185、获知这一事实的最好方法就是了解人死后在灵界的状态。在那里，在那些曾在物质界变得强大富有，但在其强大富有中只关注自己的人当中，大多数人一开始谈论神和圣治，就好像他们从心里承认它们。但那时，他们因清楚看见圣治，并从中看到自己的最终命运，也就是说，他们要下入地狱，于是就联合那里的魔鬼，然后不仅否认神，还亵渎神，最后陷入如此疯狂，以至于承认更强大的魔鬼为他们的诸神；他们最强烈的渴望就是也成为诸神自己。
185. The reality of this cannot be better known than from the experience of people after death in the spiritual world. People there who in the natural world had become great or wealthy, and in their positions of honor and likewise in their riches had regard only for themselves - most of the these in the beginning speak of God and Divine providence as though they had acknowledged them at heart. But because they clearly see Divine providence then, and from it their final lot, which is for them to go into hell, they ally themselves with devils there and after that not only deny God but also blaspheme Him. And they are subsequently overcome with such madness that they acknowledge the more powerful of the devils as their gods, and aspire to nothing more ardently than to become also gods themselves.
185. There is no better way to learn the truth of this than from people in the spiritual world after death. Many of them who had become powerful and wealthy in the physical world but had focused solely on themselves in their power and their wealth talk about God and divine providence at first as though they had sincerely believed in them. However, since they come to see divine providence clearly and therefore see their eventual lot, which is that they are headed for hell, they make common cause with demons there and then not only deny God but even blaspheme. They lose touch with reality so completely that they recognize the more powerful of these demons as their gods; and their most burning passion is to become gods themselves as well.
185. That this is so cannot be better known than from the case of men after death, in the spiritual world. Most of those there who became great and wealthy in the natural world, and who in their honours and wealth regarded themselves alone, at first speak of God and of the Divine Providence as if they had acknowledged them in their hearts. But as they now see clearly the Divine Providence, and from it their final lot, which is that they are to come into hell, they join the devils there, and then not only deny but also blaspheme God; finally reaching such a state of madness that they acknowledge the more powerful of the devils as their gods, and desire nothing more ardently than that they also should themselves become gods.
185. The truth of this cannot be better learned than from the states of men after death in the spiritual world. Most of those there who have become great and rich in the natural world, and in their honors and riches have regarded themselves only, at first talk about God and the Divine providence as if they had acknowledged them in heart. But because they then clearly see the Divine providence, and from it their final lot, which is that they are to come into hell, they join themselves with the devils there, and then not only deny but also blaspheme God; and at last they fall into such madness as to acknowledge the more powerful of the devils as their gods, and desire nothing more ardently than to become gods themselves also.
185. Quod ita sit, non melius sciri potest quam ex hominibus post mortem in Mundo spirituali; ibi plerique qui in Mundo naturali magni ac opulenti facti sunt, et in honoribus spectaverunt ad se solos, similiter in divitiis, illi in principio loquuntur de Deo, et de Divina Providentia, sicut corde agnovissent: sed quia tunc manifeste vident Divinam Providentiam, et ex illa ultimam suam sortem, quae est quod in infernum venturi sint, conjungunt se cum diabolis ibi, et tunc non modo Deum negant, sed etiam blasphemant; et deinde in id delirium veniunt, ut agnoscant potentiores ex diabolis pro suis diis, et nihil ardentius affectent, quam ut ipsi quoque dii fiant.