The way you describe hell makes it sound like you're talking about a mental hospital. This story really resonated with me because I worked in one for 5 years. CMHIP in Colorado. The patients loved to do evil things to themselves and others, but we as staff there, had to make them as happy as possible, teach them, and keep them safe. It was very hard to work there, it was an atmosphere saturated with sickness. I was so happy after I quit.
+Fwiffo Wow, sounds intense! It's really interesting to hear your reflections on the similarities. We have had a guest on other shows who worked in mental hospitals and prisons with people who had schizophrenia--he is familiar with Swedenborg and came to be convinced that the people he worked with were being accosted by evil spirits (here's a link to one episode in which he describes his experiences: ua-cam.com/video/RmWrAoML2hE/v-deo.html). As difficult as their lives in this world are, one mercy is that Swedenborg learned that people with impaired rationality, like those suffering from mental illness, are not held accountable for the evil they might be involved in because their choices are not entirely free, so once they pass from this world, they are freed from their mental illness and then get to choose in freedom between goodness and evil. It is a huge service of love to take care of people in those conditions in this world and show them compassion and kindness. Thank you for your service and for sharing about your experience with us!
I worked at San Diego county Psych hospital for 2 years and the energy is very dark and heavy, not all of them want to be there thought. You can easily tell in the eyes, some are dark and feel like a stab when you make eye contact others you can see the sadness and confusion of the spiritual battle they are having. Once I left i felt happier, joy, and more passionate about life.
Maybe it is best to release them through euthanasia to set them free. Unless something needs to unfold first. Too bad we can't tell and murder would probably be wrong even in that case.
I thank the Lord every day for allowing Swedenborg to reveal the interior meaning of the Word. I first learned of Swedenborg more than 30 years ago from a dear friend, and immediately I knew that the Lord led me to his writings. My love and understanding of the Bible has grown, as has my desire to love the Lord and live His truth. I come from a religious background, both Protestant and Catholic, where in one breath, we were taught that God was angry and condemning us to Hell because we were such terrible sinners. And in the next breath, dying for our sins to save us. Even as a small child, unable to verbalized my resistance - I knew that message of an angry condemning God was wrong. I knew it was a misinterpretation, and to reject it. I knew God to be Love itself. God, who is Love, does not send us to Hell. We send ourselves there. It just makes perfect sense, and my deepest desire is for others to know and understand this Truth. Thank you Curtis and the Swedenborg Foundation!
Sharon ---at least you knew to reject it ---i fell right into it ---took me from 26 till now to wake up and smell the coffee!! A long time ---so glad I found Swedenborg......
DebbieJo! 💜💜💜 me too! I thank the Lord for Swedenborg and the enlightenment of the Word I now understand and continue to understand every day!!! I wish there were more people in my area though.
I really dislike the traditional Christian view that says that the “path” to heaven is extremely small and only very few will make it. It’s so restrictive and can cause many people anxiety, and it is a contrast to the idea of a loving God in my opinion. I just can’t fathom a God who would let his children burn for all eternity, and I’m even more surprised that so many people believe it! Traditional Christianity can cause more hate than love and it’s all because of a misinterpretation (or lack of interpretation) of scripture. That is why I love Swedenborg’s writings, depicting a God that is LOVE and revealing the true meaning of the holy bible. To further this, many NDEs PROVE that God is LOVING and not there to judge you, it’s more about you judging or reviewing yourself! In summary, I feel bad for those who don’t know Swedenborg, I feel many, including traditional Christians like I was, will be enlightened by his teachings and may even turn to God in a new and inviting light! That is why I love this channel and this foundation, for spreading his works in an entertaining manner and bringing so many people to this beautiful faith! Thank you!
The Lachstar, so true! Check out our episode, "The Gates to Heaven and Hell," which tackles that quote exactly (among other things). ua-cam.com/video/MKEfpOgu9iM/v-deo.html I think Swedenborg could bring a lot of peace and comfort to the world. It seems to me than so many of us grow up with angry Gods, and perhaps lots of anger at home, so believing that the world is hard and judgmental might seem easy. But love transcends all that, and if we don't get it at home or in our religion, it can be hard because we must work to create it for ourselves. I think that's a huge disadvantage for so many, depending on circumstances, and that's why I believe in a loving God, and in a spiritual world where those of us who missed love get a chance to find it and own it, and we all choose what we love fully informed. I think the world can mimic that more as we all learn how to be more loving, more compassionate, and kinder to each other. The small things can really change the world, and more people won't be able to fathom the angry God you describe, knowing what love REALLY feels like! We can pray for that reality and help create it daily by sharing the love and peace we have found. I totally resonate with what you're saying! I do think things get better all the time, though. Just like regeneration, it rarely happens without some struggle. (=
Matthew 7:13-14 King James Version 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. You don’t believe this?
You took the words right out of my mouth. The bible is full of threats of hell if we put a foot wrong. I think this was put there by vain, egotistical religious leaders for the sake of controlling their followers.
I agree with everything you just said…. I just found this channel and I’ve enjoyed watching. I’m Baptist and was raised on Fire 🔥 and Brimstone burning forever… I was terrified of God as a child because I feared Hell so much that I would cry at night in fear that I might have forgotten to ask forgiveness for something and die in my sleep and go to hell. I would always feel the conflicted view that if God loves me … how could he love me so deeply but then burn 🔥 me forever because I lied or had an impure thought.. I knew that I accepted the teachings of Jesus and wanted to LOVE ❤️… I accepted him at the age of 4 and knew that I wanted to follow the teachings of forgiveness…. Love … not judging others…. Seeking to help… but I was so fearful of messing up .. and going to Hell behind it . Anyway I’m grateful that God gave me the power of decrement ❤and as a parent I can change this fear that religion tries to put on my children . Blessings , Love, Positivity and Prosperity to all ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Your graphical representations are getting better and better. I was off your channel for a while thinking I had soaked everything there was to learn from Swedenborg. However now I find myself marvelling at your newest videos. Don't stop preaching brotha. These videos are insightful and unlike anything available anywhere else online.
+Marco Polo So glad to have you back! And really glad you've found more you like here. I passed on your compliments about the graphics to our visuals team. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
offTheLeftEye Thankyou as well. I will be asking some questions of my own too hopefully. All your videos are so thought provoking, my only regret is not having had the time in the past to ask about some ideas and thoughts Swedenborgs teachings inspire in me. Again a big thankyou for replying.
My spirit visited (while I was sleeping), my deceased mother, and later, my deceased father. My mother was living in a simple cottage (by choice), fronted by a stream, but I noticed my father was not with her even though alive she had a good marriage. She reassured me she was on good relations with him. Then she said, "where you go depends on your relationship with God, and your interests." Months later, my deceased father said the same thing, word for word!
Dear Nadja, My father was in a very tall (2 miles?) condominium type building. He told me he was where many engineers (he was an engineer and scientist when alive) and scientists live in the Spiritual Realm. He lived for Science. My mother was a nurse, and was an outstanding nurse in life. Think they went their separate ways.
Thank you for this profound program.The experiences of spiritual reality that Swedenborg was allowed to see, ring true to me. if it is not true, then i'd be surprised, because the explanations make logical sense. i need to pray. Thank you dear merciful loving sovereign God for all that is good, i pray that we would not have to settle for hell, or ever have to be there, i pray for everyone here, including me, to be corrected of any selfishness, or evil problem in our beingness, that we may all evolve, and refine, to transcend our weakness and become servants, peacemakers, enjoyable good characters of heaven. guide us and protect us from any force of hell. Please transform us beyond any bad selfishness, In Jesus' name. Amen.
Yes 👍. God Is Powerful!! He Can Break Into Hell!! And Beat SATAN Down With His Flaming Sword 🔥 🔥!! And Bring The Spirits 👻 👻 Out That Wants To Be Saved.
I've had a lot of spiritual experiences in my life and because of what I've experienced I've had serious problems with many religious teachings, especially the idea that a loving God would punish people forever. I've watched a lot of your videos and I have to say I've never seen any spiritual teachings that made more sense or resonnated so perfectly with the things I've personally experienced in my own dreams, visions, and spiriitual messages.
Such a moving message, Steven! I'd say that we are all on this OTLE team because the teachings resonate with us in one way or another, but not all of us from actual experience. It feels so validating or exciting or affirming when somebody makes a comment like yours. Thanks so much for letting us know, and thank you for joining the conversation!
This is very interesting and so glad to have found your channel!!! Life is dark alot of times and I'm so comforted that so many questions are answered, and many mind opening topics for spiritual growth is available. Thank you for broadcasting these messages!!! 👍👍☺️😃
We are so happy to have you on board! It's really gratifying to hear that these spiritual ideas are useful to you. Wishing you continued growth and joy on your path, Bria :)
So thought provoking. I find myself listening to some of these twice while thinking about all I believe and read in Bible. Some of these things set me back a bit. I enjoy watching and you do a great job explaining. So many resources Swedenbourg has left for us. I'm reading them while following this channel. Questions will follow soon. Thanks for sharing so much. Blessings to you all!
Hey Da Bugaboo ...I relate so much! This comment is from 4 years ago...I'm curious whether you're still loving the things we learn here? As for me, I'm more into it now than I was 4years ago. It gets better all the time for me.
Praise God a man speaking the words & thoughts & beliefs the spirit of God taught me in my quietest parts. Amazing someone confidently states the things I thought were just... powerful imaginations. Thank you man!
The following sentence seems to imply that people are eventually reformed in hell: AC 967 Unless wickedness was removed from wicked people by punishment, they would have to be kept in some hell forever.
This episode defines our current situation which started in 2016 (actually a few years before) and seems like it may come to a resolution soon in the USA. These years have been a great challenge for me with tegards to God and Christianity. I'll sleepbetter tonight! Thank you.
That is wonderful to hear Laurie. Yes hell is not about revenge, or withholding them from happiness.They can play out some of their fantasies as long as they do not hurt others.
Before stumbling upon your videos, I had never heard of Swedenborg. This information is so important. Wish I had it earlier in life, but I guess you get information as you are ready for it.
I'm so glad you were led to these teachings, Dorothy! And now is the right time -- I'm here to support you on your journey ahead! Love and blessings...
My dad died a few years ago.. Last year my brother had a very vivid dream. He heard my dads voice tell him "you don't want to join me, it's too hot here"! My dad wasn't bad, but maybe he's in Hell? My dad was very selfish and he had a gambling problem but his heart was good. After recently getting into Swedenborg, via your amazing video's, I'm now wondering? What does Swedenborg say about this? Can the dead communicate to us in dreams? Thank you and keep up the amazing gift to humanity!
You're very welcome, Moesy, and thank you for the kind and supportive words! We definitely believe that people in the afterlife can sometimes communicate through dreams. Here's a short video about that: "When a Person in the Afterlife Appears in a Dream" ua-cam.com/video/Sp7c9exPLcU/v-deo.html But messages in dreams can be cryptic and symbolic. I don't think this necessarily means that your dad is in hell, but he might be having to go through some intense processes to get rid of bad habits. Or, maybe the message was just a desire to warn his son not to live by the same habits that he lived by. What do you think?
Yes it may be a desire to warn my brother. My brother is a bad guy when he wants to be! Thank you for the reply and keep up the amazing work. These video are a true gift to the world.
The viewer's question at 1:09:00, regarding Swedenborg's denomination; it seems to me that Swedenborg was gifted by God or elected to reveal insights for those seeking deeper meaning. similarly to those who have had Near Death Experiences, so you might think of him as an NDE Christian/ universalist/ unitarian (?)
NDEs have changed my life from a atheist to a "spiritual" (but not religious) view... it is interesting how this is so aligned to NDEs which are themselves to be consistent (I've read hundreds of them). I am really interested in this - Thanks for putting this video together!
+jeylful NDEs changed my life as well from a perspective that this life is not it. I am Christian, but I lacked answers about suffering and an overwhelming sense of purposelessness. I studied so many NDEs including Howard Storm whose experience really impacted me at a time in my life where I was beat down. As Howard mentioned, we can very well have an incomplete life here in Earth. But this life is such a brief existence and it appears that we are literally here to either accept or reject God. Have compassion for our fellow neighbor or not.
HI Curtis! I just found out about you and the vast knowledge of Mr. Swedenborg last night, and absolutely love watching the videos you have created. I've probably watched over 20 various videos in less than 24 hours, soaking in like a sponge, the works of this amazing man as his teachings resonate deeply with my spirit. You have an amazing way of communicating and sharing his work and you make me laugh out loud, which is awesomely healing, so THANK YOU! I have a question concerning something you mentioned in the above video, and I am wondering what your thoughts on CERN are... and what some say are trying to accomplish in opening up that portal to Hell (Saturn) and releasing all the spirits that have been kept there under lock and key for our protection that you talked about in the above video. I believe in Divine Protection, and that GOD, the Supreme Being, will protect us, but things seem to be getting really strange in this world. Do you think the end times are near? And does Mr. Swedenborg mention anything about his thoughts on the book of Revelations and end times from the Bible? I pasted two links to a couple of videos that are being passed around about CERN below. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Peace brotha! Much love sent your way!!! Girijah #1 ua-cam.com/video/O2rD8Olc5hE/v-deo.html #2 ua-cam.com/video/9NDH3FWizNw/v-deo.html
+Girijah Love Hello! So glad that you found us! It's great to hear about how much you're enjoying the videos. I love the idea of you finding a deep resonance with Swedenborg's teachings. I appreciate the personal encouragement as well, and I'm glad my style of presentation works for you. I don't feel like enough of an expert on CERN to make commentary, but I will say that Swedenborg has quite a lot to say about the book of Revelation and the last judgment. We've actually got a show planned on it for the beginning of July--I know that's a little while from now, but we are planning on it! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and again, I'm so glad you're enjoying the show!
Dear Curtis!! Thanks for sharing your wisdom, I really appreciate that!! But would you mind to give a summary after episode? Because I don't have much time to watch the whole episode nowadays and it would be nice if there is always a summary to catch on. THANKS A LOT AND BEST WISHES!!!!
We love spreading such revolutionary ideas! Thanks for the love, my friend. And we actually do have recaps of our episodes on our website! Here's the recap of this one: swedenborg.com/good-thing-hell/
first of all thanks for reading the comments!! secondly that's cool I didn't know there are recapss in your website!!!So now I can binge read your passages from now on haha!! thanks a lot for the hard work!!
Todd, thanks so much for expressing this. We feel so blessed to be able to do this work of sharing ideas that we hope will be truly helpful for people! So glad to have you in our community!
I'm glad you found some comfort in these explanations, Rowena. There may be some horror along our way in our spiritual journey, but we believe that God is LOVE and does not want to make us suffer any more than we CHOOSE to! Blessings to you!
I know this is an old episode, but I'd like to remark that among the extensive similarities between Swedenborg's description of hell, Howard storm says he was told that some people in hell do call out for help, but like Swedenborg he stressed that when people love evil so much, they are not likely to turn to God at all. He does say also, which Swedenborg does not mention to my knowledge, that some souls in hell prefer and desire complete anhiliation of their being and conciousness instead of being in hell anymore. This may sound very harsh to some, but I think its humane that God grants that if someone wants to escape suffering permanently, they can. This would obviously not be something God enacts against a soul, this is something that they would want.
Great points. Swedenborg does indeed mention this dynamic within his observations of the spiritual world. Essentially, those who are embodying their evil loves in hell desire nothing more than the total destruction of others. This desire doesn't stop there-- they fervently wish to become more evil, and plummet into more and more destructive habits that feed their inclinations. If God were to allow this, each inhabitant in hell would perish in self-annihilation. But God has mercy on all of creation, and for those in hell, provides boundaries that they cannot cross. Those in one level of hell cannot plummet deeper down, but they are allowed to enter into increasingly "better" spiritual states. As you've noted, this is an option but their evil disposition makes this terribly uncomfortable and eventually undesirable. The most important thing is that God's love and mercy shines even on those in hell. God does not punish anyone nor can he be angry at anyone. We are the judges of ourselves and our freedom dictates what we decide to love.
Hi! I am trying to correlate the information in the videos with the texts as published by your foundation. At 31:50 of this video, the topic is of evil spirits seeking to infect the agency of others. The reference at the bottom of the video, at that time, is to Arcana Coelestia, 5590. I found this section in volume 7 of the online, published, text, but the content there does not seem (to me) to correspond. What I am seeing reads, "5590.We will not go down.That this signifies that it cannot be procured is evident from what was said just above (n. 5588)." This lack of being able to search out the information in the videos through the referenced text source has happened to me a couple of times, now. What am I missing/doing wrong? Thanks!
Hello, Shanna! I'm so sorry for this difficulty. You did nothing wrong! You just encountered an onscreen typo in this show. Instead of 5590, it was supposed to be 5990. Unfortunately this sometimes happens, especially in the older shows, when the staff was so small and the pace of having to put together the shows so quick that there was not enough time or people to fully proofread everything. I'm very sorry about that! Our staff is a big bigger now, which allows for more checking before shows are aired. Please let me know if there are other specific references that you cannot find, and I'll see if I can figure out what went wrong. Here is Arcana Coelestia 5990 in the Elliot translation: "At the present day there are very many spirits who wish to enter not only a person's thoughts and affections but also his speech and actions, thus the bodily counterparts of his thoughts and affections as well. Those bodily counterparts however are not subject to particular influx from spiritsand angels but are controlled by general influx. That is to say, when thoughts pass into and are channeled into speech and when the desires of the will pass into and are channeled into actions, their channeling and passage into the body takes place according to order, and is not controlled by means of any spirits in particular. For to enter a person's bodily aspects is to possess him. Spirits who have the desire and intention to do this include those who during their lifetime were adulterers, that is, who took delight in acts of adultery and convinced themselves that such acts were permissible. Also included are those who were cruel people. The reason why both the adulterous and the cruel have that desire and intention to possess a person is that they more than all others are governed by the body and the senses. They have cast aside all thought about heaven, by attributing everything to natural forces and nothing to the Divine. Thus they have shut interior things off from themselves and opened up external ones, for which alone they had any love while in the world and to which they therefore desire to return in the next life through a person by taking possession of him. [2] But the Lord makes provision which prevents such spirits from entering the world of spirits; they are confined to their own hells, shut well away. This explains why there are no cases of external possession at the present day; but there are nevertheless internal cases of it, also brought about by the hellish and devilish crew. For evil persons think the kinds of things that are filthy, also those which involve cruelty to others, as well as those that are contrary and harmful to Divine ones. Unless such thoughts were curbed by fear of the loss of position, material gain, reputation on account of such position and gain, fear of punishment by the law, or loss of life, they would break out into the open and such persons would plunge, more than those who are possessed, into the ruination of others and into blasphemous utterances made against matters of faith. But those external restraints make such people seem not to be possessed; they are however subject inwardly to such possession, even though they may not be outwardly. This is plainly evident from people like them in the next life, where external restraints are removed. There they are devils, constantly delighting in and desiring the ruination of others and the destruction of anything that is a matter of faith."
