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474. And he said to me, These are they who come out of great tribulation.- That this signifies information that they are those who have been in temptations, is evident from the signification of, "he said to me," as denoting information; and from the signification of tribulation, or great affliction, as denoting temptations, of which we shall speak presently. Something shall first be said here concerning the temptations which those undergo in the spiritual world who are in falsities from ignorance, and who are here treated of. Only those undergo temptations there who have lived a good life in the world according to their religion, wherein were falsities of doctrine in which they believed. For by temptations falsities are shaken off, truths are implanted, and thus they are prepared for heaven; for all those who shall come into heaven must be in truths; wherefore so long as they are in falsities they cannot come into heaven. The reason is, that the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord makes heaven, and makes the life of the angels there, therefore falsities, because they are opposed to truths, and because opposites destroy, must first be removed, and they cannot be removed except by temptations.
[2] That temptations perform this use, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, (n. 187-201), where temptations are treated of. The reason why they are let into temptations in the spiritual world after the life in the body, is, that they could not be tempted in the world on account of the falsities of religion in which they were, and which were everywhere dominant. It must be understood, that all those who are let into temptations are saved; but the evil, who are in falsities from evil, are not tempted, for with them truths cannot be implanted, because the evils of their lives offer a hindrance; but truths are taken away from them, and therefore they remain in pure falsities, and are then immersed deeply in hell, according to the quality of evil from which such falsity springs. In a word, those who are about to come into heaven are vastated in regard to their falsities, and those who are about to go into hell are vastated in regard to truths; that is, falsities are removed from those who are about to go to heaven, and truths are taken away from those who are about to go to hell. For no one can enter heaven with falsities, nor hell with truths, because truths from good make heaven, and falsities from evil make hell. The temptations of those whose falsities have to be removed are treated of in many passages in the Word, and especially in David, and are called afflictions, tribulations, and vastations; but there is no need to quote those passages here, since it can be seen without them that tribulations and afflictions, when spoken of in reference to good, mean, in the spiritual sense, temptations.
474. And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, signifies information that these are they that have been in temptations. This is evident from the signification of "he said to me," as being information; also from the signification of "great tribulation" (or affliction) as being temptations (of which presently). Here something shall first be said about temptations which those in the spiritual world undergo who are in falsities from ignorance, and who are here treated of. In the spiritual world, those only undergo temptations who had lived well in the world according to their religion, in which there were falsities of doctrine which they believed; for by means of temptations falsities are shaken off and truths are implanted, and thus they are prepared for heaven; for all who are to come into heaven must be in truths; therefore so long as they are in falsities they cannot come into heaven. The reason is that Divine truth proceeding from the Lord makes heaven, and makes the life of the angels there; consequently as falsities are the opposites of truths, and opposites destroy, these must first be removed, and they can be removed only by means of temptations. (That temptations perform this use, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 187-201, where temptations are treated of.) Such after their life in the body are let into temptations in the spiritual world because they could not be tempted while in the world on account of the falsities of their religion which reigned. Everywhere it is to be noted, that all who are let into temptations are saved; while the evil, who are in falsities from evil, are not tempted, for truths cannot be implanted in them; their evils of life stand in the way; but from these their truths are taken away, and thus they remain in mere falsities, and then they are plunged into hell, to a depth according to the quality of evil from which is falsity. In a word, those who are to come into heaven are vastated in respect to falsities, while those who are to come into hell are vastated in respect to truths; that is, from those who are to come into heaven falsities are taken away, and from those who are to come into hell, truths are taken away; for no one with falsities can enter heaven, and no one with truths can enter hell, since truths from good make heaven, and falsities from evil make hell. The temptations which those undergo with whom falsities are to be scattered are treated of in many passages in the Word, especially in David, and are called "afflictions," "tribulations," and "vastations;" but there is no need to cite these passages here, because it can be known without them that "tribulations" and "afflictions," when predicated of the good, mean in the spiritual sense temptations.
474. "Et dixit mihi, Hi sunt qui veniunt ex tribulatione magna." - Quod significet informationem, quod sint qui fuerunt in tentationibus, constat ex significatione "dixit mihi", quod sit informatio; et ex significatione "tribulationis" seu afflictionis "magnae", quod sint tentationes, de qua sequitur. Primum hic aliquid dicetur de tentationibus quas in mundo spirituali subeunt illi qui in falsis ex ignorantia sunt, de quibus hic agitur. Tentationes subeunt ibi illi solum qui in mundo bene vixerunt secundum religionem Suam, in qua fuerunt falsa doctrinae quae crediderunt; per tentationes enim discutiuntur falsa, et implantantur vera, et sic praeparantur ad caelum; omnes enim qui in caelum venturi sunt, in veris erunt; quare quamdiu in falsis sunt, in caelum venire non possunt. Causa est, quia Divinum Verum procedens a Domino facit caelum, ac facit vitam angelorum qui ibi; quare falsa, quia opposita sunt veriS, et opposita destruunt, prius removenda sunt, et non removeri possunt quam per tentationes. (Quod tentationes illum usum praestent, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 187-201, ubi De Tentationibus actum est.) Quod in tentationes mittantur in mundo spirituali post vitam in corpore, est quia tentari non potuerunt in mundo propter falsa religionis, in qua fuerunt, regnantia ubivis. Sciendum est quod omnes illi salventur qui in tentationes mittuntur: mali autem, qui in falsis ex malo sunt, non tentantur, illis enim non implantari possunt vera; mala vitae eorum obstant; sed vera illis auferuntur, unde in meris falsis remanent, et tunc alte secundum quale mali ex quo falsum, demerguntur in infernum: verbo, illi qui in caelum venturi sunt, vastantur quoad falsa; et qui in infernum, vastantur quoad vera; hoc est, illis qui in caelum venturi sunt, auferuntur falsa; et illis qui in infernum venturi sunt, auferuntur vera; nam cum falsis non potest aliquis intrare caelum, nec cum veris infernum, quoniam vera ex bono faciunt caelum, ac falsa ex malo infernum. De tentationibus, quas subeunt illi apud quos falsa discutienda sunt, multis in locis in Verbo agitur, et imprimis apud Davidem, et vocantur "afflictiones", "tribulationes" et "vastationes"; sed illa loca huc afferre non opus est, quia absque illis sciri potest quod per "tribulationes" et "afflictiones", cum illae dicuntur de bonis, in spirituali sensu intelligantur tentationes.