You can find in the religious writings (the Latin Word) of Emanuel Swedenborg where it tells that he was allowed to visit with spirits that had come from other planets within our solar system and even with some in other solar systems. Many believe the Word of God to be true, and in the case of Christians who accept the religious writings of E. Swedenborg to also be the Word, accept its literal sense that there are spirits that come from other planets (called earths by Emanuel Swedenborg) that there are indeed or were inhabitants living on them. The question: Is there, or even were there human beings on the planet Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and even the moon as was written in the Arcana Coelestia written by Emanuel Swedenborg? From the standpoint that Christians who accept only the Word of the Old and New Testaments, the question of whether or not there are inhabitants on other planets can be easily pushed aside by stating that the Word does not tell us about them one way or another. To believe or not that there is life on other planets is therefore a matter for each individual. Although it should be pointed out that there are some Christians who believe that there is proof in the Old Testament that there were visitors to our Earth in the past from other planets. However, what is of real importance is whether the literal or the natural sense of the Word true? Nonetheless, a certain part of society thinks so, at least, it is a distinct possibility and just do not dismiss that there is not, and are fascinated by the idea. In fact, there are many books written, television programs and movies made, not to mention some sects, and other groups worldwide that believe in some intelligence or in 'extra terrestrials' and that somewhere in the universe there is life other than just in our little planet we call Earth. Many of these people are religious people, that is, they acknowledge God and repentance. With many others the question is still not resolved and they still wonder in varying degrees.
Now, since it is the Word of God (to at least New Church people) that we find written that there are inhabitants on other earths, then of those who accept that Word as the Lord's can they accept this story of other earths from where people come from into the spiritual world as true and better yet should they? Let us examine this and see if this information should be rationally accepted? First, from the literal sense there is support for, but there is also opposition against such arguments. Example: From a natural and rational point of view, we see that God is perfectly capable of having created other earths (planets) with inhabitants on them as was stated in E. Swedenborg's The Inhabitants of other Earths Memorable Relations. We read, "Who can ever think that a means so immense was made for an end so small and limited as it would be, if only one earth alone? What would this be for the Divine, who is infinite, to whom thousands, nay, myriads of earths, and all filled with inhabitants, would be but a little thing, and almost nothing?" (AC6698). Note: the ultimate end of creation is a heavenly kingdom from the human race in which the Divine can dwell. The fact that E. Swedenborg was in the spirit and not in his (natural) body when visiting and speaking with other spirits and not physically with other people from other planets does not negate that there were or was inhabitants from them. In fact, one could even understand such spiritual travel as being perfectly logical, even though this is still to be seen as an appearance.
However, when we look at other statements in this and the next Memorial Relations chapter other thoughts come into our natural rational thinking. First, consider the fact that we can read elsewhere in Arcana Coelestia that 'Heaven' is in a form of a 'Grand Man' and that there is a need to preserve all the various parts of Heaven or the 'Grand Man', by such spirits as those mentioned above that come from the various other 'earths' both in our solar system and other solar systems and that they, too, are summoned 'as it were' to maintain the 'Grand Man' posses a problem. For if you say that those bodies or earths at one time in the distant past had inhabitants on them, but that today they do not, then how is it possible to summon such spirits when needed? "But to constitute that Grand man, those who come from this Earth into the other life are not sufficient. These being relatively few, there is need of more from many other earths." (AC6807). From what we now know scientifically of other planets in our solar system they do not support natural life, but likely they could have, for there is evidence of water and other elements on them that do support human life.
When a person reads the Word of God and only understands it according to its literal or natural sense the person may, indeed, see something there (in this case in these parts about other earths ) concerning God, Heaven, and mankind - his salvation and regeneration - but he also sees many other things there that relate to world history, mainly Israelitish and to a lesser degree Egypt, and to other things such as made up histories or allegories, plus prophecies, and even literary prose, not to mention parables, and many others related subjects as dreams and visions. This, of course, is only natural, for the Word has been accommodated to mankind on earth, for if God had not done so, how would man ever worship Him, let alone to learn of His love for us? Basically, the Word is not a history book or one on the creation of the Universe, although it does have in it some true historical facts, particularly of the ancient nation of Israel and addresses the creation to some degree, although allegorically, and has predictions of things that we know have come to pass. Yet, it does not address the many other things that have to do with the religions of others than Judaism and Christianity. Now the religious writings of Emanuel Swedenborg have, as have the Old and New Testaments, used the same natural means to accommodate it with man in order for him to understand. Therefore, Emanuel Swedenborg, like Old Testament Prophets and like John, who wrote the book Revelation in the New Testament, has also written of the things that he has seen while in the spirit. These revelations can generally be found at the end of the chapters in the Arcana Coelestia and are called 'Memorable Relations'. In some of these there can be read of Swedenborg's travel while in spirit to other planets in our solar system and even evidence of him visiting Earths, as they are call in his writings, in other solar systems.
