494. Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God, signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "the smoke of the incense" as being the truths of spiritual good (of which presently); also from the signification of "the prayers of the saints," as being truths from good with those who were to be separated from the evil and saved (of which above, n. 493; also from the signification of this "angel" as being heaven (as above, n. 490; therefore "out of the hand of the angel" means by means of heaven; also from the signification of "before God," as being to be conjoined with the Lord (See above, n. 462, 477, 488); therefore "the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God" signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord effected by means of heaven. "The smoke of the incense" signifies truths from spiritual good, because "frankincense," from which the smoke came, signified spiritual good, and the "fire" with which the frankincense was kindled signified celestial good; thence the "smoke" ascending therefrom signifies truth from good, for all truth proceeds from good. This is why "smoke" became representative; "the smoke of the incense," which was agreeable from its fragrance and sweet odor, was a representative of truth from good; for "fragrance and sweet odor" signify what is agreeable and acceptable (See above, n. 324). "Smoke" has a similar signification in Moses:

The sons of Levi put smoke in Thy nostrils, and a whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10).

"The sons of Levi" mean those who are in truths of spiritual good; these truths are signified by "smoke," and celestial good is signified by "the whole burnt-offering." The smoke of incense is also called "a cloud of incense" (Ezekiel 8:11). Thence also "smoke" in the contrary sense signifies falsity from evil (in Isaiah 34:10; Joel 2:30; Nahum 2:13; Psalms 18:8; 37:20), because the fire that makes such smoke signifies the evil of love.

78. It Is Owing to the Lord's Divine Human That Heaven, in Its Entirety and in Its Parts, Reflects a Person

This conclusion - that it is owing to the Lord's divine human that heaven, in its entirety and in its parts, reflects a person - follows from all the things that have been presented in the preceding chapters:

(1) the Lord is God of heaven [2-6];

(2) it is the Lord's divine nature that makes heaven [7-12];

(3) the heavens are made up of countless communities, and each community is a heaven in smaller form and each angel a heaven in smallest form [41-58];

(4) the whole heaven, grasped as a single entity, reflects a single individual [59-67];

(5) each community in the heavens reflects a single individual [68-72];

(6) therefore every angel is in perfect human form [73-77]. All these propositions lead to the conclusion that because the Divine is what makes heaven, the Divine is human in form.

It may be seen with somewhat greater clarity that this is the Lord's divine human from the references to Secrets of Heaven at the close of this chapter, since this collection provides a condensation. It can also be seen from these references that the Lord's human is divine, contrary to the belief in the church that it is not. This may be seen as well from the material about the Lord at the close of The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Teaching.