those who were clothed, a woman with a very pretty face appeared. She
was simply attired; her robe hung gracefully behind her, and was also
drawn over her arms, and she wore a beautiful head-dress, in the form
of a chaplet of flowers. That spirit was greatly delighted at the
sight of this virgin; he spoke to her, and also took her by the hand;
but, apperceiving that he was a spirit, and not of that earth, she
hurried hastily away from him. Afterwards there appeared to him on the
right several other women, who had the care of sheep and lambs, which
they were then leading to a watering-trough, into which water was led
by means of a trench from some lake. They were similarly clothed, and
had shepherds' crooks in their hands, by which they led the sheep and
lambs to drink; they said the sheep went whichever way they pointed
with their crooks: the sheep which we saw were large, with woolly
tails, broad and long. The faces of the women, when seen nearer, were
full and beautiful. Some men were also seen; their faces were of a
human flesh colour, like that of the men of our Earth, but with this
difference, that the lower part of the face, instead of being bearded,
was black, and the nose more of a snowy-white than of a flesh colour.
Afterwards the spirit who, as already mentioned, had been a preacher
in the world, was led further on, but reluctantly, because he was
still thinking about that woman with whom he had been delighted, as
was evident from the circumstance that there still appeared something
of his shadow in the former place. He then came to those who were
naked. They were seen walking together by twos, husband and wife, girt
with a girdle about the loins, and some sort of covering around the
head. That spirit, when he was with them, was led into the state in
which he had been in the world when he was disposed to preach, and
then he said he would preach before them the Lord crucified; but they
said they would not hear such a thing, because they did not know what
it was, but that they knew that the Lord lives. He then said he would
preach the Lord living; but this too they refused, saying that they
apperceived in his speech something not heavenly, because it had much
respect to himself, and his own fame and honour; and that they could
hear from the tone of voice whether what was said came from the heart
or not; and that, as he was of such a character, he was unable to
teach them; wherefore he was silent. During his life in the world he
had been extremely pathetic, so that he could deeply move his hearers
to holiness; but this pathetic manner had been acquired by art, thus
from self and the world, and not from heaven.
163. They said, moreover, that they have a perception whether the
Conjugial is with those of their clan who are naked; and it was shown
that they perceive this by virtue of a spiritual idea concerning
marriage, which idea being communicated to me was to the effect, that
a likeness of the interiors was formed by the conjunction of good and
truth, consequently of love and faith, and that from that conjunction
descending by influx into the body conjugial love comes into
existence. For all things which belong to the mind (_animus_) are
exhibited in some natural form in the body, consequently in the form
of conjugial love, when the interiors of two mutually love each other,
and from that love also desire to will and to think the one as the
other, and thus to be together and be conjoined as to the interiors
which are of the mind (_mens_). Hence the spiritual affection, which
is of the minds, becomes natural affection in the body, and clothes
itself with the sense of conjugial love. The spiritual affection
which is of the minds is the affection of good and truth, and of their
conjunction; for all things of the mind, or of the thought and will,
have relation to truth and good. They also said that it is quite
impossible for the Conjugial to exist between one man and several
wives, since the marriage of good and truth, which pertains to the
minds, can exist only between two.
164. After this, the spirit already spoken of came to those who were
naked, but whose bodies were flame-coloured; and lastly, to those who
were black, some of whom were naked and some clothed; but the latter
and the former dwelt in a different part of the same earth; for a
spirit may be led in an instant to places far asunder on an earth,
since he does not proceed and advance like man through spaces, but
through changes of state (see above, nos. 125, 127)[ss].
165. I lastly conversed with the spirits of that earth concerning
the belief of the inhabitants of our Earth on the subject of the
resurrection, in that they cannot conceive that men come into the
other life immediately after death, and then appear as men as to the
face, the body, the arms, the feet, and all the external and internal
senses; still less that they are then clothed in garments, and have
mansions and dwelling-places; and that the sole reason of this is that
most persons here think from the sensuals which belong to the body,
and therefore believe in the existence of nothing but what they see
and touch; and that few of them can be withdrawn from external sensual
things to interior things, and thus be elevated into the light of
heaven, in which such things are perceived. Hence it is, that they can
have no idea of their soul or spirit as of a man, but as of wind, or
air, or a breath without form, in which there is yet something vital.
