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311. 三十五, 天堂和地狱皆出自人类
在基督教界, 人们全然不知天堂和地狱皆出自人类. 事实上, 他们以为天使是起初被造的, 并形成天堂; 而魔鬼或撒旦原是光明天使, 但因背叛而与其同伙遭到驱逐, 从而形成地狱. 天使对基督教界的这种信仰感到极其震惊, 尤为震惊的是, 人们对天堂竟然一无所知; 而事实上, 这是教会最主要的教义. 由于这种无知普遍盛行, 所以他们对于主在这种时候乐意向人类揭示有关天堂和地狱的许多事, 由此尽可能驱散因教会走到尽头而与日俱增的黑暗感到由衷欢喜.
为此, 他们想叫我代表他们声明: 在整个天堂, 没有一位天使是起初如此被造的; 在整个地狱, 也没有一个魔鬼曾被造为光明天使并遭到驱逐. 相反, 所有人, 无论属天堂的还是属地狱的, 皆出自人类; 在天堂的, 是那些在世时活在天堂的爱与信中之人; 在地狱的, 是那些活在地狱的爱与信中之人; 地狱作为一个整体, 被称为魔鬼和撒旦; 在后的地狱名为魔鬼, 是被称为恶魔的人所住之地; 在前的地狱名为撒旦, 是被称为恶灵的人所住之地. 我会在下文描述这些地狱的特征.
天使坚称, 基督教界对天堂里的人和地狱里的人之所以持有这种信仰, 是因为他们从圣言取了一些经文, 然后仅照着尚未被出于圣言的纯正教义光照和解释的字义来理解它们. 然而, 尚未被纯正教义光照的圣言字义会将心智朝四面八方引入歧途, 产生无知, 异端和错谬.
注: 作为一个整体的地狱, 或合在一起的地狱之人被称为魔鬼和撒旦(天国的奥秘 694节). 那些在世时已是魔鬼之人死后就变成魔鬼(天国的奥秘 968节). 教会的教义必须来源于圣言(天国的奥秘 3464, 5402, 6822, 6832, 10763, 10765节). 没有教义就无法理解圣言(天国的奥秘 9025, 9409, 9424, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582节). 真正的教义对那些阅读圣言的人来说, 就是一盏灯(天国的奥秘 10400节). 纯正的教义必须出自那些被主启示的人(天国的奥秘 2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105节). 那些脱离教义专注于字义的人不会获得对神性真理的任何理解(天国的奥秘 9409, 9410, 10582节). 他们被引入许多错谬(天国的奥秘 10431节). 那些从源于圣言的教会教义教导并学习的人与那些唯独从字义教导并学习的人之间的区别是何性质(天国的奥秘 9025节).
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311. 天國地獄源起於人類
基督徒全然不知天國, 地獄源起於人類, 卻以為天人是起初受造的, 組成天國, 魔鬼(或撒旦)曾是光明的天人, 因背叛上帝而與黨羽同被驅逐, 於是有了地獄。
對於基督徒持這種觀點, 乃至對天國一無所知(儘管這是教會最主要的教義之一), 天人感到十分驚訝。當天人得知, 在當下無知盛行之際, 主樂於向人豐豐富富地啟示天國, 地獄, 以盡可能地驅散教會因走到盡頭而與日俱增的黑暗時, 皆感到由衷地喜樂。他們希望我代為證實, 在整個天國, 沒有一位天人是起初受造的, 在整個地獄, 也沒有一個魔鬼曾是光明的天人。相反, 天國地獄所有的人都出於人類, 在天國的是曾經生活于天國之仁與信的人, 在地獄的是曾經生活於地獄之欲與念的人。地獄作為一個整體, 稱為魔鬼和撒旦。在後的地獄乃惡魔所住之地, 稱為魔鬼;在前的地獄乃邪靈所住之地, 稱為撒旦。後面我會分別加以描述。
天人堅稱, 基督徒對天人和魔鬼持這種觀點, 在於他們拘泥於某些經文的字義, 沒有從聖言的真義獲得光照和啟示。沒有真義的光照, 聖言的字義使人誤入迷途, 無知, 異端, 謬誤便產生了。
311. Heaven and Hell Come from the Human Race
People in the Christian world are totally unaware that heaven and hell come from the human race. They actually believe that angels were created in the beginning and constitute heaven, and that the devil or Satan was an angel of light who became rebellious and was cast out together with his faction, and that this gave rise to hell.
