A Book Study Course on
The World of Spirits and Man's State after Death
Introduction: What is the World of Spirits? - Part 3
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 3
From "Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell
from things heard and seen"
By Rev. Paul Booth
426. All people come into the world of spirits from this world, so there are many people there. They come there before they can either enter Heaven or hell. A man must be prepared before he enters Heaven. The goods and truths with him from the Lord need to be arranged before receiving the Lord's mercy. This is begun with some while in the natural world, others enter the world of spirits having good and truth of the Lord that has not been arranged in the man's rational. This must happen before there is a conjunction within the rational from the Lord, for in the rational is where the Lord dwells and reigns. There is where the Lord is with man. This is his preparation to enter Heaven.
The state of man upon entering the world of spirits determines a person's stay before entering either Heaven or hell. A man's state of reformation must be completed before entering a state of regeneration. The natural mind comes to its end and the spiritual mind begins; his natural senses are not needed any more; his thoughts and affections are now spiritual. He understands spiritually. There are natural ideas and thoughts that correspond to spiritual ones that remain, but all that was not confirmed by acceptance and willing - those in one's memory - are lost upon coming into the world of spirits.
All natural thoughts and ideas, all truths are seen or understood in appearances or in what appears to be the truth; they are not genuine truths, but appear as the truth according to one's state. These are replaced by spiritual appearances of truth, which correspond to the natural ones when man comes into the world of spirits. This takes place so that one's mind does not remain divided as it was on earth. The natural good and truth with man become spiritual good and truth; natural evil and falsities in man become spiritual evil and falsities. What appears to the internal mind the external corresponds to it. It is in this way that a man is made into an image of the Lord and after His likeness or is an image and likeness of evil and hell. He has within interior thoughts - spiritual truths, - and affections - spiritual goods - corresponding to the Lord's Good or Love and to His Truth or Wisdom. All while in the world of spirits, before reaching their final state - regeneration or damnation, Heaven or hell - remain in the world of spirits until the process of preparation is completed.
427 While man is in the world here, it is difficult for him to distinguish good from truth and so good from evil, but upon arriving in the world of spirits the Lord distinguishes man correctly into societies accordingly. In fact, a man can, only with difficulty, distinguish good and truth, because it is difficult for him to distinguish between thinking and willing. To think from truths is not to will from them. One cannot just believe and be saved unless he also wills and does good 'as if' by himself what he believes.
While the man remains in the natural world in his natural and external body, he is also in his spirit and in his internal in the world of spirits, although he is unaware of this as I have already said. However, his affections and consequent thoughts are spiritual and therefore, in the world of spirits. They are there in a society with those who have the same thoughts and affections. So, in this way, one can understand there is a connection with either Heaven or hell depending on the life one lives, either good or evil, in this world. The person's strongest ruling love determines what society, either infernal or Heavenly, in the world of spirits that he is attached to while still living in his natural body in the natural world.
When those who have done good while in this world arrive in the world of spirits, they are attached to Heavenly societies. This is determined by their love, charity, and faith, which they received while here in this world. For, one who loves the Lord, wills to do good from the Lord, and who believes truths from the Lord - from the Word - receives a new life from the Lord. Thus in the world of spirits, there are different societies and when upon coming into the world of spirits the man is distinguished according to his life here on earth.
This means that friends and acquaintances may be separated. Will they see each other? Yes, if they desire to and so long they are still in the world of spirits, but for a short while, and this because of the diverse dispositions that each has formed or made for themselves while in the natural world. However, upon coming into Heaven or hell, friends, acquaintances, wives and husbands, parents and children, unless their dispositions are alike will no longer see or know each other. The state of man changes to that of his dominant love while on earth. Love is what attracts the man to the various societies in the world of spirits, either infernal or Heavenly. When this process is completed the man is either raised up into Heaven or cast down into hell.
It is said that man no longer sees or knows friends, etc. if their life and their loves are not similar. Those who know the Lord become like Him in that they have good and truth conjoined in them. However, those who don't know the Lord, who don't have good and truth conjoined in them, who instead have evil and falsity, are conjoined with hell being of a like nature. The point being, that those coming into Heaven know what is good and true, but don't know evil and falsity, for these have been put away, that is, shunned and are no longer central to him in his affections and thoughts. They, therefore, have no knowledge of those whose affections are evil and who have thoughts of falsities; they do not remember those they had known while in the natural world. The two, love of the Lord and a love of self, disjoin. Similarity joins.
