Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell

Lesson 16: HH 566-603

2007-03-16T16:14:00.001-06:00

Lesson 16: HH #566 - 603, the end

Hellfire, malice, nefarious arts & many other details about Hell

566. What hell fire and the gnashing of teeth are. As an introduction this passage reviews the various ideas people have had about this, and sets the stage for the true explanation.

HH 567

2007-03-16T16:13:00.000-06:00

567. Please read carefully! This is powerful stuff about the correspondence of spiritual heat with natural heat, the former CAUSING the latter AND all of the effects of the latter. Note the illustrations, such as the germination of seeds. By the way, this principle clearly applies in the discussion of what is sometimes called spontaneous generation, or more accurately, immediate generation, as discussed in DLW 341:2. This passage has been ridiculed by many as plainly wrong and "bad science," but the truth is that life is created by influx from the spiritual world into forms that are receptive of it.

HH 568

2007-03-16T16:12:00.000-06:00

568. Spiritual heat is love and this is what is meant in the Word by fire – note: whether good or evil. This and the previous passage can well be read in the light of #135, also about heat.

HH 569

2007-03-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

569. ALL love comes from the Lord – but it takes on various forms and perversions according to the nature of the person or thing receiving it. Again, note the illustrations, like the various effects of the sun on different things that receive its heat and light.

HH 570

2007-03-16T16:10:00.000-06:00

570. Hell fire is the love of self and of the world, from which spring the lusts (Dole: cravings) and delights of all kinds of evil. Note the idea of "burning" with hatred and revenge. The list of Scripture illustrations in the passage is interesting: there are 10 from the book of Revelation alone, others from the Prophets and Gospels. Do you understand them? Do you see how they illustrate the point?

HH 571

2007-03-16T16:09:00.000-06:00

571. This description of the appearance of fire in hell, as graphic as it is, only applies to those looking in from outside. To those who are in it there is no such appearance. In this way the teaching is reminiscent of that in #553:4, which see. Based on that passage, the appearance of fire is REAL, whereas the appearance of normalcy in hell is FALSE.

HH 572

2007-03-16T16:08:00.000-06:00

572. One could do a whole study on how heat turns to cold! Sometimes we read or speak of people who are "frigid" in relationships. Why is that? See the notes above on #164 about the change of seasons, and the reference to the frozen kingdom of Narnia. Something similar is said in many places in the Writings about the light of the world being dull and very obscure compared to the brilliant light of heaven. Plato’s myth of the cave also comes to mind: while in the cave one’s eyes adjust, but when one emerges from the cave the bright light of the sun is blinding!

HH 573

2007-03-16T16:07:00.000-06:00

573. We have twice before (in the notes on #509 and #550) referred to the limitations imposed on evil spirits with respect to their ability to harm others. Here we see why such limitations are necessary, the fury (conflagration!) of the love of self being what it is. This passage is particularly interesting for its commentary on the classic question, "What if everyone were that way?" – or "What if everyone acted like that?"

HH 574

2007-03-16T16:06:00.000-06:00

574. Now why would anyone choose (or cast himself into) hell, given the torments there? The answer is in the middle of the passage: "No one in the spiritual world can resist his lust, because his lust belongs to his love, and his love belongs to his will, and his will belongs to his nature, and everyone there acts from his nature." Sounds a lot like "The hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone..." etc. The point is, when the influx from a given hell agrees with the state of one receiving it, the one receiving it is helplessly drawn toward that hell. And yet he is not helpless, since it is his choice to be so receptive.

The whole scene in the second half of this passage may be well illustrated by the use of illicit and harmful drugs. A "user" is introduced to a "pusher" who befriends him and makes him feel fulfilled, but before long he is reduced to the lot of a slave, etc. The pattern of abuse and competition is strikingly similar to this description of life in hell.

HH 575

2007-03-16T16:05:00.000-06:00

575. Teeth correspond to the lowest things of intellectual life, thus an exterior understanding of the truth (AC 9052) – when they are used for speaking the truth or for chewing food. But the gnashing of teeth corresponds to the grinding of truth against falsity (AC 4424:3), or of falsities clashing with each other. Think of it this way: if what you’re reasoning about is false, and so just an appearance, it’s like teeth chewing nothing, and thus grinding against each other. This particularly applies to reasonings from the fallacies of the senses.

HH 576

2007-03-16T16:04:00.000-06:00

576. The Malice and Nefarious Arts of Infernal Spirits.

The word, nefarious, may actually be a mistranslation in this case, as the Latin comes from a slightly different root than the word for nefarious, which means sinful or against the law. The word here is similar in meaning but carries more the sense of something not just bad but actually unspeakable. Thus Dole seems to have it right.

But to the point. That spirits are superior to men on earth is confirmed and illustrated by the fact that the spirit of any living person has powers far beyond that of his body. In fact, the spiritual world (including heaven and hell) is simply the world of the human spirit.

HH 577

2007-03-16T16:03:00.000-06:00

577. So, just as the wisdom and intelligence of angels is far superior to that of people on earth, so the malice and cunning of evil spirits is, in a word, unbelievably bad, thousands of lesser evils being wrapped up in every major evil. Note, Swedenborg is almost beside himself at the horror of it all, three times in a few lines repeating how difficult it is to describe! Yet he is careful to remind us that the Lord continually offers us the protection we need from these influences, and even works with our selfish fears to keep us from plunging too deeply into disorder, at least while we are in this world.

