162、当作过牧师和传教士的那个灵人与那些穿衣服的人在一起时，只见有一个女人有一张极为漂亮的脸蛋，穿着也很简单，一件外衣优雅地披在身后，并且拉到胳膊以上。她头戴花环形状的漂亮头饰。这个灵人一看见这个少女就非常欢喜，开始与她搭讪，还拉着她的手。但少女发觉他是一个灵人，并且不是来自她的星球，于是便挣脱了他，匆忙离开了。后来，他又看见右边有许多女人；她们在照料绵羊和羔羊，当时正把羊赶到水槽，水槽里的水是从湖里通过一个小水沟流过来的。她们穿着相似的衣服，手拿牧杖，用来赶绵羊和羔羊喝水。她们说，绵羊要顺着她们的牧杖所指的方向走。只见这些绵羊个头都很大，毛茸茸的尾巴又大又长。走近看时，只见女人们的脸既丰满又漂亮。我还看到了男人，他们的脸也是人肉色，和我们地球人一样。不同之处在于，脸的下面部分没有胡须，而是发黑。他们的鼻子更像是雪白，而不是肉色。
后来，前面提到的那个在世时作过传教士的灵人被引领继续朝前走，但他不情愿，因为他还在思想他所喜欢的那个女人。这一点从以下事实明显看出来：他的影子仍出现在原来的地方。然后，他到了赤身露体的人那里。这些人看上去成双成对结伴而行，都是一夫一妻。他们腰系缠腰布，头上裹着一种头巾。当与他们在一起时，这个灵人被带入在世时想要传道所在的状态。于是，他说，他想向他们传讲主的十字架受难。但他们说，他们不想听这种故事，因为不知道是什么意思。但他们知道主是活着的。于是，他又声称他想传讲主是活着的。但他们还是不肯听，说，他们从他的话里觉察到某种并非天上的事物。因为他的话大部分关注他自己，他的名声和荣耀。事实上，他们能从他说话的语气听出这话是否发自内心，因为他具有这样的性质，他不能教导他们。对此，他沉默了。他在世时是最能言善辩的演讲者，十分擅长把听众引向神圣思维。但这种能力只是他所习得的一种技能，因而是某种来自他自己和世界，而非天堂的事物。
162. When the spirit who had been a church leader and preacher was with the kind of people that wore clothes, a woman appeared who had a very pretty face, dressed in a simple garment with an outer layer draped becomingly across her back and over her arms. She had a beautiful head covering in the form of a garland of flowers. The spirit was entranced at seeing this young woman, and spoke to her and even took hold of her hand; but since she noticed that he was a spirit and not someone from her own planet, she abruptly pulled herself away from him.
After that he saw several other women to his right who were shepherding sheep and lambs. They were leading them to a watering trough that was supplied with water through a small channel from a lake. They were similarly dressed and had in their hands shepherds’ crooks, with which they were leading the sheep and lambs to drink. They said that the sheep will go wherever they point with their crooks. The sheep we saw were large, with broad, long, woolly tails. We saw the women’s faces nearer at hand; they had beautiful features.
We also saw some men. Their faces were the same color as the skin of people [in Europe] on our planet, but with the difference that the lower part of their faces was black rather than bearded and their noses were more snow-white than flesh-toned.
[2] The spirit-who, as already noted, had been a preacher in the world-was then taken to the next location, but unwillingly, because he was still thinking intently about the woman he had found so delightful. This was obvious because there was still a kind of visible shadow of him in the place where he had been.
He was brought next to the kind of people who were naked. He saw them walking in pairs, husband and wife, wearing loincloths and a kind of covering on their heads. Once the spirit reached them he was brought into the state he had experienced in the world when he felt the urge to preach. He said that he wanted to preach the Lord crucified to them. 1They, though, said that they did not want to hear anything like that, because they do not know what that means, but they do know that the Lord is alive. So then he said that he wanted to preach the living Lord to them, but this offer too they rejected, saying that they perceived something in his speech that was not heavenly, because he was motivated to do so mainly for his own sake and for the sake of his status and reputation; and they could tell from the tone of his voice whether he was speaking from the heart or not. Since he was that kind of person, they said, he could not teach them anything; so he kept silent. During his life in the world he had been an emotionally powerful preacher, so much so that he could move his listeners to a deep state of holiness. This effectiveness was acquired by artistry, though, and therefore came from himself and the world, not from heaven.
Footnotes:
1. This is an allusion to 1 Corinthians 1:22-24: “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (New Revised Standard Version). See also 1 Corinthians 2:2: “For I have decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (New Revised Standard Version). [LSW]
162. When the spirit who had been a prelate and preacher was in the company of those who wore clothes, a woman was seen with an extremely pretty face; she was dressed in a simple garment, a tunic which hung down becomingly at the back and was put on over the arms. She wore a beautiful head-covering in the form of a garland of flowers. The spirit was very much delighted at the sight of this young lady, and he started talking to her and taking hold of her hand. But she, realising he was a spirit and not from her world, tore herself away from him.
Afterwards a number of other women were seen by him on his right; they were tending sheep and lambs, which they were then taking to a drinking-trough, fed through a small channel from a lake. They were similarly dressed, holding shepherds' crooks in their hands, with which they brought the sheep and lambs to drink. They said the sheep follow the direction pointed out with their crooks. The sheep seen were large with long, broad and woolly tails. The women's faces seen close up were full and lovely. Men were also seen with faces the colour of human flesh, as in our world. But there was a difference; the lower part of their faces was black instead of bearded, and their noses had a whiter colour than flesh.
