264、此后，地面又裂开了，但这次是在右边，我看见另一个魔鬼升上来。他头戴一种主教法冠，这法冠周围盘绕的线圈形状像蛇，只是它的顶端突出来了。他的脸从前额到下巴长满大麻风，两只手也是。他两腰赤裸，黑如煤烟，燃烧着仿佛从壁炉透出的暗火。他的脚踝则像两条毒蛇。第一个魔鬼一看见他，就屈膝跪拜。我问他这是为何。他回答说：“他是天地之神，是全能者。”然后，我问另一个魔鬼：“对此，你怎么说？”“我能说什么呢”，他回答，“我拥有天堂和地狱的一切权柄，所有灵魂的命运都在我手中。”我接着问：“这一位可是帝中之帝啊，他怎会如此降尊屈卑，而你又怎能接受他的敬拜呢？”“他仍就是我的仆人，在神眼里，一个皇帝算得了什么？我右手握有绝罚的雷霆。”他回答。
然后，我对他说：“你怎会如此狂妄？你在世时不过是一个普通的牧师而已，因幻想有几把钥匙，从而拥有捆绑和释放的权柄，所以你放任自己的灵忘乎所以，以致现在竟疯狂到以为你是神自己的地步。”这话惹恼了他，于是他起誓说，他就是神，主在天上没有丝毫权柄。他说：“因为祂把权柄都交给我们了。只要我们一发令，天堂和地狱就得乖乖服从。我们若送谁去地狱，魔鬼就得马上接受；我们若送谁去天堂，天使就得马上接受。”我继续问他：“你们社群有多少人？”他说：“三百人。我们全都是神，而我是众神之神。”
之后，这二者脚下的地面裂开了，他们深深沉入自己的地狱。我蒙允许看到他们的地狱下面就是监狱工房，凡伤害他人者皆沦落至此。凡在地狱者都被允许保持自己的幻觉，并以此自夸，但不可伤害他人。那里的人之所以是这个样子，是因为此时人在灵里，灵脱离肉体后，便享有这种照其情感和由此而来的思维行事的充分自由。
后来，我蒙允许观察他们的地狱。帝中之帝和王中之王所在的地狱充满各种污秽，他们本人看上去就像虎视眈眈的各种野兽。众神和众神之神所在的地狱大同小异。在这个地狱会看到被称为夜枭和鸮鸟的不祥夜鸟在他们周围飞舞。他们的妄念在我眼前就呈现出这样的形像。这些经历清楚表明政客和神职人员的自我之爱是何性质。后者想当神明，前者想当皇帝。只要这些爱的缰绳松开，他们就有这种欲望并奋力去实现。
264、此后，地面又开了，这次是在右边，我看见一个魔鬼升了出来。他头上戴着象盘着的蛇一样的帽子。他的头从帽顶伸出，脸上有麻子，手上也有，腹部光着并且是黑的并燃着火，他的脚踝象蛇一样。
看到他后，第一个魔鬼跪了下来。我问他为什么，他说：“他是天上和地上的神，是最有权威的。”
我于是问第二个魔鬼：“你对此怎么看呢？”
他回答说：“我能说什么，我有掌管天堂和地狱的权力，一切灵魂的命运都掌握在我手中。”
我又问同一个摩鬼：“他怎么会是皇中之皇，而你又怎么能接受他的崇拜呢？”
第二个魔鬼回答说：“他仍是我的仆人，皇帝在神面前算得了什么，我拥有一切权力。”
这时，我问他：“你怎么会哪此疯狂呢？你在世时只是一个普通的信徒，而现在你却认为自己有决定命运的权力，你竟然认为自己是神！”
听到这他很生气，他骂道，主没有丝毫权力，主把权力都转让给我们了。只要我们下令，天堂和地狱都得服从。我们若送谁去地狱，魔鬼马上将他带走，我们若送谁去天堂，天使马上接收他。
我又问：“在你们的区域住了多少人？”
“三百个，我们都是那的神，我是神中之神。”
之后，地又裂开，两个魔鬼回到了他们各自的地方。我看到在他们住处的下面是工地，那些造成冲突伤害了别人的人被送到那里。每个人在那都可以有那些自己所认为的头衔，但不可以伤害别人。（地狱中的人是那样的，是因为他们处于精神状态。当精神脱离了躯体后就能自由地按它所爱所想的而行为）
我获许看到两个魔鬼所在的地狱。那个有皇中皇，王中王的地方充满各种污秽，他们看上去象是长着凶恶的眼睛的野兽。在另一个神之神的地狱中也是同样。在那里有夜间出动的鸟在他周围飞。
很明显，在政治上自爱的人后果是什么样，在教会方面自爱的人又是什么样。前者想作皇中皇，后者想做神中神，他们会肆无顾忌地去这样做。
264. After this the ground opened up again, but this time on the right, and I saw another devil rising up. He had on his head a sort of mitre with coils wrapped around it like a snake's, but with its peak jutting out. His face was leprous from forehead to chin, and so were both hands. His loins were bare and black as soot with a dull glow of fire as if from a hearth showing through. His ankles were like two vipers. The first devil on seeing him went down on his knees and worshipped him. I asked him why. 'He is the God,' he answered, 'of heaven and earth, and is omnipotent.' So I asked the other devil, 'What have you got to say to this?' 'What can I say?' he replied. 'I have all power over heaven and hell; the fate of all souls is in my hand.' 'How can he,' I asked again, 'who is emperor of emperors so humble himself, and how can you accept his worship?' 'He is none the less my servant,' he replied. 'What is an emperor in the sight of God? I hold in my right hand the thunderbolt of excommunication.'
