26. Again I swear in truth that these events and words occurred as I have related them, the first ones in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and the subsequent ones in a society of heaven, the society from which came the angel with the trumpet, who acted as guide.

Who in the Christian world would know anything about heaven and the joys and happiness there - knowledge of which is also knowledge of salvation - unless it pleased the Lord to open to someone the sight of his spirit and to show him and teach him?

Corroboration that things like these occur in the spiritual world appears plainly from the things seen and heard by the apostle John, as described in the book of Revelation. For example, he describes having seen the following:

The Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands. ¹

A tabernacle, temple, ark, and altar in heaven. ²

A book sealed with seven seals. The book opened, and horses going out of it. ³

Four living creatures around a throne. ⁴

Twelve thousand taken from each tribe. ⁵

Locusts arising out of the abyss. ⁶

A dragon and its fight with Michael. ⁷

A woman giving birth to a male child and fleeing into the wilderness because of the dragon. ⁸

Two beasts, one rising up out of the sea, the other out of the earth. ⁹

A woman sitting on a scarlet beast. ¹⁰

The dragon cast into a lake of fire and brimstone. ¹¹

A white horse, and a great supper. ¹²

A new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jerusalem coming down, described as to its gates, wall, and foundations. ¹³

Also a river of water of life, and trees of life yielding fruits every month. ¹⁴

Besides many other things, all of which were seen by John, and seen when he was in the spirit ¹⁵ in the spiritual world and in heaven. In addition, those things which were seen by the apostles after the Lord's resurrection. ¹⁶ And which were later seen by Peter (Acts of the Apostles 11). ¹⁷ Also which were then seen and heard by Paul. ¹⁸

Moreover, there were the things seen by the prophets. For example, Ezekiel saw the following:

Four living creatures, which were cherubs. (Ezekiel 1 and 10)

A new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them. (Ezekiel 40-48)

Being carried off to Jerusalem, he saw the abominations there. (Ezekiel 8) And he was also carried off into Chaldea, to those in captivity. (Ezekiel 11) ¹⁹

Something similar happened with Zechariah:

He saw a man riding among myrtle trees. (Zechariah 1:8 ff.)

He saw four horns, and then a man with a measuring line in his hand. (Zechariah 1:18 ff., 2:1 ff.)

He saw a lampstand and two olive trees. (Zechariah 4:1 ff.)

He saw a flying scroll, and an ephah. (Zechariah 5:1, 6)

He saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, with horses. (Zechariah 6:1 ff.)

Likewise with Daniel:

He saw four beasts come up from the sea. (Daniel 7:1 ff.)

Also the combats of a ram and a goat. (Daniel 8:1 ff.)

He saw the angel Gabriel, who spoke at length with him. (Daniel 9) ²⁰

Moreover, Elisha's young man saw fiery chariots and horses around Elisha, and he saw them when his eyes were opened. ²¹

From these and many other passages in the Word, it is evident that the things which exist in the spiritual world have appeared to many, before and after the Lord's Advent. Why should it be surprising for them to appear also now, when the Church is beginning and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven

Poznámky pod čarou:

851. I foresee that many people who read the accounts of memorable occurrences that follow the chapters are going to believe that I fabricated them out of my own imagination, but I assert in truth that they were not made up. I truly saw and heard those things. And I did not hear or see them when my mind was in some sleepy state; I was in a state of full wakefulness.

The Lord chose to manifest himself to me and assign me the task of presenting the teachings that will be a part of his new church, which is meant by the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. For this purpose he opened the inner levels of my mind or spirit, which allowed me to be in the spiritual world with angels and at the same time in the physical world with people. This has gone on for twenty-seven years now. Who in the Christian world would have known anything about heaven or hell if the Lord had not chosen to open the sight of someone's spirit and show and teach that person about them?

[2] The types of things described in the accounts of memorable occurrences are indeed the types of things that appear in heaven, as is very obvious from the types of things seen and described by John in the Book of Revelation, and also the types of things seen and described by the prophets in the Word of the Old Testament.

In the Book of Revelation, the following examples occur. John saw the Son of Humankind in the middle of seven lampstands. He saw a tabernacle, a temple, an ark, and an altar in heaven. He saw a book that was sealed with seven seals. He saw the book opened, and horses that came out of it. He saw four creatures around a throne; twelve thousand people who had been chosen from each tribe; locusts rising up from an abyss; a woman giving birth to a male child and running away into a desert to avoid a dragon; two beasts, one rising up out of the sea, and another out of the land; an angel flying in the midst of heaven who had the everlasting gospel; a sea of glass mingled with fire; seven angels who had the seven last plagues; bowls that these angels poured out onto the earth, into the sea, into the rivers, into the sun, onto the throne of the beast, into the Euphrates, and into the air; a woman sitting on a scarlet beast; a dragon thrown into a lake of fire and sulfur; a white horse; a great supper; a new heaven and a new earth; the holy city Jerusalem coming down from heaven, with details of its entrances, its wall, and the wall's foundations. He also saw a river of living water, and trees of life producing different types of fruit every month. These and many other things were all seen by John when his spirit was in the spiritual world and in heaven.

Similar things were also seen by the apostles after the resurrection of the Lord; for example, the visions that Peter had (Acts of the Apostles 11), and the things that were heard and seen by Paul.

Similar things were also seen by the prophets and recorded in the Old Testament. For example, Ezekiel saw four creatures that were angel guardians (Ezekiel 1 and 10); a new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40-48). Ezekiel was brought to Jerusalem and saw abominations there; he was also brought to Chaldea (Ezekiel 8 and 11).

[3] Something similar happened to Zechariah. He saw a man riding among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8 and following). He saw four horns and then a man who had a string in his hand for measuring (Zechariah 2). He saw a flying scroll and a measuring container (Zechariah 5:1, 6). He saw four chariots between two mountains, and saw horses as well (Zechariah 6:1 and following).

In the case of Daniel, he saw four beasts rising up out of the sea (Daniel 7:1 and following). He saw the Son of Humankind coming in the clouds of heaven, whose dominion will not pass, and whose kingdom will not perish (Daniel 7:13-14). He saw battles between a ram and a goat (Daniel 8:1 and following). He saw the angel Gabriel and spoke with him (Daniel 9).

Elisha's servant saw chariots and horses of fire around Elisha; he saw them when his eyes were opened (2 Kings 6:17).

From these and many other passages in the Word it is clear that things of this nature in the spiritual world have appeared to many people both before and after the Lord's Coming. Why be surprised that this is also happening now, when a church is beginning, when the New Jerusalem is coming down from heaven?