3062. Those thought to be the most learned in the world and seen by the world as the most enlightened in the Word had conceived a false idea of heaven
What might surprise everyone is that those who had seemed in the world to be enlightened beyond others from the Word of the Lord had conceived a false idea of heaven, namely, imagining they are in heaven when they are high up, and that they can control from there everything below, thus be in the glory of themselves and eminence above others. This was shown to me, for from a fantasy conceived in the world, they were brought up on high, and permitted from there as it were to rule something in the lower regions, imagining they were then in the heaven of their fantasy, when yet the contrary is the case. 1748, 5 Sept.
3062. THAT THEY WHO ARE ESTEEMED MOST LEARNED IN THE WORLD, AND SEEM TO THE WORLD THE MOST ENLIGHTENED IN THE WORD, HAVE CONCEIVED FALSE A IDEA RESPECTING HEAVEN.
(Everyone may [can] wonder at this, that those who in the world seemed enlightened above others; from the Lord's Word, have conceived a false idea respecting heaven, to wit, that they suppose when on high they are then in heaven, also that they can thence rule [direct] the things which are below (and so be in self-glory and eminence above others, as was shown me: for from fantasy conceived in the world, they are brought up on high, and are permitted, as it were, to direct thence, something in the lower [regions], and thus suppose they are in the heaven of their phantasy, when yet the reverse is the case. - 1748, September 5.)
3062. Quod ii qui doctissimi in mundo putentur, et in Verbo illustratissimi visi mundo falsam ideam de coelo conceperint
Quod quisque mirari potest, est quod ii qui visi in mundo illustrati prae aliis ex Verbo Domini, falsam ideam conceperint de coelo, nempe quod putent tunc in coelo esse, quando in alto, tum quod regere possint inde ea quae infra sunt, ita esse in gloria sui, et eminentia prae aliis, quod mihi ostensum; nam ex phantasia concepta in mundo, in altum deducti sunt, et inde quasi aliquid regere in inferioribus permissum, putantes sic in phantasiae suae coelo esse, cum tamen contrarium est. 1748, 5 Sept.