213. GOVERNMENTS IN HEAVEN
As heaven is distinguished into societies, and the larger societies consist of some hundreds of thousands of angels (n. 50), and as all within a society are in like good but not in like wisdom (n. 43), it necessarily follows that there are also governments. For order must be observed and all things of order must be guarded. But the governments in the heavens are various. They are of one sort in societies that constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom, and of another sort in societies that constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom. They differ also in accordance with the ministrations of the several societies. Nevertheless, no other government than the government of mutual love can operate in the heavens, and the government of mutual love is heavenly government.