81.  I afterwards spoke with the angels respecting some of the remarkable things on our Earth, especially the art of printing, the Word, and the various doctrinals of the church from the Word; and I stated that the Word and the doctrinals [of the church] were published, and were thus learnt.  They wondered exceedingly that such things could be made public by writing and printing.

82.  It was given me to see how the spirits of that earth, after having been prepared, are taken up into heaven, and become angels.  On such occasions there appear chariots and shining horses as of fire, by which they are carried away like Elijah.  The reason why chariots and shining horses as of fire appear, is that in this way there is represented that they are instructed and prepared to enter heaven; for chariots signify the doctrinals of the church, and shining horses, an enlightened understanding[ee].

[Footnote ee:  Chariots signify the doctrinals of the Church, nos. 2760, 5321, 8215.  Horses signify the Intellectual, nos. 2760, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148, 8381.  The White Horse in the Apocalypse signifies the understanding of the Word, no. 2760.  By Elijah in the representative sense is meant the Word, nos. 2762, 5247.  And since all the doctrine of the church and the understanding thereof are from the Word, Elijah is called “the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof,” no. 2762.  On this account he was taken up by a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, nos. 2762, 8029.]

83.  The heaven into which they are carried away appears on the right towards their earth, consequently separated from the heaven of the angels of our Earth.  The angels who are in that heaven appear clothed in resplendent blue, spotted with little stars of gold, and this because they were fond of that colour in the world, and also believed it to be the most heavenly colour, especially because they are in that variety of good of love to which this colour corresponds[ff].

[Footnote ff:  Blue originating in red or flame corresponds to the good of celestial love; and blue originating in white or light (lucidum) corresponds to the good of spiritual love, no. 9868.]

84.  There appeared to me a bald head, but only the topmost part of it, which was bony.  I was told that such a bald head is seen by those who are to die within a year, and that they then prepare themselves.  They do not fear death there, except on account of leaving their conjugial consorts, their children, or their parents, for they know that they shall live after death, and that they do not quit life because they go to heaven; wherefore, they do not call death dying, but being heaven-made.  Those on that earth who have lived in truly conjugial love, and have taken such care of their children as becomes parents, do not die of disease, but tranquilly as in sleep, and so pass from the world into heaven.  The age of man there is generally thirty years, according to