171、这时，只见一片乌云从高处朝东方降落；在降落的过程中，它逐渐变得明亮，并呈现出人的形式，最后变成一束火红的光，被同样颜色的小星星所环绕。主便以这种方式在正与我交谈的灵人面前显现。那里的所有灵人都从四面八方聚集在祂面前；当他们到来时，善者便与恶者分离，善者往右，恶者往左，并且这个过程立刻完成，好像是他们自动的。往右的灵人照其良善的品质被排列，往左的灵人照其邪恶的品质被排列。然后，善者被留下来形成天堂社群，而恶者则被投入地狱。
后来，我又看见这束火红的光深深降至这个星球的低部。这时，它一度显为趋于亮白的火红，一度显为趋于昏暗的亮白，又一度显为黑暗。我被天使告知，这种表象是由住在该星球低部的居民接受出于良善的真理和出于邪恶的虚假造成的。这束火红的光本身肯定不会经历这些变化。他们还说，这个星球的低部既有善者居住，也有恶者居住；但他们都被分开了，好叫恶者能被主通过善者掌控。他们补充说，善者时不时地被主提入天堂，他们的地方便被其他人占据，这一过程如此反复进行。随着这束火光下降，善者以同样的方式与恶者分离，一切事物都恢复次序。因为恶者耍弄各种阴谋诡计进入善者的住处，并攻击他们。这就是那次来访的原由。
随着下降逐渐变得明亮并呈现出人的形式，然后变成一束火红之光的那团云是一个天使社群，而主就在这天使社群中间。这使我得以知道主在福音书中所说关于最后审判的话是什么意思：
祂要与天使带着能力，满有荣耀，驾着天上的云降临。（马太福音24:30;马可福音13:26;路加福音21: 27）
171. Then I saw a dark cloud over toward the east coming down from above. As it descended it gradually looked brighter and brighter and came more and more into a human shape, eventually becoming a human form within a fiery ray of light surrounded by little stars of the same color. This was how the Lord made himself present among the spirits I was talking with.
All the spirits who were there flocked from all sides to that presence, and when they arrived the good were separated from the evil, the good to the right and the evil to the left. This happened immediately and seemingly spontaneously. The ones on the right were then arranged according to their particular type of goodness and those on the left according to their particular type of evil. The good were given a free hand to form a heavenly community for themselves, while the evil were cast into hell. 1
[2] Later I saw that fiery ray of light go down quite deep into the underground realm there, and as it did, the ray gradually changed, from fiery to transparent, then from transparent to murky, then from murky to opaque. I was told by angels that the way the ray of light looked reflected the receptivity of the inhabitants of that underground realm, either to truth that comes from goodness or to falsity that comes from evil; they assured me that the fiery ray of light itself did not undergo any changes whatever. They also said that both good and evil people live in that underground realm, but are clearly separated, so that the evil can be kept under control by the Lord by means of the good. They went on to say that from time to time the good are raised from there into heaven by the Lord and others then take their place; this goes on all the time.
In the course of the light’s descent, the good were separated from the evil and everything was brought back into order. The evil had used deceptive arts of various kinds to infiltrate the homes of the good there and attack them. This was the reason for this visitation.
[3] The cloud that gradually looked brighter and came more and more into a human shape as it descended, eventually becoming a human form in a fiery ray of light, was an angelic community with the Lord at its center. This experience taught me what is meant by the Lord’s words in the Gospels describing the Last Judgment: “He is going to come with angels in the clouds of heaven with glory and power” [Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27].
Footnotes:
1. The references to right and left in this passage are an allusion to Matthew 25:31-46, Christ’s judging of the nations, which begins, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left” (verses 31-33). The passage then goes on to identify those at the right hand, or the “sheep,” as those people who had done good deeds for others who were in various kinds of need, and those at the left hand, or the “goats,” as those who had not, concluding with the words “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (verse 46; New Revised Standard Version). [LSW, SS]
171. Then there was to seen a dark cloud towards the east coming down from on high; as it descended it changed gradually, becoming bright and taking human form, and finally becoming a flaming beam of light surrounded by small stars of the same colour. In this way the Lord manifested His presence with the spirits with whom I was conversing. At His presence all the spirits there gathered together from every direction; and on their arrival the good were separated from the wicked, the good going to the right and the wicked to the left, and this at once as if of their own accord. Those who went to the right were arranged to match the quality of the good, those to the left to match the quality of the evil among them. The good were left to form themselves into a heavenly community, but the wicked were thrown into hells.
