324、至于当今的非基督徒，他们没有如此的智慧，大多数人心思简单。然而，在来世，那些在世时过着彼此仁爱生活的人会接受智慧。我可以举一两个例子。
当我读士师记第17和18章关于米迦的经文（即但人如何掳走他的雕像，就是家中的神像和利未人）时，｛注1｝有一位非基督徒灵人也在场，他活在肉身时敬拜雕刻的肖像。他聚精会神地聆听米迦的遭遇，又因米迦的雕像被但人掳走而深深悲伤，这种悲伤袭上他的心头，深深地感染他，痛彻心腑，使他几乎不能思考。我不仅能感知到这种悲伤，还能感知到他的一切情感里面的纯真。在场的基督徒灵人看着他，惊讶于一个敬拜雕像的人竟在心中激起如此的怜悯和纯真的情感。后来，一些善灵和他说话，说雕刻的偶像不可敬拜，身为一个人他有能力明白这一点。他应该离开偶像，思想整个天地的创造者和统管者上帝，祂就是主。说这些话时，我被允许感知他崇拜的内在性质，这些被传达给我，它比基督徒的要神圣得多。这一切清楚地表明，如今的外邦人比基督徒更容易进天堂，正如主在路加福音中所说的：
那时，从东、从西、从南、从北将有人来，在上帝的国里坐席。只是有在后的，将要在前；有在前的，将要在后。（路加福音13:29-30）
因那灵人处在这样的状态，所以能吸收信仰的一切事物，并以内层的情感接受它们。他里面有爱的怜悯，他的无知里面有纯真，当这些存在时，信仰的一切事物都会被接受，可以说是自然而然地、喜乐地接受。此后，他被接到天使中。
｛注1｝：【英214】整过故事记载在士师记17-18章。
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324. 至于今天的非基督徒, 他们没有如此的智慧, 大部分心思简单. 然而, 在来世, 那些在世时过着仁爱生活的人会接受智慧. 我可以举一两个例子. 当我读《士师记》17和18章关于米迦的经文(即但人如何掳走他的偶像, 就是家中的神像, 和利未人)时, 有一位活在肉身时敬拜偶像的非基督徒也在场. 他聚精会神地聆听米迦的遭遇, 由于但人所掳走的神像而深深悲痛. 这种悲痛袭上他的心头, 深深感染他, 以致由于这种内心悲痛, 他几乎头脑一片空白. 我不仅能感觉到这种悲痛, 还能感觉到他的一切情感里面的纯真. 在场的一些基督灵人看着他, 惊讶于一个拜偶像的人竟有如此的怜悯和纯真的情感. 后来, 一些善灵与他交谈, 告诉他不可拜偶像, 身为一个人他本该明白这一点. 他的思维应越过偶像直达神那里, 神是整个天堂和整个大地的创造者和统治者, 就是主. 当这话说给他听时, 我被允许觉察传给我的其崇拜的内在性质; 它远比基督徒的要神圣得多. 这一切清楚表明, 如今的非基督徒比基督徒更容易进入天堂, 正如主在路加福音中所说的:
从东, 从西, 从北, 从南, 将有人来, 在神的国里坐席. 看吧, 在后的, 将要在前, 在前的将要在后. (路加福音 13:29-30)
他因处于这样的状态, 故能吸收信的一切事物, 并以内在情感接受它们. 他里面有爱的怜悯, 他的无知里面有纯真; 当这些存在时, 信的一切事物可以说都会被自动, 欢喜接受. 此后, 该非基督徒被接入天使当中.
