1637、来世的奇事之一是：灵人们用人的母语与他说话，而且说得轻松流利，就好像他们就生在那地，用同样的语言被抚养长大；无论他们来自欧洲、亚洲或近东，还是来自世界的其它任何地方，包括那些生活在数千年前、甚至在语言存在之前的人。事实上，灵人不知道他们与世人交谈时所用的语言不是他们自己的母语。他们也使用世人精通的第二语言，但除了这些语言外，他们不能讲出另一种语言的一个音节，除非主直接使他们这样做。甚至连死前尚未学会任何语言的小孩子也以这种方式说话。
然而，原因在于，灵人所熟悉的语言不是由词语，而是由思维观念构成的。这种语言是所有语言都通用的；当灵人与某个人在一起时，他们的思维观念就会落入这个人所知道的词语。这些思维观念如此完美地对应并适合这些词语，以至于灵人只知道这些词语本身是他们自己的。他们完全相信他们在用自己的语言说话；而事实上，他们在用这个人的语言说话。关于这些问题，我与灵人们讨论过多次。所有灵魂一进入来世，都会收到这样一份礼物：他们能理解全世界所有人的言语，就好像这是他们的母语，因为他们能感觉到一个人正在思想的任何东西；更不用说赋予他们的其它更出色的天赋了。这就是为何肉体死亡后，灵魂能与所有人交谈和互动，不管他们在哪个地区，使用哪种语言。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1637. One of the amazing things that happen in the other life is that when spirits talk to us humans, they do so in our native language. They speak it as easily and fluently as if they had been born in the same land and raised with the same language, whether they come from Europe or the Near East or some other part of the globe. So do those who lived thousands of years earlier, before the language even existed. In fact spirits have no idea that the speech they use with us is not their own native tongue. They use our secondary languages too, but beyond these, they are not capable of producing one syllable of another language, unless the Lord gives it directly to them. Even babies who die before they have really learned any language at all talk this way.
[2] The reason, though, is that the language that spirits are familiar with is composed not of words but of thoughts.{*1} This language is common to all tongues. When spirits are present with a person on earth, their individual thoughts fall into words the person knows. The thoughts agree with and adapt to those words so perfectly that the spirits have no notion that the actual words are not their own. They fully believe they are speaking their own language, when it is really the person's language they are speaking. I have discussed these matters with spirits a number of times.
All souls receive this gift as soon as they enter the other world. They can understand the speech of everyone in the whole family of nations, just as though they had been born in those nations, because they sense whatever a person is thinking. Not to mention other talents in which they excel even more dramatically.
That is why it happens after physical death that souls can converse and interact with everyone, no matter what the individual's region or language was.
Footnotes:
{*1} For more on the language of spirits and angels, see Heaven and Hell 234-245. [Editors]
Potts(1905-1910) 1637
1637. Among the wonderful things in the other life is the fact that the speech of spirits with a man is in his native tongue, which they speak as readily and skillfully as if they had been born in the same land, and had been brought up with the same language; and this whether they are from Europe, from Asia, or from any other part of the globe. The case is the same with those who lived thousands of years ago, before the language in question had come into existence. The spirits indeed know no otherwise than that the language in which they speak with a man is their own, and that of their native land. The case is the same with other languages in which the man is skilled; but beyond these languages, the spirits cannot utter a syllable of any language, unless to do this is given them by the Lord immediately. Even little children who had died before they had been taught any language, speak in the same way. [2] But the reason is that the language with which spirits are familiar is not a language of words, but is a language of ideas of thought; and this language is the universal of all languages; and when they are with a man, their ideas of thought fall into the words that are in the man, and this in a manner so correspondent and fitting that the spirits know no otherwise than that the words themselves are theirs, and that they are speaking in their own language; when yet they are speaking in that of the man. I have occasionally spoken with spirits concerning these matters. All souls, as soon as they enter into the other life, are endowed with the gift of being able to understand the speech of all who are in the whole world, precisely as if it were their native tongue, for they perceive whatever a man thinks. They are endowed with other faculties also that are still more excellent. Hence it is that souls, after the death of the body, can converse and associate with all, of whatever region or language they may have been.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1637
1637. Among the marvels that occur in the next life is the fact that spirits speak to man in his own mother tongue. They speak it with the fluency and skill of one born in the same country and brought up using the same tongue. This is so whether they come from Europe, or from Asia, or from some other part of the world, including those who lived thousands of years before that tongue had come into being. Indeed when speaking to man the spirits know no other than that the language they are using is their own and that of their own country. The same is also the case with the foreign languages which a person has learned. But beyond these, spirits are not able to utter one sound of another language unless they are directly enabled to do so by the Lord. Even little children who have died before learning to talk in any language speak in the same way.
[2] The reason for this is that the language with which spirits are familiar is not a language composed of words but a language composed of ideas comprising thought. This language is the universal of all languages; and when spirits are present with someone on earth the ideas comprising their thought fall into words which belong to that person's vocabulary. This takes place in such a corresponding and fitting manner that the spirits know no other than that those words are their own and that they are speaking in their own language, when in fact they are speaking in the person's language. I have spoken on several occasions to spirits about these matters. All souls, the moment they enter the next life, receive this gift of being able to understand what all people in any part of the world are saying, just as if they had been born among those people, for they perceive whatever a person is thinking. In addition to this they receive other abilities which are more perfect still. This explains why after death of the body souls are able to talk to and mix with all people, no matter what region these came from or what language they spoke.
Latin(1748-1756) 1637
1637. Inter mirabilia quae in altera vita existunt, est quod loquela spirituum cum homine sit in ejus vernacula, quam tam expedite et solerter loquuntur ac si nati fuissent in eadem terra et educati eadem lingua; et hoc sive ex Europa sint, sive ex Asia, sive ex alia parte orbis; similiter illi qui vixerunt ante millia annorum antequam lingua illa exstiterat; immo spiritus non aliter sciunt quam quod lingua qua cum homine loquuntur, sit eorum propria et patria; similiter fit cum aliis linguis quas callet homo; sed praeter illas, ne voculam alterius linguae possunt, uni hoc iis immediate datum sit a Domino, producere: etiam infantes qui antequam edocti aliquam linguam, decesserunt, similiter loquuntur: [2] sed causa est quia lingua quae spiritibus familiaris est, non est lingua vocum, sed est lingua idearum cogitationis; quae lingua est universalis omnium linguarum; et cum apud hominem sunt, ideae eorum cogitationis illabuntur in voces quae sunt apud hominem, et hoc tam correspondenter et adaptate ut spiritus non aliter sciant quam quod ipsae voces sint eorum, et quod ipsi loquantur lingua sua, cum tamen loquuntur lingua hominis: de his aliquoties cum spiritibus locutus sum: hac dote donantur omnes animae ut primum in alteram vitam veniunt, quod intelligere possint loquelas omnia qui in universo terrarum orbe sunt, prorsus sicut in illis nati fuissent, nam percipiunt quicquid homo cogitat; praeter alias facultates quae adhuc excellentiores sunt: inde est quod animae post mortem corporis cum omnibus cujuscumque regionis et linguae fuerint, colloqui et conversari possint.