19. The Word contains a still more interior sense, called celestial, which we said something about in no. 6 above. But this sense is almost impossible to explicate, as it does not fall so much within the scope of the thought of the intellect as into the affection of the will.

The Word contains this still more interior sense, called celestial, because there emanates from the Lord Divine goodness and Divine truth — Divine goodness from His Divine love, and Divine truth from His Divine wisdom. Both are present in the Word, for the Word is a Divine emanation. And because both are present, therefore the Word gives life to people who read it reverently. However, we will say more on this subject in the section where we show that the constituents of the Word all contain a marriage of the Lord and the church, and so a marriage of goodness and truth.

52. It can be seen from this that people who read the Word apart from doctrine, or who do not acquire for themselves doctrine from the Word, are in darkness as regards any truth, and that their minds meander and are unsure, prone to error, and moreover are open to heresies, which they embrace if bias or authority favors them and their reputation is not endangered. For the Word is for them like a lampstand without light, and in the darkness they seem to see much, and yet see scarcely anything, inasmuch as doctrine alone is the lamp.

I have seen people of this character examined by angels and found to be able to affirm from the Word whatever they will, and to affirm whatever accords with their love and with the love of those whom they favor. I have also seen them stripped of their clothing, a sign that they were without truths. Garments in that world are truths.