27、人们若以为人死后成为一个灵魂或灵，而这灵魂或灵类似稀薄的以太或一缕气，就难以相信天堂竟然存在婚姻。若认为最后审判日之前，人不会像人那样活着，同样难以接受这一事实。总之，人们若不知道灵界，也就是天使和灵人所生活的世界，就是天堂和地狱所在之地，就无法接受天堂存在婚姻的事实。另外，由于直到现在，人们根本不知道灵界的存在，也不知道天堂天使是完美的人形，地狱灵是不完美的人形，故无法揭示有关灵界婚姻的奥秘。有人甚至会问：“灵魂和灵魂，或一缕气和一缕气，怎能像世间的夫妻那样结合呢？”还会有很多其它异议，就在他们质疑的那一刻，这些异议就将另一个世界存在婚姻的信念带走并驱散了。然而，如今有关灵界的许多事已被揭示出来，那个世界的样子也被描述出来。我在《天堂与地狱》和《揭秘启示录》两本书中阐述了这一切。因此，通过以下要点，我能证实灵界婚姻的存在，甚至将它呈现在理性视野中：
⑴人死后依然是活生生的人。
⑵那时，男性仍是男性，女性仍是女性。
⑶死后人仍保留自己的爱。
⑷尤其两性情爱会保留下来，对将要进入天堂，即在世变得属灵之人而言，这爱就是婚姻之爱。
⑸目击者的见证充分证明了这一切。
⑹因此，天堂存在婚姻。
⑺主的话是指属灵的婚姻，即复活后人不娶也不嫁。
现逐一解读上述要点。
27、从信仰的角度讲，人们无法接受天堂中存在婚姻这种说法。尤其是若他们相信人死后，就会成为一个灵魂或精灵，而灵魂或精灵就像是空气或人的呼吸一样的轻微，若他们相信人不能重生直到最后的审判那一天，那么他们也不能接受天堂中存在着婚姻这一说法。
从总体上讲，若人们不了解精神世界，也就是灵魂和精灵所生活的那个世界，不了解天堂及地狱存在于精神世界中，那么他们就不能接受天堂中存在着婚姻。另外，因为那个世界至今还不为人所知。人们还不知道天使是人最完美的形式。而地狱中的精灵是人的非完美形式，所以无法揭示在另一个世界中的婚姻。往往，人们会问，“灵魂与灵魂，气息与气息怎么能像世间的夫妻一样相结合呢？”也许还会有其它针对另一个世界中存在婚姻的的异议。
但现在，那个世界的好多事情都被展露出来，还有关于另一个世界的描述。我在《天堂与地狱》以及《天启》两部书中完成了以上使命。它们可以做为另一个世界中存在婚姻的论据。从理性角度讲，以下问题也可以做为依据：
（1）人死后在另一个世界中还是做为人而存在。
（2）男性仍是男性，女性仍是女性。
（3）死后人还保留着他各自的爱。
（4）尤其是对异性的爱，对于在世间时精神崇高的，继而死后进入天堂的人来讲就是婚姻之爱。
（5）所有这些都有亲眼所见为证。
（6）因此，天国中存在着婚姻。
（7）主所意味着的精神的婚姻意思是在复活后，人们不再次结婚。
27. II. MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN
The existence of marriages in the heavens is incredible to those who believe that after death a person becomes a soul or spirit, if their concept of a soul or spirit is that of a tenuous ether or breath. So too it is to those who do not believe that a person can live as a person again until after the day of the Last Judgment, and generally speaking to those who know nothing about the spiritual world, where angels and spirits live, and where the heavens and hells are. Since this world has so far remained unknown, and there is utter ignorance of the fact that the angels of heaven are completely human in form, and likewise the spirits of hell, though less completely human, any revelation about marriages has been impossible. For people would say, 'How can a soul be united with a soul?, or a breath with a breath, as husband and wife are united on earth?' And many more things which, the moment they were uttered, would destroy and scatter belief in marriages there.
Now, however, that many revelations have been made about the spiritual world, and its nature has been described in my books HEAVEN AND HELL and THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED, it is possible to present also arguments in confirmation of the existence of marriage there, even for reason to grasp, as follows:
(i) A person lives on as a person after death.
(ii) A male is then male and a female is female.
(iii) Each person retains his own love after death.
(iv) The chief love is sexual love; and in the case of those who reach heaven, that is, those who become spiritual on earth, it is conjugial love.
(v) These facts have been fully confirmed by eye-witness.
(vi) Consequently there are marriages in the heavens.
