10、⑵先前天地的居民是谁，是什么样。这一点在《最后的审判》一书（68-71节）有所描述，但我需要在此详细说一说，因为要理解下文就必须知道他们是谁，是什么样。所有聚集在天堂之下，并在各个地方为自己造假天堂（他们将这些假天堂称为真“天堂”）的人都与最低层天堂的天使联结，但只是外在上的联结，不是内在上的联结。他们当中大多数人是马太福音（25:41-46）中所提到的山羊，或属该山羊家族。事实上，这些人在世时并未作恶，因为他们过着良善的道德生活，但他们没有为了良善而行善事；事实上，他们将信与仁分离，从而没有视恶行为罪。这些人因表面上活得像基督徒，所以与最低层天堂的天使联结；不过，他们只是外在上类似这些天使，内在却不像，因为这些天使是绵羊，拥有信，但这信是仁之信。由于这种联结，他们，就是山羊，不得不被容忍，因为在最后审判之前把他们分开会伤害那些在最低层天堂的人；事实上，他们会把其他人一起拖入毁灭。这就是主在马太福音中所预言的：
耶稣设了个比喻。天国好像人撒好种在田里，及至人睡觉的时候，他的仇敌来撒上稗子就走了。到长苗吐穗的时候，稗子也显出来。家主的仆人来对他说，主人，你不是撒好种在田里吗？你要我们去薅出来吗？主人说，不必，恐怕薅稗子，连麦子的根也一同拔出来。容这两样一齐长，等着收割。当收割的时候，我要对收割的人说，先将稗子薅出来，捆成捆，好烧掉；惟有麦子要收在仓里。那撒好种的就是人子，田地就是世界；种子就是天国之子，稗子就是那恶者之子；收割的时候就是这时代的末了。将稗子薅出来用火焚烧，这时代的末了也要如此。（马太福音13:24-30, 37-40）
“时代的末了”是指教会的末期；“稗子”是指那些内心邪恶的人；“麦子”是指那些内心良善的人；“薅出来，捆成捆，好烧掉”是指对他们的最后审判；“恐怕薅稗子，连麦子的根也一同拔出来”表示恐怕在最后审判之前把他们分开会对善人造成伤害，所以“容这两样一齐长，等着收割”。
10. 2. Who the people of the first heaven and the first earth were and what they were like. This has also been described in the booklet Last Judgment [68–71], but since understanding what follows depends on a recognition of who they were and what they were like, I need to say more about them now.
All those people who gathered below heaven and made pseudo-heavens for themselves in various places (which they actually called “heavens”) were closely connected with angels of the lowest heaven. The connection, though, involved only outward matters, not inward ones. Many were “the goats” mentioned in Matthew 25:41–46 or members of their family. They were people who had not done evil things in the world and who had lived good moral lives, but who had not done what was good for good reasons; they had in fact separated faith from caring and had therefore not regarded evil deeds as sins. Since they had lived like Christians outwardly, they were closely connected with the angels of the lowest heaven, who resembled them outwardly, although not inwardly. These angels were in fact the sheep [mentioned in Matthew 25:31–40]. They were people of faith too, but in their case their faith was the result of their caring.
Because of this close connection, there was no way to avoid making allowances for the goats, since separating them before the Last Judgment would have been harmful to the people in the lowest heaven. These people would actually have been dragged down with the others into destruction. This is what the Lord foretold in Matthew:
Jesus spoke a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept, an enemy of his came and sowed tares and went away. When the grain had sprouted and bore fruit, the tares also appeared. The servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Lord, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Do you want us to go and gather in the tares?’ But he said, ‘No, because while gathering in the tares, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the tares and bind them in bundles for burning; then gather the wheat into the barn.”’ The one who sowed good seed is the Son of Humanity; the field is the world; the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the tares are the children of the evil one; the harvest is the close of the age. As the tares are gathered and burned, so it will be at the close of the age.” (Matthew 13:24–30, 37–40)
The close of the age is the last time of the church; the tares are people who are inwardly evil; the wheat is people who are inwardly good; binding the former in bundles for burning is the Last Judgment on them; “because while gathering in the tares, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow until the harvest” means that by separating them before the Last Judgment harm might have been done to good people.
10. (ii) Who the inhabitants of the former heaven and earth were and what they were like. This was described in the book ON THE LAST JUDGMENT, but some further remarks will be made here, because to understand what follows it must be recognised who and what they were. All those who had made themselves into groups below heaven, and in various places had made something like heavens for themselves, were linked with the angels of the lowest heaven, but only in externals, not also in internals. Most of them were goats and of that family, as described in Matthew (Matthew 25:41-46). These had in fact not done evil deeds in the world, for they had lived morally good lives, but they had not done good deeds coming from good, because they separated faith from charity and consequently had regarded evil actions as no sins. Since these had lived externally as Christians, they were linked with angels of the lowest heaven, who resembled them in externals but not in internals; these are the sheep and have faith, but it is the faith of charity. On account of this linkage the former group had to be tolerated, for separating them before the Last Judgment would have damaged those in the lowest heaven, since they would have dragged them with them to ruin. This is what the Lord predicted in Matthew:
Jesus told a parable. The kingdom of the heavens is like a an sowing good seed in his field; but while people were asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds, and went away. When the stalk sprouted and formed a crop, then the weeds appeared also. The servants of the head of the household came to him and said, Master, was it not good seed you sowed in your field? Do you want us then to go and gather [the weeds]? But he said, No, for fear that in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat together with them. So let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I shall say to the reapers, Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but gather the wheat into the barn. He who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the seed is the children of the kingdom, the weeds are the children of evil; the harvest is the ending of the age. As therefore the weeds are gathered and burnt, so shall it be at the ending of the age. Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40.