HH 578

2007-03-16T16:01:00.001-06:00

578. Here we see something of the organization of the various hells. The ones most deeply absorbed in it are the ones who are most deeply self-absorbed and at the same time deceitful. Then come the "merely" self-absorbed, then those in evils derived from the love of self. Finally, those in the love of the world are not as bad....

HH 579

2007-03-16T16:01:00.000-06:00

579. Ahh, terms! We have three words, apparently, in various contexts and translations, that refer to the worst spirits in hell, that is, those who are in the love of self and who like to flow into the affections of a person with as little notice as possible in his or her thought. The words are "genii," "devils" and "demons" (see HH #311, 544 & 578 above). "Demons" is Dole’s translation for "Genii." In contrast, the evil spirits who are in the love of the world, and not so bad, are sometimes called "Satans."

Consistent with these two types of infernal spirits there are two types of temptation induced by them, temptations of the understanding and temptations of the will. You can read about these in a series of three striking Arcana passages, #741, 751 and 761.

HH 580

2007-03-16T16:00:00.000-06:00

580. Here six different kinds of evil arts or practices are listed – but not described both because they are so difficult to comprehend and because they are so "unspeakable." Note the third kind, though: the old translation mentions "conversions" and "inspections," which Dole more understandably renders "distractions" and "focussing inward," which could also be called introspection. A lot of this stuff is so subtle as to be almost like magic, and indeed the arts described in the first category were those used by the Egyptians to imitate the miracles Moses performed when the Lord brought the ten plagues upon them in Exodus.

And the point is, though we may not understand how these things work, if we cultivate the love of self while we are in this world we will be associated with the demons who do these things, and we will spontaneously enter into the same abuses when we go to hell.

HH 581

2007-03-16T15:59:00.000-06:00

581. The Writings often speak of the vital importance of the fear of punishment, sometimes listing four specific punishments, the loss of reputation, honour, gain and life. Hence the traditional New Church view that capital punishment must be allowed.

HH 582

2007-03-16T15:58:00.000-06:00

582. The Appearance, Location and Number of the Hells.

In order to understand this short chapter, the first thing we must appreciate is that "stuff" in the spiritual world appears just the same as in the natural world. But the spirit sees what is spiritual and not what is natural, whereas the material eye sees what is material and not what is spiritual. They are parallel worlds, and we were designed originally to be able to see in both simultaneously (see AC 69 and 1880), but the reason we can’t is because we have closed our spiritual eyes and become completely absorbed in the material world.

Note however that Swedenborg was an exception to the rule, and a special case (see AC 4622:5 and many passages throughout this book – e.g., #1 at the end).

HH 583

2007-03-16T15:57:00.000-06:00

583. Note here the three broad regions of the spiritual world: the heavens (above), the world of spirits (in an intermediate plane) and the hells (below). Remember, the world of spirits is where people first come, in all their mixed states, right after death. Notice who can see whom and why. Have you ever said "I just can’t see how you could think or act that way!" If so, you’ll understand how a spirit literally can’t see another spirit whose thought or attitude is totally different from his own.

HH 584

2007-03-16T15:56:00.000-06:00

584. Now then, where are the hells? Answer: everywhere! – but remember, they are all "below." So as a spirit, in order to see where hell is, you have to look down, under things and into caves or dens. But is this how evil spirits see their OWN dwellings?

HH 585

2007-03-16T15:55:00.000-06:00

585. No. Yet it seems incredible that they don’t, the descriptions are so graphic! – great chasms, whirlpools, bogs and standing water! – smoke, soot, flames and so on. Such is the self-delusion of those especially in the love of self!

HH 586

2007-03-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

586. Refer back to #429. Do you see how all these descriptions are correspondential? "The ruins of houses and cities" is reminiscent of a scene in the movie "What Dreams May Come:" a poor soul who is lost in self-pity appears miserable in a ruined cathedral that is, in fact, upside down! (That film, by the way, was inspired by the book, Heaven & Hell, and in many ways accurately reflects its content. Viewing it would be an excellent way to conclude this study, as you could enjoy and critique it based on the book! Just be aware that the film ends on an "off" note with an inapt and inconsistent segment about reincarnation.)

HH 587

2007-03-16T15:53:00.000-06:00

587. We have read about the "geography" of the spiritual world before (#141-153). Now we are reminded that since "east" is where the Lord is, and those who love the Lord are in the east, those who hate Him, that is, who love themselves most of all, are in the west. Likewise, since there is more light in the southern sky (from the Biblical northern hemisphere) and less in the north, those who are in the greatest obscurity in hell are in the north, or the north-west quarter. Why does any of this matter? – only because it is, like everything else in the spiritual world, correspondential, and the descriptions help us get a sense of how things are organized. See #596 for more on this.

Note the reference to Catholics in section 2. This is pretty clearly a reference to those priests in the Catholic Church who loved to rule over others from the sense of their own importance, and not to the ordinary, perhaps quite pious members of that faith.

HH 588

2007-03-16T15:52:00.000-06:00

588. Here we have the prologue to the next chapter on the equilibrium between heaven and hell, as we are taught that for every society of heaven there is an opposite society in hell. Does this mean there are as many SPIRITS in hell as angels in heaven? This does not seem possible, since an equal division of the human race in that way would imply some sort of predestination to hell. And yet we have #593 that does speak about the balance being affected by the number of individuals, and says that the Lord monitors the situation very closely, "and regulates and equalizes it with precision"!

