45.前面论述该主题的章节（28-32节）已经说明，最后的审判不是发生在地上，而是发生在灵界，就是自创世之初以来，所有曾活过的人聚集的地方。既然如此，那么谁也不可能知道最后的审判什么时候发生。因为人人都预计它在地上发生，还以为会伴随着可见天空中的一切和地上的一切，以及整个人类的巨变。因此，为防止教会里的人出于无知活在这种信仰中，也为了防止那些思想最后审判的人永远等候它，而这最终会导致人们不相信圣言字义论到它的话，因此恐怕许多人不再相信圣言，我被允许亲眼看见现在最后的审判已经发生。我看见恶人被投入地狱，善人被提入天堂，因而一切都恢复秩序，良善与邪恶，或天堂与地狱之间的属灵平衡重新得以建立。我被允许从头至尾看见最后的审判是如何发生的；巴比伦又是如何毁灭的；龙所表示的那些人如何被投入深渊；新天堂如何再次形成，以及耶路撒冷所表示的新教会在天上的建立。我被允许亲眼看见这一切，好让我作见证。这次的最后审判始于去年，即1757年的年初，并在这一年的年底全部完成。
45. The Last Judgment Has Taken Place
In its own chapter above [28-32], I explained that a Last Judgment takes place not in the physical world but in the spiritual world, where everyone who has lived since the beginning of creation is together; and because this is the case, no one [in the physical world] can tell when a Last Judgment has happened. Everyone expects it to happen here, believing it will change everything in the heavens we see above us, everything on this earth, and the whole of humankind. To prevent the people in the church who believe this from continuing to live in ignorance; to prevent people who think about the Last Judgment from having to wait for it forever, which will lead in time to an erosion of their trust in the things said in the literal meaning of the Word about it; and therefore to prevent many from losing their faith in the Word, I have been allowed to see with my own eyes that the Last Judgment has already taken place. The evil have been cast into various hells; the good have been raised into heaven; and in this way everything has been brought back into proper order, restoring the spiritual equilibrium between good and evil, and between heaven and hell.
I have been allowed to see from beginning to end how the Last Judgment took place, as well as how Babylon was destroyed, how the people meant by the dragon 1were cast into the abyss, and how a new heaven was formed and a new church established in the heavens-the church meant by the New Jerusalem.
I have been allowed to see all these things with my own eyes so that I could bear witness to them.
The Last Judgment began early last year, in 1757, and was carried to completion by the end of that year. 2
Footnotes:
1. For mention of the dragon, see Revelation 12:3-17; 13:4, 11; 16:13; 20:2. Those who constitute the dragon, according to Swedenborg, are “the people in the Protestant church who divide God into three beings and the Lord into two and who separate caring from faith, making faith by itself the basis of salvation” (Revelation Unveiled 537:1). For a fuller description of how the Last Judgment was carried out on those meant by the dragon, see Supplements 14-29. [LSW, RS]
2. In his unpublished Spiritual Experiences Swedenborg speaks of the destruction of Babylon starting “at the end of the year 1756 and the beginning of the year 1757” (Spiritual Experiences [= Swedenborg 1998-2013] 5336). In Spiritual Experiences 5207-5222, 5229-5239, Swedenborg gives an account of the destruction of Babylon, which he concludes by saying, “These things happened in the last days of the year 1756” (Spiritual Experiences 5239). However, in his published writings, as here, he consistently places the Last Judgment (of which the destruction of Babylon is a part) in 1757. See, for example, Revelation Unveiled 791, 865, 886; True Christianity 115, 124, 772, 796, 818, 841. [LSW]
45. VIII. THE LAST JUDGMENT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
It was shown in the chapter on this subject above [28-32] that the Last Judgment is not to take place on earth, but in the spiritual world, where all are gathered who have lived since the beginning of creation. This being so, no human being could possibly be aware when the Last Judgment took place. For everyone expects it to happen on earth with everything in the visible sky and on the earth being changed at the same time, and affecting human beings on earth. So to prevent people in the church living with that belief out of ignorance, and those who think about the Last Judgment perpetually waiting for it, which would eventually result in people disbelieving what the literal sense of the Word says about it; and to prevent more people losing their faith in the Word, I have been allowed to see with my own eyes that the Last Judgment has now taken place. I have seen the wicked cast into the hells, and the good raised to heaven, thus restoring all to order and so re-establishing the spiritual equilibrium between good and evil, or between heaven and hell. I was allowed to see how the Last Judgment took place from beginning to end; and also how Babylon was destroyed, and how those who are meant by the dragon were cast into the abyss; and then again how the new heaven was formed, and the new church meant by the New Jerusalem was set up in the heavens. I was allowed to see all this with my own eyes so that I could bear witness. This Last Judgment started at the beginning of last year, 1757, and was fully completed by the end of the year.
