310 HEAVEN and HELL §517
We may gather from this that knowledge in itself, which is an out-
ward form of truth, does not get anyone into heaven. Rather, what gets
us in is the useful life that is granted through knowledge.518 There were some spirits who while they were in the world had
thought their way into the conviction that they would get into heaven
and would be accepted before anyone else because they were well edu-
cated and knew a lot about the Word and the doctrine of the churches.
They believed that they were wise, that they were the people meant by
the prophecy in Daniel 12 : 3 that “they will shine like the glory of the fi r-
mament and like the stars.” However, they were examined to see whether
their learning was lodged in their memories or in their life. The ones who
had a real affection for truth—that is, for the sake of constructive acts
apart from merely physical and worldly motives, acts that were essentially
spiritual—once they had been instructed, were accepted into heaven.
They were then granted knowledge of what does shine in heaven. It is
the divine truth (which is heaven’s light there) in constructive living, this
being the facet that receives that light and turns it into various kinds of
radiance.
For others, though, the learning was lodged only in their memo-
ries. They had thereby acquired an ability to reason about truths and to
prove the ones they accepted as fundamental, notions that looked true
once they were proved, even though they were false. These people were
not in heaven’s light at all, but were wrapped up in a faith based on
the pride that characterizes so many people of like intelligence, a pride
in being especially erudite and therefore destined for heaven where they
will be waited on by angels. Because of all this, to extract them from
their conceited faith, they were taken up to the fi rst or outmost heaven
to be admitted into one particular angelic community. Even as they
were entering it, though, their sight began to darken at the infl ow of
heaven’s light. Then their intellects began to be confused, and eventually
they began to labor for breath as though they were dying. Not only that,
when they began to feel heaven’s warmth, which is heavenly love, they
began to feel profound agonies. So they were expelled, and then were
taught that knowledge does not make an angel, only the actual life that
people have gained through their knowledge. This is because in and of
itself, knowledge is outside of heaven; but a life gained through knowl-
edge is inside heaven.519 After spirits have been prepared for heaven in these learning sites
(which does not take long, because they are immersed in spiritual ideas,
which effi ciently cover many separate concepts at once), they are dressed