(vii) The Lord's statement that after the resurrection people are not given in marriage refers to spiritual weddings.
These arguments will now be developed in sequence.
27. MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN
People cannot accept as a matter of faith that marriages exist in heaven if they believe that a person is a soul or spirit after death, and hold to an idea of the soul or spirit as being like thin air or a puff of breath. Nor can they accept it if they believe that a person does not live again as a person until after the day of the Last Judgment.
In general, people cannot accept the existence of marriages in heaven if they know nothing about the spiritual world, the world in which angels and spirits live, consequently where the heavens and hells are. Moreover, because that world has till now remained unknown, and because it has not been known at all that the angels in heaven are people in perfect form, likewise that the spirits in hell are people in imperfect form, therefore nothing could be revealed respecting marriages in that world. Indeed, people would have said, "How can a soul be united with a soul, or a bit of breath with a bit of breath, as husbands and wives are united on earth?"
There would have been many other objections, too, which, the moment they were voiced, would have taken away and dispelled belief in the existence of marriages in the other world.
Now, however, many things have been revealed about that world, and what that world is like has been described. This I did in the book, Heaven and Hell, and also in The Apocalypse Revealed. Because of this, the existence of marriages there can be defended, even to the sight of reason, by the following arguments:
1. A person lives as a person after death.
2. A male is then still a male, and a female still a female.
3. Everyone's own love remains in him after death.
4. Especially does a love for the opposite sex remain, and in the case of people coming into heaven, namely, people who become spiritual on earth, conjugial love.
5. All of this has been fully attested by personal observation.
6. Consequently, marriages exist in heaven.
7. Spiritual marriage is meant by the Lord's words, that after the resurrection they are not given in marriage.
Development of these arguments now follows, taking them one by one:
27. Chapter 2. Marriages in Heaven
Those who think that people are souls or spirits after death and cherish the idea that souls and spirits are a wisp of air or a breath - these people cannot grasp the idea that there are marriages in heaven. They also think that people will not be alive as people, until after the day of the Last Judgment. In general they know nothing about the spiritual world, where the angels and spirits are, so they do not know where heaven and hell are. That world was unknown until now, and no one at all knew that the angels of heaven are people in a completely human form (so are the spirits of hell, only deformed), so nothing could be revealed about marriages there. For people would say, "How can a soul be joined together with a soul, or a breath with a breath, the way married partners join on earth?" And they would say many other things that would snatch away any belief in marriages there and scatter it the moment the words were spoken.
But now the books Heaven and Hell and Apocalypse Revealed have made known many things about that world, and have described what it is like. So it can be established that there are marriages there, through these points:
1. A person lives on - still a person - after death.
2. Then men are still male and women are female.
3. Everyone's love remains with him after death.
4. Love for the other sex, especially, continues, and so does married love, for people who come into heaven. They are the ones who became spiritual on earth.
5. There is full confirmation of these things by my own experience.
6. Consequently, there are marriages in heaven.
7. The Lord's statement that there are no weddings after resurrection referred to spiritual weddings.
The explanation of these things one by one follows here.
27. MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN
That there are marriages in heaven cannot enter into the faith of those who believe that after death man is a soul or spirit, and cherish an idea of the soul and spirit as of a tenuous ether or breath; and who believe that man will not live as a man until after the day of the Last Judgment; in general, who know nothing about the spiritual world wherein are angels and spirits, and, consequently, wherein are the heavens and the hells. Because that world has been hitherto unknown, and because it has been entirely unknown that the angels of heaven are men in perfect human form--and infernal spirits also, but in imperfect form--therefore, nothing could be revealed concerning marriages there; for men would have said, How can a soul be conjoined with a soul, or a breath with a breath, as one married partner with the other on earth? besides much else which, the moment it was said, would take away faith concerning marriages there and dissipate it. But now, because many things have been revealed concerning that world, and because its nature has been described, which was done in the work HEAVEN AND HELL and also in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED, marriages there can be set forth before the reason also, and this by the following propositions:
I. That man lives as a man after death.
II. That the male is then a male, and the female a female.
III. That his own love remains with every one after death.
IV. That especially does love of the sex remain, and with those who come into heaven, being those who become spiritual on earth, conjugial love.
V. These statements fully confirmed by ocular experience.
VI. That consequently there are marriages in the heavens.
VII. That spiritual nuptials are meant by the Lord's words, that after the resurrection they are not given in marriage.
Now follows the explanation of these propositions in their order.
