208.  One heaven is joined with another, or a society of one heaven with the society of another, by the Lord alone, both by direct and by mediate influx, directly from Himself, and mediately through the higher heavens in order into the lower.{1} As the conjunction of the heavens by this inflowing is from the Lord alone there is a most careful precaution against any angel of a higher heaven looking down into a society of a lower heaven and talking with any one there; for the angel is thus immediately deprived of his intelligence and wisdom.  The reason of this also shall be told.  As there are three degrees of heaven, so each angel has three degrees of life, those in the inmost heaven having the third or inmost degree open, while the second and first degrees are closed; those in the middle heaven have the second degree opened and the first and third closed; and those in the lowest heaven have the first degree opened and the second and third closed.  Consequently, as soon as an angel of the third heaven looks down into a society of the second heaven and talks with any one there his third degree is at once closed; and as his wisdom resides in that degree, if that is closed he is deprived of his wisdom, for he has none in the second or first degree.  This is what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew: 

     He that is on the housetop, let him not go down to take
     what is in his house; and he that is in the field, let him
     not turn back to take his garment (24:17, 18).

And in Luke: 

In that day he that shall be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away; and he that is in the field let him not turn back.  Remember Lot’s wife (17:31, 32).

{Footnote 1} There is direct influx from the Lord and mediate influx through heaven (n. 6063, 6307, 6472, 9682, 9683).  There is a direct influx of the Lord into the minutest parts of all things (n. 6058, 6474-6478, 8717, 8728).  Of the mediate influx of the Lord through the heavens (n. 4067, 6982, 6985, 6996).

209.  No influx is possible from the lower heavens into the higher, because this is contrary to order; but there is influx from the higher heavens into the lower.  Moreover, the wisdom of the angels of a higher heaven surpasses the wisdom of the angels of a lower heaven as a myriad to one; and this is another reason why the angels of a lower heaven cannot converse with those of a higher heaven; and in fact when they look towards them they do not see them, the higher heaven appearing like a cloudy something over their heads.  But the angels of a higher heaven can see those in a lower heaven, although if permitted to talk with them they would lose their wisdom, as has been said above.

210.  The thoughts and affections as well as the speech of the angels of the inmost heaven are never perceived in the middle heaven, because they so transcend what is there.  But when it pleases the Lord there is seen in the lower heavens from that source something like a flame, and from the thoughts and affections in the middle heaven there is seen in the outmost heaven something luminous, and sometimes a cloud glowing white and variegated.  From that cloud, its ascent, descent, and form, what is being said there is in some measure known.