"Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell" - The God is Greater than Love

A Park around Tokyo

 

The God is Greater than Love

Geraldine Cummins (1890 – 1969) spiritually communicated with F. W. H. Myers (1843 – 1901; a British poet and a founder of the Society for Psychical Research) and delivered the book The Road to Immorality written based on the spiritual communication.

Whether you believe or not that there can be communications with the spirits of deceased persons, the descriptions in the book match most of reports of near-death experiences, which became popular since Raymond Moody issuing books on such experiences since 1970s, in terms of death, the afterworld, and states of human souls after death.  However, the Vatican and other Christian churches have not encouraged people to promote the notion of immorality of human souls based on near-death experiences or modern spiritualism, which started in Europe and America in the 19th century.  Indeed, they did not authorize Swedenborg who wrote many books about the spirit world based on his own experiences of seeing the afterlife while living in this world in the 18th century, although he was a pious Christian (but not a Catholic).

In these books of Swedenborg and the modern spiritualism, there are some unique views on the God, Christ Jesus, the spirit world, etc. that are different from those officially adopted by the Vatican and other Christian churches.  Especially, views and thoughts on the God and Christ Jesus are important in judging divine authenticity of those books, if they are against Catholic creeds.         　

In The Road to Immorality, the spirit of Myers talked through Cummins that living people with finite minds should conceive the God with the expression that "the God is greater than love," although Christ Jesus said that "the God is love."  

It is because Christ Jesus used this expression in a different way and meaning than those for past people who had used the word love with human meanings.  The fact that Christ Jesus used the expression "the God is love" means that only Christ Jesus among all the human being who had ever lived in this world understood the true meaning of this expression.

This is an argument that cannot be discussed with a slicker or a tool of Satan.  If we interpret the words of Christ Jesus from a human pint of view or as words with human meaning, the expression of "The God is love" might sound simply emotional.  Nonetheless, Christ Jesus also said that "The God is the Spirit."  In this case, nobody should wrongly think that the God once lived in this world but died at a certain time. 

Anyway, non-nonsense men involved in spiritual matters seem to see the God as the the supreme ruler of the spirit world.  Even non-nonsense spirits that have spiritually communicated with living men seem to admit that they are all under power, dignity, glory, and love of the God.

The Vatican and other churches should change their attitudes, views, and policies on modern spiritualism.  They have to admit that every human being has his own soul that will enter into the spirit world to be a spirit leaving its body after death in this world like Christ Jesus as the modern spiritualism suggests.        

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Luke 10, King James Version

15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

"when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet" - You but Not Christ Jesus that Is on the Cross

 

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You but Not Christ Jesus that Is on the Cross

Everybody knows that Christ Jesus suffered on the cross before His death.  But He knew that His soul would continue to live in the spirit world after death in this world.  But nobody has discussed this issue and found the answer.

From the beginning, the mission of Christ Jesus and the Gospels that report His mission are based on the notion that there are the afterworld, Heaven, and the hell.  Therefore, Christ Jesus should not have been afraid of death, since He knew that His soul should go on living in the spirit world after death in this world.  So then, what made Christ Jesus suffer so hard on the cross before His death?

The answer must be love to people but not sins of them.  It can be partly true that Christ Jesus suffered on the cross because He took and carried all the sins of people on behalf of them so as to make them relieve from retribution.  However, it is more likely that Christ Jesus saw power of Satan on people making people rebel against the God and leading them to corruption and degeneracy.  As a result, more and more people would fall into the hell, for which Christ Jesus felt responsible and remorse.

In other words, Christ Jesus should have seen so many people falling into the hell in the future.  Due to love to people, Christ Jesus must have felt great pain.  The images of the future revealed to Christ Jesus on the cross must have been so horrible, since so many people brainwashed by Satan would fall into the hell.

Christ Jesus must not have suffered due to His own tragedy or personal pains or for the weight of sins He carried on behalf of people.  But He suffered due to tragedies and pains that the people brainwashed by Satan should suffer in the future, and He felt responsible for it.    

