"In heaven there are two distinct loves, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, in the inmost or third heaven love to the Lord, in the second or middle heaven love towards the neighbor"

Emanuel Swedenborg describes heaven as ordered by loves that correspond to different interior states. The highest or inmost heaven centers on love to the Lord: an intimate, childlike willingness to be led by the Divine. It is not merely affection or reverence, but a consent of the will that aligns a person’s life with God’s own love. This love is characterized by innocence, peace, and a direct perception of what is good. It is simple in appearance yet profound in depth, because it unites the angel’s intentions with the Divine source from which all goodness flows.

The second, or middle heaven, is formed by love toward the neighbor. Here love takes the form of charity, active goodwill grounded in spiritual truth. It is a love that recognizes the Divine image in others and expresses itself in service, fairness, mercy, and the pursuit of uses. While less interior than the love of the inmost heaven, it is no less heavenly, because it puts love into action. Truth enlightens this love, guiding it so that benevolence is wise and justice is compassionate.

These two loves are distinct yet inseparable. Love to the Lord is the fountain; love toward the neighbor is the stream. To love the Lord genuinely is to love what proceeds from Him, goodness in others, the common good, and the uses that sustain community. Conversely, loving the neighbor in a heavenly way always looks beyond personal affection to the Divine good one serves through the neighbor.

Swedenborg’s hierarchy is not about status but depth. The inmost heaven lives from the very source of love; the middle heaven lives from that love as it forms truths and deeds. Human spiritual growth often moves from learning to do good for others, toward perceiving the Divine origin of that good, until service becomes worship and worship becomes service.