§215 government 111
a. Heavenly angels do not think and talk on the basis of truths the way spiritual angels do, because
they enjoy a perception of all matters of truth from the Lord: 202 , 597 , 607 , 784 , 1121 , 1387 [ 1384 ],
1398 , 1442 , 1919 , 7680 , 7877 , 8780 , 9277 , 10336. Concerning truths, heavenly angels say, “Yes,
yes,” or “No, no,” while spiritual angels consider whether they are true or not: 2715 , 3246 , 4446
[ 4448 ], 9166 , 10786 ; where explanation is given of the Lord’s words, “Let your conversation be
‘Yes, yes,’ ‘No, no’; anything beyond this is from evil” (Matthew 5 : 37 ).
b. People in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom are focused on what is true and people in the heavenly
kingdom on what is good: 863 , 875 , 927 , 1023 , 1043 , 1044 , 1555 , 2256 , 4328 , 4493 , 5113 , 9596. The
good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of thoughtfulness toward one’s neighbor, and this good
is essentially truth: 8042 , 10296.
c. Justice in the Word is associated with what is good and judgment with what is true, so to do
justice and judgment is to do what is good and true: 2235 , 9857. “Great judgments” [Exodus 6 : 6 ]
are laws of the divine design and are therefore divine truths: 7206.
forms of government. Good order needs to be kept, and all matters of
good order seen to.
The actual forms of government in heaven vary, though. There is
one kind in the communities that constitute the Lord’s heavenly king-
dom and another in the communities that constitute the Lord’s spiritual
kingdom. They even vary depending on the particular function of each
community. However, in the heavens there is no government except the
government of mutual love, and the government of mutual love is heav-
enly government.
The form of government in the Lord’s heavenly kingdom is called 214
justice, since all the people there are intent on the good the Lord’s love
does in and through us, and anything that results from this good is called
just. This government belongs to the Lord alone. He leads them and
teaches them in matters of life. The truths that we associate with judg-
ment are engraved on their hearts. Everyone knows them, grasps them,
and sees them.a So matters of judgment never come into dispute for
them, only matters of justice that are matters of life. The less wise ask the
wiser ones about them, and they in turn ask the Lord and bring back the
responses. Their heaven—their deepest delight—is to live justly from
the Lord.
Government in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom is called judgment, since 215
the people there are intent on that spiritual good that is the good of thought-
fulness toward their neighbor, and this good is in essence true.b What is
true is a matter of judgment, and what is good is a matter of justice.c
These angels too are led by the Lord, but indirectly (§ 208 ); so they
have offi cials, fewer or more depending on the needs of the community
they live in. They also have laws that they observe in their life together.
The offi cials manage everything according to the laws; they understand