Some people have mistaken Christ Jesus on the cross as a representative of sinners.  To tell the truth, the image of Christ Jesus on the cross represents everyone suffering due to divine punishment as he is brainwashed by Satan.  

"It is you but not Christ Jesus that is on the cross" must be the message that should be delivered by the Vatican and other churches.   

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Matthew 10, King James Version
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

"The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling" - Spirits Requested to Ascend to Higher Levels

 

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Spirits Requested to Ascend to Higher Levels

In Japan, there is one story, named Kozakura-hime Monogatari (The Princess Kozakura Story) well known to people interested in spiritualism, about a woman who had been the wife of a samurai 400 years earlier and appeared to a certain woman in the 20th century through spiritual communications.  

The spiritual communications between the spirit and the certain woman who was wife of Wasaburo Asano, a notable researcher of spiritualism in Japan before WWII, continued for about 7 years since 1929 when the wife got spiritual ability at death of her boy.  The spirit called itself Kozakura-hime (Princess Kozakura) and talked about its life while living in this world as well as various states in the afterworld.  After fully talking experiences in the spirit world, the spirit declared that it would stop the communications.   Asano wrote the book about these spiritual communications between his wife and the spirit, which became a best seller at the time.  Subsequently, Asano died in 1937.

And 40 years later, around 1969, the spirit of Princess Kozakura appeared to a local historian who lived around the place where Princess Kozakura once lived as the wife of a samurai local lord.  The historian studied about Princess Kozakura to find that she had died without giving birth to children, so that her name was not recorded in the family history of the clan of her husband.  So, the historian visited the Asano's wife to inform her of the spiritual appearance of the spirit of Princess Kozakura and get some information about her.  The historian gave the spirit a religious name of shintoism to appease her and officially admit her existence in history.  Then, the spirit of Princess Kozakura stopped appearing to the historian.  And, soon after it, Asano's wife died in 1969.

The spirit or Princess Kozakura came to know Asano's wife when her boy died and entered into the afterlife.  Then, Princess Kozakura became the guardian spirit of Asano's wife.  From communications between Princess Kozakura and Asano's wife, some interesting status and circumstances in the spirit world were revealed.

Spirits in the afterlife or the spirit world are requested to spiritually study and train themselves so that they will ascend to higher levels in the spirit world.  And, as shintoism was popular in the samurai class at the time of her life, Princess Kozakura said that gods of shintoism presided over some parts of the spirit world.  However, there are upper levels where other gods preside.  

There are also spirits of animals and plants in the spirit world who behave and talk like human spirits, according to Princess Kozakura.  And, there are also spirits of some mystical creatures known in the Japanese society several hundreds years ago. 

Except parts in her explanations about the spirit world, which are unique to the era in Japan when Princess Kozakura lived probably in the 15th century, the status and circumstances of spirits in the spirit world match those in the spirit world and near-death experiences reported by modern Europeans and Americans. 

In this context, it seems to be true that souls of dead men continue to live in the afterworld as spirits with the same minds as those they had while living in this world but with different spiritual bodies.  Nonetheless, spirits in the spirit world are requested to educate and enhance themselves and ascend to higher levels closer to the supreme God, although they do not have to worry about clothes, foods, and residence.       

Today, a shintoism shrine enshrining Princess Kozakura stands in a costal area near Tokyo where she lived as the wife of a samurai local lord about 500 years ago.  And nowadays, the spirit of Princess Kozakura seems to live or rest peacefully in the afterworld.                     

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John 10, King James Version

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

"Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery" - Conan Doyle's Efforts to Propagate Spiritualism

 

Mt. Fuji and the Moon 

Conan Doyle's Efforts to Propagate Spiritualism

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (1859 – 1930) is famous not only for his novels featuring Sherlock Holmes but also for his belief and efforts to diffuse spiritualism. 

However, his work New Revelation (1918) shows his passion to influence modern Christianity with a hope that the truth of Christ Jesus should be taught to Christians.  According to Doyle, Christ Jesus was the person with the highest spiritual power.  The Gospels should be read from the view point that miracles and healings by Christ Jesus were based on His ability to use spiritual power.  Doyle also believed that there was the afterlife.  He also thought that WWI had occurred due to the failure of the Vatican and other Christian churches in teaching truth of Christ Jesus while diffusing problematic creeds that could not prevent WWI.  And, the main reason for this failure of traditional Christian communities was, Dole thought, that they had not read and interpret the Gospels from the spiritual point of view.                

