Heaven and Hell/32
XXXII
The State of Peace in Heaven
284. Only those that have experienced the peace of heaven can have any perception of the peace in which the angels are. As man is unable, as long as he is in the body, to receive the peace of heaven, so he can have no perception of it, because his perception is confined to what is natural. To perceive it he must be able, in respect to thought, to be raised up and withdrawn from the body and kept in the spirit, and at the same time be with angels. In this way has the peace of heaven been perceived by me; and for this reason I am able to describe it, yet not in words as that peace is in itself, because human words are inadequate, but only as it is in comparison with that rest of mind that those enjoy who are content in God.
285. There are two inmost things of heaven, namely, innocence and
peace. These are said to be inmost things because they proceed
directly from the Lord. From innocence comes every good of heaven,
and from peace every delight of good. Every good has its delight; and
both good and delight spring from love, for whatever is loved is
called good, and is also perceived as delightful. From this it
follows that these two inmost things, innocence and peace, go forth
from the Lord's Divine love and move the angels from what is inmost.
That innocence is the inmost of good may be seen in the preceding
chapter, where the state of innocence of the angels of heaven is
described. That peace is the inmost of delight from the good of
innocence shall now be explained.
286. The origin of peace shall be first considered. Divine peace is
in the Lord; it springs from the union of the Divine Itself and the
Divine Human in Him. The Divine of peace in heaven is from the Lord,
springing from His conjunction with the angels of heaven, and in
particular from the conjunction of good and truth in each angel.
These are the origins of peace. From this it can be seen that peace
in the heavens is the Divine inmostly affecting with blessedness
everything good therefrom, and from this is every joy of heaven; also
that it is in its essence the Divine joy of the Lord's Divine love,
resulting from His conjunction with heaven and with everyone there.
This joy, felt by the Lord in angels and by angels from the Lord, is
peace. By derivation from this the angels have everything that is
blessed, delightful, and happy, or that which is called heavenly
joy.[1]
287. Because these are the origins of peace the Lord is called "the
Prince of peace," and He declares that from Him is peace and in Him
is peace; and the angels are called angels of peace, and heaven is
called a habitation of peace, as in the following passages:
Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Mighty, Father of eternity, Prince of peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end (Isa. 9:6, 7).
Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you (John 14:27).
These things have I spoken unto you that in Me ye may have peace (John 16:33).
Jehovah lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace (Num. 6:26).
The angels of peace weep bitterly, the highways are wasted (Isa. 33:7, 8).
The work of righteousness shall be peace; and My people shall dwell in a habitation of peace (Isa. 32:17, 18).
[2] That it is Divine and heavenly peace that is meant in the Word by "peace" can be seen also from other passages where it is mentioned (As Isa. 52:7; 54:10; 59:8; Jer. 16:5; 25:37; 29:11; Hag. 2:9; Zech. 8:12; Psalm 37:37; and elsewhere.) Because "peace" means the Lord and heaven, and also heavenly joy and the delight of good, "Peace be with you" was an ancient form of salutation that is still in use; and it was ratified by the Lord in His saying to the disciples whom He sent forth:
Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house; and if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it (Luke 10:5, 6).
And when the Lord Himself appeared to the apostles, He said
Peace be with you (John 20:19, 21, 26).
[3] A state of peace is also meant in the Word where it is said that:
Jehovah smelled an odor of rest (as Exod. 29:18, 25, 41; Lev. 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 6:8, 14; 23:12, 13, 18; Num, 15:3, 7, 13; 28:6, 8, 13; 29:2, 6, 8, 13, 36).
"Odor of rest" in the heavenly sense signifies a perception of peace.[2] As peace signifies the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord, also the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and with the church, and with all who are in heaven, and with all in the church who receive Him, so the Sabbath was instituted as a reminder of these things, its name meaning rest or peace, and was the most holy representative of the church. For the same reason the Lord called Himself "the Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:27, 28; Luke 6:5).[3]
288. Because the peace of heaven is the Divine inmostly affecting
with blessedness the veriest good in angels, it can be clearly
perceived by them only in the delight of their hearts when they are
in the good of their life, in the pleasure with which they hear truth
that agrees with their good, and in gladness of mind when they
perceive the conjunction of good and truth. From this it flows into
all the acts and thoughts of their life, and there presents itself as
joy, even in outward appearance.
[2] But peace in the heavens differs in quality and quantity in agreement with the innocence of those who are there; since innocence and peace walk hand in hand; for every good of heaven, as said above, is from innocence, and every delight of that good is from peace. Evidently, then, the same that has been said in the foregoing chapter about the state of innocence in the heavens may be said here of the state of peace there, since innocence and peace are conjoined like good and its delight; for good is felt in its delight, and delight is known from its good. This being so, it is evident that angels of the inmost or third heaven are in the third or inmost degree of peace, because they are in the third or inmost degree of innocence; and that angels of the lower heavens are in a less degree of peace, because they are in a less degree of innocence (see above n. 280).
