171、天堂里的天使所能看到的物体的性质不能用三言两语来描述。在很大程度上，它们与地球上的事物相似，但形式更完美，数量更丰富。可以从众先知所见的事物中确认这类事物存在于天堂。如以西结所看到的新圣殿和新圣地（以西结书40-48章所描述的）、但以理所看到的（但以理书7-12章）、约翰所看到的（启示录第1章至最后一章），以及其他人所看到的（如圣经的历史书和先知书所描述的）。｛注1｝当天堂向他们打开时，他们就看到这些事物。当内在视觉，也就是人的灵的视觉被打开时，就说天堂被打开了。因为天堂里的事物无法被人的肉眼看见，只能被他的灵眼看见。当主看为有益时，人的灵眼就会被打开，这时，人从肉体感官所在的属世之光中退离出来，并被提升到他的灵魂所在的灵性之光中。我就是在这光中看到了天堂中的事物。
｛注1｝：【英121】史威登堡所说的“历史书”是指创世记、出埃及记、利未记、民数记、申命记、约书亚记、士师记、撒母耳记（上、下）以及列王纪（上、下）；“先知书”是指以赛亚书、耶利米书、耶利米哀歌、以西结书、但以理书、何西阿书、约珥书、阿摩司书、俄巴底亚书、约拿书、弥迦书、那鸿书、哈巴谷书、西番雅书、哈该书、撒迦利亚书和玛拉基书。另见上文注释【英8】。
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171. 在天堂, 天使所见事物的性质无法用三言两语来描述. 它们在很大程度上看似世上的事物, 只是形式上要完美得多, 而且更加丰富. 这类事物存在于天堂, 这一点从众先知所看到的事物明显可知. 如以西结所看到的新圣殿和新圣地(如以西结书 40-48章所描述的), 但以理所看到的(但以理书 7-12章); 约翰所看到的(启示录第一章至最后一章); 以及其他人所看到的(如圣言的历史和预言部分所描述的). 当天堂向他们打开时, 他们就看到这些事物; 当内在视觉, 也就是人之灵的视觉被打开时, 就说天堂被打开了. 因为存在于天堂的事物无法被人的肉眼看见, 只能被他的灵眼看见. 若主乐意, 灵眼就会被打开. 这时, 人从肉体感官所在的属世之光被带出来, 并被提升到他因自己的灵所居的属灵之光. 我便在这光中看见存在于天堂的事物.
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171. 至於天國的事物是如何向天人顯現的, 這不是三言兩語就能說清的。在很大程度上, 它們與人間的事物相似, 只是在形式上要更完全, 也更豐富。
通過眾先知的所見所聞, 我們可推知天國有著和人間相似的事物。例如以西結對新殿和新地的描述(以西結書 40-48), 但以理的描述(但以理書 7-12), 約翰的描述(參啟示錄), 還有歷史書和先知書對種種異象的描述。當他們看到那些事物時, 經上就說天開了。所謂"天開了,"就是人的內在視覺(也就是人的心靈之眼)被打開了。因為天國的事物不能透過人的物質之眼看到, 只能透過心靈之眼觀看。當順主所願時, 人的心靈之眼就被打開。彼時, 我們便被帶出肉體感官所處的物質之光, 提升至靈魂居住的心靈之光。我就是在這樣的光中看到存于天國的事物。
171. There is no way to describe briefly how things look to angels in the heavens. To a considerable extent, they look like the things we see on earth, but they are more perfect in form and also more abundant.
We may conclude that there are things like this in the heavens because of what the prophets saw - for example what Ezekiel saw of the new temple and the new earth as described in chapters 40-48 [of his book], what Daniel describes in his chapters 7-12, what John saw as described from the first through the last chapter of Revelation, along with other visions presented in both the historical and the prophetic books of the Word. They saw things like this when heaven was opened to them, and heaven is said to be opened when our inner sight, the sight of our spirit, is opened. For the things that exist in heaven cannot be seen with our physical eyes, but only with the eyes of our spirit; and when it pleases the Lord, these are opened. At such times we are led out of the natural light that our physical senses are in and raised into the spiritual light in which we dwell because of our spirit. This is the light in which I have seen the things that exist in the heavens.
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171. The nature of the objects that are visible to angels in the heavens cannot be described in a few words. For the most part, they are like things on earth but more perfect in form and more abundant in number. That such things are in the heavens can be confirmed from the things seen by the prophets-as by Ezekiel, in respect of the new temple and the new earth, described from chapter 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48, by Daniel from chapter 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12, by John from the first to the last chapter of the Revelation, and by others, as described both in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word. These things were seen by them when heaven was opened to them, and heaven is said to be opened when the interior sight, which is the sight of man's spirit, is opened. For the things that are in the heavens cannot be seen by the eyes of a man's body, but are seen by the eyes of his spirit. When it seems good to the Lord, these are opened and man is then withdrawn from the natural light in which he is from the senses of the body, and is raised up into a spiritual light in which he is from his spirit. In that light the things that are in the heavens have been seen by me.
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171. The nature of the objects that are visible to angels in heaven cannot be described in a few words. For the most part they are like things on earth, but in form far more perfect, and in number more abundant. That such things exist in the heavens is evident from things seen by the prophets, -as by Ezekiel in relation to the new temple and the new earth (as described from chaps. 40 to 48); by Daniel (from chap. 7 to 12); by John (from the first chapter of the Apocalypse to the last); and by others, as described both in the historic and the prophetic part of the Word. These things were seen by them when heaven was open to them, and heaven is said to be opened when the interior sight, which is the sight of man's spirit, is opened. For what is in the heavens cannot be seen by the eyes of a man's body, but are seen by the eyes of his spirit; and when it seems good to the Lord these are opened, and man is then withdrawn from the natural light that he is in from the bodily senses and is raised up into spiritual light, which he is in from his spirit. In that light the things in heaven have been seen by me.
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171. Qualia illa quae apparent angelis in caelis, non paucis describi potest sunt quoad multam partem similia illis quae in tellure, sed quoad formam perfectiora et quoad copiam plura. Quod in caelis talia sint, constare potest ex illis quae visa sunt Prophetis: ut quae Ezechieli Novo Templo et de Nova Terra, quae describuntur a 40 ad 48 quae Danieli, a 7 ad 12, quae Johanni, a capite primo ad ultimo in Apocalypsi; et quae aliis, de quibus tam in historicis quam in propheticis Verbi: talia illis visa sunt, cum apertum illis erat caelum et caelum aperiri dicitur, cum interior visus, qui est visus spiritus hominis, aperitur: nam quae in caelis sunt, non videri possunt oculis corporis hominis, sed oculis spiritus ejus et cum beneplacet Domino aperiuntur illi, cum homo abducitur a lumine naturali, in quo est ex sensibus corporis, et elevatur in lucem spiritualem, in qua est ex spiritu suo. In illa luce mihi visa sunt, quae in caelis.