Heaven Revealed/Chapter 5

by Benjamin Fiske Barrett

V.

CHARACTER OF THE ANGELS.

FROM what has been said of the essential nature of heaven, it is plain to be seen what ought to be the general and particular character of the angels—what their prevailing dispositions and motives, and how they ought uniformly to feel and act. But Swedenborg has himself sketched their character in many parts of his writings. Let us see, then, whether his sketch be such as ought to follow by logical sequence from the alleged ruling loves of all in heaven; and whether their character as portrayed by him, be in agreement with the laws of love as revealed in Holy Scripture.

According to his disclosures, no one in heaven desires any good merely for himself; but it is the delight of every one there "to do good and communicate," hoping for nothing in return. Their highest happiness consists in freely imparting their joys to others. He says:

"Mutual love which reigns in heaven, consists in this: that each loves his neighbor more than himself. Hence the whole heaven constitutes, as it were, a single man, all being thus consociated by mutual love from the Lord. Hence it is, too, that the felicities of all are communicated to each individual, and those of each individual to all: and hence the heavenly form is such, that every one is, as it were, a kind of centre, whence he is a centre of the communications, consequently of the felicities, proceeding from all; which take place according to all the differences of that love, which are innumerable. And as they who are principled in that love perceive the highest happiness in this circumstance, that they are capable of communicating to others what they receive by influx themselves, which they do from the heart, the communication is thus rendered perpetual and eternal; in consequence of which the happiness of each increases in proportion to the increase of the Lord's kingdon."—A. C. 2057. "When an angel does good to any one, he also communicates to him his own good, satisfaction and blessedness, so that he is willing to give everything to the other, and to retain nothing. When he is in such communication, good flows-in with satisfaction and blessedness to him in a much greater degree than he gives, and this continually with increase. But as soon as the thought occurs, that he wills to communicate what he has, to the intent that he may obtain that influx of satisfaction and blessedness in himself, the influx is dissipated; and still more so, if anything presents itself of thought concerning recompense from him to whom he communicates his good. This it has been given me to know from much experience. Hence also it may be manifest that the Lord is in singulars, for He is such that He wills to give Himself to all; hence satisfaction and blessedness are increased with those who become images and likenesses of Him."—Ibid, n. 6478.

Observe it is here said that "good flows-in with satisfaction and blessedness to him [who wills to give everything to others], in a far greater degree than he gives; and this with continual increase." Which agrees perfectly with these words of the Lord—spiritually interpreted: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again." (Luke vi. 38.) But if an angel "wills to communicate what he has, to the intent that he may obtain that influx of satisfaction and blessedness in himself, the influx is dissipated." And so, in respect to the purely disinterestedness of their love, and their desire to have others share their blessedness, the angels resemble the Lord Himself, whose delight it is to impart of his own life and blessedness to his creatures.

No one in heaven aspires to be great above others. No one desires to have others honor or serve him personally. All are more desirous of serving than of being served. In heaven he is the greatest of all, who is the least of all," says Swedenborg; "for whosoever wills to be least, has the greatest happiness, and consequently is the greatest." Yet "heaven does not consist in desiring to be least with a view to being the greatest, for in such desire there lurks the lust of preeminence; but it consists in this, that every one should from the heart wish better to others than to himself, and should serve others with a view to their happiness, that is, from a principle of love that has no regard to selfish ends." (A. C, n. 452.) And the Lord says: "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt, xx. 26, '7, '8.)

Here, again, we trace the resemblance of the angels to the Lord—precisely as it should be, if they are filled and animated by his Spirit.

Then their humility, according to Swedenborg, is no less remarkable than their unselfish love. Notwithstanding their exalted wisdom, transcending by many degrees that of the wisest men on earth, they are not puffed up on account of it. They have no pride of intellect, no self-derived intelligence, no self-righteousness. They regard none of the goods or truths they possess as their own; but perceive and acknowledge and love to acknowledge that they are all the Lord's, and are his free and perpetual gift to them.

"Because the angels believe this, therefore they refuse all thanks on account of the good they do, and are displeased and recede if any one attributes good to them. They wonder that any one should believe that he is wise and does good from himself. Good done for the sake of one's self, they do not call good, because it is done from self; but good done for the sake of good, this they call good from the Divine; and this good, they say, is what makes heaven, because it is the Lord [for He is within it as its inmost principle. A. C. 1802, 3951, 8480]."—H. H, n. 9.

Again:

"He lives most, that is, most wisely and intelligently, most blessedly and happily, who is most confirmed in the belief that he does not live of himself; and this is the life of the angels, especially of the celestial who are the inmost or nearest to the Lord. . . . In heaven they are the greatest who are the least, and they are the wisest who perceive and think themselves the least wise; and they are the happiest who desire others to be most happy, but themselves least so. Heaven consists in desiring to be below all, but hell in desiring to be above all; therefore in the glory of heaven there is nothing at all of the glory of this world."—A. C, n. 2654.