One of interesting points in his argument is that the event called the Transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospels shows Christ Jesus' spiritual power to evoke spirits of ancient Jewish saints such as Moses while using St. Peter and other disciples as spirit mediums.  

In the Synoptic Gospels, (Matthew 17:1–8 Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36), the account of the transfiguration happens towards the middle of the narrative. It is a key episode and almost immediately follows another important element, the Confession of Peter: "you are the Christ" (Matthew 16:16, Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20). The transfiguration narrative acts as a further revelation of the identity of Jesus as the Son of God to some of his disciples.

In the gospels, Jesus takes Peter, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John the Apostle with him and goes up to a mountain, which is not named. Once on the mountain, Matthew 17:2 states that Jesus "was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and his garments became white as the light." At that point the prophet Elijah representing the prophets and Moses representing the Law appear and Jesus begins to talk to them. Luke states that they spoke of Jesus' exodus (εξοδον) which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (Lk 9:31). Luke is also specific in describing Jesus in a state of glory, with Luke 9:32 referring to "they saw His glory".

Just as Elijah and Moses begin to depart from the scene, Peter begins to ask Jesus if the disciples should make three tents for him and the two prophets. This has been interpreted as Peter's attempt to keep the prophets there longer. But before Peter can finish, a bright cloud appears, and a voice from the cloud states: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mark 9:7). The disciples then fall to the ground in fear, but Jesus approaches and touches them, telling them not to be afraid. When the disciples look up, they no longer see Elijah or Moses.

When Jesus and the three apostles are going back down the mountain, Jesus tells them to not tell anyone "the things they had seen" until the "Son of Man" has risen from the dead. The apostles are described as questioning among themselves as to what Jesus meant by "risen from the dead".

The Vatican and other churches should diffuse the notion that there is a soul in everyman which will enter into the spirit world after bodily death in this world to continue to live in the spirit world as a spirit.

However, Christ Jesus also emphasized that poor men's souls would enter into Heaven but rich men's souls should fall into the hell to be eventually taken out.  As the Vatican and other churches have accumulated significant wealth, and their leaders are rich in terms of material assets they possess.  Therefore, in principle, the Pope and other leaders of various churches are destined to the hell as Swedenborg wrote.  They must be afraid that people would come to think this way if Christian communities followed the spiritual view on the Gospels.     

The spiritualism of today should first give a drastic influence on the Christian communities.


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Mark 10, King James Version

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

"while they made ready, he fell into a trance" - The Spirit World Not Necessarily Safe and Peaceful

 

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The Spirit World Not Necessarily Safe and Peaceful 

Near-death experiences seem to be experienced or reported by many, probably more than millions of people, nowadays since Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Raymond Moody, etc. launched studies on states of death, dying, near-death experiences, etc. in 1960's and 1970's.

However, states of death, dying, near-death experiences, etc. were reported by Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) in his books such as Heaven and Hell, Spiritual Diary, etc.  Nonetheless, the Gospels of Christianity are based on the notion that there is the spirit world, Heaven, and the hell where souls of dead men go.  And, even Buddhism is based on such a notion.  Therefore, for believers in Christianity, Buddhism, etc., such a notion that there is the afterlife should be a matter of common knowledge.   

There is also another notion in the Gospels, which is that Satan with evil spirits attacks Christ Jesus and His followers.  So, there is a sense of the war between the God or Christ Jesus and Satan.

And as Satan is also a spiritual entity, the war between Christ Jesus with His followers and Satan continues in the spirit world.  There are may evil spirits in the spirit world as even Swedenborg wrote.

There are also some people who claim that they have the ability to communicate with various spirits in the spirit world and earn money by giving services with the ability to those who want to make communications with spirits of their deceased relatives.  Some people have gained popularity like entertainers on TV.  But, such spiritual business must be dangerous, since there are Satan and evil spirits in the spirit world.

