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《天堂与地狱》 第1节

（简释本，2022）

作者序

　　1、主耶稣｛注1｝在门徒面前谈到世代的末了、也是教会的末期时，｛注2｝预言了教会在爱和信上依次改变的状态。｛注3｝在预言即将结束时，祂说：

　　那些日子的灾难一过去，日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。那时，人子的兆头要显在天上，地上的万族都要哀哭。他们要看见人子有能力，有大荣耀，驾着天上的云降临。他要差遣使者，用号筒的大声，将他的选民从四方（四风），从天这边到天那边，都招聚了来。（马太福音24:29-31）｛注4｝

　　那些照字面意思理解这些话的人，只会相信在世界的末了、也就是所谓“最后的审判”｛注5｝时，所有这些事都会照着文字所描述的那样发生，因此，他们相信太阳和月亮要变黑，众星要从天上坠落，主的兆头要显现在天上，祂自己和吹号的天使出现在云端，而且正如圣经其它地方所预言的那样，整个有形的世界将要被毁灭，然后出现新天新地。

　　这是当今教会中大多数人的看法，｛注6｝然而，这样相信的人没有意识到隐藏在圣经｛注7｝每个细节中的奥秘。因为圣经的每个细节中有内义，可辨别出是属灵和属天的事物，不同于字义所述的尘世和世俗的事物，不仅每句话是这样，每个字也是如此。｛注8｝

　　因为圣经是用纯粹对应｛注9｝的方式写成的，以便每个细节蕴含内义。这种内义的性质可以从《属天的奥秘》｛注10｝中相关的阐述和展现中得到证实，还可见之于《白马》一书（解释《启示录》中提到的“白马”）。根据内义，我们能理解上述经文中主所说的关于祂驾着天上的云降临的话。在这段经文中，要变黑的“日头”表示在爱方面的主；｛注11｝“月亮”表示在信方面的主；｛注12｝“众星”表示对良善和真理或爱和信的认知；｛注13｝“人子的兆头要显在天上”表示神性真理的显现；要哀哭的地上“万族”表示与真理和良善或信和爱相关的一切事物；｛注14｝“主在大能和荣耀中驾着天上的云降临”表示祂在圣经中的同在和启示；｛注15｝“云”表示圣经的字义；｛注16｝“荣耀”表示圣经的内义；｛注17｝“天使用号筒及大声”表示作为神性真理源头的天堂。｛注18｝

　　由此我们能明白主的这些话的含义，即在教会的末期、也就是教会不再有任何爱因而不再有任何信时，主将公开圣经的内义，揭示隐藏在其中的天堂的奥秘。下面将要揭示的奥秘与天堂、地狱和人死后的生命有关。

　　当今教会的人｛注19｝对天堂、地狱和人死后的生命几乎一无所知，尽管这些在圣经中都有描述，甚至许多出生在教会的人否认这一切，心里说：有谁从那个世界回来告诉我们呢？

　　这种否定的心态尤其在世间知识渊博的人中盛行，为了避免它感染和败坏心地单纯、信仰简单的人，我被允许与天使来往，与他们面对面地交谈，还目睹天堂和地狱里的景象，已历时十三年。现在，我被允许描述自己的所见所闻，希望以此照亮愚暗、驱散疑云。

　　现在有如此直接的启示，是因为这就是“主再来”的意思。｛注20｝

｛注1｝：【英1】主（the Lord），这里指耶稣基督。尽管史威登堡的神学是彻底的独一神论，但他在书中使用了许多来自哲学和圣经背景的名称和术语表示上帝，如上帝（God）、神性的存在（the Divine Being）、神性（the Divine）、神性之人（the Divine Human，神性人身，神性人）、独一者（the One）、 无限者（the Infinite）、太初（the First）、造物主（the Creator）、救赎主（the Redeemer）、救主（the Savior）、耶和华（Jehovah）、上帝全能者（God Shaddai），等等。最常见的称呼是“主”（拉丁文：Dominus），这是一个头衔而不是名字，意思是“掌管者”，指耶稣基督——作为独一上帝的可见的显现。史威登堡在《属天的奥秘》（14）中有这样简短的解释：“主”特指世界的救主耶稣基督；单称为“主”，无其它附加。在整个天堂，祂被尊为主，因为祂拥有天上地上所有的权柄。这也是祂对门徒的吩咐，他说：“你们称呼我主，你们说的不错，我本来是。”（约翰福音13:13）祂复活以后，门徒遂称祂为“主”。【中】考虑到不熟悉圣经和史威登堡著作的读者可能不熟悉这一称谓，故首次出现时，中译为“主耶稣”。