Still, what is one half of "innumerable," or of "infinite variety"? But that every particular LOVE has its opposite, and that inevitably some choose the good and some choose the evil form of it we can understand. Note that THIS passage does not refer to the numbers of PEOPLE in heaven or hell, but to the number of hells, or societies of hell. See #537.

By the way, isn’t it amazing to think of the whole spiritual world being "excavated beneath," almost as the ancient Hebrews conceived the form of the natural world?

HH 589

2007-03-16T15:51:00.000-06:00

589. Equilibrium. Again, see #537. Think of an old fashioned balance scale (or see-saw). When both sides have equal weights in them the balance beam is "at rest" and any third influence can push it one way or the other. Or think of two guys of equal strength arm-wrestling. One is good, the other evil (these are the good and evil spirits influencing us, giving us our life). We have freedom because we are the ones who can "tip the balance" one way or the other by our choices. Isn’t it interesting throughout this passage how the principles of physics illustrate and correspond to the principles of spiritual life.

HH 590

2007-03-16T15:50:00.000-06:00

590. The "perpetual equilibrium" (balance) discussed here applies to the world of spirits and to the spiritual states of people on earth. Note, however, that the freedom provided by that is unique and specific to each individual, implying that real freedom is, in fact, the ability to do what you (uniquely and individually) want to do.

HH 591

2007-03-16T15:49:00.000-06:00

591. The spiritual "sphere" mentioned here is translated "aura" by Dr. Dole. Does this help? The ancient perception of this aura, by the way, is what gave rise to the painting of halos around the heads of revered Biblical figures.

Note the discussion here about the nature of equilibrium in heaven itself, or hell. How does this fit with the scale or the see-saw illustration mentioned above?

HH 592

2007-03-16T15:47:00.000-06:00

592. Now here is a most interesting proposition: concerning heaven and hell we read, "If there were a preponderance on one part and no resistance on the other, would not both perish? So it would be in the spiritual world if good did not react against evil and continually restrain its uprising." Question: does this make hell necessary as a balance against heaven?

HH 593

2007-03-16T15:43:00.000-06:00

593. This has to be one of the most puzzling passages in the book. Yet consider this, from the Spiritual Diary, about why some live long in this world, and some not so long: –

"The life of every man is foreseen by the Lord, as to how long he will live, and in what manner; wherefore he is directed from earliest infancy with a regard to a life to eternity. The Providence of the Lord, therefore, commences from earliest infancy.

"The reasons why some die boys, some youths, some adults, some old men, are: 1st, on account of use in the world to men; 2nd, on account of use, while he is in the world, to spirits and angels; for man, as to his interiors, is with spirits; and he is there as long as he is in the world, in which all things in the spiritual world terminate; 3rd, on account of use to himself in the world, either that he may be regenerated, or that he may be let into his evils lest they lie dormant and afterwards break out, which would result in his eternal ruin; 4th, therefore, on account of use afterwards in the other life, after death, to eternity; for everyone who will be in heaven has his place in the Grand Man, or, on the other hand, he has his place in hell: wherever forces fail they are balanced, and, of the Providence of the Lord, men are brought thither. Thus also, the kingdom of the Lord is cared for, the welfare of which is universal Providence" (SD 5002-5003).

HH 594

2007-03-16T15:42:00.000-06:00

594. Here six specific methods are listed by means of which the Lord maintains the balance between heaven and hell (also the balance within heaven and within hell). Among other things, do you not find it interesting that evil spirits can be moved from one hell to another – for the sake of balance? And here I thought that once we found our places in heaven or hell we remained there permanently! Perhaps this only relates to the discrete degrees of heaven or hell, while we are free to move laterally as it were through continuous degrees as our knowledge, experience and relationships grow to eternity. (One thing we know for sure, you can’t get out of hell and go to heaven!)

HH 595

2007-03-16T15:40:00.001-06:00

595. This passage in conjunction with DP 251 makes it clear that wars of aggression in this world are all inspired by the hells, but wars of defence are inspired by the Lord through heaven. In the latter case it is noble to fight; in the former, obviously, ignoble.

HH 596

2007-03-16T15:38:00.000-06:00

596. Refer back to #587 about the four quarters. Remember, the north-south axis has to do with the relative clarity of understanding, and the east-west axis has to do with the affection for good, thus for the Lord. The concluding portion of this passage is especially interesting as it makes clear that a strong influx of negative affection can overwhelm the understanding, and so the Lord takes special care to guard against that happening.

HH 597

2007-03-16T15:37:00.000-06:00

597. Our freedom derives from the balance between heaven and hell. This discussion really began at #546, q.v. Note here that the freedom to will, the freedom to think and the freedom to choose all derive from this equilibrium and are preserved in everyone. Still, we are NOT free to ACT wrongly, dishonestly or unjustly, for the obvious reason! Thus the freedom in this chapter is spiritual, and not necessarily natural.

HH 598

2007-03-16T11:04:00.000-06:00

598. As we approach the last pages of the book it is significant that Swedenborg now returns to the theme of salvation, explaining almost passionately why all this business about equilibrium is so important, indeed, why the subject of the book is so important: – it’s not just a theoretical look at the other world, it’s about our eternal life!