In the natural world a man often cannot see or understand from the outward appearance that his acquaintances often do not have the same love as he has, so they become friends, and even marry. However, the affections and the thoughts that were in one's memory only become lost when coming into the world of spirits; what remains is only the dominant and ruling love, either of hell or of the Lord.
The state of man upon entering the world of spirits determines a person's stay before entering either Heaven or hell. A man's state of reformation must be completed before entering a state of regeneration. The natural mind comes to its end and the spiritual mind begins; his natural senses are not needed any more; his thoughts and affections are now spiritual. He understands spiritually. There are natural ideas and thoughts that correspond to spiritual ones that remain, but all that was not confirmed by acceptance and willing - those in one's memory - are lost upon coming into the world of spirits.
All natural thoughts and ideas, all truths are seen or understood in appearances or in what appears to be the truth; they are not genuine truths, but appear as the truth according to one's state. These are replaced by spiritual appearances of truth, which correspond to the natural ones when man comes into the world of spirits. This takes place so that one's mind does not remain divided as it was on earth. The natural good and truth with man become spiritual good and truth; natural evil and falsities in man become spiritual evil and falsities. What appears to the internal mind the external corresponds to it. It is in this way that a man is made into an image of the Lord and after His likeness or is an image and likeness of evil and hell. He has within interior thoughts - spiritual truths, - and affections - spiritual goods - corresponding to the Lord's Good or Love and to His Truth or Wisdom. All while in the world of spirits, before reaching their final state - regeneration or damnation, Heaven or hell - remain in the world of spirits until the process of preparation is completed.
427 While man is in the world here, it is difficult for him to distinguish good from truth and so good from evil, but upon arriving in the world of spirits the Lord distinguishes man correctly into societies accordingly. In fact, a man can, only with difficulty, distinguish good and truth, because it is difficult for him to distinguish between thinking and willing. To think from truths is not to will from them. One cannot just believe and be saved unless he also wills and does good 'as if' by himself what he believes.
While the man remains in the natural world in his natural and external body, he is also in his spirit and in his internal in the world of spirits, although he is unaware of this as I have already said. However, his affections and consequent thoughts are spiritual and therefore, in the world of spirits. They are there in a society with those who have the same thoughts and affections. So, in this way, one can understand there is a connection with either Heaven or hell depending on the life one lives, either good or evil, in this world. The person's strongest ruling love determines what society, either infernal or Heavenly, in the world of spirits that he is attached to while still living in his natural body in the natural world.
When those who have done good while in this world arrive in the world of spirits, they are attached to Heavenly societies. This is determined by their love, charity, and faith, which they received while here in this world. For, one who loves the Lord, wills to do good from the Lord, and who believes truths from the Lord - from the Word - receives a new life from the Lord. Thus in the world of spirits, there are different societies and when upon coming into the world of spirits the man is distinguished according to his life here on earth.
This means that friends and acquaintances may be separated. Will they see each other? Yes, if they desire to and so long they are still in the world of spirits, but for a short while, and this because of the diverse dispositions that each has formed or made for themselves while in the natural world. However, upon coming into Heaven or hell, friends, acquaintances, wives and husbands, parents and children, unless their dispositions are alike will no longer see or know each other. The state of man changes to that of his dominant love while on earth. Love is what attracts the man to the various societies in the world of spirits, either infernal or Heavenly. When this process is completed the man is either raised up into Heaven or cast down into hell.
It is said that man no longer sees or knows friends, etc. if their life and their loves are not similar. Those who know the Lord become like Him in that they have good and truth conjoined in them. However, those who don't know the Lord, who don't have good and truth conjoined in them, who instead have evil and falsity, are conjoined with hell being of a like nature. The point being, that those coming into Heaven know what is good and true, but don't know evil and falsity, for these have been put away, that is, shunned and are no longer central to him in his affections and thoughts. They, therefore, have no knowledge of those whose affections are evil and who have thoughts of falsities; they do not remember those they had known while in the natural world. The two, love of the Lord and a love of self, disjoin. Similarity joins.
In the natural world a man often cannot see or understand from the outward appearance that his acquaintances often do not have the same love as he has, so they become friends, and even marry. However, the affections and the thoughts that were in one's memory only become lost when coming into the world of spirits; what remains is only the dominant and ruling love, either of hell or of the Lord.