27. I. MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN
The fact that there are marriages in heaven cannot be credited by those who think that after death man, as a soul or spirit, is like the ether or a breath; or by those who think that the human being lives as such again only after the last judgment-day; or, in general, by those who know nothing about the spiritual world, where angels and spirits are, and so where the heavens and hells are. Nothing could be revealed about marriages in heaven while ignorance prevailed about that world, especially while it was not known that the angels of heaven are human beings in complete form (the spirits of hell are also human beings, but are deformed). The question would have been raised, "How can soul be united with soul or breath with breath, as partner is united with partner on earth?" And much else, which, the moment it was said, would have taken away or routed belief in marriages there. But now that much has been revealed about the spiritual world, and its nature described (which was done in Heaven and Hell and Apocalypse Revealed), the fact that marriage is to be found there can be established to the reason by the following considerations:
I. The human being lives as such after death.
II. Male is male then, and female female.
III. The life-love remains with every one after death.
IV. In particular, love for the sex remains, and so does marital love with those who enter heaven, namely, those who on earth become spiritual.
V. Full substantiation of these facts from observation.
VI. Hence there are marriages in the heavens.
VII. The Lord's words that "after the resurrection they are not given in marriage" refer to spiritual nuptials.
We proceed to exposition of these propositions in the order given.
27. ON MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN.
That there are marriages in heaven cannot enter into the belief of those who think that man is a soul or spirit after death, and cherish an idea of the soul and spirit as of subtle ether or a breath of air; and who believe that man will not live as a man until after the last judgment-day; who in general know nothing about the spiritual world in which angels and spirits dwell, and therefore, do not know where heaven and hell are. And because that world has been hitherto unknown, and it has been entirely unknown that the angels of heaven are men in perfect form - and infernal spirits also, but in imperfect form - for these reasons nothing could be revealed concerning marriages there. For men would have said, 'How can a soul be conjoined with a soul, or a breath of air with a breath of air as consort with consort on earth?' and many things which the instant they were said would take away and dissipate belief in marriages there. But now, because many things have been revealed concerning that world, and what it is has been described in the work on Heaven and Hell, and also in the Apocalypse Revealed, it may be confirmed that there are marriages there, even by considerations addressed to the reason through the following propositions:
(1) That man lives as a man after death.
(2) That a male is then a male and a female is a female.
(3) That with everyone his own love remains after death.
(4) That especially the love of the sex, and with those that come into heaven, who are those that become spiritual on earth, conjugial love remains.
(5) These things fully confirmed by actual sight.
(6) That consequently there are marriages in the heavens.
(7) That spiritual nuptials are meant by the Lord's words that after the resurrection they are not given in marriage.
The exposition of these propositions follow now in their order.
27. DE CONJUGIIS IN COELO
Quod Conjugia in Coelis sint, non potest intrare fidem illorum, qui credunt quod Homo sit Anima seu Spiritus post mortem, et de anima et spiritu fovent ideam sicut de tenui aethere seu pneumate; tum qui credunt, quod homo non victurus sit homo, nisi post diem ultimi judicii; in genere, qui nihil sciunt de Spirituali Mundo, in quo sunt Angeli et Spiritus, ita ubi sunt Coeli et Inferna: 1et quia ille Mundus hactenus ignotus fuit, et prorsus non scitum est, quod Angeli Coeli sint in perfecta forma Homines, pariter Spiritus Inferni, sed in imperfecta, ideo non revelari potuit aliquid de Conjugiis ibi; dicturi enim essent, "quomodo potest anima cum anima, seu pneuma cum pneumate conjungi, sicut conjux cum conjuge in terris," praeter plura; quae momento ut dicta sunt, tollerent et dissiparent fidem de Conjugiis ibi: at nunc, quia revelata sunt plura de illo Mundo, et quoque descriptus qualis est, quod factum est in Opere de Coelo et Inferno, 2et quoque in Apocalypsis Revelata, possunt Conjugia ibi sisti confirmata, etiam coram ratione, per haec.
I: Quod Homo vivat Homo post mortem.
II: Quod tunc Masculus sit Masculus, et quod Foemina sit Foemina.
III: Quod suus Amor apud unumquemvis post mortem maneat.
IV: Quod principaliter Amor sexus, et apud illos qui in Coelum veniunt, qui sunt qui spirituales in terris fiunt, Amor conjugialis.
V: Haec plene confirmata per Autopsiam.
VI: Consequenter quod Conjugia sint in Coelis.
VII: Quod Spirituales Nuptiae 3intelligantur per Domini verba, quod post resurrectionem non dentur nuptui. Sequitur nunc horum explicatio in suo ordine.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Inferni:
2. Prima editio: Infermo,
3. Prima editio: Nuptiae,