One of main features of Swedenborg lies in this point.  He gave warning against evil spirits who was trying to attack and destroy human beings.  He wrote that malicious intentions of these evil spirits are so strong that human beings would be destroyed by them without protection by the God.  In this context, it can be well understood that the Vatican authorizes some exorcists who are specialized in fighting against evil spirits that haunt human beings.

Indeed, Swedenborg wrote that if human beings saw various spirits and the spirit world while living in this world, they might go mad.  (Swedenborg himself was guided by the spirit of Christ Jesus to see the spirit world.)  So, spirits and the spirit world are usually hidden from eyes of human beings.  The spirit world is not safe and peaceful as some people with spiritual ability say.  And those who had near-death experiences mostly say that they saw only peaceful states of the spirt world.  But what they saw should be just entrance to the spirit world.  If they had really died, they should have seen evil spirits in addition to spirits of their deceased relatives.

One of the reasons why we can trust Swedenborg is that he gave warnings against Satan and evil spirits in his books.  Anyway, we should not forget that Christ Jesus, as a man, was killed on the cross by those who were brainwashed and controlled by Satan and evil spirits.   We need help from the God or Christ Jesus when we handle spiritual entities and the spirt world.  And, it is recommended for people who had near-death experiences or others to read Swedenborg's books.  

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Acts 10, King James Version

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

"The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" - What Churches Should First Teach

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What Churches Should First Teach  

There is a report on an old sister of the Catholic Church who was respected as a leader of an religious organization as she behaved so religiously and devotionally.  When her death came near due to a serious sickness, she still spoke and taught as a model Christian.  But several minutes before her death, she said to a priest who visited her, "Is there really an afterlife? I am afraid of death."

Swedenborg, who saw the spirit world while living in this world in the 18th century, wrote that people cannot see the spirit world because they do not believe existence of the afterlife and they do not understand that there are spiritual persons or souls within their bodies.  And he wrote that the spiritual person or the soul in one's body is the true person of a man.       

However, Christianity is based on belief in spiritual power of Christ Jesus and existence of the God in the spiritual world.  So, it is very sorry that members of Christian churches, such as said old sister, do not believe the existence of the afterlife.  And, as they cannot see the spirit world, except those who have had near-death experiences, they are afraid of death.

It tells that Christianity of today has a serious problem.  Most of priests, pastors, and other leaders of churches seem not to fully believe the existence of the afterlife and the spirit world.  Otherwise, every church should first proclaim that there is the afterlife or the spirit world where men continue to live after death in this world, so that people should not be afraid of death.  However, even the Pope of the Vatican does not try to diffuse the notion to the world so as to save people from the fear of death. 

Swedenborg wrote that if people were given the idea of existence of the afterlife, they might try to stop efforts to go on living but would die as soon as possible when they face difficulties in living in this world.  Nonetheless, as everyman has a mission in life in this world, he should not give up his life only because he knows that he can be saved in the afterlife.  For this reason, according to Swedenborg, the afterlife is hidden from men by the God.

Nonetheless, Christ Jesus tried to save minds of poor people who were suffering in this world by preaching that they would be accepted in Heaven and become happy there.  Christ Jesus tried to save the poor by telling them that they could go on living in the spirit world and eventually in Heaven and they would be relived from pains and sufferings to be happy after death.

This is the main theme in the teachings of Christ Jesus.  And the basic notion is that there is the afterlife, which every church, including the Vatican, should first teach to their members and the general public. 

Indeed, souls of men never die in this world, but souls of evil men should die or be killed by the God in the hell.                    

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Luke 10, King James Version

8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

"shall a man leave his father and mother" - Do Not Fear Satan but the God

 

A Pacific Shore Southwest of Tokyo Facing Mt. Fuji

Do Not Fear Satan but the God

One of the most important teachings of Christ Jesus is as follows:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10)

It focuses on death and life as well as Satan and the God.  It means that everything that is the most important for men is handled there.

Specifically, Satan might kill your body but your soul will go to the spirit world where you will be saved from Satan, but if you are a follower of Satan, your soul will fall into the hell after your death in the world to be destroyed by the God there.