This is the reason why they do not believe they shall rise again till
the end of the world, which they call the Last Judgment, when the
body, though mouldered into dust, and scattered by every wind, will be
brought together again and conjoined to its soul or spirit. I added,
that it is permitted them to believe this, since those who, as was
said, think from external sensual things, can conceive no otherwise
than that the soul or spirit cannot live as a man in a human form,
unless it receive again that body which it carried about in the world;
wherefore, unless it were asserted that the body will rise again, they
would reject from their heart as incomprehensible the doctrine of
the resurrection and of eternal life. But nevertheless this thought
concerning the resurrection has this advantage with it, that it leads
them to believe in a life after death, a consequence of which belief
is, that when they lie on a sick bed, and do not, as theretofore,
think from worldly and corporeal things, thus not from sensual
things, they then believe that they shall live immediately after their
decease; they then also speak of heaven, and of the hope of a life
there immediately after death, quite apart from their doctrinal
concerning the Last Judgment. I related further, that sometimes it had
been matter of surprise to me, that when those who are in faith speak
of a life after death, and of their friends and relatives who are
dying or dead, and do not at the same time think about the Last
Judgment, they believe that they will live or are living as men
immediately on their decease. But as soon as thought concerning the
Last Judgment flows in, this idea is changed into the material idea
concerning their earthly body, that it is again to be conjoined to
their soul; for they do not know that every man is a spirit as to his
interiors, and that this it is which lives in the body and in each of
its parts, and not the body which lives of itself; and that it is the
spirit of every one from which his body has its human form, and which,
consequently, is principally the man, and in a similar form, but
invisible to the eyes of the body, yet visible to the eyes of spirits.
Hence also, when the sight of a man's spirit is opened, which is
effected by the removal of the bodily sight, angels appear as men: in
this manner angels appeared to the ancients, as recorded in the
Word. I have also sometimes spoken with spirits, with whom I had been
acquainted when they lived as men in the world, and I have asked
them whether they had any inclination to be clothed again with their
earthly bodies, as they used to think would be the case. But they fled
far away at the very idea of such a conjunction, being smitten with
amazement that, while in the world, they should have thought in
this manner under the influence of so blind a belief, devoid of all
understanding.
166. Moreover, on that earth I saw the dwellings of the inhabitants:
they were lowly houses, extended in length, with windows at the sides,
according to the number of the rooms or chambers into which they were
divided. The roof was arched, and there was a door on each side at
the end. They told me that they were built of earth, and covered with
turf; and that the windows were formed of filaments of grass woven
together in such a manner that the light shone through. I also saw
little children; and the inhabitants told me that their neighbours
come to them, especially for the sake of the little children, that
they may be in company with other children in the presence and under
the direction of their parents. There also appeared fields becoming
white with standing crops that were at that time nearly ripe for
harvest. The seeds or grains of that corn were shown me, and they were
like grains of Chinese wheat: I was also shown some bread made from
it, which was in small square loaves. There also appeared plains
of grass adorned with flowers; also trees laden with fruit like
pomegranates; also shrubs, which were not vines, but still produced
berries from which they prepare wine.
167. The sun of that earth, which is to us a star, appears there
flaming, in size almost a fourth part of our sun. Their year is about
two hundred days, and each day fifteen hours, relatively to the length
of days on our Earth. The earth itself is one of the least in
the starry heaven, being scarcely five hundred German miles in
circumference. The angels stated these particulars from a comparison
made with things of the like kind on our Earth, which they saw in
me, or in my memory. Their conclusions were formed by angelic ideas,
whereby are instantly known the measures of spaces and times, in a
just proportion relatively to spaces and times elsewhere. Angelic
ideas, which are spiritual, in such calculations immensely surpass
human ideas, which are natural.
