A Book Study Course on
The World of Spirits and Man's State after Death
Introduction: What is the World of Spirits? - Part 1
From "Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell
from things heard and seen"
By Rev. Paul Booth
The World of Spirits and Man's State after Death
Introduction: What is the World of Spirits? - Part 1
From "Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell
from things heard and seen"
By Rev. Paul Booth
421. There are two worlds. This one, which is the natural, material, and external world, - the universe, - and there is the spiritual world, which is substantial, internal, where there is Heaven, the world of spirits, and hell. Between Heaven and hell there is the world of spirits where all come into after natural death of the body when their natural life ends. Because there are these two worlds man was created with both a natural and a spiritual with the purpose to enjoy Heaven and the Lord. All man's thoughts, ideas, and feelings, his loves, and their affections are spiritual not natural. These are spiritual substances. When the natural body dies life does not cease, but continues in the spiritual body in the world of spirits for a period of time before coming into its final destination. The thoughts, and the feelings, man's loves and affections that were experienced while living in the natural world are continued and experienced, though much more than before without the confines of the natural body.
A man is in this world in his physical body and at the same time in the world of spirits in his spiritual body in an intermediate state between Heaven and hell. The world of spirits is an intermediate place between Heaven and hell. Though in his natural state he is unaware of this. When man dies and comes into the world of spirits, he is, after a time, either raised into Heaven or cast down into hell according to the life that he lived here in this world.
When speaking of spiritual substance what is meant is that which is from the will of God, because all things come from God and exist and subsist in man from Love or from the will of God. And, it is God's will that these - both good and truth - are in man and that man's will is in accord with the Divine Order. Natural substance in its self is dead, though it is acted upon by the spiritual world, and so, our body re-acts to the spirit within. As long as we are speaking of spiritual substance we might as well speak about form, for substance without form is nothing. If you understand substance as the essence of a thing, then its form is the existence of that thing. If not, then essence and existence as substance and form would only be an imaginary entity and not anything at all. We can understand God is Esse or Being and Existere - the Coming into existence - thus, is the creation of spiritual substance and the form of all things, both in the spiritual and natural worlds.
422. A man comes into this intermediate place - the world of spirits - because he is held in an intermediate state between Heaven and hell while here on earth. In fact, as to man's spirit, called the spiritual man, he is held in equilibrium, because the evil spirits in hells are subjugated there by the Lord and cannot infest the spiritual world with their evils where he comes into after he leaves this world. As long as a man lives in the natural world he has the opportunity to reject all evils that come to him and so can turn to good; that is, he can receive love from the Lord. Of course, this is possible because the Lord, through temptations and victories over hell, has redeemed mankind. Thus, man's spirit is in the world of spirits and so either comes into Heaven or hell, after his natural death. A man comes into Heaven if good and truth are conjoined or joined together in him and into hell if evil and falsity are conjoined in him. These are the states within man, that if confirmed while living in the natural world, will either cause him to be raised up into Heaven or cast down into hell upon coming into the world of spirits.
It is in this way that a man is left in freedom to choose to believe the truth and do good from the Lord or to believe falsities and do evil which comes from hell. These are two diametrically opposed thoughts coming into man, entering the mind, and when confirmed determine the spiritual state of the man, thus ruling his natural state. When any state - either good or evil - is attained by man, it refers to the love he has, thus to his life, to the degree of wisdom, and the affections, the joys and also to good and truth, thus to a man's faith and charity, either true or false or good or evil. Example: Man is either in a state of damnation, reformation, or regeneration. From this, we see that a man's state is determined by his love, thus by affections for either good or evil during his natural life. I spoke about form before as coming from the understanding. As such, the existence of the form of a man refers to his intelligence, to his thoughts and affections, thus to the spiritual man. The natural body is but a house for the spirit to live in. It is the spirit, which is the real man. These are the various forms, depending on the acceptance of the Lord's love and wisdom - the good and truth - or their rejection. Now, a place has more to do with surroundings, because of the state of man's life. Natural, worldly surroundings are often not reflective of one's true state, for in the natural world the mind is divided and one can appear happy when not, and visa versa. Example: One could be in a beautiful home with just about everything anyone would want or need, yet be in a state of unhappiness, despair, and even fear. He may be in an evil state or a good state.