The idea of hell in christianity was really harsh so harsh as to turn ppl away from God and love since God is love. Hell was such a contrast to love that it made no sence. Like why did angels enjoy their heaven when they know ppl are suffering. But now i see it as rehab hell is rehab no one wants you there they want u to b better
What a deep insight. I agree with the concept of harsh and scary damnation being something that turns people away from God. Swedenborg, in writing about the nature of God being divine love and wisdom, reconciles an angry God concept that can damage people's spiritual lives.
@@lindalai9092 If you watch our interview with Howard Storm, you will see that we do not disagree with his experiences. Yes, there are horrific occurrences in hell, and terrible punishments, when the evil spirits act out. They attack each other viciously, as they attacked Howard. But we are refuting the traditional idea that God wants them to be in constant torment. Do you believe that God wants that for people? If so, why would God want that?
and because of a toxic idea of love pushed by a false description of hell people would turn away from god and love. Yet that love/god would still send them to hell as a result of a false message they received. Gods error is not coming down to set records straight rather he just told swedenborg. Not exactly feeeling the love because god doesnt seem to be making the effort.
I had a frightening thought that we are in Hell here and don't know it. When you described the thinking and behavior of people in Hell, re lust for money, power, to hurt others, there are so many on Earth like that. Multi billionaires who own 90% of the wealth yet coldly watch children starve, powerful people who start wars and engineer genocide. Could it be Hell here? And those of us striving to be loving are trying to improve ourselves to rise out?
Yes, Carolyn, it is a frightening thought. Curtis often talks about the heavenly or hellish "mindset" and that's been helpful to me as a way to look at it. Any efforts in ANYONE to turn toward heaven/God/love/serving the neighbor will improve our planet. May we all be inspired to do so!
I needed to hear and see this. In the times we are in now i needed to understand why things are the way they are and what hell will be like for those people.
It does feel good to have some kind of understanding of "the system," doesn't it, Erica? But we are urged to never make spiritual judgments, because God alone knows the inner motivations behind people's actions. Everyone will get a fair shake, though, and be surrounded by an environment that matches their deepest desires. We can count on that!
@@offTheLeftEye yes! Well said! I am also trying not to bare false witness because I dont know if it is all true, it is out of my hands so I pray on it.
@@EriCraftCreations prayer is the best way for us to be led to truth, and feel that support and encouragement along the way! I'm glad you're opening your heart but staying wary of what feels right to you. I know it's going to lead you exactly where you need to be.
"And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken."
I think that in the comment of the devil type at the end, the phrase" this is exactly how we see ourselves" underlines the importance of Self image and belief about what oneself is! I think that this also shows how hard it can be sometimes to put aside the lies about oneself and it raises the question whether we can truly see ourselves- to answer with swedenborg I would say the following: If the Light of the lord does not shine in our spirit and heart, we cannot know our true self- thus, walking towards God is also drawing each time nearer to ourselves and being able to see who we truly are. So, let us not be dragged down ( literally! given the existence of correspondance ) into the horrid lies that other people or "evil thoughts" project upon us that want to draw us away from the Truth in which also all Love dwells.
Amazing lesson thank You God loves us all he would never punish us for eternity if we have no love or goodness that’s when end up in hell thats the best outcome for evil spirits if we have any love and goodness in us our Lord wants to lead us to heaven You don’t have to be perfect cause no human is to end up in heaven ❤️
Well Margaret, I was with you until the last sentence. :) It's true we can't be perfect, but the Lord is pulling for ALL humans to end up in heaven, if we so choose! Glad you found this lesson helpful!
Wow I see my mistake no human is perfect and from teachings of my previous religion I felt that I would never achieve heaven but You guys gave me a hope try to do Your best be kind and loving and we all can end up in heaven
Hmm I am an Albanian who grew up like so many other Albanians hearing our elders talk about the worst curse or disease a human can face and both were in regards to this "self love" . For example one old saying about evil eye goes " no one can harm you more that you. If issues are faced due to someone elses evil eye there will also be smeone else who can cure it, but when that happens by the individual itself" or if someone wanted to curse another for example the words used were "may you fall in love with yourself" or may you become vain...
Thanks for this very interesting presentation. I had a significant dream regarding hell some time ago. In this dream I was in an atrium but with not too high a ceiling that had a wide opening to a colosseum. Right outside this opening was a large statue of Bacchus - this figure had a living presence to it. He had awareness. Inside this atrium I was an attendant to Satan. I was dressed Roman style in a white tunic with a rope around my waist. I was bare legged. I did not look at Satan but his presence was to the right of me in one side of the chamber. The chamber was lit with an ethereal light. There were three marble tables. The tables consisted of a rectangular marble stone on which was a slab of marble. I believe these slabs had ornamental designs on around the periphery of the slab. Each table was perhaps 4 and one-half feet high. On two of the slabs there were ‘men of power’ laying on them. They were older men, probably in their 60s - and around their body was an aura of sorts - a glow that exuded out perhaps an inch or more from their body. The sense in the dream was that they were on fire and were burning. Satan granted them an illusion of power and made it so they could not feel the suffering of this burning. malicious about him - he had a certain respectful quality about him as he was just fulfilling the wishes of the men on the marble slabs. In a way he was serving God in order to allow these men to actuate their desire which was delusionary.
Wow, that is a fascinating dream! Thanks for describing it. Swedenborg would say that it is actually God who grants that relief from the constant burning, and allows delusions so long as they do not cross a line of harming the innocent. But that would indeed happen through the agency of angels and spirits, and the general concept is the same. I'm fascinated that you had this kind of a dream, when most concepts of hell assume constant suffering! You might enjoy a more recent video we made on a similar theme: "What Is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html And perhaps also "Is the Devil Real?" ua-cam.com/video/ljR4_gs0Tek/v-deo.html Thanks again for sharing this story!
@@offTheLeftEye thank you - will check out the other videos. Thanks for all your work here. Yes Satan did not seem evil here was, as you say, an agent. The men had free will and the Satan gave the men the delusion to endure their suffering as preferable.
@@billgoedecke2265 sounds like a really powerful vision! Thank you for sharing it! I think it speaks of the freedom we all have to live the way we want, whether it's good for us or not! Very interesting!
THANK YOU SO MUCH , CURTIS , FOR THIS AMAZING SERIES . YOU ARE SO GREAT TO WATCH , AND DR.ROSE ( FORGOT HIS 1ST NAME , SORRY ) AND ALL THE OTHER GUESTS ! I FOUND YOU ALL BY " ACCIDENT " WHEN LOOKING FOR SPIRITUAL INFO. LATELY RE: A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE I HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE MY MOTHER'S DEATH , 3 MONTHS AGO......... WE WERE IN PALLIATIVE CARE AND ONE NIGHT I WAS SLEEPING IN A GUEST ROOM ,HAVING SLEPT IN HER ROOM FOR 4 NIGHTS AND NEEDING MORE REST. IN THE EARLY HOURS I AWOKE IN TERROR AS I HAD A VISION OF HER FACE ,IN MY 3RD EYE , TURNING INTO SEVERAL FACES OF FRIGHTENING DEMONS. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THIS SOME NURSES BANGED ON MY DOOR AND GOT ME TO GO TO MY MOTHER'S ROOM , AS SHE WAS IN SOME KIND OF DISTRESS , THEY SAID. WHEN I ARRIVED SHE WAS IN TERROR.... BUT COULDN'T SPEAK OR OPEN HER EYES . I ADVOCATED TO GET HER DRUGS TO CALM HER , NOT REALIZING WHAT WAS HAPPENING ..... MY QUESTION IS WHY WERE DEMONS INSIDE HER ? SHE SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION AT TIMES IN HER LIFE .... AND WAS SOMETIMES "DIFFICULT" ... BUT SHE WAS ALSO VERY GOOD ,KIND,LOVING ALTRUISTIC AND A DECENT HUMAN BEING. SMART , BEAUTIFUL , FUNNY .....YOU SEEMED TO SAY EVIL COULDN'T ACTUALLY HARM PEOPLE ... BUT I SAW HER BEING HARMED BY THESE BEINGS THAT I'D SAY YOU DESCRIBED SWEDENBORG AS SAYING WERE FROM THE VERY LOWEST REALMS OF HELL...... AS THEY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK HUMAN TO ME. NEITHER SHE NOR I HAD ANY RELIGIOUS TRAINING , SO BASICALLY DON'T "BELIEVE" IN DEMONS ..... SO I WASN'T SEEING SOMETHING I'D HEARD MUCH ABOUT , AND MY MOM WOULDN'T HAVE " CONCOCTED" SUCH AN EXPERIENCE THROUGH OLD FEARS OR BELIEFS . CAN YOU OFFER ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY SHE WOULD'VE HAD TO SUFFER THIS , TWO DAYS BEFORE SHE DIED , CURTIS ? THANX FOR YOUR TERRIFIC VIDS. THEY'RE ALSO SO WELL DONE , IMHO .
Thank you for sharing your story, and I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm so glad to know that these videos are helping you, and glad to have you in our audience. I cannot know for sure why this happened to your mom at that time, but I will share a few thoughts. Demons cannot harm our deeper, real selves, but they certainly can harass and frighten our outer selves while we're on earth. It could be that demons were trying to get to your mother while she was vulnerable, but again, they cannot touch her deeper goodness. We all have evil spirits with us in various ways while we're on earth. That's where all negative thoughts and feelings come from. Recognizing the influence of evil spirits empowers us to reject them. Maybe this was allowing your mom to recognize them to empower her as she was getting ready to make her transition to the afterlife. During the actual transition, though, everyone is carefully protected. We talk about that in our episode "How Angels Take Care of Us When We Die" ua-cam.com/video/1rnk72vH7Ws/v-deo.html Don't worry at all about your mom. She is being helped to bring the goodness in her heart to full fruition, and to recognize and reject all that would block it. Wishing you healing and peace!
THANK YOU , OFFTHELEFTEYE , FOR YOUR GENEROUS AND THOUGHTFUL REPLY ----- WHICH HAS HELPED ME . I WILL WATCH THE VIDEO YOU SUGGESTED . I ALSO WATCHED ANOTHER OF YOURS BEFORE FINDING THIS REPLY , IN WHICH SWEDENBORG MENTIONS HOW WE ARE MET BY HIGH SPIRITS FIRST , WHEN WE DIE , AND CAN REJECT THEM AND ARE THEN KIND-OF MET BY DIFFERENT KINDS UNTIL WE FIND THE ONES WE FIT WITH . I "SAW" MY MOTHER'S WHITE FLOWING SPIRIT MET BY ANOTHER WHITE FLOWING SPIRIT ... IN SPACE ... AND THEY MERGED . IT WAS AMAZING . BUT THE DEMON EXPERIENCE HAPPENED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER . I NOW THINK SHE MAY HAVE BEEN VULNERABLE TO THEIR ATTACK DUE TO THE COCTAIL OF DRUGS SHE WAS PUMPED WITH , DUE TO THE PANCREATIC CANCER SHE HAD ...? ANYWAY , THANX AGAIN FOR THIS IMPORTANT SERIES AND ALL THE QUALITY WORK YOU OBVIOUSLY ARE PUTTING IN TO IT. I HOPE TO FIND A SWEDENBORG GROUP TO CHECK OUT HERE IN CANADA SOMEDAY. TAKE CARE. :-)
Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, everyone's spiritual body is attuned to the spiritual environment that they choose in the afterlife. The ongoing fires of hell actually do not mean literal fires, but rather the burning passions of hatred that burn in the hearts of evil spirits. Swedenborg sometimes witnessed hell as terribly cold rather than hot, because it was a place that had rejected God's warming love.
I love this video. It is a troubling subject but it is encouraging to know that God, who is Love (and is therefore wise, just and merciful) is in complete control of all things from the highest heaven to the lowest hell and does not allow anything to happen from which nothing good can come. Regarding whether someone in hell can be reformed and prepared for life in heaven, I suspect that the Lord provides a way for that to happen. However, those in hell have consistently chosen not to repent of evil behavior throughout their time in the physical world and the world of spirits so it would be unlikely that any of them would change while in hell where their evil behavior is allowed. Having confirmed themselves in a love for evil and falsity, it seems unlikely that they would willingly repent... just speculating.
So why would He allow a person suffering with severe ME which is torment both physically and mentally to then be exposed to trauma based mind control and extreme gangstalking and very sick human experimentation to destroy them even more? And then when they against all odds manage to go from severe to a milder state and then manage to do house chores again, renovate an old house whenever they had some energy, go for walks again,handling daylight again etc, they still continue and go from bad to worse? and you push yourself to setback and relapses all the time. Please tell me how a loving God could allow all of that? And then suddenly risk that He might not even understand all the horror you have gone through without giving up? The Adventist version of hell as in annihilation is the only thing that makes any sense. This mix of spiritualism and religions and their version of an afterlife does not. I have always been comforted with the idea that if a loving God is real He would never allow anyone to end up in a hell scenario and certainly not people who have had severe illnesses caused by energy dysfunction and in addition exposed to traumabased MK ultra. Sounds like they play "god" and "the devil" and mix whatever pleases them that nobody has ever heard about before. Life is hell enough for many. The only way anyone can improve is to be in a loving place with understanding and to be able to be outdoors in nature.
Stuck in hell forever idea: From my own reading and research, I have found that the idea of being stuck in the hell worlds forever is not an absolute.... One book that shows examples of this is Wanderer in the Spirit Lands...in which the Brotherhood of Hope comes to the aid of those who are asking for help. In the Padgett Messages there are numerous examples of those who cry out for help and receive it from those they have known on the Earth....and are persuaded to pray for Divine Love from the Father and that raises them out of those realms. In the book called Life in the World Unseen the full account of a Catholic Priest is given in which he comes to realize that what he taught through earthly life was 'false' and he was given the opportunity to set the record straight with this account through the medium who accepted the full account of this book....actually a two book set. This set delighted me to read and can be found (for free) over internet.
Thank you, Steve! I personally have suspected hell is as long as people desire it - and that there is always the possibility to rise above. Swedenborg does say hell is eternal, so long as people continue to choose it. Swedenborg never gives any account, that I have found, of a spirit leaving hell. However, he does say many things that lead me to believe that any spirit who decides he or she would rather be good and live in harmony with God could have that option. Overall, what Swedenborg learned about God, is that God's Divine Providence is always working to lead us closer to the Divine. ALWAYS. God's love and mercy are infinite and unconditional, and so if we want a relationship with God, at any time, we can have it. I don't see why this would change in the afterlife. And since we can continue to grow and learn to eternity, I would imagine people in hell could rise up just as people in heaven. Swedenborg also talks about how punishment is only used as a last resort in hell for spirits who cannot learn to change their behavior through any other means. To me, this indicates that the goal of punishments is reformation, to help spirits learn that they can change and become better and thus happier. So personally, I do think that people who want to leave hell can do so, but would need to do a great deal of work to learn how to love God and be of service to others, and this would be difficult for them - but not impossible! But I do not have an explicit example of this in Swedenborg's writings. Here are some relevant episodes, if you're interested. Short clips: [this one talks about the purpose of punishment, I think] Can Evil Spirits Be Reborn to have a Second Chance on Earth? ua-cam.com/video/LwBP1XpIdPU/v-deo.html and Is There Suffering in Hell? ua-cam.com/video/xW-7kF3r55w/v-deo.html Full episode: [about how the Lord always leads us to Divinity] Divine Providence ua-cam.com/video/wFuGb3G2ZVw/v-deo.html Thank you for sharing those stories and resources! It certainly makes sense to me that an infinitely loving God would find ways to create closeness to anyone who wants it, anytime.
The one thing that makes me think that Hell is for eternity is that there is a well known woman who was taken down to hell for 33 straight days in a row, Mary Baxter. You can find her videos on UA-cam. She described people screaming out to Jesus to get them out of there and sadly he told them it was too late and there was nothing he could do now. She just describes him weeping. One of the reasons I believe her testimonial is how she says it’s excruciating to talk about, but she knows she is supposed to share what she saw. I feel that if she were a sensationalist who was making it up she would actually take pleasure in the attention. It’s very clear in listening to her that she takes it really seriously and it breaks her heart. She describes so many people screaming for mercy and to be taken out of there. Now there are stories and testimonies on UA-cam of people that cried out to God and Jesus himself came down and got them out of there, and I can link to them here or if anyone is interested. However these were the exception and not the norm. This is my way of saying that Hell is real and for many it lasts for eternity so I definitely would never want to go there. If anybody who is willfully doing wrong is banking on a temporary stay I would tell them not to gamble on that and to take eternity seriously.
Curtis, Another great show. I am just catching up. I found interesting your comments about similarities between Joseph Smith's teachings and Swedenborg. Also, your answer on the duration of hell was illuminating. Swedenborg does make some comments that suggest that the duration of hell might not be eternal. Joseph Smith was the first modern Christian to teach this concept which is laid out in his revelations at Doctrine & Covenants 19:4-19 and 76:81-110. He taught that evil doers go to hell (which is part of the Spirit World or Spirit Prison and suffer for their sins before being released to a lower heaven (telestial) suited to them. Some Christians cite Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus as proof that hell is a one-way ticket. They reason that verse 26 says "there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot . . ." But Christ later as a dead person went to the Spirit World to open the way to minister to and preach to those spirits. 1 Peter 3:18-20 indicates that after being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit Christ "went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water." This clearly indicates that Christ went and preached to the previously disobedient. Why would he do this if they could not be benefitted by his preaching? Ultimately, God will save the works of his hands. Joseph Smith taught and believed (as did Swedenborg) that there were different levels of heaven. The highest were reserved for the most righteous who lived God's laws. Some do not attain the highest levels. Interestingly, both Swedenborg and Joseph Smith taught that there were levels in heaven and that the most blessed in Heaven were those happily married and true to their spouse. I believe they both saw the eternal worlds. Thanks for another great show. I am enjoying my copies of the New Century Editions and trying to follow through them as I listen to the shows. Very well done!!
John, thank you so much for sharing these reflections about the state of hell, and comparisons between Swedenborg's and Joseph Smith's writings. There is much to ponder, and much to learn! And yet I love resting in the confidence that the Truth about all of this ultimately reflects God's unceasing desire and long-term efforts to love, save and bless us all in whatever way and at whatever rate that we are willing to accept. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad to know are digging into Swedenborg's books for yourself. Enjoy!
I am reading AFTERLIFE by Swedenborg---so good, I am at the good part about what I always believed, is Afterlife taken as a shorter book from the Heaven and Hell book by Swedenborg? I am reading short clips from it as the print is real small .....I do believe what is written in Afterlife especially after I studied religion and the Jewish religion which told where alot of paganism ideas were introduced and mixed into christianity and it all makes sense......now.