Angels are utterly amazed that there can be this kind of belief in the Christian world, and even more so that people know absolutely nothing about heaven, even though this is a primary doctrine of the church. Knowing that this kind of ignorance is prevalent, they are profoundly delighted that it has now pleased the Lord to reveal to us so much about heaven - and about hell as well - and so as much as possible to dispel the darkness that is rising daily because this church is drawing to a close.
[2] So they want me to testify on their behalf that in all heaven there is not a single angel who was created as such in the beginning, nor is there in all hell a devil who was created as an angel of light and cast out. Rather, all the people in heaven and in hell are from the human race - in heaven the ones who have lived in heavenly love and faith, and in hell the ones who have lived in hellish love and faith. Hell as a whole is what is called the devil and Satan. The hell at the back, where the people called evil demons live, is the devil, and the hell that is in front, where the people live who are called evil spirits, is Satan. 1We will describe later what each hell is like.
[3] They insisted that the reason the Christian world has adopted this kind of belief about people in heaven and people in hell is that they have taken a few passages of the Word, understanding them only in their literal meaning, with no enlightenment or instruction based on genuine doctrine from the Word. Yet the literal meaning of the Word, without the light of genuine doctrine, leads the mind astray in all directions, giving rise to ignorance, heresy, and error. 2
Footnotes:
1. The hells as a whole, or hellish people en masse, are called the devil and Satan: 694. People who were devils in the world are devils after death: 968.
2. The church's doctrine must be derived from the Word: 3464, 5402, 6832 [6822?], 10763, 10765 [10764?]. Without doctrine, the Word is not understood: 9021 [9025?], 9409, 9424, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582. True doctrine is a lamp for people who read the Word: 10401 [10400?]. Genuine doctrine must be provided by people who have enlightenment from the Lord: 2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105. People engaged in the literal meaning apart from any doctrine do not attain any understanding of divine truths: 9409-9410, 10582; and are carried off into many errors: 10431. The nature of the difference between people who teach and learn from the doctrine of the church derived from the Word and people who do so solely from the Word's literal meaning: 9025.
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311. HEAVEN AND HELL ARE FROM THE HUMAN RACE
In the Christian world it is wholly unknown that heaven and hell are from the human race, for it is believed that in the beginning angels were created and heaven was thence formed; also that the Devil or Satan was an angel of light, but having rebelled, he was cast down with his crew, and thus hell was formed. It is a matter of the greatest wonder to the angels that such is the belief in the Christian world, and still more that nothing is really known about heaven, when in fact that is the primary thing of doctrine in the Church. But since such ignorance reigns they rejoice in heart that it has pleased the Lord to reveal to those in the Christian world at this time many things about heaven and about hell, thereby dispelling as far as possible the darkness that is increasing from day to day because the Church come to its end.
[2] They wish for this reason that I should declare from their lips that in the entire heaven there is not a single angel who was created such in the beginning, nor in hell any devil who was created an angel of light and cast down; but that all, both in heaven and in hell, are from the human race; in heaven those who lived in the world in heavenly love and faith, in hell those who lived in infernal love and faith, also that it is hell taken as a whole that is called the Devil and Satan- the name Devil being given to the hell that is behind, where those are who are called evil genii, and the name Satan being given to the hell that is in front, where those are who are called evil spirits. 1
[3] The character of these hells will be described in the following pages. The angels said that the Christian world had gathered such a belief about those in heaven and those in hell from passages in the Word not understood in any other way than in accordance with the sense of the letter and not illustrated and explained by genuine doctrine derived from the Word; although the sense of the letter of the Word, unless genuine doctrine illuminates it, draws the mind in different directions, and this begets ignorant opinions, heresies, and errors. 2
Footnotes:
1. The hells taken together, or the infernals taken together, are called the Devil and Satan (Arcana Coelestia 694).
Those who have been devils in the world become devils after death (Arcana Coelestia 968).
2. The doctrine of the Church must be derived from the Word (Arcana Coelestia 3464, 5402, 6822, 6832, 10763, 10765).
Without doctrine the Word is not understood (Arcana Coelestia 9025, 9409, 9424, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582).
