312.若未被主改造，人的内在本性如何，我通过亲眼目睹地狱中的魔鬼撒旦看得清清楚楚。这些魔鬼和撒旦时时刻刻想杀死主，因为他们做不到，于是就一直试图杀害信奉主的人。由于他们无法像在世时那样去杀人，所以就竭尽全力攻击他们，以便摧毁他们的灵魂，也就是摧毁他们所拥有的信和仁。仇恨和报复的思想在他们附近的确显如火，或像冒烟的火、或像炽热的火。仇恨看似冒烟的火，报复看似炽热的火。不过，它们并非真的火，仅仅是表象。有时，他们心中的残忍想法在他们上空显现，就像与天人交战，而天人惨遭杀戮和屠宰。正是他们对天堂的愤怒与仇恨上演了如此恐怖的场景。
此外，从远处看，这样的灵就像各种野兽，诸如猛虎、猎豹、豺狼、狐狸、野狗、鳄鱼和各种毒蛇。当发现作为象征形式的驯良动物时，他们就设想攻击并试图屠杀他们。他们出现在我眼前，看上去就像站在生产孩子的妇人面前的龙，他们要吞吃她的孩子，犹如《启示录》第十二章所描述的那样。这些异象只是他们仇恨主及其新教会的象征。世上想要摧毁主的教会之人就像这些灵，这一点在他们的同伴面前并不明显。原因在于，他们的肉体使得他们行为得体，因而吸收并掩盖这些表象。但天人不看他们的肉体，而是看他们的灵，故在天人眼里，这类人就显现为上述魔鬼的样子。倘若主未曾打开人的眼，赐给他注视灵界的能力，人如何能知道这些真相呢？否则，这些真相，连同其他重大事实岂不会永远向人类隐藏？
312. 倘若未被主改造, 人之內在的品性如何, 通過親眼目睹地獄中的眾魔鬼撒旦, 讓我明明看清。魔鬼和撒旦無時不刻心想殺害主, 因為他們無法辦到, 於是就竭力去殺害凡是信奉主的人們。因為他們此時無法象在人間時那樣去殺人, 於是就盡各種可能去攻擊人們, 為的是摧毀他們的靈魂——也就是推翻他們擁有的信和義。仇恨和報復的思想在他們四圍顯出來的確像火, 或明火,或煙火, 因為仇恨看起來如煙火, 報復看起來如同明火。然而這些並非真實的火, 只不過是表象,看起來像火而已。
有時, 在他們心中的兇殘想法會顯現在他們上方的空中, 看起來在與天人戰鬥。在這場景中, 天人被殺害和屠宰。這其實是他們對天國憤怒與仇恨的寫照, 令到如此恐懼的場景上演。
還有, 這樣的靈從一定距離觀看, 就如同各樣的野獸, 諸如各樣的猛虎,獵豹,豺狼,狐狸,野狗,鱷魚和毒蛇。當它們看見馴良的動物——它們是具有代表性的形式, 就會設想去攻擊那些動物, 並試圖殺戮它們。
我曾見魔鬼們看似龍, 挨近帶著嬰孩的婦人, 並試圖吞噬他們, 就如同我們在『啟示錄』第十二章見到的情形。這些異象代表魔鬼們對主及其新教會的仇恨。
世上想去摧毀主的教會之人就如同這些魔鬼與撒旦, 儘管看上起他們不會對其它人如上述所行, 那只是因為他們的肉身能讓他們行為得體, 因而吸收並掩蓋,不讓這些行為顯露出來。然而在天人眼中(他們不看肉身,只看他們的心靈), 這類人就顯現為上述那些魔鬼的樣子。倘若主未曾打開人的眼見,賜人巡視心靈世界的能力, 人如何能知道這些真相呢？恐怕這樣的真相, 連同其他眾多同等重大的事實, 將會向人類永遠掩藏。
312. Devils and satans in hell have made clear to me the inner quality of people who have not been reformed by the Lord. Devils and satans constantly have it in mind to kill the Lord. Because they cannot achieve this, they try to kill people who are devoted to the Lord. Since they cannot accomplish this the way people in the world could, they attack people with every effort to destroy their souls, that is, to demolish the faith and goodwill they have. The actual hatred and desire for revenge inside these devils look like fires that are dark and fires that are bright. Their hatreds look like dark fires and their desires for revenge look like bright fires. These feelings are not in fact fires, but they look like fires.