[2] Then I said to him, 'How can you be so crazy? In the world you were only an ordinary clergyman; and because you laboured under the delusion that you had the keys, and so the power to bind and release, you let your spirit be so far carried away, that you have now reached such a pitch of madness as to make you believe that you are God Himself.'
He was annoyed at this and swore that he was, and that the Lord had no power in heaven, 'because,' he said, 'He has transferred it all to us. We need only issue orders, and heaven and hell respectfully obey us. If we send anyone to hell, the devils immediately accept him; and so do the angels when we send anyone to heaven.' 'How many,' I went on to ask, 'are there of you in your community?' 'Three hundred,' he said, 'and all of us are gods; but I am the god of gods.'
[3] After this the ground opened beneath the feet of both, and they sank deep down to their own hells. I was allowed to see that under their hells were prison workshops, for those who harm others to fall into. For everyone in hell is allowed to keep his delusion and to boast about it, but not to do anyone else harm. The reason why people there are like this is that a person is then in his spirit, and the spirit, when it has been separated from the body, enjoys complete freedom to act in accordance with its affections and the thoughts they give rise to.
[4] Later I was allowed to look into their hells. The hell, where emperors of emperors and kings of kings were, was full of all kinds of filth. They themselves looked like various wild beasts with glowering eyes. It was much the same in the other hell, where the gods and god of gods were. In that hell were to be seen the ill-omened night birds called ochim and iyim 1flying around them. Their delusions produced images like this to my sight. These experiences made it plain what the self-love of politicians and ecclesiastics is like. The latter want to be gods, the former emperors. In so far as the restraints placed on those loves are relaxed, they want this and strive to achieve this.
264. After this the earth opened again, but this time to my right, and I saw another devil rising up. On his head he had a kind of miter, wrapped around with what seemed like the coils of a snake, with its head sticking up from the peak. His face was leprous, from forehead to chin, and so were both his hands. His loins were bare and black as soot, with fire glowing darkly through the blackness, as though from a hearth. And the ankles of his feet looked like a pair of vipers.
Seeing him, the first devil fell on his knees and worshiped him. When I asked him why he did that, he said, "Because he is God of heaven and earth and is almighty."