｛注2｝：世代的终结即是教会的末期（4535，10622）。【英2】史威登堡使用“ecclesia（宗教聚会，教会）”一词表示特定的民族在某一时期的整体宗教信仰和实践。

｛注3｝：在马太福音第24-25章中，主预言的内容包括：世代的末了，祂的降临，教会日渐衰败，最后的审判等，具体的解释可参阅《属天的奥秘》中的有关内容（3353-3356，3486-3489，3650-3655，3751-3757，3897-3901，4056-4060，4229-4231，4332-4335，4422-4424，4535，4635-4638，4661-4664，4807-4810，4954-4959，5063-5071）；【英3】史威登堡在其它地方解释了主所预言的教会在爱和信（良善和真理）上的四个持续恶化的状态：争论它们，蔑视它们，荒废它们，亵渎它们（3754）。

｛注4｝：【英5】史威登堡引用的经文通常源自塞巴斯蒂安·施密特（Sebastian Schmidt，1617-1696年）翻译的拉丁版《圣经》。但有时，就像在这里，它们会因直译程度的不同而有差异；史威登堡还使用西班牙神学家兼语言学家本尼迪克图斯·阿里亚斯·蒙塔努斯（Benedictus Arias Montanus，1527-1598年）的合参版《圣经》，这也可能适合与施密特译本相对照。史威登堡使用过的、带着他的旁注的施密特译本《圣经》被保存在斯德哥尔摩的皇家科学院图书馆（古迹89-90），由塔菲尔（R·L·Tafel）编辑的影印复制品也可用；【中】本中文版的经文通常引自中文和合本《圣经》，如意思有差异，则从英文翻译或引自其它版本。

｛注5｝：【英6】史威登堡对“最后审判”的解释与他那个时代的大多数神学传统截然不同。他反对这种看法，即我们的地球和我们的生命会在最后的善恶之战中被毁灭，或者历史会终结于某种形式的天崩地裂。他把最后的审判作为一种标志。他写道：“最后的审判无非就是教会（真正的宗教）在一个族群中消失，在另一个族群中兴起……当主不再被承认……没有信……没有仁爱时。”（3353）更多的讨论可参见该卷的导论和史威登堡在1758年出版的著作《最后的审判》（Last Judgment）。

｛注6｝：【英7】作为史威登堡所提到的“许多人”的例子，可以列举史威登堡时代新约学术界的两位主要人物：班格尔（Johann Albrecht Bengel，1687-1752）和欧内斯蒂（Johann August Ernesti，1707-1781），可以说，他们为有条理地鉴别圣经经文奠定了基础。二人都热衷圣经字面意义，特别是在有关“最后的审判”方面。欧内斯蒂对史威登堡《属天的奥秘》的评论出现在著名的《新神学图书馆》（Neue Theologische Bibliothek）中，对史威登堡赋予圣经文本的一词多义的做法提出了强烈的批评，他认为这是退回到非科学的“寓言和神秘”的注释方法。同期另一位有影响力的德国神学家、虔敬派弗里德里·希克里斯托夫·奥廷格（Friedrich Christoph Oetinger ，1702-1782年）发表了对史威登堡的评论，在其它方面都很赞成，但在圣经解释的问题上支持班格尔和厄内斯蒂。他在一封信中抱怨说：“他（史威登堡）更相信他对历史的类比或他的对应学知识，而不是无需解释的清晰的（圣经）。”还应该指出的是，史威登堡关于“教会中的大多数人”的说法可以作为他对当时宗教观点的评估而被接受——这是一个可信的评估，因为他最亲密和最有影响力的亲属包括一位时任主教和一位将任的主教。【中】史威登堡的父亲杰斯伯（Jesper Swedberg）是乌普萨拉大学（Uppsala University）的神学教授，大教堂的主任牧师，后成为斯卡拉（Skara）地区路德宗教会的主教。

