220.最后审判所表现的形像。关于不幸者所受的折磨和最终的释放。关于怜悯的争论。今夜，当我醒来时，许多我难以描述的事物被展示给我。有一种灵人的争论出现，因为我分明看见许多在最低层天堂的人正在被摔倒，许多陷入囚禁的人正在上升。此外，我被恩准看得更清楚的是，很长时间以来陷入严酷囚禁中的不幸者多次在梦中与那些自由自在地身处最低层天堂的人抗争；而事实上，后者想使他们丧失怜悯，因而丧失得救的一切希望。这种争论持续了很长时间，直到我醒来。他们怨声载道，极其焦虑，甚至反复不停地说，其他人想使他们丧失怜悯，因此他们就要完了。因为他们正在经受严厉的惩罚，以致他们只想着完全失去自己的生命。弥赛亚神带给他们的唯一希望是，他们能思想仍会有怜悯存在。当拥有自由的恶人甚至连这希望也要夺去时，他们的焦虑加倍，陷入绝望。至于这种争论本身，即他们如何争论怜悯，这不是一件很容易描述的事，因为这类灵人的代表无法轻易被描述出来。因此，当他们对这次伤害抱怨最为苦毒，也就是说，他们唯一的安慰（即：会有怜悯）正从他们那里被夺走时，最终，希望临到他们，即：他们不会失去应许给他们的怜悯。我有时也能在某种程度上在自己里面感受到一种怜悯之情，但不是我自己的，而是天堂的，因而是弥赛亚神的。最后，我看见被置于这种焦虑的灵人以奇妙的方式通过一种上升被释放，这同样是无法描述的。后来，我与他们交谈，他们极其谦逊，现就在幸福者当中。当时，我几次看到他们几乎被夺去怜悯，以致他们在被释放之前，可以说陷入极端的危难和永死的恐惧。但我被告知，他们曾过着邪恶的生活。
220. An image of the last judgment depicted
About the torment, and finally setting free of the unhappy
A dispute about mercy
This night when I awoke, many things were exhibited to me that are rather hard for me to describe. There appeared a kind of revolt by spirits, for I plainly saw that many who were in the last heaven were being thrust down, and many who were in captivity were rising up. But what was granted to me to see very clearly was that the unhappy ones who for a long time had been in harsh captivity were striving, many at a time, with those who were in freedom in the last heaven and who wanted in fact to deprive them of mercy, thus all hope of salvation.
This dispute continued by day, until I awoke. They complained greatly, with much anxiety, and this over and over again, that the others wanted to take away mercy, and that then it would be over with them. For they had been undergoing severe punishment, so that they wanted nothing more than to lose their life completely. The only hope brought to them by God the Messiah was that they were able to think there was still mercy; and when the wicked ones having freedom wanted to take even this away, their anxiety was doubled, and they were falling into despair.
As regards the strife itself, how they disputed about mercy, it is not an easy thing to describe, for the displays like these of spirits evade description. Therefore, when they had complained most bitterly about that injustice, that is, that their only comfort - that there would be mercy - was being taken away from them, finally the hope dawned upon them that they would not lose the mercy promised to them. I was even able to feel to a degree within myself an emotion of mercy, not as my own, but as belonging to the heavens, and thus to God the Messiah. Finally I saw these spirits who had been in such anxiety wonderfully liberated, by a kind of ascending, which likewise cannot well be described. Afterwards I spoke with them, and being very kind, they are now among the happy. 1747, in the night between 27 and 28 October (old calendar).
At the time, I was shown on several occasions that they were almost deprived of mercy - it came very close - so that they were brought to the extreme of distress and [fear of] eternal death, before being liberated. But it was told to me that they had led an evil life.
