Chapter 22 [Section 5]
22:1 “From thence I proceeded to another spot, where I saw on the west a great and lofty mountain, a strong rock, and four delightful places.”
22:2 “Internally it was deep, capacious, and very smooth; as smooth as if it had been rolled over: it was both deep and dark to behold.”
22:3 “Then Raphael, one of the holy angels who were with me, answered and said, These are the delightful places where the spirits, the souls of the dead, will be collected; for them were they formed; and here will be collected all the souls of the sons of men.”
22:4 “These places, in which they dwell, shall they occupy until the day of judgment, and until their appointed period.”
22:5 “Their appointed period will be long, even until the great judgment. And I saw the spirits of the sons of men who were dead; and their voices reached to heaven, while they were accusing.”
22:6 “Then I inquired of Raphael, an angel who was with me, and said, Whose spirit is that, the voice of which reaches to heaven, and accuses?”
22:7 “He answered, saying, This is the spirit of Abel, who was slain by Cain his brother; and who will accuse that brother, until his seed be destroyed from the face of the earth;”
22:8 “Until his seed perish from the seed of the human race.”
22:9 “At that time, therefore, I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgment, saying, Why is one separated from another? He answered, Three separations have been made betwethe spirits of the dead, and thus have the spirits of the righteous been separated.”
22:10 “Namely, by a chasm, by water, and by light above it.”
22:11 “And in the same way likewise are sinners separated when they die, and are buried in the earth; judgment not overtaking them in their lifetime.”
22:12 “Here their souls are separated. Moreover, abundant is their suffering until the time of the great judgment, the castigation, and the torment of those who eternally execrate, whose souls are punished and bound forever.”
22:13 “And thus it has been from the beginning of the world. Thus has there existed a separation between the souls of those who utter complaints, and of those who watch for their destruction, to slaughter them in the day of destruction.”
22:14 “A receptacle of this sort has been formed for the souls of the unrighteous men, and of sinners; of those who have completed crime, and associated with the impious, whom they resemble. Their souls shall not be annihilated in the day of judgment, neither shall they arise from this place. Then I blessed God,”
22:15 “And said, Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of glory and of righteousness, who reigns over all forever and forever.”