However, in the Spiritual World - Heaven or hell and the world of spirits - the surroundings reflect the person's state accordingly. Such as from good affections are good surroundings and from evil affections come evil surroundings. Thus, upon entering the world of spirits, where all the natural thoughts stored in man's memory are gone, there remains with the man as spirit those thoughts that were confirmed while on earth, and what is confirmed is what was believed and acted upon while in this natural world, that is, on how one lived in this world, either according to good and truth or to evil and its falsities. It is the conjunction of these in man that places his spirit either in evil or good, thus into good or evil societies in the world of spirits upon coming there, and then, from there, either into Heaven or into hell after his preparation is completed.
Most people understand 'good' as descriptive of something, such as a good trip, a good time, a good house, etc. and truth as an established or verified fact. However, I point out that because they are not things in the natural world, but they are spiritual, that you can not see good or truth with your natural eyes, but you can see their effects upon the natural world. God as the Foundation and the End and the Good and Truth as the cause, that when conjoined, are the effects seen. So, one can understand that if good and truth or evil and falsity are the effects themselves, then wouldn't man's state change accordingly to whether he lives from truths and does good, or from lies and does evil?
Let us take this to its conclusion. Remember, I spoke of spiritual substances as acting and natural substances or material as reacting against the spiritual. Therefore, the body moves and acts according to the direction or will of the spirit. Now, consider the love or the will of the Divine and the Wisdom or understanding from the Divine, by which is understood the Lord to those who have and believe a religion. These, in themselves are Substance and Form, for they are the Essence and the Existence Itself. How does God, who is the Esse and Existere, the Being and the Existence, the Love and Wisdom, effect His Creation, especially mankind? It is by His proceeding good and truth, for these proceed or 'as it were' flow from Him, from His Love and Wisdom into man. However, for these to have a positive effect or a 'good' effect on man, changing a man's state from evil to a state of good in this world, so that upon coming into the world of spirits where the spirit-man will rise into Heaven. A man must act 'as if' of himself understanding truths and doing them. Both the qualities of good and of truth conjoined within such a man, come from the Lord, and so conjoin the man with Heaven and the Lord.
While man is in the natural world, he is a natural man, and when his spirit comes into the world of spirits he becomes a spiritual man. The spirit within him has been released. He is either a good or an evil spiritual man having conjunction of good and truth or of evil and falsity. Now, let us examine how the conjunction in man is effected in him in order for his life to change from being evil to becoming good. Almost all Christians, and for that matter many in other religions will say that God lives within them in their heart and mind meaning the will and the understanding. Love resides or dwells in the will and the truth in one's understanding, though these are not joined together until he comes into the spiritual world, but are divided in man because of sin. Example: What a natural man loves is not always good, but is sometimes evil, because he has affection for himself or for what is his own. This is called his proprium.
A man is in this world in his physical body and at the same time in the world of spirits in his spiritual body in an intermediate state between Heaven and hell. The world of spirits is an intermediate place between Heaven and hell. Though in his natural state he is unaware of this. When man dies and comes into the world of spirits, he is, after a time, either raised into Heaven or cast down into hell according to the life that he lived here in this world.
When speaking of spiritual substance what is meant is that which is from the will of God, because all things come from God and exist and subsist in man from Love or from the will of God. And, it is God's will that these - both good and truth - are in man and that man's will is in accord with the Divine Order. Natural substance in its self is dead, though it is acted upon by the spiritual world, and so, our body re-acts to the spirit within. As long as we are speaking of spiritual substance we might as well speak about form, for substance without form is nothing. If you understand substance as the essence of a thing, then its form is the existence of that thing. If not, then essence and existence as substance and form would only be an imaginary entity and not anything at all. We can understand God is Esse or Being and Existere - the Coming into existence - thus, is the creation of spiritual substance and the form of all things, both in the spiritual and natural worlds.
422. A man comes into this intermediate place - the world of spirits - because he is held in an intermediate state between Heaven and hell while here on earth. In fact, as to man's spirit, called the spiritual man, he is held in equilibrium, because the evil spirits in hells are subjugated there by the Lord and cannot infest the spiritual world with their evils where he comes into after he leaves this world. As long as a man lives in the natural world he has the opportunity to reject all evils that come to him and so can turn to good; that is, he can receive love from the Lord. Of course, this is possible because the Lord, through temptations and victories over hell, has redeemed mankind. Thus, man's spirit is in the world of spirits and so either comes into Heaven or hell, after his natural death. A man comes into Heaven if good and truth are conjoined or joined together in him and into hell if evil and falsity are conjoined in him. These are the states within man, that if confirmed while living in the natural world, will either cause him to be raised up into Heaven or cast down into hell upon coming into the world of spirits.