This passage in fact gives a brilliant summary of the whole process of regeneration, right from childhood to the appropriation of good or evil through our affections – which we acquire by means of our life choices. I also ties together nicely with DP 101 on the theme of being able, in freedom, to see and acknowledge our evils, and to shun them.

HH 599

2007-03-16T11:03:00.000-06:00

599. In short, we would be lost without the perfect balance that the Lord provides for us via the influences of angels and evil spirits. Note, however, that although these spiritual beings are "with us" they are not conscious of us personally. Rather they identify with our affections and thoughts, perceiving these in us as if they were their own! Thus again, our freedom is preserved. Dr. Hugo Odhner explains this in detail in his book, "The Spiritual World," on page 249 and in his book, "Spirits and Men," on page 42.

HH 600

2007-03-16T11:02:00.001-06:00

600. Indeed, the angels and devils themselves do not connect directly with us, but through the medium of spirits in the world of spirits, which is the intermediate, connecting realm.

HH 601

2007-03-16T11:01:00.001-06:00

601. "Subject spirits," or emissaries, are also explained in more detail in AC 5985, q.v. Indeed, the passages in this AC series explain that such emissaries link many different societies in the spiritual world with each other in an intricate network that is likened to a spider’s web. And while that is a useful analogy, there is an actual correspondence of such things with the human body with all its connecting tissues, nerves and blood vessels.

HH 602

2007-03-16T11:00:00.001-06:00

602. Finally, returning again the to theme at the end of the first passage in the book, Swedenborg notes that simple, ordinary people have no trouble with the idea of life after death, as they receive the influx from the other world that inspires a belief in it. It is the intellectual who get all tied up in knots over it, and yet even these can be led to see it by all these arguments and explanations if they are willing. The book has been written in the hope that they are willing, and will do so.

HH 603

2007-03-16T10:59:00.001-06:00

603. Yet nothing will convince the person who really doesn’t care. The words of the Lord Himself echo back from Luke 16:31: "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."

Final Extracts from the Arcana

2007-03-16T10:57:00.000-06:00

Final extracts from the Arcana

We will not review these here, but sincerely recommend the referenced readings for more information about all the topics listed. Several of the grouped references come from lengthy sections or chapters about the indicated subject, such as the internal and external memory, heavenly and infernal freedom, influx and "subject spirits." Following the series can be quite rewarding.

Remember that the Arcana was written first, between 1749 and 1757, and Heaven & Hell was written in 1758. Thus it is a kind of compendium of teachings drawn from the Arcana, and it is often instructive to see where the original material appeared, and in what context.

Questions now follow for your review of these final chapters, and then I have added a couple of very general questions about the course, in case you would like to offer comments or suggestions.

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question A

2007-03-16T10:55:00.000-06:00

Questions for Reflection and/or Written Response, on #566 - 603 (the end)

A. The first chapter in this series referred to evil loves and their derivative lusts, or cravings. Can you describe the difference? Give a couple of examples?

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question B

2007-03-16T10:54:00.001-06:00

B. Since he was not able to describe the "nefarious arts" of evil spirits, what do you think Swedenborg’s purpose was in the chapter about them? What was the impact on you?

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question C

2007-03-16T10:53:00.001-06:00

C. What do you think? – are there more angels in heaven, or evil spirits in hell? What makes you think so? (Don’t forget about all the little children who go to heaven – HH #4 – and what human decisions may be involved in that fact.)

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question D

2007-03-16T10:51:00.000-06:00

D. Do you think there is equilibrium between good and evil in heaven itself? – in hell? What specific teachings suggest your answer? (See #591, e.g.)

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question E

2007-03-16T10:46:00.000-06:00

E. Reflect a little on what exactly would be lost if we did not have a balance of influences from heaven and hell in our lives in this world.

HH 566-603 - Reflective Question F

2007-03-16T10:42:00.000-06:00

Final thoughts?

F. People often say about heaven or hell, "Well, I guess we’ll find out when we get there," generally meaning that they think we can’t know until we get there. In reading this book did you find anything that might help you convince such a person that he can know, and in fact, that we need to know and think about the life after death before we get there?

HH 599-603 - Reflective Question G

2007-03-16T10:41:00.000-06:00

G. If I were to produce another course of study on another book of the Writings, what would you most like me to do differently? What suggestions do you have for me?

Lesson 15: HH 536 & 537

2007-01-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

Lesson 15: HH #536 - 565

An Introduction to Hell - 3 short chapters

536 - The Lord Rules the Hells.

537. This introduction to the concept of equilibrium (Dole says "balance") is developed and fully illustrated in the chapter beginning at #589, which we will cover in the next lesson. Meanwhile note these two essential points. First, in order for the balance to be perfect, the Lord must rule both heaven and hell. There is no personal anti-Christ in charge of hell (see # 544). And second, this is not about numbers of angels or devils, it is about truth and falsity, good and evil. So it is NOT true that the balance requires an equal number of angels and evil spirits. Theoretically there is no need for hell at all, except to provide for and contain those who choose an evil life. (Note, #588 clearly says that there are as many hells as heavens, and indeed, that they are "numberless," but this does not imply an equal number of spirits in every opposing heaven or hell... or does it? See #593.)

