and beauty according to
degrees. Now in order that the Word may be full, that is, may consist
of effects in which are a cause and an end, or may consist of uses in
which truth is the cause and good is the end and love is the producing
force, it must needs consist of correspondences; and from this it
follows that the Word in each heaven is like the Word in our world,
differing only in excellence and beauty according to degrees. What this
difference is shall be told elsewhere. (A.E., n. 1082.)

V. The Three Senses in the Word

As there is a trine, one within another, in every last particular of the
Word, and this trine is like that of effect, cause, and end, it follows
that there are three senses in the Word, one within another, namely, a
natural, a spiritual, and a celestial; a natural for the world, a
spiritual for the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and a
celestial for the heavens of His celestial kingdom. (That the entire
heavens are divided into two kingdoms, the spiritual and the celestial,
may be seen in Heaven and Hell, n. 20-28.) Now as there is one sense
within another, a first which is the sense of the letter for the natural
world, a second which is the internal sense for the spiritual kingdom,
and a third which is the inmost for the celestial kingdom, it follows
that a natural man draws from it his sense, a spiritual angel his sense,
and a celestial angel his sense, thus everyone what is analogous to and
in agreement with his own essence and nature. This takes place whenever
a man who is led by the Lord is reading the Word.

But let this be illustrated by examples. When this commandment of the
Decalogue is read, "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother," a man
in the world understands by "father and mother" a father and mother on
the earth, and also all who are or may be in the place of father or
mother; and by "honoring" he understands to hold such in honor. But an
angel of the spiritual kingdom understands by "father" the Divine good,
and by "mother" the Divine truth, and by "honoring" loving; while an
angel of the celestial kingdom understands by "father" the Lord, and by
"mother" heaven and the church, and by "honoring" doing.

When the fifth commandment of the Decalogue, "Thou shalt not steal," is
read, by "stealing" a man understands stealing, defrauding, and taking
away under any pretense his neighbor's goods. But an angel of the
spiritual kingdom by "stealing" understands deprivin