[2] Afterwards I saw that flaming beam of light descend quite deep into the lower parts of the earth there. It then appeared at one time a flame colour tending to white, at another white tending to dark, at another dark. I was told by angels that this appearance was due to the way the truth coming from good and the falsity coming from evil were received by the inhabitants of the lower parts of that land; it was certainly not the flaming beam which underwent these various changes. They also said that the lower parts of that land were inhabited by both good and wicked people; but they were kept well apart, in order that the wicked could be controlled by the Lord by means of the good. They added that the good are from time to time lifted up by the Lord into heaven, and their place is taken by others; this continues all the time. As the flaming beam came down the good were likewise separated from the wicked, and all was restored to order. For the wicked had by various tricks and devices penetrated into the homes of the good and attacked them. This was the reason for that visitation.
[3] The cloud which as it came down gradually changed becoming bright and assuming human form, then becoming a flaming beam, was a community of angels with the Lord in their midst. This allowed me to know the meaning of the Lord's words about the Last Judgment reported in the Gospels, that He would come with angels in the clouds of heaven with glory and power [Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27].
171. There was then seen a dark cloud toward the east, descending from on high, which in descending gradually appeared bright and in the human form; and this form at length appeared in a flaming radiance, around which were little stars of the same color. In this manner the Lord presented Himself before the spirits with whom I was speaking. To this Presence were then gathered together from every side all the spirits who were there; and when they came, the good were separated from the evil, the good to the right and the evil to the left, and this at once, as of their own accord. And those on the right were arranged according to the quality of their good, and those on the left according to the quality of their evil. The good were then left to form a heavenly society among themselves; but the evil were cast into the hells. I saw afterward that this flaming radiance descended quite deep into the lower parts of the earth there; and then it appeared, now flamy verging to brightness, now bright verging to obscurity, and now in obscurity. And I was told by angels that the appearance is according to the reception of truth from good, and of falsity from evil, with those who inhabit the lower parts of that earth; and that the flamy radiance itself did not at all undergo such variations. They said also that the lower parts of that earth were inhabited as well by the good as by the evil; but well separated, in order that the evil might be ruled through the good by the Lord. They added that the good were by turns taken up thence into heaven by the Lord, and others succeed in their place, and so on continually. In that descent the good were in like manner separated from the evil, and all things were reduced into order. For the evil, by various arts and crafty devices, had introduced themselves into the dwellings of the good there, and infested them; and this was the cause of that visitation. That cloud, which in descending gradually appeared bright and in the human form, and then as a flamy radiance, was an angelic society, in the midst of which was the Lord, From this it was given to know what is meant by the Lord's words in the Evangelists, where He speaks of the Last Judgment:
That He will come with the angel in the clouds of heaven with glory and power.
171. Visa tunc est Nubes obscura versus ortum ex alto descendens, quae in descendendo apparebat per gradus lucida et in humana forma, tandem haec in Jubare flammeo, circum quod stellulae ejusdem coloris: sic Dominus praesentem se stitit apud Spiritus cum quibus loquebar. Ad praesentiam tunc congregabantur ab undique omnes Spiritus qui ibi, ac cum venerunt, separabantur boni a malis, boni ad dextrum et mali ad sinistrum, et hoc illico sicut sua sponte; et qui ad dextrum, ordinabantur secundum quale boni, et qui ad sinistrum secundum quale mali, apud illos; qui boni erant, relicti sunt, ut Societatem coelestem inter se formarent; mali autem conjecti sunt in inferna. Postea videbam, quod flammeum illud Jubar descenderet in inferiora terrae ibi satis profunde, et tunc illud apparebat nunc in flammeo vergente ad lucidum, nunc in lucido vergente ad obscurum, et nunc in obscuro; et dicebatur mihi ab Angelis, quod apparentia illa sit secundum receptionem veri a bono, ac falsi a malo, apud illos qui inferiora terrae illius incolunt, et prorsus non quod Jubar flammeum tales varietates subiret; dicebant etiam quod inferiora terrae illius incolerentur tam a bonis quam a malis, sed probe separati, ob causam ut mali regerentur per bonos a Domino; addebant, quod boni per vices inde eleventur in Coelum a Domino, et loco illorum alii succedant, et sic jugiter. In descensu illo separabantur similiter boni a malis, et redigebantur omnia in ordinem: mali enim per varias artes et astutias se intulerunt ibi in domicilia bonorum, ac infestaverunt illos; ob quam causam illa Visitatio. Nubes illa, quae in descendendo apparebat per gradus lucida et in humana forma, et dein ut Jubar flammeum, erat Societas angelica, in cujus medio Dominus. Inde scire dabatur, quid intelligitur per Domini verba, ubi de ultimo Judicio, apud Evangelistas, "Quod Venturus sit cum Angelis in nubibus coeli cum gloria et virtute."