The ending of the age is the final period of the church; the weeds are those who are inwardly wicked, the wheat those who are inwardly good. Their being gathered into bundles for burning is the Last Judgment on them; and for fear that by gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them means for fear that by separating them before the Last Judgment damage is done to the good.
10. II. Who, and of what quality were those who were in "the former heaven," and "the former earth," was described in the small work on The Last Judgment ; but because the understanding of what follows depends on the knowledge of who they were and their quality, something shall here be said concerning them. All those who gathered themselves together under heaven, and in various places formed seeming heavens for themselves, and also called them heavens, were conjoined with the angels of the lowest heaven, but only as to externals, not as to internals. For the most part they were the goats and those akin to them, who are named in Matthew 25:41-46; who indeed, in the world had not done evils, for they had lived well morally; but they had not done goods from a good origin, for they had separated faith from charity, and hence had not regarded evils as sins. Because they had lived as Christians in externals, they were conjoined with the angels of the lowest heaven, who were like them in externals, but not like them in internals; they being "the sheep," and in faith, yet in the faith of charity. On account of this conjunction they were necessarily tolerated; for to separate them, before the Last Judgment, would have brought injury upon those who were in the lowest heaven, who would have been drawn into destruction with them. This is what the Lord foretold in Matthew:
Jesus spoke a parable; the kingdom of the heaven is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares, and went away; when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also; so the servants of the householder coming, said unto him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up at the same time the wheat with them: let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. He who hath sown the good seed, is the Son of man; the field is the world; the seed are the sons of the kingdom; the tares are the sons of evil; the harvest is the consummation of the age; as therefore the tares are gathered together, and burned, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40).
"The consummation of the age" is the last time of the church; "the tares" are those who are interiorly evil; "the wheat" are those who are interiorly good; "the gathering together in bundles to burn," is the Last Judgment upon them; that harm should not be done to the good by separation before the Last Judgment, is signified by "lest in gathering up the tares, ye root up at the same time the wheat with them: let both grow until the harvest."
10. (ii.) Quinam et quales fuerunt illi qui in priori caelo et in priore terra, descriptum est in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio; sed quia ex cognitione, quinam et quales fuerunt, pendet intellectus sequentium, de illis etiam hic dicetur. Omnes illi, qui se congregaverunt sub caelo, et in variis locis sibi tanquam caelos formaverunt, quos etiam caelos vocaverunt, fuerunt conjuncti cum angelis ultimi caeli, sed solum quoad externa, non autem quoad interna: plerique fuerunt hirci et ex eorum familia, de quibus apud Matthaeum (cap. 25:41-46); qui quidem in mundo non fecerunt mala, moraliter enim bene vixerunt, sed non fecerunt bona ex origine boni, separaverunt enim fidem a charitate, et inde mala non ut peccata aspexerunt. Hi quia in externis ut Christiani vixerunt, conjuncti fuerunt angelis ultimi caeli, qui similes illis in externis sunt, sed non similes in internis, sunt enim "oves," et in fide, sed in fide charitatis. Propter illam conjunctionem non potuerunt non tolerari; nam separare illos ante ultimum judicium, fuisset damnum inferre illis qui in ultimo caelo erant, traherentur enim hi cum illis in perniciem. Hoc est quod Dominus praedixit apud Matthaeum:
Jesus dixit parabolam: "Simile est regnum caelorum homini seminanti bonum semen in agro suo: sed dum dormiverunt homines, venit ejus inimicus, et seminavit zizania et abivit: cum... germinavit herba, et fructum fecit, tunc apparuerunt etiam zizania. Accedentes autem servi patrisfamilias, et dixerunt illi, Domine, nonne bonum semen seminasti in agro tuo?... Visne ergo abeuntes colligamus illa? Ipse vero dixit, Non, ne forte colligentes zizania, eradicetis simul cum illis triticum; sinite una crescere utraque usque ad messem; et tempore messis dicam messoribus, Colligite prius zizania, et colligate ea in fasciculos ad comburendum ea; triticum vero congregate in horreum. ...Qui seminavit bonum semen est Filius hominis; ager... est mundus;... semen sunt filii regni; zizania... sunt filii mali;... messis est consummatio saeculi:... quemadmodum ergo colliguntur zizania, et... comburuntur, sic erit in consummatione saeculi" (13:24-30, 37-40):
"consummatio saeculi" est ultimum tempus ecclesiae; "zizania" sunt qui interius mali sunt; "triticum" sunt qui interius boni sunt; "collectio illorum in fasciculos ad comburendum," est ultimum judicium super illos; ne per separationem ante ultimum Judicium damnum inferatur bonis, intelligitur per "ne colligendo zizania eradicetis simul cum illis triticum, sinite utraque crescere usque ad messem."