That is so cool to hear! It's really valuable to connect the dots and understand the context whereby religions form. Oh, and your correct- Afterlife is an abridged version of Heaven and Hell.
I am sooo thankful for this man! You are seriously saving my life right now! I was so worried about hell, it has been a month worrying about it and how I could avoid it. This video put an end to my worries! The Bible is so dangerous, Christianity is so dangerous. Religion man... Jeez. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear this, Ricardo! The Bible is dangerous if you use it as a tool for gaining power or something of the like. It can also be dangerous if you're a victim of someone else's inducing of anxiety or condemnation of others for its sake. In actuality, the Bible is a remarkable blueprint that should bring about positive life change and connection with the Lord and neighbor. I hope you continue leaning into Swedenborg and his unveiling of the deep loving essence of the Bible he gave to humankind.
Just about all of Swedenborg ties in very closely with the Bible. The other bits that might not tie in with it might be because of misunderstandings of the Bible. So, maybe all of Swedenborg ties in with the Bible. Swedenborg just gives more detail to what is said in the Bible. It makes things that are a little vague a lot more clear. There is nothing wrong with the Bible. You will probably understand the Bible better by knowing about what Swedenborg said.
Jay, yes, those passages that describe specific societies or states of hell are definitely intense. I will pass on your suggestion, thank you. In the meantime, here are some other episodes on hell that may clarify Swedenborg's descriptions a bit: Short clip, "Are There Different Levels in Hell?" ua-cam.com/video/sSOOUPPGXJs/v-deo.html "Do People Really Burn in Hell?" ua-cam.com/video/6dBNPsjqXas/v-deo.html Longer: "What is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html and this upcoming episode, "The Arrangements of Heavens and Hells Underwent Changes Due to Judgments," ua-cam.com/video/l-nE2CIntNQ/v-deo.html
If people/spirits want to live in hell in the afterlife it just looks like that God hasn't offered them anything better that would appear to their senses. If they were shown anything better and it would appear to their senses they would be happy to get rid of their inherited evil and work onto becoming better. Traumatized people on this planet - when they pray and they don't get peace of mind because of the damaged brain from the trauma, if they become to hate God and become addicted to substance (for example) and will do bad things from anger, then we can ask God why he doesn't give them peace of (traumatized) mind and he leaves them to suffer? Then there is no surprise that they choose something bad to sooth that emotional pain in their head and it will do a change to their mind over time. Swedenborg says that God only leaves people to suffer if there is anything good from it. People who are doing bad on this planet are also suffering, they don't do bad just for no reason. There must be some inner pain, childhood trauma, the feeling of inadequacy from childhood, missing love from parents, inner hatred that comes from missing love. We can only go closer to God as God speaks to us in our minds and we find it attractive. All this hell in afterlife sounds to me like a fairytale and it doesn't make any sense to me, even after watching so many of your videos and being a very deep person. Even evil spirits are saying that something in them makes them hate others and constantly attack good spirits (if they had a chance) so it is not them but something in them. Some other energy that's not created by them. Also, Swedenborg says that everywhere needs to equilibrium so actually, evil spirits must be there in the afterlife otherwise there would be no equilibrium, so someone has to be unlucky and become evil in the afterlife. This all doesn't make sense at all to me. Also some other subjects like meeting our loved ones in the afterlife. How someone can meet his mother for example if his mother made his childhood a living hell on this planet and they have no relationship? Mother will be in the hell mindset, a child maybe gets into heaven mindset. What happens there in the afterlife? Should they find a journey to each other? Is this important? Or she was only his physical mother otherwise in the afterlife that spirit means nothing to that person? Or should they build some relationship in the afterlife similarly as when a child dies in a young age and is developing all the "skills" and mindset in the afterlife? Is there any same place as for dead children, is there any place for ruined mother father child relationships? Especially for extremely abusive? I mean there are so many things they make no sense. I never hear Swedenborg speak about things they are not optimal, he just speaks about optimal things. He never explains why people really turn to hellish mindset. Psychology speaks very clearly why people ALWAYS turn into the hellish mindset. There is not a single A SINGLE person in the world, who had a lovely loving both parents and that person has a tendency to do wrong things to other people (only maybe when they get dementia or Alzheimer). All evil comes from missing love and a cold childhood environment. 100 percent of it. How is that a fault of those children? I will never understand this.
Tome, many many good questions here to ponder! I will try my best to answer but I believe some of them are beyond my scope. First, you write, "Swedenborg says that God only leaves people to suffer if there is anything good from it." I don't think God leaves people to suffer - I think God leaves us in freedom and suffering happens because some people choose to hurt each other, and God can create good even in a terrible situation and maintain balance. I don't think there's really every any reason bad things happen, other than someone made it so; and some things are just awful, and God works to restore the balance and bring some good from hardship. That might just be semantics but to me how that concept is phrased makes a big difference in God's intention. We know that people meet in the afterlife, even if one is in a hellish state, if there are things to resolve - for example, a victim confronting their murderer. The innocent party is safe in these confrontations - their perpetrator is either prevented from harm or is on a journey to becoming a better person and intends no harm and needs to face the truth and consequence of their actions. So in the case with a mother in hell and a child in heaven, I think if they were to meet it would be for some sort of resolution or restitution, but that mother would not be caring for her child any longer. Any child who dies goes straight to heaven and is raised by angels. If a child and parent died together, they would only remain together if the parent was in heaven, too. It was Swedenborg's position that people in the afterlife can meet each other instantaneously if it benefits both parties - otherwise, no such meeting can occur. Your question about equilibrium is a great question! I don't know the answer, but I will tell you what I believe it to be based on my spiritual education broadly speaking and from reading and studying Swedenborg specifically. I happen to believe that the world undergoes different spiritual states in different epochs - and I believe that currently we are in the midst of a new recognition of spirituality, the nature of God, and the broad reality of consciousness. By which I mean, we have a ton of positive spiritual potential! However, we're not in a happy, pain free world by any stretch of the imagination. Swedenborg said "the whole human race is in distress," and I believe it and see it and live it. Everyone has struggles and suffers and will do heavenly things and will do hellish things. I think that this equilibrium, as you say, must exist for us to have any freedom at all. I agree. However, I think what hellish things look like can be a lot milder than we imagine. For example, what if, in the midst of spiritual struggles, people were inclined to tell small lies, think of themselves first, but still restrained by a more generous and moral society - one that is more inclined to look out for the welfare of others as a rule than the ones we live in today? The evils done in that world, in comparison to ours (mass shootings, child abuse, etc), would seem small and trivial. And yet, it's the same spiritual conflict - act from a place of love towards self, God, and the universe, or act from a place of selfishness that loves only destruction? Even if the destruction is mild, the action is still evil, albeit probably more easily remedied than, say, murdering someone. So in short, my answer is that yes, equilibrium is necessary, and maybe there will still be people choosing hell. We don't know why they choose it, but I believe in a perfect world, they would choose more mild hell, and be processed and moved up to heaven a little faster than people today, because their society still taught them enough values that they have less problems to overcome before choosing love and goodness, and so while hell might have to exist, it would be smaller, milder, and less of a draw on us both here and in the afterlife. That's my theory on the subject. As for why people choose hell, you are right that on earth people have many influences, and are not responsible for all of them. That's why Swedenborg was shown that we are told not to spiritually judge others (assume their spiritual outcome). We don't know truly whether someone is good or bad, or why they do what they do. People could do bad things because they are broken and ignorant, but truly believe they're doing good. Those people may have much to learn but it's not their fault they didn't learn it here - they will get a chance in the next life to make those changes before they can go on to heaven (or decide if their bad behavior is who they truly want to be and go to hell). Personally I feel unburdened buy this idea of no judgment - it's not my place to tell people who they are and where they belong, and I don't need to trouble myself with bad feelings. That said, it's very important that we set rules and boundaries to protect ourselves and those who cause harm from THEMselves here on earth. Just because I don't assume a murderer belongs in hell doesn't mean I don't think we should punish her. So why people turn to hell, we can't really know any more than we can temporarily become that person. And many factors influence a person's behavior that they may have been born into and couldn't control - and their reactions and subsequent behavior could be a direct result of this. Swedenborg was shown that we are only responsible for the actions and thoughts we LOVE as our own - not the awful inherited behaviors or mistakes made from ignorance. Let me know what you think of my rumination on your questions, Tome. I hope it's not too rambling and that it gives you some peace!
1:15 This is a good point. "Swedenborg visited some very dark places that he himself CALLED HELL" . So it truly might be the case that from Divines point of view there is no such thing as "Hell" -its just the best circumstances those in "hell" can be in based on their Loves.
That's a very interesting way to think of it! There certainly is a way that the Divine sees everything as parts of a whole, rather than as separate things.
Short and unsatisfying answer, O N, is because on earth we humans have spiritual freedom to choose between good and evil, and not everybody chooses good. So the world lives with the consequences. We've done a few shows on this, if you're interested in a deeper discussion: "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? -- ua-cam.com/video/LHNyGkZvgzU/v-deo.html. (~26 minutes) "Why Bad Things Happen" -- ua-cam.com/video/_F3Gokp44Qo/v-deo.html (~1 hr, 22 minutes) And here's our show on "Spiritual Freedom" -- ua-cam.com/video/1alL7mRL5zA/v-deo.html. Some people find it unsatisfying, but at least it gives a framework for why things seem unfair. Which reminds me of "Life Isn't Fair -- Or Is It?" -- ua-cam.com/video/42BEBqN0H3Y/v-deo.html It feels like just having the suffering and horror disappear is the only good solution, so these explanations can feel frustrating. But they give some food for thought. Blessings to you.
Watching this again now after a good couple of years since I first listened to this video. I watched the associated linked videos to this topic, and I thank "Off the Left Eye" for them. Has "Off the Left Eye" ever covered the subject of the eternity of Hell. Does it remain a forever place, or can people who go there eventually get out? There seems to be some sort of implication in Swedenborg's writings that the rage and hatred there eventually burn themselves out due to God's control over the hells. There appears to be divine teaching mechanisms or strategies in place in order to restrain and eventually teach its occupants there. I don't know, Swedenborg isn't easy to read, so this program is extremely helpful in getting at least me to understand. Perhaps most people find Swedenborg easy to comprehend, I can't say I am in that category. The Bible states in Mathew "truly I tell you,.... You will not get out of there until you have paid the last penny . There is slightly different wording depending on which translation one is using. Could this also be a reference to hell and the tragic spirits who find their comfort and delight there. Is it possible that hell may be a very very long time, but not a forever place? I would like to believe that God ultimately loses NO ONE. May God's saving grace be upon us all, for do any of us really know our own heart. . Thank you again for this video .
Bless you Andrew for your hope and compassion. There are differences of opinion within Swedenborg readers. I think there is compassion in both stances... on the one hand that people can eventually change and on the other that God gave them every possible shred of a chance to change while on earth. I hold with the latter myself, that God's dedication to our freedom means we are also free to reject HIm. Here is a playlist of videos about hell. You can pray, and decide for yourself Andrew. studio.ua-cam.com/users/playlistPLgtFTXGqZdSncpNOKE2HvypghEOCCV2Q2/edit
I'm new to this type of thinking. Was raised Baptist but something made me dig deeper into the word to refuse Calvinism saying that it paints a picture of a different God....fast forward to today I was wrestling on whether God reveals himself to everyone. I immediately thought of Helen Keller She said she knew that there was a God before she could speak.....she was a big fan of Swedenborg.....which led me here. What do you guys or Swedenberg think of Jesus and what he spoke about actual Gahena Evil didn't create the Lake of Fire God did for Lucifer
Hello, Dyerdrummer! Yes, the amazing Helen Keller was indeed a huge fan of Swedenborg's writings. It's important to realize that Jesus spoke in symbolic language. Here's an episode about that: "Jesus Wants Us To Seek The Deeper Meaning of His Words" ua-cam.com/video/qUW0wNluf60/v-deo.html&t There really is a hell, but when Jesus talked about hellfire, that is referring to the hellish cravings in people's hearts there. Here's another episode about hell: "What Is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html&t The concept of Lucifer being a fallen angel is a misunderstanding of a passage in Isaiah, that is actually referring to the King of Babylon rather than an angel. Here's an episode about that: ua-cam.com/video/V7JMUhYqgHs/v-deo.html&t I hope this helps! But feel free to keep exploring and asking questions. Or, if you prefer, Helen Keller herself wrote a great summary of the teachings in Swedenborg's books. swedenborg.com/product/light-darkness/
While this sounds nice, if hell isn’t as bad as you say it is, yet you believe in Jesus, what was the point of him sacrificing himself to save us from sin?
I think hell is pretty miserable, A 7 C, but some people would rather have certain kinds of misery than a constant bath of love and light! (One common example might be people who want to be RIGHT more than they want a harmonious relationship.) So God lets them choose. On this channel we have a different take on Jesus's mission -- it's not that he died to save us from sin, he LIVED in order to take on hellish forces and reestablish spiritual balance so that we could have the CHOICE between heaven and hell restored to us. I see you watched the short clip called "What God/Jesus Is." That's taken from a longer show called "Who or What is Jesus?" -- ua-cam.com/video/EyC1Y6GO11s/v-deo.html. Perhaps that will give a more satisfying answer?
I can't figure out from Swedenborg yet, what the difference is between people who go to heaven and are cleansed of evil, and people who go to hell because they're evil.
Great question, Laurel! Those who are bound for heaven ultimately have affections that are compatible with the reality there. They love the neighbor, the Lord and being useful for the sake of the common good. That being said, we all have bad habits that are carried into the next life. Those selfish or harmful behaviors are what good people need to address. With those bound for hell, their affections are generally compatible with the love of self and dominion in hell. Any good trait would need to be put aside in order to live in hell, which is actually a remarkable act of mercy by the Lord. Hellish people are repulsed by heavenly things, even to the point of suffocation when they experience too much good. Therefore, any good within them needs to be set aside so they could live in hell. Does that make sense?
If you were in hell and truly repented with your heart, how could God deny you? Given that most in hell won’t desire that, I have a suspicion that it’s possible
Hi, Sean! Thanks for your question. I hope I can offer you a helpful thought or two! Have you heard about the place Swedenborg calls the "world of spirits"? This is where most of us go when first entering the afterlife. It is a place of transition, a place of sorting things out. It is a place to embrace what we truly want and discard what is out of harmony with our deepest desires. Swedenborg wrote that some people remain in the world of spirits for moments, others for years. The time we spend in a state of transition depends on the degree to which we have already made our choice on earth. To your point, if a person spends a period of years in the ugliness of resentment (either on earth or in the world of spirits), but then decides to seek a different life, a different life will indeed be available to them! There is nobody who chooses hell that is not first presented with a multitude of opportunities to change their mind! Here's an episode that speaks to the in-between: "The World of Spirits." ua-cam.com/video/qoaPwhzDHWM/v-deo.html
Well what if a friend or a friend you used to have, or a family member or a family member who died and really did choose hell would they be allowed to greet you in the Afterlife, when you get there even though you yourself have chosen heaven in this life amd the next ???
Great question, The Cube! The impression I get from Swedenborg's experience is that it's about Love and about Usefulness. He talks about accommodations being made to allow spirits to change levels, if there was something useful to be accomplished by that. So if LOVE is drawing you together, for some kind of USEFUL interaction, I think it could happen!
@@offTheLeftEye Thanks 🙏🏻 for saying Great question instead of just Good 😌 question and keep doing great work love you so much brother from another mother Curtis if this is Curtis lol 😂 and hey really looking forward to new content as well as a whole new year of swedenborg goodness next year may your love and wisdom blossom eternally my friend !!
I have a question that wasn’t covered quite to address here. I have seen murderers in video interviews acting like and saying, in fact, that they aren’t the least worried about death and even laughing about it! To me, it is unfathomable to have such an attitude. They will have to experience the repercussions of their actions upon others, especially during the life review. I would think their attitudes would change after having to experience that after crossing over. Isn’t it something that would so torment the murderer that they couldn’t even consider any escape from hell, or forgiveness of any kind? Many of them say they found God in prison which seems like a way to bypass anything they would have to experience in the spirit world after they go over. Fundamentalist teachings seem to give false comfort. The people whose life was taken surely don’t remember or get trapped in the horrible experience and want revenge? And if they are given the mercy of forgetfulness in their manner of death surely there would be no reason to have to be caught in some reincarnation cycle with that individual that killed them? These are the things I have really been contemplating as I watch some of the ‘murderer’ videos that make me wonder what happens in so many of these cases. This ‘sin’ seems to be the ultimate low over any self-serving crime.
Great questions, Steve! Watch this episode, starting at 20 minutes 45 seconds, and see if it provides the answers you're looking for: ua-cam.com/video/hWU0PA-PDDo/v-deo.html&t
How can this go on? Every time I think of doing something evil - my stomach turns. I have got mad and felt like doing every one in. But it lasts 5 minutes and it's talk no action.
Those kinds of feelings come to all of us at one time or another. The important thing is to recognize that they are not something that should be acted upon, and then they will pass. In this freewill zone of earthly life, thoughts and feelings flow into us from both heaven and hell. We are free to choose which to indulge and act upon, and which to resist. Thoughts and feelings that we choose not to act on or indulge will not stick to our spirits!
Yes Curtis, I have a question about Hell are there varying degrees of punishment in Hell such as would an atheist or murderer be punished less than Hitler.
There are different levels of hell, some worse than others. Evil attracts its own punishment in the spiritual realm, so any evil spirit in hell will attract punishments according to what harmful actions they commit. Only God knows people's true motives and intentions, so we cannot from the outside make any judgments or comparisons between people from the outside.
Geremia, One of the points that Curtis has tried to make is that wherever we end up, it will be a function of what we love in mortality and the intensity we love it. The fire that emanates from Christ's eyes is a manifestation of His love for us. The fire that emanates from hell is a manifestation of loves such as adultery, murder, depriving others of agency, cheating, lying, stealing, etc. (and its/their intensity) for those who are in that particular realm. Fire is a correspondence for love. Hell's fire is not punishment. If there is a "burning," it comes from an individual in hell who comes to the realization that their behavior is not productive.
@@rubarb0406 when you say adultery can you elaborate on your definition of it. According to swedenborg sex outside of marriage does not seem to be a bad thing if there is love and respect involved.
Curtis, you are not the first Swedenborgian I have heard making fun of people in hell. But E.S.'s descriptions of hell beings metaphorically describe people I know. He's describing people in this world. Thank God he says that they can be reformed!!!! How many young men have you met like the one whose image you created? He has a funny hat. smoke pours from his mouth, he can't go where he wants in life (no feet), and his groin is on fire (sex is the most important thing and is indulged in irresponsibly). Clothes are ragged, supposedly as a fashion statement, but it's because he has no money, and he is not healthy, so of course the sores on his face represent his chronic illnesses. He and his friends talk like they absolutely rule the world and are better than everyone else, especially than some of the moneyed people, (he has a point because those people have their own form of hell). It's not so funny when it's someone you know and love. It's true - people choose hell.
