104. The Word Is the Means by Which Those Have Light Who Are Outside the Church and Do Not Have the Word

No conjunction with heaven is possible unless somewhere on earth there is a church which has the Word and where the Lord is consequently known, because the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and there is no salvation apart from the Lord.

It is enough for a church to exist that has the Word, even if it consists of relatively few people. The Lord is still everywhere present by means of the Word throughout the whole world; for by it heaven is conjoined with the human race. To be shown that the conjunction exists by means of the Word, see nos. 62-69 above.

63. The literal sense makes possible an affiliation with angels in heaven because that sense has in it a spiritual sense and a celestial sense, and these are the senses that angels know — angels in the spiritual kingdom having the Word’s spiritual sense, and angels in the celestial kingdom having its celestial sense. These senses unfold from the Word’s natural sense, namely its literal sense, when a sincere person is intent on it. The unfolding is instantaneous, and accordingly also the affiliation.