｛注7｝：【英8】“圣言”（the Word，拉丁原文为Verbum）是路德宗信徒对作为启示真理的《圣经》的首选称呼，即“上帝的话语”。然而，史威登堡在使用这个词时，特指《圣经》中的一些经卷，他认为这些经卷自始至终具有深刻的属灵含义（内义），即摩西五经（创、出、利、民、申），历史书（书、士、撒上、撒下、王上、王下），诗篇，大小先知书（赛、耶，哀、结、但、何、珥、摩、俄、拿、弥、鸿、哈、番、该、亚 、玛），福音书（太、可、路、约）和启示录，参见《属天的奥秘》（10325）以及1758年史威登堡的另外两部著作《新耶路撒冷及其属天的教义》（266）和《白马》（16）。应该指出的是，在1771年史威登堡的著作《真实的基督教》中，他似乎是在完整的路德宗信仰的意义上使用这个词，包括使徒书信中的段落也出现在源于“圣言”的引文中。【中】“the Word”在天主教思高本《圣经》中译为“圣言”，在天主教拉丁文《圣经》中译为“Verbum”，原意是“上帝的话语”。记录上帝话语的书卷即为《圣经》，本书将“the Word”译为“圣经”（除非特别强调书籍的形式或某种版本时会上书名号外，圣经及其各卷书名均不加书名号）；在特别强调是上帝的话语时，仍译为“圣言”。

｛注8｝：圣经的每个细节都蕴含深刻的内义或灵义（1143，1984，2135，2333，2395，2495，4442，9049，9086）。

｛注9｝：圣经是以纯粹对应（correspondences）的方式写成的，因此，无论是整体还是每一个细节都表示属灵的事物（1404，1408，1409，1540，1619，1659，1709，1783，2900，9086）。【英9】史威登堡认为物质世界是由灵性世界引起的，因而反映了灵性世界；也就是说，物理现象和事件提供（或者说“响应”或“对应”）了灵性现象和事件的图像（image）。正如史威登堡本人在《属天的奥秘》（4）中所指出的那样，这部作品（他毕生最长的著作）的主要目的是证明圣经包含的灵性层面的意思至少可以部分通过特定的对应关系的知识来展示。

｛注10｝：【英10】《属天的奥秘》（1749-1756）和1758年出版的著作（《天堂与地狱》、《新耶路撒冷及其属天的教义》、《最后的审判》、《白马》和《其他行星》）都是匿名出版的，直到1759 年史威登堡对斯德哥尔摩大火的遥视经历之后，他才被确认为这些书的作者。

｛注11｝：“日头”在圣经中表示主之于爱，也因此表示对主的爱（1529，1837，2441，2495，4060，4696，4966，7083，10809）。

｛注12｝：“月亮”在圣经中表示主之于信，也因此表示对主的信（1529，1530，2495，4060，4696，7083）。【中】主永不改变。但人（教会）在不同的爱和信的状态中，对主的“看见”或认识是不同的。

｛注13｝：“星星”在圣经中表示对良善和真理的认知（2495，2849，4697）。

｛注14｝：“万族”表示构成一个事物的所有的真理和良善，或者说所有的信和爱（3858，3926，4060，6335）。

｛注15｝：“主的降临”就是主在圣经中的同在以及启示（3900，4060）。

｛注16｝：“云”在圣经中表示圣经的文字或字面意义（4060，4391，5922，6343，6752，8106，8781，9430，10551，10574）。

｛注17｝：“荣耀”在圣经中表示天堂里和圣经内义中的神性真理（4809，5922，8267，8427，9429，10574）。

｛注18｝：“喇叭”或“号筒”表示在天堂或由天堂显示的神性真理（8815，8823，8915）；“声音”有类似的意义（6971，9926）。

｛注19｝：【英13】“当今教会的人”是史威登堡的主要和一直关注的信徒，以区别于“教会中的许多人”——上文提到的学者（见上文注释6）。他描述了与去世不久的教会信徒的灵魂相遇的经历（例如，在他1771年的著作《真实的基督教》中：160:3，692，693，694，731，2，738），这使他确信对圣经教义的普遍无知（这是他所关心的）以及对教会神学传统的歪曲，威胁着人们过上美好生活和为天堂做好准备的能力。在这里，他引用这种状况来解释他的呼召和启示以及他工作的动机。