HH 538

2007-01-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

538. Nevertheless, given that hell does exist, a foul energy, aura or "sphere" flows from it with an effort to destroy everything good and true (as, perhaps, a poison gas would destroy all life within its reach). But this sphere is restrained by the Lord through the influence of the angels in heaven. The Writings several times describe the protection afforded by the angels as a sort of invisible column, or protective shield (see AC 699, 8099, AE 78, etc.).

HH 539

2007-01-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

539. Now here’s something interesting. #537 speaks of "equal power" in opposing forces, yet this passage clearly says that falsity from evil has no power whatever (see also #137). How can we reconcile these two statements? Isn’t it due to the fact that falsity masquerades as truth, and evil as good? So it has power over those who think it is true, as suggested in #540 referring to the simple good. But here, too (and in #137), the reference is to life in the spiritual world, whereas the equilibrium mentioned before is the result of influences from heaven and hell.

HH 540

2007-01-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

540. So it is the people in "the world of spirits" who experience the equilibrium, and also the people living on earth. But note again, it is spiritual equilibrium; the Writings never say that we enjoy perfect freedom and balance in our natural lives.

HH 541

2007-01-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

541. DLW #424 has an interesting "definition" of opposition. It says, "Natural love separated from spiritual love is the opposite of spiritual love." The two are made to work together, the lower subordinate to the higher. But as there is always the potential to separate them there is always the potential for evil. Thus again, theoretically there is always an evil in exact opposition to good. Is this what this passage means when it says that "the Lord continually provides that every society of heaven has an opposite in some society of hell"?

HH 542

2007-01-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

542. This, again, lines up with what is said in #588. Challenging, isn’t it?!

HH 543

2007-01-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

543. AC 6784:2 reminds us (as does HH 137) that ONE who is in truth from good can control THOUSANDS who are not. Good thing, too, since there may be more spirits in hell now than in heaven (DP 250:4, etc.).

But note especially what is said here about the fear of punishment. This is critical, and bears also on the conditions of life in this world where, we read, the fear of the loss of reputation, honour, gain and life are essential means of maintaining order in society (#530, 559, 573, NJHD #71, etc.). In fact, what we are seeing here is the balance of forces similar to a "free market" or some forms of democracy, where anyone who gets too far ahead tends to be cut down by jealous competitors (see #550). In this respect the government of hell is a lot like government here on earth.

HH 544

2007-01-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

544. In fact the only reference to Lucifer in the Bible is Isaiah 14:12, where it is clearly speaking about the king of Babylon. As for the distinction between devils and satans, the Writings use the term "devil" for those who are in the love of self, thus in the lowest hells, and the term "satan" for those who are in the love of the world, thus bad, but not as bad. You might want to keep this distinction in mind in future reading.

HH 545

2007-01-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

545. The Lord casts no one into hell. Still, hell exists! For people choose to live there.

People think that the Lord punishes and casts spirits into hell because they are misled by the literal sense of the Word, but – and this is critical – "everyone whose mind is enlightened" can see that it is not so! Wow! What a powerful incentive to share the truths of the Writings! In fact, polls show that most people do not believe in hell. Why not? Because they are reasonable, and their understanding of hell is that God condemns people to it – which they can easily see that He does not do!

Note also here the potential for "everyone whose mind is enlightened" to accept the spiritual sense of the Word. This, too, is wonderful encouragement for us to share....

HH 546

2007-01-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

546. The middle of this passage is especially compelling. Not only would we have no freedom, nor therefore choice, if the Lord did not perfectly balance the forces of heaven and hell for us, we would not even have any thought, nor will. On that basis how can we complain about the influence of hell in our lives?!

HH 547

2007-01-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

547. All evil flows into us from hell. Why then does it "stick," so that we are accountable? It "sticks" because we accept it as our own. What is the answer to this? – Don’t accept it!
Again, see DP 320: "If man believed, as is the case, that all evil flows in from hell and all good from the Lord through heaven, he would not ... appropriate evil to himself...."

Note near the end of this passage that there is, indeed, no escape from the hell we create for ourselves, because our loves do not change after death.

HH 548

2007-01-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

548. The image of spirits being "drawn by their own evil, thus by hell, as if by a rope" is telling, for our own loves are what "bind" us or "pull" us in any given direction.

HH 549

2007-01-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

549. The analogy here is a true correspondence, as you can see. It also "works" if you think of the intervening clouds as spheres of stale air or noxious fumes that may be dissipated by the heat and light of the sun.

HH 550

2007-01-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

550. Here, in a nutshell, is how punishment works in hell. Evil spirits love to inflict punishment and the moment someone withdraws from the Lord he/she loses the protection that the Lord provides and so begins to suffer. This is how the "law of retaliation" works, as also fully explained in AC #8223. Remember, it is the Lord who keeps us in the balance between good and evil, so when we turn away from the Lord that balance is lost. See also AC #1311:2 and 1857 on the limitations of the harm that evil spirits can do to each other.

HH 551

2007-01-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

551. People in hell are there because of the evils and falsities deriving from their selfish and worldly loves (and not because the Lord put them there).

This first passage in the chapter lays out the general situation, namely that when our externals are stripped away (see #502, etc.) our real character becomes clear, and anything that we held in memory alone, and not as something we love, is also stripped away. Since evil joins itself to falsity, then, truths with an evil person are also stripped away. (It’s interesting that where the old translation uses the word "vastation" here Dole chooses "stripping," even though he chose "shattering" for the same Latin word earlier in #513.)