True doctrine is a lamp to those who read the Word (Arcana Coelestia 10400).
Genuine doctrine must be from those who are enlightened by the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105).
Those who are in the sense of the letter without doctrine come into no understanding of Divine Truths (Arcana Coelestia 9409-9410, 10582).
And they are led away into many errors (Arcana Coelestia 10431).
The difference between those who teach and learn from the doctrine of the Church derived from the Word and those who teach and learn from the sense of the letter alone (Arcana Coelestia 9025).
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311. XXXV. HEAVEN AND HELL ARE FROM THE HUMAN RACE.
In the Christian world it is wholly unknown that heaven and hell are from the human race, for it is believed that in the beginning angels were created and heaven was thus formed; also that the devil or Satan was an angel of light, but having rebelled he was cast down with his crew, and thus hell was formed. The angels never cease to wonder at such a belief in the Christian world, and still more that nothing is really known about heaven, when in fact that is the primary principle of all doctrine in the church. But since such ignorance prevails they rejoice in heart that it has pleased the Lord to reveal to mankind at this time many things about heaven and about hell, thereby dispelling as far as possible the darkness that has been daily increasing because the church has come to its end.
[2] They wish for this reason that I should declare from their lips that in the entire heaven there is not a single angel who was created such from the beginning, nor in hell any devil who was created an angel of light and cast down; but that all, both in heaven and in hell, are from the human race; in heaven those who lived in the world in heavenly love and belief, in hell those who lived in infernal love and belief, also that it is hell taken as a whole that is called the Devil and Satan-the name Devil being given to the hell that is behind, where those are that are called evil genii, and the name Satan being given to the hell that is in front, where those are that are called evil spirits. 1The character of these hells will be described in the following pages.
[3] The angels said that the Christian world had gathered such a belief about those in heaven and those in hell from some passages in the Word understood according to the mere sense of the letter not illustrated and explained by genuine doctrine from the Word; although the sense of the letter of the Word until illuminated by genuine doctrine, draws the mind in different directions, and this begets ignorance, heresies, and errors. 2
Footnotes:
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311. [XXXV.] QUOD CAELUM ET INFERNUM SINT EX HUMANO GENERE.
In Christiano orbe prorsus nescitur, quod caelum et infernum sint ex humano genere: creditur enim, quod angeli fuerint a principio creati, et quod inde caelum; ac quod Diabolus seu Satanas fuerit lucis angelus; sed quia rebellis factus, cum turba sua dejectus sit, et quod inde infernum. Quod talis fides in Christiano orbe sit, mirantur angeli quam maxime; et adhuc magis quod prorsus nihil sciant de caelo, cum tamen id est primarium doctrinae in ecclesia: et quia talis ignorantia regnat, corde gavisi sunt, quod placuerit Domino nunc revelare illis plura de caelo et quoque de inferno, et per id, quantum possibile est, discutere tenebras, quae indies increscunt, quia ecclesia ad suum finem pervenit.
[2] Quare volunt, ut ex ore illorum asseverem, quod in universo caelo non sit unus angelus qui a principio creatus est, nec in inferno aliquis diabolus qui creatus lucis angelus et dejectus, sed quod omnes tam in caelo quam in inferno sint ex humano genere, in caelo illi qui in mundo in caelesti amore et fide vixerunt, in inferno qui in infernali amore et fide; et quod infernum in toto complexu sit quod vocatur Diabolus et Satanas; illud infernum quod a tergo est, ubi sunt qui vocantur mali genii, Diabolus, et illud infernum quod anterius est, ubi sunt qui vocantur mali spiritus, Satanas. 1
[3] Quale unum infernum, et quale alterum, in sequentibus dicetur. Quod Christianus orbis talem fidem de illis in caelo et de illis in inferno ceperit, dicebant quod sit ex aliquibus locis in Verbo non intellectis aliter quam secundum sensum litterae, et non illustratis et explicatis per genuinam doctrinam ex Verbo; cum tamen sensus litterae Verbi, nisi genuina doctrina praeluceat, distrahit mentes in varia; unde ignorantiae, haereses, et errores. 2
Footnotes: