Heaven and Hell Paperback – February 25, 2020

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.

No table of contents so how to use the book is to search the chapter headings that seem to appeal to you and read it. I would have liked a table of contents but the format the book came in was tolerable. The text itself is very thought provoking and detailed.

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.

Every time I pick up Heaven and Hell I am a amazed at how much sense it makes. And not just in a logical way but in that deep down calm "it just seems right and true" kind of way. I have never had an NDE, but I have studied religious, philosophical and mystical literature for a long time and this one is a true gem. It's conservative and simple on one hand but reaches beyond the regular dogma of mainstream Christianity on the other, with a modern (from the 1700's?) perspective similar to many near death visions of today. Highly recommended for anyone.

I got this book because after talking with a relative about our beliefs and things.... she recommended this book.I give this 3 stars because:1 - The printing is to small;2 - The book doesn't have introduction neither biography about the author, and neither comments of how or why he wrote this book, or at list a brief description of how he got to describe what he does in this book.3 - It doesn't have an index that mention titles for chapters, neither topics or at least a description of a chapter.The content of the book is good, but not that easy to understand certain things, some has to do with the printing being so small that it's eat to confuse and read again the same line.

History buffs, sharpen your brain cells and brace yourself for ye Ole fine print. Read if you dare. I adored it.

This book looks ILLEGALLY manufactured and printed. There is no title page, table of contents, or publisher data. The only thing I find is on the last page a note saying Made in Las Vegas and dated 21 August 2024 which is 2 days ago from this review. The print is in a font to render it nearly unreadable. Scandalous. Do not buy. Scam. Fraudulent.

I loved this book. Didn't think I would, but it is great food for thought.It is as much about life in the world we live in and how to treat people as it is about Heaven and Hell.Christian mysticism at its finest.

Incredible, detailed information by 1600s Swedish author (translated to English) who had visits, openings to/from Heaven & Hell while still alive & well on Earth. It is slow, difficult reading, but worth the effort, & a revelation to virtually anybody. I'm about half-way through so far. There are 3 levels in the afterlife: - upper is for those with kind, generous, peaceful, loving etc qualities incl thoughts; middle level for those who are good in actions but less good in thoughts; lowest level is for bad, evil, violent, greedy folks. God is incredible, irresistible, loving Light.

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!

Read the book 30 years ago and never forget it ...well worth the read for those searching and I really liked the summery at end of each chapter

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.

Interesting content but the writing is to small can be read but is not easy on the eyes