only given to those who are affected with truth for the sake of truth, and are thus in spiritual light, n. 8521. That the light of confirmation is natural light, communicable even to the wicked, n. 8780. That all dogmas, even false ones, may be confirmed, until they appear like truths, n. 2482, 2490, 5033, 6865, 7950.

THAT ALL THE THINGS, WHICH ARE PREDICTED IN THE APOCALYPSE, ARE AT THIS DAY FULFILLED.

40. No one can know what all the things which are contained in the Apocalypse signify and involve, unless he knows the internal or spiritual sense of the Word; for every thing there is written in a style similar to that of the prophecies of the Old Testament, in which each word signifies some spiritual thing, which is not apparent in the sense of the letter. Besides, the contents of the Apocalypse cannot be explained as to their spiritual sense, except by one, who also knows how it went with the church even down to its end, which can only be known in heaven, and is the thing contained in the Apocalypse: for the spiritual sense of the Word treats every where of the spiritual world, that is of the state of the church in the heavens, as well as in the countries of the earth; hence the Word is Spiritual and Divine. It is this state which is there expounded in its own order. Hence it may appear, that the things contained in the Apocalypse can never be explained by any one but him, to whom a revelation has been made concerning the successive states of the church in the heavens: for there is a church in the heavens as well as on the earth, of which something shall be said in the following articles.

41. The quality of the Lord's church in the countries of the earth, cannot be seen by any man, so long as he lives in the world, still less how the church in process of time has turned aside from good to evil. The reason is, that man whilst he is living in the world, is in externals, and only sees those things which are palpable to his natural man; but the quality of the church as to spiritual things, which are its internals, does not appear in the world; yet it does appear in heaven as in clear day, for the angels are in spiritual thought, and also in spiritual sight, and hence see none other than spiritual things. Furthermore, all the men who have been born in this world from the beginning of creation are together in the spiritual world, (as shewn above) and are

all there distinguished into societies according to the goods of love and faith, (as may be seen in the work on HEAVEN and HELL, n. 41 to 50) whence it is that the state of the church, and its progressions, are manifest in heaven before the angels. Now since the state of the church as to love and faith is described in the spiritual sense of the Apocalypse, therefore no one can know what all the things in its series involve, but he to whom it has been revealed from heaven, and to whom at the same time has been imparted a knowledge of the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. This I can asseverate, that each thing there, nay, that every word, contains within it a spiritual sense, and that the all of the church, as to its spiritual state from the beginning to the end, is fully described in that sense; and because every word there signifies some spiritual thing, therefore not a word can be wanting without the series of things in the internal sense thereby suffering a change; on which account, at the end of that Book, it is said, If any one shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the Book of Life, and from that holy city, and from those things which are written in that Book." Rev. xxii. 19. It is the same with the books of the Old Testament; in them also every thing, and every word, contains an internal or spiritual sense, wherefore not one word can be taken away from them either. Hence it is that, of the Lord's Divine Providence, those books have been preserved entire to an iota since the time in which they were written, and that by the care of many who have enumerated their minutest particulars; this was provided by the Lord on account of the sanctity which is within each iota, letter, word, and thing they contain.

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42. Since in like manner there is an internal or spiritual sense in every word in the Apocalypse, and since that sense contains the arcana of the state of the church in the heavens, and on the earth; and since those arcana can be revealed to no one, but to him who knows that sense, and to whom at the same time it has been granted to have consort with the angels, and to speak spiritually with them, therefore, lest the things which are therein written should be hidden to men, and should hereafter be disregarded, because they are not understood, its contents have been disclosed to me; but they are too numerous to be described in this little work; on which account I am desirous of explaining the whole book from beginning to end, and of unveiling the arcana which are within it: and the explication shall be published in less than two years, together with certain things in

Daniel, which have hitherto lain hidden, because their spiritual sense was unknown.

43. He who knows not the internal or spiritual sense, never can divine what is meant in the Apocalypse by the dragon, and by the battle of Michael and his angels with it; what by the tail with which the dragon drew down the third part of the stars from heaven; what by the woman who brought forth the man-child which was caught up to God, and whom the dragon persecuted; what by the beast ascending from the sea, and the beast ascending from the earth, which had so many horns; what by the whore, with whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom; what by the first and second resurrection, and by the thousand years; what by the lake of sulphur and of fire, into which the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet were cast; what by the white horse; also what by the former heaven, and the former earth which passed away; and what by the new heaven and the new earth, in the place of the former; and by the sea, which was no more; or what by the city New Jerusalem descending from heaven, and by its measures, wall, gates, and foundation of precious stones; what by the various numbers; besides other things, which are the veriest mysteries (arcanissima) to those who know nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word. But the meaning of all these things shall be unfolded in the promised explication on that book.

44. It has been remarked before, that all the things which are contained in that book, in the heavenly sense, are now fulfilled: in this little work I will deliver some general account of the last judgment, the Babylon destroyed, the first heaven and the first earth which passed away, the new heaven, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem; in order that it may be known, that all its predictions are now accomplished. But the details can only be delivered, where all these things are explained according to the description of them in the Book of Revelation.

