prevented from interacting with parents, siblings, relatives, and friends
who have died. At that time every husband first looks for his wife and
every wife looks for her husband. Their spouses as well as their family
and friends introduce them into various social groups that include people
who are outwardly like sheep but are inwardly like wolves. The newcom-
ers are corrupted by these wolves—even the newcomers who have been
particularly devoted to religion. Because of this, and also because of hor-
rible practices that are unknown in the physical world, that world is as
full of malicious people as a pond is green with frogs’ eggs.
[ 2 ] Interaction with evil people there has this contagious effect, as you
can clearly see from the following similar situations: As you spend time
with thieves or pirates you eventually become like them. As you live
among adulterous men and promiscuous women, eventually you think
nothing of adultery. If you join a rebel group, eventually you think noth-
ing of doing violence to anyone.
All evils are contagious. They are like a plague you become infected
with just by breathing in and out. They are like cancer and gangrene that
spread and corrupt nearby areas, then more and more remote areas, until
the whole body dies.
The cause: from birth we all enjoy evil.
[ 3 ] From the points made just now it can be clear that if the Lord had
not brought about redemption, no human being could have been saved
and no angels could have continued to exist in their state of integrity.
The sole and only direction in which to run for refuge is to the Lord,
or else we perish. He says,
Live in me and I [shall live] in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit
by itself unless it lives in the vine, the same goes for you unless you live
in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me and I
in them bear much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. If any
do not live in me, they are cast out. Once dried they are thrown into
the fire and burned. (John 15 : 4 , 5 , 6 )121 3. The Lord therefore redeemed not only people but also angels.This fol-
lows from something stated in the previous point: no angels could have
continued to exist without being redeemed by the Lord. The following
reasons supplement those already given.
The first reason: At the time of the Lord’s First Coming the hells had
risen so high that they filled the entire world of spirits that is midway
between heaven and hell. They not only wrecked the heaven called the