of angels, when thus compared,
is ineffable; also it will be seen in what follows that to men who are
in natural love, this wisdom is incomprehensible. It appears ineffable
and incomprehensible because it is of a higher degree.

181. Since there are degrees of love and wisdom, there are also degrees
of heat and light. By heat and light are meant spiritual heat and light,
such as angels in the heavens have, and such as men have as to the
interiors of their minds; for men have a heat of love similar to that
of the angels, and a similar light of wisdom. In the heavens, such and
so much love as the angels have, such and so much is their heat; and
the same is true of their light as compared with their wisdom; the reason
is, that with them love is in the heat, and wisdom in the light (as was
shown above). It is the same with men on earth, with the difference,
however, that angels feel that heat and see that light, but men do not,
because they are in natural heat and light; and while they are in the
natural heat and light spiritual heat is not felt except by a certain
enjoyment of love, and spiritual light is not seen except by a perception
of truth. Now since man, so long as he is in natural heat and light,
knows nothing of the spiritual heat and light within him, and since
knowledge of these can be obtained only through experience from the
spiritual world, the heat and light in which the angels and their
heavens are, shall here be especially spoken of. From this and from
no other source can enlightenment on this subject be had.

182. But degrees of spiritual heat cannot be described from experience,
because love, to which spiritual heat corresponds, does not come thus
under ideas of thought; but degrees of spiritual light can be described,
because light pertains to thought, and therefore comes under ideas of
thought. Yet degrees of spiritual heat can be comprehended by their
relation to the degrees of light, for the two are in like degree. With
respect then to spiritual light in which angels are, it has been granted
me to see it with my eyes. With angels of the higher heavens, the light
is so glistening white as to be indescribable, even by comparison with
the shining whiteness of snow, and so glowing as to be indescribable
even by comparison with the beams of this world's sun. In a word, that
light exceeds a thousand times the noonday light upon earth. But the
light with angels of the lower heavens can be described in a me