THE FIFTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.
168. I was led to yet another earth in the universe beyond our solar
system, and on this occasion also by changes of state continued for
nearly twelve hours. In company with me were several spirits and
angels from our Earth, with whom I conversed during this voyage or
progression. I was carried at times obliquely upwards and obliquely
downwards, continually towards the right, which in the other life is
towards the south. In two places only did I see spirits, and in one I
spoke with them. During this journey or progression I was permitted
to observe how immense was the Lord's heaven, which is designed for
angels and spirits; for from the parts uninhabited I was enabled
to conclude that it was so immense that, supposing there were many
myriads of earths, and on each earth as great a multitude of human
beings as on our own, there would still be a place of abode for them
to eternity, and it would never be filled. This I was enabled to
conclude from a comparison made with the [inhabited] extent of the
heaven which is about our Earth and designed for it, which extent was
so small relatively, as not to equal one ten-thousand-thousandth part
of the extent uninhabited.
169. When the angelic spirits who were from that earth came into view,
they accosted us, asking who we were, and what we wanted. We told them
that we were travelling, that we had been transported thither, and
that they had nothing to fear from us. For they were afraid that we
were of those who disturb them concerning God, faith, and kindred
subjects, on account of whom they had betaken themselves to that
quarter of their earth, shunning them as much as possible. We asked
them by what they were disturbed. They replied, by the idea of Three,
and by the idea of the Divine without the Human in God, when they yet
know and perceive that God is one, and that He is man. It was then
perceived that those who disturbed them, and whom they shunned, were
from our Earth: this was manifest also from this consideration, that
there are spirits from our Earth who thus wander about in the other
life, in consequence of their fondness for and delight in travelling,
which they have contracted in the world; for on other earths there is
no such custom of travelling as on ours. It was afterwards discovered
that they were monks, who had travelled on our globe from a desire
to convert the gentiles. We therefore told them that they did well to
shun them, because their intention was, not to teach, but to secure
gain and dominion; and that they strive by various means first to
captivate men's minds (_animi_), and afterwards to subject them to
themselves as slaves: moreover, that they did well in not suffering
their idea concerning God to be disturbed by such spirits. They said
further, that these spirits also confuse them by asserting that they
ought to have faith, and to believe what they say; but that their
reply to them is, that they do not know what faith or believing means,
since they perceive in themselves whether a thing be so or not. They
were of the Lord's celestial kingdom, where all know by interior
perception the truths which with us are called the truths of faith,
for they are in enlightenment from the Lord; but it is otherwise with
those who are in the spiritual kingdom. That the angelic spirits of
that earth were of the Lord's celestial kingdom, I could also see from
the flame whence their ideas flowed; for in the celestial kingdom the
light is flaming, and in the spiritual kingdom it is bright white.
