120. How great the Divine love is and what is its nature can be confirmed from a comparison with the sun of the world in its greatest ardour. It is, if you will believe it, much more ardent than that sun. For this reason, the Lord as a Sun does not flow immediately into the heavens, but the ardour of His love is tempered by degrees on the way. These temperings appear as radiating belts around the sun. And in addition, the angels are veiled with a suitably thin cloud to prevent their being harmed by the influx.# So, the heavens are separated in accordance with the reception [of influx from the Lord]. As the higher heavens are in the good of love, they are nearest to the Lord as a Sun, whereas the lower heavens being in the good of faith are further away from that Sun. Those, however, who are in no good, like those in hell, are furthest away, the extent of their remoteness being according to their opposition to good.## # What the Lord's Divine love is, and how great it is, illustrated by comparison with the fire of this world's sun (n. 6834, 6849, 8644). The Lord's Divine love is love toward the whole human race to save it (n. 1820, 1865, 2253, 6872). The love going forth from the fire of the Lord's love does not enter heaven, but is seen as radiant belts about the sun (n. 7270). The angels are veiled with a suitably thin cloud, to prevent their being harmed by an influx of burning love (n. 6849). ## The Lord's presence with the angels is in proportion to their reception of the good of love and faith from Him (n. 904, 4198, 4320, 6280, 6832, 7042, 8819, 9680, 9682, 9683, 10106, 10811). The Lord appears to each one in accordance with what he is (n. 1861, 3235, 4198, 4206). The hells are at a distance from the heavens because they cannot bear the presence of Divine love from the Lord (n. 4299, 7519, 7738, 7989, 8137, 8265, 9327). For this reason the hells are remote from the heavens, and this is the "great gulf" (n. 9346, 10187).