Therefore, you need not to be afraid of Satan but have to be afraid of the God.   

It also implies that those who believe in the God and Christ Jesus should be attacked by Satan in this world, but there is no need to be afraid of Satan, since it cannot harm their souls after their bodily death though it might kill them in this world or intimidate them with threat on their lives.

Believers in the God and Christ Jesus are enemies of Satan who controls the human world using temptation with money, wealth, and worldly power in addition to arousing various lusts.

This teaching is also based on the notion that men continue to live in the spirit world after death in this world.  And believers in the God and Christ Jesus will receive happiness and blessings as well as eternal life in the spirit world.

However, not all men can live happily in the spirt world after bodily death.  There is a war between the God and Satan.  Christ Jesus came to this world to save men from Satan.  So, Satan hates Christ Jesus and His followers.  Put simply, you have to fight against Satan to be accepted in Heaven through the spirit world.  When you read the Gospels, you have to realize this war between the God and Satan, which is another theme of the Gospels. 

The knowledge that men can live in the afterlife after death in this world is not enough for men to be saved from the fear of death.   What you have to believe is that only those who are against Satan can gain eternal life in the afterlife.

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Mark 10, King James Version

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

"This parable spake Jesus unto them" - The Last Judgment in 1757 to the Start of the End of the World in 2060

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The Last Judgment in 1757 to the Start of the End of the World in 2060

Swedenborg (1688 – 1772) wrote in Experiences in the Afterworld that he saw the Last Judgement in the spirit world in 1757.  But, he thought its effect would appear in the human world or in this world hundreds years later.

The reason for the last judgement having been made in 1757 in the spirt world is, according to Swedenborg, that there was great confusion among spirits in the spirit world, so that spirits in the lower level of Heaven and those in the upper level of the hell were mingled in the spirit world.  This state of spiritual disorder had been caused due to turmoil in faith among Christians influenced by the Church of Rome and followers of Martin Luther.

Swedenborg wrote that he saw both Popes in Rome and Martin Luther in the hell.  The former had been rotten, and the latter had launched a wrong creed that only faith could lead men to Heaven without good conduct to achieve justice.  Christians who had followed the Catholic Church of Rome or Martin Luther had brought confusion in the spirit world.  Therefore, the God decided to clean up the spirit world.  And thus, the last Judgment was carried out in the spirit world to separate good spirits from bad spirits.  Its effect did not immediately appear in the human world or in this world.  

However, it should be noted that the United States achieved independence in 1776, namely nine years after the last judgment in the spirit world observed by Swedenborg.  The U.S. has not fully accepted the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church but developed various Christian denominations, while growing and developing to the super power after WWII. 

It should be also noted that after the 19th century spiritualism came to be widely accepted by some Americans and Europeans.  Seances or meetings for evocation were often held to communicate with spirits in the spirit world.  In the 20th centuries, some people had out-of-body experiences into the spirit world to experience similar events as have been reported by Swedenborg in the 18th century.   And after WWII, human attitudes toward death and the afterworld have been significantly changed due to works by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Raymond Moody, etc.

Furthermore, it should be noted that Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) who died about 50 years earlier than Swedenborg wrote that the end of the world would not begin till 2060.  Therefore, we had better think that the influence of the judgment carried out in the spirit world observed by Swedenborg in 1757 should appear around 2060.

By the way, Swedenborg wrote that he had seen Newton in Heaven but not in the hell like Martin Luther, many popes, St. Paul, etc. 


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John 10, King James Version

10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

"Go not into the way of the Gentiles" - Christ Jesus with the Frosty Head

 

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Christ Jesus with the Frosty Head

The Manhood of Jesus by Geraldine Dorothy Cummins (1890–1969) may be a book of miracle to supplement the Gospels by showing details of life of Christ Jesus.

