First State
The State of Exteriors
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. – Luke 23:42-44
In regard to the first state, which is the state of the exteriors, it is that which man comes into immediately after death.
Every man, as regards his spirit, has exteriors and interiors. The exteriors of the spirit are the means by which it adapts the man’s body in the world, especially the face, speech, and movements, to fellowship with others; while the interiors of the spirit are what belong to its own will and consequent thought; and these are rarely manifested in face, speech, and movement.
For man is accustomed from childhood to maintain a semblance of friendship, benevolence, and sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his own will, thereby living from habit a moral and civil life in externals, whatever he maybe internally.
As a result of this habit man scarcely knows what his interiors are, and gives little thought to them.
The first state of man after death resembles his state in the world, for he is then likewise in externals, having a like face, like speech, and a like disposition, thus a like moral and civil life; and in consequence he is made aware that he is not still in the world only by giving attention to what he encounters, and from his having been told by the angels when he was resuscitated that he had become a spirit.
Thus is one life continued into the other, and death is merely transition. – Emanuel Swedenborg
Reconnecting
The state of man’s spirit that immediately follows his life in the world being such, he is then recognized by his friends and by those he had known in the world; for this is something that spirits perceive not only from one’s face and speech but also from the sphere of his life when they draw near.
Whenever anyone in the other life thinks about another he brings his face before him in thought, and at the same time many things of his life; and when he does this the other becomes present, as if he had been sent for or called. This is so in the spiritual world because thoughts there are shared, and there is no such space there as in the natural world.
So all, as soon as they enter the other life, are recognized by their friends, their relatives, and those in anyway known to them; and they talk with one another, and afterward associate in accordance with their friendships in the world.
I have often heard that those that have come from the world were rejoiced at seeing their friends again, and that their friends in turn were rejoiced that they had come.
Very commonly husband and wife come together and congratulate each other, and continue together, and this for a longer or shorter time according to their delight in living together in the world.
But if they had not been united by a true marriage love*, which is a conjunction of minds by heavenly love, after remaining together for a while they separate. Or if their minds had been discordant and were inwardly adverse, they break forth into open enmity, and sometimes into combat; nevertheless they are not separated until they enter the second state, which will be treated of presently.
Homework:
Simply more of the same is recommended. 🙂
Notation, Reflection, Discussion – Meditation…
*) Emanuel Swedenborg has also written a book called Conjugial Love, which can be translated as Marriage Love. For some perhaps a bit controversial, but it deals at length with the relationship of human marriage with the Divine marriage of Love and Wisdom, or what is the same too: goodness and truth. Swedenborg explains too in detail the complimentarity of male and female by design to reflect the Divine Marriage. This book is highly recommended to be on your future reading material.
Waking Up
As the life of spirits recently from the world is not unlike their life in the natural world, and as they know nothing about their state of life after death and nothing about heaven and hell except what they have learned from the sense of the letter of the Word and preaching from it, they are at first surprised to find themselves in a body and in every sense that they had in the world, and seeing like things; and they become eager to know what heaven is, what hell is, and where they are.
Therefore their friends tell them about the conditions of eternal life, and take them about to various places and into various companies, and sometimes into cities, and into gardens and parks, showing them chiefly such magnificent things as delight the externals in which they are.
They are then brought in turn into those notions about the state of their soul after death, and about heaven and hell, that they had entertained in the life of the body, even until they feel indignant at their total ignorance of such things, and at the ignorance of the church also.
Going to Heaven?
Nearly all are anxious to know whether they will get to heaven.
Most of them believe that they will, because of their having lived in the world a moral and civil life, never considering that the bad and the good live a like life outwardly, alike doing good to others, attending public worship, hearing sermons, and praying; and wholly ignorant that external deeds and external acts of worship are of no avail, but only the internals from which the externals proceed.
There is hardly one out of thousands who knows what internals are, and that it is in them that man must find heaven and the church.
Still less is it known that outward acts are such as the intentions and thoughts are, and the love and faith in these from which they spring. And even when taught they fail to comprehend that thinking and willing are of any avail, but only speaking and acting.
Such for the most part are those that go at this day from the Christian world into the other life.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:21-23
Homework:
Please consider to what extend you are truly reflecting on, and living a conscious Christian spiritual life or are simply passing through the motions of comfortable familiarity?
Remember, any inner challenge you may feel as a result of this question is not meant as a personal affront, but a way friends hold each other to account in order to grow!
Discovery
Such [Christians], however, are explored by good spirits to discover what they are, and this in various ways;
since in this the first state the evil equally with the good utter truths and do good acts, and for the reason mentioned above, that like the good they have lived morally in outward respects, since they have lived under governments, and subject to laws, and have thereby acquired a reputation for justice and honesty, and have gained favor, and thus been raised to honors, and have acquired wealth.
But evil spirits are distinguished from good spirits chiefly by this, that the evil give eager attention to whatever is said about external things, and but little attention to what is said about internal things, which are the truths and goods of the church and of heaven. These they listen to, but not with attention and joy.
The two classes are also distinguished by their turning repeatedly in specific directions, and following, when left to themselves, the paths that lead in those directions.
From such turning to certain quarters and going in certain ways it is known by what love they are led.
“So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish” – Job 8:13
Our Spiritual Home
All spirits that arrive from the world are connected with some society in heaven or some society in hell, and yet only as regards their interiors; and so long as they are in exteriors their interiors are manifested to no one, for externals cover and conceal internals, especially in the case of those who are in interior evil.
But afterwards, when they come into the second state, their evils become manifest, because their interiors are then opened and their exteriors laid asleep.
This first state of man after death continues with some for days, with some for months, and with some for a year; but seldom with anyone beyond a year; for a shorter or longer time with each one according to the agreement or disagreement of his interiors with his exteriors.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” – John 14:2
Homework:
Swedenborg explains that there are a great many communities in Heaven and likewise in Hell, with membership depending on affinity of heart and mind. This seems to contrast greatly with the commonly portrayed idea of a singular community.
- What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear this?
- Does it make sense?
- Now take some time to reflect on the Golden Rule again in light of this teaching.
Alignment of Inner with Outer
For with everyone the exteriors and interiors must make one and correspond.
In the spiritual world no one is permitted to think and will in one way and speak and act in another.
“Spiritual Peace and Enlightenment are achieved by accepting what is True and doing what is Good, when heart and mind are in harmony.” – Cor
Everyone there must be an image of his own affection or his own love, and therefore such as he is inwardly such he must be outwardly; and for this reason a spirit’s exteriors are first disclosed and reduced to order that they may serve the interiors as a corresponding plane.
Supplementary Message
Before moving onto the second section and state of man after death, here is a very short supplementary message with some insight from your host in relation to our path that determines our spiritual home – our true (inner) character and nature: