302. I have talked with angels about the conjunction of heaven with the human race, and I said that, while the man of the Church declares that all good is from God, and that angels are with man, yet few believe that angels are conjoined to man, still less that they are in his thought and affection. To this the angels replied that they know that there is such a belief and even such a mode of speaking in the world, and especially, to their surprise, within the Church, where yet there is the Word to teach men about heaven and its conjunction with man. Nevertheless, there is such a conjunction that man is unable to think the least thing apart from the spirits adjoined to him, and on this his spiritual life depends. They said that the cause of ignorance of this matter is man's belief that he lives from himself, without a connection with the First Being (Esse) of life; and that he does not know that this connection exists by means of the heavens; and yet if that connection were broken man would instantly fall down dead. If man believed, as is really true, that all good is from the Lord and all evil from hell, he would not make the good in him a matter of merit nor would evil be imputed to him; for he would then look to the Lord in all the good he thinks and does, and all the evil that inflows would be cast down to hell whence it comes. But because man does not believe that there is any influx into him either from heaven or from hell, and so supposes that all the things that he thinks and wills are in himself, and therefore from himself, he appropriates the evil to himself, and the inflowing good he defiles with merit.

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."

489. Verse 2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, signifies the heavens more interiorly and more closely conjoined to the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "seven angels," as meaning all the heavens; "seven" signifying all persons and all things (See above, n. 257, 299), and "angels" signifying the heavens (See also above, n. 90, 302, 307); also from the signification of "standing before God," as being to be conjoined to the Lord (of which see above, n. 462, 477). Why "the seven angels who stood before God" signify that now all the heavens were more interiorly and more closely conjoined to the Lord, will be explained in the following article.

[2] And there were given unto them seven trumpets, signifies influx from them, and consequent changes of state and separations. This is evident from the signification of "trumpet" or "horn," as meaning Divine truth that is to be revealed, and is revealed clearly and plainly (of which see above, n. 55, 262), here the influx of Divine good and truth through the heavens from the Lord, for through that influx all changes and separations are effected, which are treated of in what follows; for each time an angel sounded a trumpet, a change is described and a separation was effected; therefore "sounding a trumpet" in what follows, signifies influx.

[3] That all changes of state and separations of the evil from the good, and of the good from the evil, that occurred before the judgment and during the judgment, were effected by an interior influx, more intense or more moderate, of divine good and truth from the Lord out of heaven, has been said and shown above (n. 413, 418, 419, 426); also how it was done, and the kind of effect that followed; this is signified by "the angel filled the censer with the fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth" (verse 5), and afterwards that "the angels sounded." As this was done by the Lord through the heavens, therefore the Lord first conjoined the heavens to Himself more interiorly and closely, for otherwise the heavens also would have been endangered; therefore this is signified by "the seven angels stood before God," "to stand before God" meaning to be conjoined to Him; and when they are conjoined to Him more interiorly and closely, those in whom there is no spiritual good are separated; for it is spiritual good only that conjoins, and not any external or natural good that does not derive its essence, and its existence, from spiritual good.

[4] This separation of the evil from the good when the Lord conjoins the angels to Himself more interiorly and closely by a strong influx into their spiritual good, and through this into the interiors of the evil, may be comprehended by those who are in some measure of intelligence; for through such influx the interiors in the evil also who have only feigned goodness in externals are opened, and when their interiors are opened the evils and falsities that lie inwardly concealed are manifested; this is done because they have no spiritual good; and external good without spiritual good is only apparent good, in itself feigned and hypocritical. That it is such is not evident until the interiors are uncovered and laid open. Spiritual good is formed with man by the Lord by means of truths and a life according to them; but external good, separate from internal spiritual good, is formed by a moral life having for its end self and the world, or honors, gain, and the enjoyments of the flesh; and if these alone are considered, Divine truths are regarded as of no account except as means of acquiring reputation; and this has as its sole end the external things above mentioned. (Of internal and external good with the good, and of these with the evil, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 36-53.) These things have been mentioned in advance in order that what follows may be understood. (See also what has been said and shown on this subject in the places cited above, n. 413, 418, 419, 426.)