It is said that she told the story as she was guided by some spirit and a transcriber wrote down her words:

She began to work as a medium following prompting from Hester Dowden and E. B. Gibbes. She received alleged messages from her spirit-guide "Astor" and was an exponent of automatic writing. Her books were based on these communications. In 1928 she published The Scripts of Cleophas, which provided channelled material on early Christian history complementing Acts of the Apostles and St. Paul's writings, supposed to have been communicated by the spirit of Cleophas, one of Paul's followers. This was later supplemented by Paul in Athens (1930) and The Great Days of Ephesus (1933).[3]

Cummins' next work described human progress through spiritual enlightenment. The Road to Immortality (1932) provided a glowing vision of the afterlife. Its contents were purportedly communicated from the 'other side' by the psychologist and psychic researcher Frederic W. H. Myers. Unseen Adventures (1951) was a spiritual autobiography. She also published several books of spiritually-derived knowledge about details of the life of Jesus.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldine_Cummins)

One interesting thing in The Manhood of Jesus is that when Christ Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in woods outside the tomb three days after the crucifixion, He looked like an old man with the frosty head.  Mary Magdalene and the other woman also saw an angel in white in the tomb and another angel out of the tomb.  They told the scene to other disciples waiting and hiding in a house from Jewish authority, but nobody believed it though some of them went to the tomb to confirm it.  But, how Christ Jesus looked is not reported in the Gospels.

Why did Christ Jesus look like an old man when He rose from death?  In the spirit world, nobody gets older, so that the body of Christ Jesus had become older when His spirit had been still in this world or in His body.  Did a fear of death or pain on the cross make Christ Jesus older?

Christian churches teach in their creeds that human beings are saved as Christ Jesus redeemed them from sin.  Christ Jesus bore our sin.  This act must have been made not in the spirit world after His death but in this world while He was dying on the cross.  It must have been spiritually heavy work, since Christ Jesus bore sin of all the people at the time and in future.  His love to redeem all the people and bear their sin must have consumed His spiritual and physical energy, so that He became like an old man.

Although people would not accept the image of Christ Jesus on the cross looking as an old man with silver hair, this description in The Manhood of Jesus is trustworthy.

Indeed as the 21st century came closer in 1900s or 2,000 years were about to pass since the 1st century, the God must have poured spirits onto some people for them to see holy images and receive spiritual messages, since the end of the world was coming.  Geraldine Dorothy Cummins must be one of them, since her books look neither so conventionally religious nor so commonly entertaining though very spiritual. 

To evade the end of the world, we must know truth of life of Christ Jesus even through spiritual messages or images.  

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Matthew 10, King James Version

10 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

"he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd" - The Image of Christ Jesus on the Cross against Satan

 

Around Tokyo

The Image of Christ Jesus on the Cross against Satan

The symbol of Christianity showing Christ Jesus on the cross is also a symbol showing evil and horrible power of Satan.  It does not display power and victory of the God or Christ Jesus over Satan.  To preset Their power and victory, Satan should be displayed under the cross.

Yet, churches may claim that the image of Christ Jesus on the cross shows love of Christ Jesus to everyman.  However, if you do not know the Gospels and the life of Christ Jesus depicted in the Gospels, you cannot immediately understand that the image of Christ Jesus on the cross present His love exercised until His death to everybody.

However, the image of Christ Jesus on the cross is not happy or pleasant one.  It really tells that Satan could kill Christ Jesus on the cross 2000 years ago.  If you do not know the Gospels, you do not know that Christ Jesus was resurrected three days after the death on the cross.  But the image of Christ Jesus on the cross does not present victory of Christ Jesus against death and Satan.

The image of Christ Jesus on the cross is a suffering Jesus.  Should we be glad and happy to see Christ Jesus on the cross made suffering by Satan due to our sins?  How should we interpret the image of Christ Jesus on the cross?

It is the symbol to warn us about power of Satan.  It is also the symbol of love of Christ Jesus who did not exercise His punishing power to men who followed Satan and killed Him on the cross because He loved all the men so much, which Satan must not have expected.  Satan knowing power of the Son of God, namely Christ Jesus, must have expected that He should use His power to destroy men who followed Satan.  But Christ Jesus forgave those followers of Satan till His death on the cross.  Satan should not have minded if Christ Jesus have destroyed Satan's followers, since other people watching the power and the anger of Christ Jesus would have more fear than love to Christ Jesus.  Then, Christianity should be called later a religion of power and anger of the Son of God.  But, as Christ Jesus forgave those followers of Satan with love to them, Christianity became a religion of love.  In this context, the image of Christ Jesus on the cross symbolizes love of Christ Jesus.  Due to this love, Christianity became a religion of love.

