Emanuel Swedenborg, Heaven and Hell — Chapter XXIV, Governments in Heaven
“ Also in the hells there are governments, for without governments they could not be kept in restraint; but the governments there are opposite to the governments in the heavens; they are governments of the love of self. Everyone there wishes to dictate to others and to be over others. They hate those that do not favor them, and make them objects of their vengeance and fury, for such is the nature of the love of self. ”
Emanuel Swedenborg, Heaven and Hell — Chapter XXIV, Governments in Heaven
“ Government in the Lord's celestial kingdom is called righteousness because all in that kingdom are in the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, and whatever is from that good is called righteous. Government there belongs to the Lord alone. ”
Emanuel Swedenborg, Heaven and Hell — Chapter XXIV, Governments in Heaven
“ From all this it can be seen what the governors there are, namely, that they are such as are preeminent in love and wisdom, and therefore desire the good of all, and from wisdom know how to provide for the realization of that good. Such governors do not domineer or dictate, but they minister and serve (to serve meaning to do good to others from a love of the good, and to minister meaning to see to it that the good is done) ; nor do they make themselves greater than others, but less, for they put the good of society and of the neighbor in the first place, and put their own good last ”
