115. Still, there is no understanding how the Lord is in an angel and an angel is in the Lord except through knowing what kind of union is involved. It is a union of the Lord with the angel and of the angel with the Lord, so it is a reciprocal union. On the angel's side, it is like this. Angels, like us, simply feel as though they participate in love and wisdom on their own, and therefore that love and wisdom are theirs, their very own. If they did not feel this way there would be no union, so the Lord would not be in them, nor they in the Lord. It cannot happen that the Lord is in any angels or people unless they, as subjects of his presence in love and wisdom, sense and feel this as their own. This enables them not only to accept but also to retain what they have accepted, and to love in response. This, then, is how angels become wise and remain wise. Can people decide to love God and their neighbor, can people decide to gain wisdom, unless they feel and sense that what they love, learn, and gain is their own? Can they retain anything in themselves otherwise? If it were not for this, then the inflowing love and wisdom would have no seat. They would flow right through without making any difference; and as a result angels would not be angels and people would not be human. They would be virtually lifeless.

It makes sense, then, that if there is to be union, there must be reciprocity.

9815. 'For glorious adornment' means in order to display Divine Truth as it exists in its inward form and its outward form in the spiritual kingdom lying adjacent to the celestial kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'glory' as Divine Truth, dealt with in the Preface to Genesis 18, and in 5922, 9429; and from the meaning of 'adornment' too as Divine Truth, but as it exists in its outward form. For the splendour and beauty of Divine Truth as they appear in outward things are meant by 'adornment'. So it is that the Word as to its internal sense is described as 'glory', but as to its external sense, in respect of the splendour and beauty which the internal imparts to it, is described as 'adornment'. Consequently the spiritual heaven, meant here by the holy garments that were 'for glorious adornment', is the glory, insofar as Divine Truth in its inward form is present there; and it is the adornment too, insofar as Divine Truth in its outward form is also present there.

[2] Something similar is meant by 'adornment' in the following places: In Jeremiah,

In His anger the Lord covers the daughter of Zion with a cloud. He has cast down from heaven to earth the adornment of Israel, and does not remember His footstool. Lamentations 2:1.

'The daughter of Zion' stands for the celestial Church, 'the adornment of Israel' for the spiritual Church, which is called 'the adornment' by virtue of the splendour and beauty of truth. Something similar occurs in Isaiah,

I have caused My righteousness to draw near, it is not far off, and My salvation will not delay. I will give salvation in Zion, My adornment to Israel. Isaiah 46:13.

In the same prophet,

Look out from heaven, from the dwelling-place of Your holiness and of Your adornment. Isaiah 63:15.

'The dwelling-place of holiness' stands for the celestial kingdom, and 'the dwelling-place of adornment' for the spiritual kingdom. In Daniel,

There came out one small-sized horn, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the adornment. ¹ Daniel 8:9.

And elsewhere in the same prophet,

The king of the north too will stand in the land of adornment ¹ with destruction in his hand; ² and when he comes into the land of adornment ¹ many will collapse. Daniel 11:16, 41.

'The land of adornment' stands for the Lord's Church where God's truth or the Word is.

Footnotes:

4007. 'Every one that had white in it' means that which has truth in it. This is clear from the meaning of 'white' as truth, but strictly speaking as the Lord's Righteousness and Merit, and from this the Lord's righteousness and merit as these exist with man, dealt with in 3301, 3993. 'White' has that meaning because the light of heaven which radiates from the Lord, a light which is the source of splendour and brightness, means truth. Anything therefore on which that light falls and is made splendid and bright is that which is called the Lord's righteousness and merit existing with man. Those who acknowledge this, the Lord's righteousness, and who from good take it to themselves and reject their own, are specifically the ones meant by 'the righteous' whom the Lord refers to, in Matthew,

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matthew 13:43.

[2] The fact that that which is 'white', being splendid and bright, has this meaning is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Moses,

His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Genesis 49:12.

This refers to Judah, who represents the Lord as regards the Divinity of His Love, and in the internal sense the celestial kingdom, and so the celestial man, see 3881. 'Eyes redder than wine' means Divine Wisdom, and 'teeth whiter than milk' means Righteousness. In David,

You will purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean; You will wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

'Washing and becoming whiter than snow' stands for being purified from sins by means of receiving and putting on the Lord's righteousness. In John,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire. Revelation 1:13-14.

[3] In the same book,

You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. Revelation 3:4-5.

In the same book,

I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified in fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you. Revelation 3:18.

In the same book,

To each soul under the altar were given white robes. Revelation 6:9, 11.

In the same book,

I saw, standing before the throne and before the Lamb those clothed in white robes. One of the elders said to me, These clothed in white robes - who are they, and where have they come from? I said to him, Sir, you know. He said to me, These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:9, 13-14.

In the same book,

The angels were clothed in linen, white and splendid, and were girded around their breasts with golden girdles. Revelation 15:6.

In the same book,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given. Revelation 6:2.

And elsewhere,

After this I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 14.

[4] In all these places 'white' means the truth of faith; 'white garments' and 'white robes' have no other meaning. But the truth of faith does not exist with any who believe that they have faith of themselves and so believe that they are wise of themselves. Rather, it exists with those who believe that their faith and wisdom come from the Lord, for faith and wisdom are imparted to them because they do not ascribe any truth or good at all to themselves. Even less do they believe that they possess any merit through the truths and goods residing with them, and less still any righteousness, but only by ascribing these to the Lord, and so everything to His grace and mercy. This is what 'putting on white garments' means, and also what 'being made white in the blood of the Lamb' means. There are two things which all who enter heaven cast aside, namely their proprium and consequent confidence, and merit that is their own or self-righteousness. Then they assume a heavenly proprium which comes from the Lord, and the Lord's merit or righteousness. And to the extent that these are so assumed those persons advance further into heaven. These two things specifically are meant by 'red' and by 'white'; 'red' means the good of love and is present with those people at that time, 'white' the truth of faith.