Last Judgment (Chadwick) n. 30

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30. Moreover no one is judged on the basis of his natural man, and so not so long as he lives in the natural world, for then a person is in his natural body. But judgment is passed on his spiritual man, so when he comes into the spiritual world, for then a person is in his spiritual body. It is the spiritual element in a person which is judged, not the natural; for this is not answerable to any blame or charge, because it has no life of its own, but is merely the tool and instrument by means of which the spiritual element acts (see 24 above). That is another reason why judgment is passed on people after they have put off their natural bodies and assumed their spiritual ones. In this body a person reveals what he is like as regards love and faith; for each is in the spiritual world a likeness of his love, not only in face and body, but also in speech and actions (see HEAVEN AND HELL 481). This enables all to be recognised for what they are, and they are instantly separated at the Lord's good pleasure. This too makes it plain that judgment takes place in the spiritual world, not in the natural one or on earth.


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