792.增补：灵界
《天堂与地狱》一书详细阐述了灵界，其中讲述了很多灵界的事；由于所有人死后都要进入那个世界，所以在此也描述了人的状态。谁不知道，或能知道，人死后还活着，因为他生来为人，被创造为神的形象，还因为主在圣言中教导了这一点？但他的生命是什么样，迄今尚不为人知。有人认为，届时他将是一个灵魂，而对于灵魂，只有以太或空气的概念，因而以为它就象人死时嘴里呼出的一口气，这气里面有他的活力。尽管如此，它却眼不能看，耳不能听，嘴不能说。然而死后，人仍是活生生的人，和从前一样，他甚至意识不到自己已不在尘世；因为他能看、能听、能说；能走、能跑、能坐；躺卧、睡觉、醒来；也吃也喝；享受婚姻快乐，和在世时一模一样；总之，他方方面面都是一个人。由此清楚可知，死亡并非生命的灭亡，而是延续，它仅仅是一个过渡。
792. 增补: 灵界
《天堂与地狱》一书详细阐述了灵界, 其中讲述了很多灵界的事; 由于所有人死后都要进入那个世界, 所以在此也描述了人的状态。 谁不知道, 或能知道, 人死后还活着, 因为他生来为人, 被创造为神的形象, 还因为主在圣言中教导了这一点? 但他的生命是什么样, 迄今尚不为人知。 有人认为, 届时他将是一个灵魂, 而对于灵魂, 只有以太或空气的概念, 因而以为它就象人死时嘴里呼出的一口气, 这气里面有他的活力。 尽管如此, 它却眼不能看, 耳不能听, 嘴不能说。 然而死后, 人仍是活生生的人, 和从前一样, 他甚至意识不到自己已不在尘世; 因为他能看, 能听, 能说; 能走, 能跑, 能坐; 躺卧, 睡觉, 醒来; 也吃也喝; 享受婚姻快乐, 和在世时一模一样; 总之, 他方方面面都是一个人。 由此清楚可知, 死亡并非生命的灭亡, 而是延续, 它仅仅是一个过渡。
792. [Additional Material]
The work Heaven and Hell is a treatment on the spiritual world. That work describes many things about that world; and because every human being comes into that world after death, that work also covers the states people go through there.
Surely everyone knows, or is at least capable of knowing, that we live on after death, because we are born human, created in the image of God, and because the Lord teaches us this in his Word. What exactly our life is going to be like there, though, has been a complete mystery until now. People have thought that we will then be a soul, which they like to think of as a piece of ether or air - a breath that we breathe out as we are dying, which retains our vital essence, but has no eyesight, no hearing, and no ability to speak.
In fact, though, we are still human beings after we die - so much so that we do not realize we are not still in the physical world. As we used to in the world, we see, hear, and speak. As we used to in the world, we walk, run, and sit. As we used to in the world, we lie down, sleep, and wake up. As we used to in the world, we eat and drink. As we used to in the world, we enjoy making love to our spouse. Briefly put, we are still human in every way.
This makes it clear that our death is not the extinction of our life but a continuation of it. Death is just a transition.
792. SUPPLEMENT 1
I wrote a special book about the spiritual world called HEAVEN AND HELL, containing descriptions of many things in that world. Since every human being after death comes into that world, I also described the condition of people there. Everyone knows, or can know, that a person goes on living after death, because he is born a man, created an image of God, and because the Lord teaches this in His Word. But up to now no one has known what that life is like.
It has been believed that a person would then be a soul; and the idea held about this has been no different from that of ether or air, that is to say, that it is breath like that a person breathes out on dying, but still retaining its vitality, though devoid of the kind of sight the eye has, of the kind of hearing the ear has, or of the kind of speech the mouth has. Yet after death a person is just as much a person, and Indeed so much so that he is unaware that he is no longer in his previous world. He can see, hear and speak, as in his previous world. He can walk, run and sit down, as in his previous world. He can lie down sleep and wake up, as in his previous world. He can eat and drink, as in his previous world. He can enjoy the delights of married life, as in his previous world. In short, he is in every single respect a person. It is obvious from this that death is not an extinction but a continuation of life, and it is merely a passing over.
Footnotes:
1. This supplement is largely based upon the CONTINUATION ABOUT THE LAST JUDGMENT 32-82, published in 1763.
792. SUPPLEMENT.
THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
The spiritual world has been treated of in detail in the work entitled Heaven and Hell, in which many things relating to that world are described; and as every man enters that world after death, man's state there is also described. Who does not know, or may not know, that man lives after death, because he is born a man and is created an image of God, and also because the Lord teaches it in His Word? But what his life is to be, has been hitherto unknown. It has been believed, that he would then be a soul, and of soul there has been no other idea than that of ether or air, thus that it is a mere breath, such as man breathes out from his mouth when he dies, in which, however, his vitality resides. It is also regarded as destitute of any sight like that of the eye, and of any hearing like that of the ear, and of any speech like that of the mouth. And yet, man after death is as much a man as he was before, so much so as to be unaware that he is not still in the former world; for he has sight, hearing, and speech as in the former world; he walks, runs, and sits, as in the former world; he lies down, sleeps, and awakes, as in the former world; he eats and drinks as in the former world; he enjoys marriage delight as in the former world; in a word, he is a man in each and every respect. From all this it is clear that death is not the extinction but the continuation of life, and is merely a transition.
792. SUPPLEMENT.
I. THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
The spiritual world is the subject of a special work entitled Heaven and Hell, in which many things relating to that world are described; and because every one after death enters that world, the state of men there has also been described. Every one knows, or may know, that a man lives after death, because he is born a man, and is created an image of God, and because the Lord teaches it in His Word. But the nature of his future life has hitherto been unknown. It is believed that he will then be a soul, and the common idea of a soul is that it consists of something like ether or air; thus that it is a breath, such as a man breathes out when he dies. It is believed, however, that this retains the essential element of his life, but is devoid of sight like that of the eye, hearing like that of the ear, and speech like that of the mouth. Yet the fact is that after death a man is none the less a man; and so fully is he a man that he does not know but that he is still living in the former world. He sees, hears and speaks; he walks, runs and sits; he lies down, sleeps and wakes; he eats and drinks; he enjoys the delights of married life, as he did in the former world; in a word, he is in all respects a man. Thus it is evident that death is not an extinction but a continuation of life, and merely a transition (from one state to another).
792. De Mundo Spirituali actum est in singulari Opere de COELO ET INFERNO, in quo descripta sunt plura istius Mundi; et quia omnis homo post mortem in illum Mundum venit, descriptus etiam est Status hominum ibi. Quis non novit, aut nosse potest, quod homo post mortem vivat, quia natus est homo, creatus imago Dei, et quia Dominus in Verbo suo id docet; sed qualis Vita ei futura est, hactenus ignotum fuit; creditum est, quod tunc esset Anima, de qua non aliam ideam foverunt, quam sicut de aethere aut aere, ita quod sit Pneuma, quale homo ex ore exspirat dum moritur, in quo tamen vitale ejus residet, sed quod sit absque visu qualis est oculi, absque auditu qualis est auris, et absque loquela qualis est oris; cum tamen homo post mortem aeque est homo, et talis homo, ut non sciat aliter, quam quod adhuc sit in priori Mundo; videt, audit, loquitur, sicut in priori Mundo; ambulat, currit, sedet, sicut in priore Mundo; cubat, dormit, et evigilat sicut in priori Mundo; edit et bibit sicut in priori Mundo; delitio conjugiali fruitur sicut in priori Mundo; verbo, est homo quoad omnia et singula. Ex quibus patet, quod Mors non sit exstinctio, sed continuatio vitae, et quod sit modo transitus.