Certain simple spirits were at one time taken up into heaven, and
when there they entered into angelic wisdom, and then understood
things that they were never before able to comprehend, and spoke
things that they were unable to utter in their former state.
269. The wisdom of the angels is indescribable in words; it can only
be illustrated by some general things. Angels can express in a single
word what a man cannot express in a thousand words. Again, a single
angelic word contains innumerable things that cannot be expressed in
the words of human language; for in each of the things uttered by
angels there are arcana of wisdom in continuous connection that human
knowledges never reach. Again, what the angels fail to express in the
words of their speech they make up by the tone, in which there is an
affection for the things in their order; for (as has been said above,
n. 236, 241) tones express affections, as words express ideas of
thought from the affections; and for this reason the things heard in
heaven are said to be ineffable. So, too, the angels are able to
express in a few words every least thing written in an entire volume,
and give to every word meanings that elevate the mind to interior
wisdom; for their speech is such as to be in accord with their
affections, and each word is in accord with their ideas; and their
words are varied in infinite ways in accord with the series of things
which in complex are in the thought.
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