emanating from the Lord that is called spiritual, for they have divine wis-
dom from the Lord. The angels of the Lord’s earthly kingdom, who con-
stitute the first or lowest heaven, are in the divine influence emanating
from the Lord that is called the divine earthly influence. They have a
faith from the Lord that is connected to goodwill. People in the church,
however, are in any one of the three kingdoms depending on the people’s
love, wisdom, or faith. Depending on which of these the people have,
they come into that heaven after death.
The Lord’s Word is like heaven. In its outermost meaning it is earthly;
in its inner meaning it is spiritual; in its inmost meaning it is heavenly. All
three are divine. It has been adapted, then, to the angels of the three heav-
ens and to people as well.
2. There is a spiritual meaning throughout the Word and in every part of 196
it.The best way to see this is through examples as follows:
In the Book of Revelation John says,
I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. The One sitting on it
was called faithful and true, who judges with justice and does battle. His
eyes were like a flame of fire. On his head were many gems. He had a
name written that no one knew except him. He was dressed in blood-
stained clothing. His name was the Word of God.His armies in heaven
followed him on white horses; they were dressed in linen that was white
and clean. On his clothing and on his thigh he had a name written:
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.Then I saw an angel standing in the sun
who was crying with a great voice, “Come and gather yourselves for the
great feast, that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of com-
manders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and those who ride
on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slaves, small and great.”
(Revelation 19 : 11 – 18 )
No one can see what these words mean except from the Word’s spir-
itual meaning. We cannot see the spiritual meaning unless we work
with the study of correspondences. All these words are correspondences;
not a word is pointless. The study of correspondences teaches the mean-
ing of the white horse, the One sitting on it, the eyes like a flame of fire,
the gems on his head, the blood-stained clothing, the white linen worn
by the members of his army from heaven, the angel standing in the sun,
the great feast to which people should come and gather themselves, and
the flesh of kings and commanders and of many other people and
things that they were supposed to eat.
§196 sacred scripture 275