------------
491. 五十一, 人死后的第一个状态
死后, 人在进入天堂或地狱之前, 要经历三个状态. 第一个状态是其外层的状态, 第二个状态是其内层的状态, 第三个状态是他的预备状态. 这些状态都是在灵人界经历的. 然而, 有些人死后并不经历这些状态, 而是直接被提入天堂或被投入地狱. 被直接提入天堂的, 是那些已在尘世完成重生, 由此为天堂做好准备的人. 那些如此重生并预备, 以至于只需脱去属世的杂质和肉体之人立刻被天使提入天堂. 我曾见他们死后短短一个小时就被提入天堂. 另一方面, 内在已然邪恶, 外在却伪装善良的人, 以及利用诡计掩饰自己的恶意, 把善良当作欺骗手段的人, 都被直接扔进地狱. 我曾看见这种人死后立刻被投入地狱, 其中一个最大的骗子是头朝下, 脚朝上被扔进去的, 其他人方式也各不相同. 还有人死后立刻被扔进洞穴, 因而与灵人界的其他人分开, 并轮番被带出和送回. 他们是那些以公民行为为借口恶毒对待邻舍的人. 不过, 与留守在灵人界, 在那里照神性秩序预备上天堂或下地狱的人相比, 这些人只是少数.
------------
491. 人死後的第一個狀態
人死後, 在到達天國或地獄之前, 要經歷三個狀態。第一個狀態是外在的狀態, 第二個狀態是內在的狀態, 第三個狀態是預備的狀態, 在靈界經歷這些狀態。
但是, 有的人死後並不經歷這三個狀態, 而是直接被提入天國或被投入地獄。被直接提入天國的是在人間已完成改造更新, 為天
國做好準備的人。他們只需褪去肉體和屬肉體的不淨, 隨即被天人帶入天國。我曾見一些人死後一小時就被提入天國。
反之, 有些道貌岸然, 內心陰險惡毒, 以偽善作為欺騙手腕的人直接被投入了地獄。我曾見這種人死後立刻被投入地獄, 其中有一極為詭詐的人是頭下腳上投下去的。至於其他人, 方式各不相同。
還有人死後立刻被送入洞穴, 與靈界的人分別開來。他們不時被帶出, 又被送回。他們是表面待人友善, 實則懷有惡意的人。
但是, 與進入靈界的人相比, 上述人只是少數。多數人是先進入靈界, 照神性規則之安排為上天國或下地獄做準備。
491. Our First State after Death
There are three states that we pass through after death before we arrive in either heaven or hell. The first state is one of more outward concerns, the second is one of more inward concerns, and the third is one of preparation. We go through these states in the world of spirits.
Some people, however, do not go through these states but are either raised into heaven or cast into hell immediately after their death. The people immediately raised into heaven are ones who have been regenerated and thus prepared for heaven in this world. People who have been regenerated and prepared to this extent need only to slough off their natural uncleanness along with their bodies and are immediately taken into heaven by angels. I have seen people taken up an hour after their death.
On the other hand, people who have been profoundly malicious but have outwardly worn a guise of goodness, people who have therefore filled their malice with guile and used goodness as a means of deception are cast directly into hell. I have seen people like this cast into hell immediately after their death. One of the most deceitful went head first and feet last; for others it is different.
There are also people who are sent off into caves right after their death and in this way are segregated from people in the world of spirits. They are alternately brought out and sent back in. These are people who have treated their neighbors maliciously under the pretext of civic behavior.
There are few such people, though, compared to the number of people who are kept in the world of spirits and prepared there for either heaven or hell according to the divine plan.
------------
491. THE FIRST STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH
There are three states that man passes through after death before he comes into either heaven or hell. The first state is the state of his exteriors, the second state the state of his interiors, and the third his state of preparation. These states man passes through in the world of spirits. There are some, however, who do not pass through them; but immediately after death are either taken up into heaven or cast into hell. Those who are immediately taken up into heaven are those who have been regenerated and thereby prepared in the world for heaven. Those who have been so regenerated and prepared that they need simply to cast off natural impurities with the body are at once taken up by the angels into heaven. I have seen them so taken up soon after the hour of death. On the other hand, those who have been inwardly wicked while maintaining an outward appearance of goodness, and have thus filled up the measure of their wickedness by artifices, using goodness as a means of deceiving-these are at once cast into hell. I have seen some such cast into hell immediately after death, one of the most deceitful with his head downward and feet upward, and others in other ways. There are some who immediately after death are cast into caverns and are thus separated from those who are in the world of spirits, and are taken out from these and put back again by turns. They are such as have dealt wickedly with the neighbour under civil pretences. But all these are few in comparison with those who are retained in the world of spirits, and are there prepared in accordance with Divine order for heaven or for hell.
------------
491. THE FIRST STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH.
There are three states that man passes through after death before he enters either heaven or hell. The first state is the state of his exteriors, the second state the state of his interiors, and the third his state of preparation. These states man passes through in the world of spirits. There are some, however, that do not pass through them; but immediately after death are either taken up into heaven or cast into hell. Those that are immediately taken up into heaven are those that have been regenerated in the world and thereby prepared for heaven. Those that have been so regenerated and prepared that they need simply to cast off natural impurities with the body are at once taken up by the angels into heaven. I have seen them so taken up soon after the hour of death. On the other hand, those that have been inwardly wicked while maintaining an outward appearance of goodness, and have thus filled up the measure of their wickedness by artifices, using goodness as a means of deceiving-these are at once cast into hell. I have seen some such cast into hell immediately after death, one of the most deceitful with his head downward and feet upward, and others in other ways. There are some that immediately after death are cast into caverns and are thus separated from those that are in the world of spirits, and are taken out from these and put back again by turns. They are such as have dealt wickedly with the neighbor under civil pretences. But all these are few in comparison with those that are retained in the world of spirits, and are there prepared in accordance with Divine order for heaven or for hell.
------------
491. [LI.] DE PRIMO STATU HOMINIS POST MORTEM.
Sunt tres status quos homo subit post mortem, antequam vel in caelum vel in infernum venit. Primus status est exteriorum ejus; secundus status est interiorum ejus; et tertius status est praeparationis ejus: homo hos status subit in mundo spirituum. Quidam autem sunt, qui hos status non subeunt, sed statim post mortem vel auferuntur in caelum, vel conjiciuntur in infernum. illi, qui statim auferuntur in caelum, sunt qui regenerati sunt, et sic ad caelum praeparati in mundo: qui ita regenerati et praeparati sunt, ut modo opus habeant rejicere sordes naturales cum corpore, illi statim ab angelis in caelum feruntur; vidi sublatos post mortis horam. Qui autem interius malitiosi fuerunt, et exterius ad apparentiam boni, ita qui impleverunt malignitatem suam dolis, ac bonitate usi pro medio doloso, illi statim in infernum conjiciuntur; vidi aliquot tales statim post mortem conjectos in infernum; unum dolosissimum capite deorsum et pedibus sursum et alios aliter. Sunt quoque qui statim post mortem rejiciuntur in cavernas, et sic separantur ab illis qui in mundo spirituum sunt, ac inde eximuntur et illuc immittuntur per vices; hi sunt qui sub praetextu civili malitiose egerunt cum proximo. Sed hi et illi pauci sunt respective ad illos qui in mundo spirituum tenentur, ac ibi secundum ordinem Divinum praeparantur ad caelum, vel ad infernum.