｛注20｝：【英14】“主的再来”或“主的降临”，这里是指主重新与人临在的任何事——在灵性上的类似于主道成肉身之同在的任何事。在他后期的著作中，史威登堡开始明确谈到“第二次降临”，他用这个词来描述宇宙的灵性事件，包括他感觉到的主通过他自己的灵性经历所达成的启示。参见他1771年的著作《真实的基督教》115、121、123节，以及他在1769年出版的《新教会真道简述》一书的内封面上手写的题词：“此作是主再来的一部分（受命而题）。”在写作此书时，史威登堡的灵界经历已持续了13年（在他的一生中共有29年），这些经历是他著作的主要来源。因为他觉得这些经历是主给他的，所以也是他的主要权威。在《属天的奥秘》（68）中，他写道：“我意识到，许多人会说，只要肉体生命还在继续，就没有人能与灵魂和天使交谈，或者是我出现幻觉，或者是我传播这样的故事是为了利用人们的轻信，等等。但这些都不让我担心。我看到了，我听到了，我感觉到了。”

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（一滴水译本，2020）

1. 序言

主在祂的门徒面前谈论世代的末了, 就是教会的末期时, 预言了教会在爱与信上的连续状态, 最后说:

那些日子的灾难一过去, 日头就变黑了, 月亮也不放光, 众星要从天上坠落, 天势都要震动. 那时, 人子的兆头要显在天上, 地上的众支派都要哀哭. 他们要看见人子有能力, 有大荣耀, 驾着天上的云降临. 祂要差遣祂的使者, 用号筒的大声, 将祂的选民从四风, 从天这边到天那边, 都招聚了来. (马太福音 24:29-31)

那些照字义理解这些话的人, 必以为到了末期, 就是所谓的最后审判时, 所有这些事都会照字义描述的那样发生. 因此, 他们不仅相信太阳和月亮将要变黑, 众星要从天上坠落, 主的兆头要显在天上, 祂自己, 以及拿号筒的天使出现在云中, 还相信如别处所预言的, 整个可见的大地将要毁灭, 之后一个新天和新地就会出现. 这就是如今教会中绝大多数人所持的观点. 但那些如此相信的人不知道隐藏在圣言每个细节中的奥秘. 因为圣言的每个细节里面都有一个内义, 这内义论述的是属灵和属天事物, 而非诸如字义上的属世和世俗事物. 此外, 不仅每句话是这样, 每个字也是这样. 因为圣言唯独由对应写成, 以便内义能存在于每一个细节里面. 内义的这种性质可从《属天的奥秘》一书的全部阐述和说明, 以及解释《启示录》中所提到的“白马”时的概述得以证实.

主在上述经文所说关于祂驾着天上的云降临的话要根据内义来理解. 在这段经文中, 要变黑的“日头”表示爱方面的主; “月亮”表示信方面的主; “众星”表示对良善与真理, 或爱与信的认知; 人子显在天上的“兆头”表示神性真理的显现; “要哀哭的地上众支派”表示涉及真理与良善, 或信与爱的一切事物; “主有能力, 有大荣耀, 驾着天上的云降临”表示祂在圣言中的存在, 以及启示; “云”表示圣言的字义; “荣耀”表示圣言的内义; “用号筒的大声的天使”表示作为神性真理源头的天堂. 由此明显可知, 主的这些话表示在教会的末了, 即当教会不再有任何爱, 因而不再有任何信时, 主将揭开圣言的内义, 启示天堂的奥秘.

