460. ten slotte zal ik een geheim mededelen dat tot nu toe aan niemand is bekend geweest, namelijk dat al het goede en ware dat uitgaat van de Heer en dat de hemel maakt, in menselijke vorm bestaat; en dit niet alleen in het geheel en in wat het grootste is, maar ook in ieder deel en in het geringste; en dat deze vorm invloed uitoefent op iedereen die het goede en het ware ontvangt van de Heer, en de menselijke vorm mededeelt aan iedere bewoner van de hemel, overeenkomstig de hoogte van zijn vatbaarheid. Hierdoor is het dat de hemel zowel in het algemeen als in het bijzonder gelijk is aan zichzelf en dat de menselijke vorm de vorm is van het geheel, van elk gezelschap en van elke engel, zoals boven werd aangetoond in vier hoofdstukken (zie nr. 59-86). ieraan kan worden toegevoegd, dat de menselijke vorm ook in de engelen bestaat, in elk deel van de gedachte, die aan de hemelse liefde is ontleend. Maar dit geheim kan moeilijk door enig mens worden begrepen, hoewel het helder door de engelen wordt ingezien, omdat zij in het licht van de hemel zijn.

121. Verse 10. Fear not the things which thou art to suffer, signifies that they should not grieve because such men persecute them. This is evident from the signification of "fear not," as being, in reference to those about to suffer persecutions, that they should not grieve in mind; for fear with these is also grief; and from the signification of "the things which thou art to suffer," namely, from those who are in the doctrine of all falsities, as being that such are about to persecute. The persecution of those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, by those who are in falsities, is now treated of. This can best be seen from those who are of this character in the world of spirits (of which world see in the work on Heaven and Hell 421-535), for there the quality of everyone in respect to his interiors, which are of thought and intention, is manifest; since everyone there is in himself, because he is a spirit, and the spirit is what thinks and intends.

All spirits there are either conjoined with the hells or conjoined with the heavens. Those who are conjoined with the hells, as soon as they perceive anyone to be in the spiritual affection of truth begin to burn with hatred, and strive to destroy him; they cannot endure the sight of him. Very many of them, if they only perceive for a moment the delight of the spiritual affection of truth, which is the delight itself of heaven, become as if insane, and nothing is then more delightful to them than to destroy that delight. From this it is evident that all the hells are opposed to the spiritual affection of truth, and that all the heavens are in it. It would be similar among men on the earths if they were in the perception in which spirits are; but as they are not in such perception, and therefore do not know who are in spiritual affection, they remain quiet and act in a friendly manner towards each other, in accordance with the delights of the world. But this disposition displays itself in the churches, among those who are zealous in religious matters. It also becomes evident with those who are in that spiritual affection, in this way, that falsities break in upon their thoughts, endeavoring to extinguish their longing and the delight thence; these falsities that break in upon their thoughts are from hell; for everything that a man thinks is either from hell or from heaven (as was said above, n. 120.