Where Will I Be When I Wake Up? Bird s Eye View f Lessn The Old and New Testaments allude t a place in the spiritual wrld where gd and evil peple cme after death, but the Heavenly Dctrine gives us a much fuller picture. After waking up in the spiritual wrld, we will start ur jurney in a place called the wrld f spirits. There we will meet friends and lved nes wh have already died. While we are in the wrld f spirits, angels gently examine us and help us discver what we lve mst. Gd peple will gravitate tward thers wh lve the Lrd and peple wh lve nly themselves will assciate with thers wh are like-minded. And we will be prepared fr life in either heaven r hell, depending n the chices we have made here n earth. Readings frm the Wrd After dying we will wake up in the spiritual wrld. What will it be like? Wh will we see? What will we be ding? Lk fr answers t these questins in tday s readings. A Great Gulf The Wrd assures us that after we die we will be raised up int a new life, but what will this new life be like? The Old and New Testaments give us sme clues. The Old Testament mentins that peple g t shel after they die. The Hebrew wrd shel is smetimes translated hell and at ther times seems t refer t a place where gd and bad peple g befre finding their place in the spiritual wrld, as in this Psalm: My flesh will rest in hpe. Fr Yu will nt leave my sul in Shel, nr will Yu allw Yur hly ne t see crruptin. Yu will shw me the path f life (Psalm 16: 9-11). In supprt f this idea William Fxwell Albright, a prminent Biblical schlar, suggests that shel cnveys the idea f being questined r interrgated (Wikipedia Online Encyclpedia). In the New Testament, the Lrd tld a parable in which there is a great gulf in the spiritual wrld between tw men ne had been a rich man in the wrld and the ther had been a beggar (Luke 16:19-28). The rich man had wrn fine clthing and eaten delicius fd, but the beggar named Lazarus lay at the gate f his huse wishing he culd have the crumbs frm the rich man s table. After death, the rich man fund himself in Hades r hell. But Lazarus was cmfrted by Father Abraham. When the rich man asked Abraham fr mercy, here is what he said: 1 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Where Will I Be When I Wake Up? Sn, remember that in yur lifetime yu received yur gd things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but nw he is cmfrted and yu are trmented. And besides all this, between us and yu there is a great gulf fixed, s that thse wh want t pass frm here t yu cannt, nr can thse frm there pass t us (Luke 16:25-26). In this parable, Jesus made it clear that ur actins in this wrld have cnsequences and that thse wh are selfish will nt enjy the cmfrts f heaven. Entering the Wrld f Spirits The bk Heaven and Hell tells us that peple wake up in the part f the spiritual wrld that is called the wrld f spirits immediately after they die. The wrld f spirits is neither heaven nr hell but a place r state between the tw. It is where a persn first arrives after death, being in due time either raised int heaven r cast int hell frm it depending n ur life in this wrld. The wrld f spirits is a place halfway between heaven and hell, and it is als ur wn halfway state after death. The hells were underneath it and the heavens abve it. It is a halfway state because as lng as we are in it, we are nt yet in either heaven r hell (see Heaven and Hell 421, 422). The wrld f spirits seems t be the great gulf that the rich man was shwn between himself and Lazarus. It lks like a valley surrunded by muntains and cliffs, with dips and rises (Heaven and Hell 429). We may be excited t discver this new wrld and may be given turs f cities, gardens, and ther places. Welcmed by Friends We can lk frward t seeing peple we have knwn in the natural wrld especially if we enjyed a strng cnnectin with them. As sn as we arrive in the ther life, we are all recgnized by ur friends and relatives and by peple we have knwn in ne way r anther. Further, we talk with each ther and cntinue t see each ther in keeping with ur friendship in the wrld. It ften happens that married partners meet and welcme each ther jyfully (Heaven and Hell 494). After we have been in the spiritual wrld fr awhile, we find urselves making new friends wh care abut the very things we lve mst deeply. And we may see less f ld friends wh at heart value different things than we d. 2 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Where Will I Be When I Wake Up? Preparing fr Our Eternal Hme While we are in the wrld f spirits, we will be prepared fr ur eternal hme in heaven r in hell. Angels will teach us abut life there and gently examine ur thughts t see what we lve mst. We will n lnger be able t hide ur thughts frm ther peple, and we will start t be aware f ur inner hidden thughts and feelings. We will behave in ways that shw what we really think and lve. While in this state: [I]t is bvius what kind f peple they really were in the wrld. They actually behave in accrd with their wn nature. Peple wh were inwardly devted t the gd in the wrld then behave sanely and wisely, mre wisely than when they were living in the wrld. In cntrast, peple wh were fcused n evil in the wrld then behave flishly and insanely because they are in freedm and are n lnger cnstrained (Heaven and