This reveals the profound and beautiful humility of the angels; and in this consists their real exaltation. And there can be no spiritual exaltation of a finite being, without similar humility. As it is written: "For whosoever exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted." (Luke xiv. 11.)

The angels are further described by Swedenborg as abounding in charity or neighborly love. Under the influence of this principle, they seek perpetually to excite what is good and true in the minds of men and of each other; and they are ever ready to overlook, or put the best possible construction on, whatever they perceive as evil and false. They have no inclination to spy out others' faults, or to condemn any one on account of them, but rather to find what is good and true in every one.

"They who are in charity, scarcely see another's evils, but observe all that is good and true in him, and put a favorable interpretation upon what is evil and false. Such are all the angels; and they have this disposition from the Lord who turns all evil into good."—A. C, n. 1079.

"They who are not in charity, think only evil of their neighbor, and speak nothing but evil of him; or if they say what is good, they do it on their own account, or with a view to insinuate themselves into the favor of him whom they flatter with commendation. Those, however, who are in charity, think and speak nothing but what is good of their neighbor; and this not for their own sake, or to gain the favor of others, but from the Lord operating in charity. The former resemble the evil spirits, and the latter the angels who are attendant on man; for evil spirits always excite man's evils and falsities, and condemn him; whereas angels excite nothing but goods and truths, excusing what is evil and false. Hence it is evident, that such as are not in charity are under the dominion of evil spirits, by whom man has communication with hell; and that such as are in charity are governed by angels, by whom he has communication with heaven."—A. C. n. 1088.

Such is the charity in which, we are told, the angels are. And is it not the very spirit of the Lord's own Gospel? Is it not in agreement with the spirit of the texts which counsel us not to judge, nor condemn, nor think evil of others; and not to be on the watch for a mote in a brother's eye, without thinking of the beam which needs first to be cast out of our own eye?

Look also at the innocence of the angels as portrayed by Swedenborg. And this word as employed by him, has a vastly deeper and more comprehensive meaning than is commonly given to it. It means not mere sinlessness, or freedom from wrong in thought or deed; but a state of the highest wisdom, such as only those are in who have been brought to see that their natural proprium is altogether evil, and that whatever good they have is not their own but the Lord's; and whose deep desire and purpose it is to be led of the Lord in all things, and who have no desire to lead themselves. It is, in short, the very esse of all goodness, for it is the Lord's own life in the soul.

"It is said in heaven that innocence dwells in wisdom, and that an angel has as much of wisdom as he has of innocence. That such is the case, they confirm by this, that those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all their goods as gifts received, and ascribe them to the Lord; that they wish to be led by Him, and not by themselves; that they love everything which is good, and are delighted with everything which is true, because they know and perceive that to love what is good, thus to will and to do it, is to love the Lord; and to love what is true, is to love their neighbor; that they live contented with their own, whether it be little or much, because they know that they receive as much as is profitable for them; little, if little be profitable, and much, if much be profitable; and that they do not themselves know what is best for them, this being known only to the Lord, whose providence in all things contemplates eternal ends. Hence they are not anxious about the future. They call solicitude about the future, care for the morrow, which they say is grief for the loss or non-reception of things which are not necessary for the uses of life. In their intercourse with others they never act from an evil end, but from what is good, just and sincere. To act from an evil end, they call cunning, which they shun as the poison of a serpent, since it is altogether contrary to innocence. Because they love nothing more than to be led of the Lord, and acknowledge their indebtedness to Him for everything they receive, therefore they are removed from their proprium; and in the degree that they are removed from their proprium, in the same degree the Lord flows-in. . . . Such is the innocence which is called the innocence of wisdom."—H. H, n. 278.

We further learn from this new revelation, that the angels love even the worst of men, and constantly endeavor to do them all the good they can. They feel only tenderest love and compassion for us, even in our states of deepest guilt and sin. However we may resist their hallowing influences, and close our hearts against the precious things they long to communicate, they never leave us, nor relax their efforts to do us good. They continually endeavor to withdraw and withhold us from evil—to rescue our souls from the dominion of infernal spirits. They do this, because the Lord's own love is in them and in active operation; and it is the nature of this love to do good to all, and to seek the salvation and happiness of all. The angels are, therefore, in the same ends as the Lord Himself, and desire the very things that He desires. Hence they are called his ministers or "ministering spirits." (Heb. i. 14. See also Ps. ciii. 21: civ. 4.) They are images and likenesses of Himself. In them is fulfilled the great law of love delivered in these divine words: "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.—Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. v. 44-48.)

Such is a brief sketch of the character of the heavenly inhabitants, as portrayed by Swedenborg. And is it not precisely such as might be expected, if heaven in its essential nature be what he says it is? Is not every trait as here delineated, such as might be inferred from the alleged ruling loves of heaven?—such as follows by strict logical sequence from love to the Lord and love to the neighbor, when these loves rule supreme in the soul?