Some of older Christian traditions don't see hell about 'revenge' or God out to kill dead things. The Orthodox as an example don't see 'hell' as / about 'revenge'. That God is Love and it's the readiness of the individual to experience that Love which determines if it be a heavenly or hellish experience. The bible speaks of God as a 'consuming fire' - a fire of love. And it's how we experience this 'fire'. God's nature does not change - but there can be change in how we experience that nature of Love. Was the 'burning bush' before Moses - the 'tree of Life' - burning but not consumed in the Fire of Love - God ? "Take off your shoes for you are on holy ground".
But people DO think that all the nice people live on one side of town and the bad on the other side. Humans try to create heaven on earth, but without the mix they fail.
At 5:00 onwards the hellish people that you are describing in "True Christianity" S 45 are precisely what modern psychiatrists call narcissists. Also, 2 Timothy 3: 2 -9 in the Bible talks about "lovers of themselves". These verses talk about the very same narcisissists in the exact same way as modern psychiatrists do. By the way verse 5 tells you to stay away from these people just as modern psychiatry does. I recommend that you to look at a number of UA-cam videos about narcissists to check this out for yourself. If you do that then you will get a thorough idea of what these hellish people are like. You will get a very clear idea of how and why they operate the way they do. Obviously, you will then meet these people because there are a lot of them around. A lot of things about hell will make a great deal of sense once you interact with these people and understand about narcissism. I have two of them in my immediate family. Your knowledge will become very concrete because you will directly experience it for yourself. Best wishes.
Yes, Bob -- We have noticed the same thing. I (Chara) have watched a number of UA-cam videos about narcissists, and indeed -- it sounds like what Swedenborg describes as an extreme love of self. And yep, I think I've met a few. One thing I like to keep in mind is that we all have a germ of this inside ourselves. It's so easy to take our own concerns into consideration before anyone else -- and of course we need to do so in some ways, for a certain kind of healthy self-care. But I am frequently facing my own desire to control any given situation, to disregard the feelings of others, etc. It's humbling, and we can ask God to help us turn away from that! Here's a show we did called "3 Simple Ways to Love Everyone" -- practical tips on how to resist narcissism in ourselves! ua-cam.com/video/pl7s8kiLrhE/v-deo.html. Thanks for joining the conversation, Bob!
Yes, Anti JTF, that's the point. We will all end up in an environment that matches our deepest loves and desires, as much as possible. For someone who loves revenge and control and hatred, etc., that environment is called Hell. For someone who loves kindness and compassion and following God, that environment is called Heaven. But for some people, Hell is the most "heavenly" place for THEM, because they can't breathe around all that love and light in actual Heaven. That's how Swedenborg describes it!
I want to live and love but my broken mind wants me to end my life, I know I will be going to hell if I leave, I’m praying to the Lord to heal my broken poisoned mind
Our hearts go out to you for your mental state, graeme. May you feel the Lord's love and mercy in your struggles. God doesn't send anyone to hell -- it is a choice for each person, if that is where they will feel at home. If you don't want to be there, you won't be there. You'll be where your outward surroundings are a perfect match for your healed heart and mind. May you find the strength to dismiss the "broken mind" spirits that are trying to make you miserable, and tune into the truth that angels are with you, working on protecting you and leading you towards goodness. Blessings and peace to you!
Hello Nariah -- The mission of our channel is to share the spiritual experiences and consequent teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Even followers of Swedenborg disagree on the eternity of hell. Swedenborg is very clear about nobody being thrown into hell against their will, but rather, after a very full process of self-discovery and whittling down to our truest self, we either CHOOSE self-centeredness and control and cruelty, OR lovingkindness and goodwill and service. But there are other passages that seem to indicate that spiritual growth and change might still be possible, and that even inhabitants of hell might rise higher in the spiritual world. The Lord certainly created us to be angels in heaven, so he's pulling for us as much as we will allow. I haven't watched this video in quite some time, so I'm not sure what it says off the top of my head, but there's a kind of nuanced answer for you. What are YOUR thoughts?
Back when I was religious I was raised as a christian in a village with a preacher who insisted that hell was closed when Jesus absolved us all of our sins. I still believed in hell, but as a process in life you go through, inevitably. Like Dante's inferno it is a cathartic journey through misfortune, squalor, starvation, thirst, pain and misery will weigh down your shoulders and you will soldier on for decades in this condition. But if there has to be a sinners afterlife I imagine it as one giant, infinite expanse of night clubs, war zones and giant, poor slums where people are left to mindless hedonism and violence without consequence. They are not being punished by god, they are punishing themselves through self harm and harming others, by dehumanizing themselves and facing bloodshed and gluttony and slowly losing themselves to a collective subconsciousness of painless misery, losing face, self and identity in the process. Satan is our liberator and first savior, christ was our second, but the third can only be yourself. Save yourself, or do as I do and succumb to nihilistic hedonism and spend your life ingesting gods herbs while despising his name. Rule in hell, or serve in heaven. Go to heaven for the climate, go to hell for the company. I think what makes hell and heaven depends on the individuals perspective on life.
"They are not being punished by god, they are punishing themselves through self harm and harming others" I completely agree! Thank you for sharing these thoughts.
Well I suppose the whole creation myth and the stuff that goes on in eden before Adam and Eve are thrown out is old testament material, so it can be disregarded in a modern christian context. Well Satan wasn't a liberator, but rather an inspiration of self liberation. But this self liberation sends you to hell, like a teenager goes through partying and hedonism, that is a form of mild trip to hell, or at least a glimpse into a form of earthen limbo, but then after your first or maybe third stomach pumping you learn to regulate your intake of alcohol and stop getting yourself into trouble, in the end bringing your happiness in life up, as you spend less time fighting in bars or getting your stomach pumped, but you need to have gone through it to understand why you should avoid the cause of those situations. If that makes sense. I've had my run ins with hard drugs, crime, violence, misery and sin, but I guess I repented by moving away from the city and focusing on living a clean life, showing that I have faith in myself, not satan or god. If god has faith in himself, shouldnt he be proud that his creation does possess this self-esteem too? You seem like one of the more decent christians, I like discussing with you.
So long story short: we are always loved and welcomed by god, but if we ever "choose hell", for whatever reason, we remain there only for our desires to slowly burn out and for our soul to grow? Hell is only permanent in a sense that it Can be a place some want to be in "forever", but because of god/angels/jesus constantly at work, it is not an actual pernament place for souls? Because no god will allow his children to get too caught up in their "desires" forever if it doesnt get them anywhere, i would assume! At some point id assume god would say enoughs enough and try a little harder for people to leave hell in accordance with their free will? I cant imagine even with our free will we would just remain in hell longer than necessary if gods will is to bring everyone to heaven. Do you have a video regarding how our will vs gods?
b rose, great questions as always! I don't know how or when people leave hell, and Swedenborg doesn't explicitly say people leave hell. What Swedenborg does say, is that God is infinitely loving, merciful, and nonjudgmental. He says that God is always working to bring us closer to him and to heaven. And he says no one is ever forced into anything, or punished (by God). So from this I interpret that anyone who doesn't want to be in hell won't be in hell. And anyone who doesn't want to be in heaven won't be in heaven. Though we don't have information in Swedenborg's writings that directly state people can ascend from hell to heaven, it makes sense to me personally that an infinitely merciful and loving God will always find a way to bring any human closer to heaven who wants to be in heaven. It does not make any sense to me that any individual would spend a length of time in hell and feel satisfied with their experience, and not be willing to change their loves and intentions to more heavenly desires and live in eternal peace and service and love. Those are my thoughts, I hope they help you!
@@offTheLeftEye That makes sense, but then I have to ask myself what purpose would god have in helping those in hell if there was no ultimate plan for leaving? Surely it doesn't make sense for someone to "see the light" or even a smudge of it, only to not be able to obtain it. That would become a totally different definition of hell- wanting to not be there anymore, but having no choice but to remain. I know your channel is dedicated to Swedenborg's research, but these are just my thoughts based on other research and readings!
@@BR-nv8bw Yes, that's why I said above "anyone who doesn't want to be in hell won't be in hell." If there is any will to not be in hell anymore, God will provide a way out, somehow. I just mean we don't have a lot of specific information from Swedenborg about how that kind of a process works. There are bits and pieces here and there, but it would take a thorough study to put is all together. Maybe we will find the time and energy to do that someday! But I'll add that Swedenborg said there was a lot of information he was not able to write down. Reality is huge and complex, and Swedenborg could only share so much of it during the 27 years he was writing and publishing!
@@offTheLeftEye understandable, considering too this also implies how everyone and their experiences are different, how we are all still able to obtain and remember only so much even after some revelation or insight, etc. Maybe instead when im too overwhelmed by the technicalities of this all, i should trust simply god will be sucessful in bringing everyone into him just like the almighty and unconditionally loving god he is :)
Swedenborg talks about hell as a place of confinement and punishment. If it is not eternal confinement and punishment then how and when does one ever get the opportunity to be changed and get out?
Hey Ministry For Doubt! Yes, Swedenborg studied the Bible tirelessly. It was his main focus. His first theological work is a multi-volume exegesis of Genesis and Exodus. Swedenborg lived from 1688-1772. He wrote and studied in neo-Latin, the international language of his day. He favored a little-known, highly literal translation of the Bible (Schmidt 1696, also known as Schmidius), and even sometimes translated the Bible from the original languages himself, while also referencing more mainstream Biblical translations (like the Vulgate, Beza, Castellio, and Montanus).
They definitely have an influence on us, Vera, because the whole set up is about keeping us in the balance between goodness and evil so that we are free to choose. How and whether they "communicate" is not so clear. Sometimes the hells just overpower our minds -- but it might not be a form of "communication" we recognize, it might just be feelings of anxiety or depression or despair. Some people DO hear voices, and that seems to be hell coming through. But Swedenborg says the angels are always working on protecting us from the hells. Here are several shows that might address this topic for you: How To Deal With Evil Spirits ua-cam.com/video/RmWrAoML2hE/v-deo.html The Angels and Evil Spirits With Us -- ua-cam.com/video/gDnEyJeTjag/v-deo.html How to Detect Evil Spirits -- ua-cam.com/video/y1_bbRtDVoM/v-deo.html How Evil Spirits Attack Us -- ua-cam.com/video/NOYKVx1BFnI/v-deo.html How to Make Evil Spirits Retreat and Good Ones Move Closer -- ua-cam.com/video/flN-cFYfs9Y/v-deo.html Don't Let Hell Push You Around -- ua-cam.com/video/X7DA901yTLk/v-deo.html Head Bullies, part 1-- ua-cam.com/video/mi3qoyDAw_o/v-deo.html Head Bullies, part 2-- ua-cam.com/video/Lb91THEIpRA/v-deo.html The Lies Evil Spirits Tell Us ua-cam.com/video/Qaqd9Fhsxpg/v-deo.html Hope you find some satisfying food for thought in some of these!
There are, Alf. It is part of how God keeps us in freedom. He allows bad spirits to reach us, not to the extent that they could before he came to earth and tamed them. They were out of control then, and people's freedom was in jeopardy. "There are with man two spirits from hell and two angels from heaven," Secrets of Heaven Index. Here is another passage to help understand how we are influenced. "Considered generally the inflow from the spiritual world into a person is as follows: There is nothing that a person thinks or wills that can originate within himself. Rather, everything flows into him; goodness and truth flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, thus through the angels present with the person, evil and falsity from hell, thus through the evil spirits present with him. And what flows in enters his thought and will. " Secrets of Heaven 5846. God has your back. He protects your freedom perfectly.
@@offTheLeftEye That is very interesting. Thank you for replying to my question. It does make sense, to have angels prompting you or guiding you, or evil presenting itself as an impulse or a reaction such as fear or to control. After watching your videos, I feel less afraid of hell now that I know its my choice to go there or not. I never thought it as a place where evil people get to enjoy the evil things they love without harming those in heaven. Thank you for all your videos, I've now discovered that the videos are also podcasts! Great!
@@alf6245 We are delighted that these videos can calm some of your fears. That is absolutely what motivates us. No one, no one, no one goes to hell by accident. It takes a great deal of effort over a long period of time to cement those choices. There is a touching story in Genesis where Abraham asks if God will spare the city if there are 50 good men, then forty and so on. "So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.” Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there? So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” Genesis 18. The story is telling us that even if there is only a little good in a person He will save us from self destruction. (the Lord never destroys anyone) Take care, Alf.
I live in a community of people who are "whole", knowing they are both good and evil, as Jung taught. There is a lady on the hill who seems to think she's perfect, but she'll get straightened out.
You just said Swedenborg says you can't change your nature after death. But a few minutes ago, he said they could be reformed. Which is it???? Which world is he talking about??? I prefer the Buddhist attitude that "I will not enter Nirvana until everyone gets to go, until all sentient beings are enlightened." I also think that people can appear to be mean and have a heart of gold underneath.
curtis, what about what it says in Luke chapter 16: 14-31 about the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man says he's in torment and looked up and saw Abraham, far away with Lazarus by his side and asked Abraham if he would send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue because he's in agony from being in the fire of hell, but could not be helped , because of the great chasm that has been fixed by GOD ?
The chasm represents the mental and emotional divide between heaven and hell. There is a separation, because they are in completely different states of mind. A person in hell has rejected heavenly love, and so cannot receive the blessings and comfort that heavenly love offers. The agony of the fire of hell represents the tortures of living in a vengeful, hateful, greedy, self-centered state of mind. Someone who has chosen to immerse themselves in hatred cannot be healed by heavenly altruistic love, because they reject it and run away from it if it comes near to them.
God came to me and told me this: Hell is a physical REALITY. He didn’t CREATE Hell. It simply IS. It’s a giant black hole that is the opposite of Heaven. Some souls are kind of stuck between God’s light and this GIANT black hole. He is doing EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER to save souls from going into the black hole. Souls with lots of darkness find being in the light uncomfortable. So they turn towards the darkness.
Yes kimberly, God loves all of us and does not want anyone to go to hell. He allows it, in order to give us free will. The blackness is the absence of God and absence of love.
Randy, if there is even the tiniest bit of desire within a person to work their way out of hellish states of mind, all of God and heaven will work to help them achieve that. And Swedenborg did describe some people going through very, very long processes to gradually bring them upwards. It's all a matter of people being willing to let go of hatred, selfishness and greed. No one is pushed against their will to go toward heaven. And yet, there is endless help and patience for anyone who is willing to accept the help.
offTheLeftEye so why do people have visions of hell and jesus says it's too late for them ? I can't put my trust fully into this because it seems to go against every thing. I want to believe it, I've always thought my god would be so much more love that we could fathom and what a wonderful prospect. But why then am I reading hundreds of testimonys of people who end up in hell and are told there is no way out. That it's too late. ? Answers please I'm going insane hahah
No one goes to hell for something they had no control over! See these shows: "Life Isn't Fair... Or Is It?" ua-cam.com/video/42BEBqN0H3Y/v-deo.html And the final section in this episode, just a little after the 36 minute mark: ua-cam.com/video/nZ62-J7EmwM/v-deo.html
The way you describe hell makes it sound like you're talking about a mental hospital. This story really resonated with me because I worked in one for 5 years. CMHIP in Colorado.
The patients loved to do evil things to themselves and others, but we as staff there, had to make them as happy as possible, teach them, and keep them safe. It was very hard to work there, it was an atmosphere saturated with sickness. I was so happy after I quit.
+Fwiffo Wow, sounds intense! It's really interesting to hear your reflections on the similarities. We have had a guest on other shows who worked in mental hospitals and prisons with people who had schizophrenia--he is familiar with Swedenborg and came to be convinced that the people he worked with were being accosted by evil spirits (here's a link to one episode in which he describes his experiences: ua-cam.com/video/RmWrAoML2hE/v-deo.html). As difficult as their lives in this world are, one mercy is that Swedenborg learned that people with impaired rationality, like those suffering from mental illness, are not held accountable for the evil they might be involved in because their choices are not entirely free, so once they pass from this world, they are freed from their mental illness and then get to choose in freedom between goodness and evil. It is a huge service of love to take care of people in those conditions in this world and show them compassion and kindness. Thank you for your service and for sharing about your experience with us!
Wow that's a great example I never thought of it like that
I worked at San Diego county Psych hospital for 2 years and the energy is very dark and heavy, not all of them want to be there thought. You can easily tell in the eyes, some are dark and feel like a stab when you make eye contact others you can see the sadness and confusion of the spiritual battle they are having. Once I left i felt happier, joy, and more passionate about life.
Maybe it is best to release them through euthanasia to set them free. Unless something needs to unfold first. Too bad we can't tell and murder would probably be wrong even in that case.
I thank the Lord every day for allowing Swedenborg to reveal the interior meaning of the Word. I first learned of Swedenborg more than 30 years ago from a dear friend, and immediately I knew that the Lord led me to his writings. My love and understanding of the Bible has grown, as has my desire to love the Lord and live His truth. I come from a religious background, both Protestant and Catholic, where in one breath, we were taught that God was angry and condemning us to Hell because we were such terrible sinners. And in the next breath, dying for our sins to save us. Even as a small child, unable to verbalized my resistance - I knew that message of an angry condemning God was wrong. I knew it was a misinterpretation, and to reject it. I knew God to be Love itself. God, who is Love, does not send us to Hell. We send ourselves there. It just makes perfect sense, and my deepest desire is for others to know and understand this Truth. Thank you Curtis and the Swedenborg Foundation!
I kind of answered my own question by watching your video on How to Love, Curtis! 😄
Glad to hear it! And thanks for taking the time to comment!
Sharon ---at least you knew to reject it ---i fell right into it ---took me from 26 till now to wake up and smell the coffee!! A long time ---so glad I found Swedenborg......
DebbieJo! 💜💜💜 me too! I thank the Lord for Swedenborg and the enlightenment of the Word I now understand and continue to understand every day!!! I wish there were more people in my area though.
So do I --I am in Arlington Tx where r u?
I really dislike the traditional Christian view that says that the “path” to heaven is extremely small and only very few will make it. It’s so restrictive and can cause many people anxiety, and it is a contrast to the idea of a loving God in my opinion. I just can’t fathom a God who would let his children burn for all eternity, and I’m even more surprised that so many people believe it! Traditional Christianity can cause more hate than love and it’s all because of a misinterpretation (or lack of interpretation) of scripture. That is why I love Swedenborg’s writings, depicting a God that is LOVE and revealing the true meaning of the holy bible. To further this, many NDEs PROVE that God is LOVING and not there to judge you, it’s more about you judging or reviewing yourself! In summary, I feel bad for those who don’t know Swedenborg, I feel many, including traditional Christians like I was, will be enlightened by his teachings and may even turn to God in a new and inviting light! That is why I love this channel and this foundation, for spreading his works in an entertaining manner and bringing so many people to this beautiful faith! Thank you!
