114. The Lord not only is present in heaven, but He also is heaven itself. That is because love and wisdom are what make an angel, and these two properties are the Lord's in angels. It follows therefore that the Lord is heaven.
The fact is that angels are not angels in consequence of their native character. Their native character is altogether like that of any person, which is evil. This is the native character of angels because all angels were once people, and this native character remains in them from birth. It is only set aside, and to the extent it is set aside, to that extent they receive into them love and wisdom, which is to say, the Lord.
If anyone simply raises his understanding to some degree, he can see that the Lord can dwell only in what is His in angels, that is, in His own inherent character, which is love and wisdom, and cannot dwell at all in the native character of angels, which is evil. So it is that to the extent evil is set aside, to that extent the Lord is present in them, and to that extent they are angels. The very angelic quality of heaven is Divine love and wisdom. This Divine quality is called angelic when it exists in angels. Thus it is again apparent that angels are angels owing to the Lord and not to themselves. Consequently the same may be said of heaven.