So then I asked the second devil, "What do you say to that?"
He replied, "What can I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The fate of every soul is in my hand."
So I asked the same devil again, "How can he, who is emperor of emperors, submit himself in this way, and how can you accept his adoration?"
He answered, "He is still my servant. What is an emperor before God? I hold in my right hand the thunderbolt of excommunicating."
[2] At that point I then said to him, "How can you be so insane? In the world you were only an ordinary member of a religious order; but because you labored under the delusion that you, too, had the keys and thus the power of binding and loosing, 1you have incited your spirit to such a degree of madness that you now believe you are God Himself!"
Angered at this, he swore that he was God, and said that the Lord did not have any power in heaven - "because," he said, "He transferred it all to us. 2We have only to command, and heaven and hell reverently obey. If we send anyone to hell, the devils immediately accept him. The angels likewise accept anyone we send to heaven."
I inquired further, "How many of you are there in your society?"
"Three hundred," he said, "and we are all gods there, but I am god of gods."
[3] After that the earth opened under the feet of the two devils, and they sank down into the depths to their hells. And I was granted to see that beneath their hells were workhouses, into which those would fall who inflict injuries on others. For everyone in hell is permitted to keep his delusion and even his exulting in it, but he may not do harm to anyone else. (People in hell are the way they are because every person is then in his spirit, and after the spirit is separated from the body, it comes into full freedom to behave in accordance with its affections and consequent thoughts.)
[4] It was granted me next to look into the hells of the two devils, and the hell where the emperors of emperors and kings of kings were was full of every sort of filth. They themselves looked like various species of wild animals with fiercely savage eyes. I likewise looked into the other hell, where the gods and the god of gods were, and in that I saw frightful birds of the night flitting about them - birds which are called ochim 3and iyyim. 4That is how the fantasies of their delusion appeared to me.
It was apparent from this experience what a politically oriented love of self is like, and what a church-oriented love of self is like. The first is such that its possessors want to be emperors, while the second is such that its possessors want to be gods. Moreover, this is what they wish to be and also aspire to be to the extent these loves are given free rein.
Footnotes:
1. Based on Matthew 16:13-19, Roman Catholics claim for the Pope the keys of heaven and the power of "binding and loosing," giving him and his proper delegates (cf. Matthew 18:18) all authority over the church and even over heaven.
2. Based, again, on Matthew 16:18-19; 18:18.
3. A Hebrew word (Oyi'), appearing only once in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:21). It seems to refer to howling or screeching creatures, perhaps screech owls (cf. no. 233:7), but the actual identity is unknown. It may not be a precise term.
4. Another Hebrew word (Oyii), appearing only three times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:22, 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39). Again, the term seems to refer to howling or screeching creatures, perhaps bats (cf. no. 233:7), but the actual identity is unknown. It, too, may not be a precise term.
264. After this the earth opened again, but to my right, and I saw another devil rising up. On his head was what looked like a tiara wrapped in the coils of something like a serpent, whose head rose up from the top of it. His face was leprous from his forehead to his chin, and so were both hands. His waist was naked and black as soot, and something like a hearth fire dimly glowed through.
His ankles were like two vipers. The other devil saw him, and fell on his knees and adored him.
"What are you doing that for?" I asked.
"He is the God of heaven and earth," he answered, "and is omnipotent."
I asked the other one, "What do you say to that?"
He said, "What should I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The fate of all souls is in my hand."
I asked again, "How can someone who is emperor of emperors submit himself like this, and how can you receive his adoration?"
"He is my servant anyway," he said. "What is an emperor before God? In my right hand is the thunderbolt of excommunication."
So I said, "How can you be so insane? In the world you were a minor clergyman, and you labored under the fantasy that you also had the keys, with their power to bind and loose. So you raised your spirit to the height of insanity where you think now that you're God Himself."
This made him angry. He swore he was God and that "the Lord has no power in heaven, because He has transferred it all to us. We need only command, and heaven and hell reverently obey.
