270. The wisdom of the angels of the third or inmost heaven will now be described, and how far it surpasses the wisdom of the angels of the first or outermost heaven. The wisdom of the angels of the third or inmost heaven is incomprehensible even to those who are in the outermost heaven. The reason for this is that the interiors of the angels of the third heaven have been opened to the third degree, while the interiors of angels of the first heaven have been opened only to the first degree; and all wisdom increases towards interiors and is perfected as these are opened (n. 208, 267). [2] Because the interiors of the angels of the third or inmost heaven have been opened to the third degree, Divine Truths are, as it were, inscribed on them. For the interiors of the third degree are more fully in the form of heaven than the interiors of the second and first degrees, and the form of heaven is from the Divine Truth, thus in accord with the Divine Wisdom. This is why the Divine Truth is, as it were, inscribed on those angels, or as if implanted by nature or innate. Therefore as soon as these angels hear genuine Divine Truths they instantly acknowledge and perceive them, and afterwards see them, as it were, inwardly in themselves. As the angels of that heaven are such they never reason about Divine Truths, still less do they dispute about any truth whether it is so or not so; nor do they know what it is to believe or to have faith. For they say, "What is faith? I perceive and see that a thing is so." This they illustrate by comparisons. For example, it would be like someone with a companion, seeing a house and the various things in and around it, saying to his companion that he ought to believe that these things exist, and that they are such as he sees them to be; or like someone seeing a garden and trees and fruit in it, and saying to his companion that he ought to have faith that there is a garden with trees and fruits, when he is seeing them clearly with his eyes. For this reason, these angels never mention faith, nor have any idea of it. Neither do they reason about Divine Truths, still less do they dispute about any truth whether it is so or not.# [3] The angels of the first or outermost heaven, however, do not have Divine Truths thus inscribed on their interiors, because to them only the first degree of life is opened. Therefore, they reason about truths, and those who reason see almost nothing beyond the fact of the matter about which they are reasoning, nor go further beyond the subject than to confirm it by certain considerations, and having confirmed it, they say that it must be a matter of faith and is to be believed. [4] I have talked with angels about this, and they said that the difference between the wisdom of the angels of the third heaven and the wisdom of the angels of the first heaven is like that between what is clear and what is obscure. The former they compared to a magnificent palace full of all things for use, surrounded on all sides by parks, with magnificent things of many kinds round about them; and as these angels are in the truths of wisdom they can enter into the palace and behold all things, and wander about in the parks in every direction and find delight in it all. But it is not so with those who reason about truths, especially with those who dispute about them. For such do not see truths from the light of truth, but accept truths either from others or from the sense of the letter of the Word, which they do not interiorly understand, declaring that truths must be believed, or that one must have faith in them, and then they are not willing to have any interior sight admitted. The angels said that such are unable to reach the first threshold of the palace of wisdom, still less to enter into it and wander about in its grounds, for they stop at the first step. It is different with those who are in truths themselves. Nothing impedes these from going on and progressing without limit, for the truths they see lead them wherever they go, even into wide fields, for every truth has infinite extension and is in conjunction with manifold others. [5] They said still further that the wisdom of the angels of the inmost heaven consists principally in this, that they see Divine and heavenly things in every single object, and wonderful things in a series of many objects. For all things that appear before their eyes have their correspondence, as when they see palaces and gardens their view does not dwell upon the things that are before their eyes, but they see the interior things from which they spring, that is, to which they correspond, and this with all variety in accordance with the aspect of the objects. Thus they see innumerable things at the same time in their order and connection, and this so fills their minds with delight that they seem to be carried away from themselves. That all things that are seen in the heavens correspond to the Divine things that are in the angels from the Lord may be seen above (n. i70-I76). # The celestial angels know innumerable things, and are immeasurably wiser than the spiritual angels (n. 2718). The celestial angels do not think and talk from faith, as the spiritual angels do, for they are in a perception from the Lord of all things that are of faith (n. 202, 597, 607, 784, 1121, 1384, 1442, 1898, 1919, 7680, 7877, 8780, 9277, 10336). In regard to the truths of faith they say only "Yea, yea, or Nay, nay", while the spiritual angels reason whether it is so (n. 2715, 3246, 4448, 9166, 10786, where the Lord's words, "Let your discourse be Yea, yea, Nay, nay" (Matt. v. 37), are explained).