613# 凡知道天堂与地狱如何彼此相对、又如何一方被移离另一方的人，也就能够知道人是如何重生的，并且重生之人是怎样的人。为使此事得以理解，现将其概要揭明如下：凡在天堂中的人，都正面仰望主；凡在地狱中的人，则都转脸背离主。因此，当从天堂观看地狱时，地狱中人只显出后脑与背部；甚至还显得如同倒置的人，仿佛对跖者，脚在上，头在下。尽管他们仍用脚行走，也转动面容；然而，他们心智内在的方向相反，正是这种相反的方向，产生了如此显现。我所陈述的这些奇异之事，皆出于亲眼所见。
由此向我显明，重生是怎样发生的：它完全照着地狱被移离、并由此与天堂分离的方式而发生。因为，如上所说，就人从出生所承受的第一本性而言，人乃是地狱的最小形像；而就人从第二次出生所承受的另一种本性而言，人乃是天堂的最小形像。由此可知，人里面的邪恶也照样被移除并分离，正如在大形像中地狱与天堂被移除并分离一样；并且，邪恶随着被移除，便转脸背离主，并逐渐倒置自己；这一切发生到何种程度，正与天堂被植入的程度相应，也就是与人成为新人之程度相应。
为作说明，还可补充一点：人里面的每一种邪恶，都与地狱中那些处于相同邪恶者相联；反过来，人里面的每一种良善，也都与天堂中那些处于相同良善者相联。
613# 人若知道天堂和地狱之间的关系，以及两者是如何分离的，就能知道人是如何重生的，以及重生的人是什么样，或是何性质。为理解这一点，我将简要揭示以下内容：天堂里的所有人都把脸转向主，而地狱里的所有人都把脸转离主；因此，当有人从天堂俯视地狱时，他只看到那里的人的后脑勺和后背。事实上，那里的居民看起来就像生活在地球上处于正相对应的两个地区的人，脚朝上，头朝下，但他们却用双脚行走，脸转向各个方向。正是他们心智内层的相反方向产生了这种表象。我根据自己的观察讲述了这些非凡的事。它们向我清楚表明，重生是如何发生的，即就像地狱被移除，从而与天堂分离一样。因为如前所述，就其生来所具有的第一种性质而言，人是一个微型地狱；就其通过第二次出生所获得的另一种性质而言，他是一个微型天堂。由此可知，人里面的邪恶被移除和分离，就像大型的天堂和地狱分离一样；随着邪恶被移除，它们转身离开主，逐渐颠倒过来；随着天堂被植入人，也就是说，他变成一个新人，这一过程是一步一步发生的。为了说明，对此可以补充的是，人里面的每一种邪恶都与地狱里那些处于类似邪恶的人结合在一起；相反，人里面的每一种良善都与天堂里那些处于类似良善的人结合在一起。
613. People who know how heaven and hell differ from each other and how the one is located in relation to the other are able to know how we are regenerated and what we are like afterward. To make this better understood to those who do not have this knowledge, I will briefly reveal the following.
All those who are in heaven turn their faces toward the Lord. All who are in hell turn their faces away from the Lord. Therefore when you look at hell from heaven, you see only the backs of the people there and the backs of their heads; in fact they also look upside down (like people on the far side of the earth) with their feet up and their heads down, even though they walk on their feet and turn their faces this way and that. It is the fact that the inner levels of their minds are turned in the opposite direction that makes them look this way. This may sound hard to believe, but I have seen it myself.
[2] These experiences revealed to me how regeneration takes place. It happens in the same way that hell is relocated and sequestered from heaven. As I noted above, by our first nature - the nature we are born with - we are a hell in miniature. By our second nature, the nature we derive from our second birth, we are a heaven in miniature.
It follows from this that the evils within us are relocated and sequestered on an individual scale in the same way that hell is relocated and sequestered from heaven on a grand scale. As our evils are relocated, they turn away from the Lord and gradually turn themselves upside down. This happens step by step as heaven is implanted in us - that is, as we become a new person.
In the hope of shedding further light, I will add that every evil within us has a connection to people in hell who are involved in that same evil. On the other hand, every good thing within us has a connection to people in heaven who are involved in that same goodness.
613. If anyone knows the relationship of heaven and hell, and how one is removed from the other, he can tell how a person is regenerated, as well as what a regenerated person is like. To make this intelligible I must first make the brief revelation that all in heaven turn their faces towards the Lord and look at Him, while all in hell turn their faces away from the Lord. So if one looks down from heaven into hell, one sees nothing but the backs of heads and people's backs. Indeed they even appear upside down like the people of the Antipodes, who have their feet up and their heads down, despite the fact that they walk upon their feet and can screw their faces round. It is the reverse direction in which the interiors of their minds face that produces this appearance. I can report these surprising facts from my own observation.
