128.  In a state of wakefulness, I was led as to the spirit by the Lord through angels to a certain earth in the universe, accompanied by some spirits from this globe.  The progression took place towards the right, and lasted for two hours.  Near the boundary of our solar system, there appeared first a whitish but dense cloud, and after it a fiery smoke ascending from a great gulf:  this was an immense chasm, separating our solar system on that side from certain systems of the starry heaven.  The fiery smoke appeared over a considerable distance.  I was conveyed across the midst of it, and then there appeared beneath in that gulf or chasm very many men, who were spirits (for all spirits appear in the human form, and are actually men).  I also heard them talking with each other; but whence they were, or of what character, it was not given me to know.  One of them, however, told me that they were guards to prevent spirits passing without permission from this into any other system in the universe.  That this was the case, was also confirmed; for when some spirits who were in the company, and who had not received permission to pass, came to that great interstice, they began to cry out wildly that they were perishing, for they were like persons struggling in the agony of death; wherefore they stopped on this side of the chasm, and could not be conveyed any further; for the fiery smoke which exhaled from the chasm attacked them, and tortured them in this manner.

129.  After I had been translated across that great chasm, I at length reached a place where I stopped; and then some spirits appeared to me above, and it was given me to speak with them.  From their speech, and from their peculiar manner of apperceiving things and explaining them, I discerned clearly that they were from another earth; for they differed altogether from the spirits of our solar system.  They also apperceived from my speech that I had come from a great distance.

130.  After we had conversed for awhile on various subjects, I asked them what God they worshipped.  They said they worshipped some angel, who appears to them as a Divine man, for he is resplendent with light; and that he instructs them and enables them to apperceive what they ought to do.  They said further that they knew that the Most High God is in the sun of the angelic heaven, and that He appears to their angel and not to themselves; and that He is too great for them to dare to adore Him.  The angel whom they worshipped was an angelic society, to which it has been given by the Lord to preside over them, and to teach them the way of what is just and right; therefore they have light from a certain flame, which appears like a little torch, somewhat fiery and yellow.  The reason of this originates in their not adoring the Lord; therefore they do not receive light from the sun of the angelic heaven, but from the angelic society; for an angelic society, when permitted by the Lord, can exhibit such a light to spirits who are in a lower region.  I also saw that angelic society, which was high above them; and I also saw the flame there whence they had light.