HH 158 - Why the Angels Have Changes of State in Heaven

HH 158

The angels said that there are many reasons --
first, the delight of life and of heaven,
which they have from love and wisdom from the Lord,
would gradually lose its value
if they were in it continually,
as happens with those
that are in allurements and pleasures without variety.
A second reason is that angels,
as well as people,
have what is their own [proprium],
which is loving self;
and all that are in heaven are withheld
from what is their own,
and so far as they are withheld from it by the Lord
are in love and wisdom;
but so far as they are not withheld
they are in the love of self;
and because everyone loves what is his own
and is drawn by it ¹
they have changes of state or successive alternations.
A third reason is that they are in this way perfected,
for they thus become accustomed
to being held in love to the Lord
and withheld from love of self;
also that by alternations
between delight and lack of delight
the perception and sense of good
becomes more exquisite. ²
The angels added that their changes of state
are not caused by the Lord,
since the Lord as a sun is unceasingly flowing in
with heat and light, that is, with love and wisdom;
but the cause is in themselves,
in that they love what is their own (proprium),
and this continually leads them away.
This was illustrated by comparison
with the sun of the world,
that the cause of the changes of state
of heat and cold and of light and shade,
year by year and day by day,
is not in that sun, since it stands unchanged,
but the cause is in the earth.
__________


Footnotes:

1. [Swedenborg's footnote]
Man's own [proprium] is loving self
(Arcana Coelestia 694, 731, 4317, 5660).
The Lord cannot be present
unless what is man's own is set aside (1023, 1044).
It is actually set aside
when one is held in good by the Lord
(9334-9336, 9447, 9452-9454, 9938).

2. [Swedenborg's footnote]
The angels are being perfected to eternity (4803, 6648).
In the heavens one state is never just like another,
and from this there is
an unceasing process of perfection (10200).