It is in this way that a man is left in freedom to choose to believe the truth and do good from the Lord or to believe falsities and do evil which comes from hell. These are two diametrically opposed thoughts coming into man, entering the mind, and when confirmed determine the spiritual state of the man, thus ruling his natural state. When any state - either good or evil - is attained by man, it refers to the love he has, thus to his life, to the degree of wisdom, and the affections, the joys and also to good and truth, thus to a man's faith and charity, either true or false or good or evil. Example: Man is either in a state of damnation, reformation, or regeneration. From this, we see that a man's state is determined by his love, thus by affections for either good or evil during his natural life. I spoke about form before as coming from the understanding. As such, the existence of the form of a man refers to his intelligence, to his thoughts and affections, thus to the spiritual man. The natural body is but a house for the spirit to live in. It is the spirit, which is the real man. These are the various forms, depending on the acceptance of the Lord's love and wisdom - the good and truth - or their rejection. Now, a place has more to do with surroundings, because of the state of man's life. Natural, worldly surroundings are often not reflective of one's true state, for in the natural world the mind is divided and one can appear happy when not, and visa versa. Example: One could be in a beautiful home with just about everything anyone would want or need, yet be in a state of unhappiness, despair, and even fear. He may be in an evil state or a good state.
However, in the Spiritual World - Heaven or hell and the world of spirits - the surroundings reflect the person's state accordingly. Such as from good affections are good surroundings and from evil affections come evil surroundings. Thus, upon entering the world of spirits, where all the natural thoughts stored in man's memory are gone, there remains with the man as spirit those thoughts that were confirmed while on earth, and what is confirmed is what was believed and acted upon while in this natural world, that is, on how one lived in this world, either according to good and truth or to evil and its falsities. It is the conjunction of these in man that places his spirit either in evil or good, thus into good or evil societies in the world of spirits upon coming there, and then, from there, either into Heaven or into hell after his preparation is completed.
Most people understand 'good' as descriptive of something, such as a good trip, a good time, a good house, etc. and truth as an established or verified fact. However, I point out that because they are not things in the natural world, but they are spiritual, that you can not see good or truth with your natural eyes, but you can see their effects upon the natural world. God as the Foundation and the End and the Good and Truth as the cause, that when conjoined, are the effects seen. So, one can understand that if good and truth or evil and falsity are the effects themselves, then wouldn't man's state change accordingly to whether he lives from truths and does good, or from lies and does evil?
Let us take this to its conclusion. Remember, I spoke of spiritual substances as acting and natural substances or material as reacting against the spiritual. Therefore, the body moves and acts according to the direction or will of the spirit. Now, consider the love or the will of the Divine and the Wisdom or understanding from the Divine, by which is understood the Lord to those who have and believe a religion. These, in themselves are Substance and Form, for they are the Essence and the Existence Itself. How does God, who is the Esse and Existere, the Being and the Existence, the Love and Wisdom, effect His Creation, especially mankind? It is by His proceeding good and truth, for these proceed or 'as it were' flow from Him, from His Love and Wisdom into man. However, for these to have a positive effect or a 'good' effect on man, changing a man's state from evil to a state of good in this world, so that upon coming into the world of spirits where the spirit-man will rise into Heaven. A man must act 'as if' of himself understanding truths and doing them. Both the qualities of good and of truth conjoined within such a man, come from the Lord, and so conjoin the man with Heaven and the Lord.
While man is in the natural world, he is a natural man, and when his spirit comes into the world of spirits he becomes a spiritual man. The spirit within him has been released. He is either a good or an evil spiritual man having conjunction of good and truth or of evil and falsity. Now, let us examine how the conjunction in man is effected in him in order for his life to change from being evil to becoming good. Almost all Christians, and for that matter many in other religions will say that God lives within them in their heart and mind meaning the will and the understanding. Love resides or dwells in the will and the truth in one's understanding, though these are not joined together until he comes into the spiritual world, but are divided in man because of sin. Example: What a natural man loves is not always good, but is sometimes evil, because he has affection for himself or for what is his own. This is called his proprium.