239、死后，人的生命无法改变，而是仍保持它原来的样子。因为人的灵完全取决于他的爱之性质；地狱之爱永远不可能变成天堂之爱，因为它们是对立的。这就是亚伯拉罕对阴间里的财主所说这些话的意思：
在我们和你们之间有一条大鸿沟，以致人要从这边过到你们那边是不能的；要从那边过到我们这边也是不能的。（路加福音16:26）
由此明显可知，进入地狱的人会永远留在那里，而进入天堂的人也会永远留在那里。
239、人死后生命不能改变，它会保持生前的特性。因为人的灵性特征完全取决于他爱的特征。并且地狱之爱决不会转变为天堂之爱，因为它们是对立的。亚伯拉罕对地狱中财主所说的话就是这个意思：
在你我之间，有深渊限定，以致人要从这边过到你们那边是不能的；要从那边过到我们这边也是不能的（16:26）。
显然地，进入地狱的人会呆在那里直到永远。而进入天堂的人也会留在那里直到永远。
239. Our life cannot be changed after death. It retains the nature it had, because the nature of our spirit depends entirely on what our love is like, and a hellish love cannot be transformed into a heavenly one, because they are opposites. This is the meaning of what Abraham said to the rich man in hell: "Between you and us there is a great gulf, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, and neither can those from there cross over to us" (Luke 16:26). This shows that people who enter hell stay there to eternity and people who enter heaven stay there to eternity.
239. Our life cannot be changed after death; it stays as it was before we died. Our whole spirit is just like our love, and hellish love cannot be transformed into heavenly love, because they are opposites. This is what Abraham’s statement to the rich man in hell meant: “There is a huge chasm . . . between you and us, so that anyone who wants to go over to you cannot. No one can come over to us from there, either” (Luke 16:26).
So it is clear that if we go to hell, we stay there forever, but if we go to heaven, we stay there forever.
239. A person's life cannot change after death; it then remains as it had been. For a person's spirit is wholly and completely such as is his love; and hellish love cannot be translated into a heavenly one, since they are opposites. This is what is meant by Abraham's words to the rich man in hell:
There is a great gulf between you and us, so that those who would cross over to you cannot, neither can they cross from there over to us. Luke 16:26.
It is plain from this that those who come into hell remain there for ever; and those who come into heaven remain there for ever.
239. A man's life cannot be changed after death. It remains then such as it had been; for a man's spirit is wholly according to the quality of his love; and an infernal love can never be transformed into a heavenly love, because they are opposites. This is meant by Abraham's words addressed to the rich man in hell, "Between you and us there is a great gulf: so that those who would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can those pass to us that would come from thence" (Luke 16:26). From this it is evident, that those who go to hell remain there to eternity, and that those who go to heaven remain there to eternity.
239. The life of man cannot be changed after death. It then remains such as it had been. For the quality of man's spirit is in every respect the same as that of his love, and infernal love can never be transcribed into heavenly love, because they are opposite. This is meant by the words of Abraham to the rich man in hell:
Between us and you there is a great gulf; so that they which would pass to you cannot; neither can they pass to us from thence (Luke 16:26).
Hence it is evident that all who come into hell remain there to eternity; and they who come into heaven remain there to eternity.
239. Vita hominis non mutari potest post mortem; manet tunc qualis fuerat; nam spiritus hominis totus quantus est qualis ejus amor, et amor infernalis non transcribi potest in amorem caelestem, quoniam oppositi sunt. Hoc intelligitur per Abrahami verba ad divitem in inferno,
"Hiatus magnus est..inter vos et nos, ut illi qui volunt transire ad vos non possint, neque etiam istinc transire ad nos" (Lucas 16:26).
Inde patet quod qui in infernum veniunt, ibi maneant in aeternum; et qui in caelum veniunt, ibi maneant in aeternum