[2] Afterwards the spirit, who in the world, as I said before, had been a preacher, was taken further on, but against his will, because he was still thinking about the woman who had so delighted him. This was plain from the fact that a kind of shadow of him was still to be seen where he had previously been. He then reached the people who were naked. These were to be seen walking about in pairs, being in each case husband and wife. They wore a loin-cloth, and some kind of covering around the head. While in their company the spirit was brought into the state he had been in when he wanted to preach; so he then said that he wanted to preach to them on the Lord crucified. But they said they did not wish to hear such a story, not knowing what it was. They knew, they said, that the Lord is alive. So then he declared that he would preach on the Lord living. But this too they refused to hear, saying that they felt something in his speech that was not heavenly, because there was much in it for his own sake or for the sake of his reputation and honour. They could tell by listening to the sound of his speech whether it came from the heart or not; and being of such a nature he could not teach them. So he fell silent. When living in the world he had been a most eloquent speaker, very skilled in moving his listeners to holy thoughts. But this eloquence had been a skill he learned, so something of his own and from the world, not from heaven.
162. When the spirit who had been a primate and a preacher was with those who were clothed, there appeared a woman of a very beautiful face, dressed in a simple garment, with a tunic that hung gracefully behind her and was brought up over the arms. She had a beautiful headdress, in the form of a chaplet of flowers. That spirit was greatly delighted at the sight of this virgin, and spoke with her, and also took her hand. But as she perceived that he was a spirit, and not of that earth, she hurried away from him. There afterward appeared to him on the right many other women, who were tending sheep and lambs, which they were then leading to a watering trough that was supplied with water by a small ditch from a lake. They were similarly clothed, and held shepherds' crooks in their hands, by which they guided the sheep and lambs to drink. They said that the sheep went in the way to which they pointed with their crooks. The sheep seen were large, with woolly tails, both broad and long. The faces of the women when seen nearer were full and beautiful. The men were also seen, and their faces were of the color of human flesh, as on our earth; but with the difference, that the lower part of the face, in place of a beard, was black, and the nose more the color of snow than of flesh. Afterward the spirit above mentioned, who had been a preacher in the world, was led on further, but unwillingly, because his thought was still on that woman with whom he was delighted, as was made manifest by somewhat of a shadow from him still appearing in the former place. He then came to those who were naked, and who were seen walking together two and two, being husband and wife, girded with a covering about the loins and a certain covering upon the head. That spirit when with them was led into that state in which he was in the world when he wished to preach, and said that he would preach to them the Lord crucified. But they said that they were not willing to hear any such thing, because they did not know what this meant, but they knew that the Lord lives. He then declared that he wished to preach the Lord living. But this also they refused to hear, saying that they perceived in his speech something not heavenly, because it had much regard to himself, his fame and honor, for they can tell from the very tone of one's voice whether it is from the heart, or not, and because he was such, he could not teach them. On this he was silent, for in the world he had had much pathetic power, so that he could strongly move his hearers to holiness; but this power had been acquired by art, and thus it was from himself and the world, and not from heaven.
162. Cum Spiritus qui fuerat Antistes et Praedicator, erat apud illos qui vestiti erant, apparebat femina perquam bella facie, induta veste simplici, tunica pendente a tergo decenter, inducta etiam super brachia; tegumentum capitis ejus pulchrum erat in forma serti ex floribus: Spiritus ille visa ea virgine delectabatur valde, et loquebatur cum illa, et quoque prehendebat ejus manum; sed quia illa appercipiebat quod spiritus esset, et non ex illa Tellure, proripiebat se ab illo: postea apparebant ei a dextro plures aliae feminae, quae pascebant oves et agnos, quos tunc ducebant ad canalem potatorium, in quem aqua deducta erat per fossulam ex aliquo lacu; illae similiter vestitae erant, manibus tenentes baculos pastoritios, per quos ducebant oves et agnos ad potum; dicebant quod oves illuc vadant quo baculis suis monstrant. Oves, quae visae, erant grandes, caudis lanigeris, latis et protensis. Facies feminarum visae sunt propius, erant plenae et pulchrae. Viri etiam visi sunt, eorum facies erant colore humano carneo, sicut in nostra Tellure; sed cum differentia, quod inferior pars faciei eorum loco barbae esset nigra, et nasus plus niveo colore quam carneo. Postea Spiritus, qui ut dictum, in mundo fuerat praedicator, perducebatur ulterius, sed invito, quia adhuc in cogitatione illius feminae, qua delectabatur, erat, quod patebat ex eo quod usque aliquid umbrae ex illo appareret in priori loco; veniebat tunc ad illos qui nudi erant: hi visi sunt bini et bini ambulantes una, erant maritus et uxor, cincti velamine circum lumbos, ac quodam tegmine circum caput: Spiritus ille, cum apud hos erat, perducebatur in statum, in quo fuit in mundo cum vellet praedicare, et tunc dixit, quod coram illis vellet praedicare Dominum crucifixum; sed dicebant quod non vellent audire tale, quia nesciunt quid hoc, et quod sciant quod Dominus vivat: ajebat tunc, quod praedicare vellet Dominum vivum, sed hoc quoque recusabant, dicentes, quod apperciperent in loquela ejus non coeleste, quia multum propter se, sui famam et honorem, et quod audiant ex ipso sono loquelae num ex corde, vel non; et quia talis, quod non docere eos posset; quapropter tacebat: fuerat in mundo, cum vixit, maxime patheticus, sic ut perquam movere potuerit auditores ad sanctum; sed patheticum illud fuerat arte acquisitum, ita a se et e mundo, et non e coelo.