HH 552

2007-01-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

552. Now, reviewing what was said before about the first and second states after death, we are shown again why "birds of a feather flock together." They "naturally" turn to those who have similar affections as themselves, thus they "are turned to their own loves."

HH 553

2007-01-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

553. There is a popular myth in the New Church that people in hell are happy, because we are taught that they choose hell and so would not be happy in heaven. But that this is merely an appearance, and that the miserable truth is obvious in the light of heaven, is made crystal clear in this passage. Just consider what is said about the hatred, vengeance, fierceness and cruelty that takes form in the lives of those there! Sure, they look normal to one another (section 4) but the reality, in the light of heaven, is truly gross.

HH 554

2007-01-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

554. The "monstrous" forms of the spirits in hell are here shown to be outward expressions of the two core loves that "rule in the hells, and also make the hells," namely the loves of self and the world. Note that Swedenborg says he learned this "from heaven" and "from experience." Does this mean he did not learn it from the Lord? See TCR #779 and also DP #135. Note also the fourth law of providence in DP #154: "...that man should be led and taught by the Lord from heaven by means of the Word, and doctrine and preaching from the Word," etc. "The appearance is that man is led and taught of himself; but the truth is that he is led and taught by the Lord alone."

HH 555

2007-01-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

555. Note that even Swedenborg wonders how things could be so bad in hell! And his comments on the perceived importance of self-interest in human life are as relevant today as ever. Indeed, the Christian world has been pretty well seduced by the idea that "we have to learn to love ourselves first, then and only then can we truly love others."

But the truth is the exact opposite. And, true to form, the explanation now follows.

HH 556

2007-01-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

556. "The love of self is wishing well to one’s self alone," etc. This is the definition the Writings consistently use, and the explanation is the same as that in NJHD #65-71. Note this is not condemning reasonable self-esteem, which is based on the fulfilment of God-given potential through useful service to others, but it is interesting that the word for haughtiness in #555 can be translated "pride," and while this is not the same as the love of self it is an expression of it, so even pride (which is considered a healthy thing) may not be very healthy really, and should perhaps NOT be associated with healthy self-esteem.

Note, by the way, how loving family members can be a form of self love. The Writings even point out that parental love (called storgé in Greek) is sometimes even stronger between grandparents and grandchildren than between parents and children! (see TCR 431, also SD 1683).

HH 557

2007-01-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

557. Again, see NJHD #69 – which was written, incidentally, in the same year as H & H.

HH 558a

2007-01-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

558a. There is an important typographical error in the middle of this passage in the old translations (Dole has it right.): the correct statement is that "whenever man looks to himself in the good that he does ... he looks (away) from goods to himself, and NOT (away) from himself to goods," that is, good deeds and intentions. Thus he affirms his self-centeredness, or self-love.

Dole’s translation of the Latin "proprium" as "what we claim as our own" is excellent, by the way, but notice that he uses several different translations for it on the same page! Is the reader clear that it’s all the same thing? As you think about it, anyway, you can see why translations from the Latin make the text much longer that it was in the original! See the footnotes for more on this "proprium."

HH 558b

2007-01-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

558b. Here the basic idea is that the origin or source of anything inherently qualifies it, as arsenic in the spring or well would affect the quality of all the water that flows from it. If we start from self-love and THEN do good, the good is polluted from the start – which is why the doctrine of charity insists that "the FIRST of charity is to shun evils as sins" (D Char #1).

Here again the reading closely parallels the material in NJHD #84 ff, and both of these chapters are derived from the Arcana as summarized in the footnotes.

HH 559

2007-01-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

559. It’s interesting that the NJHD #71 version of this says, "...in so far as the brakes are taken off...." But let’s not miss the main point – which is that the love of self in itself knows no limits, so if limits were not imposed upon it, well, the whole world would be chaos.

HH 560

2007-01-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

560. "Picture this...." It’s a simple but very effective tool for confirming the point. And it is reminiscent of the old adage, "What if everyone did (whatever it is), or had this attitude?" It’s not a bad way of determining what is useful and good.

HH 561

2007-01-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

561. The second sentence of this passage says about the selfish and worldly, "Consequently they are obsessed with evils of every kind." Dole does not use the word, obsessed, though it’s root is in the Latin. Perhaps we shouldn’t think of this in the modern, psychological sense, but the meaning is pretty clear, isn’t it? The love of self secretly (or openly) dominates over every thought and activity.

HH 562

2007-01-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

562. This takes us back to the forms of evil mentioned in #553. Notice how the particular evils mentioned are all in direct contradiction of one or more of the Ten Commandments, either in the literal or in the spiritual sense. Imagine what sort of environment this would be if we were immersed in it all the time! – definitely NOT happy.

By the way, note how anger turns to hatred, and hatred to the desire to kill... And then there is the reference to Babylon, and the Catholic Church. But be sure to notice that it is not referring to all Catholics, only those (priests) who claim authority for themselves.

HH 563

2007-01-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

563. Again here Swedenborg gives the testimony of his experience. Have you ever met people like this? How do you know? In the case of those in the spiritual world there can be no hypocrisy, no pretence; a person’s true internal state is clearly evident. But notice how these arrogant spirits were not only rejected for employment but actually told off directly, so they knew why they were rejected. Interesting...

