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."

90. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, signifies those who receive goods and truths from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of the "seven stars," as being goods and truths, all from the Lord see above, n. 72; also from the signification of "angels," as being those in the heavens who are in like correspondent good and truth with those in the church (of which more in what follows); also from the signification of "seven churches," as being all those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity, thus all who are of the church (See above, n. 20). From this taken together, it follows as a conclusion that by "the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches" are signified all who receive goods and truths from the Lord.

By "angels" are here signified those who in heaven are in like correspondent good and truth with those in the church, because the universal heaven is divided into societies, and the societies are arranged according to the affections of good and truth in general and in particular. These societies correspond to those on earth who are in like affections of good and truth. All these societies are called "angels," and each one is called an "angel;" and a society also when viewed from a distance, and when so presented as to be seen as a one, appears as a single angel (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 62, 68-72). Moreover, there is a complete correspondence of heaven with the church, or of the angels of heaven with the men of the church; through this correspondence heaven makes a one with the church. From this it is clear what is here signified by the "angels of the seven churches," and in the following chapter by the "angel" of each church, where it is said, "Write to the angel of the Ephesian church," "to the angel of the church of the Smyrneans," "to the angel of the Pergmean church," "to the angel of the church of Thyatira," "to the angel of the church in Sardis," "to the angel of the Philadelphian church," and "to the angel of the Laodicean church;" the command evidently was to write, not to angels but to churches, that is, to those who are in such good and truth from the Lord and who are described by each church (of whom we shall treat in what follows). (That in the Word by "angel" nothing else is meant but good and truth which are from the Lord with angel and man, will be more fully shown in the following pages; in the meantime see what is shown concerning the heavens and the angelic societies in the work on Heaven and Hell, since without knowledge of these things from that source, what is said of angels in the following pages can be but little understood; for knowledge must precede if the understanding is to be illustrated.)