4526, 6923 9051, 10569).
272. There is a still further reason, and this is in heaven the
primary reason, why the angels are able to receive so great wisdom,
namely, that they are without the love of self; for to the extent
that any one is without the love of self he can become wise in Divine
things. It is that love that closes up the interiors against the Lord
and heaven, and opens the exteriors and turns them toward itself; and
in consequence all in whom that love rules are in thick darkness in
respect to the things of heaven, however much light they may have in
worldly matters. The angels, on the other hand, are in the light of
wisdom because they are without the love of self, for the heavenly
loves in which they are, which are love to the Lord and love towards
the neighbor, open the interiors, because these loves are from the
Lord and the Lord Himself is in them. (That these loves constitute
heaven in general, and form heaven in each one in particular, may be
seen above, n. 13-19). As heavenly loves open the interiors to the
Lord so all angels turn their faces towards the Lord (n. 142);
because in the spiritual world the love turns the interiors of
everyone to itself, and whichever way it turns the interiors it also
turns the face, since the face there makes one with the interiors,
for it is their outward form. Because the love turns the interiors
and the face to itself, it also conjoins itself to them (love being
spiritual conjunction), and shares its own with them. From that
turning and consequent conjunction and sharing the angels have their
wisdom. That all conjunction and all turning in the spiritual world
are in accord may be seen above (n. 255).
273. Although the angels are continually perfected in wisdom,{1}
their wisdom, even to eternity, cannot become so perfect that there
can be any ratio between it and the Lord's Divine wisdom; for the
Lord's Divine wisdom is infinite and the wisdom of angels finite; and
between what is Infinite and what is finite no ratio is possible.
{Footnote 1} Angels are perfected to eternity (n. 4803, 6648).
274. As it is wisdom that makes the angels perfect and constitutes
their life, and as heaven with its goods flows into everyone in
accordance with his wisdom, so all in heaven desire and hunger for
wisdom much as a hungry man hungers for food. So, too, knowledge,
intelligence, and wisdom are spiritual nutriment, as food is natural
nutriment; and the one corresponds to the other.
275. The angels in the same heaven, or in the same society of heaven,
are not all in like wisdom; their wisdom differs. Those at the center
are in the greatest wisdom, and those round about even to the borders
are in less wisdom. The decrease of wisdom in accord with the
distance from the center is like the decrease of light verging to
shade (see n. 43 and 128). Their light is in the same degree as their
wisdom, since the light of heaven is the Divine wisdom, and everyone
is in light in the measure of his reception of wisdom. Respecting the
light of heaven and the varying kinds of reception of it see above
(n. 126-132).