3350. To make the nature of representatives quite plain let one further example be introduced. I once heard very many angels of the interior heaven who were working together or in unison to form a representative. The spirits around me were unable to perceive it except from a certain influx of interior affection. It was a choir in which those very many angels thought the same thing together, and uttered the same thing. By means of representations they were forming a golden crown set with diamonds around the Lord's head. This was effected at the same time by means of a rapid sequence of representations like those of thought and speech mentioned above in 3342-3344. And the wonder of it was, although there were very many angels they all nevertheless thought and spoke as one, and in so doing represented as one. They did so because nobody wished to do anything by himself, let alone direct the rest and so lead the choir. Anyone who does this is of himself instantly severed from the choir. But all did allow themselves to be led by one another, and so they were all, individually and collectively, led by the Lord. Into such harmonious relationships all good persons are introduced who enter the next life.
[2] After that I heard many more groups who presented various things within representatives; and although the choirs were many, and each choir had many members, they all nevertheless acted as one, for from the form taken by the various representations there resulted a single whole, containing that which was superbly heavenly. Such is the whole of heaven able to be - which consists of myriads upon myriads acting as one - through the mutual love reigning there, for thus they allow themselves to be led by the Lord. And the wonder of it is, the more there are, that is, the more myriads there are constituting heaven, the more distinct and separate, and the more perfect, does every single one become; all the more so in the case of the angels of the interior heaven, since all perfection increases towards the interior parts.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church