NEUOFFENBARUNGDeutscher Text · Volume contents
Where are heaven and hell located!
[1] You say: It really goes down steeply and the road passes over so many rocks and steep hills! Yes, yes, best friends, it only seems like this to you; but to those whose being corresponds with this place, it seems like a broad and easily passable way. Let us courageously proceed; it will not be long before we will reach the visible sea of flames.
[2] Look down there, how the flames begin to vanish gradually, letting you see many glowing places without flames up there. But you ask: Do we have to pass over there? I tell you: Do not worry yourselves about it, for all this is only apparitions depicting the condition of the being of those living below. The ‘flame’ means the zeal of the evil, the waft above the flame corresponds with the completely wrong, and the “glow” shows the complete self-love with the consequent wrongly directed zeal and the depraved will of those finding themselves in such a self-love. But how it all will work out here, you will see immediately with your own eyes.
[3] Look down again now; what do you see now? You say: The flames have completely vanished and the glow have gathered into heaps, but in between the heaps we see a pitch-dark night. You again ask: What is then the river which we have seen glowingly rushing down? This river is once again an apparition and depicts the progress of the wrong as it flows out into evil. The depth of the evil is depicted by the depth of this abyss and how it concocts cunning and well-considered plans to execute its evil resolve.
[4] Because you now know this, we will courageously approach it to reach our goal and so also our company. Only a few steps more and look, we are already on the plain and thus also completely in the depth. You are not seeing anything now, for the darkness here is so deep that you cannot see anything with the light of your eyes. We are therefore in need of enough light to discern anything here. None of those present here may see anything of our light, though. Therefore, you need to hold on tight to me and not get closer to the sphere of any spirit than what is granted to you.
[5] And now, look, we already have as much light as is needed to get a closer look of this resort. What do you see? You excitedly remark: For God’s almighty and most mercy’s sake, what is this for a horrific resort! We see nothing but black sand and black rock and this is all that this resort’s surface consists of. Between the sand and rock is rising here and there wafts like we have often seen in upon earth when coals are being burnt. You also ask: Are there any beings to be seen here? This region looks completely desolate. Yes, my dear friends, this is again also only an apparition and depicts ‘death'! But do not worry yourselves about the absence of beings in this resort, for you will soon see more than enough of it.
[6] Look, not far from here can something be seen which looks like a rather big stake with you on earth. We will have a closer look at this stake, then you will soon convince yourselves about the material this stake consists of. Well, we are at the right distance; have a closer look. What do you see? Again, you say: But in God’s almighty Name, what could this be? This is purely people, stacked upon each other like herrings and so well secured to the ground with a very strong chain, that no one would be able to move even a little in this condition. If this is so, then it will fare but particularly poor with the eternal freedom of the spirit.
[7] Yes, yes, best friends, if we would view it from our heavenly light, it certainly does seem to be the case at first glance. Therefore, this is also just an apparition, corresponding with the true situation. In its deepest nature does this apparition depicts how a company is kept imprisoned by her own, completely wrong institution and the evil consequences of it. Let us now leave this stake and go on. Look, there in front of us is yet another, higher heap. We are already close, tell me what do you see. You say: Best friend, we see here the same as before, the heap is conical in form and a mass of chains is thrown over it, making it look as if these beings are tightly pressed together, so much so that their bodies are almost pressed flat. We can nowhere see what their faces look like, for all of them have their faces turned downward. You ask: Friend, does our previous quartet also find themselves in this heap? No, friends, we still shall get to them. Now that we have seen everything here, we will go a bit further.
[8] Look, far away from us is a true mountain to be seen and because we again are at the right distance, we can have a closer look at it. What do you see! You again say: But for the almighty and just will of God, now what is this! This is also pure human beings, stacked beneath chains and iron grids. Between them are also a whole lot of snakes and adders looking with their detestable eyes in all directions, flicking their tongues in and out. What does it say! This is saying that this is a company which have already proceeded from its wrongful institution into evil acts. Let us go on from here. Look, not far from us, is a mountain which you cannot see so clearly at first glance. This is also not necessary, for a place speak for the whole. Here is already one of the foothills of the mountain range; take a good look at it and tell me what do you see. You say: We see nothing other but all kinds of skinned and knobbled monstrosities; only here and there a flattened skeleton of a human cadaver is hanging out from among them. What would this then mean? This depicts the purest self-love and this is the picture of the worldly power, greatness, and wealth, which takes form when these characteristics would on earth be used for egoistic and bad purposes.
[9] You again ask, saying: But best friend, we do know very well that we are finding ourselves in your sphere and indeed on the spiritual sun, where we expect nothing but the heavenly; how come is it that we find here also complete hell? Yes, dear friends, has it not been explained to you at the time of your passing over to the spiritual sun, that the spiritual is the most inner, the all-penetrating and the all-encompassing? If this is the nature of the spiritual, then it indeed penetrates all planets and the whole sphere, as far as the light of the natural sun reaches; but purely spiritually takes it much further even. Therefore, you are now not exactly in the sphere of the actual sun, but in the specific sphere of your planet. Like all planets receives their heat from the actual sun and her influence penetrates all these planets, such is also the case with the spiritual sun, allowing us to observe by the vibrations of her spiritual radiation, also the spiritual of her planets. Because we now understand this better, it would hopefully be clear to you that one will be able to view also the spiritual nature of hell, as it pertains to your earth.
[10] You should not picture heaven and hell as being materially and spatially removed from one another, but only as a condition. Heaven and hell can find each other spatially next to each other, as a heavenly good person can walk right next to a hellish bad one and even sit next to him on the same bench. The one has perfect heaven in himself and the other, perfect hell. As proof of this, I can immediately let you see my own sphere which can find himself here just as well in heaven as in hell, for you see it all plainly in my sphere and you only have to take a step out of my sphere and you will find yourselves again at the same place from where you have originally entered my sphere. Since you now know this, we can leave this mountain again and look at everything in another light.
[11] Now, take notice, the light has changed. How do you see the mountains now? You are astonished that you are instantaneously seeing, instead of the mountain, freely moving groups, as well as various dwellings, looking partly like filthy pubs and partly like old, black knightly castles and see, all this in a reddish, dusky light.
[12] But look, up front, not far from us, stands an old knightly castle, seemingly built against the rocky mountain. We will go there. Look, here we are; the gate is open. We are invisible here, therefore we will enter this castle, then we shall see how things are there. Well, there is the first hall. On the walls hang all kinds of instruments of murder and torture. In the background on a throne, sits the so-called lord of the castle. He confers with his brothers in arms, to decide on their strategy for robbing the goods and treasures of the owner of the similar, neighboring castle. Listen how he instructs them to overcome the targeted castle in complete silence, to kill them all with sables and everyone living there mercilessly and take hold of the treasures. Those who would stubbornly resist should be taken captive and as was often the case before already, would this captive be subjected to the most painful tortures. Well, the decision has been made and the council is disbanded. Everyone grab their weapons and runs outside. Because we have nothing more to do here, we shall run after them.
[13] Look, there in front of us, not far from here, is the mentioned castle. It is being surrounded and look, the terrible slaughter begins. These evil beings are fighting fervently against each other, resulting in the inhabitants of the second castle to be cut to pieces. Keep on watching; our familiar quartet have just been chained and brought closer by the brothers in arms of our first castle owner. Let us join them and listen to the dialogue. Listen, the man says to the woman: Oh, you miserable snake, now I have seen through you! My anxious suspicion has always whispered to me that you are permeated by a bad spirit! This is now the high school and your merciful light which you have cunningly portrayed to me as a so-called highly experienced spiritual being with hypocrisy and lying. This chained, evil professor of this high school is now bound together with us in this abhorring captivity, in which we can be sure to expect the most horrible fate.
[14] The wife says: How can you now think this about me? Who can do anything about unforeseen bad luck? I have but only meant it well with you. The man says: Be silent, you miserable snake! I have only you to thank that I am obviously finding myself in hell. Between me and you shall now every bond be severed forever. And You, my Jesus, on whom I always have called upon, help me from this terrible captivity. I want rather to, if it is Your most holy will, to wander around in that dark resort for thousands of years to make penance for my sins than to stay for one moment longer in this resort of horrors, which seems to be eternally cut off from Your compassion and mercy! Oh Jesus, help me! Oh Jesus, save me!
[15] Look, two disguised ones are quickly approaching this caravan. Look, they are there already. They remove their disguise and as you see are they two judging angels of the Master. Each of them has a flaming sword in the hand. One swings his sword over the conquered castle, by which the torn apart and cut apart beings have been put together again, and they begin to mourn the suffered injustice. The other angel swings with his sword over the first notorious castle at which occasion it burst into flames. Burning and howling figures throw themselves outside from the openings, frames, and doors and curse these two judging angels.
[16] Keep on looking: an angel strikes with his flaming sword among our quartet. The chain is broken. The man sinks down before the two angels and pleads them for merciful salvation. One angel grabs him and pulls him with him, but the wife also takes hold of him and scream for her husband for compassion and mercy and not to leave her. Look for how long she let herself be dragged along by the angelic spirit! Look now, both angels lift him up; one carries the man, while the woman lets herself be taken along and do not let go of the man. Only now, already on a great height, the other angel loosens the wife from her husband with much effort, striking at her with his sword. She suddenly falls back into her element, weeping; and the man is brought to the border of the kingdom of the children, where the environment still seems but meager and dark.
[17] You have now seen such a rescue and that still one of the best. There are indeed countless more horrible and stubborn cases, of which you would barely be able to bear the scene, even expressed only in words. We shall therefore now go back to our initial place and from there pass over into the region of the midday. This, therefore, is enough for today.