10.⑵人类是天堂的苗床。这一点在下一章（14-22节）会得到进一步的支持，在那里我将说明：天堂与地狱皆来自人类，这意味着人类就是天堂的苗床。但我在此必须首先说明，正如自创世之初直到如今，天堂由人类形成，此后它将继续由人类形成并填满。
事实上，某个星球上的人类灭亡是有可能的；当他们与神性完全分离时，这种情形就会发生；因为那时，人不再有属灵的生命，只有属世的生命，属世的生命就像动物的生命。一旦人们成了这个样子，他们就无法形成一个社群，受到律法的约束，因为没有天堂的流注，因而没有神性的管理，人会变得疯狂，不受控制地冲进针对彼此的难以启齿的各种恶行。即便某个星球上的人类因与神性分离而有可能灭亡（这是主预防的一个结果），但其它星球上的人类仍继续存在。因为宇宙中有数十万个星球；对此，可参看《宇宙星球》这本小册子，我们太阳系和外太空中的星球被称为行星。
我从天上被告知，若非主降世，在地球上取了人身，并使之成为神性，地球上的人类早就灭亡了，并且今天不会剩下一个幸存者。我还被告知，若非主赐给我们这样一部圣言为天使天堂并它与人的结合充当一个基础，同样的情形就会发生。天堂与人通过圣言结合，这一点可见于《天堂与地狱》一书（303-310节）。然而，只有那些作属灵思考的人，也就是那些通过承认主里面的神性而与天堂结合的人才能承认这一事实，因为唯有他们才能作属灵的思考。
10. 2. Humankind is the seedbed of heaven. This assertion will be further supported in the next chapter [14-22], where I will be showing that heaven and hell come from humankind, which means that humankind is the seedbed of heaven.
As a preface to that, here I will state that just as heaven has been formed from humankind thus far-that is, since the beginning of creation-so it will continue being formed and enriched from now on.
[2] Now, it is within the realm of possibility that humankind on a given planet could perish. This occurs if humankind completely separates itself from the Divine, because in that case people no longer have any spiritual life, only an earthly life like that of animals. Once people are like this, they cannot be formed into a community and restrained by the bonds of law, because without an inflow from heaven, that is, without being governed by the Divine, people become insane and, forsaking all self-control, plunge into every kind of unspeakable behavior toward each other.
[3] But even if humankind were to perish on one planet by separating itself from the Divine (an outcome the Lord provides against), it would still continue on others. There are hundreds of thousands of [inhabited] planets in the universe-see my booklet, The Earthlike Bodies Called Planets in Our Solar System and in Deep Space. 1
[4] I have been told by a heavenly source that if the Lord had not come into the world, taken on a human nature on this planet, and made that nature divine, humankind on this planet would have died off and left not a single survivor today. I have also been told that the same thing would have happened if the Lord had not given us the kind of Word we have, which serves as a foundation for the angelic heaven and a way of joining it to us. On the Word as the means of joining heaven and humankind together, see Heaven and Hell 303-310.
However, the truth of this can be grasped only by people who think spiritually-that is, people who are joined to heaven through their acknowledgment of the divine nature in the Lord, since they are the only ones who can do this kind of thinking.
Footnotes:
1. Swedenborg is here referring to the work published in London in 1758 and cited in this edition by the short title Other Planets. For his discussion of the number of planets in the universe, see Other Planets 26. On the history of the conjecture that there are planets beyond the solar system, see the introduction, pages 85-90. [Editors]
10. It will be established in the next chapter [14-22] that the human race is the seed-bed of heaven. There it will be shown that heaven and hell are from the human race, which is thus the seed-bed of heaven. It needs to be said by way of preface that just as up to the present, that is, from the earliest time of creation, heaven has been formed from the human race, it will go on hereafter being so formed and enriched.
[2] It is possible that the human race might perish on planet; this happens if it utterly cuts itself off from the Divine. For then human beings no longer have a spiritual life, but only the natural kind of life animals have. People in that state could not form a community or be held in check by laws, since people lacking the influence of heaven, and consequently God's control, would be mad, rushing without restraint into every kind of wickedness and falling one upon another.
