820.凡从尘世进入灵界者，首先被保持在信仰告白和自己国家的宗教中。天主教徒也是这样，所以他们通常会有一个指派的教皇代表，他们按照在世时所遵守的仪式敬拜他。在世时曾为教皇者，死后通常不会被派给他们。然而，有一个人，曾任教皇之职达三四十年，却被派给了他们，因为此人内心所持的观念是，圣言比一般人所想的还要神圣，主应受到敬拜。我蒙允许与他交谈，他说他唯独敬拜主，因为祂是神，按照祂的话说（马太福音28:18），拥有天上地下所有的权柄。他说，祈求圣徒是荒谬的，他还说，他在世时曾打算改革天主教，但由于他所说的原因而未能如愿。当这个容纳天主教徒和新教徒的北方大城，在最后审判之日被摧毁时，我看见他坐在一顶轿子里被带出来，转移到了安全地带。除了扮演教皇角色的大社群外，还建有一些学校，那些对宗教心存疑惑者便到这里来。他们在此找到已转化的修道士，这些修道士教导他们关于神，救主基督和圣言神圣性的真理，并让他们自主判断是否将心思远离被引入天主教的圣徒册封。接受指教者被带到由放弃教皇和圣徒崇拜之人组成的大社群。一到那里，他们就象从沉睡中醒来，还象从严冬进入美丽的早春，又象抵达港口的水手。然后那里的人邀请他们参加盛宴，请他们喝高脚水晶杯盛满的葡萄酒。我听说，天上的天人送给东道主一盘吗哪，样子和味道类似落在旷野以色列营地的吗哪，这盘吗哪被传给所有客人，人人都有机会品尝它。
820. 凡从尘世进入灵界者, 首先被保持在信仰告白和自己国家的宗教中。 天主教徒也是这样, 所以他们通常会有一个指派的教皇代表, 他们按照在世时所遵守的仪式敬拜他。 在世时曾为教皇者, 死后通常不会被派给他们。 然而, 有一个人, 曾任教皇之职达三四十年, 却被派给了他们, 因为此人内心所持的观念是, 圣言比一般人所想的还要神圣, 主应受到敬拜。 我蒙允许与他交谈, 他说他唯独敬拜主, 因为祂是神, 按照祂的话说 (马太福音28:18), 拥有天上地下所有的权柄。 他说, 祈求圣徒是荒谬的, 他还说, 他在世时曾打算改革天主教, 但由于他所说的原因而未能如愿。 当这个容纳天主教徒和新教徒的北方大城, 在最后审判之日被摧毁时, 我看见他坐在一顶轿子里被带出来, 转移到了安全地带。 除了扮演教皇角色的大社群外, 还建有一些学校, 那些对宗教心存疑惑者便到这里来。 他们在此找到已转化的修道士, 这些修道士教导他们关于神, 救主基督和圣言神圣性的真理, 并让他们自主判断是否将心思远离被引入天主教的圣徒册封。 接受指教者被带到由放弃教皇和圣徒崇拜之人组成的大社群。 一到那里, 他们就象从沉睡中醒来, 还象从严冬进入美丽的早春, 又象抵达港口的水手。 然后那里的人邀请他们参加盛宴, 请他们喝高脚水晶杯盛满的葡萄酒。 我听说, 天上的天人送给东道主一盘吗哪, 样子和味道类似落在旷野以色列营地的吗哪, 这盘吗哪被传给所有客人, 人人都有机会品尝它。
820. All who come into the spiritual world from our earth, including Roman Catholics, are kept at first in the confessional faith and religion of their country. Therefore the Catholics always have some representative pope over them, to whom they give the same type of ritual adoration they did in the world. It is very rare for any person who was actually a pope in the world to be placed among them, however. One exception is the person who filled the papal office thirty or forty years ago. He is allowed authority over them because he believed at heart that the Word is holier than people generally think and that the one who should be worshiped is the Lord.
I was given an opportunity to speak with him. He said that he adores the Lord alone, because the Lord is God, and all power in heaven and on earth has been given to the Lord, as he himself says in Matthew 28:18. The pope also said that calling on the saints was a pointless exercise; and that when he was in the world he had intended to bring the church back to the worship of the Lord, but had been unable to do so, for reasons that he explained to me.