下面将要揭示的奥秘论述了天堂与地狱, 同时论述了人死后的生命. 当今教会之人几乎不知道有关天堂与地狱, 或人死后生命的任何事, 尽管它们在圣言中都有所阐述和描述. 事实上, 许多出生在教会的人甚至否认它们, 心里说: “有谁从那个世界来告诉我们呢? ”因此, 为避免尤其盛行在那些拥有大量世俗智慧之人当中的这种消极态度侵染和败坏内心简单的人和信仰简单的人, 我蒙恩与天使交往, 与他们交谈, 还看到天堂和地狱里的事物, 如此已经十三年了. 所以, 我蒙允许凭我的所见所闻来描述这些事, 希望无知能由此被照亮, 不信由此被驱散. 现在之所以作出这种直接的启示, 是因为这就是“主降临”的含义.

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（思想者译本，2015）

1. 序言

在馬太福音, 主向門徒說到教會的末期, 預言了教會在愛心與信心方面的光景, 祂說:

那些日子的災難一過去, 日頭就變黑了, 月亮也不放光, 眾星要從天上墜落, 天勢都要震動。那時, 人子的兆頭要顯在天上, 地上的萬族都要哀哭。他們要看見人子, 有能力, 有大榮耀, 駕著天上的雲降臨。祂要差遣使者, 用號筒的大聲, 將祂的選民, 從四方, 從天這邊到天那邊, 都招聚了來。(馬太福音24:29-31)

若照字面意義來理解這段話, 必定以為在最後審判之時, 聖言所說的這些事都要照字面意義一一實現, 也就是太陽真的變黑, 月亮無光, 眾星要從天上墜落, 主的兆頭要顯在天上, 祂要駕著天上的雲降臨, 天人(天使, 本書中譯為"天人")要吹響號筒。聖言其它各處所說的預言也要如期應驗, 這個物質的世界將要被毀, 然後新的天地將出現。

現今許多基督徒就是持有這種觀點, 未曾意識到藏於聖言之中的奧秘。事實上, 聖言處處蘊含著内在的意義(或稱"靈義"), 因為聖言的用意非止於字面所描述的世上之事, 更在於心靈和天國的事情。聖言的每句話, 乃至每個字, 都包含著內在的靈義。

事實上, 聖言純粹以對應的方式寫成, 靈義包含在字義之內。我們從靈義來為上述聖言尋求解釋:"日頭"表示對主之愛;"月亮"表示對主之信;"眾星"表示對真理和良善的認知;"人子的兆頭顯在天上"表示神性真理的顯現;"地上哀哭的萬族"表示真理與良善的各成分;"主在能力和大榮耀中駕著天上的雲降臨"表示主在聖言中顯現和啟示;"雲"指聖言的字面意義;"榮耀"指聖言的内在意義;"吹響號筒的天人"借指天國, 神性真理源於此。

這樣, 我們就能明白這些話到底講什麼:到了教會的末期, 當教會不再有愛心與信心之時, 主將揭示聖言的內在靈義, 開啟天國的奧秘。

本書要揭示的奧秘是關於天國, 地獄及人死後的生活。如今, 教會對天國, 地獄及人死後的生活幾乎一無所知, 儘管

聖言對此有大量的描述可供他們啟閱。事實上, 許多出自教會的人否認這一切, 在心裡說:"難道有誰回到人世間跟我們講過這些嗎？"

為避免這種負面的觀點影響乃至敗壞那些心地單純, 信仰簡單的人。如今將天國地獄等心靈世界的真相公諸于世, 期望能以此照亮無知, 驅散疑雲。

上一节　 目录　 下一节

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Heaven and Hell #1 (NCE, 2000)

1. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, we find the Lord talking to his disciples about the close of the age, the last time of the church. ¹At the end of his prophecies concerning the sequence of states of its love and faith ²he says:

Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Human-born One will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will lament. And they will see the Human-born One coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a trumpet and a loud voice, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens all the way to the other end. (Matthew 24:29-31)

When people understand these words according to their literal meaning, they can only believe that all these things are going to happen just as this meaning describes them, at that end of time called the Last Judgment. This does not mean only that the sun and moon will be darkened and that the stars will fall from heaven, that the sign of the Lord will appear in heaven, and that he will be seen in the clouds with angels blowing trumpets. It also includes matters prophesied elsewhere, statements that the whole visible world is going to be destroyed and that afterward a new heaven and a new earth will come into being.