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324. 今天的非基督徒不具此般智慧, 多數是心思簡單的。但在心靈世界, 他們也能從在世時曾過仁愛生活的人接受智慧。讓我舉幾個例子。
一次, 我讀士師記十七至十八章, 論到米迦的神像和利未人祭司被但人竊走的故事。有一位非基督徒, 在世時曾敬拜偶像。他聚精會神地聆聽, 聽到米迦的神像被但人盜走時, 他心痛莫名, 頭腦一片空白。我能感覺到他的痛苦和秉性中的天真。在場有幾個基督徒, 看到一個拜偶像的人竟有如此悲憫的心腸和天真無邪的性情, 都感到吃驚。
之後, 一些善靈與他交談, 指示他不當敬拜偶像, 他本該明白這一點, 因為這些偶像也只是人。他的思想應該超越偶像看到上帝, 即天地的創造者和治理者, 亦即主。當他聽了這話, 我能感覺到他深深的崇敬之情, 比我從基督徒所感受到的要神聖得多。我由此看出, 今天的非基督徒比基督徒更容易進入天國, 正如主的話說:"從東, 從西, 從南, 從北, 將有人來, 在上帝的國裡坐席。只是有在後的將要在前, 有在前的將要在後。"(路加福音13:29-30)
他處在這樣的狀態, 自能吸收一切信之理, 而且是以深切的心來接受。他有著憐憫的心腸, 無知中帶著天真。有這樣的秉性, 一切信之真理能被其自然而然地, 歡喜快樂地接收。此後, 該非基督徒被接入了天人當中。
324. As for today's non-Christians, they are not that wise; but many of them are simple-hearted. However, in the other life they do accept wisdom from others who have lived lives of thoughtfulness together. I may offer a couple of examples.
When I read chapters 17, 18 of Judges about Micah (whose idol, household gods, and Levite were stolen by the Danites), there was one non-Christian spirit who had revered an idol during his physical life. He listened intently to what happened to Micah and was deeply pained because of the idol that the Danites stole. His distress overcame him and moved him so deeply that he scarcely knew what he was thinking because of the depth of his pain. I sensed his pain and at the same time the innocence within his particular affections. There were some Christian spirits present who were surprised that this idolater was moved by such mercy and such an affection of innocence.
Later some good spirits talked with him and told him that he should not revere idols and that he could understand this because he himself was a human being. Rather, his thought should reach beyond the idol to the God who was creator and ruler of the whole heaven and the whole earth, and who was the Lord. When he was told this, I could sense his deep feeling of reverence. It was communicated to me as something much holier than what could be found among Christians. I could gather from this that non-Christians come into heaven more readily than Christians nowadays, in keeping with the Lord's words in Luke:
Then they will come from the east and the west and the north and the south and will recline in the kingdom of God; and indeed there will be many of the last who will be first, and of the first who will be last. (Luke 13:29-30)
Because of the state he was in, that is, he could absorb all matters of faith and could accept them with a deep inner affection. There was a loving mercy about him and in his ignorance an innocence; and when these are present, all matters of faith are accepted spontaneously, so to speak, and with joy. After this, the non-Christian spirit was accepted among the angels.
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324. But as regards the gentiles of the present day, they are not so wise, but most of them are simple in heart. Nevertheless, those of them who have lived in mutual charity receive wisdom in the other life, and of these one or two examples may be cited. When I read the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of Judges (about Micah, and how the sons of Dan carried away his graven image and teraphim and Levite) a gentile spirit was present who in the life of the body had worshipped a graven image. He listened attentively to the account of what was done to Micah, and of his grief on account of his graven image which the Danites took away, and such grief came upon him and moved him, that he scarcely knew, by reason of inward distress, what to think. Not only was this grief perceived, but at the same time the innocence that was in all his affections. The Christian spirits who were present watched him and wondered that a worshipper of a graven image should be moved by such a feeling of mercy and innocence. Afterwards, some good spirits talked with him, saying that graven images ought not to be worshipped, and that being a man he was capable of understanding this; that he ought, apart from a graven image, to think of God the Creator and Governor of the whole heaven and the whole earth, and that that God is the Lord. When this was said I was permitted to perceive the interior nature of his adoration, which was communicated to me; and it was much more holy than in the case of Christians. From this it can be confirmed that the gentiles come into heaven more easily than Christians, at the present day, according to the Lord's words in Luke:
Then shall they come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall recline in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last. Luke 13:29-30.