The Lachstar, so true! Check out our episode, "The Gates to Heaven and Hell," which tackles that quote exactly (among other things). ua-cam.com/video/MKEfpOgu9iM/v-deo.html
I think Swedenborg could bring a lot of peace and comfort to the world. It seems to me than so many of us grow up with angry Gods, and perhaps lots of anger at home, so believing that the world is hard and judgmental might seem easy. But love transcends all that, and if we don't get it at home or in our religion, it can be hard because we must work to create it for ourselves. I think that's a huge disadvantage for so many, depending on circumstances, and that's why I believe in a loving God, and in a spiritual world where those of us who missed love get a chance to find it and own it, and we all choose what we love fully informed.
I think the world can mimic that more as we all learn how to be more loving, more compassionate, and kinder to each other. The small things can really change the world, and more people won't be able to fathom the angry God you describe, knowing what love REALLY feels like! We can pray for that reality and help create it daily by sharing the love and peace we have found. I totally resonate with what you're saying! I do think things get better all the time, though. Just like regeneration, it rarely happens without some struggle. (=
Matthew 7:13-14
King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
You don’t believe this?
You took the words right out of my mouth. The bible is full of threats of hell if we put a foot wrong. I think this was put there by vain, egotistical religious leaders for the sake of controlling their followers.
I agree with everything you just said…. I just found this channel and I’ve enjoyed watching. I’m Baptist and was raised on Fire 🔥 and Brimstone burning forever… I was terrified of God as a child because I feared Hell so much that I would cry at night in fear that I might have forgotten to ask forgiveness for something and die in my sleep and go to hell. I would always feel the conflicted view that if God loves me … how could he love me so deeply but then burn 🔥 me forever because I lied or had an impure thought..
I knew that I accepted the teachings of Jesus and wanted to LOVE ❤️… I accepted him at the age of 4 and knew that I wanted to follow the teachings of forgiveness…. Love … not judging others…. Seeking to help… but I was so fearful of messing up .. and going to Hell behind it .
Anyway I’m grateful that God gave me the power of decrement ❤and as a parent I can change this fear that religion tries to put on my children . Blessings , Love, Positivity and Prosperity to all ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Then you're utterly wrong, it is only your faulty interpretation that prefer to see it that way
@@keithblaenshet5041
I love this channel the message is so uplifting thank you Curtis Childs for you time and effort you put into all this.
Curtis, Are The Man!! He Breaks Everything Down!! For Your Knowing Knowledge 🌟🌟.
Your graphical representations are getting better and better. I was off your channel for a while thinking I had soaked everything there was to learn from Swedenborg. However now I find myself marvelling at your newest videos. Don't stop preaching brotha. These videos are insightful and unlike anything available anywhere else online.
+Marco Polo So glad to have you back! And really glad you've found more you like here. I passed on your compliments about the graphics to our visuals team. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
offTheLeftEye Thankyou as well. I will be asking some questions of my own too hopefully. All your videos are so thought provoking, my only regret is not having had the time in the past to ask about some ideas and thoughts Swedenborgs teachings inspire in me. Again a big thankyou for replying.
My spirit visited (while I was sleeping), my deceased mother, and later, my deceased father. My mother was living in a simple cottage (by choice), fronted by a stream, but I noticed my father was not with her even though alive she had a good marriage. She reassured me she was on good relations with him. Then she said, "where you go depends on your relationship with God, and your interests." Months later, my deceased father said the same thing, word for word!
Wow, amazing, Monica! Thank you so much for sharing this story!
And than they were together? You mean it's a learning Process?
Dear Nadja,
My father was in a very tall (2 miles?) condominium type building. He told me he was where many engineers (he was an engineer and scientist when alive) and scientists live in the Spiritual Realm. He lived for Science. My mother was a nurse, and was an outstanding nurse in life. Think they went their separate ways.
@@monicaperez2843 ohh no that's scares me i don't want to loose any Family Member i hope we can live there as a Family two
@@monicaperez2843 Thank you very much for your Answer
I love how you explain these concepts of good and evil. Very easy and clear to understand. Thank You for sharing this work. The world needs this.
I'm so glad you found that explanation valuable. Thanks for letting us know! God bless...
Thank you for this profound program.The experiences of spiritual reality that Swedenborg was allowed to see, ring true to me. if it is not true, then i'd be surprised, because the explanations make logical sense.
i need to pray. Thank you dear merciful loving sovereign God for all that is good,
i pray that we would not have to settle for hell, or ever have to be there,
i pray for everyone here, including me, to be corrected of any selfishness, or evil problem in our beingness, that we may all evolve, and refine,
to transcend our weakness and become servants, peacemakers, enjoyable good characters of heaven.
guide us and protect us from any force of hell.
Please transform us beyond any bad selfishness,
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Finally something makes sense.....
Amen. I hope people will listen! God will bless the deserving, rich or poor.
Amen.
A superb program and a high score of 10.
I really appreciate that, Geremia. Thanks for tuning in!
Yes 👍. God Is Powerful!! He Can Break Into Hell!! And Beat SATAN Down With His Flaming Sword 🔥 🔥!! And Bring The Spirits 👻 👻 Out That Wants To Be Saved.
I guess hell is basically the ultimate " Learning the hard way" approach to growth.
Very well said!
I've had a lot of spiritual experiences in my life and because of what I've experienced I've had serious problems with many religious teachings, especially the idea that a loving God would punish people forever. I've watched a lot of your videos and I have to say I've never seen any spiritual teachings that made more sense or resonnated so perfectly with the things I've personally experienced in my own dreams, visions, and spiriitual messages.
Such a moving message, Steven! I'd say that we are all on this OTLE team because the teachings resonate with us in one way or another, but not all of us from actual experience. It feels so validating or exciting or affirming when somebody makes a comment like yours. Thanks so much for letting us know, and thank you for joining the conversation!
This episode really made me loss my fear of evil spirits. I love how God protects us from them while also allowing them to do what they have to !
That's right, Bonnie! We are protected by the Lord, and also given the opportunity to learn and grow by shunning evil and becoming more loving.
This is very interesting and so glad to have found your channel!!! Life is dark alot of times and I'm so comforted that so many questions are answered, and many mind opening topics for spiritual growth is available.
Thank you for broadcasting these messages!!! 👍👍☺️😃
We are so happy to have you on board! It's really gratifying to hear that these spiritual ideas are useful to you. Wishing you continued growth and joy on your path, Bria :)
God have mercy on me!
Of course.....God is all love....expect nothing else
your channel is wonderful, I'm watching one video after another and they are so enlightening, thank you for doing it!
I'm thrilled to hear that our videos are useful to you, Cecilia! These are pretty revolutionary spiritual teachings, I believe :)
yes, they are... you put such profound things in a simple and plain way... very necessary in these troubled times :)
So thought provoking. I find myself listening to some of these twice while thinking about all I believe and read in Bible. Some of these things set me back a bit. I enjoy watching and you do a great job explaining. So many resources Swedenbourg has left for us. I'm reading them while following this channel. Questions will follow soon. Thanks for sharing so much. Blessings to you all!
Hey Da Bugaboo ...I relate so much! This comment is from 4 years ago...I'm curious whether you're still loving the things we learn here? As for me, I'm more into it now than I was 4years ago. It gets better all the time for me.
Praise God a man speaking the words & thoughts & beliefs the spirit of God taught me in my quietest parts. Amazing someone confidently states the things I thought were just... powerful imaginations. Thank you man!
What an amazing feeling to be validated by powerful spiritual teachings. God bless you, Alex!
The following sentence seems to imply that people are eventually reformed in hell:
AC 967
Unless wickedness was removed from wicked people by punishment, they would have to be kept in some hell forever.
Glad to see this video ,so much Truth in it. So glad this information is still available for the public who are searching for Truth!
I'm so glad this resonates with you! Thank you for the kinds words, and for watching!
This episode defines our current situation which started in 2016 (actually a few years before) and seems like it may come to a resolution soon in the USA. These years have been a great challenge for me with tegards to God and Christianity. I'll sleepbetter tonight! Thank you.
That is wonderful to hear Laurie. Yes hell is not about revenge, or withholding them from happiness.They can play out some of their fantasies as long as they do not hurt others.
On the other hand, this is one of my favorite videos so far!
Watching and listening to this video again. I keep up with the most recent discussions, but it helps as well to review again the older ones.
I'm glad this one is helpful to you, H S! I know what you mean. I like to go back to particular ideas over and over to help my mind re-center!
I love this channel soooooo much thankyou for helping me open my eyes more 🤗🤗🙏🙏😇😇
Happy to help, Jeannie! So glad it resonates with you!
Before stumbling upon your videos, I had never heard of Swedenborg. This information is so important. Wish I had it earlier in life, but I guess you get information as you are ready for it.
I'm so glad you were led to these teachings, Dorothy! And now is the right time -- I'm here to support you on your journey ahead! Love and blessings...
My dad died a few years ago.. Last year my brother had a very vivid dream. He heard my dads voice tell him "you don't want to join me, it's too hot here"! My dad wasn't bad, but maybe he's in Hell? My dad was very selfish and he had a gambling problem but his heart was good. After recently getting into Swedenborg, via your amazing video's, I'm now wondering? What does Swedenborg say about this? Can the dead communicate to us in dreams? Thank you and keep up the amazing gift to humanity!
You're very welcome, Moesy, and thank you for the kind and supportive words! We definitely believe that people in the afterlife can sometimes communicate through dreams. Here's a short video about that:
"When a Person in the Afterlife Appears in a Dream" ua-cam.com/video/Sp7c9exPLcU/v-deo.html
But messages in dreams can be cryptic and symbolic. I don't think this necessarily means that your dad is in hell, but he might be having to go through some intense processes to get rid of bad habits. Or, maybe the message was just a desire to warn his son not to live by the same habits that he lived by. What do you think?
Yes it may be a desire to warn my brother. My brother is a bad guy when he wants to be! Thank you for the reply and keep up the amazing work. These video are a true gift to the world.
You're very welcome, Moesy. We're grateful to have you in our audience!
The viewer's question at 1:09:00, regarding Swedenborg's denomination; it seems to me that Swedenborg was gifted by God or elected to reveal insights for those seeking deeper meaning. similarly to those who have had Near Death Experiences, so you might think of him as an NDE Christian/ universalist/ unitarian (?)
NDEs have changed my life from a atheist to a "spiritual" (but not religious) view... it is interesting how this is so aligned to NDEs which are themselves to be consistent (I've read hundreds of them). I am really interested in this - Thanks for putting this video together!
+jeylful NDEs changed my life as well from a perspective that this life is not it. I am Christian, but I lacked answers about suffering and an overwhelming sense of purposelessness. I studied so many NDEs including Howard Storm whose experience really impacted me at a time in my life where I was beat down. As Howard mentioned, we can very well have an incomplete life here in Earth. But this life is such a brief existence and it appears that we are literally here to either accept or reject God. Have compassion for our fellow neighbor or not.
Love Howard Storm
This episode helped everything click for me regarding hell. I am starting to get this. Thank you, Curtis.😉
So glad it feels helpful, Darby. Blessings to you on your learning curve!
HI Curtis! I just found out about you and the vast knowledge of Mr. Swedenborg last night, and absolutely love watching the videos you have created. I've probably watched over 20 various videos in less than 24 hours, soaking in like a sponge, the works of this amazing man as his teachings resonate deeply with my spirit. You have an amazing way of communicating and sharing his work and you make me laugh out loud, which is awesomely healing, so THANK YOU! I have a question concerning something you mentioned in the above video, and I am wondering what your thoughts on CERN are... and what some say are trying to accomplish in opening up that portal to Hell (Saturn) and releasing all the spirits that have been kept there under lock and key for our protection that you talked about in the above video. I believe in Divine Protection, and that GOD, the Supreme Being, will protect us, but things seem to be getting really strange in this world. Do you think the end times are near? And does Mr. Swedenborg mention anything about his thoughts on the book of Revelations and end times from the Bible? I pasted two links to a couple of videos that are being passed around about CERN below. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Peace brotha! Much love sent your way!!! Girijah #1 ua-cam.com/video/O2rD8Olc5hE/v-deo.html #2 ua-cam.com/video/9NDH3FWizNw/v-deo.html
+Girijah Love Hello! So glad that you found us! It's great to hear about how much you're enjoying the videos. I love the idea of you finding a deep resonance with Swedenborg's teachings. I appreciate the personal encouragement as well, and I'm glad my style of presentation works for you. I don't feel like enough of an expert on CERN to make commentary, but I will say that Swedenborg has quite a lot to say about the book of Revelation and the last judgment. We've actually got a show planned on it for the beginning of July--I know that's a little while from now, but we are planning on it! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and again, I'm so glad you're enjoying the show!
Dear Curtis!!
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, I really appreciate that!! But would you mind to give a summary after episode?
Because I don't have much time to watch the whole episode nowadays and it would be nice if there is always a summary to catch on. THANKS A LOT AND BEST WISHES!!!!
We love spreading such revolutionary ideas! Thanks for the love, my friend. And we actually do have recaps of our episodes on our website! Here's the recap of this one: swedenborg.com/good-thing-hell/
first of all thanks for reading the comments!! secondly that's cool I didn't know there are recapss in your website!!!So now I can binge read your passages from now on haha!! thanks a lot for the hard work!!
You're very welcome!
I am So Grateful for your work.. Thank you .. Thank you, Thank you.. Blessings to Heaven..
Todd, thanks so much for expressing this. We feel so blessed to be able to do this work of sharing ideas that we hope will be truly helpful for people! So glad to have you in our community!
Also, thank you for your sensitive and thoughtful response to the question about autism. 🙏🏾
You're welcome, Darby. Glad it felt like a good response.
❤ thank you
You're welcome, Astepatatimekvarn! Glad it touched your heart in some way.
Thank goodness you explained from Swedenborg,.........
because watching some of the NDE Hell experiences in Hell are horrifying.
I'm glad you found some comfort in these explanations, Rowena. There may be some horror along our way in our spiritual journey, but we believe that God is LOVE and does not want to make us suffer any more than we CHOOSE to! Blessings to you!
@@offTheLeftEye yes I agree with you and thank you
I know this is an old episode, but I'd like to remark that among the extensive similarities between Swedenborg's description of hell, Howard storm says he was told that some people in hell do call out for help, but like Swedenborg he stressed that when people love evil so much, they are not likely to turn to God at all.
He does say also, which Swedenborg does not mention to my knowledge, that some souls in hell prefer and desire complete anhiliation of their being and conciousness instead of being in hell anymore. This may sound very harsh to some, but I think its humane that God grants that if someone wants to escape suffering permanently, they can. This would obviously not be something God enacts against a soul, this is something that they would want.
Great points. Swedenborg does indeed mention this dynamic within his observations of the spiritual world. Essentially, those who are embodying their evil loves in hell desire nothing more than the total destruction of others. This desire doesn't stop there-- they fervently wish to become more evil, and plummet into more and more destructive habits that feed their inclinations. If God were to allow this, each inhabitant in hell would perish in self-annihilation. But God has mercy on all of creation, and for those in hell, provides boundaries that they cannot cross. Those in one level of hell cannot plummet deeper down, but they are allowed to enter into increasingly "better" spiritual states. As you've noted, this is an option but their evil disposition makes this terribly uncomfortable and eventually undesirable. The most important thing is that God's love and mercy shines even on those in hell. God does not punish anyone nor can he be angry at anyone. We are the judges of ourselves and our freedom dictates what we decide to love.
That really helped me to get a better understanding. Thank you.
I'm glad it helped, Andreas!
Hi! I am trying to correlate the information in the videos with the texts as published by your foundation. At 31:50 of this video, the topic is of evil spirits seeking to infect the agency of others. The reference at the bottom of the video, at that time, is to Arcana Coelestia, 5590. I found this section in volume 7 of the online, published, text, but the content there does not seem (to me) to correspond. What I am seeing reads, "5590.We will not go down.That this signifies that it cannot be procured is evident from what was said just above (n. 5588)." This lack of being able to search out the information in the videos through the referenced text source has happened to me a couple of times, now. What am I missing/doing wrong? Thanks!
Hello, Shanna! I'm so sorry for this difficulty. You did nothing wrong! You just encountered an onscreen typo in this show. Instead of 5590, it was supposed to be 5990.
Unfortunately this sometimes happens, especially in the older shows, when the staff was so small and the pace of having to put together the shows so quick that there was not enough time or people to fully proofread everything. I'm very sorry about that! Our staff is a big bigger now, which allows for more checking before shows are aired.
Please let me know if there are other specific references that you cannot find, and I'll see if I can figure out what went wrong. Here is Arcana Coelestia 5990 in the Elliot translation:
"At the present day there are very many spirits who wish to enter not only a person's thoughts and affections but also his speech and actions, thus the bodily counterparts of his thoughts and affections as well. Those bodily counterparts however are not subject to particular influx from spiritsand angels but are controlled by general influx. That is to say, when thoughts pass into and are channeled into speech and when the desires of the will pass into and are channeled into actions, their channeling and passage into the body takes place according to order, and is not controlled by means of any spirits in particular. For to enter a person's bodily aspects is to possess him. Spirits who have the desire and intention to do this include those who during their lifetime were adulterers, that is, who took delight in acts of adultery and convinced themselves that such acts were permissible. Also included are those who were cruel people. The reason why both the adulterous and the cruel have that desire and intention to possess a person is that they more than all others are governed by the body and the senses. They have cast aside all thought about heaven, by attributing everything to natural forces and nothing to the Divine. Thus they have shut interior things off from themselves and opened up external ones, for which alone they had any love while in the world and to which they therefore desire to return in the next life through a person by taking possession of him.
[2] But the Lord makes provision which prevents such spirits from entering the world of spirits; they are confined to their own hells, shut well away. This explains why there are no cases of external possession at the present day; but there are nevertheless internal cases of it, also brought about by the hellish and devilish crew. For evil persons think the kinds of things that are filthy, also those which involve cruelty to others, as well as those that are contrary and harmful to Divine ones. Unless such thoughts were curbed by fear of the loss of position, material gain, reputation on account of such position and gain, fear of punishment by the law, or loss of life, they would break out into the open and such persons would plunge, more than those who are possessed, into the ruination of others and into blasphemous utterances made against matters of faith. But those external restraints make such people seem not to be possessed; they are however subject inwardly to such possession, even though they may not be outwardly. This is plainly evident from people like them in the next life, where external restraints are removed. There they are devils, constantly delighting in and desiring the ruination of others and the destruction of anything that is a matter of faith."
The idea of hell in christianity was really harsh so harsh as to turn ppl away from God and love since God is love. Hell was such a contrast to love that it made no sence. Like why did angels enjoy their heaven when they know ppl are suffering. But now i see it as rehab hell is rehab no one wants you there they want u to b better
What a deep insight. I agree with the concept of harsh and scary damnation being something that turns people away from God. Swedenborg, in writing about the nature of God being divine love and wisdom, reconciles an angry God concept that can damage people's spiritual lives.
