76. Men moet echter weten dat engelen niet door iemands lichamelijke ogen gezien kunnen worden, maar door de ogen van de geest die binnenin hem is, want die is in de geestelijke wereld, terwijl alles van het lichaam zich in de natuurlijke wereld bevindt. Soort ziet soort door gelijk te zijn. Zoals iedereen weet is bovendien het gezichtsorgaan van het lichaam, het oog, zo grof gebouwd, dat het niet eens, behalve door een vergrootglas, de kleinere dingen van de natuur kan zien. Laat staan dat het de dingen die zich boven de natuurlijke sfeer bevinden kan zien, zoals alle dingen in de geestelijke wereld. Maar deze dingen kunnen gezien worden door iemand bij wie het lichamelijk gezichtsvermogen wordt verwijderd en het geestelijk gezichts vermogen wordt geopend. Dit gebeurt in een oogwenk, wanneer het de Heer behaagt dat deze dingen worden gezien. In dat geval weet de persoon niet beter dan dat hij ze met zijn lichamelijke ogen ziet. Op deze manier werden engelen gezien door Abraham, Lot, Manoach en de Profeten. Zo werd ook de Heer na de wederopstanding door de discipelen gezien en op dezelfde manier zag ik engelen. Omdat de profeten op deze manier zagen, werden ze zieners genoemd, van wie men zei dat de ogen hen geopend waren (I Samuel 9:9; Numeri 24:3); het tot stand brengen van dit gezichtsvermogen werd de ogen openen genoemd, zoals bij de knecht van Eliza geschiedde, over wie we lezen: Toen bad Eliza: Heer, open toch zijn ogen, opdat hij ziet. En de Heer opende de ogen van de knecht en hij zag en zie, de berg was vol vurige paarden en wagens rondom Eliza. (2 Koningen 6:17)

299. A book written within and on the back, signifies the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth, in general and in particular. This is evident from the signification of "book," here the "book of life," as being what the Lord inscribes or implants in the spirit of man, that is, in the heart and soul, or what is the same, in his love and faith (of which see above, n. 199; therefore "the book" here signifies the states of life of all in heaven and on the earth, and "written" signifies what is implanted by the Lord (that to "write" signifies to implant, see also above, n. 222. Also from the signification of "within and on the back," as being what is in the heart and soul, or in the love and faith; for with man and spirit love is within, because it makes his life; but faith, unless it is in his love, is not within him, but behind or "at the back;" for faith that is faith makes altogether one with the love, since what a man loves is of his faith, but what he does not love is not of his faith. That which one thinks from memory and teaches from doctrine, appears, indeed, to be faith; but if this be loved only from a natural, not from a spiritual love, it is merely the sight of the thought of the external man, which sight counterfeits faith; but such faith, since it is destitute of life, until it is implanted in the internal man and its love, is not in man but behind him, or at his back. Faith implanted in the internal man and its love is believing and loving the truth because it is truth, and not loving it chiefly for the sake of a reputation for learning, and honor or gain therefrom. From this it can be seen what is signified by "written within and on the back."

[2] What is treated of in this chapter is, that the Lord only, and no one but the Lord, knows the states of life of all in general and of each one in particular. This is representatively depicted by "a book written which no one was able to open and read, neither to look thereon, except the Lamb," that is, the Lord. No one knows this but the Lord alone, because He is the only God, and because He formed the angelic heaven after His own image, and man after the image of heaven; for this reason He knows all things of heaven in general, and He who knows all things of heaven in general knows also every one in particular; for a man who is in truths from good, as well as an angel, is an image of heaven, since he is a form of heaven. From this it also follows that no one but he who knows the general state of all knows the state of anyone in particular, for the one is inseparably connected with the other. (But as these things cannot be described in a few words, see what is shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, where they are more distinctly and clearly described, in the following articles: The Divine of the Lord makes Heaven, n. 7-12; Every Angel is a Heaven in the Least Form, n. 51-58; The whole Heaven in the Complex has reference to one Man, n 59-67; likewise each Society there, n. 68-72; Every Angel, therefore, is in a perfect Human Form, n 73-77; From the Divine Human of the Lord it is that Heaven in the Whole and in Part has reference to Man, n 78-86; There is a Correspondence of all Things of Heaven with all Things of Man, n. 87-102; On the Conjunction of Heaven with Mankind, n. 291-302)

[3] It is to be observed that here and elsewhere in the Word a "book" is mentioned, meaning thereby a roll [volumen]; for in ancient times they wrote upon parchments, which were rolled up, and the parchment was called a "book" and the "roll of a book," as can also be seen in the Word; thus in Ezekiel:

I looked, when behold, a hand was put forth unto me; and lo, the roll of a book was therein, written in front and behind (Ezekiel 2:9-10).

And in David:

Then said I, Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of Me (Psalms 40:7).

For this reason it is said in Isaiah:

All the host of the heavens shall waste away, and the heavens shall be rolled up as a scroll (Isaiah 34:4).

Likewise in Revelation:

Heaven was removed, as a book that is rolled up (Revelation 6:14).

From this it can be known how the book that John saw was "written within and on the back."