71.⑵它的性质如何。从我刚才所说的可以推断出先前的天是何性质。其性质从以下事实也可以推断出来：那些没有通过对神性的承认、良善的生活和对真理的情感而变得属灵，却仍为了自己和世界通过外在的圣洁、谈论神性事物和诚实而保持属灵的表象之人，一旦交由自己的内在，就冲进与他们的欲望一致的可憎恶行。因为此时，没有什么东西拦得住他们，无论对神的敬畏，信仰还是良心，统统不起作用。正因如此，先前天的居民一旦被带入内层，他们与地狱结合的事实就变得显而易见了。
71. 2. What the first heaven was like. What I said just above can give you an idea of this. Add to that that if people lack spirituality because they have not acknowledged the Divine, have not led good lives, and have not desired truth, but for selfish and worldly reasons have nevertheless taken on the appearance of being spiritual by practicing outward holiness, talking about divine matters, and doing upright things, when they are left to their own devices inwardly, they plunge into the wickedness they have been craving. Nothing holds them back-not fear of God, not faith, not conscience. This is why the moment people in the first heaven were brought into their inner natures, it became obvious that they were joined to the hells.
71. The nature of the first heaven can now be deduced from what has been said above. It is also to be inferred from the following fact: those who have not become spiritual by acknowledging the Divine, leading good lives and having an affection for truth, but still keep up the appearance of being spiritual by their outward piety, talking about Divine matters, and by honest dealings for self-regarding or worldly motives - these rush into the most wicked actions their desires suggest, as soon as they are left to the guidance of their own internals. Nothing stops them, not the fear of God, nor faith nor conscience. That was why the inhabitants of the first heaven, as soon as they were exposed to their inner natures, were seen to be linked with the hells.
71. II. What the quality of the first heaven was, may be concluded from the things already said of it; as also from this, that they who are not spiritual by acknowledgment of the Divine, by a life of good, and by the affection of truth, and still appear as spiritual by external holiness, by discoursing on Divine things, and by sincerities for the sake of themselves and the world, rush into the abominations which agree with their lusts, when they are left to their own internals; for nothing withholds them, neither fear of God, nor faith, nor conscience. Hence it was, that as soon as they who were in the first heaven were let into their interiors, they appeared conjoined with the hells.
71. ((ii.)) Quale Primum Caelum fuit, ex illis quae supra nunc dicta sunt concludi potest; tum ex eo quod illi, qui non spirituales sunt per agnitionem Divini, vitam boni, et affectionem veri, et usque ut spirituales apparent per sanctum externum, per sermocinationes de Divinis, et per sinceritates propter se et mundum, dum relicti internis suis, ruant in nefaria secundum libidines suas; nihil enim detinet, non timor Dei, non fides, non conscientia; inde erat, quod utprimum illi, qui in primo caelo erant, immissi sunt in interiora sua, apparuerint conjuncti infernis.