123、天堂里的人不仅能与来自这个太阳系星球的天使和灵人对话和交谈，还能与来自这个太阳系之外的其它宇宙星球的天使和灵人对话和交谈；而且，既能与那里的灵人并天使交谈，也能与居民本身交谈，不过，只能与那些内层打开的居民交谈；因此，这些居民能听到诸如天上来的那些话。人活在世上就能做到这一点，只要主允许他与灵人并天使交谈。因为就其内层而言，人就是一个灵。他在世时四处携带的肉体只是为了在这个终极气场，就是属世或尘世气场发挥功能而服务于他。不过，没有人被允许作为一个灵与灵人并天使交谈，除非他在信与爱方面能与天使相联；这种联系是不可能的，除非他拥有对主的信与爱。人正是凭对主的信与爱，也就是凭出自祂的教义真理和生活良善而与主联结。他只有被如此联结，才能免受地狱恶灵的攻击。其他人的内层则没有被打开到这种程度，因为他们不在主里面。这就是为何如今很少有人蒙允许与天使对话和交谈的原因。另一个明显证据是以下事实：如今几乎没有人相信灵人和天使的存在，更没有人相信他们与每个人同在，人通过他们与天堂相联，通过天堂与主相联。人们尤其不相信当人的肉体死亡后，他的灵继续活着，并且具有和以前一样的人形。
123. Extrasolar Planets
People in heaven are able to speak and converse not only with angels and spirits from the planets in our solar system but also with those who come from planets in the universe outside that system. They can communicate not only with the spirits and angels from these [extrasolar] planets, but also with the inhabitants themselves, though only with those whose inner reaches are opened so that they can hear people speaking from heaven.
We too can do the same while we are living in this world if the Lord allows us to talk with spirits and angels, since we ourselves are spirits as far as our inner selves are concerned. The bodies we carry around in this world simply enable us to function in this earthly or terrestrial realm, which is the outermost one. To communicate with spirits and angels as spirits ourselves, though, is allowed us only if our character is such that we can be in angelic company with respect to our faith and love; and we cannot be in that company unless our faith and love are focused on the Lord. 1This is because we are joined [to the Lord] through faith in him and love for him-that is, through truths we have been taught and good actions we have done that originate in him; and when we have been joined to him, we are safe from any assault of the evil spirits who come from hell. Other people’s inner reaches cannot be opened that far because they are not in the Lord.
This is why there are not many people nowadays who are given the privilege of talking and interacting with angels. One clear sign of this is the fact that hardly any believe that spirits and angels even exist, let alone that they are with every one of us and that through them we have a connection with heaven and through heaven with the Lord. Still less do people believe that when our body dies we live on as spirits, and in just as human a form as before.
Footnotes:
1. For more on interaction with angels or spirits, including passages in which Swedenborg describes the dangers and deceptions that can arise from it, see Other Planets 71; Secrets of Heaven 69, 1634-1640; Heaven and Hell 246-257; Spiritual Experiences (= Swedenborg 1998-2013) 1587, 2686-2687, 5151. [LSW]
123. IX. THE WORLDS IN THE STARRY SKY
Those in heaven are able to speak and associate with angels and spirits coming not only from the worlds of this solar system, but also from worlds in space beyond the solar system. This is true not only of their spirits and angels, but also of their actual inhabitants; but only with those whose interiors are open, so that they can hear those speaking from heaven. A person can do the same while living in the world, if the Lord permits him to speak with spirits and angels. For man is, in respect of his interiors, a spirit. The body he carries round with him in the world is only to enable him to function in this ultimate sphere, the natural or earthly one.
But no one is allowed to talk with spirits and angels as if he were a spirit himself, unless he is, as regards faith and love, capable of associating with angels. Nor is this association possible, unless his faith and love are directed to the Lord. For it is by means of faith and love to Him, that is, by the truths of teaching and a life of good actions coming from Him, that man is linked to Him. When he is so linked, he is safe from the assaults of wicked spirits from hell. Others cannot have their interiors opened to such an extent, since they are not in the Lord. This is why there are few to-day allowed to talk and converse with angels. An obvious proof of this is the fact that to-day there is hardly any belief in the existence of spirits and angels, let alone their presence with every person, and that these put a person in touch with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord. Even less do people believe that when a person's body dies, his spirit lives on and in human form as before death.
123. THE EARTHS IN THE STARRY HEAVEN.
They who are in heaven can speak and converse with angels and spirits who are not only from the earths in this solar system, but also with those who are from other earths in the universe out of this system; and not only with the spirits and angels there, but also with the inhabitants themselves, but only with those whose interiors are open, so that they can hear such as speak from heaven. The same is the case with man during his abode in the world, to whom it has been granted by the Lord to speak with spirits and angels. For man is a spirit as to his interiors, the body which he carries about in the world only serving him for performing functions in this natural or terrestrial sphere, which is the ultimate. But it is granted to no one to speak as a spirit with angels and spirits, unless he be such that he can consociate with angels as to faith and love; nor can he so consociate, unless he have faith and love to the Lord; for man is joined to the Lord by faith and love to Him, that is, by truths of doctrine and goods of life from Him; and when he is conjoined to the Lord, he is secure from the assaults of evil spirits from hell. With others the interiors cannot be so far opened, since they are not in the Lord. This is the reason why there are few at this day to whom it is granted to speak and converse with angels; a manifest proof whereof is, that the existence of spirits and angels is scarcely believed at this day, much less that they are with every man, and that by them man has connection with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord. Still less is it believed that man, when he dies as to the body, lives a spirit, even in a human form as before.
123. DE TELLURIBUS IN COELO ASTRIFERO
Qui in Coelo sunt, illi loqui et conversari possunt cum Angelis et Spiritibus, qui non solum ex Telluribus in solari hoc Mundo sunt, sed etiam cum illis qui ex Telluribus extra hunc Mundum in Universo; nec modo cum Spiritibus et Angelis ibi, sed etiam cum ipsis incolis, sed modo cum illis quibus interiora aperta sunt, ut possint audire loquentes e coelo: similiter potest homo cum vivit in mundo, cui datum est a Domino loqui cum Spiritibus et Angelis; nam homo est spiritus quoad interiora sua; corpus, quod in mundo circumfert, modo inservit ei pro functionibus in naturali seu terrestri hac sphaera, quae est ultima. Sed cum angelis et spiritibus nulli datur sicut spiritus loqui, nisi talis sit, ut consociari possit angelis quoad fidem et amorem; nec consociari potest, nisi fides et amor sint in Dominum, nam homo per fidem et amorem in Ipsum, hoc est, per vera doctrinae, et per bona vitae ab Ipso, conjungitur; et cum conjunctus est, tutus est ab insultu malorum spirituum qui ab inferno: apud alios interiora usque adeo aperiri nequeunt, quoniam non in Domino sunt. Haec causa est, quod pauci sint hodie, quibus datur loqui et conversari cum Angelis; cujus rei manifestum indicium est, quod vix credatur hodie quod spiritus et angeli sint, minus quod sint apud unumquemque hominem; et quod per illos nexus sit homini cum coelo, et per coelum cum Domino; et quod adhuc minus credatur, quod homo, cum quoad corpus moritur, vivat spiritus, etiam in humana forma sicut prius.