1124. Present with me were some descendants who lived prior to the Flood. They did not belong to those who perished but to those who were somewhat better people. At first they flowed in quite gently and imperceptibly. But I was given to perceive that they were inwardly evil and that inwardly they acted contrary to love. There emanated from them the reeking sphere of a dead body so that the spirits around me fled. They imagined they were so clever that nobody would perceive what they were thinking. I spoke to them about the Lord, whether or not they had awaited His coming, as their fathers had done. They said that they represented the Lord to themselves as an aged and holy man with a hoary beard and that from Him they came to be holy and in a similar way bearded. This was the origin of such reverence among their descendants for beards. They added that they were also able to worship Him now, though it was from self that they did so. But at that point an angel arrived whose presence they could not stand.