9502. 'They must not be removed from it' means everlastingly and unalterably so. This is clear from the meaning of 'not being removed' as being brought into being and kept in being, everlastingly and unalterably. For the Divine sphere of goodness and truth encompassing and embracing heaven generally and specifically brought heaven into being and created it, and that same sphere keeps it in being and preserves it; for to keep something in being is to go on bringing it into being, everlastingly so, and to preserve it is to go on creating it, everlastingly so. The everlastingness and unalterableness was represented by the poles' not being removed from the ark, and the eternal protection of heaven by the Divine sphere of goodness and truth emanating from the Lord was represented by the poles' being under and covered by the wings of the cherubs, as is clear in the first Book of Kings,

The cherubs were spreading out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubs covered the ark and its poles from above; the poles indeed extended, and the ends ¹ of the poles were seen from the holy place in front of the shrine, but were not seen from outside. 1 Kings 8:7-8.

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202. The spiritual world has in it three heavens, arranged in order according to degrees of height. The highest heaven contains angels surpassing in every measure of perfection angels in the intermediate heaven; and the intermediate heaven contains angels surpassing in every measure of perfection angels in the lowest heaven.

The degrees of their perfections are such that angels of the lowest heaven cannot ascend even to the first threshold of the perfections of angels in the intermediate heaven, nor these in turn to the first threshold of the perfections of angels in the highest heaven. This seems contrary to expectation, but still it is the truth. The reason for it is that associations of angels are formed in accordance with discrete degrees, and not in accordance with continuous degrees.

[2] Through personal experience I have learned that such a difference in affections and thoughts, and consequently in speech, exists between angels of higher and lower heavens that they have nothing in common, and that their communication takes place solely by means of correspondences, correspondences which occur as a result of the Lord's direct influx into all of the heavens, and as a result of His indirect influx through the highest heaven into the lowest.

[3] Because these differences are as stated, they cannot be expressed, nor therefore described, in any natural language; for the thoughts of angels, being spiritual, do not fall within the scope of natural ideas. They can be expressed and described only by angels themselves in their languages, forms of speech and writing, and not in human ones. This is the origin of the saying that in heaven one hears and sees things inexpressible. ¹

These differences can be comprehended to some extent in light of the following observations, that the thoughts of angels in the highest or third heaven are thoughts of ends, that the thoughts of angels in the intermediate or second heaven are thoughts of causes, and that the thoughts of angels in the lowest or first heaven are thoughts of effects.

[4] It must be noted that it is one thing to think in accord with ends and another to think about ends. So, too, that it is one thing to think in accord with causes and another to think about causes. And so also that it is one thing to think in accord with effects and another to think about effects. Angels in the lower heavens think about causes and ends, while angels in the higher heavens think in accord with causes and ends; and to think in accord with these is the mark of a higher wisdom, whereas to think about them is the mark of a lower wisdom.

To think in accord with ends is the mark of wisdom; in accord with causes, the mark of intelligence; and in accord with effects, the mark of knowledge.

It is apparent from this that every perfection ascends and descends concomitantly with degrees and in accordance with them.

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