The image of Christ Jesus on the cross is telling first that Satan is so dangerous as to kill even the Son of God on the cross and secondly that He forgives and loves everybody including followers of Satan who is trying to kill Him on the cross.  Indeed, Christ Jesus on the cross is a victim of Satan.  And we are expected to see His love to us as Christ Jesus continues to love us while being victimized by Satan.

We are required, when seeing the image of Christ Jesus on the cross, to remember evil and horrible power of Satan and unbelievable love of Christ Jesus to us.  We should remember that Satan and its followers put Christ Jesus on the cross whenever seeing the image of Christ Jesus on the cross.

Put simply, we have to receive an alarming message against Satan when we see the image of Christ Jesus on the cross.  However, followers of Christ Jesus should be happier if it was the image of Satan that was on the cross.      

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John 10, King James Version
10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

"The harvest truly is great" - The Gospels are Holy Books to Tell Truth and Save the Poor

 

Tokyo

The Gospels are Holy Books to Tell Truth and Save the Poor

The Bible is a book of spiritualism as, for example, the Act describes work of the holy spirit after the crucifixion of Christ Jesus:

Acts 2, King James Version
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Works of Swedenborg, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Raymond Moody, etc., where spirits, the life after death, near-death experiences, etc. are described and reported, can be easily understood by the faithful and believers in Christ Jesus.

In other words, faithful men believe in spirits, the life after death, near-death experiences as well as the sprit world, Heaven, and the hell.  They should believe that they are allowed to enter Heaven and enjoy eternal life.  Therefore, faithful men are not afraid of death, since Christ Jesus said that their enemies, including Satan, could not put them in the hell although they might kill their bodies in this world.

The Gospels teaches:

A man has a soul in addition to its body.  When his body dies, his soul enters into the spirit world and then is accepted into Heaven.  Finally his soul is given eternal life.

It is so simple.  But the core of the teachings of Christ Jesus lies in that poor and faithful men are accepted into Heaven but rich and evil men are condemned to the hell.  This is partly supported in works of Swedenborg.  But other people who experienced communications with spirits and near-death experiences did not focus on this point.  They are just satisfied by observing dead men going into the spirit world and looking happy there.  They do not focus on salvation of poor people by telling them that poor men can be accepted in Heaven to acquire eternal life.

The Bible is not a mere book of spiritualism but a holy book to tell truth about good news on the spirit world and Heaven to poor people so that they can be consoled, relieved, and feel happy in a hope for the afterlife. 

   

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Luke 10, King James Version
10 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

"Then touched he their eyes" - A Buddhist Monk Talking with Dead Men's Souls

 

A Tokyo Subway Line

A Buddhist Monk Talking with Dead Men's Souls

A certain Japanese Buddhist monk wanted to confirm for himself that souls of dead men were existent and alive after bodily death in this world as he often attended funeral services in these decades, although Buddhism he believed in assured existence of the afterlife of dead men's souls.  Finally, he got confidence that souls existed after death.

He aimed at collecting 2000 cases of funeral services for his personal investigation to make it meaningful statistically.  He talked in mind to souls of dead men in funeral services.  As time went by, he felt sure that he could feel what dead men's souls think or make conversations with them.  He made records and took note of these experiences.

To make it sure that he had really made communications with a dead man's soul in a funeral service, he talked with family members of the deceased after a funeral service and compared what he had known from the dead man's soul through spiritual communications with witness of his bereaved family.  Those family members usually got surprised at the monk's obtaining various information of the deceased (from their souls), although the monk usually came to funeral services without knowing who and what the deceased were.   