[2] By this means it was revealed to me how regeneration takes place, exactly as hell is removed and is thus separated from heaven. For, as I said before, a person as regards his first nature, which he has from birth, is a hell on the smallest scale, and as regards his second nature, which he gets from being born again, is a heaven on the smallest scale. It follows from this that the evils in a person are removed and separated just as hell and heaven are on the large scale. As evils are removed they turn away from the Lord, and by stages turn upside down. This happens to the extent that heaven is planted in the person, so that he becomes a new man. For the sake of illustration I shall add that each evil in the person has a link with those in hell who have the same evil, and on the other hand each good in the person has a link with those in heaven who possess similar good.
613. He who knows the relation between heaven and hell, and how the one is removed from the other, can know how man is regenerated, and also what the regenerate man is. That this may be understood it shall be made known briefly that the faces of all who are in heaven look toward the Lord, while all who are in hell turn their faces from the Lord; therefore when hell is looked at from heaven, only the occiput and back appear; and those there even appear inverted, like the antipodes, feet upward and heads down, and this although they walk upon their feet and turn their faces around; for it is the contrary direction of their minds' interiors that produces this appearance. These remarkable facts I report from my own observation. They made clear to me how regeneration is effected, namely, just as hell is removed and thus separated from heaven. For, as stated above, as to his first nature which he has by birth, man is a hell in miniature, and as to the other nature which he acquires by the second birth, he is a heaven in miniature. And from this it follows that the evils in man are removed and separated in the same manner as heaven and hell in their large form are separated, and that evils, as they are removed, turn themselves away from the Lord, and gradually invert themselves, and that this takes place in the degree that heaven is implanted, that is, that man is made new. To this may be added, for the sake of illustration, that every evil in man is in conjunction with those in hell who are in like evil, and on the other hand that every good in man is in conjunction with those in heaven who are in like good.
613. He who knows how heaven and hell are related to each other, and how the one is separated from the other, may also know how man is regenerated, and what his nature is when regenerated. That this may be understood it will be briefly mentioned that all in heaven turn their faces towards the Lord, and all in hell turn their faces away from Him; so that when any one looks down into hell from heaven he sees only the back of the head and body of those who are there. Indeed the inhabitants appear as if inverted like those who live on the opposite sides of the globe, with their feet upwards and their heads downwards, while yet they are walking on their feet and turning their faces in every direction. It is the contrary direction of the interiors of their mind which produces this appearance. I recount these remarkable things from my own observation.
It was thus made evident to me that regeneration takes place in much the same way as hell is removed and so separated from heaven. For as was stated above, a man as to the first nature which is his by birth, is a hell in miniature; and as to the other nature which is his by second birth, he is a heaven in miniature. From this, it follows that evils in a man are removed and separated just as hell is from heaven in their aggregate; and that evils, as they are removed, turn themselves away from the Lord, and gradually become inverted in proportion as heaven is implanted in him, that is, as he becomes a new man. To this may be added by way of illustration that every evil in a man is conjoined with such spirits in hell as are in a similar evil; and on the contrary, that every good in a man is conjoined with such angels in heaven as are in a similar good.
613. Qui novit, quomodo Coelum et Infernum inter se sunt, et quomodo removetur unum ab altero, ille nosse potest quomodo homo regeneratur, ut et qualis homo regeneratus est; ut hoc intelligatur, in summario propalabitur hoc, quod omnes qui in Coelo sunt, aspiciant Dominum a facie, et omnes qui in Inferno sunt, avertant faciem a Domino, quare dum e Coelo inspicitur infernum, apparent modo occipitio et tergo; imo etiam apparent sicut inversi ut antipodes pedibus sursum et capitibus deorsum, et hoc tametsi ambulant super pedibus, et facies circumvertunt, nam est directio opposita interiorum mentis eorum, quae illum visum producit; haec mirabilia ex autopsia refero.
[2] Ex his mihi detectum est, quomodo fit regeneratio, quod fiat prorsus sicut Infernum removetur et sic separatur a Coelo, nam, ut supra dictum, homo quoad primam naturam, quam trahit ex nativitate, in minima effigie est Infernum, et quoad alteram naturam, quam trahit ex secunda nativitate, in minima effigie est Coelum. Ex his sequitur, quod mala apud hominem similiter removeantur et separentur sicut Infernum et Coelum in magna effigie, et quod mala sicut removentur avertant se a Domino, et se successive invertant, et quod hoc fiat in eo gradu, quo implantatur Coelum, hoc est, sicut homo fit 1 novus. His illustrationis gratia adjicietur hoc, quod unumquodvis malum apud hominem conjunctionem habeat cum talibus in inferno, qui in simili malo sunt, et vicissim quod unumquodvis bonum apud hominem conjunctionem habeat cum talibus in Coelo qui in simili bono sunt.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: sit.