Earths in the Universe · 10 of 14

The First Earth in the Starry Heaven

127.THE FIRST EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS; FROM THINGS HEARD AND SEEN. I was led by the Lord by means of angels to a certain earth in the starry heaven, where it was given me to look into the earth itself, yet not to speak with the inhabitants there, but with the spirits who were from it. All the inhabitants or men of every earth, after the life in the world is finished, become spirits, and remain near their own earth. From these spirits, however, information is given about their earth, and about the state of the inhabitants there; for men who leave the body bring with them all their former life, and all their memory. To be led to earths in the universe is not to be led and transferred thither as to the body, but as to the spirit; and the spirit is led by variations of the state of the interior life, which appear to it as progressions through space. Approaches also are made according to agreements or similarities of states of life; for agreement or similarity of life conjoined disagreement and dissimilarity disjoin. From this it might be evident how transference is made as to the spirit, and approach to what is distant, the man still remaining in his place. But to lead the spirit beyond its own world by variations of the state of its interiors, and to make the variations advance successively even to a state agreeing with or similar to that of those to whom it is led, is in the power of the Lord alone. For there must be continual direction and foresight from first to last, in going and returning; especially with a man who is still in the world of nature as to the body, and thereby in space. That this has been done, those who are in the bodily senses and think from them, cannot be induced to believe, for the reason that what is of bodily sense cannot comprehend progressions without space. But still they who think from the sense of their spirit, somewhat removed or withdrawn from the sense of the body, thus interiorly in themselves, may be led to believe and to comprehend; since in the idea of the interior thought there is not space nor time, but instead thereof those things from which spaces and times exist. It is for such persons that what follows concerning the earths in the starry heaven is related, and not for others, unless they will suffer themselves to be instructed.

128.In a state of wakefulness I was led as to the spirit by the Lord, by means of angels, to a certain earth in the universe, accompanied by some spirits from this world. Our progress was made toward the right, and lasted two hours. Near the limit of our solar system, there appeared at first a shining bright cloud, but dense, and beyond it a fiery smoke ascending out of a great chasm. It was a vast gulf separating our solar world on that side from some worlds of the starry heavens. That fiery smoke appeared at a considerable distance. I was borne across the middle of it; and then there appeared beneath in that chasm or gulf very many men, who were spirits; for spirits all appear in the human form, and actually are men. I also heard them speaking with one another; but whence they were and their quality was not given me to know. Yet one of them said to me that they were guards, lest spirits should pass from this world into another in the universe without leave having been given. That it was so, was also confirmed; for some spirits who were in our company, but had not received the ability to pass over, when they came to that great interspace, began to cry out vehemently that they were perishing; for they were like those who are struggling in agony with death, and therefore they stopped on that side of the gulf, nor could they be taken any further, as the fiery smoke that exhaled from the gulf enveloped them and thus tortured them.

129.Afterwards I was carried along through that great chasm, and at length I arrived at a place where I stopped; and there then appeared to me spirits overhead with whom it was given me to speak. From their speech, and from their genius of apprehending and explaining things, I clearly perceived that they were from another earth for they were quite different from the spirits of our solar system. They also perceived from my speech that I was from afar.

130.After we had spoken for sometime on various matters, I asked what God they worshiped. They said they worshiped an angel, who appears to them as a Divine Man, shining with light; and that He instructs them and gives them to perceive what they ought to do. They said further that they know that the Most High God is in the sun of the angelic heaven; and that He appears to their angel, and not to themselves; and that He is too great for them to dare to adore Him. The angel whom they worshiped was an angelic society, to which it was given by the Lord to preside over them, and to teach the way of what is just and right. They therefore have light from a certain flame, which appears like a small torch, quite fiery and yellow. The reason is because they do not adore the Lord, and thus they do not have light from the sun of the angelic heaven, but from an angelic society. For an angelic society, when it is given by the Lord, can present such light to the spirits who are in a lower region. That angelic society was also seen by me, high above them; and there was also seen there the flamy appearance from which their light came.

131.As to the rest, they were modest, and somewhat simple, but yet they thought very well, From the light with them it might be concluded what their intellectual faculty is; for the understanding is according to the reception of the light which is in the heavens; since the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun is what shines there, and enables the angels not only to see, but also to understand.

132.I was instructed that the inhabitants and spirits of that earth have reference in the Greatest Man to something in the spleen, of which I was confirmed by an influx into the spleen when they were speaking with me.

133.They were asked about the sun of their system, which illumines their earth. They said that the sun there appears flamy; and when I represented the size of the sun of our earth, they said that theirs is smaller; for their sun to our eyes is a star, and I was told by angels that it is among the smaller stars. They also said that the starry heaven is likewise seen from their earth, and that a star larger than the rest appears to them toward the west. I was told from heaven that this is our sun.