Many people in the church these days are of this opinion. However, people who believe such things are not aware of the hidden depths that lie within the details of the Word. There is in fact spiritual meaning in these details, for they intend not only the outward and earthly events that we find on the literal level but spiritual and heavenly events as well. This holds true not just for the meaning of phrases but even for each word. ³

The Word is in fact written in pure correspondences ⁴so that there may be deeper meaning in the details. Questions about the nature of this meaning can be resolved by all the things I have set forth about it in Secrets of Heaven. A selection of these may be found also in my explanation of the white horse in the Book of Revelation. It is in this deeper sense that we are to understand what the Lord said in the passage just cited about coming in the clouds of heaven. The sun that will be darkened means the Lord in respect to love, ⁵the moon means the Lord in respect to faith. ⁶The stars mean insights into what is good and true, or into love and faith. ⁷The sign of the Human-born One in heaven means the appearing of divine truth. The wailing tribes of earth mean all the elements of what is true and good, or of faith and love. ⁸The Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory means his presence in the Word, and revelation. ⁹The clouds refer to the literal meaning of the Word ¹⁰and the glory to the Word's inner meaning. ¹¹The angels with a trumpet and a loud voice mean heaven, which is where divine truth comes from. ¹²

This enables us to see what these words of the Lord mean. They mean that at the end of the church, when there is no longer any love and therefore no longer any faith, the Lord will open the Word by disclosing its deeper meaning and will reveal the heavenly contents hidden within it. The particular hidden contents to be disclosed in the pages that follow have to do with heaven and hell and with our own life after death.

Church people these days know practically nothing about heaven and hell or their life after death, even though there are descriptions of everything available to them in the Word. In fact, many who have been born in the church deny all this. In their hearts they are asking who has ever come back to tell us about it.

To prevent this negative attitude - especially prevalent among people who have acquired a great deal of worldly wisdom - from infecting and corrupting people of simple heart and simple faith, it has been granted me to be with angels and to talk with them person to person. I have also been enabled to see what is in heaven and in hell, a process that has been going on for thirteen years. Now I am being allowed therefore to describe what I have heard and seen, in the hopes of shedding light where there is ignorance, and of dispelling skepticism.

The reason this kind of direct revelation is taking place today is that this is what the Coming of the Lord means.

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Heaven and Hell #1 (Harley, 1958)

1. Where the Lord, in the presence of His disciples, speaks about the consummation of the age, which is the last period of the Church, ¹towards the end of the predictions regarding its successive states with respect to love and faith, ²He says this:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet and great voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:29-31.

Those who understand these words in accordance with the sense of the letter have no other belief than that at the final period which is called the Last Judgment, all those events will occur as described in that sense. Therefore, they believe not only that the sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from heaven, that the sign of the Lord will appear in the sky and that He Himself will be seen in the clouds as well as angels with trumpets, but also, as is foretold elsewhere, that the whole visible earth will be destroyed, after which a new heaven with a new earth will come into being. Such is the opinion of most men within the Church at the present day. But those who so believe do not know the arcana ³which lie concealed in every particular of the Word. For, in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense in which are discerned, not the natural and worldly matters such as are in the sense of the letter, but spiritual and heavenly things. Moreover, this is true not only of the meaning of groups of words but it is also true of every single word. ⁴For the Word has been written by means of pure correspondences ⁵to the end that the internal sense may be in every particular. The nature of that sense can be confirmed from all that has been said and shown about it in ARCANA CAELESTIA, also from what has been summarized in the explanation of THE WHITE HORSE mentioned in the Revelation. It is in accordance with that sense that the words of the Lord, quoted above, concerning His coming in the clouds of heaven, are to be understood. In that passage, by the "sun" which is to be darkened is signified the Lord as to love, ⁶by the "moon" the Lord as to faith, ⁷by the "stars" cognitions ⁸of good and truth or of love and faith, ⁹by the "sign" of the Son of man in heaven the manifestation of Divine Truth, by the "tribes of the earth which shall mourn", all things relating to truth and good or to faith and love, ¹⁰by "the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven with power and glory", His presence in the Word and revelation; ¹¹by "clouds" is signified the sense of the letter of the Word, ¹²and by "glory" the internal sense of the Word, ¹³by "angels with a trumpet and great voice" is signified heaven whence comes Divine Truth. ¹⁴Thence it is evident that by those words of the Lord is meant that in the end of the Church when there is no longer any love and consequently no faith, the Lord will open the Word in its internal sense and reveal arcana of heaven. The arcana now revealed in the following pages treat of heaven and hell, and at the same time of man's life after death. The man of the Church at this day knows scarcely anything about heaven and hell or about his life after death, although they are all set forth and described in the Word. Indeed, many people born within the Church even deny them, saying in their hearts, "Who has come from that world and told us?" Lest, therefore, such a negative attitude, which prevails especially with those who have much worldly wisdom, should also infect and corrupt the simple in heart and the simple in faith, it has been granted to me to associate with angels and to talk with them as man with man, also to see the things in the heavens as well as in the hells, and this for thirteen years. Now, therefore, from what I have seen and heard I am permitted to describe these things, in the hope that thus, ignorance may be enlightened and unbelief dispelled. Such immediate revelation is now made because that is what is meant by the Coming of the Lord.