[3] But although the human race might by losing contact with the Divine perish upon one planet, an event, however, guarded against by the Lord, it would still exist on other planets. For there are in the universe as many as some hundreds of thousands of planets; on this see my short book ON THE EARTHS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, CALLED PLANETS, AND THE EARTHS IN THE STARRY SKY. I have had word from heaven that the human race on this earth would have perished, so that not a single person would survive to-day, if the Lord had not come into the world and on this earth put on His Humanity and made it Divine. This would also have happened, if the Lord had not placed here a Word, which might serve as a basis and a link for the heaven of angels. On the Word as a link between heaven and men see HEAVEN AND HELL 303-310. The truth of this can only be grasped by those who think in a spiritual fashion, those, that is, who by their acknowledgment of the Divine in the Lord are linked with heaven; these are the only people who can think in a spiritual fashion.
10. II. The human race is the seminary of heaven, will appear from a subsequent article, in which it will be shown, that heaven and hell are from the human race, and that therefore the human race is the seminary of heaven. It must, however, first be mentioned, that as heaven has been formed of the human race, from the first creation until now, so it will be formed and filled up from the same source hereafter. It is indeed possible that the human race on one earth may perish, which comes to pass when they separate themselves entirely from the Divine, for then man no longer has spiritual life, but only natural, like that of beasts; and when man is such no society can be formed, and held bound by laws, since without the influx of heaven, and thus without the Divine government, man would become insane, and rush unchecked into every wickedness, one against another. But although the human race, by separation from the Divine, might perish on one earth, which, however, is provided against by the Lord, yet still they would continue on other earths; for that there are earths in the universe to some hundreds of thousands, may be seen in the little work, The Earths in our Solar System called Planets, and the Earths in the Starry Heaven. It was said to me from heaven, that the human race on this earth would have perished, so that not one man would have existed on it at this day, if the Lord had not come into the world, and on this earth assumed the Human, and made it Divine; and also, unless the Lord had given here such a Word as might serve for a basis to the angelic heaven, and for its conjunction. That the conjunction of heaven with man is by the Word, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (303-310). But that such is the case can be comprehended only by those who think spiritually, that is, by those who through the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Lord are conjoined with heaven, for they alone are able to think spiritually.
10. ((ii.)) Quod Genus Humanum sit Seminarium Caeli, constabit ex articulo sequente, ubi ostendendum quod caelum et infernum sint ex humano genere, ita quod genus humanum sit seminarium caeli. In antecessum memorabitur quod sicut huc usque, hoc est, a prima creatione, formatum est caelum ex humano genere, ita posthac formandum et locupletandum sit. Dari quidem potest, quod humanum genus super una tellure pereat, quod fit cum id se prorsus separat a Divino; nam tunc homini non amplius est vita spiritualis, sed, modo naturalis, qualis est bestiis; et cum homo talis est, non societas formari potest, et in vinculis teneri per leges, quoniam homo absque influxu caeli, ita absque regimine Divino, foret insanus, ac rueret effrene in omnia nefaria, unus contra alterum. Sed tametsi humanum genus per separationem a Divino super una tellure periret, quod tamen ne fiat providetur a Domino, usque tamen permanet super aliis; sunt enim tellures in Universo ad aliquot centena millia, videatur in opusculo De Telluribus in Mundo nostro Solari, quae Plantae vocantur, et de Telluribus in Caelo Astrifero. Dictum mihi est e caelo, quod genus humanum super hac tellure periisset, usque ut hodie non exstitisset unus, nisi Dominus in mundum venisset, ac in hac tellure induisset Humanum, ac id Divinum fecisset; et quoque nisi Dominus dedisset hic tale Verbum, quod esset caelo angelico pro basi et pro conjunctione: quod per Verbum sit conjunctio caeli cum homine, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno (303-310). Sed quod ita sit, non comprehendi potest quam ab illis qui spiritualiter cogitant, hoc est, ab illis qui per agnitionem Divini in Domino conjuncti sunt caelo, nam hi solum spiritualiter possunt cogitare.