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Memorable Occurrences in Swedenborg's Writings

This list of Memorable Occurrences in Swedenborg's Writings was originally compiled by W. C. Henderson in 1960 but has since been updated.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Conjugial Love #381

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381. The second account:

When I once looked about into the world of spirits, I saw at a distance a palace, surrounded and seemingly besieged by a crowd of people. And I also saw many others running towards it. Wondering at this, I quickly arose from my house and asked one of those running what was happening. He replied that three newcomers from the world had been taken up into heaven and had seen magnificent things there, including maidens and wives of astonishing beauty. Having been let down from that heaven, they had now entered the palace over there and were recounting what they had seen, especially that they had found women of such beauty, the like of which their listeners' eyes had never seen, and which they could not see unless illumined by the light of the heavenly atmosphere. They said in regard to themselves that they had been lecturers in the world, from the kingdom of France, that they had cultivated a facility in the art of speaking, and that they were now overcome with a desire to speak about the origin of beauty. Because this was made known in the surrounding area, the multitude flocked in to hear them.

Hearing this, I, too, hastened and went in; and I saw the three men standing in the center, dressed in sapphire-colored gowns, which, being inwoven with threads of gold, shone as though golden at their every turn. They stood behind a kind of pulpit, in readiness to speak; and presently one of them rose up on the step behind the pulpit to give his lecture on the origin of the beauty of the feminine sex, in which he presented the following:

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #835

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835. The Africans in the spiritual world; also something about other nations.

The other nations who know nothing about the Lord are to be seen in the spiritual world further out than those who do. In fact the people who occupy the outermost fringes are those who were utter idolaters and in the previous world worshipped the sun and moon. Those, however, who acknowledge one God and are scrupulous in observing the kind of precepts that are in the Ten Commandments, and so in living in accordance with them, have closer contact with the Christians in the centre; for by this means contact is not interrupted by the Mohammedans and Roman Catholics. Nations are also kept apart in accordance with their characters and their ability to receive light from the Lord through the heavens. Some of them live further in, some further out; this is due partly to their climate, partly to the stock they belong to, partly to their education and partly to their religion. The Africans are further in than the rest.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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