Heaven and Hell

As a virtual atheist I wanted to believe that all in Heaven and Hell was a mad fantasy... and yet... I couldn't. Swedenborg's sobriety, lack of pressure, consistency and intellectual integrity have put me against the wall and made me face the fact, for the first time in my life, that the Bible might be something more than merely the culture of a particular group of people form antiquity.It explains very obscure passages in the Bible and very subtly makes you understand that the fundamental reason we are attracted to hell is love of oneself. Heaven and Hell gives you a shattering insight into why it is of primary importance to "love your enemies" (as Jesus Christ instructs us to do in the Bible). This characteristic (of loving your enemies) is probably the fundamental difference between people going to heaven or to hell. As Swedenborg explains, loving your children is like loving yourself and this won't save you from hell.Even though Swedenborg states that the true religion is the Christian religion, he does describe that there are Jews, Muslims and even atheists in heaven. Rich people also reach heaven since the fundamental issue that drives you to hell is love of self (lack of love for God and your enemies) and love of the world.Swedenborg has harsh criticism of the churches ("they know nothing about heaven and hell"), but at the same time his book is like an amplification of the Bible, explaining it, giving much more detail, making it more credible.Although Heaven and Hell is 500 pages long, it is only a minute fraction of Swedenborg's total output about heaven, hell, God and the Bible: I understand it adds 15,000 pages.It is impossible to transmit in a brief review the feeling and ambience in Heaven and Hell, but it has given me the shock of my life. The Bible and Swedenborg coincide in ways that leave me the following conclusions: the Bible is true, hell does exist, re-incarnation doesn't exist and most of us are on our way to hell due to our love of self.If you are a Christian believer, this book will be a source of powerful insights, if you are not a believer you will probably fight it to death in your mind... but if you are sincere, it might prove too much for your mind and you might, like me, concede defeat.

I am greatly fascinated with Emanuel Swedenborg's writings. "Heaven and Hell" is the second book of his I've read -- the first one being "Divine Love and Wisdom". Swedenborg's intelligence is not to be seriously questioned. However, one might be seriously justified in questioning just how much of his insight into the spiritual realms was genuine reality and how much was fantasy, illusion, or (maybe) some elements of hallucinations. As someone who is devout in the spiritual path, I loved to read what Swedenborg had to say about Heaven and Hell, as well as his numerous (supposed) communications with angels, visits to Heaven, and even the opportunity to see what Hell is like. My stance toward these writings of a brilliant mystic is one of suspended judgment -- feeling unable to fully trust his writings, while yet being almost compelled to believe that the Divine Realm had given this brilliant thinker some genuine insights into the nature of the spiritual realities that undergird all we know and experience. My admiration and appreciation for Swedenborg's writings are tempered by a persistent sense of skepticism over JUST HOW MUCH trust I should place in his voluminous writings based on his wondrous experiences and insights.To a spiritual seeker who is not willing to settle for merely routine, run-of-the-mill church teachings that are very flimsily based on dubious interpretations of a few relevant scriptures, I highly recommend Emanuel Swedenborg's brilliant writings. They can make a difference in one's life -- a difference, I believe, for the better.

In this tome, Emanuel Swedenborg very lucidly and clearly describes the qualities of the 3 basic levels of Heaven and Hell, and the processes a soul goes thru to find a home there. Very logical, detailed, consistent....really fleshes out the inner meanings of the Scripture, which he is quoting constantly t/o the text. Neither fundamentalists nor reincarnationalists need apply....he goes into great detail how some of the 'lost heathen' from Africa more readily get Christs teachings when presented them in the Spirit world than do a lot of the Christians. It's your HEART that counts, folks..what a concept! These are all taken from his recollections of his many visits there, given to him spontaneously in his late 50's. He didn't 'need' the fame; he was already well known as the King of Sweden's metallurgist, and had that kind of renaissance mind that one rarely sees today. I could not catch him out in any inconsistencies-he lays it all out as if it were a scientific treatise. If you want to know what awaits you, and the qualities of your soul which will determine your final abode, I HIGHLY recommend you read this book, and study it.

These recent English translations are a very intersting read for the "open minded". Swedenborg's matter-of-factly presentations of what he says he saw and heard is expressed so honestly, the reader is left with much to ponder on many "other worldly" topics. The author appears to truly believe the experiences he relates, and passes descriptions along to us in vivid detail, almost to a fault. At the very least, a fascinating read for those in search of something beyond the common. At the most, a theological challenge that takes Christianity , and religion as a whole, to a new level of comprehension. Recommended.

This book was extremely interesting, I found some things in it that I had never read before in any spiritual book, of which I have read many. However the style was so repetitive and stuck in the hellfire and damnation mode which was of the authors time that I had to speed read a lot and I do mean a lot.. For me it has made an impact, it talked about an amazing spectrum of topics and for that reason I will delve into it again, but it's a labour of love sticking with it..

Basically everything you need for beginners qnd maybe more but I enjoyed the info... found out many new things. Thank you 👏

This is an absolutely brilliant read. It more than lived up to my expectations. I did not find it heavy going at all, on the contrary, I couldn't get enough of it. I found it truly liberating, insightful and its contents reaffirmed some thoughts that I already had on the subjects of heaven and hell. I can't wait to now read the biography of this amazing philosopher.

A towering book of genius and enlightenment! Written by a man not as a theory or speculation but as an honest and thorough exposition of the relationship between man and God, the Spirit World and Heaven and Hell. Swedenborg knows what he is talking about because he went to those places! (No, you're wrong.....no sign of delusion or lunacy...people have checked!!)The writing style is a bit laboured, that's because he wrote as an empirical scientist of the eighteenth century not as a whiffling religious apologist. There's no mumbo, no jumbo just straight plain information!

Writing is very small.