HH 564

2007-01-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

564. "There are two kinds of dominion...." The Latin is dominium, actually meaning "rule" or "power." Thus "one who rules from love towards the neighbour" is of one nature, and "one who rules from the love of self" is of another. One senior minister, the Rev. Doug Taylor, used to speak of the contrast as "the dominion of love" vs. "the love of dominion." The contrast could not be more stark – even though they may LOOK somewhat similar in their external forms in this world. Then again, what happens to most politicians when they get into "power"? What happens when people start thinking they are above the law?

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is a great example of people being honoured for their useful service by being given greater uses to perform. Contrary to a first impression this teaching is NOT about "lording it over" others, but about serving them.

HH 565

2007-01-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

565. Here the love of the world is defined and further explained. As noted before, it is not as bad as the love of self, yet it may still cultivate deceptions to get its way. And it’s pretty hard to resist!

In this context note the last two of the Ten Commandments. The Writings tell us that they speak directly to the two loves that predominate in hell, the ninth to the love of self and the tenth to the love of the world. Remember? – "You shall not covet your neighbour’s house," that is, his good, in fact the good of love. It is the LORD’S in us and not our own, all we can justly do is receive it "as if it were out own," all the while acknowledging that it is HIS in us, and so acknowledge and love the Lord, not ourselves.

And "You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, manservant, maidservant," etc., that is, any of the truths or subordinate thoughts and affections that support the Lord’s love. To love the things that belong to another is to love the world instead of the neighbour, and it is therefore the opposite of heavenly love.

HH 536-565 Reflective Question A

2007-01-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

Questions for Reflection and/or Written Response, on #536 - 565

A. This "numbers" issue in the balance between heaven and hell is most interesting. Can you think of any analogy that would help to illustrate the truth of the matter?

HH 536-565 Reflective Question B

2007-01-25T05:17:00.000-07:00

B. With respect to how the Lord rules over the hells, please share your understanding of the need for punishments, including capital punishment, in this world. If you don’t believe in capital punishment, explain yourself, including the references cited in the notes on #543.

HH 536-565 Reflective Question C

2007-01-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

C. Picture a day in the life of hell. Explain why it would be a life of constant frustration. Describe the sense of isolation that you would experience even though surrounded by others of like mind. As a selfish, angry person, how would you experience your joy or delight?

HH 536-565 Reflective Question D

2007-01-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

D. Do you think evil spirits in hell really realize how evil other spirits are? Or is this something that is only obvious to the angels looking in? Explain please.

HH 536-565 Reflective Question E

2007-01-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

E. Is there a good love of self? Explain your answer. And while you’re at, since loving children can be a form of loving self, see if you can explain why the love of grandchildren may be stronger than the love of one’s own children.

Lesson 14: HH 491

2006-12-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Lesson 14: HH #491-535

Five Short Chapters on the First Three States After Death

and on Entering Heaven
491. On the First State immediately after death. Remember, the actual resuscitation immediately after death has been discussed already (#445 ff and in AC 168 ff). NOW we are onto the first fully conscious states following resuscitation. Some parallels to this discussion may be found in AC #449-459 & 537-546, though that is mostly about what constitutes real heavenly joy. Note here we are still in the world of spirits, not heaven.

The first state is one of exteriors, that is, of conscious awareness still based on outward appearances – provided the internal states have not been completely hypocritical. The premise here is that our normal mode of thinking continues for awhile into the next life.

HH 492

2006-12-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

492. Note here excellent definitions of "interiors" and "exteriors" of the spirit. Note also the simple reason why we often have a hard time recognizing our own internal states!

HH 493

2006-12-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

493. One may wonder... having gone through the states of resuscitation described in #450, etc., how a person could still not know he had entered the spiritual world. But there it is, and the point really is to confirm how much like life in this world it is at first on the other side.

HH 494

2006-12-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

494. So, we "meet and greet" those we have known in the world, especially friends and married partners (note, it does NOT say family members, though these may be implied). Notice what it says here about married partners meeting and spending "more or less" time together according to their real delight in living together. Note also a concise definition of true marriage love, namely, "a conjunction of minds by heavenly love."

HH 495

2006-12-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

495. Here we find that newcomers are "instructed by their friends about the conditions of eternal life," and this especially because there is such ignorance about it in the natural world. Indeed, we read, fewer than 1 out of 1,000 people from the Christian world know anything about human internals, and most have no idea that a person’s thoughts and will have anything to do with eternal life! This seems incredible in light of the Lord’s clear teachings in Matthew 5 and elsewhere, but on reflection it is one of the implications of the whole subversive doctrine of salvation by vicarious atonement.

HH 496

2006-12-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

496. OK, so in the first state after death most people appear good even if they are interiorly evil. Why? – because they have learned to conform to outward rules of conduct, and this learned behaviour continues into the next life. But good spirits check them out, and they can tell the difference between the good and evil in two ways. First, the evil pay attention eagerly to whatever is said about external things, but hardly at all to what is said about internal, or spiritual things. Second, everyone spontaneously TURNS in the direction of what interests him or her, and this is observed.

HH 497

2006-12-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

497. The connection, of course, is always there between a spirit’s true internal state and the particular society of heaven or hell where that state prevails; it’s just not obvious at first.

