Arcana Coelestia 9710. In this chapter, in the internal sense, the subject treated of is the worship of the Lord from the good of love. This worship is signified by "the altar," and is described in general by all things relating to the altar.

Arcana Coelestia 9711. Afterward the subject treated of is the ultimate heaven, which is represented and described by "the court."

Arcana Coelestia 9712. Lastly the subject treated of is the good of charity, through which the spiritual heaven is illumined by the Lord in the truths of faith; these things are signified by "the oil of olive," and by "the luminary."

9709. Those whose internal man is closed have no knowledge of the existence of the internal man; nor do they believe in the reality of heaven and of eternal life. And what is astonishing, those people even suppose that they are wiser than others in their thinking; for they love themselves and what is their own, and adore it. It is different with those whose internal man is opened towards heaven, all the way to the Lord. They live in the light of heaven and so depend for their enlightenment on the Lord, whereas the former do not live in the light of heaven but in the light of the world and so depend for their enlightenment on themselves. Those who depend on themselves for enlightenment and not on the Lord see falsity as truth and evil as good.