One can sometimes glimpse the savagery of the devils' hearts in visual form in the air above those devils. It looks as if they are battling, slaughtering, and massacring angels. Their feelings of anger and hatred against heaven are the source of these dreadful daydreams.
For another thing, these devils and satans look at a distance like wild animals of every kind - tigers, leopards, wolves, foxes, dogs, crocodiles, and snakes of all kinds. When devils and satans see tame animals in symbolic forms, they imagine themselves attacking the animals and trying to slaughter them.
I have seen devils that looked like dragons and were standing next to women with babies whom the dragons were trying to devour, like the situation we find in Revelation 12. These portrayals represent the devils' hatred against the Lord and his new church.
People in the world who want to destroy the Lord's church are similar to these devils and satans, although it does not seem that way to others who know these people, because their bodies - the instruments with which they practice moral actions - absorb their desires and keep them hidden. To the angels, however, who look at their spirits, not their bodies, these people look like the devils just mentioned. Who could ever realize things like this if the Lord had not opened someone's sight with the gift of looking into the spiritual world? Otherwise these points, along with many other things eminently worth knowing, would have remained forever hidden from the human race.
312. The nature of the human internal, if not reformed by the Lord, has been made plain to me by seeing the devils and satans in hell. For these are constantly minded to kill the Lord, and because they cannot do this, they keep trying to kill those who are devoted to the Lord. Because they cannot do this, as they can kill people in the world, they make every effort to attack them in order to destroy their souls, that is, to destroy the faith and charity they possess. Thoughts of hatred and revenge actually appear in their vicinity like fires, either smoky or white-hot ones; hatred looks like a smoky fire, revenge like a white-hot one. But they are not real fires, only appearances. Sometimes the savage thoughts in their hearts are made visible in the air above them as battles with angels, in which the angels are killed and slaughtered; it is their anger and hatred for heaven, which causes such horrible scenes to be staged.
[2] Moreover the same spirits look from a distance like wild animals of every kind, such as tigers, leopards, wolves, foxes, dogs, crocodiles and snakes of all kinds. When they see peaceful animals, which are representative forms, they imagine they are attacking them and trying to butcher them. They came into my view looking like dragons, standing next to women who had babies, which they were trying to swallow, exactly like what is described in Revelation, chapter 12. These visions are simply representations of their hatred for the Lord and His new church. It is not apparent to their companions that the people in the world who want to destroy the Lord's church are like this. The reason is that their bodies allow them to behave properly, thus absorbing and hiding these appearances. But in the sight of the angels, who do not look at their bodies but their spirits, they appear in similar shapes to the devils described above. How could anyone know such facts, if the Lord had not opened his sight and given him the ability to gaze into the spiritual world? But for this these facts, along with many others equally memorable, would have remained hidden from human beings for ever.
312. The nature of man's internal, unless it is reformed by the Lord, has been made evident to me from seeing the devils and satans in hell; for they have it constantly in mind to kill the Lord; and as they cannot do this they are in the endeavor to kill those who are devoted to the Lord; but not being able, as men are in the world, to do this, they make every effort to destroy their souls, that is, to destroy faith and charity in them. With such, essential hatred and revenge appear like lurid and glowing fires-hatred like a lurid fire, and revenge like a glowing fire-yet these are not fires, but appearances. The cruelties of their hearts sometimes appear above them in the air like contests with angels and their slaughter and overthrow. Such direful mockeries arise from their wrath and hatred against heaven. Moreover, at a distance, these same spirits appear like wild beasts of every kind, as tigers, leopards, wolves, foxes, dogs, crocodiles, and all kinds of serpents; and when they see gentle animals in representative forms, they rush upon them in fantasy and strive to tear them in pieces. They came to my sight like dragons standing near women with whom there were little children, whom they were endeavoring, as it were, to devour (according to what is recorded in the twelfth chapter of Revelation); but these were nothing else than representations of hatred against the Lord and His New Church. That men in the world who wish to destroy the Lord's church are like these spirits is not evident to their companions; and for the reason that their bodies, through which they practice the moralities, absorb and conceal these things. But to the angels, who behold their spirits and not their bodies, they appear in forms like those of the devils above described. Who could have known such things had not the Lord opened the sight of some one, and given him the ability to look into the spiritual world? Otherwise, would not these, together with other most important matters, have lain concealed from man for ever?
