The Faithful Vs Evil Spirits
There are many reports on the afterlife or spirit world by those who had near-death experiences or who have psychic ability. But, they have rarely reported that they were attacked by evil spirits or Satan. Nonetheless, if they had been faithful to the God, they should have attacked by evil spirits or Satan like in the case of Swedenborg.The faithful would be targets by evil spirits or Satan as Christ Jesus said:
(Matthew 5)These worlds should apply to those who believe in Christ Jesus in their minds and souls, even if they are not church members, since evil spirits and Satan should be able to see their minds and souls.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
When a faithful man is casually walking, an evil spirit might come into a mind of another man who is passing by him, and the passerby might suddenly curse at him loudly or laugh at him violently to insult him for any or no reasons.
When a man with an evil spirit in his mind sees a man with faith in Christ Jesus or the God coming toward him, he must feel an urge to attack the coming man.
Indeed, when Christ Jesus was casually walking, He must have been attacked by many passersby with evil spirits in their minds who might have suddenly cursed at Him loudly or laughed at Him violently to insult Him for any or no reasons.
Swedenborg wrote that evil spirits in the hells or the spirit world were so evil and outrageous that souls of dead men and living men would be in danger without help from the God or angles. Even in this world, evil spirits or Satan would come into the minds of men without faith, and when such men see a faithful man, they would try to attack and destroy the faithful.
Therefore, all the past followers of Christ Jesus must have been attacked or inflicted by men without faith but with evil spirits in their minds. The Gospels should be read from this point of view. In other words, the proof that one is faithful believing in Christ Jesus or the God is that he is being attacked by evil spirits or Satan.
When evil man die and go into the spirit world, they are free from legal, social, or moral restrictions, so that they outwardly expose clearly their evil natures and characteristics. According to Swedenborg, the souls of such men will become thousand time more heinous in the spirit world than in this world.
At the entrance to the spirit world, those in near-death experiences should not encounter evil spirits, so that they only see wonderful environments in the spirit world. Therefore, when they have come back to life, they report that they were happy in the spirit world, and they seldom report that they were attacked by evil spirits when they were in the afterlife. As a result, some rich and evil people might believe that they can be rich and happy both in this world and in the afterlife.
In this context, we should understand the words of Christ Jesus:
"The rich cannot enter into Heaven, but the poor are accepted in Heaven, and the rich go to the hells."
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Matthew 1, King James Version
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
Matthew 1, King James Version
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;