The idea of a "prophet" is very closely tied to the idea of the Bible itself, since the Bible was largely written by prophets. At a lower level, prophets represent people who teach from the Bible. At a higher level, they represent the Lord as He reveals himself through the Bible. Viewed in a abstract way, prophets represent the holy parts of the Bible themselves, and also represent doctrine drawn from the Bible. The reason we say "largely written by prophets" and "the holy parts of the Bible" is that not all of the books currently included in the Bible have a complete and continuous internal sense. Some -- like Job, Ruth, and Song of Solomon -- are wonderful literary pieces that got included, but which lack the systematic meanings for words and phrases. Others -- the Acts and Epistles, primarily -- are really doctrinal works, the first attempt by others to extract meaning from Jesus' life and words.

221. DIVINE WORSHIP IN HEAVEN

Divine worship in the heavens is not unlike, in externals, Divine worship on the earth, but in internals it is different. In the heavens, as on earth, there are doctrines, preachings and temples. The Doctrines agree as to essentials, but they are doctrines of more interior wisdom in the higher heavens than in the lower. The Preachings are in accordance with the doctrines, and as they have houses and palaces, (183-190), so they have Temples in which the preaching takes place. Such things exist in the heavens, because the angels are being continually perfected in wisdom and love. For they have, as men have, understanding and will, and both their understanding and their will are capable of being continually perfected, the understanding by means of the truths of intelligence, and the will by means of the goods of love. ¹

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