They who are of the celestial kingdom, when the discourse is about
truths, say no more than Yea, yea, or Nay, nay, and never reason about
them whether they be so or not. These are they of whom the Lord says,
"_Let your discourse be Yea, yea, Nay, nay; what is beyond this is of
evil_" [(Matt. v. 37)]. Hence it was that those spirits said that they
did not know what it is to have faith or to believe. They consider
this to be like one saying to his companion, who with his own eyes
sees houses or trees, that he ought to have faith or to believe that
they are houses and trees, when he sees clearly that they are so. Such
are they who are of the Lord's celestial kingdom, and such were these
angelic spirits[aaa]. We told them that few on our Earth have interior
perception, because in their youth they learn truths, and do not
practise them. For man has two faculties, which are called the
understanding and the will; they who admit truths no further than into
the memory, and thence in some degree into the understanding, but not
into the life, that is, into the will, these, inasmuch as they cannot
be in any enlightenment or interior sight from the Lord, say that
those truths ought to be believed, or that man ought to have faith in
them; and they also reason about them whether they be truths or
not; nay, they are not willing that they should be perceived by any
interior sight, or by any enlightenment by the understanding. They say
this, because truths with them are without light from heaven, and
to those who see without light from heaven, falsities may appear as
truths, and truths as falsities. Hence so great blindness has fallen
on many on our Earth, that although a man does not practise truths or
live according to them, they say nevertheless that he may be saved by
faith alone, as if a man were not man from the life and according to
it, but from the knowledge of such things as belong to faith, apart
from the life. We afterwards conversed with them concerning the Lord,
concerning love to Him, love towards the neighbour, and regeneration;
saying, that loving the Lord consists in loving the precepts which are
from Him, that is, in living according to them from love[bbb]; that
love towards the neighbour consists in willing good and thence doing
good to a fellow-citizen, to one's country, to the church, to the
Lord's kingdom, not for the selfish end of being seen or acquiring
merit, but from the affection of good[ccc]. Concerning regeneration,
we observed that they who are being regenerated by the Lord, and
who commit truths immediately to the life, come into an interior
perception concerning them; but that those who receive truths first in
the memory, and afterwards will them and do them, are those who are in
faith; for they act from faith, which is then called conscience. These
things, they said, they perceived to be so, and therefore perceived
also what faith is. I conversed with them by means of spiritual ideas,
by which such subjects may be exhibited and comprehended in light.
[Footnote aaa: Heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, one of which
is called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom,
nos. 3887, 4138. The angels in the celestial kingdom have vastly more
knowledge and wisdom than the angels in the spiritual kingdom, no.
2718. The celestial angels do not think and speak from faith, like the
spiritual angels, but from an internal perception that a thing is so,
nos. 202, 597, 607, 784, 1121, 1387, 1398, 1442, 1919, 7680, 7877,
8780. The celestial angels say only concerning the truths of faith,
Yea, yea, or Nay, nay, but the spiritual angels reason whether a thing
be so or not so, nos. 202, 337, 2715, 3246, 4448, 9166.]
[Footnote bbb: Loving the Lord means living according to His
commandments, nos. 10143, 10153, 10310, 10578, 10645.]
[Footnote ccc: Loving the neighbour consists in doing what is good,
just, and right, in every work and in every function, from the
affection of what is good, just, and right, nos. 8120, 8121, 8123,
10310, 10336. A life of love towards the neighbour is a life according
to the Lord's precepts, no. 3249.]
170. The spirits with whom I had now spoken were from the northern
part of their earth. I was afterwards led to others who were on the
western part. These also, wishing to examine who and what I was;
immediately said that there was nothing in me but evil, thinking that
thus I might be deterred from approaching nearer. I apperceived that
this was their manner of accosting all who come to them. But it was
given me to reply that I well knew it to be so, and that in them
likewise there was nothing but evil, by reason that every one is born
into evil, and therefore whatever comes from man, spirit, or angel,
as from what is his own, or from his proprium, is nothing but evil;
inasmuch as all the good that is in every one, is from the Lord.
Hence they apperceived that I was in the truth, and I was admitted to
converse with them. They then showed me their idea concerning evil in
man, and concerning good from the Lord, how they are separated from
each other. They placed one near the other, almost contiguous, but
still distinct, yet as if bound in an inexpressible manner, so that
the good led the evil, and restrained it, insomuch that it was not
allowed to act at pleasure; and that thus the good bent the evil in
whatever direction it desired, without the evil knowing anything of
it. In this manner they exhibited the dominion of good over evil,
and at the same time a state of freedom. They then asked how the Lord
appeared amongst the angels from our Earth. I said that He appeared
in the sun as a Man, encompassed therein with a fiery solar [sphere],
from which the angels in the heavens derive all light; and that the
heat which proceeds thence is the Divine Good, and that the light
which proceeds thence is the Divine Truth, both from the Divine Love,
which is the fiery [sphere] appearing around the Lord in that sun;
but that that sun only appears to the angels in heaven, and not to
the spirits who are beneath, since the latter are more remote from
the reception of the good of love and of the truth of faith, than the
angels who are in the heavens (see above, no. 40). It was given them
thus to inquire concerning the Lord, and concerning His appearance
before the angels from our Earth, because it pleased the Lord then to
become present among them, and to reduce into order the things which
had been disturbed there by the evil spirits of whom they complained.
