Wisdom Comes from the Lord: From “Divine Providence” by Emanuel Swedenborg (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

In the 18th century, a great Swedish scientist and inventor, at the height of his career, began to see visions of Heaven, spirits, saints, and angels. He saw Lord Jesus (vegetarian) come to open his inner eye, which allowed him to travel in the celestial sphere and talk with different spiritual beings. This mystical experience transformed the scientist into an enlightened spiritual leader with a new understanding of Christianity. His name is Emanuel Swedenborg (vegetarian). Today, it is a pleasure to present selections from “Divine Providence,” where Emanuel Swedenborg (vegetarian) expounds on how our wisdom comes from the Lord.

“As there are three degrees of life in people by creation and so from birth, there are specifically three degrees of wisdom in them. These degrees it is that are opened in people according to conjunction, that is, according to love, for love is conjunction itself.”

“There are three degrees of wisdom: natural, spiritual, and celestial. People are in the natural degree of wisdom during their life in the world. This degree can be perfected in them to its height, but even so cannot pass into the spiritual degree, for the latter is not continuous with it, but conjoined to it by correspondences.”

“But, as was said, no one can enter into the ineffable wisdom of the angels except by and according to conjunction with the Lord, for He alone opens spiritual and celestial degrees, and only in those who are wise from Him.”

“I have spoken with angels at times about wisdom who said that wisdom is conjunction with the Lord because He is wisdom itself, and that the person who rejects hell comes into this conjunction and comes into it so far as they reject hell.”

“The like can be said of degrees of happiness as was said of degrees of life and of wisdom according to conjunction with the Lord. Happiness, that is, blessedness and joy, also are heightened as the higher degrees of the mind, called spiritual and celestial, are opened with people. After their life in the world these degrees grow to eternity.”