For in the state in which that spirit was, he could be imbued with all the things of faith and receive them with interior affection. There was in him the mercy of love, and in his ignorance there was innocence. And when these are present all things of faith are received, as it were, spontaneously and with joy. He was afterwards received among angels.
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324. But as regards the heathen of the present day, they are not so wise, but most of them are simple in heart. Nevertheless, those of them that have lived in mutual charity receive wisdom in the other life, and of these one or two examples may be cited. When I read the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of Judges (about Micah, and how the sons of Dan carried away his graven image and teraphim and Levite) a heathen spirit was present who in the life of the body had worshiped a graven image. He listened attentively to the account of what was done to Micah, and his grief on account of his graven image which the Danites took away, and such grief came upon him and moved him that he scarcely knew, by reason of inward distress, what to think. Not only was this grief perceived, but also the innocence that was in all his affections. The Christian spirits that were present watched him and wondered that a worshiper of a graven image should have so great a feeling of sympathy and innocence stirred in him. Afterwards some good spirits talked with him, saying that graven images should not be worshiped, and that being a man he was capable of understanding this; that he ought, apart from a graven image, to think of God the Creator and Ruler of the whole heaven and the whole earth, and that God is the Lord. When this was said I was permitted to perceive the interior nature of his adoration, which was communicated to me; and it was much more holy than is the case of Christians. This makes clear that at the present day the heathen come into heaven with less difficulty than Christians, according to the Lord's words in Luke:
Then shall they come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall recline in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last (Luke 13:29, 30).
For in the state in which that spirit was he could be imbued with all things of faith and receive them with interior affection; there was in him the mercy of love, and in his ignorance there was innocence; and when these are present all things of faith are received as it were spontaneously and with joy. He was afterwards received among angels.
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324. Quod autem Gentiles, qui hodie sunt, concernit, illi non ita sapientes sunt, sed plerique simplices corde. At usque recipiunt sapientiam in altera vita ii ex illis, qui in charitate mutua vixerunt de quibus unum alterumve exemplum licet afferre. Cum legi 17 et 18, Judicum, de Micha, quod Danis filii abstulerint ejus sculptile, theraphim, et Levitam, tunc erat spiritus ex gentilibus, qui in vita corporis sui adoraverat sculptile. Cum attente audiret quid factum Michae, et in quo dolore fuit propter sculptile suum, quod abstulerunt Danitae, etiam illum superveniebat et afficiebat dolor, usque adeo ut vix sciret prae interiore dolore quid cogitaret; qui dolor perceptus est, et simul percepta innocentia in singulis ejus affectionibus. Christiani etiam spiritus aderant, et observabant, et mirati sunt, quod sculptilis adorator tanta misericordiae et innocentiae affectione moveretur. Postea boni spiritus cum eo locuti sunt, dicentes, quod sculptile non esset adorandum, et quod hoc intelligere posset quia homo; sed quod cogitare debeat extra sculptile de Deo Creatore et Gubernatore universi caeli et universae terrae, et quod ille Deus esset Dominus. Cum haec dicebantur, percipere dabatur ejus adorationis affectum interiorem, qui mecum communicabatur, multo sanctiorem quam apud Christianos. Ex quo constare potest, quod Gentiles facilius in caelum veniant, quam Christiani hodie, secundum Domini verba apud Lucam:
"Tunc venient ab oriente et occidente, et a septentrione et meridie, et discumbent in regno Dei: et ecce sunt ultimi qui erunt primi, et sunt primi qui erunt ultimi," (13:29-30);
nam in statu in quo ille erat, potuit imbui omnibus fidei, et illa cum interiore affectione recipere apud eum erat misericordia quae amoris, et in ejus ignorantia erat innocentia; quae cum adsunt, omnia fidei sicut sponte recipiuntur, et hoc cum gaudio. Receptus dein est inter angelos.