Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3640shut up in a peculiar hell, from which they could not break out. Isometimes wondered who they were. One evening they were letout, and then was heard from them a very tumultuous noise ofmurmurs, which continued a long time; and when opportunity wasgiven, I heard from them scoffings against me, and perceived thatthey desired and were endeavoring to come up and destroy me. Iasked the angels the reason of this; and they said that during theirlifetime these persons had hated me, although I had never harmedthem; and I was instructed that when such spirits merely perceivethe sphere of the person whom they have hated, they breathe hisdestruction; but they were sent back into their own hell. From thisit is evident that those who have hated each other in the world meetin the other life, and attempt many evils against each other, as hasoften been granted me to know by other examples. For hatred isopposite to love and charity, and is an aversion, and as it were aspiritual antipathy; and therefore the moment that such spiritsperceive in the other life the sphere of the person against whomthey have borne hatred, they come as it were into a fury. It is plainfrom this what is involved in the Lord’s words in Matthew5:22–26.5062. A continuation concerning correspondence with the grandman will be found at the end of the following chapter.