HH 498

2006-12-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

498. But the true internal states are revealed gradually, in some cases within a few days, in others within months, and in still others it takes a whole year (but see #426: – none take longer than 30 years); it just depends on how much of a discrepancy there is between the person’s internals and his or her externals.

HH 499

2006-12-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

499. Sooner or later, though, a person enters The Second State After Death (our second short chapter in this series). In this state the externals become dormant and one is "let into" his or her internals. This means two things: – first, the internals manifest themselves in expressions of corresponding action. But the corollary to this is that the person himself becomes aware of his true internal state, and begins to accept it, which may not have been possible before. Here again we are given a detailed explanation, with various examples, of the difference between internals of will and thought, and externals, also the relationship between them, including the particular evils of hypocrisy.

HH 500

2006-12-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

500. By the way, any reference to the will implies also the affection, love, delight and pleasure associated with it, and any mention of thought implies all the mental activity we use to confirm the will and give it form.

HH 501

2006-12-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

501. In the spiritual world, (such) internals are the only things that matter, the only things that really define who we are.

HH 502

2006-12-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

502. And so, as a person enters more fully into the spiritual life he enters more fully into the life of his own interior will and thought, letting any inhibitions go.

HH 503

2006-12-23T16:48:00.001-07:00

503. The only hesitation a spirit in this second state may still have is about speaking freely, since it is ingrained in our will that we should not let our evils be exposed.

HH 504

2006-12-23T16:47:00.001-07:00

504. But even this hesitation eventually recedes, as the spirit more and more easily (comfortably) expresses the attitudes and ideas that he had held in strictest privacy while living in the world.

HH 505

2006-12-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

505. Although this passage reveals the true implications of the interior good or evil that may be veiled over by contrary externals, note that #530 highlights the true value and benefit of external standards of behaviour as AIDS to our regeneration. This is also reminiscent of DP 283, where such externals of thought are said to be healing of our spiritual life, thus, "Man is permitted to think evils, as has been said, even so far as the intention to commit them, in order that they may be removed by means of civil, moral, and spiritual things; and this is done when he thinks that an evil is contrary to what is just and equitable, to what is honourable and becoming, and to what is good and true; and therefore contrary to the peace, the joy, and the blessedness of life. By means of these three graces the Lord heals the love of man’s will; though at first indeed by fear, yet afterwards by love. "

HH 506

2006-12-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

506. This is a wonderfully liberating passage, as it promises relief, and peace, for those who have struggled to live a good life. And in keeping with the above note, DP 322 assures us that we can be inwardly good if only we obey the external rules for the right reasons!

Note the phrase near the end of section 1 concerning those who have been inwardly good: it says "...they withdraw from external sanctity." Dole has "...they move away from an outward holiness." What does this mean? The Latin word can mean "to recede from." Do you think they no longer care about how they "come across"?

In fact those who are inwardly evil seem to care less and less how they come across, as their external inhibitions and restraints are by alternating steps removed. Note how #505 and #506 together stress the insanity and irrationality of interior evil.

HH 507

2006-12-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

507. Here we see a consistent theme in the Writings, namely that the real quality of any outward act is determined by its inner motive, thus that we ARE judged by our deeds, but not necessarily as outwardly manifested. The "idle word" in Matthew 12:36 is not just the word itself but the intention behind the word, which is fully revealed in this second state.

HH 508

2006-12-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

508. Now, as usual, we have examples to illustrate the point of the chapter. Note the three cases brought forward: – 1) those who love themselves more than anything, 2) those who have added craftiness and deceit to their self-love, and 3) those who have denied the Divine, attributing all things to nature. Section 5 notes that anyone can easily imagine the consequences if people with such attitudes were free to act without any inhibitions.

And note in section 6 three particular uses served by the evil, provided only that their lusts are restrained by the Lord to a reasonable degree. Can you see these uses clearly?

HH 509

2006-12-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

509. "Every evil carries its punishment with it...." This is a crucial point implied in the law of retaliation (lex talionis) first laid out in Exodus 21:23 and fully explained in the Arcana #8223, esp. section 2, thus: – "...the situation with that law in the next life is in addition such that when some like or retaliatory action (that is) carried out is evil it is inflicted by the evil, and never by the good; that is, it comes from hell and never from heaven. For hell or the evil there have an unending desire to do evil to others; that is altogether the delight of their life. They perform evil therefore the moment they are allowed to; and they do not care whom they do it to. They do not care whether the person is bad or good, companion or foe. And since it accords with a law of order that the evil which people aim in the direction of others recoils on themselves, they rush in to do it when this law allows it."

In this way restraints are imposed upon the evil by the evil in a balancing of selfish forces. AC 1311 also notes this as a general principle and AC 1857 relates it especially to those in the spiritual world (you might wish to note these references in the margin of your book).

"The experience of the evil in the next life is that they are not punished until their evils have reached their peak; this applies to evils both in general and in particular. Indeed the balance of everything in the next life is such that evil punishes itself, that is, those who are evil run into the punishment of their evil, but only when this evil has reached its peak. Every evil has its own limits - varying from one individual to another - beyond which it is not allowed to go. When one who is evil goes beyond it he meets head on with punishment. This is so in every particular case" (AC 1857:2).

Still, "no one in the other world suffers punishment on account of the evils that he had done in this world...." What a shocking statement! Yet how vital; how crucial to an understanding of the Lord’s mercy! Read, mark, learn & inwardly digest!!