The reason also why I was led thither, was in order that I might be an
eye-witness of these things.
171. There was then seen a dark cloud towards the east descending from
on high, which in its descent appeared by degrees full of light and
in the human form. At length this [human form] appeared in a flaming
radiance, encompassed with small stars of the same colour. Thus the
Lord presented Himself before the spirits with whom I was conversing.
At His presence all the spirits who were there were instantly
gathered together from every side; and when they were come, they were
separated, the good from the evil, the good to the right and the evil
to the left, and this in an instant as of their own accord. Those on
the right were arranged in order according to the quality of the good,
and those on the left according to the quality of the evil, with
them: they who were good remained to form among themselves a heavenly
society; but the evil were cast into the hells. Afterwards I saw that
that flaming radiance descended to the lower parts of the earth there
to a considerable depth, and then it appeared at one time in a flaming
[lustre] verging to luminosity, at another time in a luminosity
verging into obscurity, and at another in obscurity: and I was told by
the angels that that appearance is according to the reception of truth
from good, and of falsity from evil, with those who inhabit the lower
parts of that earth, and that the flaming radiance itself was subject
to no such variations. They also said, that the lower parts of that
earth were inhabited both by the good and by the evil; but that they
were thoroughly separated, to the end that the evil might be ruled
by the Lord through the good. They added, that the good are by turns
elevated thence into heaven by the Lord, and that others succeed in
their place, and so on perpetually. In that descent, the good were
separated from the evil in like manner, and all things were reduced
to order; for the evil, by various arts and cunning contrivances,
had intruded themselves into the dwellings of the good there, and had
infested them; and this was the cause of the present visitation. That
cloud, which in descending appeared by degrees full of light and in
the human form, and afterwards as a flaming radiance, was an angelic
society, in whose midst the Lord was. From this it was given me to
know what is meant by the Lord's words in the Gospels, where, speaking
of the Last Judgment, He says, "_That He would come with the angels
in the clouds of heaven, with glory and power_" [(Matt. xxiv. 30; Mark
xiii. 26; Luke xxi. 27)].
172. After this were seen some monkish spirits, those, namely,
who have already been spoken of as having been travelling monks or
missionaries in the world; and there was also seen a crowd of spirits
who were from that earth, most of them evil, whom they had drawn over
to their side, and led astray. These were seen on the eastern quarter
of that earth, from whence they had driven away the good, who betook
themselves to the northern side of the earth, and of whom we have
spoken above. That crowd, together with their seducers, were collected
together to the number of some thousands, and were separated; the evil
of that crowd were cast into the hells. It was also given me to speak
with one spirit who was a monk, and to ask him what he did there.
He replied that he taught them concerning the Lord. I asked, what
besides. He said, concerning heaven and hell. I asked, what further.
He said, concerning faith in all that he should say. I asked again,
if he taught anything else. He said, concerning the power of remitting
sins, and of opening and shutting heaven. He was then examined as to
what he knew concerning the Lord, the truths of faith, the remission
of sins, man's salvation, and heaven and hell; and it was discovered
that he knew scarcely anything, that he was in obscurity and falsity
concerning all and each of these subjects, and that he was possessed
solely by the lust of acquiring gain and dominion, which he had
contracted in the world and brought with him from thence. He was
therefore told that as he had, prompted by that lust, travelled
thus far, and as he was such in regard to doctrine, he could not but
deprive the spirits of that earth of heavenly light, and inflict on
them the darkness of hell, and thus cause hell, and not the Lord, to
have dominion with them. Moreover, he was cunning in seducing, but
stupid as to the things relating to heaven. As he was of such a
character, he was afterwards cast into hell. Thus the spirits of that
earth were freed of them.