The second work that we will look at is actually a series of twelve volumes that were the first of "the Writings" that Swedenborg published (1747-1756). The volumes of Arcana Caelestia (the title is Latin and means "Heavenly Secrets") take the books of Genesis and Exodus verse by verse and show how each detail can be seen as part of a continuous parable. The angels with us recognize many levels of this inner meaning or spiritual sense when we reverently read the literal stories. Arcana Caelestia shows how these simple and sometimes confusing stories, when understood on a deeper level, can help us better understand the Lord, the spiritual history of the human race, and our own spiritual growth.