18、凡外在活得像基督徒，却无视基督徒的生活之人，都是外在与天堂联结，内在与地狱联结。由于他们与天堂的联结不能突然切断，所以他们留在天堂与地狱中间的灵人界，在那里被允许形成各种社群，像在世时那样一起生活。他们还被允许利用世人所不知的技巧在那里制造各种壮丽的表象，从而说服自己和其他人相信他们就在天堂；因此，基于这些表象，他们称其社群为“天堂”。过去的“先前的天”和“先前的地”（启示录21:1）就是指他们所住的天和地。
18. All the people who had lived like Christians outwardly and yet saw no intrinsic value in living a Christian life made common cause with the heavens outwardly but with the hells inwardly. Since their connection with heaven could not be abruptly cut off, they were kept in the world of spirits, which is halfway between heaven and hell, and were allowed to form communities there and to live together just as they had in this world. They were also allowed to use arts unknown in our world to make everything look wonderful there and so to convince themselves and others that they were indeed in heaven; so on the basis of these appearances they called their communities “heavens.” These “heavens” and “earths” where they lived are the ones meant in Revelation 21:1 by the first heaven and the first earth that passed away.
18. All who externally lived as Christians while paying no heed to Christian conduct were outwardly united with the heavens, but inwardly with the hells. Since their link with heaven prevented them from being instantly uprooted, they were kept in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell. They were allowed to form communities and live together as in the world; and by skills unknown in the world to create magnificent surroundings, so that they persuaded themselves and others that they were in heaven. So they called their communities heavens because they looked outwardly like them. The heavens and lands on which they lived are what is meant by the former heaven and the former earth which passed away (Revelation 21:1).
18. All who lived like Christians in externals, and made no account of the Christian life, made one exteriorly with the heavens, but interiorly with the hells, and since they could not be torn away in a moment from their conjunction with heaven, they were detained in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and it was permitted them to form societies, and to live together as in the world; and there by arts unknown to the world, to cause splendid appearances, and by this means to persuade themselves and others, that they were in heaven; therefore, from that external appearance they called their societies heavens. The heavens and the earths upon which they dwelt, are meant by "the former heaven, and the former earth which passed away" (Apocalypse 21:1).
18. Omnes qui in externis vixerunt sicut Christiani, et nihili fecerunt Christianam vitam, exterius unum fecerunt cum caelis, sed interius cum infernis; et quia a conjunctione illorum cum caelo non potuerunt momento evelli, detenti sunt in mundo spirituum, qui medius est inter caelum et infernum; et permissum est illis societates formare, et una vivere sicut in mundo; et ibi per artes in mundo ignotas sistere splendida, et per id persuadere sibi et aliis, quod in caelo essent: quare ex apparentia illa externa societates suas vocaverunt caelos. Illi caeli et illae terrae super quibus habitabant, sunt quae intelliguntur per "caelum prius et terram priorem," quae transierunt (Apocalypsis 21:1).