4826. About heaven
There was a certain one who was said to be dead, and this was reported (Cederstedt 1). And then spirits came there to see whether such could actually be the case. But he did look as if he were dead, pale-faced as a cadaver. However, after a few minutes he came to, said that he had been in the inmost heaven, and reported what he had seen then. He reported [that] there had been things that were impossible to describe. He was dazed as he was telling this, because he was able to describe almost nothing about the magnificence and loftiness in the whole of it and in every least detail. It was said that the artistic essence itself of all things was there. After this he was returned to another state as regards outward appearances and then taken up into the second heaven from which he spoke to me saying that there were magnificent things there too, and garden parks too, but still not such things as he had first seen.
Footnotes:
1. See footnoted information on him in passage 4701.
4826. CONCERNING HEAVEN.
There was a certain one (Cederstedt) who was said to be dead, and this was mentioned; and then spirits came thither to see whether such a thing could have been; but he also appeared as dead, his face livid like that of a corpse; but he came to himself after an hour, and related that he has been in the inmost heaven and what things he had then seen - that they had been indescribable. He was in a stupor while he was relating; for he was scarcely able to express anything, as to the magnificence and sublimity of each and every thing he was mentioning. He said that there was there the art itself of all things. He was afterwards suffered to fall into another state as to externals; and then he was raised into the second heaven, whence he spoke with me, saying that there, also, there were magnificent things, and also paradises, but yet not such things [as he had seen in the third heaven].
4826. De coelo
Fuit quidam, qui dictus esse mortuus, et hoc narratum Cederstedt) et tunc venerunt illuc spiritus ad videndum num tale potuisset existere, sed apparuit quoque sicut mortuus, lividus sicut cadaveris facie, sed rediit ad se post horulam, et narravit quod in coelo intimo fuerit, et quid tunc viderat, quod fuissent inenarrabilia, in stupore fuit, cum narrabat, quia paene non aliquid exprimere potuit, quoad magnificentiam et sublimitatem, in omnibus et singulis, dictum quod ibi ipsa ars omnium; postea remissus est in alium statum quoad externa, et tunc elevatus in secundum coelum, unde mecum loquutus, dicens quod ibi quoque magnifica essent, et quoque paradisi, sed usque non talia.