[3] That innocence and peace go together like good and its delight can be seen in little children, who are in peace because they are in innocence, and because they are in peace are in their whole nature full of play. Yet the peace of little children is external peace; while internal peace, like internal innocence, is possible only in wisdom, and for this reason only in the conjunction of good and truth, since wisdom is from that conjunction. Heavenly or angelic peace is also possible in men who are in wisdom from the conjunction of good and truth, and who in consequence have a sense of content in God; nevertheless, while they live in the world this peace lies hidden in their interiors, but it is revealed when they leave the body and enter heaven, for their interiors are then opened.
289. As the Divine peace springs from the conjunction of the Lord
with heaven, and specially from the conjunction of good and truth in
each angel, so when the angels are in a state of love they are in a
state of peace; for then good and truth are conjoined in them. (That
the states of angels undergo successive changes may be seen above, n.
154-160.) The like is true also of a man who is being regenerated. As
soon as good and truth come to be conjoined in him, which takes place
especially after temptations, he comes into a state of delight from
heavenly peace.[4] This peace may be likened to morning or dawn in
spring time, when, the night being passed, with the rising of the sun
all things of the earth begin to live anew, the fragrance of growing
vegetation is spread abroad with the dew that descends from heaven,
and the mild vernal temperature gives fertility to the ground and
imparts pleasure to the minds of men, and this because morning or
dawn in the time of spring corresponds to the state of peace of
angels in heaven (see n. 155).[5]
290. I have talked with the angels about peace, saying that what is
called peace in the world is when wars and hostilities cease between
kingdoms, and when enmities or hostilities cease among men; also that
internal peace is believed to consist in rest of mind when cares are
removed, especially in tranquility and enjoyment from success in
affairs. But the angels said that rest of mind and tranquility and
enjoyment from the removal of cares and success in affairs seem to be
constituents of peace, but are so only with those who are in heavenly
good, for only in that good is peace possible. For peace flows in
from the Lord into the inmost of such, and from their inmost descends
and flows down into the lower faculties, producing a sense of rest in
the mind, tranquility of disposition, and joy therefrom. But to those
who are in evil peace is impossible.[6] There is an appearance of
rest, tranquility, and delight when things succeed according to their
wishes; but it is external peace and not at all internal, for
inwardly they burn with enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, and many
evil lusts, into which their disposition is carried whenever any one
is seen to be unfavorable to them, and which burst forth when they
are not restrained by fear. Consequently the delight of such dwells
in insanity, while the delight of those who are in good dwells in
wisdom. The difference is like that between hell and heaven.
- ↑ By peace in the highest sense the Lord is meant, because peace is from Him, and in the internal sense heaven is meant, because those are in a state of peace (n. 3780, 4681). Peace in the heavens is the Divine inmostly affecting with blessedness everything good and true there, and this peace is incomprehensible to man (n. 92, 3780, 5662, 8455, 8665). Divine peace is in good, but not in truth apart from good (n. 8722).
- ↑ In the word an "odor" signifies the perception of agreeableness or disagreeableness, according to the quality of the love and faith of which it is predicated (n. 3577, 4626, 4628, 4748, 5621, 10292). An "odor of rest," in reference to Jehovah, means a perception of peace (n. 925, 10054). This is why frankincense, incense, and odors in oils and ointments, became representative (n. 925, 4748, 5621, 10177).
- ↑ The "Sabbath" signifies in the highest sense the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord; in the internal sense the conjunction of the Divine Human of the Lord with heaven and with the church; in general, the conjunction of good and truth, thus the heavenly marriage (n. 8495, 10356, 10730). Therefore "rest on the Sabbath day" signified the state of that union, because then the Lord had rest, and thereby there is peace and salvation in the heavens and on the earth; and in a relative sense it signified the conjunction of the Lord with man, because man then has peace and salvation (n. 8494, 8510, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730).
- ↑ The conjunction of good and truth in a man who is being regenerated is effected in a state of peace (n. 3696, 8517).
- ↑ The state of peace in the heavens is like a state of dawn or springtime on the earth (n. 1726, 2780, 5662).
- ↑ The lusts that originate in love of self and of the world wholly take away peace (n. 3170, 5662). There are some who think to find peace in restlessness, and in such things as are contrary to peace (n. 5662). Peace is possible only when the lusts of evil are removed (n. 5662).