No others are permitted to preach in the
churches. They are not called priests, but preachers. They are not
called priests because the celestial kingdom is the priesthood of
heaven; for priesthood signifies the good of love to the Lord, and
those in the celestial kingdom are in that good; while the spiritual
kingdom is the kingship of heaven, for kingship signifies truth from
good, and those in the spiritual kingdom are in that truth (see
above, n. 24).{1}
{Footnote 1} Priests represented the Lord in respect to the
Divine good, kings in respect to Divine truth (n. 2015, 6148).
Therefore, in the Word a "priest" signifies those who are in
the good of love to the Lord, and the priesthood signifies that
good (n. 9806, 9809). A "king" in the Word signifies those who
are in Divine truth, and therefrom kingship signifies truth
from good (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044).
227. The doctrines with which their preachings are in accord all look
to life as their end, and none look to faith separate from the life.
The doctrine of the inmost heaven is more full of wisdom than the
doctrine of the middle heaven, and this more full of intelligence
than the doctrine of the outmost heaven; for in each heaven the
doctrines are adapted to the perceptions of the angels.
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