That's how the rabbis look at it....more a rehab for purification to advance you not the way the West teaches.
@@lindalai9092 If you watch our interview with Howard Storm, you will see that we do not disagree with his experiences. Yes, there are horrific occurrences in hell, and terrible punishments, when the evil spirits act out. They attack each other viciously, as they attacked Howard. But we are refuting the traditional idea that God wants them to be in constant torment. Do you believe that God wants that for people? If so, why would God want that?
and because of a toxic idea of love pushed by a false description of hell people would turn away from god and love. Yet that love/god would still send them to hell as a result of a false message they received. Gods error is not coming down to set records straight rather he just told swedenborg. Not exactly feeeling the love because god doesnt seem to be making the effort.
I had a frightening thought that we are in Hell here and don't know it. When you described the thinking and behavior of people in Hell, re lust for money, power, to hurt others, there are so many on Earth like that. Multi billionaires who own 90% of the wealth yet coldly watch children starve, powerful people who start wars and engineer genocide. Could it be Hell here? And those of us striving to be loving are trying to improve ourselves to rise out?
Yes, Carolyn, it is a frightening thought. Curtis often talks about the heavenly or hellish "mindset" and that's been helpful to me as a way to look at it. Any efforts in ANYONE to turn toward heaven/God/love/serving the neighbor will improve our planet. May we all be inspired to do so!
I needed to hear and see this. In the times we are in now i needed to understand why things are the way they are and what hell will be like for those people.
It does feel good to have some kind of understanding of "the system," doesn't it, Erica? But we are urged to never make spiritual judgments, because God alone knows the inner motivations behind people's actions. Everyone will get a fair shake, though, and be surrounded by an environment that matches their deepest desires. We can count on that!
@@offTheLeftEye yes! Well said! I am also trying not to bare false witness because I dont know if it is all true, it is out of my hands so I pray on it.
@@EriCraftCreations prayer is the best way for us to be led to truth, and feel that support and encouragement along the way! I'm glad you're opening your heart but staying wary of what feels right to you. I know it's going to lead you exactly where you need to be.
"And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken."
I think that in the comment of the devil type at the end, the phrase" this is exactly how we see ourselves" underlines the importance of Self image and belief about what oneself is! I think that this also shows how hard it can be sometimes to put aside the lies about oneself and it raises the question whether we can truly see ourselves- to answer with swedenborg I would say the following: If the Light of the lord does not shine in our spirit and heart, we cannot know our true self- thus, walking towards God is also drawing each time nearer to ourselves and being able to see who we truly are. So, let us not be dragged down ( literally! given the existence of correspondance ) into the horrid lies that other people or "evil thoughts" project upon us that want to draw us away from the Truth in which also all Love dwells.
Amazing lesson thank You God loves us all he would never punish us for eternity if we have no love or goodness that’s when end up in hell thats the best outcome for evil spirits if we have any love and goodness in us our Lord wants to lead us to heaven You don’t have to be perfect cause no human is to end up in heaven ❤️
Well Margaret, I was with you until the last sentence. :) It's true we can't be perfect, but the Lord is pulling for ALL humans to end up in heaven, if we so choose! Glad you found this lesson helpful!
Wow I see my mistake no human is perfect and from teachings of my previous religion I felt that I would never achieve heaven but You guys gave me a hope try to do Your best be kind and loving and we all can end up in heaven
Hmm I am an Albanian who grew up like so many other Albanians hearing our elders talk about the worst curse or disease a human can face and both were in regards to this "self love" . For example one old saying about evil eye goes " no one can harm you more that you. If issues are faced due to someone elses evil eye there will also be smeone else who can cure it, but when that happens by the individual itself" or if someone wanted to curse another for example the words used were "may you fall in love with yourself" or may you become vain...
Thanks for this very interesting presentation. I had a significant dream regarding hell some time ago. In this dream I was in an atrium but with not too high a ceiling that had a wide opening to a colosseum. Right outside this opening was a large statue of Bacchus - this figure had a living presence to it. He had awareness. Inside this atrium I was an attendant to Satan. I was dressed Roman style in a white tunic with a rope around my waist. I was bare legged. I did not look at Satan but his presence was to the right of me in one side of the chamber. The chamber was lit with an ethereal light. There were three marble tables. The tables consisted of a rectangular marble stone on which was a slab of marble. I believe these slabs had ornamental designs on around the periphery of the slab. Each table was perhaps 4 and one-half feet high. On two of the slabs there were ‘men of power’ laying on them. They were older men, probably in their 60s - and around their body was an aura of sorts - a glow that exuded out perhaps an inch or more from their body. The sense in the dream was that they were on fire and were burning. Satan granted them an illusion of power and made it so they could not feel the suffering of this burning. malicious about him - he had a certain respectful quality about him as he was just fulfilling the wishes of the men on the marble slabs. In a way he was serving God in order to allow these men to actuate their desire which was delusionary.
Wow, that is a fascinating dream! Thanks for describing it. Swedenborg would say that it is actually God who grants that relief from the constant burning, and allows delusions so long as they do not cross a line of harming the innocent. But that would indeed happen through the agency of angels and spirits, and the general concept is the same. I'm fascinated that you had this kind of a dream, when most concepts of hell assume constant suffering! You might enjoy a more recent video we made on a similar theme: "What Is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html And perhaps also "Is the Devil Real?" ua-cam.com/video/ljR4_gs0Tek/v-deo.html Thanks again for sharing this story!
@@offTheLeftEye thank you - will check out the other videos. Thanks for all your work here.
Yes Satan did not seem evil here was, as you say, an agent. The men had free will and the Satan gave the men the delusion to endure their suffering as preferable.
@@billgoedecke2265 sounds like a really powerful vision! Thank you for sharing it! I think it speaks of the freedom we all have to live the way we want, whether it's good for us or not! Very interesting!
THANK YOU SO MUCH , CURTIS , FOR THIS AMAZING SERIES . YOU ARE SO GREAT TO WATCH , AND DR.ROSE ( FORGOT HIS 1ST NAME , SORRY ) AND ALL THE OTHER GUESTS ! I FOUND YOU ALL BY " ACCIDENT " WHEN LOOKING FOR SPIRITUAL INFO. LATELY RE: A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE I HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE MY MOTHER'S DEATH , 3 MONTHS AGO......... WE WERE IN PALLIATIVE CARE AND ONE NIGHT I WAS SLEEPING IN A GUEST ROOM ,HAVING SLEPT IN HER ROOM FOR 4 NIGHTS AND NEEDING MORE REST. IN THE EARLY HOURS I AWOKE IN TERROR AS I HAD A VISION OF HER FACE ,IN MY 3RD EYE , TURNING INTO SEVERAL FACES OF FRIGHTENING DEMONS. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THIS SOME NURSES BANGED ON MY DOOR AND GOT ME TO GO TO MY MOTHER'S ROOM , AS SHE WAS IN SOME KIND OF DISTRESS , THEY SAID. WHEN I ARRIVED SHE WAS IN TERROR.... BUT COULDN'T SPEAK OR OPEN HER EYES . I ADVOCATED TO GET HER DRUGS TO CALM HER , NOT REALIZING WHAT WAS HAPPENING ..... MY QUESTION IS WHY WERE DEMONS INSIDE HER ? SHE SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION AT TIMES IN HER LIFE .... AND WAS SOMETIMES "DIFFICULT" ... BUT SHE WAS ALSO VERY GOOD ,KIND,LOVING ALTRUISTIC AND A DECENT HUMAN BEING. SMART , BEAUTIFUL , FUNNY .....YOU SEEMED TO SAY EVIL COULDN'T ACTUALLY HARM PEOPLE ... BUT I SAW HER BEING HARMED BY THESE BEINGS THAT I'D SAY YOU DESCRIBED SWEDENBORG AS SAYING WERE FROM THE VERY LOWEST REALMS OF HELL...... AS THEY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK HUMAN TO ME. NEITHER SHE NOR I HAD ANY RELIGIOUS TRAINING , SO BASICALLY DON'T "BELIEVE" IN DEMONS ..... SO I WASN'T SEEING SOMETHING I'D HEARD MUCH ABOUT , AND MY MOM WOULDN'T HAVE " CONCOCTED" SUCH AN EXPERIENCE THROUGH OLD FEARS OR BELIEFS . CAN YOU OFFER ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY SHE WOULD'VE HAD TO SUFFER THIS , TWO DAYS BEFORE SHE DIED , CURTIS ?
THANX FOR YOUR TERRIFIC VIDS. THEY'RE ALSO SO WELL DONE , IMHO .
Thank you for sharing your story, and I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm so glad to know that these videos are helping you, and glad to have you in our audience. I cannot know for sure why this happened to your mom at that time, but I will share a few thoughts.
Demons cannot harm our deeper, real selves, but they certainly can harass and frighten our outer selves while we're on earth. It could be that demons were trying to get to your mother while she was vulnerable, but again, they cannot touch her deeper goodness. We all have evil spirits with us in various ways while we're on earth. That's where all negative thoughts and feelings come from. Recognizing the influence of evil spirits empowers us to reject them. Maybe this was allowing your mom to recognize them to empower her as she was getting ready to make her transition to the afterlife.
During the actual transition, though, everyone is carefully protected. We talk about that in our episode "How Angels Take Care of Us When We Die" ua-cam.com/video/1rnk72vH7Ws/v-deo.html
Don't worry at all about your mom. She is being helped to bring the goodness in her heart to full fruition, and to recognize and reject all that would block it. Wishing you healing and peace!
THANK YOU , OFFTHELEFTEYE , FOR YOUR GENEROUS AND THOUGHTFUL REPLY ----- WHICH HAS HELPED ME . I WILL WATCH THE VIDEO YOU SUGGESTED . I ALSO WATCHED ANOTHER OF YOURS BEFORE FINDING THIS REPLY , IN WHICH SWEDENBORG MENTIONS HOW WE ARE MET BY HIGH SPIRITS FIRST , WHEN WE DIE , AND CAN REJECT THEM AND ARE THEN KIND-OF MET BY DIFFERENT KINDS UNTIL WE FIND THE ONES WE FIT WITH . I "SAW" MY MOTHER'S WHITE FLOWING SPIRIT MET BY ANOTHER WHITE FLOWING SPIRIT ... IN SPACE ... AND THEY MERGED . IT WAS AMAZING . BUT THE DEMON EXPERIENCE HAPPENED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER . I NOW THINK SHE MAY HAVE BEEN VULNERABLE TO THEIR ATTACK DUE TO THE COCTAIL OF DRUGS SHE WAS PUMPED WITH , DUE TO THE PANCREATIC CANCER SHE HAD ...? ANYWAY , THANX AGAIN FOR THIS IMPORTANT SERIES AND ALL THE QUALITY WORK YOU OBVIOUSLY ARE PUTTING IN TO IT. I HOPE TO FIND A SWEDENBORG GROUP TO CHECK OUT HERE IN CANADA SOMEDAY. TAKE CARE. :-)
This hypothesis of Hell is very interesting, good work! In Hell the damned will be givin bodies that can withstand eternal fires and brimstone.
Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, everyone's spiritual body is attuned to the spiritual environment that they choose in the afterlife. The ongoing fires of hell actually do not mean literal fires, but rather the burning passions of hatred that burn in the hearts of evil spirits. Swedenborg sometimes witnessed hell as terribly cold rather than hot, because it was a place that had rejected God's warming love.
I love this video. It is a troubling subject but it is encouraging to know that God, who is Love (and is therefore wise, just and merciful) is in complete control of all things from the highest heaven to the lowest hell and does not allow anything to happen from which nothing good can come.
Regarding whether someone in hell can be reformed and prepared for life in heaven, I suspect that the Lord provides a way for that to happen. However, those in hell have consistently chosen not to repent of evil behavior throughout their time in the physical world and the world of spirits so it would be unlikely that any of them would change while in hell where their evil behavior is allowed. Having confirmed themselves in a love for evil and falsity, it seems unlikely that they would willingly repent... just speculating.
Interesting thoughts, +Keith Ducharme! Thanks for sharing them!
So why would He allow a person suffering with severe ME which is torment both physically and mentally to then be exposed to trauma based mind control and extreme gangstalking and very sick human experimentation to destroy them even more? And then when they against all odds manage to go from severe to a milder state and then manage to do house chores again, renovate an old house whenever they had some energy, go for walks again,handling daylight again etc, they still continue and go from bad to worse? and you push yourself to setback and relapses all the time. Please tell me how a loving God could allow all of that? And then suddenly risk that He might not even understand all the horror you have gone through without giving up? The Adventist version of hell as in annihilation is the only thing that makes any sense. This mix of spiritualism and religions and their version of an afterlife does not. I have always been comforted with the idea that if a loving God is real He would never allow anyone to end up in a hell scenario and certainly not people who have had severe illnesses caused by energy dysfunction and in addition exposed to traumabased MK ultra. Sounds like they play "god" and "the devil" and mix whatever pleases them that nobody has ever heard about before. Life is hell enough for many. The only way anyone can improve is to be in a loving place with understanding and to be able to be outdoors in nature.
Stuck in hell forever idea:
From my own reading and research, I have found that the idea of being stuck in the hell worlds forever is not an absolute....
One book that shows examples of this is Wanderer in the Spirit Lands...in which the Brotherhood of Hope comes to the aid of those who are asking for help.
In the Padgett Messages there are numerous examples of those who cry out for help and receive it from those they have known on the Earth....and are persuaded to pray for Divine Love from the Father and that raises them out of those realms.
In the book called Life in the World Unseen the full account of a Catholic Priest is given in which he comes to realize that what he taught through earthly life was 'false' and he was given the opportunity to set the record straight with this account through the medium who accepted the full account of this book....actually a two book set. This set delighted me to read and can be found (for free) over internet.
Thank you, Steve! I personally have suspected hell is as long as people desire it - and that there is always the possibility to rise above.
Swedenborg does say hell is eternal, so long as people continue to choose it. Swedenborg never gives any account, that I have found, of a spirit leaving hell.
However, he does say many things that lead me to believe that any spirit who decides he or she would rather be good and live in harmony with God could have that option. Overall, what Swedenborg learned about God, is that God's Divine Providence is always working to lead us closer to the Divine. ALWAYS. God's love and mercy are infinite and unconditional, and so if we want a relationship with God, at any time, we can have it. I don't see why this would change in the afterlife. And since we can continue to grow and learn to eternity, I would imagine people in hell could rise up just as people in heaven.
Swedenborg also talks about how punishment is only used as a last resort in hell for spirits who cannot learn to change their behavior through any other means. To me, this indicates that the goal of punishments is reformation, to help spirits learn that they can change and become better and thus happier.
So personally, I do think that people who want to leave hell can do so, but would need to do a great deal of work to learn how to love God and be of service to others, and this would be difficult for them - but not impossible!
But I do not have an explicit example of this in Swedenborg's writings. Here are some relevant episodes, if you're interested.
Short clips: [this one talks about the purpose of punishment, I think] Can Evil Spirits Be Reborn to have a Second Chance on Earth? ua-cam.com/video/LwBP1XpIdPU/v-deo.html
and Is There Suffering in Hell? ua-cam.com/video/xW-7kF3r55w/v-deo.html
Full episode: [about how the Lord always leads us to Divinity] Divine Providence ua-cam.com/video/wFuGb3G2ZVw/v-deo.html
Thank you for sharing those stories and resources! It certainly makes sense to me that an infinitely loving God would find ways to create closeness to anyone who wants it, anytime.
The one thing that makes me think that Hell is for eternity is that there is a well known woman who was taken down to hell for 33 straight days in a row, Mary Baxter. You can find her videos on UA-cam. She described people screaming out to Jesus to get them out of there and sadly he told them it was too late and there was nothing he could do now. She just describes him weeping. One of the reasons I believe her testimonial is how she says it’s excruciating to talk about, but she knows she is supposed to share what she saw. I feel that if she were a sensationalist who was making it up she would actually take pleasure in the attention. It’s very clear in listening to her that she takes it really seriously and it breaks her heart. She describes so many people screaming for mercy and to be taken out of there. Now there are stories and testimonies on UA-cam of people that cried out to God and Jesus himself came down and got them out of there, and I can link to them here or if anyone is interested. However these were the exception and not the norm. This is my way of saying that Hell is real and for many it lasts for eternity so I definitely would never want to go there. If anybody who is willfully doing wrong is banking on a temporary stay I would tell them not to gamble on that and to take eternity seriously.
Curtis,
Another great show. I am just catching up. I found interesting your comments about similarities between Joseph Smith's teachings and Swedenborg. Also, your answer on the duration of hell was illuminating. Swedenborg does make some comments that suggest that the duration of hell might not be eternal. Joseph Smith was the first modern Christian to teach this concept which is laid out in his revelations at Doctrine & Covenants 19:4-19 and 76:81-110. He taught that evil doers go to hell (which is part of the Spirit World or Spirit Prison and suffer for their sins before being released to a lower heaven (telestial) suited to them.
Some Christians cite Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus as proof that hell is a one-way ticket. They reason that verse 26 says "there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot . . ." But Christ later as a dead person went to the Spirit World to open the way to minister to and preach to those spirits. 1 Peter 3:18-20 indicates that after being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit Christ "went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water." This clearly indicates that Christ went and preached to the previously disobedient. Why would he do this if they could not be benefitted by his preaching? Ultimately, God will save the works of his hands. Joseph Smith taught and believed (as did Swedenborg) that there were different levels of heaven. The highest were reserved for the most righteous who lived God's laws. Some do not attain the highest levels. Interestingly, both Swedenborg and Joseph Smith taught that there were levels in heaven and that the most blessed in Heaven were those happily married and true to their spouse. I believe they both saw the eternal worlds.
Thanks for another great show. I am enjoying my copies of the New Century Editions and trying to follow through them as I listen to the shows. Very well done!!
John, thank you so much for sharing these reflections about the state of hell, and comparisons between Swedenborg's and Joseph Smith's writings. There is much to ponder, and much to learn! And yet I love resting in the confidence that the Truth about all of this ultimately reflects God's unceasing desire and long-term efforts to love, save and bless us all in whatever way and at whatever rate that we are willing to accept. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad to know are digging into Swedenborg's books for yourself. Enjoy!
I am reading AFTERLIFE by Swedenborg---so good, I am at the good part about what I always believed, is Afterlife taken as a shorter book from the Heaven and Hell book by Swedenborg? I am reading short clips from it as the print is real small .....I do believe what is written in Afterlife especially after I studied religion and the Jewish religion which told where alot of paganism ideas were introduced and mixed into christianity and it all makes sense......now.
That is so cool to hear! It's really valuable to connect the dots and understand the context whereby religions form. Oh, and your correct- Afterlife is an abridged version of Heaven and Hell.