However, the understanding of the literal sense of the Word is only in apparent truths. If you believe that, then, you need to look at the things written in it understood literally as not always the truth and that there must be within it an internal or spiritual sense that does reveal such truth. One admits that the Word reveals many things more then what is understood on its surface, so to speak. And, any person who loves the Lord and the Word will tell you of times when there was revealed to him or her a 'new' understanding 'as it were' or that they have somehow been 'enlightened' and see more than what appears from its mere literal sense.
So, if that is the case, then there is a natural or literal sense and a spiritual or internal sense of God's Word. In fact, what we are speaking here of is one's faith. For faith is a spiritual recognition that God is, thus, a merely literal acceptance of the Word is but, a natural faith where the knowledge of God may be accepted, but where there is no love of God. This can be said in another way. Life according to the Commandments is an actual acknowledgement that salvation and eternal life are from the Lord. Life lived not according to the Commandments is not faith, but mere knowledge.
Now, since it is the Word of God (to at least New Church people) that we find written that there are inhabitants on other earths, then of those who accept that Word as the Lord's can they accept this story of other earths from where people come from into the spiritual world as true and better yet should they? Let us examine this and see if this information should be rationally accepted? First, from the literal sense there is support for, but there is also opposition against such arguments. Example: From a natural and rational point of view, we see that God is perfectly capable of having created other earths (planets) with inhabitants on them as was stated in E. Swedenborg's The Inhabitants of other Earths Memorable Relations. We read, "Who can ever think that a means so immense was made for an end so small and limited as it would be, if only one earth alone? What would this be for the Divine, who is infinite, to whom thousands, nay, myriads of earths, and all filled with inhabitants, would be but a little thing, and almost nothing?" (AC6698). Note: the ultimate end of creation is a heavenly kingdom from the human race in which the Divine can dwell. The fact that E. Swedenborg was in the spirit and not in his (natural) body when visiting and speaking with other spirits and not physically with other people from other planets does not negate that there were or was inhabitants from them. In fact, one could even understand such spiritual travel as being perfectly logical, even though this is still to be seen as an appearance.
However, when we look at other statements in this and the next Memorial Relations chapter other thoughts come into our natural rational thinking. First, consider the fact that we can read elsewhere in Arcana Coelestia that 'Heaven' is in a form of a 'Grand Man' and that there is a need to preserve all the various parts of Heaven or the 'Grand Man', by such spirits as those mentioned above that come from the various other 'earths' both in our solar system and other solar systems and that they, too, are summoned 'as it were' to maintain the 'Grand Man' posses a problem. For if you say that those bodies or earths at one time in the distant past had inhabitants on them, but that today they do not, then how is it possible to summon such spirits when needed? "But to constitute that Grand man, those who come from this Earth into the other life are not sufficient. These being relatively few, there is need of more from many other earths." (AC6807). From what we now know scientifically of other planets in our solar system they do not support natural life, but likely they could have, for there is evidence of water and other elements on them that do support human life.
When a person reads the Word of God and only understands it according to its literal or natural sense the person may, indeed, see something there (in this case in these parts about other earths ) concerning God, Heaven, and mankind - his salvation and regeneration - but he also sees many other things there that relate to world history, mainly Israelitish and to a lesser degree Egypt, and to other things such as made up histories or allegories, plus prophecies, and even literary prose, not to mention parables, and many others related subjects as dreams and visions. This, of course, is only natural, for the Word has been accommodated to mankind on earth, for if God had not done so, how would man ever worship Him, let alone to learn of His love for us? Basically, the Word is not a history book or one on the creation of the Universe, although it does have in it some true historical facts, particularly of the ancient nation of Israel and addresses the creation to some degree, although allegorically, and has predictions of things that we know have come to pass. Yet, it does not address the many other things that have to do with the religions of others than Judaism and Christianity. Now the religious writings of Emanuel Swedenborg have, as have the Old and New Testaments, used the same natural means to accommodate it with man in order for him to understand. Therefore, Emanuel Swedenborg, like Old Testament Prophets and like John, who wrote the book Revelation in the New Testament, has also written of the things that he has seen while in the spirit. These revelations can generally be found at the end of the chapters in the Arcana Coelestia and are called 'Memorable Relations'. In some of these there can be read of Swedenborg's travel while in spirit to other planets in our solar system and even evidence of him visiting Earths, as they are call in his writings, in other solar systems.
However, the understanding of the literal sense of the Word is only in apparent truths. If you believe that, then, you need to look at the things written in it understood literally as not always the truth and that there must be within it an internal or spiritual sense that does reveal such truth. One admits that the Word reveals many things more then what is understood on its surface, so to speak. And, any person who loves the Lord and the Word will tell you of times when there was revealed to him or her a 'new' understanding 'as it were' or that they have somehow been 'enlightened' and see more than what appears from its mere literal sense.
So, if that is the case, then there is a natural or literal sense and a spiritual or internal sense of God's Word. In fact, what we are speaking here of is one's faith. For faith is a spiritual recognition that God is, thus, a merely literal acceptance of the Word is but, a natural faith where the knowledge of God may be accepted, but where there is no love of God. This can be said in another way. Life according to the Commandments is an actual acknowledgement that salvation and eternal life are from the Lord. Life lived not according to the Commandments is not faith, but mere knowledge.