If we send anyone to hell, the devils immediately receive him. So do the angels if we send anyone to heaven."
I asked further, "How many are in your group?"
"Three hundred. And all of us are gods," he said, "but I am the god of gods."
Then the earth opened under their feet, and each sank down into his hell. I could see that there were workhouses under their hells, and the ones that harm others sink down into them. Everyone in hell can have his own fantasy and glory in it, but he is not allowed to harm anyone else.
They are the way they are down there, because they are in a spiritual state, and after the spirit separates from the body one gains full freedom to act according to his feelings and the thoughts that come from them.
Afterwards I had a look into their hells. The hell where the devils were "emperors of emperors and kings of kings" was full of filthiness. They looked like various wild beasts with ferocious eyes. Similarly in the other hell where they are gods and gods of gods. In this hell dreadful birds of night called ochim and ijim appeared flying around them. This is how the images of their fantasies looked to me.
These experiences showed me what political self - love and ecclesiastical self - love are like. One is the wish to be emperors, and the other is the wish to be gods. People do wish for this and try to attain it, so far as these loves go unchecked.
264. After this, the earth again opened but on the right; and I saw another devil rising up. On his head was, as it were, a miter twined about with coils as of a serpent, with its head rising up from the top. His face from forehead to chin was leprous, as were also his two hands. His loins were naked and black as soot, and through the blackness was the dusky glow of fire as of a hearth. The ankles of his feet were like two vipers.
Seeing him, the former devil fell upon his knees and adored him. "Why do you do that?" I asked. He answered, "He is the God of heaven and earth and is omnipotent."
I then asked the other, "What do you say to that?" He replied, "What can I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The lot of all souls is in my hand."
I asked further, "How can one who is the emperor of emperors thus submit himself, and you receive his adoration?" He answered "He is nevertheless my servant. What is an emperor before God? In my right hand is the thunderbolt of excommunication."
[2] I then said: "How can you be so insane? In the world you were only a canon; and because you labored under the fantasy that you also had the keys and hence the power of binding and loosing, you raised your spirit to such a degree of insanity that now you believe you are God himself."
Indignant at this, he swore that he was, and added, "The Lord has no power in heaven because He has transferred it all to us. We need only to command, and heaven and hell reverently obey. If we send any one to hell, the devils immediately receive him; so likewise do the angels him whom we send to heaven."
When asked, "How many are you in your society?" he said, "Three hundred; and there we are all gods, but I am the god of gods."
[3] After this, the earth opened under their feet and each sank down into his hell. It was then granted me to see that under their hells were workhouses into which those sink down who do harm to others; for it is left to every one in hell to remain in his own fantasy and also to boast therein, but he is not allowed to do evil to another. The reason why they are such is because man is then in his spirit, and when separated from the body, the spirit comes into the full liberty of acting according to its affections and the thoughts therefrom.
[4] After this it was granted me to look into their hells. The hell where they were emperors of emperors and kings of kings was full of all manner of uncleanness and they seemed like different kinds of wild beasts with fierce eyes. So likewise in the other hell where were the gods and the god of gods. Here, flying about them, were seen dreadful birds of night which are called ochim and ijim. 1Thus did the images of their fantasy appear to me.
From these experiences, the nature of the political love of self, and that of the ecclesiastical love of self became evident, namely, that the nature of the latter is to wish to be gods, and that of the former, to wish to be emperors; and men have this wish and aspiration so far as the reins to these loves are loosed.
Footnotes:
1. These are two Hebrew words occurring in the Prophets and signifying evil birds of night of some unknown kind.
264. After this the earth opened again, but this time at the right, and I saw another devil emerge. On his head was a tiara seemingly twined about with the coils of a snake with its head projecting at the top. His face from forehead to chin, and both hands, were leprous. His loins were naked and black as a soot through which the fire of a hearth is darkly gleaming; his ankles were like two vipers. Seeing him, the first devil knelt and worshiped him.
