800. The Dutch in the spiritual world.

In my book HEAVEN AND HELL I reported that Christians, who have the Word read to them and who know and acknowledge the Lord, the Redeemer and Saviour, are in the middle of the nations and peoples who make up the whole spiritual world. The reason is that with them the spiritual light is strongest; and it radiates as from a centre towards all the surrounding areas as far as the most distant. How this happens was shown in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture (267-272 above). In this Christian centre the members of the Reformed churches are allotted places in accordance with their ability to receive spiritual light from the Lord. Since the Dutch have this light more deeply and fully infused into their natural illumination, so that they are more disposed than others to receive rational ideas, they have been given dwellings in the east and south of that Christian nucleus. It is their capacity for receiving spiritual heat which locates them in the east, their capacity for receiving spiritual light which locates them in the south. Compass-points in the spiritual world are not like those in the natural world, but the location of dwellings depends upon the way faith and love are received, those in the east excelling in love, those in the south excelling in intelligence; see HEAVEN AND HELL 141-153.

59. (iv) GOD IS OMNISCIENT, THAT IS, HE PERCEIVES, SEES AND KNOWS DOWN TO THE TINIEST DETAIL EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO ORDER; AND FROM THESE THINGS ALSO WHAT HAPPENS CONTRARY TO ORDER.

The reason God is omniscient, that is, perceives, sees and knows everything is because He is Wisdom itself and Light itself, and Wisdom itself perceives everything and Light itself sees everything. It was shown above that God is Wisdom itself. He is Light itself because He is the sun of the heaven of angels, which sheds light on the understanding of every angel and every person. For as the eye sees by the light of the natural sun, so the understanding sees by the light of the spiritual sun. It not only sees by that light, but is also filled with intelligence the more it loves to receive that light, since this light is in its essence wisdom. Thus we read in the Psalms of David that God dwells in inaccessible light [Psalms 104:2; cf. 1 Timothy 6:16]; and in Revelation that in the New Jerusalem they have no need of a lamp, because the Lord God sheds light on them [Revelation 21:23]; and in John that the Word, which was with God, and was God, is the light, which enlightens every man that comes into the world [John 1:1, 9]. By the Word is meant the Divine Wisdom. This is why the angels enjoy a brighter light, the greater their wisdom; and why in the Word, every time light is mentioned, wisdom is meant.