I am sooo thankful for this man! You are seriously saving my life right now! I was so worried about hell, it has been a month worrying about it and how I could avoid it. This video put an end to my worries! The Bible is so dangerous, Christianity is so dangerous. Religion man... Jeez. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear this, Ricardo! The Bible is dangerous if you use it as a tool for gaining power or something of the like. It can also be dangerous if you're a victim of someone else's inducing of anxiety or condemnation of others for its sake. In actuality, the Bible is a remarkable blueprint that should bring about positive life change and connection with the Lord and neighbor. I hope you continue leaning into Swedenborg and his unveiling of the deep loving essence of the Bible he gave to humankind.
Just about all of Swedenborg ties in very closely with the Bible. The other bits that might not tie in with it might be because of misunderstandings of the Bible. So, maybe all of Swedenborg ties in with the Bible. Swedenborg just gives more detail to what is said in the Bible. It makes things that are a little vague a lot more clear. There is nothing wrong with the Bible. You will probably understand the Bible better by knowing about what Swedenborg said.
Thanks again!
The start of secrets of heaven vol 2 is very intense. Could you explain it better in up coming show? Thank you.
Jay, yes, those passages that describe specific societies or states of hell are definitely intense. I will pass on your suggestion, thank you. In the meantime, here are some other episodes on hell that may clarify Swedenborg's descriptions a bit:
Short clip, "Are There Different Levels in Hell?" ua-cam.com/video/sSOOUPPGXJs/v-deo.html
"Do People Really Burn in Hell?" ua-cam.com/video/6dBNPsjqXas/v-deo.html
Longer: "What is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html and this upcoming episode, "The Arrangements of Heavens and Hells Underwent Changes Due to Judgments," ua-cam.com/video/l-nE2CIntNQ/v-deo.html
1 Corinthians 15:51 ¶Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
If people/spirits want to live in hell in the afterlife it just looks like that God hasn't offered them anything better that would appear to their senses. If they were shown anything better and it would appear to their senses they would be happy to get rid of their inherited evil and work onto becoming better. Traumatized people on this planet - when they pray and they don't get peace of mind because of the damaged brain from the trauma, if they become to hate God and become addicted to substance (for example) and will do bad things from anger, then we can ask God why he doesn't give them peace of (traumatized) mind and he leaves them to suffer? Then there is no surprise that they choose something bad to sooth that emotional pain in their head and it will do a change to their mind over time. Swedenborg says that God only leaves people to suffer if there is anything good from it. People who are doing bad on this planet are also suffering, they don't do bad just for no reason. There must be some inner pain, childhood trauma, the feeling of inadequacy from childhood, missing love from parents, inner hatred that comes from missing love. We can only go closer to God as God speaks to us in our minds and we find it attractive. All this hell in afterlife sounds to me like a fairytale and it doesn't make any sense to me, even after watching so many of your videos and being a very deep person. Even evil spirits are saying that something in them makes them hate others and constantly attack good spirits (if they had a chance) so it is not them but something in them. Some other energy that's not created by them. Also, Swedenborg says that everywhere needs to equilibrium so actually, evil spirits must be there in the afterlife otherwise there would be no equilibrium, so someone has to be unlucky and become evil in the afterlife. This all doesn't make sense at all to me. Also some other subjects like meeting our loved ones in the afterlife. How someone can meet his mother for example if his mother made his childhood a living hell on this planet and they have no relationship? Mother will be in the hell mindset, a child maybe gets into heaven mindset. What happens there in the afterlife? Should they find a journey to each other? Is this important? Or she was only his physical mother otherwise in the afterlife that spirit means nothing to that person? Or should they build some relationship in the afterlife similarly as when a child dies in a young age and is developing all the "skills" and mindset in the afterlife? Is there any same place as for dead children, is there any place for ruined mother father child relationships? Especially for extremely abusive? I mean there are so many things they make no sense. I never hear Swedenborg speak about things they are not optimal, he just speaks about optimal things. He never explains why people really turn to hellish mindset. Psychology speaks very clearly why people ALWAYS turn into the hellish mindset. There is not a single A SINGLE person in the world, who had a lovely loving both parents and that person has a tendency to do wrong things to other people (only maybe when they get dementia or Alzheimer). All evil comes from missing love and a cold childhood environment. 100 percent of it. How is that a fault of those children? I will never understand this.
Tome, many many good questions here to ponder! I will try my best to answer but I believe some of them are beyond my scope. First, you write, "Swedenborg says that God only leaves people to suffer if there is anything good from it." I don't think God leaves people to suffer - I think God leaves us in freedom and suffering happens because some people choose to hurt each other, and God can create good even in a terrible situation and maintain balance. I don't think there's really every any reason bad things happen, other than someone made it so; and some things are just awful, and God works to restore the balance and bring some good from hardship. That might just be semantics but to me how that concept is phrased makes a big difference in God's intention.
We know that people meet in the afterlife, even if one is in a hellish state, if there are things to resolve - for example, a victim confronting their murderer. The innocent party is safe in these confrontations - their perpetrator is either prevented from harm or is on a journey to becoming a better person and intends no harm and needs to face the truth and consequence of their actions. So in the case with a mother in hell and a child in heaven, I think if they were to meet it would be for some sort of resolution or restitution, but that mother would not be caring for her child any longer. Any child who dies goes straight to heaven and is raised by angels. If a child and parent died together, they would only remain together if the parent was in heaven, too. It was Swedenborg's position that people in the afterlife can meet each other instantaneously if it benefits both parties - otherwise, no such meeting can occur.
Your question about equilibrium is a great question! I don't know the answer, but I will tell you what I believe it to be based on my spiritual education broadly speaking and from reading and studying Swedenborg specifically. I happen to believe that the world undergoes different spiritual states in different epochs - and I believe that currently we are in the midst of a new recognition of spirituality, the nature of God, and the broad reality of consciousness. By which I mean, we have a ton of positive spiritual potential! However, we're not in a happy, pain free world by any stretch of the imagination. Swedenborg said "the whole human race is in distress," and I believe it and see it and live it. Everyone has struggles and suffers and will do heavenly things and will do hellish things. I think that this equilibrium, as you say, must exist for us to have any freedom at all. I agree. However, I think what hellish things look like can be a lot milder than we imagine. For example, what if, in the midst of spiritual struggles, people were inclined to tell small lies, think of themselves first, but still restrained by a more generous and moral society - one that is more inclined to look out for the welfare of others as a rule than the ones we live in today? The evils done in that world, in comparison to ours (mass shootings, child abuse, etc), would seem small and trivial. And yet, it's the same spiritual conflict - act from a place of love towards self, God, and the universe, or act from a place of selfishness that loves only destruction? Even if the destruction is mild, the action is still evil, albeit probably more easily remedied than, say, murdering someone. So in short, my answer is that yes, equilibrium is necessary, and maybe there will still be people choosing hell. We don't know why they choose it, but I believe in a perfect world, they would choose more mild hell, and be processed and moved up to heaven a little faster than people today, because their society still taught them enough values that they have less problems to overcome before choosing love and goodness, and so while hell might have to exist, it would be smaller, milder, and less of a draw on us both here and in the afterlife. That's my theory on the subject.
As for why people choose hell, you are right that on earth people have many influences, and are not responsible for all of them. That's why Swedenborg was shown that we are told not to spiritually judge others (assume their spiritual outcome). We don't know truly whether someone is good or bad, or why they do what they do. People could do bad things because they are broken and ignorant, but truly believe they're doing good. Those people may have much to learn but it's not their fault they didn't learn it here - they will get a chance in the next life to make those changes before they can go on to heaven (or decide if their bad behavior is who they truly want to be and go to hell). Personally I feel unburdened buy this idea of no judgment - it's not my place to tell people who they are and where they belong, and I don't need to trouble myself with bad feelings. That said, it's very important that we set rules and boundaries to protect ourselves and those who cause harm from THEMselves here on earth. Just because I don't assume a murderer belongs in hell doesn't mean I don't think we should punish her.
So why people turn to hell, we can't really know any more than we can temporarily become that person. And many factors influence a person's behavior that they may have been born into and couldn't control - and their reactions and subsequent behavior could be a direct result of this. Swedenborg was shown that we are only responsible for the actions and thoughts we LOVE as our own - not the awful inherited behaviors or mistakes made from ignorance.
Let me know what you think of my rumination on your questions, Tome. I hope it's not too rambling and that it gives you some peace!
@@offTheLeftEye Thanks for your answer, I appreciate!
@@understandyourmind Your very welcome, friend!
1:15 This is a good point. "Swedenborg visited some very dark places that he himself CALLED HELL" . So it truly might be the case that from Divines point of view there is no such thing as "Hell" -its just the best circumstances those in "hell" can be in based on their Loves.
That's a very interesting way to think of it! There certainly is a way that the Divine sees everything as parts of a whole, rather than as separate things.
@@offTheLeftEye Yeah. Interesting indeed.
Interestingly, in the spiritual world, harm is reduced and controlled in hell, but in our reality, harm is unlimited (genocides, wars, crimes). Why?
Short and unsatisfying answer, O N, is because on earth we humans have spiritual freedom to choose between good and evil, and not everybody chooses good. So the world lives with the consequences.
We've done a few shows on this, if you're interested in a deeper discussion:
"Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? -- ua-cam.com/video/LHNyGkZvgzU/v-deo.html. (~26 minutes)
"Why Bad Things Happen" -- ua-cam.com/video/_F3Gokp44Qo/v-deo.html (~1 hr, 22 minutes)
And here's our show on "Spiritual Freedom" -- ua-cam.com/video/1alL7mRL5zA/v-deo.html. Some people find it unsatisfying, but at least it gives a framework for why things seem unfair.
Which reminds me of "Life Isn't Fair -- Or Is It?" -- ua-cam.com/video/42BEBqN0H3Y/v-deo.html
It feels like just having the suffering and horror disappear is the only good solution, so these explanations can feel frustrating. But they give some food for thought. Blessings to you.
Watching this again now after a good couple of years since I first listened to this video. I watched the associated linked videos to this topic, and I thank "Off the Left Eye" for them. Has "Off the Left Eye" ever covered the subject of the eternity of Hell. Does it remain a forever place, or can people who go there eventually get out? There seems to be some sort of implication in Swedenborg's writings that the rage and hatred there eventually burn themselves out due to God's control over the hells. There appears to be divine teaching mechanisms or strategies in place in order to restrain and eventually teach its occupants there.
I don't know, Swedenborg isn't easy to read, so this program is extremely helpful in getting at least me to understand. Perhaps most people find Swedenborg easy to comprehend, I can't say I am in that category.
The Bible states in Mathew "truly I tell you,.... You will not get out of there until you have paid the last penny . There is slightly different wording depending on which translation one is using. Could this also be a reference to hell and the tragic spirits who find their comfort and delight there. Is it possible that hell may be a very very long time, but not a forever place? I would like to believe that God ultimately loses NO ONE.
May God's saving grace be upon us all, for do any of us really know our own heart. .
Thank you again for this video .
Bless you Andrew for your hope and compassion. There are differences of opinion within Swedenborg readers. I think there is compassion in both stances... on the one hand that people can eventually change and on the other that God gave them every possible shred of a chance to change while on earth. I hold with the latter myself, that God's dedication to our freedom means we are also free to reject HIm. Here is a playlist of videos about hell. You can pray, and decide for yourself Andrew. studio.ua-cam.com/users/playlistPLgtFTXGqZdSncpNOKE2HvypghEOCCV2Q2/edit
Does Swedenborg mention what happens to animals in the after life? Or for that matter in this life do they have either good or evil attributes?
They are all there.....some come back....some wait for you to cross over but remember there is no concept of time there
I'm new to this type of thinking. Was raised Baptist but something made me dig deeper into the word to refuse Calvinism saying that it paints a picture of a different God....fast forward to today I was wrestling on whether God reveals himself to everyone. I immediately thought of Helen Keller
She said she knew that there was a God before she could speak.....she was a big fan of Swedenborg.....which led me here.
What do you guys or Swedenberg think of Jesus and what he spoke about actual Gahena
Evil didn't create the Lake of Fire God did for Lucifer
Hello, Dyerdrummer! Yes, the amazing Helen Keller was indeed a huge fan of Swedenborg's writings.
It's important to realize that Jesus spoke in symbolic language. Here's an episode about that: "Jesus Wants Us To Seek The Deeper Meaning of His Words" ua-cam.com/video/qUW0wNluf60/v-deo.html&t
There really is a hell, but when Jesus talked about hellfire, that is referring to the hellish cravings in people's hearts there. Here's another episode about hell: "What Is Hell Really Like?" ua-cam.com/video/gXCO1P6r-Kw/v-deo.html&t
The concept of Lucifer being a fallen angel is a misunderstanding of a passage in Isaiah, that is actually referring to the King of Babylon rather than an angel. Here's an episode about that: ua-cam.com/video/V7JMUhYqgHs/v-deo.html&t
I hope this helps! But feel free to keep exploring and asking questions.
Or, if you prefer, Helen Keller herself wrote a great summary of the teachings in Swedenborg's books. swedenborg.com/product/light-darkness/
Thanks for this. I have read a lot of Jacob Lorber. Al writer of God. Is his writhing there are some aswers of this questions.
Thank you Jande for the recommendation. AI is fascinating.
While this sounds nice, if hell isn’t as bad as you say it is, yet you believe in Jesus, what was the point of him sacrificing himself to save us from sin?
I think hell is pretty miserable, A 7 C, but some people would rather have certain kinds of misery than a constant bath of love and light! (One common example might be people who want to be RIGHT more than they want a harmonious relationship.) So God lets them choose. On this channel we have a different take on Jesus's mission -- it's not that he died to save us from sin, he LIVED in order to take on hellish forces and reestablish spiritual balance so that we could have the CHOICE between heaven and hell restored to us.
I see you watched the short clip called "What God/Jesus Is." That's taken from a longer show called "Who or What is Jesus?" -- ua-cam.com/video/EyC1Y6GO11s/v-deo.html. Perhaps that will give a more satisfying answer?
@ 46:40ish, these could be the 200 angels that fell at Mount Hermon as seen in the Book of Enoch!
I can't figure out from Swedenborg yet, what the difference is between people who go to heaven and are cleansed of evil, and people who go to hell because they're evil.
Great question, Laurel! Those who are bound for heaven ultimately have affections that are compatible with the reality there. They love the neighbor, the Lord and being useful for the sake of the common good. That being said, we all have bad habits that are carried into the next life. Those selfish or harmful behaviors are what good people need to address. With those bound for hell, their affections are generally compatible with the love of self and dominion in hell. Any good trait would need to be put aside in order to live in hell, which is actually a remarkable act of mercy by the Lord. Hellish people are repulsed by heavenly things, even to the point of suffocation when they experience too much good. Therefore, any good within them needs to be set aside so they could live in hell. Does that make sense?
offTheLeftEye Yes, thank you.
You're very welcome!
can you please not play background music. It is very hard to hear the words you are saying with the background music. Thank you.
Ah -- now THIS one IS one of the older videos. Feedback registered -- thanks!
The good thing about hell is that it will keep certain people from entering heaven who would crap it up like they've done to planet earth.
Basically birds of a feather flock together
wow, abit enthusiastic about keeping people out of heaven.
I would think that someone from hell would only be reformed if they wanted to be.
If you were in hell and truly repented with your heart, how could God deny you? Given that most in hell won’t desire that, I have a suspicion that it’s possible
Hi, Sean! Thanks for your question. I hope I can offer you a helpful thought or two! Have you heard about the place Swedenborg calls the "world of spirits"? This is where most of us go when first entering the afterlife. It is a place of transition, a place of sorting things out. It is a place to embrace what we truly want and discard what is out of harmony with our deepest desires. Swedenborg wrote that some people remain in the world of spirits for moments, others for years. The time we spend in a state of transition depends on the degree to which we have already made our choice on earth. To your point, if a person spends a period of years in the ugliness of resentment (either on earth or in the world of spirits), but then decides to seek a different life, a different life will indeed be available to them! There is nobody who chooses hell that is not first presented with a multitude of opportunities to change their mind! Here's an episode that speaks to the in-between: "The World of Spirits." ua-cam.com/video/qoaPwhzDHWM/v-deo.html
If there is hell on earth then there must be hell in the afterlife because the afterlife is a continuation of this world in another realm.
I like the way you frame that.
Well what if a friend or a friend you used to have, or a family member or a family member who died and really did choose hell would they be allowed to greet you in the Afterlife, when you get there even though you yourself have chosen heaven in this life amd the next ???
Great question, The Cube! The impression I get from Swedenborg's experience is that it's about Love and about Usefulness. He talks about accommodations being made to allow spirits to change levels, if there was something useful to be accomplished by that. So if LOVE is drawing you together, for some kind of USEFUL interaction, I think it could happen!
@@offTheLeftEye Thanks 🙏🏻 for saying Great question instead of just Good 😌 question and keep doing great work love you so much brother from another mother Curtis if this is Curtis lol 😂 and hey really looking forward to new content as well as a whole new year of swedenborg goodness next year may your love and wisdom blossom eternally my friend !!
@@TheCubeMusic wishing you the same, my friend! Love and wisdom blossoming eternally - I love that!
I have a question that wasn’t covered quite to address here. I have seen murderers in video interviews acting like and saying, in fact, that they aren’t the least worried about death and even laughing about it! To me, it is unfathomable to have such an attitude. They will have to experience the repercussions of their actions upon others, especially during the life review. I would think their attitudes would change after having to experience that after crossing over. Isn’t it something that would so torment the murderer that they couldn’t even consider any escape from hell, or forgiveness of any kind? Many of them say they found God in prison which seems like a way to bypass anything they would have to experience in the spirit world after they go over. Fundamentalist teachings seem to give false comfort. The people whose life was taken surely don’t remember or get trapped in the horrible experience and want revenge? And if they are given the mercy of forgetfulness in their manner of death surely there would be no reason to have to be caught in some reincarnation cycle with that individual that killed them? These are the things I have really been contemplating as I watch some of the ‘murderer’ videos that make me wonder what happens in so many of these cases. This ‘sin’ seems to be the ultimate low over any self-serving crime.
Great questions, Steve! Watch this episode, starting at 20 minutes 45 seconds, and see if it provides the answers you're looking for: ua-cam.com/video/hWU0PA-PDDo/v-deo.html&t
you need to can the music. Sometimes is so loud it overshadows the main talk
I am sorry it feels out of balance to you Mariruthhitt.
How can this go on? Every time I think of doing something evil - my stomach turns. I have got mad and felt like doing every one in. But it lasts 5 minutes and it's talk no action.
Those kinds of feelings come to all of us at one time or another. The important thing is to recognize that they are not something that should be acted upon, and then they will pass. In this freewill zone of earthly life, thoughts and feelings flow into us from both heaven and hell. We are free to choose which to indulge and act upon, and which to resist. Thoughts and feelings that we choose not to act on or indulge will not stick to our spirits!
we all need an unconditional LOVE and acceptance............