"Why do you do that?" I asked.
He replied, "He is God of heaven and earth and is omnipotent."
I asked the other, "What do you say to this?"
He replied, "What should I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The fate of all souls is in my hand."
I asked again, "How can this man who is 'emperor of emperors' abase himself so, and how can you receive his worship?"
He replied, "But he is my slave. What is an emperor before God? In my right hand is the thunderbolt of excommunication."
[2] I then said, "How can you be so insane? In the world you were only an ecclesiastic; but laboring under the delusion that you also had the keys and hence the power of binding and loosing, you brought your spirit to such a pitch of madness that now you believe you are God Himself."
Incensed at this, he swore that he was God and that the Lord had no power in heaven. "He has committed it all to us. We need only to command, and heaven and hell obey in awe. The devils immediately receive any one whom we send to hell, the angels any one whom we send to heaven." I asked further, "How many are there in your society?" He said, "Three hundred; and we are all gods there; but I am the god of gods."
[3] After this the earth opened under their feet and they sank far down, each into his hell. I was given to see that under their hells are workhouses into which those sink who inflict harm on others. Every devil in hell is left to his phantasy and boasting, but he must not hurt another.
Such are the inhabitants of these hells because man is then in his spirit, and with separation from the body the spirit comes into the full liberty of acting according to its affections and the thoughts thence.
[4] Afterwards it was granted me to look into their hells. The hell where were the "emperors of emperors" and "kings of kings," was full of every uncleanness; the people looked like various wild beasts with ferocious eyes. Similarly in the other hell where were the "gods" and "the god of gods." There, flying about the devils, appeared dreadful birds of night, called ochim and ijim. 1So the images of their phantasies appeared to me. From these experiences it was evident what the politician's and what the ecclesiastic's love of self are like - the one desires to be a god and the other an emperor; as far as rein is given to these loves, men so desire and strive to be.
Footnotes:
1. Swedenborg's transliterations of two Hebrew words; the former is found at Isaiah 13:21 and the other at Isaiah 13:22; 34:14, and Jeremiah 50:39. The creatures meant have not been identified with certainty by Bible students, but Swedenborg characterizes them as birds of night when he does so at all. At430 Swedenborg also alludes to tsiim (also unidentified), considering them birds, too (tsiim is found at Isaiah 13:21; 23:13; 34:14, Jeremiah 50:39, and Psalms 72:9, 74:14).
264. After this the earth opened again, but on the right, and I saw another devil rising up, upon whose head was as it were a tiara twined about with the coils, as of a serpent, whose head rose up from the top of it. His face was leprous from the forehead to the chin, and both hands also. His loins were naked and black as soot, through which fire gleamed darkly as of a hearth; and the ankles of his feet were like two vipers Seeing him the former devil fell upon his knees and adored him.
'Why do you do that?' I asked.
He answered, 'He is the God of heaven and earth, and is omnipotent.'
And then I asked the other, 'What do you say to that?'
He replied, 'What should I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The lot of all souls is in my hand.' I asked again:
'How can he who is emperor of emperors thus submit himself, and you receive his adoration?' He answered:
'He is nevertheless my servant. What is an emperor before God? In my right hand is the thunderbolt of excommunication.' I then said, 'How can you be so insane? In the world you were only a canon; and because you labored under the fantasy that you also had the keys, and thence the power of binding and loosing, you raised your spirit up to such a height of insanity that now you believe you are God Himself.'
Angry at this, he swore that he was, and that the Lord has no power in heaven, 'Because He has transferred it all to us. We need only command, and heaven and hell reverently obey. If we send anyone to hell the devils immediately receive him; and so do the angels anyone whom we send to heaven.' I asked further, 'How many are you in your society?' He said, 'Three hundred; and we all there are gods; but I am the god of gods.'
After this the earth opened under their feet and each sank down into his hell. And it was given me to see that there were workhouses under their hells into which those that do harm to others sink down; for his own fantasy is permitted to everyone in hell, and also to glory in it, but he is not allowed to do harm to another.
