1. Prefazione dell’Autore

Il Signore parlando ai suoi discepoli della fine dei tempi, cioè nell’ultimo periodo della chiesa, ¹ dice, all’avvicinarsi della predetta fine, in merito al successivo stato di amore e fede: ²

Subito dopo l’afflizione di quei giorni il sole si oscurerà e la luna non darà il suo splendore, e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e le potenze dei cieli saranno scosse. Ed allora apparirà nel cielo il segno del Figlio dell’uomo; ed allora tutte le tribù della terra faranno cordoglio, e vedranno il Figliuolo dell’uomo venire sulle nuvole del cielo con gran potenza e gloria. E manderà i suoi angeli con gran suono di tromba a radunare i suoi eletti dai quattro venti, da un capo all’altro dei cieli. (Matteo 24:29-31)

Coloro che si soffermano sul mero significato letterale di queste parole, hanno la convinzione che alla fine dei tempi, quando vi sarà il giudizio universale, tutte queste cose avranno luogo, così come sono descritte nel senso letterale, cioè che il sole e la luna si oscureranno e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e che il segno del Signore apparirà nel cielo, ed egli stesso sarà visto sulle nubi, con gli angeli e con le trombe al seguito; inoltre è predetto in altri passi che l’intero universo sarà distrutto, e poi sorgerà un nuovo cielo e una nuova terra. Tale è la convinzione della maggior parte degli uomini nella chiesa, nel presente. Ma coloro che sono in questa fede ignorano i segreti che sono nascosti in ogni minimo dettaglio della Parola; in realtà in ogni singolo vocabolo della Parola vi è un significato interiore che concerne le cose spirituali e celesti anziché le cose naturali e mondane, così come appaiono nel senso letterale. E questo è vero non solo per il significato di gruppi di parole, ma per ciascuna parola. ³ Perché la Parola è scritta esclusivamente per corrispondenze ⁴ , affinché vi possa essere un significato interiore in ogni singolo particolare di essa. Quale sia questo significato lo si può vedere da tutto ciò che è stato scritto al riguardo in Arcana Coelestia [pubblicato nel 1749-1756]; e dalle citazioni attinte da quell’opera, nell’illustrazione del Cavallo Bianco [dell’Apocalisse, pubblicato nel 1758] cui si fa riferimento nell’Apocalisse.

È in conformità di quel significato spirituale, che deve essere inteso l’avvento del Signore dal cielo, sulle nuvole, di cui al passo sopra citato. Ivi il sole che si oscura significa il Signore quanto all’amore; ⁵ la “luna” si riferisce alla fede; ⁶ le stelle indicano la conoscenza del bene e della verità, o dell’amore e della fede; ⁷ il “segno del Figlio dell’uomo nel cielo” indica la manifestazione della Divina verità; le “tribù della terra” significano tutte le cose concernenti la verità ed il bene, o la fede e l’amore; ⁸ “l’avvento del Signore sulle nuvole del cielo, in gloria e potenza,” significa la sua presenza nella Parola e la sua rivelazione; ⁹ le “nuvole” significano il senso letterale della Parola, ¹⁰ e la “gloria” il senso interiore della Parola; ¹¹ gli “angeli con gran suono di tromba” indicano il cielo quale sorgente della Divina verità. ¹² Tutto questo chiarisce cosa deve intendersi con queste parole del Signore, vale a dire che alla fine della chiesa, quando non vi sarà più alcun amore, e quindi alcuna fede, il Signore svelerà il significato interiore della Parola e rivelerà i segreti del cielo. I segreti rivelati nelle seguenti pagine riguardano il cielo e l’inferno, nonché la vita dell’uomo dopo la morte. L’uomo della chiesa attualmente ha una scarsa conoscenza del cielo e dell’inferno, o della sua vita dopo la morte, sebbene questi argomenti siano contemplati e descritti nella Parola; ciò nondimeno molti di quelli nati in seno alla chiesa, negano queste cose, dicendo nel loro intimo, “Chi mai è venuto da quel mondo e ha confermato queste cose?” Per evitare che questo atteggiamento negazionista, invalso specialmente presso quelli pervasi dalla saggezza mondana, possa contaminare e traviare le persone semplici nel cuore e nella fede, mi è stato concesso di essere associato agli angeli e di parlare con loro, come tra uomo e uomo, e anche di vedere come sono i cieli e gli inferni, e questo da tredici anni, ormai; quindi, adesso posso descrivere ciò che ho visto è udito, nell’auspicio che l’ignoranza possa essere illuminata, e l’incredulità, dissipata. Le presenti rivelazioni sono estese ora perché questo deve intendersi per la venuta del Signore.

