831. (Verse 15) And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast. That this signifies that by conjunction with the Word there was something of spiritual life therein, is evident from the signification of breath, as denoting spiritual life, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the image of the beast, as denoting the doctrine of faith separated from good works, to be taught and believed in the church (see above, n. 827). It follows, therefore, that by giving breath to the image of the beast is signified, that by the conjunction of reasonings from the natural man with the Word there was something of spiritual life therein. The nature of that life will be explained presently. The reason why by spirit is signified spiritual life is, that by spirit, in the highest sense, is signified Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; and therefore, when applied to the men who receive it, it signifies spiritual life, as may be seen above (n. 183). Spiritual life is the same as life from Divine truths. And because the Word is Divine truth, and man has spiritual life from it, therefore, when reasonings from the natural man in favour of faith separated from life are conjoined with the Word, and doctrine for the church formulated, there is in it something of spiritual life. For all the things in the Word are, in themselves, spiritual, and give spiritual life to those who study it according to its reception in the heart. Therefore the Lord says:

"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).

[2] Because in what goes before we have treated of celestial love, in which are the angels of the third heaven, we will now say something concerning spiritual love, in which are the angels of the second heaven. Spiritual love is the love of truth, and, in the highest sense, the love of the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord. Thus also it is love to the Lord, but in a lower degree than that in which the celestial angels are. The celestial angels are in love to the Lord from the reception of Divine Good from Him, whereas the spiritual angels are in love to the Lord from the reception of Divine truth from Him. The difference is like that between love in the will and love in the understanding, or like that between a flame and its light. Light with the angels of the third heaven is also derived from something flaming, and the light of the angels of the second heaven from a shining white; but more concerning these things may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140). Their life differs in a similar manner. The life of the angels of the third heaven consists in affections of good, and the life of the angels of the second heaven in the affections of truth. The difference is such that they are easily known from one another by their faces, and also by their speech.

Because spiritual love is the love of truth, and the spiritual angels, as to their life, are affections of truth, therefore they converse about the holy things of heaven and the church differently from the angels of the third heaven, who cannot converse about these things, according to what was said above. But because the celestial angels are perfected in wisdom by hearing, therefore there are intermediate angels, called celestial-spiritual angels, who preach and teach truths in their temples; and these are called houses of God, and are of wood.

[3] The reason why the spiritual angels, from the spiritual love which constitutes their life, are affections of truth, and not affections of good is, that they are reformed and regenerated and become angels in a way different from that of the celestial angels. For the spiritual angels first admit truths into the memory, and thence into the understanding, which is formed by this means; and then they are perfected, so far as they are affected with Divine truths spiritually, that is, for the sake of them, also for the sake of a life according to them. But the celestial angels do not admit truths first into the memory, but directly into the will, and by actions into the life. The latter cannot therefore converse about Divine truths but only will and do them. Whereas the former utter Divine truths, because in their case they are also inscribed on the memory; and thought speaks from the memory.

[4] Yet the spiritual angels do not admit any truth into the memory and thence into the understanding unless they see it. For the angels in that heaven see truths from the light of truth, that is from enlightenment by the Lord, truths in the heavens being spiritual objects, which appear more clearly before the angels there than do natural objects before men in the world. Consequently they do not know that faith is anything else than the acknowledgment of truth, because they see what is true, and cannot comprehend at all how any one can possibly believe any thing which is not seen or understood. For in such case a man does not know whether it be true or false; and a belief in falsity is hurtful. It is evident therefore that intellectual sight with them is spiritual sight.

Those angels are perfected in understanding in proportion as they are in the love of truth for the sake of life and its genuine uses; and in the same proportion truths are implanted in their life and become affections of truth. For truths derive all their essence, and thence their life, from good; thus the understanding comes from the will and its activity; for the understanding is the receptacle of truth, and the will the receptacle of good, their activity perfecting them and affording them a basis. Hence also the truths, of which their understanding is formed, when they become part of the will and thence of the action, are called goods, but spiritual goods, which, because they then belong to their love, enter the life and form it.

From this it is also clear, that the life of every man is from his works; because the affection of the will and the thought of the understanding terminate therein, and thus exist, and without this termination would perish. For the will exists only by becoming active; and if there were no will, the understanding would perish, and there would remain only the faculty of understanding.

[5] Because their love is the love of truth, therefore they acknowledge as their neighbour truth in act, which is called spiritual good, thus the good of the church, the good of the society in which they are, the good of fellow-citizens in the society; consequently also moral good, which is called sincerity; and civil good, which is called justice. Their love towards their neighbour consists therefore also in exercises, which are works. All these also love uses, and are intent on works, by which their thoughts are kept as it were at home, and free from idleness, which is, as it is also called, the devil's pillow. They know that none can be kept in spiritual love but those who perceive delight in works, these being fixed in their own affection; the rest are in every [affection] and so in none; for they wander whither pleasures and desires carry them. The angels of the second heaven also, like the angels of the third heaven, dwell apart in societies; but the societies of the latter are above those of the former, on account of the influx of celestial love into spiritual love, for the latter derives its essence from celestial love by mediate and immediate influx from the Lord.

[6] In the spiritual heaven there are magnificent palaces, in which everything within shines with precious stones and decorations, in forms such as cannot be equalled by any painting in the world, nor described in words. For art there is in its own art, especially that of architecture. From that heaven several arts in the world derive their laws and harmonies; this is the cause of their various forms of beauty. The silver found among those who dwell beneath those heavens, is given by the Lord from that heaven, but gold from the third heaven. For silver corresponds to spiritual good, which in its essence is truth; and gold corresponds to celestial good. The spiritual angels are clothed in garments of fine linen and silk, which, in general, are shining. And because the spiritual heavens correspond to the eyes, there are also in many places paradise-like scenes, rainbow-coloured, and appearances also of ineffable beauty. They do not know any thing there about the sense of the letter of the Word, but only about its spiritual sense, in which sense they possess the Word, which is read by every one. In that heaven, justice, sincerity, verity, chastity, and the several praiseworthy virtues of moral life prevail. Those heavens constitute the royalty of the Lord, but the higher heavens, where the celestial angels are, constitute the priesthood of the Lord; for His royalty is Divine truth, and His Priesthood is Divine Good.