220. AN IMAGE OF THE LAST JUDGMENT REPRESENTED. CONCERNING THE TORMENT OF THE UNHAPPY, AND AT LENGTH THEIR LIBERATION. A DISPUTE CONCERNING MERCY
This night, having been awakened from sleep, many things were shown me which I cannot well describe. There was a certain kind of revolving of spirits, with the manifest perception that many of those who were in the ultimate heaven were being thrust down, and many who were in captivity were ascending. Moreover, it was given me more clearly to perceive that the unhappy, who had been so long in hard captivity, contended many times in a dream with those at liberty in the ultimate heaven; and these latter wanted to deprive them of mercy, thus of all hope of salvation. This contention lasted a long time. When I awoke, they complained exceedingly with much anxiety, and indeed repeatedly, that the others wanted to deprive them of mercy, and that thus it would be all over with them; for they were undergoing grievous punishment, so that they wished nothing more than to lose their life entirely. The only hope afforded them by God Messiah was that they could think that there still was mercy. When the wicked, in the liberty accorded them, wanted to take this hope away from them, their anxiety was doubled, so that they fell into despair. With regard to the contention itself, how the contention about mercy was carried on is not very readily described, for such representations of spirits cannot be described easily. When, therefore, they complained so bitterly concerning that injury, that their sole consolation - that there would be mercy - was being taken away from them, there at length shone forth the hope that they would not lose the mercy which had been promised them. I could also sometimes perceive in myself, the stirring of mercy, not as mine, but as belonging to the heavens, and thus to God Messiah. Those spirits who had been placed in such anxiety were at length liberated in a wonderful manner, which was made manifest to me by a kind of ascent, which likewise cannot well be described. Afterwards I spoke with them, and they are most modest: so they are now among the happy. 1747, the night between Oct. 27 and 28, o.s. It was sometimes then shown me that mercy was almost taken away from them, so that there was little short of their being reduced to the last extremity of straitness and eternal death before they were liberated: but it was told me that they had led an evil life.
220. Ulimti judicii imago repraesentata. De infelicium cruciatu, et tandem liberatione. Contentio de misericordia
Hac nocte, expergefactus plura mihi ostensa sunt, quae non ita describere possum, erat species cujusdam revolutionis spirituum, cum manifesta perceptione, nempe quod multi qui in coelo ultimo essent, detruderentur, et multi qui in captivitate, ascenderent. Sed hoc mihi clarius percipiendum dabatur, quod infelices qui in dura captivitate diu fuerunt, per plures vices in somnio contenderent cum iis qui in libertate, in ultimo coelo, et quidem quod iis adimere vellent misericordiam, ita omnem spem salutis, quae contentio die persistebat, dum evigilavi; valde conquesti sunt, cum multa anxietate, et quidem repetitis vicibus, quod iis vellent auferre misericordiam, et quod ita actum prorsus cum iis foret, fuerunt enim in gravi poena, sic ut nihil potius vellent, quam vitam prorsus amittere, unica spes iis a Deo Messia oblata erat, quod cogitare possent, adhuc misericordiam esse, quam cum auferre vellent impii in libertate constituti, geminata est eorum anxietas, sic ut in desperationem laberentur; quod ipsam contentionem attinet, quomodo de misericordia contentio facta sit, non ita aequum est describere, nam spirituum repraesentationes tales non facile describi possunt; quum itaque amarissime questi sunt de injuria ista, quod unicum solatium, quod esset misericordia, iis auferretur, tandem 1
affulsit iis spes, quod non amitterent misericordiam, quod iis promissum erat, percipere etiam misericordiae motionem aliquatenus apud me, non ut meam, sed ut coelorum, et sic Dei Messiae, potui, hi tandem in tali anxietate constituti, mirabiliter liberati sunt, per speciem ascensus mihi manifestam, quae nec ita describi potest 2
; postea cum iis loquutus 3
, et sunt modestissimi, ita nunc inter felices. 1747, nocte inter 27 et 284 Oct. st. v. Aliquoties tunc mihi ostensum est, quod misericordia paene iis adempta est, parum defuit, sic ut ad ultimum angustiae et mortis aeternae, perducti, antequam liberarentur: sed dictum mihi est, quod ii malam egerint vitam.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has auferetur (sic!); tandem
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has postea
3. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has loquuti