When a spirit is in the state of his inward nature and life, it appears plainly what manner of man he was in the world; for then he acts from his very self.  A man who was inwardly in good in the world, then acts rationally and wisely—­more wisely, in fact, than he did in the world; for he has been loosed from connection with the body, and so with worldly things, which caused obscurity and, as it were, interposed a cloud.  But a man who was in evil in the world, then acts foolishly and insanely—­more insanely, in fact, than he did in the world, for now he is in freedom and not coerced.  For when he lived in the world, he was sane in his outward life, for so he assumed the appearance of a rational man.  When, therefore, his outward life is laid off, his insanities reveal themselves.

—­Heaven and Hell, nn. 502, 505

INSTRUCTED FOR HEAVEN

The third state of a man after death is a state of instruction.  This is a state in the experience of those who enter heaven and become angels.

Instruction in heaven differs from instruction on earth, in that knowledge is not committed to memory, but to life; for the memory of spirits is in their life, inasmuch as they receive and become imbued with everything that agrees with their life, and they do not receive, still less do they become imbued with, anything that disagrees with it; for spirits are affections, and are in a human form like their affections.  Being such, they have inspired in them continually an affection for truth for the sake of the uses of life; for the Lord provides that every one may love the uses which suit his genius, a love that is exalted, too, by the hope of becoming an angel....  With every one, therefore, the affection of truth is united to the affection of use, so fully that they act as one.  Thereby truth is planted in service, so much so that the truths which angelic spirits learn, are truths of use.  Thus are they instructed and prepared for heaven.

—­Heaven and Hell, nn. 512, 517

HEAVEN

“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life; and may enter in through the
gates into the city.”

—­Rev., XXII, 14

“Thou wilt show me the path of life; In Thy presence is
fulness of joy; At Thy right hand there are pleasures
forevermore.”

—­Psalm, XVI, 11

“THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU”

Heaven is in a man; and they who have heaven within themselves, come into heaven.  Heaven in a man is to acknowledge the Divine, and to be led by the Divine.

Every angel receives the heaven which is around him according to the heaven which is within him.  Unless heaven is within a man, none of the heaven around him flows in and is received.

Love to the Lord is the love regnant in the heavens; for there the Lord is loved above all things.  Thus the Lord is All in all there.  He flows into all the angels, and into each of them.  He disposes them; He induces a likeness of Himself on them, and causes Heaven to be where He is.  Hence an angel is heaven in the least form; a society is heaven in a greater form; and all the societies together are heaven in the greatest form.