171. There is no way to describe briefly how things look to angels in the heavens. To a considerable extent, they look like the things we see on earth, but they are more perfect in form and also more abundant.

We may conclude that there are things like this in the heavens because of what the prophets saw - for example what Ezekiel saw of the new temple and the new earth as described in chapters 40-48 [of his book], what Daniel describes in his chapters 7-12, what John saw as described from the first through the last chapter of Revelation, along with other visions presented in both the historical and the prophetic books of the Word. They saw things like this when heaven was opened to them, and heaven is said to be opened when our inner sight, the sight of our spirit, is opened. For the things that exist in heaven cannot be seen with our physical eyes, but only with the eyes of our spirit; and when it pleases the Lord, these are opened. At such times we are led out of the natural light that our physical senses are in and raised into the spiritual light in which we dwell because of our spirit. This is the light in which I have seen the things that exist in the heavens.

70. The Word Is in All the Heavens and Is the Source of Angelic Wisdom

UNTIL the present time, people have not known that the Word exists in heaven, and they could not know this as long as the church did not realize that angels and spirits are people just as we are in this world - like us in every respect except solely for the fact that they are spiritual and that everything around them has a spiritual origin, while we are earthly and everything around us has an earthly origin. As long as this lay hidden there was no way to know that there was a Word in heaven as well and that it was read both by angels there and by spirits who live underneath the heavens.

But to keep this from remaining hidden forever, I have been granted companionship with angels and spirits, to talk with them, to see what their circumstances are like, and then to report many things that I have heard and seen. This reporting was done in the book Heaven and Hell (published in London in 1758). That will enable you to see that angels and spirits are people and that they are abundantly supplied with everything we have in this world.

On angels and spirits being people, see §§Heaven and Hell 73-77, 453-456 of that work. On their circumstances being similar to ours in this world, see §§170-190. On their also having worship of God and preaching in churches, see §§221-227. On their having written materials and books, see §§258-264; and on the Word, see §259.