37. In the Word’s Literal Sense, Divine Truth Is Present in Its Fullness, in Its Holiness, and in Its Power

In its literal sense the Word is in its fullness, in its holiness, and in its power, because, as we said in no. 28 above, the two prior or interior senses, called spiritual and celestial, are present at the same time in the natural sense, which is the literal sense. But how they are present at the same time — this we must now briefly explain.

72. Marvelously, the Word in the heavens is so written that simple folk understand it in a simple way, and the wise wisely. For there are diacritical points and marks over the letters, which, as we said, enhance the meaning. Simple folk pay no attention to these, neither do they know their meaning. But the wise attend to them, each in accordance with his wisdom, including those with the greatest wisdom.

A copy of the Word, transcribed by angels inspired by the Lord, is kept in a sacred repository in each of the larger societies in heaven, to keep it from being altered in some point elsewhere.

Our Word, indeed, is like the Word in heaven in this, that simple folk understand it in a simple way, and the wise wisely. But such is the case for another reason.