CL 532-533 - What news from earth? The Lord has revealed secrets!

CL 532-533
. . . the Lord has revealed secrets
which surpass in excellence
all the secrets previously revealed . . .:

(1) That in the Word
and in each and every particular of it,
there is a spiritual meaning corresponding to the natural meaning;
that through that spiritual meaning
people of the church are conjoined with the Lord and affiliated with angels;
and that in it lies the holiness of the Word.

(2) That the corresponding elements
of which the spiritual meaning of the Word consists
have been disclosed.

(3) that the Lord has now revealed
the circumstances of people's life after death.

(4) that the Lord has now disclosed
the nature of the world in which angels and spirits live,
thus the nature of heaven and the nature of hell;
as also that angels and spirits live in affiliation with men;
in addition to many other wonders connected with them.

(5) The Lord has now revealed
that there is in your world a different sun from the one in our world;
that the sun of your world is pure love,
while the sun of our world is nothing but fire;
that because your sun is pure love,
everything that emanates from it brings with it something of life,
while because our sun is nothing but fire,
everything that emanates from it brings with it nothing of life;
also that this is the origin of the difference
between what is spiritual and what is natural,
a difference hitherto unknown which has also been disclosed."
It has been made known in consequence of this . . .
from what source the light comes
which enlightens the human intellect with wisdom,
and from what source the warmth comes
which kindles the human will with love.

(6) that there are three degrees of life,
and consequently three heavens;
that the human mind is divided into these degrees,
and that the human being thus corresponds to the three heavens.

(7) concerning the Last Judgment;
concerning the Lord,
that He is God of heaven and earth,
that God is one both in person and in essence,
in whom is the Divine trinity,
and that He is the Lord;
also concerning the New Church about to be established by Him,
and the doctrine of that church;
concerning the sacredness of the Holy Scripture;
as also that the Apocalypse has been revealed,
nothing of which could have been revealed,
not even in one little verse,
except by the Lord.

The angels rejoiced greatly at hearing these reports; but when they perceived in me a sadness and began to inquire what reason I had to be sad, I said that although these secrets revealed at the present time by the Lord surpass in excellence and importance any concepts hitherto imparted, still on earth they are regarded as worthless.
The angels were surprised at this, and they petitioned the Lord to permit them to look down into the world; and on looking down, behold, they saw only darkness there.
They were then told to write these secrets on a piece of paper, and to let the paper descend to the earth, at which time they would see a portent. So they did so. And lo, the piece of paper with these secrets written upon it was let go from heaven, and as it descended, while still in the spiritual world, it shone like a star. But as it floated down into the natural world, the light disappeared, and the further it fell, the darker it became.
Then, when the angels directed it into gatherings of people containing certain educated and learned representatives from the clergy and laity, a murmur arose from many of them, in which were heard the following words: "What is this? Is it of any consequence? What does it matter if we know these things or not? Are they not creations of the brain?"
Moreover, some of them appeared as though to take the piece of paper and to fold it, roll it up, and unroll it with their fingers, in order to obliterate the writing; while others appeared as though to tear it up, and some to try to trample it with their feet. But they were kept by the Lord from such a wickedness, and the angels were commanded to withdraw the paper and protect it.
After that, because the angels were saddened and thought to themselves how long this would be the case, they were told, "For a time and times and half a time." (Revelation 12:14)