253、自那以后，很少有人与天堂的天使交谈，但有些人与不在天堂的灵人交谈。这是因为人的内层和外层具有这样的性质：它们要么朝向主，作为它们共同的中心（124节），要么朝向自我，也就是背离主。朝向主的人也朝向天堂，朝向自我的人也朝向世界，提升后者是一件很困难的事，然而，主通过把爱转向的方法，尽可能地提升他们，这通过来自圣经的真理实现。
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253. 自这些时代起, 人们与天堂天使的交谈就极其罕见了. 但有些人曾与不在天堂的灵人交谈过. 这是因为人的内层和外层功能具有这样的性质: 它们要么转向作为其共同中心的主(天国的奥秘 124节), 要么转向自我, 也就是背离主. 那些转向主的人也转向天堂; 而那些转向自我的人也转向世界. 提升后一种人是一件很困难的事; 然而, 主通过把爱转过来而尽可能地提升他们, 这种事通过来自圣言的真理实现.
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253. 自那以後, 人類與天人的交流就很少了, 僅有少數人尚與天國外的靈相通。人的內在與外在既能面向主, 以主為共同的中心(124), 也能面向己, 背對主。面向主也是面向天國, 面向己也是面向世界。面向世界的人難以提升, 唯有藉聖言的真理轉變愛的方向, 才能被主提升。
253. Since those times people have seldom talked with heaven's angels, though some have talked with spirits who are not in heaven. Our inner and outer levels can by their nature be turned toward the Lord as their common center (124), or toward ourselves and therefore away from the Lord. The ones that are turned toward the Lord are also turned toward heaven, while the ones that are turned toward ourselves are also turned toward this world; and the ones that are turned in this latter direction are hard to raise up. Still, they are raised up by the Lord to the extent that they can be, through a turning of our love; and this is accomplished by means of truths from the Word.
I have been told how the Lord spoke to the prophets through whom the Word was written. He did not talk with them the way he did with the early people, by an inflow into their deeper natures, but through spirits sent to them whom the Lord filled with his appearance. In this way, he inspired them with the words that they in turn told to the prophets, so that it was not a case of inflow but of direct command. Since at that time the words were coming directly from the Lord, the very details are filled with the Divine and contain within themselves an inner meaning of such nature that heaven's angels take them in a heavenly and spiritual meaning while we are taking them in a natural meaning. In this way, the Lord unites heaven and earth through the Word.
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253. Since those times, it is only rarely that any one has talked with the angels of heaven, but some have talked with spirits who are not in heaven. For man's interiors and exteriors are such that they are turned either towards the Lord as their common centre (124), or towards self, that is, backwards from the Lord. Those that are turned towards the Lord are also turned towards heaven, but those that are turned towards self, are turned also towards the world, and it is with difficulty that these can be elevated. Yet the Lord does elevate them as much as possible, by a turning of the love; which is effected by means of truths from the Word.
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253. Since those times it is only rarely that any one has talked with the angels of heaven; but some have talked with spirits who are not in heaven. This is so because man's interior and exterior faculties are such that they are turned either towards the Lord as their common center (124), or towards self, that is, backwards from the Lord. Those that are turned towards the Lord are also turned towards heaven. But those that are turned towards self, are turned also towards the world. And to elevate these is a difficult matter; nevertheless the Lord elevates them as much as is possible, by turning the love about; which is done by means of truths from the Word.
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253. Post illa tempora raro aliquis locutus est cum angelis caeli, sed aliqui cum spiritibus qui non in caelo sunt interiora enim et exteriora hominis talia sunt. ut vel conversa sint ad Dominum ut ad Centrum suum commune (124), vel ad se ipsum, ita retro a Domino; quae ad Dominum conversa sunt, etiam ad caelum conversa sunt, quae autem ad se ipsum, etiam ad mundum et quae huc versa sunt, aegre elevari possunt: elevantur tamen a Domino, quantum fieri potest, per conversionem amoris, et hoc fit per vera ex Verbo.