Footnotes:

47. From Secrets of Heaven

On our inner and outer natures. While it is recognized in the Christian world ¹ that we have an inner level and an outer level or an inner self and an outer self, there is little knowledge of the nature of either: 1889, 1940. The inner self is spiritual and the outer self is earthly: 978, 1015, 4459, 6309, 9701-9708. An inner self that is spiritual is formed into an image of heaven, and an outer self that is earthly is formed into an image of this world-how this happens, and how it is the reason the ancients called the human being a microcosm: 3628, 4523, 4524, 6057, 6314, 9706, 10156, 10472. This means that the spiritual world and the earthly world are joined together in us: 6057, 10472. It means that we have the ability to look upward toward heaven and downward toward earth: 7601, 7604, 7607. When we look up we are in heaven's light and see what it shows us, while when we look down we are in the world's light and see what it shows us: 3167, 10134. In humankind a pathway has been created from the spiritual world into the earthly one: 3702, 4042.

[2] The inner self (which is spiritual) and the outer self (which is earthly) are completely distinct from each other: 1999, 2018, 3691, 4459. The distinction is like that between a cause and its effect and like that between what is prior and what is subsequent; it is not along a continuum: 3691, 4145, 5146, 5711, 6275, 6284, 6299, 6326, 6465, 8603, 10076, 10099, 10181. So the difference is like that between heaven and this world or between something spiritual and something earthly: 6055. Our inner and outer natures are not along a continuum but are separated on distinctly different levels that have well-defined boundaries: 3691, 4145, 5114, 6326, 6465, 8603, 10099. Anyone who does not perceive the distinctions between our inner and outer natures in keeping with their levels and who does not understand what the levels are like cannot comprehend our inner and outer selves: 5146, 6465, 10099, 10181. Things that are on a higher level are more perfect than things that are on a lower level: 3405. There are three levels in us that are in accord with the three heavens: 4154. The outer things in us are relatively remote from the Divine, so they are more obscure and general: 6451. They are also relatively disorganized: 996, 3855. Inner things are more perfect because they are closer to the Divine: 5146, 5147. There are thousands upon thousands of things in our inner self that appear as one general thing in the outer self: 5707. So the more inward our thinking and perception are, the clearer they are: 5920. It follows then that we should concentrate on what lies in the deeper levels: 1175, 4464.

[3] When we are focused on love and caring, the deeper levels of our mind are actually raised up by the Lord. Otherwise they would face downward: 6952, 6954, 10330. When our inner natures are actively raised up by the Lord, the result is an inflow and enlightenment for us out of heaven: 7816, 10330. When we turn our attention to spiritual matters we are raised up: 9922. To the extent that we are raised up from outward concerns toward inward ones we come into the light and therefore into intelligence; or as the ancients used to say, this happens when the mind withdraws from sense impressions: 6183, 6313. Being raised up from outward to inward concerns is like being lifted out of a fog into the light: 4598.

[4] The inflow from the Lord comes through our inner self into our outer self: 1940, 5119. There can be an inflow from our inner self into our outer self, because inflow is spiritual, not physical-that is, there can be a flow from the spiritual self into the earthly self but not from the earthly self into the spiritual self: 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322, 9110. From the inner realm, where it is peaceful, the Lord governs the outer realm, where it is chaotic: 5396a.

[5] The inner self can see everything in the outer self, but not the reverse: 1914, 1953, 5427, 5428, 5477. While we are living in this world, the thinking in our outer self comes from our inner self; our spiritual thinking flows into our earthly thinking and presents itself in earthly forms: 3679. When we are thinking well, those thoughts are coming from our inner or spiritual self into our outer or earthly self: 9704, 9705, 9707. How the outer self thinks and intends depends on its relationship with the inner self: 9702, 9703.

There is inner thinking and there is outer thinking: 2515, 2552, 5127, 5141, 5168, 6007 (which include information about what each type of thinking is like). As long as we are living in this world we do not perceive the thinking and feeling that are going on in our inner self; we perceive only the thinking and feeling that result from this in our outer self: 10236, 10240. In the other life, though, our outer layer is stripped away and we are brought into our true inner nature: 8870. We can then see what inner things are like: 1806, 1807.