Those who are there are such because man is then in his spirit, and the spirit after it is separated from the body comes into the full liberty of acting according to his affections and his thoughts thence.
Afterwards it was granted me to look into their hells. The hell where they were emperors of emperors and kings of kings was full of all uncleanness, and they appeared as various wild beasts with ferocious eyes. And so likewise in the other hell where they are gods and god of gods. In this hell dreadful birds of night also appeared flying about them which are called ochim and ijim. Thus did the images of their fantasies appear to me. From these experiences it was made evident what is the nature of the political love of self, and of the ecclesiastical love of self, that the one is to wish to be gods, and the other to wish to be emperors; and that men do thus wish, and strive to attain it, in so far as the reins are given to these loves.
264. Post haec iterum aperuit se terra, sed ad dextrum, et vidi exsurgentem alium Diabolum, super cujus capite erat sicut cidaris, circumvoluta spiris tanquam colubri, cujus caput e vertice eminuit; facies ei erat leprosa a fronte ad mentum, et quoque utraque manus; lumbi erant nudi et atri sicut fuligo, per quam ignis sicut foci furve transparuit, et tali pedum sicut duae viperae: prior Diabolus hoc viso conjecit se super genua, et adoravit illum; quaesivi, cur ita; dixit, "est ille deus coeli et terrae, estque omnipotens;" et tunc quaesivi hunc, "quid tu dicis ad hoc;" respondit, "quid dicam; est mihi omnis potestas super Coelum et Infernum; sors omnium animarum est in mea manu;" et quaesivi iterum, "quomodo potest ille, qui est imperator imperatorum, ita se submittere, et tu adorationem recipere;" respondit, "est usque meus servus; quid imperator coram Deo; est in dextra mea fulmen excommunicandi:"
[2] et tunc dixi illi, "quomodo potes ita insanire; fueras in Mundo solum Canonicus; et quia phantasia laborasti, quod tibi etiam fuerunt claves, ac inde potestas ligandi et solvendi, spiritum tuum in hunc gradum vesaniae evexeras, ut nunc credas, quod sis ipse Deus:" ad haec indignatus juravit quod sit, et quod Domino non sit aliqua potestas in Coelo, "quia omnem transtulerat in nos; non opus habemus, quam ut mandemus, ac Coelum et Infernum reverenter obediunt; si mittimus aliquem in infernum, diaboli statim recipiunt illum, similiter Angeli illum, quem mittimus in Coelum." Quaesivi porro, "quot estis in Societate vestra;" dixit, "trecenti, et omnes ibi sumus dii; ego autem deus deorum."
[3] Post haec aperuit se terra sub pedibus utriusque, et subsiderunt profunde in sua inferna; et datum est videre, quod sub Infernis illorum essent ergastula, in quae deciderent illi, qui damna aliis inferunt; cuivis enim in Inferno relinquitur sua phantasia, et quoque gloriatio in illa, sed non licet malum facere alteri: quod tales sint ibi, est quia homo tunc est in suo spiritu, ac spiritus, postquam separatus est a corpore, venit in plenam libertatem agendi secundum ejus affectiones et inde cogitationes.
[4] Postea datum est inspicere in illorum inferna; ac Infernum, ubi erant imperatores imperatorum ac reges regum, erat plenum omni immunditie, ac illi visi sunt sicut variae ferae truculentis oculis: similiter in altero inferno, ubi erant dii et deus deorum, et in hoc apparuerunt dirae aves noctis, quae vocantur ochim et Ijim, volantes circum illos; imagines phantasiae illorum ita mihi visae sunt. Ex his patuit, qualis est Amor sui Politicus, et qualis est Amor sui Ecclesiasticus, quod hic sit ut velint esse dii, ille autem ut velint esse imperatores; et quod ita velint, et quoque affectent, quantum fraena amoribus istis relaxantur.