Week 6
Day 5
Listen: 
Uses in Heaven
“That he may serve Me” signifies elevation into heaven in order to perform uses therefrom, is evident from the signification of “serving Jehovah,” or the Lord, as being to perform uses… because true worship consists in the performance of uses…. The very worship of the Lord consists in performing uses…. The angels in heaven have all happiness from uses, and according to uses, so that to them uses are heaven. —AC 7038
Examples of angelic uses on earth.
Psalm 91:11-12. For He will command His angels as to thee, to keep thee, in all thy ways. Upon their palms they shall bear thee up, lest thou strike thy foot on a stone.
HH 391. In general, angels from each society are sent to men to watch over them and to lead them away from evil affections and consequent thoughts, and to inspire them with good affections so far as they will receive them in freedom. And by means of these [good affections] they also direct the deeds or works of men by removing as far as possible evil intentions. When angels are with men, they dwell as it were in their affections; and they are near to man just in the degree in which he is in good from truths, and are distant from him just in the degree in which his life is distant from good. But all these employments of angels are employments of the Lord through the angels, for the angels perform them from the Lord and not from themselves.
AC 50. Without communication by means of spirits with the world of spirits, and by means of angels with heaven, and thus through heaven with the Lord, man could not live at all. His life entirely depends on this conjunction, so that if the spirits and angels were to withdraw, he would instantly perish.
AC 50:2. While man is unregenerate, he is governed quite otherwise than when regenerated. While unregenerate there are evil spirits with him, who so domineer over him that the angels, though present, are scarcely able to do anything more than merely guide him so that he may not plunge into the lowest evil, and bend him to some good—in fact, bend him to good by means of his own lusts, and to truth by means of the fallacies of the senses. He then has communication with the world of spirits through the spirits who are with him, but not so much with heaven, because evil spirits rule, and the angels only avert their rule.
AC 50:3. But when the man is regenerate, the angels rule, and inspire him with all goods and truths, and with fear and horror of evils and falsities. The angels indeed lead, but only as ministers, for it is the Lord alone who governs man through angels and spirits.
Where do the arguments between right and wrong in our minds come from?
AC 227. When evil spirits start to have dominion, angels set to work to ward off evils and falsities, as a consequence of which conflict arises. And it is by means of perception, dictate, and conscience that a person comes to feel this conflict. These, together with temptations, make it possible for a person to become plainly aware of the fact that spirits and angels are residing with him, provided he is not so totally engrossed in bodily interests that he believes nothing he is told about spirits and angels.
Angelic uses include caring for children growing up on earth.
AC 2303. Directly after birth, angels from the heaven of innocence are with [infants on earth]. In the following age there are angels from the heaven of the tranquility of peace, and afterwards those who are from the societies of charity. And then, as the innocence and charity with the young children decrease, other angels are with them. And at length, when they become older and enter into a life foreign to charity, angels are indeed present, but more remotely, and this in accordance with the ends of life, which the angels especially regulate by continually insinuating good ones and turning aside evil ones. And they flow in more nearly or more remotely in proportion as they can or cannot do this.
The reason babies in this world are so lovable (in spite of their heredity) is because of their association with babies and angels in heaven:
AC 4563:2. Infants are led by the Lord by means of infants and angels from Him.
Questions and Comments
- What if anytime we noticed mental turmoil, we thought, “That’s a sign that angels are at work protecting me from hell.”
- Do we have guardian angels? What ways do the Writings correct or expand the truth that angels are looking out for people?
- Think of infants who don’t make it. Picture them getting to be useful even as babies by communicating innocence to babies who are still in this world.
- Since angels especially care for our ends (or purposes), and also of growing children, what are some ways we might cooperate with angels in helping kids aim for heaven?
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