More evidence that Emanuel Swedenborg believed in universalism, the ultimate salvation of all beings
In this blogpost in Swedish I stated that Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), the great Swedish spirit seer, did not change his opinion about universalism from his "Spiritual Diary" (written 1747-1765) (where he clearly states that all will be saved), to ""Heaven and Hell" (published 1758), but that one should not translate the latin words "aeternitas" and "aeternus" in that later book not with "eternity" and "eternal", but with "eon" or "age" and "eonian" or "age-abiding".
"Heaven and Hell" was based on texts from "Arcana Coelestia", which was written 1749-1756, so if we can find some universalistic passages in Arcana Coelestia, it is very probable that Swedenborg was universalist throughout his life *, and that the problem has been translation faults.
I will now show you such a universalistic passage in "Arcana Coelestia", but let me first remind you of the fact that this passage seemingly contradicts "Heaven and Hell", where Swedenborg says that beings in hell remain there forever, and it also contradicts a passage in Swedenborg's "Spiritual Diary" § 4645 and 4646 (these paragraphs were probably written around 1758, a couple of years after the time when "Arcana Coelestia's" last parts were being published [the first volume was published in 1749] and "Heaven and Hell" was published, which was also 1758) where he says that in the Spirit World, "the tree remains where it falls", i.e. that it is not possible to be reformed in hell and go from hell to heaven, but there is only a contradiction if we are stuck in the false interpretation of the words "aeternitas" and "aeternus", and if we do not read the following words in the same passage: "The inner or spiritual person is perfected in the other life, but depending on the harmony it is able to find in the outer or earthly one. But the latter, namely outer or earthly one cannot be perfected in the other life, but remains of the quality it had acquired in the life of the body." This is what Swedenborg means with the words "the three remains where it falls". The inner being may be reformed, but not the outer. I do not know what this means.
But now to a passage in "Arcana Coelestia" § 7250-7251 (1) where Swedenborg clearly says that beings in hell were saved, more precisely beings from Venus:
Being of this character, when they come into the other life they are very much infested by falsities and evils. Their hells appear around that earth, and do not communicate with the hells of the evil of our earth, because they are of a wholly different genius and disposition; hence also their evils and falsities are of quite another kind. But they who are such that they can be saved are in places of vastation, and are there reduced to the extremity of despair; for evils and falsities of that kind cannot be removed in any other way. When they are in a state of despair, they cry out that they are beasts, brutes, abominations, hatreds, and thus that they are damned. Some of them when in such a state cry out also against heaven, but for this they are excused, because it is from despair. The Lord moderates it, lest they should break out into reproaches beyond certain fixed limits. When they have suffered to the utmost, as their bodily things are then as it were dead, they are at last saved.
I have also been told about them that when they lived on their earth they believed in a Supreme Creator, without a Mediator. These are they who are so vastated, and finally saved, when they have first been instructed and have received the instruction that the Lord is the only God, Savior, and Mediator. I have heard them confess that without a Mediator it would be impossible for them to be saved, because they are filthy and unworthy. I have also seen some of them, after suffering to the utmost, taken up into heaven, and when they were received there, I observed from them such a tenderness of gladness as drew tears from my eyes."
* for example in Swedenborg's late book "Divine providence"(1764), he writes "Thus all are predestined to heaven, and no one to hell." (§ 322)
(1) I guess that these texts were written in the beginnings of the 1750s, maybe 1753 or 1754, which is very remarkable, since it is then almost contemporary with Swedenborg's writing of "Heaven and Hell".