When the great northern city that had been home to both Catholics and Calvinists was destroyed at the time of the Last Judgment, I saw this pope being carried in a sedan chair and transferred to a safe place.
[2] On the outskirts of that vast community where he acts as pope, schools have been established for people to attend who are stuck in a state of doubt about their religion. There are converted monks there who teach people about God the Savior Christ and about the holiness of the Word. These monks leave it up to the individuals to decide to change their minds about the sacred practices introduced into the Roman Catholic church. Those who are receptive to their message are brought into a large community of people who have abandoned the practices of venerating the pope and the saints. When people come into this community, they feel as if they have arisen from sleep into wakefulness, or as if they have left behind the harsh conditions of winter for the pleasures of early spring. They feel like sailors who have found safe harbor.
The newcomers receive invitations from the people who live there to attend parties and are given crystal goblets of excellent wine to drink. I have been told that angels from heaven send to the hosts of these welcome parties a plate of manna that looks and tastes just like the manna that descended on the camps of the children of Israel in the desert. That plate is then passed around at the gathering, and each person there has a chance to taste real manna.
820. All who come from earth into the spiritual world are kept to begin with in the faith held and in the religion of their native land. is happens to the Roman Catholics too; so they always have some representative Pope set over them, whom they venerate with similar ritual to that observed in the world. It is not often that anyone who was Pope in the world is after his departure from it set over them. However, the man who held the office of Pope some thirty or forty years ago 1 has been set over them, because he cherished in his heart the notion that the Word is more holy than generally believed, and at the Lord is to be worshipped. I was allowed to talk with him, and he said that he venerates the Lord alone, because He is God, who has power in heaven and on earth, as He Himself declared (Matthew 28:18). He said that calling upon the saints was nonsense, and that in the world he had intended to reform the Catholic church, but had been unable to do so for reasons which he gave. I saw him, when in the day of the Last Judgment the great northern city inhabited by Roman Catholics as well as people of the Reformed churches was destroyed, carried away in a sedan chair and taken to a safe place.
[2] Besides the great community where one plays the part of Pope, there are schools set up, where those go who have doubts about religion. There they find monks who have been converted; they teach them about God the Saviour Christ, and also about the holiness of the 'Word. The monks leave it to their decision whether to set their minds against the canonisation of saints, which has been introduced into the Roman Catholic Church. Those who accept their teachings are brought into a large community composed of those who have abandoned the cult of the Pope and the saints. On reaching this they are like sleepers awakened, and like people coming from the harshness of winter into the beauties of early spring, and like a sailor reaching harbour. Then they are invited to banquets by the people there, and given fine wine to drink from crystal goblets. I have been told that angels from heaven send down to the host a platter containing manna, looking and tasting like that sent down upon the camp of the Children of Israel in the desert. This platter is passed around to the guests, and each has the chance to taste the manna.
Footnotes:
1. Perhaps Pope Clement XII (1730-1740).
820. All who go from the earth to the spiritual world are kept at first in the confession of faith and religion of their own country; and as this is true of the Papists, they always have a representative of a pope placed over them, whom they worship with ceremonies like those they observed in the world. It rarely happens that anyone who has been a pope in the world is placed over them after his demise; but one who filled the pontifical chair thirty or forty years ago was placed over them because he had cherished in his heart a clearer idea of the holiness of the Word than was generally held, also that the Lord ought to be worshiped. I was permitted to talk with him, and he said that he worshiped the Lord alone, because He is God, and has all power in heaven and on earth, according to His words (Matthew 28:18). He said that the invocation of saints is an absurdity; he said also that he had intended when in the world to re-establish such a church, but was unable to do so, for reasons which he stated.
When the great northern city which contained both Papists and Reformers, was destroyed on the day of the last judgment, I saw him carried out on a litter and transferred to a place of safety. On the borders of the large society in which he exercises pontifical authority schools are established, where those go who are undecided about religion; and there they find converted monks who teach them about God the Savior Christ, and also about the holiness of the Word, leaving it to their own judgment whether they will turn their minds away from the methods of sanctification maintained in the Roman Catholic church. Those who receive instruction are introduced into a large society composed of those who have withdrawn from the worship of the pope and the saints; and when they enter that society they are like men who have been aroused from sleep and are fully awake, or like those who have come from the inclemency of winter into the sweetness of early spring, or like sailors who have just come to port, and are then invited by those there to feasts, and noble wine in crystal goblets is given them to drink. And angels, I have heard, sent down from heaven to the host a plate containing manna, in form and taste like that which fell upon the camps of the children of Israel in the desert, and this plate is carried around to all the company, and everyone is permitted to taste of its contents.
820. All who come from the earth into the spiritual world are at first kept in the confession of faith and in the religion of their own country. As this is the case with Roman Catholics they always have set over them one representing a Pope, whom they adore with the same ceremony as in the world. It seldom happens that any one who has been a Pope in the world is set over them when he leaves the world; yet the Pope who held office thirty or forty years ago was appointed, because he had cherished in his heart the belief that the Word is holier than is generally believed, and that the Lord ought to be worshipped. I was permitted to speak with him, and he said that he adored the Lord alone, because He is God, who has all power in heaven and earth, according to His own words, Matthew 28:18. He said that the invocation of saints is an absurdity; and that he had intended to reform the Roman Catholic Church when he was in the world, but that, for several reasons which he mentioned, he was not able. At the time of the Last Judgment, when the great northern city in which Roman Catholics and Protestants were living together was destroyed, I saw him carried forth in his chair and conveyed to a place of safety.
On the borders of the great society where the person so appointed acts as Pope, schools have been set up which those attend who have doubts about religion. In these schools are converted monks, who teach them concerning Christ, the Savior God, and also concerning the holiness of the Word, leaving it to their own free choice to turn their minds from the sanctimonious ceremonies introduced into the Roman Catholic Church. Those who accept the instruction of the monks are introduced into a large society consisting of all who have renounced the worship of the Pope and the saints. When they enter this they are like persons just aroused from sleep to wakefulness; or like those who pass from the discomforts of winter to the pleasantness of spring or like a sailor when he reaches port; and they are invited by those already there to feasts, where they may drink generous wine from crystal cups. I have heard also that angels send down from heaven to their host a plate with manna, in form and taste similar to that sent down upon the camp of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. This is carried round to the guests and every one may taste the manna.
820. Omnes qui in Mundum spiritualem e Terris veniunt, in Confessione fidei, et in Religione Patriae suae in principio tenentur; ita quoque Pontificii; quare semper aliquem repraesentativum Pontificem sibi praepositum habent, quem etiam simili ritu adorant, quo in Mundo. Raro aliquis Papa in Mundo, post excessum inde, illis praeponitur; sed usque Ille qui ante 30 et 40 annos Pontificali Munere functus est, illis praefectus est, ob causam, quia Ille corde suo fovit, quod Verbum sanctius esset, quam creditur, et quod Dominus colendus esset. Datum est loqui cum illo, et dixit, quod Dominum solum adoret, quia Ipse est Deus, cui omnis potestas est in Coelo et in Terra, secundum Ipsius verba, Matthaeus 28:18 et quod invocationes Sanctorum sint ludibria: tum quod in Mundo intenderit restaurare illam Ecclesiam, sed quod non potuerit, propter causas quas dixit. Vidi illum, quando Urbs magna septentrionalis, in qua fuerunt Pontificii et simul Reformati, die Ultimi Judicii destruebatur, in lectica exportatum, et in locum securum translatum.
[2] Ad latera Societatis magnae, in qua Pontificem agit, instituta sunt Gymnasia, ad quae illi qui in ancipiti de Religione haerent, abeunt, et ibi sunt Monachi conversi, qui illos docent de Deo Salvatore Christo, et quoque de sanctitate Verbi, ac Monachi illi arbitrio illorum relinquunt avertere animos a sanctificationibus in Ecclesiam Romano-Catholicam introductis; illi qui recipiunt, introducuntur in amplam Societatem, ubi illi qui e Cultu Papae et Sanctorum recesserunt, et cum in illam veniunt sunt sicut qui expergefacti a sopore in vigilia sunt; et sicut qui ex injucundis brumae in amaena primi Veris veniunt; et sicut Navigans dum portum tangit; et tunc ab illis qui ibi sunt, invitantur ad convivia, et datur illis e cyathis Chrystallinis bibere nobile Vinum; et audivi, quod Angeli e Coelo ad hospitem demittant patinam, super qua est Manna in simili forma, et ex simili sapore, qualis demissa est super Castra filiorum Israelis in deserto, quae patina ad Convivas circumfertur, et cuivis datur liberum gustandi illam.