From Hell to Heaven · Volume 2 · Chapter 275

Human judgement and God’s judgement. A messenger from above

1. The red spirits dare do nothing, having now learnt that the two possess a special power that has irresistibly driven them back. Instead they gather close together and take counsel about what they should do to give their fury a little vent.

2. Meanwhile Robert and Peter turn to the blue-grey spirits and say, “Friends, from what we have just learnt, you are nearer to the kingdom of God than you might think. You still lack a few things, though you could easily gain them. See, what is needed is that from now on you take no pleasure in making a fool of anyone, as you did with these red spirits. It is misery enough for a blind person to be blind. What pleasure is there in using their blindness for a pointless joke that may end by causing all manner of offence, surely with no foundation in love of neighbour? So do away with what is unbecoming to wiser spirits such as you.

3. See, the consequence of an apparently harmless joke at the expense of someone of limited understanding can often be very bitter. In the end the person who has been tricked sees through it, grows angry and begins to think how to take revenge. He soon finds a way and then acts without restraint, for once a donkey goes wild it can drive even a tiger back. That in turn embitters the former jokers. And what follows? We need not analyse it for you. You are wise enough yourselves to see how far such consequences can reach, often without end. So leave that behind in future and turn wholly to the Lord, whom you know well, and He will receive you into His kingdom!”

4. The blue-grey spirits thank the two for their kindly correction. At the same time they ask what they should now do for the red spirits, since they rather overdid the trick about the world war and the universal judgement.

5. The two say, “It was certainly a little much. But as it did make a certain moral impression on these seekers of war, we can let it rest for the time being. The next opportunity will allow you to put it right. Explaining it to them now could have very bad consequences. A great war will indeed be allowed to come upon the earth, and here and there it will rage partly on the moral plane and to a great extent in the natural world as well. A particularly severe judgement will also pour over the mighty and the excessively selfish rich. Great eruptions will occur here and there on earth, so your trick will come true as far as those spirits are concerned. But withdraw now and do what we advised you, and you will reap great benefit for your life. You are nearer to the kingdom of God than you think. Act according to God’s holy order, and you will enter the kingdom of all life. We too were as you are now. But the Lord lifted us up, and now we are with Him for ever. Follow us, and He will not cast you out either. For truly, in His house there are many dwelling places!”

6. The blue-grey spirits say, “We were always honest citizens in our bodily life, as we are now as spirits freed from the body. We all had only this weakness, that we liked to play the fool, though always far from any evil intent. As far as we know, no harm ever came of our jokes. If even a hint of harm appeared, we certainly made it good. With some highly conceited people, our wordplay even had a good moral effect. Many a pair of swollen bellows was relieved of its excess air, and afterwards they became quite decent and friendly people. By our jokes we never meant to dishonour even the humblest person. We merely wanted to raise a laugh, and then gently take the lash to some of the more absurd follies of those many people.

7. So we hope that God the Lord, who has also planted a sense of cheerfulness in the human soul, will not deal with us too harshly as judge. After all, the wise Apostle Paul said in God’s name that one should be cheerful with the cheerful and weep with those who weep. Whenever anyone wept at our door, we knew how to dry their tears soon, either by giving them help or through our ever-cheerful disposition. We find nothing in ourselves that could be praised in good conscience, but neither do we find anything that ought to be condemned outright.

8. We therefore hope that from God, the all-just, if we receive no reward, we shall at least receive no eternal condemnation. Whether we have a right to speak this way here is of course another matter. But despite our clerics’ sermons on hell we have always believed that God the Lord will not be as unrelenting a judge as the judges of the world. They judge without forbearance according to the letter of the law and know neither grace nor mercy. With God, surely, when a sinful soul has wholly mended its ways, matters may go a little more mercifully.”

9. Robert says, “Indeed! Every judgement of the Lord is a way towards the amendment and perfection of the spirit. It is human judgement that begets corruption and the death of the soul. So follow us to the top of this hill! There you will learn from the Lord Himself how very different His judgements are from those of human beings. The judgements of the Lord are a balm to heal every wound ever inflicted on a soul. So have no fear, for a gentle judge awaits you, not a firing squad with live ammunition.”

10. The blue-grey spirits say, “Dear friends, if that is how it is, we will follow you at once and without reservation. But we would also like to know who those two very beautiful ladies are whom we saw coming with you. They speak very quietly to one another, yet we have not seen them exchange so much as a word with you. That seems rather strange to us. Could they be a pair of heavenly spies who make it their business to watch us in case some improper word should have passed our lips? That would be a desperate state of affairs!”

11. Robert says, “Have no foolish fear of these two beings! They are our wives, joined to us for ever by God, and they accompany us wherever we have to go in the name of the Lord. There can be no question of spying, for the Lord knows all, sees all and hears all. And we too, as His messengers, can see through every spirit with whom we have to deal. Thus we know exactly what is the state of all that spirit’s dispositions, thoughts, words and deeds, although we are still far from belonging to the perfected spirits.

12. From this you can clearly see that the kingdom of God has no need of informers or of confession whispered into an ear to discover the most secret thoughts, wishes and impulses of spirits, however different their dispositions. If we saw that you were unfit for the kingdom of God, we would urge you no more than we urge those red spirits, who still have great and bitter trials of life to undergo before they can be received into the kingdom of God. But since we can see the capacity in you, we call upon you to follow us to the Lord. We put no compulsion on you.

13. You can always do as you wish. If you want to come with us, come entirely of your own free will. If you prefer to stay, you are also free to do so. But if you wish to follow us, you must make up your minds at once, for time is beginning to press. We are leaving this place before the night is over, so we have little or no time left to spend on you to no purpose. Come at once, then, or stay!”

14. The blue-grey spirits say, “We will go with you without further remarks! The Lord will be gracious and merciful to us. But a messenger is coming down from above just now, and we must wait for him. He may have important things to tell us, for there is a certain earnestness in his eyes. He is approaching us quickly and will be with us in a moment.” Robert says, “Yes, we must certainly wait for the messenger. He will no doubt have the most important things to tell us!”

15. The messenger now steps into the midst of the blue-grey spirits and says, “Be of good courage, for you have found the way to salvation! May your garments become light blue and your hearts steadfast in love for God the Lord and for your brothers and sisters. Become free in all things! Do good to everyone! Let no one be too lowly or too great in your eyes, for in the kingdom of God there is full equality among all ranks and all nations. Follow us, therefore, without fear or hesitation!”