Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 2.djvu/67

Rh moment when it pleases the Lord that man should see spiritual things. And then he does not know but that he sees them with the eyes of the body.

Thus were angels seen by Abraham, Lot, Manoah, and the prophets. Thus the Lord also was seen by His disciples after His resurrection; and in like manner, too, have angels been seen by me. The prophets were called seers, and men whose eyes were open,—1 Sam. ix. 9; Numb. xxiv. 3,—because they saw with the eyes of the spirit; and the opening of this spiritual sight was called opening the eyes. This was the case with the servant of Elisha, of whom we read, "Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, open, I pray thee, his eyes, that he may see: and Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." 2 Kings vi. 17.

Good spirits with whom I have conversed on this subject, were deeply grieved that there should be such ignorance within the church concerning the nature of heaven, and concerning spirits and angels. And being displeased, they charged me by all means to make it known that they are not formless minds, nor ethereal breaths, but that they are men in form, and that they see, hear and feel equally as men in the world. (H. H., n. 70-77.)