190 HEAVEN and HELL §346
Wise and Simple People in Heaven
346
P
EOPLE think that wise individuals will have more glory and renown
in heaven than simple people because it says in Daniel, “The intelli-
gent will shine like the radiance of the fi rmament, and those who have
justifi ed many, like stars forever” (Daniel 12 : 3 ). However, not many peo-
ple know who are meant by “the intelligent” and “those who justify.”
The common opinion is that these are the people we call scholarly and
learned, especially the ones who have had teaching roles in the church
and have surpassed others in doctrine and in preaching—even more so if
they are among those who have converted many to the faith. People like
this are all considered “intelligent” in the world; but still, the people this
verse is about are not intelligent in heaven unless their intelligence is the
heavenly intelligence that we are about to describe.347 Heavenly intelligence is a deeper intelligence arising from a love of
what is true—not for the sake of any praise in the world or any praise in
heaven, but simply for the sake of the truth itself, because it is profoundly
moving and delightful. People who are moved and delighted by the truth
itself are moved and delighted by heaven’s light; and if so, then they are
also moved and delighted by divine truth and actually by the Lord him-
self, since heaven’s light is divine truth, and divine truth is the Lord in
heaven (see above, §§ 126 – 140 ).
This light enters the deeper levels of the mind only, since the deeper
levels of the mind are formed to accept it; and to the extent that it enters,
it moves and delights because anything that fl ows in from heaven and is
accepted has delight and pleasure within it. This is the source of a genu-
ine affection for what is true—an affection for what is true for its own
sake. People who are caught up in this affection (or in this love, which
amounts to the same thing), enjoy heavenly intelligence and shine in
heaven like the radiance of the fi rmament. The reason they shine is that
wherever divine truth occurs in heaven, it shines (see above, § 132 ); and
by reason of correspondence, the fi rmament of heaven means the deeper
intelligence, both in angels and in us, that is in heaven’s light.
[ 2 ] However, people who are engaged in a love for what is true for
the sake of praise in this world or praise in heaven cannot possibly shine