65. Now, however, we must also briefly say how the unfolding of these senses occurs. For this to be understood, it is necessary to recall what we said in nos. 6 and 38 above about sequential order and concurrent order, namely that the celestial, spiritual and natural realms follow in order, one after another, from the highest of them in heaven to the lowest in the world; that in the last realm, which is natural, these same things are present in concurrent order, one adjacent to another, from the inmost of them to the outmost; and that the successive celestial and spiritual senses of the Word are in the same way present at the same time in the natural sense.
When this is comprehended, it can to some extent be explained to the intellect how the two spiritual and celestial senses are unfolded from the natural sense when a person reads the Word. For a spiritual angel then summons up the spiritual sense, and a celestial angel summons up the celestial one. Nor can they do otherwise, for the meanings are of a like character and conform with their nature and essence.
