Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 95

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95. That heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms of which one is called the celestial, the other the spiritual kingdom, may be seen above in the relevant section. The celestial kingdom corresponds in general to the heart and to all things of the heart in the whole body, and the spiritual kingdom to the lungs and to all things of the lungs in the whole body. Likewise in man, heart and lungs form two kingdoms, the heart ruling there by means of arteries and veins, the lungs by means of the nerve and motor fibres, both together in every exertion and movement. So again in any one man, in his spiritual world called his spiritual man, there are two kingdoms, one of the will and the other of the understanding. The will rules by means of affections of good, and the understanding by means of affections of truth. These kingdoms indeed correspond to the kingdoms of the heart and the lungs in the body. It is the same in the heavens. The celestial kingdom is the voluntary part of heaven, and the good of love rules there. The spiritual kingdom is the intellectual part of heaven and truth rules there, all this corresponding to the functions of the heart and lungs in man. It is on account of this correspondence that, in the Word, the heart signifies the will and also the good of love, and the breath of the lungs signifies the understanding and the truth of faith. For the same reason, affections are ascribed to the heart although they are neither in it nor derived from it.# # The correspondence of the heart and lungs with the Grand Man, which is heaven, from experience (n. 3883-3896). The heart corresponds to those in the celestial kingdom, and the lungs to those in the spiritual kingdom (n. 3885-3887). There is in heaven a pulse like that of the heart, and a respiration like that of the lungs but interior (n. 3884, 3885, 3887). There the pulse of the heart varies in conformity with states of love, and the respiration in conformity with states of charity and faith (n. 3886, 3887, 3889). In the Word the "heart" means the will, and "from the heart" means from the will (n. 2930, 7542, 8910, 9113, 10336). In the Word the "heart" also signifies love, and "from the heart" means from love (n. 7542, 9050, 10336).


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