45. VIII. THE LAST JUDGMENT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
It was shown above, in an article for the purpose, that the Last Judgment does not exist on the earth, but in the spiritual world, where all from the beginning of creation are together; and since it is so, it is impossible for any man to know when the Last Judgment is accomplished, for every one expects it to exist on earth, accompanied by a change of all things in the visible heaven, and on the earth and in the human race there. Lest therefore the man of the church from ignorance should live in such a belief, and lest they who think of the Last Judgment should expect it forever, whence at length the belief in those things which are said of it in the literal sense of the Word must perish, and lest perchance therefore many should recede from a belief in the Word, it has been granted me to see with my own eyes that the Last Judgment is now accomplished; that the evil are cast into the hells, and the good elevated into heaven, and thus that all things are reduced into order, the spiritual equilibrium between good and evil, or between heaven and hell, being thence restored. It was granted me to see from beginning to end how the Last Judgment was accomplished; and also how Babylon was destroyed, also how those who are meant by "the dragon" were cast into the abyss, and how the New Heaven was formed, and the New Church instituted in the heavens, which is meant by "the New Jerusalem." It was granted me to see all these things with my own eyes, in order that I might be able to testify of them. This Last Judgment was commenced in the beginning of the year 1757, and was fully accomplished at the end of that year.
45. (VIII.) QUOD ULTIMUM JUDICIUM PERACTUM SIT.
Supra in suo articulo ostensum est quod ultimum judicium non existat in terris, sed in mundo spirituali, ubi omnes a principio creationis simul sunt; et quia ita est, non potest ad cognitionem ullius hominis venire, quum ultimum judicium peractum est, quisque enim exspectat id in terris, et simul tunc omnium mutationem in caelo quod coram oculis, et in terris, cumque humano genere ibi. Ne itaque homo ecclesiae in tali fide, ex ignorantia vivat, et illi, qui de ultimo judicio cogitant, praestolentur illud in perpetuum, unde tandem peritura sit fides de illis quae in sensu litterae Verbi de illo dicta sunt, et ne forte ideo plures recessuri sint a fide de Verbo, datum est mihi oculis meis videre quod ultimum judicium nunc peractum sit, et quod mali conjecti sint in inferna, ac boni elevati in caelum, et sic quod omnia in ordinem redacta sint, et inde restitutum aequilibrium spirituale, quod est inter bonum et malum, seu inter caelum et infernum. Quomodo ultimum judicium peractum est, datum est mihi videre a principio ad finem; tum quoque quomodo Babylonia destructa est, ut et quomodo illi, qui intelliguntur per "draconem," conjecti sunt in abyssum; tum etiam quomodo formatum est novum caelum, et instaurata est nova ecclesia in caelis, quae intelligitur per "Novam Hierosolymam." Haec omnia data mihi sunt oculis meis videre, ob finem ut possim testari. Ultimum hoc judicium inchoatum est in principio anni praecedentis 1757, et in fine illius anni plene peractum est.