Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7644

7644 Spiritual death and renewed banishment....

July 9, 1960: Book 80

Spiritual death is the worst fate that can happen to the soul, for it will be unable to release itself from it once it has departed from earth. It exists, it is also conscious of itself and yet is entirely without light and strength, and this is a state of inconceivable agony. It inevitably leads to a renewed banishment into matter again unless people intercede so effectively on its behalf that it provides the soul with strength, so that it can change itself if it has the will to do so, that is, if it doesn't directly resist it. As long as a soul is apathetic in this state, it can receive help from the enlightened spiritual world or through loving intercession.... But it can also be so hardened that it rebels with burning rage against the power which.... so it believes.... keeps it imprisoned. Then it will steadily descend further and harden into solid substance, which subsequently makes its ascent in the kingdom of the beyond impossible. Then it will have to travel the infinitely long path of higher development through the whole of creation again, for one day even this soul shall wake up to the life which lasts forever.... Countless people on this earth are in this danger of succumbing to spiritual death, for during the end time they do nothing in order to acquire this life. They live without love and therefore without God as well, they already harden their souls to matter on earth, for they strive towards it and fail to consider the spiritual life they are supposed to create for the soul while they live on earth. They bow to the one who is master of the earthly world and also strive for his goods.... And these cannot bestow life upon the soul but they certainly assure its spiritual death.

And if it enters the beyond in this lifeless state it will be in utmost danger, for heartless people rarely leave friends behind on earth who will send loving thoughts to them in the spiritual kingdom. And only these can save the soul, for every loving thought, every prayer full of love has an effect of strength on such souls, they are so effective that the soul changes and has the will to ascend. Then it will have escaped eternal death, it will no longer descend into the state which results in its renewed banishment. All you humans have no idea about the strength of love or you would make an effort to live a life of love.... And then you will attain life, for love itself is life, and it awakens everything that is dead back to life again.

If, however, you don't use this strength, if you go along without love, your soul's spiritual substance has no option but to solidify and thereby gets into a dreadful state, for then death will not lead to the souls transience, instead it will be a state of vegetating in awareness of its existence and of agonising helplessness and darkness. As long as you still live on earth you are incapable of imagining this state, yet you should do everything in your power in order to avoid it, for everything is possible for you on earth, you repeatedly have the opportunity to accomplish deeds of love on earth, and then the danger of death will be over, then you will have to awaken to life while you are still on earth and thus will also be able to enter eternal life, then you will have conquered death. And you are all able to live a life of love, for the divine spark of love is in all of you, which need only be kindled in order to never be extinguished again, because love always gives you new strength and you will inwardly be motivated to be active once you have kindled this spark of love in you. However, you cannot be forced to do so, but the dreadfulness of spiritual death can only ever be pointed out to you so that you will try to avoid this horror of your own accord.... For as long as you live on earth you have the strength to be lovingly active; but once you have entered the kingdom of the beyond you will be incapable of doing anything by yourselves, then you will be dependent on help and can consider yourselves fortunate if it is provided for you by people whose thoughts follow you with love.... Only love redeems, only love is strength.... and everyone should acquire love for himself through loving activity as long as he lives on earth, so that he will not succumb to spiritual death....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna