69.⑴先前的天由哪些人构成。先前的天是由所有受到最后审判的人构成的。受到最后审判的，既不是地狱里的人或天堂里的人，也不是灵人界里的人（关于灵人界，参看HH421-520节），更不是仍活在世上的人，仅仅是那些自造一种天堂的人；他们当中大多数人住在山上或高处的磐石上。这些人也是主安置在左边的山羊（马太福音25:32-33）所表示的人。由此可以证实，先前的天不但由基督徒，还由伊斯兰教徒、外邦人或异教徒构成；他们都在各种不同的地方自造这类天堂。
我简单描述一下他们的性质。他们就是那些在世上过着表面圣洁的生活，却没有内在的圣洁，公正和诚实是由于文明道德的法律，而不是由于属灵律法的人。因此，他们是外在人或属世人，不是内在人或属灵人。他们包括那些掌握教会的教义，甚至能教导它，却不照之生活的人；还包括那些担任各种职务，履行服务或发挥功用，但不是为了服务或功用的人。在全世界生活在主降临之后的人当中，这些人和类似他们的其他人构成先前的天。因此，该天堂在性质上极像由那些行善不是因为它是良善，而是因为害怕法律惩罚，丧失名声、尊敬和财富的人构成的世界和地上教会。只为这些而不为其它原因行善的人并不敬畏神，而是害怕人，也没有良心。
构成先前天的新教徒，大多是那些持守唯信得救的信仰，却没有信仰的生活，就是仁爱生活的人；他们还渴望受到人们的高度重视和仰慕。当所有这些人在公开场合时，他们的内层就关闭，免得它们显现。然而，当最后的审判开始时，他们的内层就打开；那时会发现，他们内心痴迷各种邪恶和虚假，反对神性，实际上早就身在地狱了。因为每个人死后立即与同类灵人联系在一起：善人与天堂里的同类灵人联系在一起，恶人与地狱里的同类灵人联系在一起。然而，在他们的内层显露之前，他们不会加入同类灵人。在此期间，他们能与外在类似他们的人交往。
然而，要知道，凡内在良善，因而属灵的人都与他们分离，并被提入天堂；凡内外都邪恶的人也与他们分离，并被投入地狱。这种事从主降临的那一刻起就发生了，一直持续到最后的审判发生时的最后一刻。只有刚才所描述的那种人留下来，形成自己的社群，从而构成先前的天。
69. 1. Who constituted this first heaven. The first heaven consisted of all the people on whom the Last Judgment was carried out. The Last Judgment was not carried out on people who were in hell or on people who were in heaven or on people who were in the world of spirits 1(on that world see Heaven and Hell 421-520) or on anyone who was still alive in the physical world. The Last Judgment was carried out only on people who had fashioned a sort of heaven for themselves, most of whom lived in the mountains or on rocky heights. These were the people the Lord meant by the goats that he set on his left (Matthew 25:32, 33, and following). Therefore the first heaven consisted not only of Christians but also of Muslims and people of other religions, all of whom had formed heavens like this for themselves in various different places.
[2] I need to say briefly what kind of people these were. They were people who had led lives of outward holiness in the world, but with no concern for inward holiness; people who were fair and honest because of civil and moral laws but not because of divine laws. So they were external or earthly people, not internal or spiritual people. They were devoted to the church's body of teaching and were even capable of teaching it themselves, but were not living by it. They held positions of responsibility of various different kinds and did useful work, but not for the sake of being useful. Among all the people in the whole world who had lived since the Lord's Coming, these kinds of people and others like them constituted the first heaven. As a result this heaven was very much like the world and the church on earth when these are made up of people who do good not because it is a good thing to do but because they fear legal repercussions and the loss of their reputation, honor, and wealth if they do not do it. People who do what is good for no other reasons than these have a fear of other people, but no fear of God and no conscience.
[3] Most of the Protestants in the first heaven were people who had a belief in salvation by faith alone but no life in accordance with faith, which means caring; they also had a great love of being admired.
The inner natures of all such individuals were closed off when they were in public, so that those natures would not be open to view. 2However, their inner natures were opened to view when the Last Judgment began; and when that happened it became obvious that they were inwardly obsessed with evils and falsities of all kinds, that they were opposed to the Divine, and that they were actually in hell already. This is because after death each of us is immediately allied with kindred spirits-the good with kindred spirits in heaven and the evil with kindred spirits in hell. However, we do not join them openly until our inner natures have been uncovered. In the meanwhile, we can keep company with people who are outwardly like ourselves.
[4] It is important to know, though, that everyone who was inwardly good and therefore spiritual was separated from them and taken up into heaven, and that everyone who was evil not only inwardly but outwardly was separated from them and cast into hell. This has been going on continually from the moment [the church] began after the Lord's Coming until the moment it ended, when the Last Judgment took place. Only those of the kind described just above remained behind and formed among themselves the communities that constituted the first heaven.
Footnotes:
1. In Supplements 18 it is made clear that Swedenborg understood the “first heaven” (sometimes referred to in the plural) to be located in a region carved out from the world of spirits. The distinction made here between people who were in the world of spirits and people who were in the first heavens is evidently a distinction between those who are in their normal passage through the world of spirits and those who had made false heavens for themselves in the upper regions of the world of spirits, close to the lowest heavens. At the time of the Last Judgment, when the first heavens were dispersed, these areas were converted into new heavens consisting of good spirits who had been detained in lower areas of the world of spirits until the Last Judgment. For more on the nature and location of the first heavens, see Revelation Explained (= Swedenborg 1994-1997a) 391-392, 394, 397, 497; Supplements 9-10, 16-19; Draft of Five Memorable Occurrences (= Swedenborg 1996b) 24. For more on the world of spirits in relation to heaven and hell, see the notes in New Jerusalem 316 and Last Judgment 22, 25:1, 56:8. [LSW]
2. For an explanation of how these spirits could maintain an outward appearance different from their true inner character even though this is ordinarily not possible in the spiritual world, see note 6 in Last Judgment 56. [LSW]
69. The people composing the first heaven. The first heaven was a gathering of all on whom the last judgment took place. It did not take place on those in hell nor on those in heaven, nor on those in the world of spirits (on which see HEAVEN AND HELL 421-520); and not on any person still alive; but only on those who had made themselves a kind of heaven, mostly on mountains and rocks. These are also those whom the Lord meant by the goats, which He placed on the left (Matthew 25:32-33). From this it can be established that the first heaven was composed not only of Christians, but also of Mohammedans and heathens, all of whom had made themselves such heavens in their own locations.
[2] I shall give a brief description of their nature. They were those who in the world had put on an outward show of a holy life, though lacking any inward basis, but who had been upright and honest because they were compelled by civil and moral laws, but not the laws of God. Thus they were external or natural people, not internal or spiritual people. They included those who possessed the church's teachings and were able themselves to teach, though they did not live in accordance with what they taught; also those who held various offices and performed services, though not for the sake of being of service. It was these and those like them all the world over, who lived after the Lord's coming, that made up the first heaven. This heaven there fore had the same nature as the world and the church on earth, which is composed of those who do not do good because it is good, but because of legal penalties and fear of losing their reputations, honours and advantages. Those who do good for no other reason fear not God but men, and have no conscience.
[3] In the first heaven composed of the Reformed the greater number were those who had believed in salvation by faith alone, not by a life of faith, which is one of charity, and who had been eager to be highly regarded by men. While all these were formed into communities, they had their interiors closed so that they could not be seen; but they were opened up when the Last Judgment was at hand. Then it was learnt that they were inwardly obsessed by every kind of evil and falsity, being opposed to the Divine and in reality in hell. For each person immediately after death is attached to people like him, the good to those like them in heaven, the wicked to those like them in hell, but they do not go to join them until their interiors are revealed. In the meantime they can associate with those who resemble them in externals.
[4] But it should be known that all who were inwardly good, and so spiritual, were separated from them and raised into heaven. All who were not only inwardly but also outwardly wicked were also separated from them and cast into hell. This has happened from the earliest times following the Lord's coming and down to the last, when the judgment took place. The only ones who were left to form their own communities which made up the first heaven, were those whose nature was such as described above.
69. I. Of whom the first heaven consisted. The first heaven was composed of all those upon whom the Last Judgment was effected, for it was not effected upon those in hell, nor upon those in heaven, nor upon those in the world of spirits, concerning which world see the work on Heaven and Hell (421-520), nor upon any man yet living, but solely upon those who had made to themselves the likeness of a heaven, of whom the greater part were on mountains and rocks; these also were they whom the Lord meant by "the goats," which He placed on the left (Matthew 25:32, 33). Hence it may appear, that the first heaven existed, not merely from Christians, but also from Mohammedans and Gentiles, who had all formed to themselves such heavens in their own places. What their quality was shall be told in a few words. They were those who had lived in the world in external and not in internal holiness; who were just and sincere for the sake of civil and moral laws, but not for the sake of Divine laws, therefore who were external or natural and not internal or spiritual men; who also were in the doctrinals of the church, and were able to teach them, although they were not in a life according to them; and who filled various offices, and did uses, but not for the sake of uses. These, and all throughout the whole world who were like them, and who lived after the Lord's coming, constituted "the first heaven." This heaven therefore was such as the world and church is upon earth, among those who do good not because it is good, but because they fear the laws, and the loss of fame, honor, and gain; they who do good for no other origin, do not fear God, but men, nor do they have any conscience. In the first heaven of the Reformed, there was a large part of them, who believed that man is saved by faith alone, and had not lived the life of faith, which is charity; and who loved much to be seen of men. In all these, so long as they were associated together, the interiors were closed that they might not appear, but when the Last Judgment was at hand they were opened; and it was then found that inwardly they were obsessed by falsities and evils of every kind, and that they were against the Divine, and were actually in hell. For every one after death is immediately bound to his like, the good to their like in heaven, but the evil to their like in hell, yet they do not go to them before the interiors are disclosed; in the meantime they may be consociated with those who are like them in externals. But it is to be known that all who were interiorly good thus who were spiritual, were separated from them, and elevated into heaven, and that all who were exteriorly as well as interiorly evil, were also separated from them, and cast into hell; and this from the time immediately succeeding the Lord's advent, down to the last time, when the judgment was; and that those only were left, to form societies among themselves, who constituted the first heaven, and who were such as are described above.
69. ((i.)) Primum caelum a quibus exstiterat.- Primum caelum ab omnibus illis conflatum est, super quos ultimum judicium est factum; non enim factum est super illos qui in inferno, nec super illos qui in caelo, nec super illos qui in mundo spirituum, de quo mundo videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno (421-520);. et non super aliquo homine adhuc vivente: sed solum super illos, qui sibi instar caeli fecerunt, quorum plurima pars erat super montibus et petris: hi etiam sunt qui a Domino intellecti sunt per "hircos," quos statuit a sinistro (Matthaeus 25:32-33, seq.). Inde constare potest, quod primum caelum exstiterit non modo a Christianis, sed etiam a Mahumedanis et Gentibus, quorum omnes formaverant sibi tales caelos in suis locis. Quales illi fuerunt, paucis dicetur. Fuerunt qui in sancto externo vixerunt in mundo, et usque in nullo sancto interno; et qui propter leges civiles et morales justi et sinceri fuerunt, et non propter leges Divinas, ita qui externi seu naturales homines fuerunt, ac non interni seu spirituales; et quoque qui in doctrinalibus ecclesiae, et docere potuerunt, tametsi non in vita secundum illa; tum qui in variis functionibus fuerunt, et usus fecerunt, sed non propter usus. Hi et horum similes ex omnibus in universo terrarum orbe, qui post adventum Domini vixerunt, "primum caelum" constituerunt. Hoc caelum ideo tale erat, qualis est mundus et ecclesia in terris ex illis qui non bonum agunt quia est bonum, sed quia timent leges ac jacturam famae, honoris et lucri: qui non ex alia origine agunt bonum, illi non timent Deum sed homines, nec conscientiam habent. In primo caelo, quod a Reformatis, multa pars erat, qui crediderunt salvari hominem per solam fidem, et non vitam fidei, quae est charitas, vixerunt; et qui amaverunt multum ab hominibus videri. Omnibus illis, dum consociati erant, interiora clausa fuerunt ut non patuerint, sed aperiebantur cum instaret ultimum judicium; et tunc compertum est, quod intus obsiderentur ab omnis generis malis et falsis, et quod contra Divinum essent, et quod actualiter in inferno: nam unusquisque post mortem statim alligatur similibus, boni similibus in caelo, mali autem similibus in inferno, sed non veniunt ad illos priusquam interiora reteguntur; interea consociari possunt illis qui eis similes sunt in externis. Sed sciendum est quod omnes qui interius boni fuerunt, ita qui spirituales, ab illis separati sint, et elevati in caelum; et quod omnes qui non modo interius sed etiam exterius mali fuerunt, etiam ab illis separati sint, et conjecti in infernum; et hoc a primo tempore post adventum Domini usque ad ultimum, quando judicium; ac relicti solum, ut societates inter se formarent, ex quibus primum caelum, qui tales fuerunt quales supra descripti sunt.