342.死者的灵魂被准许通过许多方式认识到，弥赛亚神是宇宙之主。来到其他灵魂中间的死者的灵魂，如伊斯兰教徒和从内心怀疑弥赛亚神，因为其属世心智充满绊倒人的事（对此，参看338节）的其他人，被带入这样的认识中：弥赛亚神是宇宙之主。这种认识既通过适合各人理解的活生生的教导，也通过照他们所想象的，将他们带入天堂的幸福而实现。他们看见各种各样最迷人的乐园，这些乐园令他们如此快乐，以致他们断定他们已经进入天上的乐园，因为这种观念已进入人类的心智。可后来，他们被教导说，这不是天堂的幸福；为此，他们还被允许去体验其至内在的喜乐状态，直到他们最终承认，这至内在的喜乐是不可察觉的，人类的感官永远无法抵达它。那时，他们也被带入一种平安的状态，甚至直到他们的至内层；在这种状态下，他们再次承认，这种事是永远无法言表的。最后，他们被带入一种纯真的状态，也就是至内在的状态，好叫他们能由此知道何为真正的良善，何为真正的属灵、属天，也就是说，何为神性；因为真正的幸福，真正的平安，真正的纯真完全是神性。后来他们以不同的方式，照着各人的生命而进入这些状态；因为他们都是照各人的本性而越来越被引向天上的事物。（1747年12月14日）
342. Souls of the dead are brought by many means to recognize that God the Messiah is the Lord of the Universe
Souls of the dead such as the Mohammedans, who have come among the rest, and others who had inwardly doubted about God the Messiah for the reason, spoken of before [338], that nothing but offenses had filled their outer mind, are brought to recognize that God the Messiah is the Lord of the Universe. This is done both by vivid instruction adapted to each one's grasp, and by their being transferred into heavenly happiness - as they imagine it. They may see a great variety of the loveliest pleasure gardens, so delightful to them that they decide they have arrived in the heavenly paradise; for this [idea] is inspired into human minds.
But later, they are taught that this is not true heavenly happiness, so they likewise are allowed to experience their deepest possible states of joy, until they declare that this innermost joy is out of sight and out of reach to any human sense. Then they are also brought into their deepest possible state of peace, in which they again declare that nothing of it could ever be expressed. Finally they are brought into a state of innocence, the deepest possible one for them, even to the limit of their ability to feel.
This is done so that they may learn to tell what is truly good, what is truly spiritual and heavenly, that is, what is Divine; for true happiness, true peace, true innocence, are entirely Divine. Afterwards they come into these states, in differing ways, depending upon each one's life; for they are guided more and more towards heavenly regions, according to the character of each one. 1747, 14 December.
342. THAT IT IS GRANTED TO THE SOULS OF THE DEAD TO RECOGNIZE FROM MANY THINGS THAT GOD MESSIAH IS THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE
The souls of the dead, who come amongst other souls, as the Mahomedans and others, who have inwardly doubted concerning God Messiah, for the reason that they have filled their natural mind with mere scandals, (concerning whom see above [n. 338 ]) are brought to the recognition of God Messiah as the Lord of the Universe, both by living instruction according to the apprehension of each, and also by this, that they are carried away into heavenly happiness according to their imaginations, so that they see most lovely paradises with great variety, by which they are so delighted that they decide they have come into the heavenly paradise; for this is insinuated in human minds. But they are afterwards taught that this is not the heavenly happiness; for which purpose it is also granted them to recognize the state of their inmost joy, until they at length confess that this inmost joy is imperceptible, and that no human sense could ever attain to it. They are then also borne into a state of peace, even to their inmost, in which they also confess that nothing of the kind is ever expressible. Finally, they are borne as to their inmost sense into a state of innocence, which is the inmost state, in order that thereby they might be able to know what is truly good, what is truly spiritual and heavenly, that is, what is Divine: for true happiness, true peace, true innocence are altogether Divine. They afterwards come into these states. This takes place with variety according to the life of each one; for in accordance with his nature, each one is led more and more towards heavenly things. 1747, Dec. 14. 1
Written as the heading of another paragraph, but crossed out:
"Foresight and Providence from eternity to eternity, for the best end, is also the reason that all things [exist.]"
342. Quod animis 1
mortuorum ex pluribus cognoscere datur, quod Deus Messias sit Dominus Universi
Animae mortuorum, qui inter animas reliquas venerunt, sicut Mahomedani, aliique, qui intus dubitarunt de Deo Messia, ex causa, de qua prius [338], quod scandala mera impleverint eorum mentem naturalem, feruntur 1
ad cognoscendum Deum Messiam, quod sit Dominus Universi, tam per instructiones vivas, secundum cujusvis captum, tum per id, quod transferantur in felicitatem coelestem, secundum eorum imaginationes, ut videant amaenissimos paradisos, cum multa varietate, qua ita delectantur, ut arbitrentur se in coelestem paradisum venisse, nam is insinuatur mentibus humanis, sed postea docentur, quod id non sit vera felicitas coelestis, quare iis quoque status gaudii eorum intimi cognoscere datur, usque dum fateantur quod gaudium hoc intimum sit imperceptibile 2
, et quod nusquam aliquis sensus humanus id attingere potuerit, dein quoque in statum pacis feruntur, usque ad intimum eorum, in quo etiam fatentur, quod nihil tale usquam expressibile sit; denique in statum innocentiae, qui est intimus, usque ad eorum sensum intimum, ex causa ut inde scire queant, quid vere bonum, quid vere spirituale et coeleste, hoc est, quid Divinum, nam vera felicitas, vera pax, vera innocentia, sunt prorsus Divina; in quos status dein veniunt, id 3
cum varietate secundum cujusvis vitam fit, nam perducuntur secundum indolem cujusvis plus et plus versus coelestia. 1747, 14 Dec.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has animae
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has ferantur
2. The Manuscript has imperceptile
3. hoc est quod