FROM ARCANA CAELESTIA

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Heaven and Hell #1 (Ager, 1900)

1. The Lord, speaking in the presence of His disciples of the consummation of the age, which is the final period of the church, ¹says, near the end of what He foretells about its successive states in respect to love and faith: ²

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great sound; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end to end of the heavens (Matthew 24:29-31).

Those who understood these words according to the sense of the letter have no other belief than that during that latest period, which is called the final judgment, all these things are to come to pass just as they are described in the literal sense, that is, that the sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from the sky, that the sign of the Lord will appear in the sky, and He Himself will be seen in the clouds, attended by angels with trumpets; and furthermore, as is foretold else where, that the whole visible universe will be destroyed, and afterwards a new heaven with a new earth will come into being. Such is the opinion of most men in the church at the present day. But those who so believe are ignorant of the arcana that lie hid in every particular of the Word. For in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense which treats of things spiritual and heavenly, not of things natural and worldly, such as are treated of in the sense of the letter. And this is true not only of the meaning of groups of words, it is true of each particular word. ³For the Word is written solely by correspondences, ⁴to the end that there may be an internal sense in every least particular of it. What that sense is can be seen from all that has been said and shown about it in the Arcana Coelestia; also from quotations gathered from that work in the explanation of The White Horse spoken of in the Apocalypse. It is according to that sense that what the Lord says in the passage quoted above respecting His coming in the clouds of heaven is to be understood. The "sun" there that is to be darkened signifies the Lord in respect to love; ⁵the "moon" the Lord in respect to faith; ⁶"stars" knowledges of good and truth, or of love and faith; ⁷"the sign of the Son of man in heaven" the manifestation of Divine truth; "the tribes of the earth" that shall mourn, all things relating to truth and good or to faith and love; ⁸"the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven with power and glory" His presence in the Word, and revelation, ⁹"clouds" signifying the sense of the letter of the Word, ¹⁰and "glory" the internal sense of the Word; ¹¹" the angels with a trumpet and great voice" signify heaven as a source of Divine truth. ¹²All this makes clear that these words of the Lord mean that at the end of the church, when there is no longer any love, and consequently no faith, the Lord will open the internal meaning of the Word and reveal arcana of heaven. The arcana revealed in the following pages relate to heaven and hell, and also to the life of man after death. The man of the church at this date knows scarcely anything about heaven and hell or about his life after death, although all these matters are set forth and described in the Word; and yet many of those born within the church refuse to believe in them, saying in their hearts, "Who has come from that world and told us?" Lest, therefore, such a spirit of denial, which especially prevails with those who have much worldly wisdom, should also infect and corrupt the simple in heart and the simple in faith, it has been granted me to associate with angels and to talk with them as man with man, also to see what is in the heavens and what is in the hells, and this for thirteen years; so now from what I have seen and heard it has been granted me to describe these, in the hope that ignorance may thus be enlightened and unbelief dissipated. Such immediate revelation is granted at this day because this is what is meant by the Coming of the Lord.

[REFERENCES TO THE AUTHOR'S ARCANA COELESTIA.]