312. The nature of man's internal, unless it is reformed by the Lord, was made clear to me from the devils and satans in hell. They are constantly intent upon killing the Lord; and as they cannot accomplish this, they strive to kill those who are devoted to the Lord; but because they cannot do this as men can in the world, they direct all their efforts towards destroying their souls, that is, towards destroying faith and charity in them. Hatred and revenge appear among them like fires darkly glowing and brightly gleaming, hatred like fires darkly glowing and revenge like fires brightly gleaming; yet these are not fires, but appearances. The savagery of their hearts sometimes makes itself apparent in the air above them like contests with angels, and their slaughter and overthrow; for the wrath and hatred which give birth to such dreadful imagery are directed against heaven. Moreover, they also appear at a distance like all kinds of wild beasts, as tigers, leopards, wolves, foxes, dogs, crocodiles; and also like serpents of every kind; and when they see harmless creatures in representative forms, deluded by the appearance, they rush upon them and attempt to slay them. Some of them once appeared to me like dragons, standing beside women. These had infants with them whom the dragons were attempting, as it were, to devour, according to what is related in the Revelation, Chapter 12; which is a representation of hatred against the Lord and His New Church. Men in the world who wish to destroy the Lord's Church, resemble these devils. This fact is not evident to those with whom they are associated, because their bodies, by which they practice moral duties, absorb and conceal these things. To the angels, however, who do not see their bodies but their spirits, they appear in forms similar to those of the devils described above. Who could have known such things as these, unless the Lord had opened the sight of someone, and enabled him to see into the spiritual world? Otherwise, would not these, together with other matters of the utmost importance, have remained hidden from mankind for ever?
312. Quale est Internum hominis, nisi a Domino reformetur, patuit mihi ex diabolis et satanis in Inferno, hi enim continue in animo gerunt occidere Dominum, et quia hoc non possunt, in conatu sunt occidendi illos, qui Domino addicti sunt, sed quia hoc non possunt sicut homines in Mundo, aggrediuntur omni nisu perdendi animas illorum, hoc est, destruendi fidem et charitatem apud illos. Ipsa odia et vindictae apud illos apparent sicut ignes furvi, et sicut ignes candidi, odia sicut ignes furvi, et vindictae sicut ignes candidi, atqui non sunt ignes, sed apparentiae: 1 saevitiae cordis illorum quandoque visuntur super illos in aere sicut dimicationes cum Angelis, et sicut horum caedes et strages; sunt illorum irae et odia contra Coelum, ex quibus dira talia ludibria exsurgunt.
[2] Insuper iidem e longinquo apparent sicut ferae omnis generis, sicut tigrides, pardi, lupi, vulpes, canes, crocodili, et sicut omnis generis serpentes, et quando vident in formis repraesentativis bestias mites, has in phantasia aggrediuntur et conantur trucidare: in conspectum meum venerunt sicut dracones stantes juxta mulieres apud quas erant infantes, quos conabantur sicut devorare, secundum illa quae in Apocalypsi 12 memorantur, quae neque aliud sunt, quam repraesentationes odii contra Dominum, et Ipsius novam Ecclesiam. Quod homines in Mundo, qui Ecclesiam Domini volunt destruere, similes illis sint, non apparet coram sociis; causa est, quia corpora, per quae moralitates exercent, absorbent et celant illa; sed usque coram Angelis, qui non corpora, sed Spiritus eorum spectant, apparent in similibus formis, sicut diaboli illi, de quibus supra. Quis talia potuisset scire, nisi Dominus aperuerit 2 alicui visum, et dederit copiam introspiciendi in Mundum spiritualem; nonne haec cum dignissimis aliis rebus coram hominibus alioquin latuissent occultata in aeternum.
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