Hell 505). Gradually peple wh are mving twards life in heaven separate frm the peple wh are mving twards a life in hell. And peple wh will be mre cmfrtable living in hell will be drawn tward thers like them. This is determined by what they lve mst in life and is cnfirmed by the many chices they made during life in the wrld. T prepare peple fr life in heaven r hell, the Lrd will help them put aside what is incmpatible with their ruling lve. Fr example, gd peple wh are chsing heaven will need t get rid f any bad habits they may still have. The angels teach these peple abut life in heaven. And when their preparatin is cmplete, they are given angelic clthing and led by the Lrd t a path ging t a heavenly cmmunity suited t them. What abut peple wh prefer t fllw the selfish path f hell? They will be prepared t mve int the hme they have chsen. Hw lng we spend in this halfway place depends n hw much preparatin we need fr the kind f eternal life we have chsen. OPTIONAL READING When spirits have been prepared fr heaven they are clthed with angelic garments, which are mstly glwing white as if made f fine linen. They are thus brught t the way that leads upwards twards heaven, and are delivered there t angel guards, and afterwards are received by ther angels and intrduced int scieties and int many blessings there. After this each ne is led by the Lrd int his r her wn sciety, which is als effected by varius ways, smetimes by winding paths. The ways by which they are led are nt knwn t any angel, but are knwn t the Lrd alne. When they cme t their wn sciety their interirs are pened. As these are like the interirs f the angels in that sciety they are immediately recgnized and received with jy (see Heaven and Hell 519). 3 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Fcus Pints 1. Explain the difference between the terms wrld f spirits and spiritual wrld. 2. In what ways d yu think that the wrld f spirits will be like ur natural wrld? In what ways might it be different? 3. Why d yu think the Lrd arranged it s that everyne ges t the same place at first rather than directly t heaven r hell? 4. What kinds f experiences d yu anticipate having in the wrld f spirits? 5. When peple have spent sme time in the wrld f spirits they may n lnger see sme f their gd friends. Why might this happen? 6. In what ways d yu think yur life will be different when everyne arund yu can see what yu are thinking and feeling? 7. Explain hw the experiences in the wrld f spirits are different fr spirits wh are ging t heaven and spirits wh are ging t hell. 8. Why might it be a gd idea t try t vercme yur bad habits while yu are living here n earth? 4 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Activity 1 Separating Gd frm Evil While we are living in the wrld f spirits, ur gd and evil qualities will be separated t prepare us fr either heaven r hell. Identify Gd and Evil Habits In the fllwing chart, mark habits that yu think are gd with a and habits yu think culd be bad r evil with an x. cmplaining cheerfulness sharing having curage being prickly criticizing being sarcastic usefulness helping thers frgiving being jealus hnesty beying laws graciusness laziness hating thers kindness meanness swearing appreciating thers saying kind wrds stealing making thers afraid being happy fr thers lying putting thers first hurting Discussin 1. Chse a gd habit frm this list, r anther gd habit that cmes t mind. What are the psitive effects and lng term cnsequences that may cme frm practicing this habit? 2. Chse a harmful habit, such as lying. What are the negative effects and lng term cnsequences that practicing this habit culd bring? 3. Can peple earn their way int heaven by simply ding gd deeds? Des it make a difference if smene appears t d smething nice fr anther persn, but their real gal is t get smething ut f it fr themselves? Is this really ding gd? 4. Everyne living in the wrld has a mixture f gd and bad habits. Hw will these be srted ut in the wrld f spirits? 5. D angels in heaven still have bad habits? D peple wh chse t live in hell still have gd habits? Why r why nt? 5 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
The Grand Man Activity 2 Suggested Activity: Gather a variety f fds t sample while reading. Think abut hw these fds might be absrbed int the bdy depending n their nutritinal value, etc. Reflect n hw fds relate t the ideas we take int ur lives. Gd and true ideas, like nutritius fds, build a strng framewrk. False and bad ideas are like pisnus fds that are expelled frm the bdy. Grups may enjy discussing this. Intrductin What des heaven lk like? The Heavenly Dctrine tells us that heaven, as a whle, appears in the frm f human being a Grand Man. [I]n the Lrd's eyes heaven is a man n the grand scale, and may be called the Grand Man (see Earths in the Universe 9). Sme peple chse nt t live in heaven, but t live in hell. They live utside the Grand Man and symblize things that are full f disease (see Arcana Celestia 2996). Cmparing What Happens in the Wrld f Spirits t the Digestive Tract The Heavenly Dctrine cmpares the jurney peple take when they are being prepared fr heaven r hell t the way fd is prcessed in the alimentary canal. Afterwards peple are either assimilated as angels int the Grand Man like nurishing fd, r rejected as evil spirits int hell. When a persn dies and enters the next life, his life may be likened t fd which is received in a gentle manner by the lips and is then passed dwn thrugh the muth, thrat, and esphagus int the stmach, the whle prcess being cnditined by his character which has been frmed during his lifetime by the things he did. T begin with, the treatment that mst spirits receive is mild, fr they are kept in the cmpany f angels and gd spirits. This is pictured by what happens t fd, when at first it is tuched gently by the lips and then tasted by the tngue t see what it is like. Fd that is sft, cntaining that that which is sweet, ily, and spirituus is received instantly thrugh the veins and carried away int the bldstream, whereas fd that is hard, cntaining that which is bitter, disagreeable, and f little nutritive value, is harder t break dwn. It is sent dwn thrugh the esphagus int the stmach where it is refined by varius methds and vilent actins. Fd that is even harder, even less agreeable, and f even less value is frced dwn int the intestines and at length int the rectum where the first hell is situated, and is then finally expelled and becmes excrement. Analgus t all this is a persn's life after death. At first he is cnfined t matters f an external nature. Because he has led a decent life externally, he is amng angels and upright spirits. But nce he ceases t be cnfined t them, what he had been like inwardly what he had been like s far as his thughts and affectins were cncerned, and at length s far as his ends in view were cncerned is revealed. Thse ends determine the life that awaits him (see Arcana Celestia 5175). Fr Reflectin Chse ne r tw fds perhaps ne that is nutritius and ne that is nt. Think abut and discuss hw these might relate t the ideas we take int ur lives e.g. Sugary drinks taste gd, but can rt teeth and have little useful nutritinal value. Teasing smene can seem like fun, but afterwards yu feel rtten that yu have hurt a friend. 6 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Activity 3 What Kind f Twn Is This? (Adapted frm Dnnette Alfelt s bk, Frm the Tp f the Yardstick) There is a stry attributed t a famus American named Benjamin Franklin that ges like this: Ben was standing utside f the city f Philadelphia when a stranger apprached him and said, I m thinking f mving t Philadelphia. What kind f a twn is it? Ben answered with a questin. It depends. What kind f twn d yu cme frm? The stranger said that where he came frm peple were friendly, kind and helpful. Ben then said Welcme t Philadelphia. Yu are ging t be very happy here. Anther stranger came alng and asked the same questin: What kind f twn is Philadelphia? Ben again asked What was the twn like that yu came frm? The stranger answered that where he came frm, peple were rude, incnsiderate and unpleasant. Ben gave him this reply Yu wn t be happy here. Yu will find that peple in Philadelphia will be pretty much the same as where yu came frm. What kind f place is yur twn r cmmunity? Hw d yu judge ther peple? On a few negative experiences By seeing what is gd in them On yur hurt feelings By whether yu like them r nt On whether r nt yu have a gd time with them On whether they reach ut t yu On whether they re generus t yu r thers Which f these criteria are useful ways t judge peple? Which are nt? Why? Suggest ways t think abut ther peple that supprt the gd part f each persn. Nw imagine that yu have just arrived in the wrld f spirits and are asking Ben Franklin what the spiritual wrld is like. Hw might yu respnd when asked abut the cmmunity yu came frm? Des this describe the kind f heavenly cmmunity yu want t live in? 7 Discvering the New Church Lessn 2 n Eternal Life
Taking It Hme Here are a variety f activities that can help yu bring this lessn int yur life. Ideas fr Jurnal Entries (chse ne) Imagine that yu are an angel guide. Outline a tur f the wrld f spirits that yu wuld like t give a persn wh has recently arrived there. What wuld be the mst amazing place yu culd shw smene? Are there any places yu wuld avid ging t, but might talk abut? Peple wh are prepared fr heaven are given special clthing that reflects the beautiful state f their minds as they becme angels. Design a heavenly gwn r utfit that yu might wish t be given as yu enter heaven. Fr Reflectin Hw might yu describe the wrld f spirits t a friend wh has nt heard abut it befre. What things might cmfrt yur friend? Are there any things that might be disturbing? Reflect n yur persnal qualities. Hw are yu using them t prepare fr a life in heaven? Chse ne quality (it culd be smething as simple as a lvely smile) and think abut hw yu can use this gift t bring the Lrd int yur life. Spiritual Task By the Rev. Derek Elphick What s in Yur Suitcase? "Lay up fr yurselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:20 Yu ve heard the phrase befre but what are these treasures we re suppsed t be string up in heaven? Spiritual treasures are the spiritual values we put int practice and make a habit. Quite literally, we lay up treasures in heaven every time we act with sincerity, integrity, and hnesty; whenever we make the effrt t be kind, generus, and thughtful tward thers; whenever we use ur talents and are useful t sciety. Of curse, in rder t lay up treasures in heaven yu need t A.C.T, that is, yu need the right Attitude, plenty f Curage frm the Lrd, and an unshakable Trust in Him. S shun the negative, fearful, suspicius thughts and feelings yu may have, the mth and rust (evils) which destry, and rest cntent knwing that yu are laying up treasures in heaven. 8 Discvering the New Church Eternal Life
Further Reading Preparatin fr Heaven by the Rev. Duglas Taylr We knw that when peple wake up in the wrld f spirits and learn that they are spirits, they g thrugh tw stages there. At first everything is the same as in this wrld. They lk, sund and feel the same. But in the secnd stage the real persn is revealed. What we are really like underneath, what we secretly think and lve, cmes t view. If we have been evil in ur minds; if we had hateful thughts and feelings abut peple mst f the time; if we were always acting selfishly but hid this while in the wrld, then in the secnd stage we will nt be able t hide this any lnger. Our real character is shwn. It will n lnger be pssible fr us t pretend. We will begin t speak and act what is in ur mind. And it will becme clear t the gd spirits that we really belng in hell. Fr an evil spirit like that there is n third stage in the wrld f spirits. There is n way f preparing fr heaven, nr t belng there. The Writings tell what happens if such a spirit tries t get int heaven. If peple try t get int heaven and really d nt belng there, they find that they can hardly breathe. They begin t feel sad, and t writhe and squirm. Frm ther passages in the Heavenly Dctrine we learn that spirits wh are nt really fit fr heaven feel like fish ut f water. They gasp fr breath. They feel mst uncmfrtable. They have nt lived accrding t the laws f heaven, set frth in the Lrd s Wrd. We knw this als frm a parable in the New Testament. The earthly stry was abut a man wh went t a wedding fr the king s sn. But t his surprise, he was nt allwed t stay at the wedding feast because he was nt wearing the right clthes. He was nt wearing a wedding-garment. He was bund hand and ft by the servants n rder f the king, and he was cast int uter darkness. Yu may be surprised at that. We knw hw imprtant it is t be nicely dressed when we t a wedding. But it may seem that n king wuld have smene thrwn int uter darkness because he was nt wearing the right clthes. But this stry, being a parable, has deeper meaning. The wedding feast means heaven. Being allwed int the feast is like being allwed int heaven. The king is like the Lrd. But what abut the man wh did nt have a wedding-garment? What is he like? He is like smene wh knws hw he shuld live, frm the Lrd s Wrd. But he has nt lived right. There are tw things that must be dne. The first is t learn frm the Wrd hw we ught t live. The secnd is t d it. We must d these tw things. They must be jined tgether just like a wedding. Our learning and ur living must be jined tgether, must be married tgether. If we d that, then it is like having a wedding-garment. We are prepared fr heaven. If we dn t have the wedding-garment, we cannt be allwed int 9 Discvering the New Church Eternal Life
heaven. We are nt ready fr it. We wuld be mst unhappy if we were allwed in. We wuld sn knw we didn t belng there. And we wuld flee away. Peple wh find that they dn t belng in heaven sn begin t frget all they ever learned abut heaven. They frget all the things they had learned but nt lived. Then they are cmpletely in the dark abut heaven and the Lrd. This is what is meant by the man withut a wedding-garment being cast int uter darkness. He really did that himself. It isn t that the Lrd casts anyne int hell. We chse hell after we find we are nt happy in heaven. There is n third stage in the wrld f spirits fr the evil. The third stage which is preparatin fr heaven is nly fr the gd. Preparatin means being taught abut heaven. Sme gd spirits are well instructed abut heaven when they arrive in the wrld f spirits. They learned abut it n earth, s they d nt stay there lng. But mst gd spirits have sme mistaken ideas. They need t be crrected. This is dne in the third stage. There are als spirits wh are basically gd. Yet they still have sme bad habits. They are nt fully ready fr heaven until they have given up these bad habits. This, t, is dne in the third stage f the wrld f spirits. When the gd spirits have been fully prepared, they are clthed in white garments. They are led ut f their place f instructin and crrectin. Then a wnderful thing happens. They see a pathway that leads t heaven. They d nt knw at the time that the path leads t their wn sciety in heaven. But the wnderful thing is that n ne else sees that pathway nly the persn wh is suppsed t walk alng it. The gd spirit walks alng the path that leads upward t heaven and is greeted by the angel guard. He r she is led t his r her wn sciety his r her wn grup f peple. They recgnize the gd spirit as if they had always been friends. And the newcmer als feels at hme with them. This is the way the Lrd prepares peple fr a hme in heaven. While n earth the Lrd made this prmise: In My Father s huse are many mansins. If it were nt s, I wuld have tld yu. I g t prepare a place fr yu. And if I g and prepare a place fr yu, I will cme again, and receive yu unt Myself; that where I am, there ye may be als. Lessn: Jhn 14:2,3 10 Discvering the New Church Eternal Life