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THAT THE LAST JUDGMENT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.

45. It was shewn above, in the article for the purpose, that the last judgment does not exist on the earth, but in the spiritual world, where all who have lived from the beginning of creation are together; and since it is so, it is impossible for any man to know when the last judgment is accomplished, for every one expects it to exist on earth,

acompanied by a change of all things in the visible heaven. and in the countries of the earth and in mankind who dwell there. Lest therefore the man of the church from ignorance should live in such a belief, and lest they who think of a last judgment should expect it for ever, whence at length the belief of those things which are said of it in the literal sense of the Word must perish, and lest haply therefore many should recede from their faith in the Word, it has been granted me to see with my own eyes that the last judgment is now accomplished; that the evil are cast into the hells, and the good elevated into heaven, and thus that all things are reduced into order, the spiritual equilibrium between good and evil, or between heaven and hell being thence restored. It was granted me to see from beginning to end how the last judgment was accomplished, and also how the Babylon was destroyed, how those who are understood by the dragon were cast into the abyss, and how the new heaven was formed, and a new church instituted in the heavens, which is understood by the New Jerusalem. It was granted me to see all these things with my own eyes, in order that I might be able to testify of them. This last judgment was commenced in the beginning of the year 1757, and was fully accomplished at the end of that year.

46. But it ought to be known that the last judgment was effected upon those who had lived from the Lord's time to this day, but not upon those who had lived before: for a last judgment had twice before existed on this earth. Of these two judgments, the one is described in the Word by the flood, the other was effected by the Lord Himself when He was in the world, which moreover is understood by the Lord's words, "Now is the judgment of this world, now is the prince of this world cast out," John xii. 31; and by His words, "These things I have spoken unto you that in Me ye may have peace; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John xvi. 33; and also by these words in Isaiah, "Who is this that cometh from Edom, walking in the multitude of his strength, great to save? I have trodden the wine press alone, therefore I have trodden them in my anger; whence their victory is sprinkled upon my garments, for the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come; therefore He became a Savior;" Isaiah lxiii. 1 to 8: and in many other places. A last judgment has twice before existed on this earth, because every judg. ment exists at the end of a church, [as shewn above in an article for the purpose,] and there have been two churches on this earth, one before the flood, and one after it.

The

church before the flood is described in the beginning of Genesis by the new creation of the heaven and the land, and by paradise; its end, by the eating of the tree of science, and the subsequent particulars; and its last judgment by the flood; the whole by mere correspondences, according to the style of the Word; in the internal or spiritual sense of which, by the creation of the heaven and the land, the institution of a new church is understood, [see the first article]; by the paradise in Eden, its celestial wisdom; by the tree of science, and by the serpent, the scientific which destroyed it; and by the flood, the last judgment upon the men of whom it consisted. But the other church, which was after the flood, is also described in certain passages in the Word, as in Deut. xxxii. 7 to 14, and elsewhere. This church was extended through much of the Asiatic world, and was continued among the posterity of Jacob. Its end was, when the Lord came into the world. A last judgment was then effected by Him upon all who belonged to that church from its first institution; and, at the same time, upon the residue of the first church. The Lord came into the world for that end, to reduce all things in the heavens into order, and all things in the countries of the earth, by means of the heavens, and at the same time to make His Human Divine; for if this had not been done, no man could have been saved. That there were two churches on this earth before the Lord's advent, is shewn in various passages in the ARCANA CELESTIA, a collection of which may be seen below; and that the Lord came into the world to reduce

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m That the first and most ancient church on this earth was that which is described in the first chapters of Genesis, and that it was a celestial church, the chief of all the churches, n. 607, 895, 920, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 2896, 4493, 8891, 9942, 10545. What they who were of that church are in heaveu, n. 1114, to 1125. That they are in the greatest light there, n. 1117. That there were various churches after the flood, which are called, in one word, the ancient church, n. 1125, 1126, 1127, 1327, 10355. Through what kingdoms of Asia the ancient church was extended, n. 1238, 2385. What manner of men they of the ancient church were, n. 609, 895. That the ancient church was a representative church, n. 519, 521,2896. What the ancient church was, when it began to decline, n. 1128. The distinction between the most ancient and ancient churches, n. 597, 607, 640, 641, 765, 784, 895, 4493. Of the church that commenced from Eber, which was called the Hebrew church. n. 1238, 1241, 1343, 4516, 4517. The distinction between the ancient and the Hebrew churches, n. 1343, 4874. Of the church instituted among the posterity of Jacob, or children of Israel, n. 4281, 4288, 4310, 4500, 4899, 4912, 6304, 7048, 9320, 10396, 10526, 10531, 10698. That the statutes, judgments, and laws, which were commanded among the children of Israel, were in part like those which existed in the ancient church, n. 4449. In what manner the representative rites of the