108 HEAVEN and HELL §207
h. There is a direct infl ow from the Lord and an indirect one through heaven: 6063 , 6307 , 6472 ,
9682 , 9683. The Lord’s direct infl ow is into the smallest details of everything: 6058 , 6474 – 6478 ,
8717 , 8728. Concerning the Lord’s indirect infl ow through the heavens: 4067 , 6982 , 6985 , 6996.inmost heavens living on their summits, people from the second heaven
below them, and below them again people from the outmost heaven. It is
like this everywhere, whether in lofty areas or in lowly ones. A commu-
nity of a higher heaven does not have any communication with a com-
munity of a lower heaven except by means of correspondences (see above,
§ 100 ), and communication by correspondences is what is called infl ow.208 One heaven is united to another (or a community of one heaven
with a community of another) by the Lord alone, through a direct and
an indirect infl ow. The direct is from himself, and the indirect is sequen-
tial through the higher heavens into the lower ones.h
Since the union of the heavens through infl ow is accomplished by the
Lord alone, the greatest possible precautions are taken to prevent any
angel from a higher heaven from looking down into a community of a
lower one and talking with anyone there. The moment this happens, the
angel will lose intelligence and wisdom. The reason needs to be stated.
Every angel has three levels of life, like the three levels of heaven. For the
ones in the inmost heaven, the third or inmost level is opened and the
second and fi rst are closed. For people in the intermediate heaven the sec-
ond level is opened and the fi rst and third are closed; and for people in
the outermost heaven the fi rst level is opened and the second and third
are closed. The moment an angel of the third heaven, then, looks down
into a community of the second and talks with anyone there, the third
level of that angel is closed; and when it is closed the angel is deprived of
wisdom because her or his wisdom dwells on the third level, with none on
the second and fi rst.
This is the meaning of the Lord’s words in Matthew:
Let those who are on the roof not come down to take what is in the
house; and let those who are in the fi eld not turn back to take their
garments. (Matthew 24 : 17 – 18 )And in Luke:
Let those who are on the roof on that day while their belongings are in
the house not go down to get them, and let those who are in the fi eld