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De Coelo et de Inferno #1 (original Latin)

1. PRAEFATIO.

Ubi Dominus de consummatione saeculi, quae est ultimum tempus ecclesiae, ¹coram discipulis loquitur, ad finem praedictionum de successivis statibus ejus quoad amorem et fidem, ²ita dicit:

"Statim. post afflictionem dierum istorum sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et potentiae caelorum commovebuntur. Et tunc apparebit signum Filii hominis in caelo et tunc plangent omnes tribus terrae: et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus caeli cum potentia et gloria multa. Et emittet angelos suos cum tuba et voce magna, et congregabunt electos Ipsius a quatuor ventis, ab extremo caelorum usque ad extremum illorum," (Matthaeus 24:29-31).

Qui secundum sensum litterae illa verba intelligunt, non aliter credunt, quam quod omnia illa secundum descriptionem in illo sensu postremo tempore, quod vocatur Ultimum Judicium, eventura sint; ita non solum quod sol et luna obscurabuntur, et quod stellae cadent de caelo, quodque appariturum signum Domini in caelo, et quod visuri Ipsum in nubibus, et simul angelos cum tubis, sed etiam secundum praedictiones alibi, quod totus mundus aspectabilis periturus sit, ac postea novum caelum cum nova terra exstiturum in hac opinione sunt plerique hodie intra ecclesiam. Sed qui ita credunt, non sciunt arcana quae latent in singulis Verbi; in singulis enim Verbi est sensus internus; in quo non naturalia et mundana, qualia sunt quae in sensu litterae, sed spiritualia et caelestia, intelliguntur; et hoc non modo quoad sensum plurium vocum, sed etiam quoad unamquamvis vocem; ³Verbum enim conscriptum est per meras correspondentias, ⁴ob finem ut in singulis sensus internus sit. Qualis ille sensus est, constare potest ex omnibus illis quae de eo sensu in Arcanis Caelestibus dicta et ostensa sunt quae etiam inde collata videantur in explicatione De Equo Albo, de quo in Apocalypsi. Secundum eundem sensum intelligenda sunt quae Dominus in supra allato loco de adventu suo in nubibus caeli locutus est; per "solem" ibi, qui obscurabitur, significatur Dominus quoad amorem; ⁵per "lunam" Dominus quoad fidem; ⁶per "stellas"

cognitiones boni et veri, seu amoris et fidei; ⁷per "signum Filii hominis in caelo," apparitio Divini veri per "tribus terrae," quae plangent, omnia veri et boni, seu fidei et amoris ⁸per "adventum Domini in nubibus caeli cum potentia et gloria," praesentia Ipsius in Verbo, et revelatio, ⁹per "nubes" significatur Verbi sensus litterae, ¹⁰et per "gloriam Verbi sensus internus; ¹¹per "angelos cum tuba et voce magna" significatur caelum unde Divinum verum. ¹²Inde constare potest, quod per illa verba Domini intelligatur, quod in fine ecclesiae, quando amplius non amor et inde non fides, Dominus aperturus Sit Verbum quoad sensum ejus internum, et quod revelaturus arcana caeli: arcana, quae in nunc sequentibus revelantur, sunt de Caelo et de Inferno, et simul de Vita hominis post mortem. Homo ecclesiae hodie vix aliquid novit de caelo et de inferno, nec de vita sua post mortem, tametsi omnia descripta exstant in Verbo immo etiam multi, qui intra ecclesiam nati sunt, negant illa, dicentes corde suo, "Quis inde venit et narravit?" Ne itaque tale negativum, quod imprimis regnat apud illos qui multa e mundo sapiunt, etiam inficiat et corrumpat simplices corde et simplices fide, datum est mihi una esse cum angelis, et loqui cum illis sicut homo cum homine, et quoque videre quae in caelis, tum quae in infernis, et hoc per tredecim annos; ita nunc illa ex Visis et Auditis describere; sperans sic ignorantiam illustrari, et incredulitatem dissipari. Quod hodie immediata talis revelatio existat, est quia illa est quae per adventum Domini intelligitur.

(EX ARCANIS CAELESTIBUS.)


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