134.Presently my sight was opened, so that I could look somewhat into that earth itself; and there appeared many meadows and woods with leafy trees, and also woolly sheep I afterward saw some of the inhabitants, who were of the lower class, clothed in a dress much like that of peasants in Europe. There was also seen a man with his woman. She appeared of handsome figure and graceful carriage, and the man likewise. But, what I wondered at, he had a pompous gait, with a rather haughty step; while the woman, on the contrary, walked with a humble step. It was said by the angels that such is the custom on that earth, and that the men who are such are loved, because nevertheless they are good. I was further told that it is not permitted them to have many wives, because it is contrary to their laws. The woman whom I saw had before her breast a broad garment, with which she could screen herself, while it was so made that she could insert her arms and wrap it about herself, and so walk away. The lower part of it could be drawn up, and when drawn up and applied to the body, it appeared like an upper garment covering the chest, such as is worn by the women of our earth. But the same garment served also for the man, who was seen to take it from the woman and apply it to his back, loosening the lower part, which then flowed down to his feet, like a toga, and thus clothed he walked about. What I saw on that earth, was not seen with the eyes of my body, but with the eyes of my spirit; and the spirit can see the things that are on an earth, when it is granted by the Lord.

135.Since I know that it will be doubted whether it is in any way possible for a man to see with the eyes of his spirit anything on an earth so distant, it is allowed me to say how this thing is. Distances in the other life are not like distances on earth. In the other life distances are altogether according to the states of the interiors of any one. Those who are in a like state, are together in one society and in one place. Everything is present there according to similarity of state and everything is distant according to dissimilarity of state. Hence it was that I was near that earth when I was led by the Lord into a state similar to that of its spirits and inhabitants, and that being then present I spoke with them. From this it is plain that the earths in the spiritual world are not distant in the same way as in the natural world; but only apparently, according to the states of life of the inhabitants and spirits there, The state of life is the state of affections as to love and faith. In regard to a spirit being able to see the things which are on an earth, or what is the same, a man as to his spirit, it is allowed me to explain how this also is. Neither spirits nor angels can, by their own sight, see anything that is in the world; for to them the light of the world, or of the sun, is as dense thick darkness, just as man by his bodily sight cannot see anything that is in the other life; for to him the light of heaven is as dense thick darkness. But still, spirits and angels, when it is the Lord’s good pleasure, can see the things that are in the world through the eyes of man. But this the Lord does not grant to any others than those whom He gives to speak with spirits and angels, and to be together with them, Through my eyes it has been given them to see the things which are in the world, and as plainly as I did; and also to hear men speaking with me. It has sometimes happened, that some through me have seen their friends whom they had in the life of the body, just at present as before, and they were astounded. They have also seen their husbands, or wives, and their children, and wished to tell them that they were present and saw them, and also wanted me to tell them about their state in the other life. But I was prohibited from telling them and revealing to them that they were thus seen, even for the reason that they would have called me insane, or would have thought that it was delirium of mind. For it was known to me, that although they acknowledged with the lips, still they did not believe in the heart, that there were spirits, and that the dead had risen and were among spirits, and that these could see and hear through a man. When my interior sight was first opened, and those who were in the other life saw through my eyes the world and the things that were in it, they were so astonished that they called this the miracle of miracles, and were affected with a new joy, that thus there was granted a communication of earth with heaven, and of heaven with earth. This joy lasted for months; but afterwards it became familiar. Now they have ceased to wonder. I have been instructed that the spirits and angels with other men, see nothing at all of what is in the world, but only perceive the thoughts and affections of those with whom they are. From this it may be evident that man was so created, that while living in the world among men, he might at the same time also live in heaven among angels, and the converse; thus that heaven and the world with a man might be together, and act as one; and that men might know what is in heaven, and angels what is in the world; and when men die, they might thus pass out of the Lord’s kingdom on earth into the Lord’s kingdom in heaven, not as into a different kingdom, but as into the same in which they also were when they lived in the body. But because man has become so corporeal, he has closed heaven to himself.

136.Lastly I spoke with the spirits who were from that earth about various things on our earth, especially about there being sciences here which are not elsewhere, as astronomy, geometry, mechanics, physics, chemistry, medicine, optics, philosophy: and also arts, which are not known elsewhere, as those of ship-building, of casting metals, of writing upon paper, and of printing what is written by types, and so of communicating it to others on the earth, and also of preserving it for posterity for thousands of years; as I told them had been done with the Word which is from the Lord; and therefore there is a permanent Revelation on our earth.

137.Lastly was shown me the hell of those who are from that earth. Those who were seen from it terrified one most exceedingly, and I dare not describe their monstrous faces. There were also seen there enchantresses, who practice direful arts. These appeared clothed in green, and they struck me with horror.