[6] Our inner self produces our outer self: 994, 995. The inner self then clothes itself in whatever enables it get results in the outer self (6275, 6284, 6299) and to live in the outer self (1175, 6275). When the Lord regenerates us, he joins our inner or spiritual self to our outer or earthly self: 1577, 1594, 1904, 1999. The outer or earthly self is then put in its rightful place by means of the inner or spiritual self and becomes subservient: 9708.

[7] The outer self needs to be subservient and subject to the inner self: 5077, 5125, 5128, 5786, 5947, 10272. The outer self was designed and created to serve the inner self: 5947. The inner self must be the master and the outer self a servant and in a certain respect even a slave: 10471.

[8] The outer self needs to correspond to the inner in order for the two to be joined together: 5427, 5428. What the outer self is like when it corresponds to the inner self and what it is like when it does not: 3493, 5422, 5423, 5427, 5428, 5477, 5512. There are things in the outer self that correspond to and stand in harmony with the inner, and there are things that do not correspond or stand in harmony: 1563, 1568.

[9] The outer self derives its nature from the inner: 9912, 9921, 9922. How great the beauty of the outer self is when it is joined to the inner self (1590) and how ugly it is when it is not (1598). Love for the Lord and caring about our neighbor join the outer self to the inner: 1594. Unless the inner self is joined to the outer there is no fruitfulness: 3987.

[10] Things that are deep within flow down into more outward levels by stages until finally they flow into the outermost or last, which is where they become manifest together and persist: 634, 6239, 9216. They not only flow in by stages, they also all come together on the last [and lowest] level in accord with the design: 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099. All that lies within is held in a connection from first to last: 9828. This also gives things that are on the outermost level strength and power: 9836. The result is that answers and revelations come through the outermost level: 9905, 10548. This is also why the outermost level is more holy than the inner levels: 9824. So in the Word, "the First and the Last" means every single thing and therefore all there is: 10044, 10329, 10335.

[11] The inner self is open when we are in accord with the divine design and closed when we are not in accord with the divine design: 8513. Without the inner self, heaven has no way of being joined to the outer self: 9380. Both evils and the falsities that come from them close the inner self and limit us to the outermost level (1587, 10492); especially evils that result from self-love (1594). If we refuse to receive what flows in from the Divine, our deeper levels are closed until we are reduced to the sensory level, which is the last [and lowest]: 6564. In the intelligent and learned of this world who take stances against the truths of heaven and the church on the basis of facts they have learned, the inner level is more completely closed than it is for similarly minded simple people: 10492.

[12] Since the inner self is in heaven's light and the outer is in this world's light, if we are focused on the outer to the exclusion of the inner (that is, if our inner self is closed) we have no appetite for profound truths about heaven and the church: 4464, 4946. In that case, in the other life we cannot bear things of an internal nature: 10694, 10701, 10707. We do not believe anything: 10396, 10400, 10411, 10429. We love ourselves and the world more than anything else: 10407, 10412, 10420. No matter how we may seem outwardly, our deeper levels-the processes of our thinking and feeling-are ugly, foul, and profane: 1182, 7046, 9962. Our ideas and thinking are materialistic and not in the least spiritual: 10582. What we are like when our inner level, which faces heaven, is closed: 4459, 9709, 10284, 10286, 10429, 10472, 10492, 10602, 10683.

[13] As our inner, spiritual self is more and more opened, the kinds of goodness and truth we have multiply; as our inner, spiritual self is more and more closed, the kinds of goodness and truth we have disappear: 4099. The church exists in our inner, spiritual self because that self is in heaven; it does not exist in our outer self apart from the inner: 10698. Therefore if we do not have the church in our internal life, having the trappings of it in our external life does nothing for us: 1795. Outward worship apart from inner worship is no worship at all: 1094, 1175. About people who are focused on the inner aspects of the church, worship, and the Word; people who are focused on outward aspects that contain the inner; and people who are focused on outward aspects that lack the inner: 10683. When the inner aspects are lacking, the outward aspects take on a hardness: 9377, 10429.

[14] Merely earthly people are an embodiment of hell unless they become spiritual by means of regeneration: 10156. Everyone who is absorbed in the outer level apart from anything inner, or anyone whose inner, spiritual self is closed, is in hell: 9128, 10483, 10489.

[15] Our inner selves turn actively toward the things we love: 10702. Absolutely everything must have both an inner level and an outer level if it is to exist at all: 9473.

[16] In the Word, "lofty and high" means inner: 1735, 2148, 4210, 4599. So in the Word, "higher" means more inward and "lower" means more outward: 3084.

Footnotes: