Saturday 30 March 2013

Romans 1:26-27 Gay and lesbian behaviour

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. -Romans 1:26-27 Bible, King James Version 

The Ascended Master Saint Germain teaches: "Excess sex gratification... wastes your energy. If you insist on doing it then you cannot have the energy that brings your Freedom... The Law of Life is that the sex is to be used only for pro-creation of your kind."
 
The Ascended Master Ray-O-Light teaches us: "Your Great Ascended Master Jesus said to you, the last enemy to be overcome was so-called death. Well what do you think is the last activity which that enemy uses to hold its domination and what is the motive back of that? Misuse of the sex activity. That is how death has held its dominion upon the face of the earth."

Beloved Sanat Kumara, known in Theosophy as the Lord of the World or the King of the spiritual Hierarchy, teaches us: "Sex... was never intended for anything but the propagating of the human form... The sinister force has tried to use every possible excuse to make individuals believe, they could use it for pleasure, and still go on to Perfection."

The Ascended Master known as the Great Divine Director teaches on the subject: "You have been told repeatedly, that unless you cease your sex desire, you cannot gain Freedom and Ascension!"

One of the Seven Mighty Elohim, Beloved Mighty Hercules, warns us: "Dear people, as you value your future existence, stand guard over any slightest sex desire in the world. Annihilate it instantly because I tell you frankly, that sinister thing has become so diabolical that you must absolutely stand on guard in every way."

Within our bodies are seven main chakras with the Crown Chakra at the top of the head being the highest chakra and the base chakra at the bottom of the spine being the lowest chakra. Basically THE HIGHER CHAKRAS, FROM THE HEART UP TO THE CROWN, DRAW US UP INTO HEAVEN WHILE THE LOWER CHAKRAS FROM THE SOLAR-PLEXUS DOWN DRAW US DOWN TO THE EARTH. Everyone's lives are an outflow of Energy or Life Force from God via our Crown Chakra. Most of mankind have their life force flowing out through their lower chakras especially the Solar-plexus Emotional centre and their Sexual centre therefore they are repeatedly pulled back to earth on the Wheel of Birth and Death. If we would like to live in the Heavenly State of Consciousness permanently and not just temporarily at the end of each embodiment then we must learn to live our lives with only the Higher Chakras open thus becoming an expression of Unconditional Divine Love flowing thru the Higher Chakras. The chakras act as Secret Doorways to the Higher and lower Planes. The lower chakras are doorways to the lower Planes of human consciousness while the Higher Chakras are Doorways to the Higher Planes of Divine Consciousness. For example, the Solar-plexus chakra is the doorway to the Emotional or Astral Plane where hell is located. These chakras are not necessarily in logical order but are more like planets and suns revolving around a central sun (the Heart Chakra) and a great central sun (the Crown Chakra.) I believe the Throat Chakra is the Secret Doorway to the first True Heaven known as the Higher Mental Plane, the Heart Chakra is the Secret Doorway to the second Higher Heaven or Soul Plane and the Crown Chakra is the Secret Doorway to the the Highest third Celestial Heaven which leads to an infinite number of even higher Heavens in the Octaves of Light.


Romans 1:25 Amen





Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. -Romans 1:25 Bible, King James Version

I believe the Sacred Name of God is hidden in the Word "AMen." The Name of God is "I AM" or "AM." I also believe It is hidden in the Eastern Creative Word "AUM." This is several Mantras in one which can be used as the individual Sounds A-U-M or combine the first and second letters with the Sound "M" giving us the Name of God "AM" or in other words "I AM.


  
When Jesus was challenged concerning His Divine Nature He responded by saying: "Before Abraham was, I AM." In the Old Testament God reveals His Name to Moses: "Now Moses… came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush… and the bush was not consumed. God called unto him out of the midst of the bush. …And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. …And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel… this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." (Bible, Exodus 3:1-2,4,13-15) Regarding this Old Testament scripture the Ascended Master Jesus teaches us: "Never lose sight of that “Mighty I AM Presence” and never allow anything we ever contact in the outer world or any activity to make us forget the use of that Name- “Mighty I AM Presence.” You see mankind forgot the use of that Name, and that was the reason the darkness and discord came in because when centuries ago the Voice of God spoke to Moses and said: “Say ‘I AM’ hath sent thee, for that is My Name- a Memorial to all generations,” it meant these Words were a Reminder of God to all Life. So if we do not keep that Reminder in the intellect by speaking the Words, then you will find the feeling of closeness and the awareness of the Full Powers of that “I AM Presence,” will recede more, and more, because mankind forget to use that Name." (The Voice of the I AM 1946 February p30) This is probably the Greatest Secret Key hidden in the Bible. There is great Divine Power in the Holy Name of God, “I AM.” The Mighty Ascended Master, the Great Divine Director, who is Authority over all Life Streams on this earth until they have Ascended, teaches: "The Great Creative Word “I AM” [is] the Most Powerful Word in the Universe." (The Voice of the I AM 1944 September p11) As Jesus demonstrated, through the use of I AM Decrees, the Holy Name of God “I AM” can be placed at the beginning of a constructive affirmation to accomplish our goals in life and in the afterlife. For example, perhaps the most powerful I AM Decree Jesus used was, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life." (Bible, John 11:25) When we return to our Father in Heaven and stand before Him it is said we will exclaim: I am That, I AM.  In other words, as we stand before our Higher Self, or Mighty I AM Presence, we will realize that this Individualization of God is in fact our own Higher Self the Mighty I AM Presence of God. Jesus of course knew this, which is evident when He said to the Jews: "Before Abraham was, I AM" (Bible, John 8:58) meaning in fact that before Abraham was born Jesus and all of us existed as an I AM Presence. The reason this Grand Master Key was not taught openly by Jesus was that the people weren’t ready for it or especially another Grand Master Key which must be taught with it. This Sacred Fire Key was not permitted to be revealed until the 1930s by one of Beloved Jesus’ fellow Ascended Masters Saint Germain. This Secret Key involves using the Violet Consuming Flame, by visualizing or decreeing it, to cleanse ourselves of all our past mistakes or negative karma which we have accumulated over many lifetimes on this earth. Because Saint Germain represents Freedom to this earth for the next ten thousand years Beloved Jesus declares: "I say to the orthodox world… those who cannot accept Saint Germain and the Ascended Masters, will not have My Radiation. …In former ages, it was not possible to bring forth the clearness of this understanding which Saint Germain has brought forth today! The Law of the Cosmic Light did not permit it! I brought forth to the world more of the “I AM,” than any individual up to the time, when Saint Germain brought this Instruction forth." (The Voice of the I AM 1943 December p7-8) Saint Paul talks about a man he knew who was caught up to the third heaven and paradise where he heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for man to utter: 2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (Bible, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4) Just as this man was not permitted to reveal certain mysteries from heaven, so too was the Master Jesus not permitted, by Cosmic Law, to reveal certain mysteries. It is only after nearly two thousand years that the Cosmic Law has permitted the Ascended Master Saint Germain to reveal more of these mysteries. In this day and age the Ascended Master Jesus also teaches us: "Remember! and I say this to the whole world: All of you who have loved Me, remember Saint Germain has brought forth the continuation of that which I started two thousand years ago." (The Voice of the I AM 1941 December p8) Even the Saints of the churches, many of which have made the Ascension, had the understanding of the I AM privately or secretly and they had to know the Ascended Beings in order to reach the Ascension and become a Sainted Being. That is an Inner Law which none can break.

 

Romans 1:25 Who changed Truth of God into a lie?


25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie... -Romans 1:25 Bible, King James Version



According to the Ascended Masters the Bible contains about 30% of the Truth. Depending on the particular Religion they belong to some Christians have more of the Truth than others.

The Beloved Mighty Cyclopia teaches regarding the Truth: "You see many people in some of the Religious channels of the World, have a Fragment of the Truth; but they do not understand the Cosmic Law enough, to show mankind the Application necessary, to set That Truth into Service for themselves and for the World. So, We have to come again, and again, and again." ('The Voice of the I AM' August 1948 p12)

Beloved Mighty Helios teaches us: "I trust I may elucidate one of those Magnificent Statements of the Mighty Master Jesus... When He said: "Know the Truth and the Truth shall set you Free," that Statement contains tremendous Wisdom, and few know what It means. Every little fragment of Truth which individuals have contemplated, they have imagined He meant by that Statement; but until they know This Truth concerning the Master Authority of the Fire Element thruout all Creation- they do not have the Way and Means of dissolving that which keeps them bound... The Sacred Fire from the Higher Mental Body! There is no Freedom to Life other than thru That Sacred Fire!... The Only Way provided by Life for the consuming of human mistakes and the frightful torture they have created in this World, is by the Use of the Cosmic Fire... UNTIL MANKIND KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE SACRED FIRE THEY CAN NEVER BE FREE. Individuals in your churches and philosophers all thru the centuries, have referred occasionally to the Sacred Fire, but the masses of the people know not what is meant. Your Beloved Saint Germain brought you the detailed Explanation and Use of the Violet Consuming Flame which is One Ray, or One Flame, that I direct from My Thousand Petal Lotus, which appears to you as the Physical Sun! That is the only Way and Means which the Cosmic Law of the whole Universe, provides to This System of Worlds, to change outer manifestations that are less than Perfection into Perfection, and then ever expand that Perfection." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1949 January p9-11)

Pistis Sophia translated by G. S. R. Mead

CHAPTER 97

"...And Mary answered again and said unto the Saviour: "My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me. Now, therefore, my Lord, unless we live and know the gnosis [esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth held by the ancient Gnostics to be essential to salvation] of the whole word of the Ineffable, [Indescribable] shall we not be able to inherit the Light-kingdom?"
And the Saviour answered |233. and said unto Mary: "Surely; for every one who shall receive a mystery of the Light-kingdom, will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries... unless he knoweth the one and only word of the Ineffable... But all the men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, -every one will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. On this account I have said unto you aforetime: 'He who hath faith in a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and he who hath faith in a righteous [man] will receive a righteous [man's] reward,' -that is: Every one will go to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. He who receiveth a lesser mystery, will inherit the lesser mystery, and he who receiveth a higher mystery, will inherit the higher regions. And every one will abide in his region in the light of my kingdom, and every one will have power over the orders which are below him, but he will not have the power to go to the orders which are above him; but he will abide in the region of the Inheritance of the Light |234. of my kingdom, being in a great light immeasurable for the gods and all the invisibles, and he will be in great joy and great jubilation."

In Jesus' day the Jewish people and their leaders in their spiritual ignorance rejected the Teachings of the Master Jesus. In this day and age the Religious leaders and their followers make the same mistake in this embodiment when they out of their spiritual ignorance reject the Teachings of the Ascended Masters including the Master Jesus and Saint Germain. Jesus points out to all mankind on this earth: "I say to all people of America and the Earth: You who have said you love Me so greatly, must remember that you cannot have Me without Saint Germain and all the other Ascended Masters. They are One in Their Great Eternal Perfection. They have gained Their Victory, as you are now endeavouring to do... Remember! and I say this to the whole world: All of you who have loved Me, remember Saint Germain has brought forth the continuation of that which I started two thousand years ago." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1941 December p6,8) One of the Seven Mighty Elohim in God's Cosmic Hierarchy serving our system of worlds, Mighty Hercules teaches us: "Your Beloved Ascended Master, Jesus,... His so-called representatives- were He to come forth- would be the first ones to deny Him." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1941 May p21)

Romans 1:20 The Godhead

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead... -Romans 1:20 Bible, King James Version

There appear to be two Godheads talked about in the Bible. There are the Higher Selves of mankind and there are the head gods of the spiritual Hierarchy of Masters. I believe we have three Higher Selves known as the Father, or our I AM Presence, the Electronic Body and the Higher Mental Body.

The Elohim of Purity teaches: "The God-head, the Infinite "Mighty I AM Presence" everywhere, is the Authority of Eternal Perfection." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1946 June p6)  

According to the Goddess of Music: "When Jesus said, "It is expedient that I go away, but I will send you the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who will bring My Words to your remembrance," He referred to the Lord the Maha Chohan, whose Protection to the Disciples enfolded them. ('The Voice of the I AM', March 1944 p32)
 
                                     C. W. Leadbeater
 
In his book; 'The Masters and the Path', C. W. Leadbeater mentions the position of the Maha Chohan in the spiritual Hierarchy of this world: As the Logos [the manifested unity at the head of the hierarchy] is a Trinity [Father, Son and the Holy Ghost] so the Occult [hidden or secret] Government of the world [known as the spiritual Hierarchy or Great White Brotherhood] is in three great departments, ruled by three mighty Officials... They are the Lord of the World [Sanat Kumara,] the Lord Buddha [Gautama] and the Mahachohan." (p284)
 
Regarding the Master Jesus, He referred to His own Higher Self, or Mighty I AM Presence, as His Father in heaven. This means there was only the one God who was appearing on the Earth in His lower self like a person's spirit clothed in a body. Emanuel Swedenborg shares this Spirit World experience: 110: In the night I saw a strange light falling to the earth. Many refer to it as "the dragon." I made a note of the place where it landed. The ground there was a mixture of sulfur and iron filings. In the morning I saw two tents there. Soon afterward I saw a spirit falling down from heaven. I went over to him and asked why he had fallen out of heaven like that. He answered that Michael's angels had thrown him down, because he had said that God the Father and his Son are two, not one. He said that the entire angelic heaven believes that God the Father and his Son are one as a soul and a body are one - a point the angels support with many passages from the Word... (True Christianity #852:110)  
 

Romans 1:20 Invisible things of creation

                                           Council in Heaven
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made... -Romans 1:20 Bible, King James Version


Many of the invisible things of creation in the Inner Worlds, or Higher Planes, can be understood by the things that are made in the outer physical World. Although there are many similarities because the lower Planes are a manifestation of the higher Planes, there are also many differences because these higher Planes are more symbolic and are made up of finer matter.

Acts 26:12-15 Light from heaven




12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a
light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

-Acts 26:12-15 King James Version (KJV)


Heaven and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John C. Ager [1900] at sacred-texts.com

LIGHT AND HEAT IN HEAVEN. That there is light in the heavens those who think from nature alone cannot comprehend; and yet such is the light in the heavens that it exceeds by many degrees the noon-day light of the world. That light I have often seen, even during the evening and night. At first I wondered when I heard the angels say that the light of this world is little more than a shadow in comparison with the light of heaven; but having seen it I can testify that it is so. The brightness and splendor of the light of heaven are such as cannot be described. All things that I have seen in the heavens have been seen in that light, thus more clearly and distinctly than things in this world.

The light of heaven is not a natural light, like the light of the world, but a spiritual light, because it is from the Lord as a sun, [The Lord appears to Celestial angels in heaven as a sun in the sky] and that sun is the Divine love... That which goes forth from the Lord as a sun is called in the heavens Divine truth, but in its essence it is Divine good united to Divine truth. From this the angels have light and heat, light from Divine truth, and heat from Divine good. As the light of heaven, and the heat also, are from such a source, it is evident that they are spiritual and not natural. [127-1 All light in the heavens is from the Lord as a sun (Arcana Coelestia n. 1053, 1521, 3195, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809). The Divine truth that goes forth from the Lord appears in heaven as light, and furnishes all the light of heaven (n. 3195, 3222, 3223, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684).]

The Divine truth is light to the angels because the angels are spiritual and not natural. Spiritual beings see from their sun, and natural beings [on Earth] from theirs. It is from Divine truth that angels have understanding, and their understanding is their inner sight, which flows into and produces their outer sight; therefore in heaven whatever is seen from the Lord as the sun is seen in light. This being the source of light in heaven the light is varied there in accordance with the reception of Divine truth from the Lord; or what is the same, in accordance with the intelligence and wisdom in which the angels are, thus differently in the celestial kingdom and in the spiritual kingdom, and differently in each society. In the celestial kingdom the light appears flaming because the angels there receive light from the Lord as a sun; but in the spiritual kingdom the light is shining white, because the angels there receive light from the Lord as a moon... So, too, the light differs in different societies, and again in each society, those that are at the center being in greater light and those in the circumference in less light... In a word, the angels have light in the same degree in which they are recipients of Divine truth, that is, are in intelligence and wisdom from the Lord; [128-2 The light in heaven is in harmony with the intelligence and wisdom of the angels (n. 1524, 1529, 1530, 3339). Differences of light in the heavens are as many as there are angelic societies; and as there are in the heavens endless varieties of good and truth, so are there of wisdom and intelligence (n. 684, 690, 3241, 3744, 3745, 4414, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836).] and this is why the angels of heaven are called angels of light.
As the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth, and the Divine truth there is light, so in the Word He is called Light, likewise all truth is from Him, as in the following passages: Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world...
That light in the heavens is spiritual and that this light is Divine truth may be inferred also from the fact that men as well as angels have spiritual light, and have enlightenment from that light so far as they are in intelligence and wisdom from Divine truth. Man's spiritual light is the light of his understanding, and the objects of that light are truths, which he arranges analytically into groups, forms into reason, and from them draws conclusions in series. [130-1 Man is rational because his understanding is illumined by the light of heaven (n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569). The understanding is enlightened because it is a recipient of truth (n. 6222, 6608, 10659). The understanding is enlightened to the extent that man receives truth in good from the lord (n. 3619). The understanding is such as are the truths from good by which it is formed (n. 10064). The understanding has light from heaven, as the sight has light from the world (n. 1524, 5114, 6608, 9128). The light of heaven from the Lord is always present with man, but it flows in only in the degree that man is in truth from good (n. 4060, 4214).] The natural man does not know that the light from which the understanding sees such things is a real light, for he neither sees it with his eyes nor perceives it by thought. And yet there are many who recognize this light, and distinguish it from the natural light... Those think naturally who take account of the world only, and attribute all things to nature; while those think spiritually who take account of heaven and attribute all things to the Divine. It has often been granted me to perceive and also to see that there is a true light that enlightens the mind, wholly distinct from the light that is called natural light. I have been raised up interiorly into that light by degrees; and as I was raised up my understanding became so enlightened as to enable me to perceive what I did not perceive before, and finally such things as I could not even comprehend by thought from natural light. Sometimes I felt indignant that I could not comprehend these things when they were so clearly and plainly perceived in the light of heaven. [130-2 When man is raised up from the sensual [physical senses] he comes into a milder light, and at length into heavenly light (n. 6313, 6315, 9407). When man is raised up into intelligence there is an actual elevation into the light of heaven (n. 3190). How great a light was perceived when I was withdrawn from worldly ideas (n. 1526, 6608).] Because there is a light that belongs to the understanding, the same things are said of it as of the eye, as that it sees and is in light when it perceives, and is in obscurity and shade when it does not perceive, and so on.
As the light of heaven is Divine truth, that light is also Divine wisdom and intelligence; therefore to be raised up into the light of heaven means the same as to be raised up into intelligence and wisdom and enlightened. For this reason the angels have light in just the same degree as they have intelligence and wisdom. Because the light of heaven is Divine wisdom, in that light the character of everyone is recognized. The interiors of everyone lie open to view in his face just as they are, with not the least thing hidden. And interior angels love to have all things that pertain to them lying open, since they will nothing but good. It is otherwise with those beneath heaven, who do not will what is good, and for that reason fear greatly to be seen in the light of heaven. And wonderful to tell, while those in hell appear to one another as men, in the light of heaven they appear as monsters, with a horrid face and body, the exact form of their own evil. [131-1 Those in the hells, in their own light, which is like the light from burning coals, appear to themselves as men but in the light of heaven they appear as monsters (n. 4531, 4533, 4674, 5057, 5058, 6605, 6626).] In respect to his spirit man appears, when seen by angels, in a like way; if good as a man, beautiful in accord with his good; if evil as a monster, ugly in accord with his evil. From this it is clear that in the light of heaven all things are made manifest, and for the reason that the light of heaven is Divine truth.
As Divine truth is light in the heavens, so all truths wherever they are, whether within an angel or outside of him, or whether within the heavens or outside of them, emit light. Nevertheless, truths outside of the heavens do not shine as truths within the heavens do. Truths outside of the heavens shine coldly, like something snowy, without heat, because they do not draw their essence from good, as truths within the heavens do; therefore that cold light vanishes as soon as the light of heaven falls on it, and if there is evil underneath it it is turned into darkness. This I have occasionally seen, with many other noteworthy things about the shining of truth, which must be omitted here.
Something shall now be said about the heat of heaven. That heat in its essence is love. It goes forth from the Lord as a sun, which is Divine love in the Lord and from the Lord, as has been shown in the preceding chapter. It is evident, therefore, that the heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is spiritual, because from the same source. [133-1 There are two sources of heat and also two sources of light, the sun of the world and the sun of heaven (n. 3338, 5215, 7324). Heat from the Lord as a sun is affection of love (n. 3636, 3643). Therefore spiritual heat in its essence is love (n. 2146, 3338, 3339, 6314).]There are two things that go forth from the Lord as a sun, Divine truth and Divine good; Divine truth is manifested in the heavens as light, and Divine good as heat; and yet Divine truth and Divine good are so united that they are not two, but one. Nevertheless, with angels they are separate, for there are angels that receive more of Divine good than of Divine truth, and there are those that receive more of Divine truth than of Divine good. Those who receive more of Divine good are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and those who receive more of Divine truth are in His spiritual kingdom. Those that receive both in a like degree are the most perfect angels.
The heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is everywhere different. It is different in the celestial kingdom from what it is in the spiritual kingdom, and it is different in each society therein. It differs both in degree and in quality. It is more intense and more pure in the Lord's celestial kingdom, because the angels there receive more of Divine good; and it is less intense and pure in His spiritual kingdom, because the angels there receive more of Divine truth. Also in each society the heat differs in accordance with reception. There is heat in the hells, but it is unclean heat. [134-1 There is heat in the hells, but it is unclean (n. 1773, 2757, 3340). The odor from it is like the odor from dung and excrement in the world and in the worst hells like the odor of dead bodies (n. 814, 815, 817, 819, 820, 943, 944, 5394).] The heat in heaven is what is meant by holy and heavenly fire, and the heat of hell by profane and infernal [hell] fire. Both mean love - heavenly fire meaning love to the Lord and love to the neighbor and every affection of those loves, and infernal fire meaning love of self and love of the world and every lust of those loves. That love is heat from a spiritual source is shown from one's growing warm with love; for in accordance with the strength and nature of his love a man is inflamed and grows warm; and the heat of his love is made manifest when it is opposed. From this also it is customary to speak of being inflamed, growing hot, burning, boiling, being on fire, both in regard to the affections of the love of good and the lusts of the love of evil.
Love going forth from the Lord as a sun is felt in heaven as heat, because the interiors of the angels are in a state of love from the Divine good that is from the Lord; and in consequence their exteriors which grow warm therefrom are in a state of heat. For this reason heat and love so correspond to each other in heaven that everyone there is in heat such as his love is, according to what has been said just above. This world's heat does not enter heaven at all, because it is too gross, and is natural, and not spiritual; but with men it is otherwise, because they are in both the spiritual world and the natural world. As to their spirits they grow warm in exact accordance with their loves; but as to the body they grow warm both from the heat of their spirit and from the heat of the world...
Angels, like men, have understanding and will. The light of heaven constitutes the life of their understanding, because that light is Divine truth and Divine wisdom therefrom; and the heat of heaven constitutes the life of their will, because that heat is Divine good and Divine love therefrom. The veriest life of the angels is from heat, and from light only so far as heat is in it. That life is from heat is shown by the fact that when heat is taken away life perishes. The same is true of faith without love or of truth without good... [136-1 Truths... apart from good are like a body without a soul (n. 3180, 9154). Truths apart from good are not accepted by the Lord (n. 4368). What truth apart from good, that is, what faith apart from love is, and what truth from good or faith from love is (n. 1949-1951, 1964, 5830, 5951). It amounts to the same thing whether you say truth or faith, or whether you say good or love, since truth is of faith and good is of love (n. 2839, 4352, 4353, 4997, 7178, 7623, 7624, 10367).] This is more clearly shown by the heat and light of the world, to which the heat and light of heaven correspond. By the world's heat when conjoined with light, as in spring and summer, all things on the earth are quickened and grow, but by light separate from heat nothing is quickened or grows, but everything lies torpid and dies. They are not conjoined in winter, when heat is absent though light remains. From this correspondence heaven is called paradise, since truth is there joined with good, or faith with love, as light is with heat in springtime on the earth. All this makes more clear the truth set forth in its own chapter (n. 13-19), that the Divine of the Lord in Heaven is love to Him and charity towards the neighbor.
It is said in John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (1:1-14). Evidently the Lord is here meant by "the Word," for it is said that "the Word became flesh." But what is specifically meant by "the Word" is not known and shall therefore be explained. Here "the Word" means the Divine truth which is in the Lord and from the Lord; and this is why it is also called "the Light," which is the Divine truth, as has been already shown in this chapter. That it was by means of Divine truth that all things were created and made shall now be explained. [2] In heaven Divine truth has all power, and apart from it there is no power whatever. [137-2 ...Angels are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord and therefore in the Word are sometimes called gods (n. 4295, 4402, 7873, 8192, 8301). From the Divine truth angels are called powers, and are powers to the extent that they are recipients or receptacles of it. By means of it they prevail over the hells and over all that oppose them. A thousand enemies there cannot stand against a single ray of the light of heaven, which is Divine truth. As angels are angels by their reception of Divine truth it follows that the entire heaven is from no other source, since heaven consists of angels. [3] That there is such power in Divine truth those cannot believe that have no other idea of truth than that it is thought or speech, which has in it no power except as others do it from obedience... [4] By the power of heat and light from the sun in the world, in that all things that grow in the world, as trees, cereals, flowers, grasses, fruits, and seeds, come into existence wholly by means of the heat and light of the sun; which shows what power of producing there is in them. What, then, must be the power in Divine light, which is Divine truth, and in Divine heat, which is Divine good? Because heaven has its existence from these, so does the world have its existence therefrom, since the world has its existence by means of heaven, as has been already shown. From all this the meaning of these words can be seen that "all things were made through the Word, and without the Word was not anything made that has been made;" also that "the world was made through Him," that is, through Divine truth from the Lord. For the same reason, in the Book of Creation, light is first spoken of, and then the things that are from light (Gen. 1:3, 4)...
It must be understood that the Divine good and the Divine truth that are from the Lord as a sun in the heavens are not in the Lord, but are from the Lord. In the Lord there is only Divine love, which is the Being from which the Divine good and the Divine truth spring... This, too, can be made clear by comparison with the world's sun. The heat and light that are in the world are not in the sun, but are from the sun. In the sun there is fire only, and it is from this that heat and light spring and go forth.
Since the Lord as a sun is Divine love, and Divine love is Divine good itself, the Divine that goes forth from the Lord, which is His Divine in heaven, is called, for the sake of distinction, Divine truth, although it is in fact Divine good united to Divine truth. This Divine truth is what is called the Holy that goes forth from Him.











 


















Acts 24:15 Resurrection of the just and unjust




15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. -Acts 24:15 King James Version (KJV)










There appears to be an inner and outer Resurrection mentioned in the Bible. There is the physical Resurrection which I believe only applies to those who follow the Teachings of the Ascended Masters. Then there appears to be an after death Resurrection in the Spirit World which involves both the righteous and the unrighteous. 



Heaven and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John C. Ager [1900] at sacred-texts.com

 


XLVI. THE RESUSCITATION OF MAN FROM THE DEAD AND HIS ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE. When the body is no longer able to perform the bodily functions in the natural world that correspond to the spirit's thoughts and affections, which the spirit has from the spiritual world, man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But the man does not die; he is merely separated from the bodily part that was of use to him in the world, while the man himself continues to live. It is said that the man himself continues to live since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit that thinks in man, and thought with affection is what constitutes man. Evidently, then, the death of man is merely his passing from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense "death" signifies resurrection and continuation of life. (445-1 In the Word "death" signifies resurrection, for when man dies his life still goes on...)


There is an inmost communication of the spirit with the breathing and with the beating of the heart... consequently when these two motions cease in the body there is at once a separation. These two motions, the respiration of the lungs and the beating of heart, are the very bond on the sundering [or splitting apart] of which the spirit is left to itself; and the body being then deprived of the life of its spirit grows cold and begins to decay. This inmost communication of the spirit of man is with the respiration and with the heart, because on these all vital motions depend, not only in general but in every particular. 
After the separation the spirit of man continues in the body for a short time, but only until the heart's action has wholly ceased, which happens variously in accord with the diseased condition that causes death, with some the motion of the heart continuing for some time, with others not so long. As soon as this motion ceases the man is resuscitated; but this is done by the Lord alone. Resuscitation means the drawing forth of the spirit from the body, and its introduction into the spiritual world; this is commonly called the resurrection. The spirit is not separated from the body until the motion of the heart has ceased...
448.
How this resuscitation is effected has both been told to me and shown to me in living experience. The actual experience was granted to me that I might have a complete knowledge of the process.
As to the senses of the body I was brought into a state of insensibility, thus nearly into the state of the dying; but with the interior life and thought remaining unimpaired, in order that I might perceive and retain in the memory the things that happened to me, and that happen to those that are resuscitated from the dead. I perceived that the respiration of the body was almost wholly taken away; but the interior respiration of the spirit went on in connection with a slight and tacit respiration of the body. Then at first a communication of the pulse of the heart with the celestial kingdom was established, because that kingdom corresponds to the heart in man. Angels from that kingdom were seen, some at a distance, and two sitting near my head... [2] I was in this state for some hours. Then the spirits that were around me withdrew, thinking that I was dead; and an aromatic odor like that of an embalmed body was perceived, for when the celestial angels are present everything pertaining to the corpse is perceived as aromatic, and when spirits perceive this they cannot approach; and in this way evil spirits are kept away from man's spirit when he is being introduced into eternal life. The angels seated at my head were silent, merely sharing their thoughts with mine; and when their thoughts are received the angels know that the spirit of man is in a state in which it can be drawn forth from the body. This sharing of their thoughts was effected by looking into my face, for in this way in heaven thoughts are shared. [3] As my thought and perception continued, that I might know and remember how resuscitation is effected, I perceived the angels first tried to ascertain what my thought was, whether it was like the thought of those who are dying, which is usually about eternal life; also that they wished to keep my mind in that thought. Afterwards I was told that the spirit of man is held in its last thought when the body expires, until it returns to the thoughts that are from its general or ruling affection in the world. Especially was I permitted to see and feel that there was a pulling and drawing forth, as it were, of the interiors of my mind, thus of my spirit, from the body; and I was told that this is from the Lord, and that the resurrection is thus effected.
The celestial angels who are with the one that is resuscitated do not withdraw from him, because they love everyone; but when the spirit comes into such a state that he can no longer be affiliated with celestial angels, he longs to get away from them. When this takes place angels from the Lord's spiritual kingdom come, through whom is given the use of light; for before this he saw nothing, but merely thought. I was shown how this is done. The angels appeared to roll off, as it were, a coat from the left eye towards the bridge of the nose, that the eye might be opened and be enabled to see. This is only an appearance, but to the spirit it seemed to be really done. When the coat thus seems to have been rolled off there is a slight sense of light, but very dim, like what is seen through the eyelids on first awakening from sleep. To me this dim light took on a heavenly hue, but I was told afterwards that the color varies. Then something is felt to be gently rolled off from the face, and when this is done spiritual thought is awakened. This rolling off from the face is also an appearance, which represents the spirit's passing from natural thought into spiritual thought. The angels are extremely careful that only such ideas as savor of love shall proceed from the one resuscitated. They now tell him that he is a spirit. When he has come into the enjoyment of light the spiritual angels render to the new spirit every service he can possibly desire in that state; and teach him about the things of the other life so far as he can comprehend them. But if he has no wish to be taught the spirit longs to get away from the company of the angels. Nevertheless, the angels do not withdraw from him, but he separates himself from them; for the angels love everyone, and desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven; this constitutes their highest delight. When the spirit has thus withdrawn he is received by good spirits, and as long as he continues in their company everything possible is done for him. But if he had lived such a life in the world as would prevent his enjoying the company of the good he longs to get away from the good, and this experience is repeated until he comes into association with such as are in entire harmony with his life in the world; and with such he finds his own life, and what is surprising, he then leads a life like that which he led in the world.
This opening state of man's life after death lasts only a few days. How he is afterwards led from one state to another, and finally either into heaven or into hell, will be told in what follows. This, too, I have been permitted to learn by much experience.
I have talked with some on the third day after their decease, when the process described above (n. 449, 450) had been completed, especially with three whom I had known in the world, to whom I mentioned that arrangements were now being made for burying their bodies; I said, for burying them; on hearing which they were smitten with a kind of surprise, saying that they were alive, and that the thing that had served them in the world was what was being buried. Afterwards they wondered greatly that they had not believed in such a life after death while they lived in the body, and especially that scarcely any within the church so believed. Those that have not believed in the world in any life of the soul after the life of the body are greatly ashamed when they find themselves to be alive. But those that have confirmed themselves in that disbelief seek affiliation with their like, and are separated from those that have had faith. Such are for the most part attached to some infernal society, because they have also denied the divine and have despised the truths of the church; for so far as any one confirms himself against the eternal life of his soul he confirms himself also against whatever pertains to heaven and the church.





Acts 23:8 Sadducees say there is no Resurrection


For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. -Acts 23:8 Bible, King James Version

                                    Jesus' Resurrection
                                    
27Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection... -Luke 20:27 Bible, King James Version

Just as there were religious people in Jesus' day who did not believe in the resurrection there are also many in our day and age who do not believe in the physical resurrection. Jesus and the other Ascended Masters bear witness that this is possible for all mankind if not in this lifetime then in another.

Acts 22:16 The ritual of baptism

                                            Baptism of Jesus

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. -Acts 22:16 Bible, King James Version


John the Baptist introduced the symbolic rite, or ritual, of baptism which pointed the way to the real cleansing Baptism of Fire which the Master Jesus would bring. Mankind may be baptized in water a thousand times but this will not cleanse them of their sins because it is only symbolic. The Ascended Masters teach that the use of the Violet Flame is the way to cleanse ourselves of all our past mistakes.

 

Beloved Saint Germain teaches: "Even the Mighty Master Jesus and every Being who ever Ascended, could not go into that Higher Mental Body without being taught and seeing the use of the Violet Consuming Flame." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1947 August p20)

 

 

                Violet Flame: God's Gift to Man


Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen by Emanuel Swedenborg. (First published, in Latin, 1758)

329. XXXVII. LITTLE CHILDREN IN HEAVEN.

...No one receives heaven... through baptism; for baptism is merely for a sign and memorial that man should be regenerated...

 

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 35.

(Jesus and Vidyapati consider the needs of the incoming age of the world.)
1The Indian sage and Jesus often met and talked about the needs of nations and of men; about the sacred doctrines, forms and rites best suited to the coming age.
2One day they sat together in a mountain pass, and Jesus said, The coming age will surely not re­quire priests, and shrines, and sac­rifice of life.
3There is no power in sacrifice of beast, or bird, to help a man to holy life.
4And Vidyapati said, All forms and rites are symbols of the things that men must do within the temple of the soul.
5The Holy One requires man to give his life in willing sacrifice for men, and all the so-called offerings on altars and on shrines that have been made since time began, were made to teach man how to give him­self to save his brother man; for man can never save himself except he lose his life in saving other men.
6The perfect age will not re­quire forms and rites and carnal sacrifice. The coming age is not the perfect age, and men will call for object lessons and symbolic rites.
7And in the great religion you shall introduce to men, some simple rites of washings and remembrances will be required; but cruel sacrifice of animals, and birds the gods re­quire not.
8And Jesus said, Our God must loathe the tinseled show of priests and priestly things.
9When men array themselves in showy garbs to indicate that they are servants of the gods, and strut about like gaudy birds to be ad­mired by men, because of piety or any other thing, the Holy One must surely turn away in sheer disgust.
10All people are alike the serv­ants of our Father-God, are kings and priests.
11Will not the coming age de­mand complete destruction of the priestly caste, as well as every other caste and inequality among the sons of men?
12And Vidyapati said, The coming age is not the age of spirit life and men will pride themselves in wearing priestly robes, and chant­ing pious chants to advertise them­selves as saints.
13The simple rites that you will introduce will be extolled by those who follow you, until the sacred service of the age will far outshine in gorgeousness the priestly service of the Brahmic age.
14This is a problem men must solve.
15The perfect age will come when every man will be a priest and men will not array themselves in special garb to advertise their piety.


CHAPTER 78.

1And Jesus went to Jericho, and at the inn of Asher he abode.
5But Jesus did not tarry long in Jericho; he went down to the Jor­dan ford where John was wont to teach.
6
7None but the pure in heart can come into the kingdom of the Holy One; but every son and daugh­ter of the human race is called upon to turn from evil and become the pure in heart.
8The resolution to attain and enter through the Christine gate into the kingdom of the Holy One will constitute discipleship, and ev­ery one must make a public pledge of his discipleship.
9John washed your bodies in the stream, symbolic of the cleans­ing of the soul, in preparation for the coming of the king, the opening of the Christine gate into the king­dom of the Holy One.
10John did a mighty work; but now the Christine gate is opened up, and washing is established as the pledge of your discipleship.
11Until this age [the Piscean Age] shall close this pledge shall be a rite, and shall be called, Baptism rite; and it shall be a sign to men, and seal to God of men’s discipleship.
 

In the book 'Beyond the Himalayas' by Murdo MacDonald-Bayne, Geshe Rimpoche talks about rituals: "Ritual is mental, not spiritual; the ways of performing it may be different, but it is all of the mind and this is what you have to understand, otherwise you can never be free. If you refuse to understand it, you are still bound by it, whether you believe it or disbelieve it. Spirituality is the silent expression of Love, Wisdom and Power, not the repeating of ritual. (p40) The Christian religion has form and ritual too. It may be slightly different but they are all similar." (p39)

Acts 20:29-30 Beware of the doctrines of error

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30 Bible, King James Version
 




In the Books of the Saviour Jesus teaches His disciples: CHAPTER 111 vs. 280. … If ye go into cities or kingdoms or countries, proclaim first unto them, saying: Search ever and cease not, until ye find the mysteries of the Light which will lead you into the Light-kingdom. Say unto them: Beware of the doctrines of error. For many will come in my name… and they will lead many astray. Now, therefore, unto all men who come unto you and have faith in you and hearken unto your words and do what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them. And unto him who is worthy of the higher mysteries, give them, and to him who is worthy of the lower mysteries, give them, and hide not anything from any one… (Pistis Sophia Translated by G. R. S. Mead)

According to the Akashic Records Jesus teaches:

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 101.

14Beware, for many claim to walk the way of life who walk the way of death. 15But they are false in word and deed... 

CHAPTER 139.

19False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way, but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate...

Acts 20:28-31 Apostasy of early Christian Church

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. -Acts 20:28-31 King James Version (KJV)

The Christian Church, which the Master Jesus established, entered into apostasy or a falling away from the truth as seen in the Roman Catholic Church.

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
114
...[9] I will here also mention a great scandal heard from the pope called Benedict XIV. He openly declared [in the spiritual world] that when he lived in the world he believed that the Lord had no power, because He had transferred it all to Peter, and after him to his successors; adding his belief that their saints have more power than the Lord, because they hold it from God the Father, while the Lord resigned it all and gave it to the popes; yet that He is still to be worshiped, because otherwise the pope is not worshiped with sanctity. But because this pope even after death claimed the Divine for himself, after a few days he was cast into hell.

 
Pope Benedict XIV (31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), was Pope from 17 August 1740 to his death in 1758 

1029.
...the church consisting of those who by means of the holy things of the church strive to gain dominion over the whole world, and this by dominion over the souls of men, claiming to themselves authority to save whomsoever they will; and these finally seek dominion over heaven and hell and make it their own. And to this end they draw and transfer to themselves all the Lord's authority, as if it had been given them by Him. The church consisting of such is very different in the beginning from what it becomes in process of time. In the beginning they are as it were in zeal for the Lord, for the Word, for love and faith, and especially for the salvation of men. But in that zeal the fire of domineering lies hidden; and in process of time as dominion increases this breaks forth; and so far as it comes into act the holy things of the church become the means, and dominion itself the end; and when dominion becomes the end the holy things of the church are applied to that end, and thus to themselves; and then they not only ascribe the salvation of souls to their own authority, but they also appropriate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power. And when they do this they pervert every good and every truth of the church, and thus profane the holy things of the church... [2] That this is so has been shown me... In the spiritual world there were those who strove to gain such dominion; and as they knew that the Lord alone has all power, they put on a seeming zeal for Him and for heaven and for the church, and they labored with all their might to worship the Lord alone, and to observe in a holy way all things of the Word; and they arranged to have sanctity and integrity prevail in all. But it was granted to know that in such zeal an ardent desire of domineering over all others lay hidden, believing that the things they arranged would be acceptable to the Lord. For just as soon as they began to gain dominion, their end was gradually disclosed, which was that they and not the Lord should rule, and thus that the Lord should serve them and not they the Lord; and they were indignant [feeling or showing anger or annoyance] if they were not permitted, like gods, to dispose everything at their will; and it was perceived also that they thought lightly of the Lord, and even rejected Him if He did not grant them authority to do all things as they pleased, and unless He assented to every decision of theirs. It was also perceived that if they dared, they would, under some pretext, transfer His Divine authority to themselves; but they were afraid of being for this reason cast down into hell... The conclusion to be drawn from this was that when dominion becomes the end, and the holy things of the church become the means, the worship of God is turned, under various pretexts, into the worship of men; so that they themselves are actually gods, and the Lord is not actually God, but is so called for the sake of form. [3] Now because dominion by means of the holy things of the church over the souls of men, over heaven, and over the Lord Himself, is inwardly profane, it follows that it is infernal [or hellish] for the devils who are in hell desire nothing so much as to have dominion over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; and this they attempt to do under various pretexts, but as soon as they attempt it they are swallowed up by hell. And since those who in the world cast the Lord down from the seat of His kingdom and place themselves upon it, are in heart like devils, it is evident that a church made up of such must in process of time be devastated as to all its good and all its truth; and this is its end. That such are devils is evident from the same in the spiritual world. Those who have exercised the Lord's Divine authority in the world talk about the Lord after death in a most holy manner, and worship Him with all external devotion. But when their interiors are looked into (for in the spiritual world these can be uncovered and looked into) they are seen to be profane, because they are godless and full of diabolical craft; and from this it becomes clear that their holy externals had served them as means to an end, which was dominion... [4] ...such... at this day is clearly evident from the fact that under the pretext of the keys having been given to Peter, they have transferred to themselves all the Divine authority of the Lord, that they have shut up Divine truth from the people by taking away the Word, and that they have ascribed to the decrees of the Pope a holiness equal and even superior to the holiness of the Word; also that they teach little, if at all, the fear and worship of God, but only a fear and worship of themselves, and also a worship of the saints for the sake of themselves. All this makes clear that... [the Roman Catholic Church] in its end is a church empty and void of all the good of love to God, and of all the good of love towards the neighbor, and consequently of all truth... 
1032.
...[2] ...a love of having dominion over all things of the world, and still further, over all things of heaven and the church, and finally over the Lord Himself, cannot do otherwise than wholly change Divine truths into falsities and Divine goods into evils, thus the church into a religious persuasion in which all its good and truth is adulterated and profaned. For by that love a man wholly turns himself away from the Lord, and turns only towards self; and thus he can no longer be led by the Lord, but is led by what is his own; and to be led by what is his own is to be led by hell. Man is either led from heaven or he is led from hell; he cannot be led by both at the same time; and he is led from heaven when he is led by the Lord, and from hell when he is led by self. For man was so created as to be capable of being raised above what is his own and of thinking in that elevated state. He is raised above what is his own and thinks in that elevated state when he is raised up by the Lord; and this is effected when he acknowledges the Lord and His Divine power over heaven and earth; and by that confession and faith of the heart he has conjunction with the Lord; and when conjunction is effected, the interiors, which belong to his mind, that is, to his understanding and will, are held by the Lord under his view. This is effected by an elevation above what is his own; and when man thinks in that elevated state he thinks truth from the Lord and does good from Him. [3] The opposite comes to pass when a man strives to gain dominion over the world, over heaven, and over the Lord; for he then immerses the interiors of his mind which belong to his thought and will in what is his own; and when a man is immersed in what is his own he thinks and wills from hell; consequently he thinks and wills falsities and evils; and for the reason that what is man's own is nothing but evil for it is his inherited evil...
1033.
...That the... [Roman Catholic Ministers] have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion. [3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate [take or claim something] without justification. to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal [hellish] falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven...
1044.
...[The Roman Catholic Church's] appearance in externals [is] to be in the cognitions of good and truth, and yet in internals they are in the knowledge of evil and falsity... The... [Roman Catholic Church] is such, namely, that they wish to appear to be in sanctity, and thus in every good and truth and in the knowledges of these, and to appear in consequence to be intelligent above all others in the world, although in fact they are in no good or truth nor in any knowledges of these, and thus not in any intelligence or wisdom in spiritual things. That they are not in these, but are instead insane in respect to them, is clearly seen in the spiritual world, where the interiors of every man are laid bare and thus clearly appear. In the case of the monks, and especially the Jesuits [members of a Roman Catholic order of priests founded in 1534 to do missionary work,] who from their cleverness were considered to be more intelligent than all others in the world, their interiors were found to be so empty and void that they did not know a single truth that leads to heaven... [2] They appear in externals to be in goods, truths, knowledges, intelligence, and wisdom, because they have made subject to their dominion all the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and therefore from dominion they speak with the common people, persuading them that they hold the mysteries of heaven, and that their Pope utters his edicts from inspiration, like that of the prophets and apostles; and this they can declare in a haughty manner, because they speak from the authority of dominion over souls, and over heaven and hell; and from a persuasion of their holiness it can be accepted by the common people with no repugnance of heart, since the common people are kept for this very purpose in dense thick darkness respecting spiritual things. And in that thick darkness they inspire spurious [not being what it purports to be; false or fake] goods and foolish truths, which they call Divine and heavenly; and in such thick darkness in which the common people are kept, they are even able to inspire devilish and infernal [hellish] evils and falsities, and to induce a faith in them as if they were celestial and spiritual goods and truths; for thus and not otherwise can they be adored as deities, and subject countries and possessions to their command and disposal. Such are the things that lie hidden inwardly in them... 
1050.
...That the... [Roman Catholic Church does] violence to the truths of the Word that teach about the Lord can be clearly seen from this, that they have transferred the Lord's Divine authority to the Pope as His vicar, and worship and adoration along with it; also with this end in view they have separated the Lord's Divine from His Human, that they might say that they have not assumed His Divine but His Human authority; not being willing to know that the Divine authority consists chiefly in the power to save the human race; although... [they] appropriate even this power to themselves...
...The Word which in the beginning was received in the church and read, ...afterwards was taken away from the people and not read (n. 1054); ...it is acknowledged as Divine and yet is rejected (n. 1055); ...those of that religion who reject the Word (n. 1056); "whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world," signifies that there are those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine authority over heaven and earth, but regard it as transferred to a certain vicar, and from him to his vicars (n. 1057)... 
1054. 
...the Word in the beginning was received in the church and read, and afterwards was taken away from the people and not read... In the beginning they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people; but... afterwards, as they extended their dominion over the church and over heaven, while they acknowledged it to be Divine they no longer taught from it as before. For they interdicted [or in other words the Roman Catholic Church banned] the people from reading it, and instead of doctrine from it they put forth their doctrine from the Papal throne as Divine, they instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people, and they preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men whom they call saints, instead of the Lord whom they previously adored... All this makes clear that... [the Roman Catholic Church] in the beginning was a church that worshiped the Lord, and preached the Divine truth from the Word, but afterwards, while it retained an adoration of the Lord it was an external, that is, a formal adoration, and the internal which is the essential adoration they transferred to the Pope as the Lord's vicar, and consequently to the ministering body as vicars under him; this may be seen above (n. 1029)... 
1057.
...there are those who do not acknowledge the Divine authority of the Lord over heaven and earth, but regard it as transferred to a certain vicar, and from him to his vicars... (.Continuation respecting the Second Kind of Profanation) [6] Profaners [not initiated into the inner mysteries] of this kind are stupid and foolish in spiritual things, but are crafty and keen in worldly things, because they make one with the devils in hell... In a word, the love of having dominion by means of the holy things of the church corresponds to filth, and its delight to a stench indescribable by words, and at which angels shudder. Such is the exhalation from their hells when they are opened...






...(Continuation respecting the Third Kind of Profanation) [2] Those who are in this kind of profanation, which is hypocritical, differ in this respect, that there are those who have less ability and those who have more ability to conceal the interiors of their mind, that they may not be disclosed, and to shape the exteriors, which pertain to the face and mouth, into an expression of sanctity. When such after death become spirits they appear encompassed with a cloud, in the midst of which is something black, like an Egyptian mummy. But as they are raised up as it were into the light of heaven, that bright cloud changes to a diabolical duskiness, not from any shining through it, but from a breathing through it, and the consequent darkening. In hell, therefore, these are black devils. The differences in this kind of profanation are known from the blackness, as being more or less foul and horrid.


...those who are in worship according to that religious persuasion and are not in dominion. When such live according to the statutes of the Pope, and acknowledge him to be the Lord's vicar, and observe the holy things of worship as they have been instituted, they are not dissimilar to upright pagans, who know not otherwise than that they are truths, goods and holy things which their ministers and monks teach; and this the more because they do not read the Word, some because it has been taken away from them, and some because under persuasion they depend upon the mouth of their monks, and believe that these alone and no others understand the Word. [2] But those of their people who look to the Lord, and to the Pope only as to the head of the church, and who are in some affection for truth, are indeed in... [the Roman Catholic Church,] but are not of it; for after death these can be drawn away from the vanities of that religious persuasion and from idolatries, and can be led to worship and adore the Lord; and they also receive truths from the Lord through the Word or through those who teach it. For this reason, after the Last Judgment many societies, which are so many churches, were instituted from these by the Lord (of which in what follows). In regard to "the seven mountains" upon which the woman was seen to sit, it is believed that they are the seven mountains of Rome, where the Papal throne is. But admitting that Rome is meant, still "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned; for the Word is spiritual in every part, and this is the spiritual of it. That "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned is evident also from what immediately follows, where it is said that "the seven heads of the beast" mean also "seven kings;" and "seven kings" signify in the spiritual sense the truths of the Word falsified and profaned...

...(Continuation respecting the Fourth Kind of Profanation) [3] In this kind of profanation [not initiated into the inner mysteries] are those especially who read the Word and know about the Lord; because from the Lord through the Word are all things holy that can be profaned... Those who belong to this kind of profanation appear after death at first with a face of human color, around which float many wandering stars; and those of them that had been leaders sometimes appear shining about the mouth. But as they are brought into the light of heaven, the stars and the shining of the mouth vanish, and the color of the face is changed to black, and likewise their garments. But the blackness of these profaners draws something from blue, as the blackness... draws something from red, for the reason that the latter profane the goods of the Word and of the church, while the others profane the truths of the Word and of the church. For red derives from the sun its signification of good, while blue derives from the sky its signification of truth.
...(Continuation respecting the Fifth Kind of Profanation) [3] This kind is not like the others that have been treated of, for it consists in jesting from the Word and about the Word. For those who make jokes from the Word do not regard it as holy, and those who joke about it hold it in no esteem. And yet the Word is the very Divine truth of the Lord with men, and the Lord is present in the Word, and heaven also; for every particular of the Word communicates with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord; therefore to jest from the Word and about the Word is to bespatter [soil] the holy things of heaven with the dust of the earth.

King Albert II of Belgium kneels before the Pope in 2009

...[2] In respect to the matter itself, namely, that they [the Roman Catholic Ministers] have transferred the Lord's authority over heaven and earth, thus over men to save them, to their head and from him to the others who are under him, this is well known; and it is evident from this that with all the heart and mind they aspire to be gods over the earth, consequently to be adored with Divine worship. That their head is adored as a god in place of the Lord is evident from their venerating him upon the knees, from the holy kissing of his shoes, also of his footsteps. This veneration or rather adoration follows from this, that he is able to open heaven by the keys of Peter, and thus to give heaven to whomsoever he pleases; also by the same means to close heaven, thus to cast into hell whomsoever he pleases... For they know that he who possesses the souls of men and also their wealth, possesses men as God does, and can transfer to himself a kind of Divine worship. From this it is clear that those who belong to the... [the Roman Catholic Church] of the present day, [1757-9] aspire with the whole heart and mind to be gods, and to be adored with Divine worship. But although they aspire to this they deny that they have transferred anything Divine to themselves...
1066.
...The Lord's authority over heaven and earth, which they have transferred to themselves, is said not to be Divine, and yet it is Divine... [2] In respect to the thing itself it is well known that they claim that the authority over heaven, and over the souls of men to save them, is not Divine, since it was the authority of the Lord's Human transferred to Him from God the Father, and from the Lord to Peter. But this is said from a fear that the common people may withdraw from them. Nevertheless, that authority is Divine... Man is not saved in a single moment, since he is reformed and regenerated by the Lord by successive steps... That man is thus reformed and regenerated by the Lord they do not know, because they do not wish to know it; consequently they persuade themselves that salvation is instantaneous, and is simply an admission into heaven, which is a huge falsity...
1067.
...It [the Word] has been received and acknowledged as Divine chiefly because their religion is founded on the keys given to Peter, as described in the Word. Nevertheless, that it has been rejected is well known, for it is taken away from the common people [Swedenborg wrote this in 1757-9,] it is not read in the temples, and the same holiness and inspiration are attributed to the decrees of the Pope as to the Word; but as these are not in harmony with the Word, the Word in general is invalidated, and even blasphemed, by the claim that it is allowable to change it according to the state of the church. From this it is clear that the truth that the Word is Divine has been profaned [not initiated into the inner mysteries] by them...
1069.
...those Divine truths that the... [Roman Catholic Church] has profaned, ...are especially, that the Lord has authority over heaven and earth, and that the Word alone is holy and Divine; for these two truths make the church itself of the Lord on earth, for the church is a church from this that the Lord is adored and that the Word is read. For the Lord reforms man, and the Word teaches how man must live that he may be reformed by the Lord; therefore if these two truths are not acknowledged and received the church itself perishes, for upon these two truths the church is founded. It was for this reason that it came to pass through the Divine Providence of the Lord that certain churches separated themselves from the... [Roman Catholic Church,] and these acknowledge the Lord's Divine power over heaven and earth to be equal to the power of God the Father, and also attribute Divine holiness to the Word alone. This was provided by the Lord in order that the Christian Church in the European world might not be utterly overthrown...
1070.
...those who have not thus acknowledged that the Lord's authority over heaven and earth has been transferred to man, but have ascribed Divine holiness to the Word and not to the decrees of the Pope... have not... profaned... Divine holiness must be attributed to the Word; also that... they will acknowledge that the Lord has power to save, thus that He, and not the Pope, has dominion over heaven, the church, and the souls of men. [2] It has been said above that there are two things that constitute the church, namely, the acknowledgment and belief that the Lord has the power to save, and that the Word is Divine... But that the church in the European world might not wholly perish, it has been provided by the Lord that not only within the... [Roman Catholic Church,] but also outside of it, there should be societies that should not make one with the... [Roman Catholic Church,] in these two primary truths, which are the pillars and the foundations of the church itself. Within... [the Roman Catholic Church] there are those in the kingdom of France, and many in Holland, England, Scotland, and Ireland, who have not taken away from the Lord the power to save men, nor from the Word Divine holiness, and ascribed these to some vicar; as may appear from the contest between the Gallican Church [the Catholic Church in France] and the Roman [Catholic Church,] which has so long continued and still continues... Outside of the... [Roman Catholic Churches] there are churches that ascribe all power to save to the Lord, and none to the Pope, and acknowledge the Word alone to be Divine, and have wholly withdrawn from the papal dominion, and are consequently called Protestants and Reformed [Churches.]...
1071.
...It has been said above that the Gallican Church [the Catholic Church in France] acknowledges the Word to be the Divine truth, and ascribes a Divine inspiration to all the particulars of the Word, and not an equal Divine inspiration to the decrees of the Pope as to those things which are means of salvation; and the same is true of others in the European world; and this has come to pass from the Divine Providence of the Lord, that the Christian Church might not be wholly destroyed, because by means of the Word man has communication and conjunction with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord; and communication and conjunction with heaven and with the Lord cannot possibly be given through the declarations and decrees of the Pope, since these have not for their end the salvation of souls, but dominion; and all edicts and statutes that have dominion as their end, especially over the things of heaven and the church, have communication with hell, and effect conjunction with hell... 
1074.
...those that are in love to the Lord, in love towards the neighbor, and in the faith of charity, have the truth respecting the Lord's Divine authority and the Divine holiness of the Word... The angels of the third heaven, who are in love to the Lord, are called the "called," the angels of the second heaven, who are in love towards the neighbor, are called the "chosen," and the angels of the first heaven, who are in the faith of charity, are called the "faithful." And since in the Lord's church on earth there are those who belong to the third, the second, and the first heaven, and who therefore become after death angels of those heavens, so "the called, the chosen, and the faithful," mean all those in the kingdoms under the dominion of the Pope who ascribe to the Lord the power of saving men, and ascribe to the Word alone Divine holiness and inspiration, and in these two doctrines recede from the vicarship of the Pope...
1079.
...the Reformed [Christian Churches,]... have altogether rejected all the statutes and decrees of the Pope, thus his falsifications and profanations, especially the two treated of above, namely, respecting his authority over the holy things of the church and over the souls of men to save them, which is called the authority to open and shut heaven, also respecting the authority to interpret the Word, and to change things in it to favor his own dominion; these being the two [doctrinal] heads of their religion which the Reformed have wholly rejected...
...the Reformed [Christian Churches,] who have rejected the works... [of the Roman Catholic Church,] which consist especially in gifts to the idols of their saints, to their sepulchres [a small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried,] also to monasteries, and to the monks themselves, given as offerings for various expiations [the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement.]...
...the Reformed, who are divided into three churches, one of which has embraced the doctrine of Luther, another that of Calvin, and the third that of Melancthon; nevertheless all three have wholly withdrawn from the profane things of... [the Roman Catholic Church.]...
...There is domination over the truths of the church because their chief, who is called Pope and Pontiff [who was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs,] ascribes to his own decrees an equal holiness and a like inspiration with the truths of the Word. It is also a part of this doctrine that it is lawful for him to change the truths of the Word according to the changes of the state of the church, and thus to turn them into such things as may be means of domination, and these are falsities; for all things that have regard to domination are falsities, or truths falsified, since the end chooses the means and applies them to itself; and means that are applied to an end which is domination over the souls of men, over all things of the church and over heaven, cannot be truths, and if they are truths the end falsifies them, but with those only who are in dominion...
...after the Last Judgment [which took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757] upon these... [of the Roman Catholic Church] their religious persuasion would be wholly condemned, nor would it ever rise again to eternity. But this must be thus understood, that this religious persuasion will continue in the world, because the love of ruling is so implanted in everyone that it cannot be rooted out, and so long as that love is present it is impossible for that religious persuasion to come to an end in the world; and yet in the spiritual world, into which everyone comes after death, it will come to an end, for then all who are of that religion and have exercised dominion from the delight of the love of ruling, do not as they previously did, make for themselves seeming heavens in the world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell, and dwell there for a time, but as soon as they arrive there they are sent away and cast into their hells. This is what is meant by the destruction of Babylon, as predicted both... in Revelation, and in many passages in the prophets. Since the... [Roman Catholic Church have transferred the Lord's authority over heaven and the church to their chief pontiff [or Pope,] whom they call the successor of Peter, and thus the vicar of the Lord, declaring that the authority over heaven and hell was transferred by the Lord to Peter, and that it was not the Lord's Divine authority but His human authority given Him from God the Father, I will show at the end of the articles of this chapter that the Lord even as to His Human was God, that is, that His Human was Divine; and from this it follows that the... [Roman Catholic Church] did transfer His Divine authority to him whom they call the Lord's vicar [or the Pope,] and thus they have made him God upon earth, and that he has made his ministers deities, which can be nothing else than horrible...
...[2] ...it shall now be told whence it is that the Babylonish nation [or the Roman Catholic Church]has falsified the Word [or Bible] and weakened its Divine holiness. It has been known in the whole Christian world that the Word is Divine, and consequently that all things contained in the Word are Divine truths. Now as the Babylonians have claimed for themselves and have actually assumed dominion over all things of the church and also over heaven, and as they thus let themselves into all evils that spring up from the love of self, it was necessary for them to confirm those evils by means of the Word, and this could be done only by falsifying it, for the Word can in no wise confirm evil; consequently when a man confirms evil by means of the Word he falsifies its truths. This was done by the Babylonians; but as they still saw truths in the Word that they could not falsify, as for instance, all that is said in it about Babylon [or the Roman Catholic Church,] so by their craft they weakened the Divine holiness of the Word, and forbade the reading of it by the people; and their leaders and presbyters, who are called monks, also refrained from reading it, saying that the decrees of the Pope were just as holy as the contents of the Word, and that all things of the church must be adapted to its state, and consequently must be changed as its state requires, and that such adaptation and changes must be made from the inspiration of the Pope. All this makes clear how it is that the truths of the Word have been falsified and rejected by them, and in place of these such things as pander to their love of ruling and wholly favor it, and which are in themselves falsities, have been accepted, and have been endorsed by their Pope...


