288.关于天上的喜乐。今天我周围的一些灵人与我交谈，其中既有我认识的，也有我不认识的。他们被带上更内在的天堂，从那里通过使者告诉我说，他们的幸福永远无法用嘴口说出来，也无法被下面之人的心智所感知。在我写这些东西的时候，他们还被恩准引导我的手，就好像是他们在讲述并写下这些事。在他们被带上更内在的天堂之前，我觉得有一个人离开肉身生命时间不长，他不得不脱去他的最外在部分，也就是仍粘附在他身上的属世元素。这些元素永远不可进入更内在的天堂；蒙弥赛亚神的怜悯，那些被属世元素包裹的人住在最末层天堂，也在蒙福者之列。幸福并不在于眼睛所看见的、存在于内层天堂的这类代表，而在于舌头永远无法说出、身体的头脑永远想不到的那类代表。保罗被提到至内层或第三层天，也必须脱去肉体和世俗的思想，这一切通过弥赛亚神的全能实现。有些灵人认为他们也曾被提到那里，但他们没有脱去肉体和世俗的元素，所以只能被提升到更内在天堂的外院；他们甚至宣扬他们所感受到的这种祝福。在此期间，我与一些人谈论那些被提入更内在天堂之人的状态，说，当他们回到自己的属世心智时，就无法表达这种幸福；原因是，心智的属世元素可以说把它从他们眼前隐藏了；因为在最末层天堂的灵人当中掌权的这类属世元素，与惯常在肉身生命中掌权的肉体和感官元素没什么两样。那时，一些不愿相信这些事的灵人也被提到更内在天堂的外院，他们大声欢呼说，他们从来没有看见，也永远想象不到还有什么东西比这更美丽、更迷人的了。（1747年12月2日）
288. About heavenly joy
Today some of those who were around me and spoke with me - both acquaintances and people unknown to me - were raised up into the very inward heaven, and they told me through messengers that the happiness is such that it can never be uttered by the mouth or perceived by the mind [of anyone below]. Then it was also granted them to guide my hand while I was writing these things, so that it would be as if they were telling and writing them.
But before they had been raised up into the very inward heaven, a certain one who had departed the life of the body not long before, seemed to me to have to shed his outermost parts, or the earthly element that was still clinging. This can never be allowed to enter into the very inward heaven; but those enveloped with the earthly element are able, by the mercy of God the Messiah, to live in the last heaven, also among the blessed. About their condition, see the things reported here and there above [cf. 220, 262].
Happiness does not consist in the kind of symbolic displays, seen by the eye, that exist in the inward heaven, 1but in the kind which the tongue can never utter, and which the mind in the body can never contemplate. Thus Paul, who was caught up into the innermost or third heaven [2 Cor. 12:2-4], must have been divested for the time of both the body and the earthly mind - which is [effected] by the omnipotence of God the Messiah.
2] Some others supposed that they also had been raised up to that heaven, but because they had not been divested of bodily and earthly elements, they were raised only toward the outer court of the very inward heaven; even they were proclaiming the blessedness [they felt].
Meanwhile, I spoke with several about the state of those who were raised up into the very inward heaven, saying that when they returned to their earthly mind, they would be unable to express the happiness, the reason being that the earthly elements of the mind as it were hide it from their sight, because those elements dominate in spirits of the last heaven, no differently than those of the body and the senses do in bodily life.
Some spirits also who were unwilling to attach faith to these things were then also raised up toward the outer court of the very inward heaven, and they exclaimed aloud that they had never seen nor could ever have imagined anything more beautiful, and more delightful. 1747, the 2nd day of December.
Footnotes:
1. See 262, footnote 3.
288. CONCERNING HEAVENLY JOY
Today some of those who were about me, and spoke with me - both those who were known to me and those who were unknown - were taken up into the more interior heaven, 1and from thence they told me by means of messengers, that their happiness was such that it could never be uttered by the mouth or perceived by the mind. It was also granted them from there to direct my hand as I was writing these things, so that the things related, and as it were, written, were theirs. But before they were taken up into the more interior heaven it seemed to me that a certain one who had not long since departed the life of the body, had to put off his outermost things, thus the natural which as yet adhered to him, and which can never be admitted into the more interior heaven. Those who are clothed with the natural can, however, by the mercy of God Messiah, live in the ultimate heaven and among the blessed, the state of whom may be seen related in various places above. Happiness does not consist in the same sort of representations as those which the eye sees, as in the more interior heaven, but of the kind the tongue can never utter, and which the mind in the body can never think. Thus Paul, who was caught up into the inmost or third heaven, had for the time being to be deprived both of the body and the natural mind, which is effected by the omnipotence of God Messiah. Some spirits supposed that they also were taken up thither, but because they had not put corporeal and natural things they were raised only towards the court of the more interior heaven, saying, that when they returned into their natural mind they would be unable to express the felicity, for the reason that the natural things of the mind, as it were, hide it from their eyes; because such natural things rule among spirits of the ultimate heaven no otherwise than as corporeal and sensual things are wont to rule in the life of the body. Certain spirits, moreover, who were unwilling to place credence in these things, were also now taken up towards the court of the more interior heaven, and they exclaimed aloud that they have never seen, nor can they imagine, anything more beautiful and lovely. 1747, Dec. 2.
Footnotes:
1. This is referred to in the Index (s.v. Coelum) as "the Court of heaven".
288. De gaudio coelesti
Hodie quidam 1
eorum qui circum me fuerunt, et loquuti sunt mecum, tam noti quam ignoti, sublati sunt in coelum intimius, et mihi inde per nuntios dicebant, quod talis esset felicitas, ut nusquam ore effabilis sit, aut mente perceptibilis, inde etiam dirigere iis concedebatur manum meam, dum haec scriberem, ita ut eorum narrata et quasi scripta essent: sed antequam sublati sunt in intimius coelum,quidam, qui non ita pridem e vita corporis excessit, videbatur mihi, quod exuere deberet extima sua, ita naturale quod adhuc adhaeresceret, quod in intimius coelum nusquam admitti potest, sed qui naturali induti sunt, ii in ultimo coelo, etiam inter beatos, ex misericordia Dei Messiae vivere possunt, de quorum statu passim relata videantur [cf. 220, [262]. Felicitas non consistit in repraesentationibus ejuscemodi, quas oculus videt, sicut in coelo interiori, sed in [iis] ejuscemodi, quae lingua nusquam effari, et mens in corpore nusquam cogitare potest, ita Paulus qui raptus est in intimum seu tertium coelum [II Cor. XII: 2-4], exutus esse debuit interea, tam corpore, quam naturali mente; quod est omnipotentia, Dei Messiae. Quidam etiam illuc quoque sublatos 2
se esse autumabant, sed quia non exuti corporeis et naturalibus, modo versus atrium intimioris coeli erant, qui etiam praedicabant beatitudines. Interea loquutus sum cum aliquibus de statu eorum qui sublati sunt in intimius coelum, quod dum redirent in naturalem mentem, quod enuntiare non possent felicitatem, ex causa etiam, quod naturalia mentis [eam] quasi abscondant ab oculis eorum, quia regnant non aliter in spiritibus ultimi coeli, ac solent corporea et sensualia in vita corporis. Quidam etiam spiritus, qui non fidem iis adhibere vellent, nunc etiam sublati sunt versus atrium intimioris coeli, et voce clamabant, quod nusquam viderint nec sibi imaginari possent pulchrius, et amaenius. 1747, d. 2 Dec.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has quidem
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has sublati