accordance with reception. As the higher heavens are in good of love
they are nearest to the Lord as the sun; and as the lower heavens are
in good of faith they are farther away from Him. But those that are
in no good, like those in hell, are farthest away, at different
distances in accordance with their opposition to good.{2}

{Footnote 1} 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 that first goes 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 corresponding thin
cloud, to prevent their being harmed by the glow of burning
love (n. 6849).

{Footnote 2} The Lord's presence with the angels is in
proportion to their reception of 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 very far away from
the heavens, and this is the "great gulf" (n. 9346, 10187).


121. When, however, the Lord appears in heaven, which often occurs,
He does not appear encompassed with a sun, but in the form of an
angel, yet distinguished from angels by the Divine shining through