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From Swedenborg's Works

 

Worlds in Space #1

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1. I. THE WORLDS IN SPACE

By the Lord's Divine mercy I have had my interior faculties, which belong to my spirit, opened, so that I have been enabled to talk with spirits and angels, not only those in the vicinity of our earth, but also with those near other worlds. Since therefore I was desirous of knowing whether there were other inhabited worlds, and what they and their inhabitants were like, I was allowed by the Lord to talk and mix with spirits and angels from other worlds. With some this lasted a day, with others a week, with yet others for months. I was informed by them about the worlds they came from and in the vicinity of which they were, about the life, behaviour and religious practices of their inhabitants, and other matters worth relating about them. Since I was allowed to gain my knowledge in this fashion, I can describe them from what I have heard and seen.

[2] It needs to be known that all spirits and angels are from the human race; 1 they are near their own world, 2 and know what happens there; and they can inform someone whose interior faculties are open sufficiently to be able to talk and mix with them. A human being is in essence a spirit, 3 and associates with spirits at the interior level. 4 Consequently anyone whose interior faculties are opened by the Lord can talk with them, exactly as a man can with another man. 5 I have been permitted to do this daily for the last twelve years.

Footnotes:

1. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] There are no spirits or angels who are not from the human race (Arcana Caelestia 1880).

2. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] The spirits of each world are in the vicinity of their world, because they come from its inhabitants and share their character. It is also so that they can be of service to them (Arcana Caelestia 9968).

3. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] The soul which lives on after death is a person's spirit, which is his real personality; in the next life it appears in a completely human form (Arcana Caelestia 322, 1880-1881, 3633, 4622, 4735, 6054, 6605, 6626, 7021, 10594).

4. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] A person while still in the world is at the inner level, that is, as regards his spirit or soul, among spirits and angels of similar nature to himself (Arcana Caelestia 2379 [2378 in original], Arcana Caelestia 3645, 4067, 4073, 4077).

5. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] A person can talk with spirits and angels; in ancient times people in our world often did so (Arcana Caelestia 67-69, 784, 1634, 1636, 7802). But nowadays it is dangerous for a person to talk with them, unless he has true faith and is guided by the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 784, 9438, 10751).

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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7801

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7801. There are many kinds of spirits from the planet Jupiter, but there are three kinds whom I have moved among and often talked to. One kind, which is also the lowest, have a dark, almost black appearance. These are held in contempt by the others and are called chastisers, because they chastise the inhabitants of their planet who lead evil lives. They have a constant desire to get to heaven. The second kind have faces from which the reflected light of a candle seems to shine. They are seen sitting like idols, for they allow themselves to be worshipped by others, especially by the servants they had in the world. For there they convinced those servants that they were people who mediated with the Lord. They are called holy ones by them, and also lords. The third kind, which is the best, excel all the others in intelligence and wisdom. They appear dressed in clothing that is blue - sky-blue - together with sparks of gold woven into it. But actual angels from that planet live together with the angels belonging to all other planets; for all who are truly angels constitute one all-inclusive heaven.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Zechariah 8

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1 The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me.

2 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath."

3 Thus says Yahweh: "I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called 'The City of Truth;' and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, 'The Holy mountain.'"

4 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."

6 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?" says Yahweh of Armies.

7 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

8 and I will bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."

9 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of Yahweh of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

10 For before those days there was no wages for man, nor any wages for an animal; neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor.

11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days," says Yahweh of Armies.

12 "For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don't be afraid. Let your hands be strong."

14 For thus says Yahweh of Armies: "As I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says Yahweh of Armies, "and I didn't repent;

15 so again have I thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don't be afraid.

16 These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate," says Yahweh.

18 The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me.

19 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "The fasts of the fourth fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace."

20 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Many peoples, and the inhabitants of Many cities will yet come;

21 and the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Yahweh, and to seek Yahweh of Armies. I will go also.'

22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Yahweh."

23 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

   

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