In one case, the monk felt strange spiritually to the deceased lying in a casket while reading the sutras in a funeral service.  To the monk spiritually speaking to the soul of the dead man, he did not respond normally or squarely as were the ordinary cases.  So, after the service, the monk asked about the status at death of the deceased.  A family member confessed that he had given morphine so often to the patent before he died since the patient had been suffering so much for a long time.  So, the monk had talked to the soul still intoxicated or paralyzed by morphine. 

Based on such 2000 cases of funeral services, the monk felt sure that he confirmed existence of dead men's souls.  The souls with whom he made communications were not in near-death experiences but in real death.  And one of his findings is that characters and personalities of dead men's souls do not change from what they were while they were alive in this world.      

The ability to talk with dead men's souls was naturally obtained as he performed many funeral services where he was usually called by funeral service companies.  A Japanese bereaved family who does not belong to, or has a strong tie, with a specific Buddhist temple often accepts whatever monk a funeral company calls for a funeral service.  Therefore, the monk meets bereaved families and dead men in caskets for the first time in funerals.

So, what the monk has understood after decades-long personal investigation on existence of dead men's souls is so simple: What the religion teaches about immortality of the soul is true.

Christianity is also based on the belief and faith that a soul of a dead man lives after bodily death in this world.      

 

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Matthew 9, King James Version
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

"Why could not we cast him out?" - Souls of the Rich in Heaven?

 

A Shinto Shrine around Tokyo

Souls of the Rich in Heaven?

According to Swedenborg, there are souls of rich men in the spirit world and even in Heaven.

Rich men who earned and spent big money not for their own interest but for promoting the divine will and achieving holy purpose can enter into Heaven.  Indeed, Christ Jesus did not say that rich men could not 100% enter into Heave.  However, the emphasis of His saying is not on the fact that even rich men can be accepted into Heaven.  His intention is still to give a warning to those who want to be rich in this world.

Those who think that they need money to perform the teaching of God and thus earn big money to be eventually rich must not be rich at all in the worldly sense.  Such men must be still poor inside, although he has earned big money to achieve divine purpose.  Such men should not live rich, eat rich, or equip themselves rich.  Their souls should look poor because their inside is humble and poor unlike the souls of worldly rich men.

The fact that there are rich men means that there are poor men.  The rich make the poor envy the rich.  The poor who see and envy the rich would naturally try to be rich.  It does not matter whether the rich use their money only for godly purposes or for their own interest.  The rich can satisfy their desire to be rich, but the poor cannot enjoy such status and pride.  The poor should envy the rich even if the rich use all the money they have to save the poor and fulfill the divine will.  Such poor men might try to be rich by any means, for example, by selling their souls to Satan.

In reality, it must be almost impossible for the rich to use their wealth only for godly purposes.  If you are rich, you should surely live rich, eat rich, and wear rich clothes.  So, it is very misleading for Swedenborg to say that there are souls of rich men in Heaven who spent their money for achieving divine will.

The souls of rich men Swedenborg saw in Heaven must not be souls of rich men in this world.  They must have been poor in this world.  But, when they were admitted into Heaven, they earned much money (if there should be money in Heaven) to spend it according to the divine will, so that they must have looked rich in Heaven to the eyes of Swedenborg.

Christ Jesus told the poor in this world that they should be satisfied in Heaven, which means that they should be rich in Heaven.  So, the souls of the rich Swedenborg saw in Heaven must not be the souls of those who were rich while living in this world. 

Swedenborg was a rich man while living in this world.  Therefore, he wanted to see that even rich men in this world could be allowed into Heaven.  But it indicates that Swedenborg did not understand the divine well.

If there had be such rich men in this world as would spend their wealth to achieve divine purposes, the poor in this world should not have suffered so much that the God had to send His Son Christ Jesus to the human world to save the poor.  In other words, Christ Jesus did not come to this world to allow the rich to enter into Heaven but to save and help the poor to go to Heaven.

No matter how rich and high in the social status, you can be accepted in Heaven as long as you perform the divine will.  Swedenborg wanted to spread this notion by writing various books and reports on the spirit world and the afterlife.  Yet, the divine will is for people to understand that everybody should be poor so that nobody sells his soul to Satan.

Swedenborg should understand why Christ Jesus purposely declared:
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)

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Mark 9, King James Version
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.