BINGO mandolin
1 Thessalonians 5:10( Jesus) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Yes Curtis, I have a question about Hell are there varying degrees of punishment in Hell such as would an atheist or murderer be punished less than Hitler.
There are different levels of hell, some worse than others. Evil attracts its own punishment in the spiritual realm, so any evil spirit in hell will attract punishments according to what harmful actions they commit. Only God knows people's true motives and intentions, so we cannot from the outside make any judgments or comparisons between people from the outside.
Geremia, One of the points that Curtis has tried to make is that wherever we end up, it will be a function of what we love in mortality and the intensity we love it. The fire that emanates from Christ's eyes is a manifestation of His love for us. The fire that emanates from hell is a manifestation of loves such as adultery, murder, depriving others of agency, cheating, lying, stealing, etc. (and its/their intensity) for those who are in that particular realm. Fire is a correspondence for love. Hell's fire is not punishment. If there is a "burning," it comes from an individual in hell who comes to the realization that their behavior is not productive.
@@rubarb0406 when you say adultery can you elaborate on your definition of it. According to swedenborg sex outside of marriage does not seem to be a bad thing if there is love and respect involved.
Curtis, you are not the first Swedenborgian I have heard making fun of people in hell. But E.S.'s descriptions of hell beings metaphorically describe people I know. He's describing people in this world. Thank God he says that they can be reformed!!!! How many young men have you met like the one whose image you created? He has a funny hat. smoke pours from his mouth, he can't go where he wants in life (no feet), and his groin is on fire (sex is the most important thing and is indulged in irresponsibly). Clothes are ragged, supposedly as a fashion statement, but it's because he has no money, and he is not healthy, so of course the sores on his face represent his chronic illnesses. He and his friends talk like they absolutely rule the world and are better than everyone else, especially than some of the moneyed people, (he has a point because those people have their own form of hell). It's not so funny when it's someone you know and love. It's true - people choose hell.
Some of older Christian traditions don't see hell about 'revenge' or God out to kill dead things. The Orthodox as an example don't see 'hell' as / about 'revenge'.
That God is Love and it's the readiness of the individual to experience that Love which determines if it be a heavenly or hellish experience.
The bible speaks of God as a 'consuming fire' - a fire of love. And it's how we experience this 'fire'.
God's nature does not change - but there can be change in how we experience that nature of Love.
Was the 'burning bush' before Moses - the 'tree of Life' - burning but not consumed in the Fire of Love - God ?
"Take off your shoes for you are on holy ground".
But people DO think that all the nice people live on one side of town and the bad on the other side. Humans try to create heaven on earth, but without the mix they fail.
At 5:00 onwards the hellish people that you are describing in "True Christianity" S 45 are precisely what modern psychiatrists call narcissists. Also, 2 Timothy 3: 2 -9 in the Bible talks about "lovers of themselves". These verses talk about the very same narcisissists in the exact same way as modern psychiatrists do. By the way verse 5 tells you to stay away from these people just as modern psychiatry does.
I recommend that you to look at a number of UA-cam videos about narcissists to check this out for yourself. If you do that then you will get a thorough idea of what these hellish people are like. You will get a very clear idea of how and why they operate the way they do. Obviously, you will then meet these people because there are a lot of them around. A lot of things about hell will make a great deal of sense once you interact with these people and understand about narcissism. I have two of them in my immediate family. Your knowledge will become very concrete because you will directly experience it for yourself. Best wishes.
Yes, Bob -- We have noticed the same thing. I (Chara) have watched a number of UA-cam videos about narcissists, and indeed -- it sounds like what Swedenborg describes as an extreme love of self. And yep, I think I've met a few.
One thing I like to keep in mind is that we all have a germ of this inside ourselves. It's so easy to take our own concerns into consideration before anyone else -- and of course we need to do so in some ways, for a certain kind of healthy self-care. But I am frequently facing my own desire to control any given situation, to disregard the feelings of others, etc. It's humbling, and we can ask God to help us turn away from that!
Here's a show we did called "3 Simple Ways to Love Everyone" -- practical tips on how to resist narcissism in ourselves! ua-cam.com/video/pl7s8kiLrhE/v-deo.html. Thanks for joining the conversation, Bob!
42:10 Does this mean that everyone would go to his personal "Heaven" because the evil spirits would delight in being in "Hell"?
Yes, Anti JTF, that's the point. We will all end up in an environment that matches our deepest loves and desires, as much as possible. For someone who loves revenge and control and hatred, etc., that environment is called Hell. For someone who loves kindness and compassion and following God, that environment is called Heaven. But for some people, Hell is the most "heavenly" place for THEM, because they can't breathe around all that love and light in actual Heaven. That's how Swedenborg describes it!
@@offTheLeftEye Thanks for replying.
I want to live and love but my broken mind wants me to end my life, I know I will be going to hell if I leave, I’m praying to the Lord to heal my broken poisoned mind
Our hearts go out to you for your mental state, graeme. May you feel the Lord's love and mercy in your struggles. God doesn't send anyone to hell -- it is a choice for each person, if that is where they will feel at home. If you don't want to be there, you won't be there. You'll be where your outward surroundings are a perfect match for your healed heart and mind. May you find the strength to dismiss the "broken mind" spirits that are trying to make you miserable, and tune into the truth that angels are with you, working on protecting you and leading you towards goodness. Blessings and peace to you!
Try this one, perhaps:
"The Power of Heaven's Angels" -- ua-cam.com/users/live5stx6Nd4j64
Does this video claim that when a being is in hell that it is eternal?
Hello Nariah -- The mission of our channel is to share the spiritual experiences and consequent teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Even followers of Swedenborg disagree on the eternity of hell. Swedenborg is very clear about nobody being thrown into hell against their will, but rather, after a very full process of self-discovery and whittling down to our truest self, we either CHOOSE self-centeredness and control and cruelty, OR lovingkindness and goodwill and service. But there are other passages that seem to indicate that spiritual growth and change might still be possible, and that even inhabitants of hell might rise higher in the spiritual world. The Lord certainly created us to be angels in heaven, so he's pulling for us as much as we will allow. I haven't watched this video in quite some time, so I'm not sure what it says off the top of my head, but there's a kind of nuanced answer for you. What are YOUR thoughts?
Your answer about if hell is permanent is in the bible. It deals with the white throne judgment.
Back when I was religious I was raised as a christian in a village with a preacher who insisted that hell was closed when Jesus absolved us all of our sins. I still believed in hell, but as a process in life you go through, inevitably. Like Dante's inferno it is a cathartic journey through misfortune, squalor, starvation, thirst, pain and misery will weigh down your shoulders and you will soldier on for decades in this condition. But if there has to be a sinners afterlife I imagine it as one giant, infinite expanse of night clubs, war zones and giant, poor slums where people are left to mindless hedonism and violence without consequence. They are not being punished by god, they are punishing themselves through self harm and harming others, by dehumanizing themselves and facing bloodshed and gluttony and slowly losing themselves to a collective subconsciousness of painless misery, losing face, self and identity in the process. Satan is our liberator and first savior, christ was our second, but the third can only be yourself. Save yourself, or do as I do and succumb to nihilistic hedonism and spend your life ingesting gods herbs while despising his name. Rule in hell, or serve in heaven. Go to heaven for the climate, go to hell for the company. I think what makes hell and heaven depends on the individuals perspective on life.
"They are not being punished by god, they are punishing themselves through self harm and harming others" I completely agree! Thank you for sharing these thoughts.
I hope my somewhat nihilist/satanist positions aren't TOO awful for you :P
I disagree that Satan is a liberator, or that hedonism will lead to any happiness, but I was picking out what we can agree on! :)
Well I suppose the whole creation myth and the stuff that goes on in eden before Adam and Eve are thrown out is old testament material, so it can be disregarded in a modern christian context. Well Satan wasn't a liberator, but rather an inspiration of self liberation. But this self liberation sends you to hell, like a teenager goes through partying and hedonism, that is a form of mild trip to hell, or at least a glimpse into a form of earthen limbo, but then after your first or maybe third stomach pumping you learn to regulate your intake of alcohol and stop getting yourself into trouble, in the end bringing your happiness in life up, as you spend less time fighting in bars or getting your stomach pumped, but you need to have gone through it to understand why you should avoid the cause of those situations. If that makes sense. I've had my run ins with hard drugs, crime, violence, misery and sin, but I guess I repented by moving away from the city and focusing on living a clean life, showing that I have faith in myself, not satan or god. If god has faith in himself, shouldnt he be proud that his creation does possess this self-esteem too? You seem like one of the more decent christians, I like discussing with you.
And hedonism does bring happiness, but it is temporary, fragile and at a great cost, potentially your soul, mind, body or life.
So long story short: we are always loved and welcomed by god, but if we ever "choose hell", for whatever reason, we remain there only for our desires to slowly burn out and for our soul to grow? Hell is only permanent in a sense that it Can be a place some want to be in "forever", but because of god/angels/jesus constantly at work, it is not an actual pernament place for souls?
Because no god will allow his children to get too caught up in their "desires" forever if it doesnt get them anywhere, i would assume! At some point id assume god would say enoughs enough and try a little harder for people to leave hell in accordance with their free will? I cant imagine even with our free will we would just remain in hell longer than necessary if gods will is to bring everyone to heaven. Do you have a video regarding how our will vs gods?
b rose, great questions as always! I don't know how or when people leave hell, and Swedenborg doesn't explicitly say people leave hell. What Swedenborg does say, is that God is infinitely loving, merciful, and nonjudgmental. He says that God is always working to bring us closer to him and to heaven. And he says no one is ever forced into anything, or punished (by God). So from this I interpret that anyone who doesn't want to be in hell won't be in hell. And anyone who doesn't want to be in heaven won't be in heaven.
Though we don't have information in Swedenborg's writings that directly state people can ascend from hell to heaven, it makes sense to me personally that an infinitely merciful and loving God will always find a way to bring any human closer to heaven who wants to be in heaven. It does not make any sense to me that any individual would spend a length of time in hell and feel satisfied with their experience, and not be willing to change their loves and intentions to more heavenly desires and live in eternal peace and service and love. Those are my thoughts, I hope they help you!
@@offTheLeftEye That makes sense, but then I have to ask myself what purpose would god have in helping those in hell if there was no ultimate plan for leaving? Surely it doesn't make sense for someone to "see the light" or even a smudge of it, only to not be able to obtain it. That would become a totally different definition of hell- wanting to not be there anymore, but having no choice but to remain. I know your channel is dedicated to Swedenborg's research, but these are just my thoughts based on other research and readings!
@@BR-nv8bw Yes, that's why I said above "anyone who doesn't want to be in hell won't be in hell." If there is any will to not be in hell anymore, God will provide a way out, somehow. I just mean we don't have a lot of specific information from Swedenborg about how that kind of a process works. There are bits and pieces here and there, but it would take a thorough study to put is all together. Maybe we will find the time and energy to do that someday! But I'll add that Swedenborg said there was a lot of information he was not able to write down. Reality is huge and complex, and Swedenborg could only share so much of it during the 27 years he was writing and publishing!
@@offTheLeftEye understandable, considering too this also implies how everyone and their experiences are different, how we are all still able to obtain and remember only so much even after some revelation or insight, etc. Maybe instead when im too overwhelmed by the technicalities of this all, i should trust simply god will be sucessful in bringing everyone into him just like the almighty and unconditionally loving god he is :)
@@BR-nv8bw Yes! That is what I do. Remember that God loves each and every individual far, far more than we are capable of loving, or of understanding!
Swedenborg talks about hell as a place of confinement and punishment. If it is not eternal confinement and punishment then how and when does one ever get the opportunity to be changed and get out?
A question; Did this Swedenborg guy ever read the Bible? (KJV of course or equivalent in other languages)
Hey Ministry For Doubt! Yes, Swedenborg studied the Bible tirelessly. It was his main focus. His first theological work is a multi-volume exegesis of Genesis and Exodus. Swedenborg lived from 1688-1772. He wrote and studied in neo-Latin, the international language of his day. He favored a little-known, highly literal translation of the Bible (Schmidt 1696, also known as Schmidius), and even sometimes translated the Bible from the original languages himself, while also referencing more mainstream Biblical translations (like the Vulgate, Beza, Castellio, and Montanus).
Matthew 7:4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in my own eye?
As spirits in heaven may communicate with those on earth, may evil spirits do the same?
They definitely have an influence on us, Vera, because the whole set up is about keeping us in the balance between goodness and evil so that we are free to choose. How and whether they "communicate" is not so clear. Sometimes the hells just overpower our minds -- but it might not be a form of "communication" we recognize, it might just be feelings of anxiety or depression or despair. Some people DO hear voices, and that seems to be hell coming through. But Swedenborg says the angels are always working on protecting us from the hells.
Here are several shows that might address this topic for you:
How To Deal With Evil Spirits ua-cam.com/video/RmWrAoML2hE/v-deo.html
The Angels and Evil Spirits With Us -- ua-cam.com/video/gDnEyJeTjag/v-deo.html
How to Detect Evil Spirits -- ua-cam.com/video/y1_bbRtDVoM/v-deo.html
How Evil Spirits Attack Us -- ua-cam.com/video/NOYKVx1BFnI/v-deo.html
How to Make Evil Spirits Retreat and Good Ones Move Closer -- ua-cam.com/video/flN-cFYfs9Y/v-deo.html
Don't Let Hell Push You Around -- ua-cam.com/video/X7DA901yTLk/v-deo.html
Head Bullies, part 1-- ua-cam.com/video/mi3qoyDAw_o/v-deo.html
Head Bullies, part 2-- ua-cam.com/video/Lb91THEIpRA/v-deo.html
The Lies Evil Spirits Tell Us ua-cam.com/video/Qaqd9Fhsxpg/v-deo.html
Hope you find some satisfying food for thought in some of these!
Just like we may have guardian angels or spirit guides, do we have evil spirits or demons trying to influence us?
There are, Alf. It is part of how God keeps us in freedom. He allows bad spirits to reach us, not to the extent that they could before he came to earth and tamed them. They were out of control then, and people's freedom was in jeopardy. "There are with man two spirits from hell and two angels from heaven," Secrets of Heaven Index. Here is another passage to help understand how we are influenced. "Considered generally the inflow from the spiritual world into a person is as follows: There is nothing that a person thinks or wills that can originate within himself. Rather, everything flows into him; goodness and truth flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, thus through the angels present with the person, evil and falsity from hell, thus through the evil spirits present with him. And what flows in enters his thought and will. " Secrets of Heaven 5846.
God has your back. He protects your freedom perfectly.
@@offTheLeftEye That is very interesting. Thank you for replying to my question. It does make sense, to have angels prompting you or guiding you, or evil presenting itself as an impulse or a reaction such as fear or to control. After watching your videos, I feel less afraid of hell now that I know its my choice to go there or not. I never thought it as a place where evil people get to enjoy the evil things they love without harming those in heaven. Thank you for all your videos, I've now discovered that the videos are also podcasts! Great!
@@alf6245 We are delighted that these videos can calm some of your fears. That is absolutely what motivates us. No one, no one, no one goes to hell by accident. It takes a great deal of effort over a long period of time to cement those choices. There is a touching story in Genesis where Abraham asks if God will spare the city if there are 50 good men, then forty and so on.
"So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there? So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” Genesis 18. The story is telling us that even if there is only a little good in a person He will save us from self destruction. (the Lord never destroys anyone)
Take care, Alf.
War is hell on the homefront too
Yes. Let's pray for war-free zones.....
I live in a community of people who are "whole", knowing they are both good and evil, as Jung taught. There is a lady on the hill who seems to think she's perfect, but she'll get straightened out.
What does the bible man when it mentions being thrown or cast into the lake of fire. And dies Swedenborg mention anything in that topic.
He does, and it is explained here at New Church Bible Study.
newchristianbiblestudy.org/multi/e_28449_2647/e_23936
See if it makes sense to you.
You just said Swedenborg says you can't change your nature after death. But a few minutes ago, he said they could be reformed. Which is it???? Which world is he talking about??? I prefer the Buddhist attitude that "I will not enter Nirvana until everyone gets to go, until all sentient beings are enlightened." I also think that people can appear to be mean and have a heart of gold underneath.
Indeed.
curtis, what about what it says in Luke chapter 16: 14-31 about the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man says he's in torment and looked up and saw Abraham, far away with Lazarus by his side and asked Abraham if he would send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue because he's in agony from being in the fire of hell, but could not be helped , because of the great chasm that has been fixed by GOD ?
The chasm represents the mental and emotional divide between heaven and hell. There is a separation, because they are in completely different states of mind. A person in hell has rejected heavenly love, and so cannot receive the blessings and comfort that heavenly love offers. The agony of the fire of hell represents the tortures of living in a vengeful, hateful, greedy, self-centered state of mind. Someone who has chosen to immerse themselves in hatred cannot be healed by heavenly altruistic love, because they reject it and run away from it if it comes near to them.
ok thanks curtis,
God came to me and told me this:
Hell is a physical REALITY. He didn’t CREATE Hell. It simply IS.
It’s a giant black hole that is the opposite of Heaven.
Some souls are kind of stuck between God’s light and this GIANT black hole.
He is doing EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER to save souls from going into the black hole.
Souls with lots of darkness find being in the light uncomfortable. So they turn towards the darkness.
Yes kimberly, God loves all of us and does not want anyone to go to hell. He allows it, in order to give us free will. The blackness is the absence of God and absence of love.
Will people ever be given a chance to work their way out of hell?
Randy, if there is even the tiniest bit of desire within a person to work their way out of hellish states of mind, all of God and heaven will work to help them achieve that. And Swedenborg did describe some people going through very, very long processes to gradually bring them upwards. It's all a matter of people being willing to let go of hatred, selfishness and greed. No one is pushed against their will to go toward heaven. And yet, there is endless help and patience for anyone who is willing to accept the help.
offTheLeftEye yes if they don't have a stumbling block, meaning if they ask for forgiveness and have love in there heart before they passed away.
offTheLeftEye so why do people have visions of hell and jesus says it's too late for them ? I can't put my trust fully into this because it seems to go against every thing. I want to believe it, I've always thought my god would be so much more love that we could fathom and what a wonderful prospect. But why then am I reading hundreds of testimonys of people who end up in hell and are told there is no way out. That it's too late. ? Answers please I'm going insane hahah
Are they different dimensions in hell
These states of hell mirror pathological personality disorders that are incurable and that people have here in this life.
No one goes to hell for something they had no control over! See these shows:
"Life Isn't Fair... Or Is It?" ua-cam.com/video/42BEBqN0H3Y/v-deo.html
And the final section in this episode, just a little after the 36 minute mark:
ua-cam.com/video/nZ62-J7EmwM/v-deo.html