Spiritual Diary, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by Bush, Smithson and Buss [1883-9] at sacred-texts.com


Pope Benedict XIV (31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), was Pope from 17 August 1740 to his death in 1758


THE POPE: ALSO SIXTUS V. I spoke with the Pope who was recently dead. [Pope Benedict XIV.] He was in the west towards the north, where there is ordinarily a council. He was instructed in detail about Babylon [or the Roman Catholic Church,] what and how impious [showing a lack of respect for God or religion] they are. He was exceedingly astonished, that so many even of the inferior monks made themselves Christ, and with so great a persuasion, - supposing that himself only [was that]. He spoke about Sixtus V., saying that he had been [Pope] in the world for five years. [Pope Sixtus V. died 1590, after a Pontificate lasting for five years.] He wished to see him: wherefore he was summoned from the hell where he was, which was not far off slightly backwards towards the north. Having prepared himself, he [Pope Sixtus] appeared before him; and he recognized him from his portrait in the world. But Sixtus V. scarcely spoke. He earnestly desired to get away, and was borne down to his own hell, where, sometimes, he is set over those who are there, in order that he may hold the impious crews of the Babylonish race [or the Roman Catholic Church,] in check; and it was said, that, if he does not observe the prescribed laws, he is punished...

Pope Sixtus V (13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), was
Pope from 24 April 1585 to his death in 1590.

THE LAST POPE, BENEDICT XIV. After three weeks from death, it was permitted me to speak with the Pope, and at that time for four days, about many things in the spiritual world, especially about the Lord, that He is the God of heaven, and has not given any power to any man, because power belongs solely to the Divine. He was also instructed about the remission of sins, about heaven and hell, about man - that it falls out to him according to the life in the world, and very many similar matters; and, at the time, he seemed to understand them all, and also as it were to believe them; for he so spoke. For this reason, some cherished the hope, respecting him, that in the world he may have been a worshipper of the Lord and in the affection of truth, and thus that he might have been able to be of use with the people of that religion. But he was of such disposition, that he spoke in accordance with the affection of another, and very politely and adroitly. [An adroit leader will be able to persuade people to go with his ideas.] When it was supposed that he accepted the instruction, he was left to his own love and its derivative principles; and, when he was so left, he acted in unison with the most crafty of his religion, countenancing and instigating the destruction of those who were of the Reformed religion [or Reformed Christian Churches,] but clandestinely [or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception.] And, inasmuch as he was allied with the most wicked, he also endeavored, and this in many different ways, to totally destroy those who ascribed all power to the Lord; and he was told to desist, because he is now in a world where there is no respect of persons, but whoever does evil is punished. Still, however, he persisted, believing that nobody can do anything to him. But, when he persisted, he was punished like the rest and indeed grievously, in a cavern where was a rigorous punisher; and, because he still continued such, he was cast towards the west.
Inquiry was made as to what he had been in the world, even according to his own confession: (1) that he esteemed the Word as of no account, and, when he read it, ridiculed many things in it, as not at all Divine. Many passages also were recited by him, in regard to which he spoke with derision, saying, that it was only so written according to the style of the time: in a word, that nothing of Divinity is to be found in it; (2) that he, in Consistory, speaks more from the Divine than is spoken in the Word; so that he extolled his own utterances in Consistory above the Word; (3) that, for this reason, he confirmed the Bull Unigenitus, and persuaded people to accept... (4) that, for this reason, he loved and honored Jesuits more than others; of which matter, also, some things were said [as to] how [he did so]. When he was told that a large part of them were devils, and was likewise shown this by many being gathered together to him, so that he might see them as they were, yet, he still loved them as before; (5) he also said, that, as regards the Saints, he thought that they had more power than the Lord, because they are inspired by God the Father in what they do, but that the Lord abdicated all power and conferred it on the Popes; also, that, although without power, He still ought to be worshipped. Thus was ascertained of what quality he had been, and therefore that heaven was entirely closed to him, and that he acted in union with hell; for, to him who destroys the Word, places a Papal decree above the Word and denies all power to the Lord, heaven is fast closed, and hell is open.

Pope Clement XII (7 April 1652 – 6 February 1740), was Pope from 12 July 1730 to his death in 1740.
With the former Pope, however, or the predecessor [That is, Clement XII. He reigned from 1790 to 1740] of this one, all is well; for he was not of such a character.
That last Pope [Benedict XIV,] who has been described, associated himself with the worst of his religion, who were sorcerers, and he likewise, three times, sent forth the worst sorcerers of them: one, to destroy a spirit who was in favor of the Lord; two, to the Reformed [Christians,] to seduce them; and, likewise, he himself wished to learn more about magical arts. He also sent forth other exceedingly bad sorcerers, to work evil; and, when he was discovered to be such, he was reduced to his interiors, consequently, into phantasies; for the interiors of such ones are phantasies, since they think nothing about God, but about themselves alone, and about the worship of themselves and about intrigues [make secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone.] It was then still more clearly seen what he had been, namely, that he at first reverenced the Word, but afterwards despised it utterly, and accounted his own decrees Divine; that he believed himself to be wiser than all others, because he was more crafty, as also was shown; that he was able to enter into the interior affections of others and to see them; also, that he reverenced the Saints more than the Lord and made them deities, and that he dearly loved the maliciously cunning, and, for that reason, the Jesuits.
Afterwards, he was led down towards the western sea, [See, for further information about this "Western Sea," nos. 5296, 5300, 5303, 5638] at the part facing the south, and as far as to its extremity, where he stopped and said that he wished to be in that place, because the most crafty were there; but, still, he was brought down from thence into the west, and from there towards those who were in the remotest mountains, [See, in reference to these "mountains" and those who dwell on them, nos. 5648, 5652, of the present work] who were the Neapolitans [Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city] and the worst ones of Italy. When he was there, he also said that he wished to be there because they are the most crafty of all, asserting that he was more cunning than they. There he discovered a certain saint [or Roman Catholic Pope,] who was a most powerful sorcerer, and who was then brought out from hell in order that he might speak with him. That saint, who was the powerful sorcerer, declared himself to be a Pope. He spoke with the other, and wanted to determine, by competition, which was the more cunning and it was ascertained that this one was equally cunning. He was afterwards brought farther down, as far as somewhat into the north, and was brought back, for a long while, through various zigzag ways - thus, - to a part where were the worst hells of the Babylonish [or Roman Catholic] people; for the reason that he loved such things, and also in order to attract and imbibe [absorb or assimilate ideas or knowledge] [them], thus, that he might apply himself to hells suited to his interiors. Thus he was brought back to the remotest boundary, or to the extremity, of the western sea, and there, of his own accord, plunged himself down amongst the worst of those who were in the western sea.


Last Judgment Continued, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John Whitehead [1892] at sacred-texts.com


VII. THE PAPISTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. The Papists [Roman Catholics,] and the Last Judgment upon them, were treated of in the small work on The Last Judgment (n. 53-64). The Papists in the spiritual world appear around the Reformed [Protestant Church members,] and are separated from them by an interval, which they are not permitted to pass. Nevertheless, those who are of the order of Jesuits [members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests founded by St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis Xavier, and others in 1534, to do missionary work. The order was zealous in opposing the Reformation,] by clandestine [kept secret or done secretively, especially because unlawful] arts procure for themselves communications, and also send out emissaries, by unknown paths, for the purpose of seducing them. But they are discovered, and after being punished, they are either sent back to their companions, or are cast into hell. 
57.

After the Last Judgment [in 1757,] their state was so changed, that they were not allowed to gather together in companies, as before; but ways were appointed to every love, both good and evil, which those who come from the world immediately enter, and go to a society corresponding to their love. Thus the wicked are borne away to a society which is in conjunction with the hells, and the good to a society which is in conjunction with the heavens; thus precaution is taken that they may not form artificial heavens for themselves as before. Such societies in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, are innumerable; being as many as there are genera and species of good and evil affections. And in the meantime, before spirits are either elevated into heaven, or cast down into hell, they are in spiritual conjunction with men in the world, because they too are in the midst between heaven and hell. 
58. 
All those of the Papists, who have not been wholly idolaters, and who, from their religious persuasion, have done goods [good works] out of a sincere heart, and have also looked to the Lord, are led to societies which are instituted in the confines nearest to the Reformed, and are instructed there, the Word being read, and the Lord preached to them; and they who receive truths and apply them to life, are elevated into heaven and become angels. There are many such societies of them in every quarter, and they are guarded on all sides from the treacheries and cunning devices of the monks, and from the Babylonish [Roman Catholic Church] leaven. [Leaven signifies the falsity of the natural man.] Moreover, all their infants are in heaven, because, being educated by the angels under the guidance of the Lord, they know nothing of the falsities of the religion of their parents.


All who come from the earth into the spiritual world, are at first kept in the confession of faith, and in the religion of their country; and so therefore are the Papists. On this account, they always have some representative Pontiff [Pope] set over them, whom they also adore with the same ceremony as in the world. Rarely does any Pope from the world act the Pontiff there; yet he who was Pope at Rome twenty years ago, [This was published in 1763] was appointed over the Papists, because he cherished in heart that the Word is more holy than is believed, and that the Lord ought to be worshiped. But, after filling the office of Pope for some years, he abdicated it, and betook himself to the Reformed Christians, among whom he still is, and enjoys a happy life. It was granted me to speak with him, and he said, that he adored the Lord alone, because He is God, who has power over heaven and earth, and that the invocations of saints, and also their masses, are trifles; [a thing of little value or importance] and that when he was in the world, he intended to restore that church, but that for reasons, which he mentioned, he found it impossible to do so. When the great northern city of the Papists was destroyed, on the day of the Last Judgment, I saw him carried out of it on a couch, and taken to a place of safety. Quite a different thing happened to his successor.
Here I am allowed to add something memorable. It was granted me to speak with Louis XIV., grandfather of the reigning king of France, who while he was in the world, worshiped the Lord, read the Word, and acknowledged the Pope only as the highest one of the church; in consequence of which, he has great dignity in the spiritual world, and rules the best society of the French nation. Once I saw him as it were descending by ladders, and after he descended I heard him saying, that he seemed to himself as if at Versailles, and then there was silence round about for half an hour; at the end of that time, he said, that he had spoken with the king of France, his grandson, concerning the Bull Unigenitus, advising him to desist from his former design, and not to accept it, because it was detrimental to the French nation, he said that he insinuated this into his thought profoundly. This took place in the year 1759, on the 13th day of December, about eight o'clock in the evening.
VIII. THE POPISH SAINTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. It is known that man has from his parents implanted or hereditary evil, but in what it consists is known to few. It consists in the love of ruling, which is such, that as far as the reins are given it, so far it bursts forth, until it even burns with the lust of ruling over all, and at length of wishing to be invoked and worshiped as God. This love is the serpent, which deceived Eve and Adam, for it said to the woman: God knows, that in the day ye eat of the fruit of the tree, your eyes shall be opened, and then ye shall be as God (Gen. 3:4, 5). As far therefore as man rushes with loosened reins into this love, so far he turns himself away from God, and turns towards himself, and becomes an atheist; and then the Divine truths which are of the Word, may serve as means, but because dominion is the end, the means are in the heart only as they serve him. This is the reason why those who are in the mediate [middle level] and in the ultimate [lowest or outer most] degree of the love of ruling, are all in hell, for that love is the devil there; and in hell there are some of such a nature, that they cannot bear to hear any one speaking of God.
62. 
Those of the Papal nation have this love who have had dominion from the frenzy of its delight, and have despised the Word, and preferred the dictates of the Pope to it. They are utterly devastated [destroyed] as to externals, until they no longer know anything of the church, and then they are cast down into hell and become devils. There is a certain separate hell for those who wish to be invoked as gods, where such is their fantasy, that they do not see what is, but what is not. Their delirium is such as affects persons in a malignant [deadly] fever, who see things floating in the air and in the chamber, and on the covering of the bed, which do not exist...


Because man from heredity is such, that he wishes to rule, and as the reins are loosened, successively over more, and at length over all, and because the wish to be invoked and worshiped as God, is the inmost of this love of ruling, therefore all who have been made saints by the Papal bulls, are removed from the sight of others and hidden, and are deprived of all interaction with their worshipers. This is done, lest that worst root of evils should be excited in them, and they should be hurried into such fantastic deliriums as prevail in the above mentioned hell. In such deliriums are those who, when they lived in the world, have eagerly sought to be made saints after death, for the purpose of being invoked. [Call on a deity or spirit in prayer.]
Many of the Papal nation, especially the monks, when they come into the spiritual world, seek the saints, each the saint of his own order; yet they do not find them, and therefore they wonder. But afterwards they are instructed by others, that they [the Roman Catholic saints] are either intermingled with those who are in the heavens, or with those who are in the hells, every one according to his life in the world; and that in whichsoever they are, they know nothing of the worship and invocation of themselves; and that they who know it, and wished to be invoked, are in that separate and delirious hell. The worship of saints is such an abomination in heaven, that whenever they hear of it they are horrified, because as far as worship is paid to any man, in so far it is withheld from the Lord, for thus He alone cannot be worshiped; and if the Lord is not alone worshiped, a discrimination is made, which destroys communion, and the felicity [joy] of life which flows from it.

 
                      Saint Francis Xavier


[Saint Francis Xavier, (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552), was a Navarrese Basque Roman Catholic missionary, born in Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain), and a co-founder of the Society of Jesus... and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534. -Wikipedia]

That I might know, for the sake of informing others, what kind of men the Popish saints are, as many as a hundred of them, who knew of their canonization, were brought up from the lower earth [which is between heaven and hell.] The greater part ascended from behind, and only a few in front, and I spoke with one of them, who they said was Xavier. While he talked with me, he was quite foolish, yet he was able to tell me, that in his place, where he remains confined, he is not so; but that he becomes foolish as often as he thinks that he is a saint. I heard a like murmur from those who were behind.


                               Mary mother of Jesus
It is otherwise with the so-called saints who are in heaven; they know nothing at all of what is doing upon earth, nor have I spoken with them, lest any idea of this should enter their minds. Only once Mary, the mother of the Lord, passed by, and appeared over head in white raiment, and then, stopping awhile, she said that she had been the mother of the Lord, and that He was indeed born of her, but that He became God, and put off all the human from her, and that therefore she now adores Him as her God, and is unwilling that any one should acknowledge Him as her Son, because in Him all is Divine.

Life of St. Genevieve by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

[Saint Genevieve (c. 419/422 AD – 502/512 AD), is the patron saint of Paris in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. -Wikipedia]


...A certain woman in splendid [shining] raiment and with saint-like countenance, occasionally appears in a middle altitude, to the Parisians who are in a society in the spiritual world, and tells them she is Genevieve. But as soon as any of them begin to adore her, then instantly her countenance is changed, and her raiment too, and she becomes like an ordinary woman, and chides them for wishing to adore a woman, who, among her companions, is in no more repute than a maid servant; wondering that men in the world are caught by such trifles. The angels said that she appears for the purpose of separating those there who worship man from those who worship the Lord.


True Christian Religion, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1771], tr. by John C. Ager [1906] at sacred-texts.com




...It is said by those who serve them in the world, that the [Roman Catholic] saints reign in heaven in company with the Lord Jesus Christ; but this is a fiction and fabrication...