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MESSAGE SIX
ON SWEDENBORG'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAST JUDGMENT.
ON THE BIBLE AND ITS VARIOUS MEANINGS
March 30, 1982
The following messages have been received today from the Lord.
Just two brief reminders today:
First, what Swedenborg witnessed in the world of spirits as the Last
Judgment was, in fact, the ending of the Dark Ages. It was not the
ending of the typical human era. The Last Judgment was executed in a
certain region in the intermediate world which was responsible for
establishing, maintaining, fueling and supporting the perpetuation of the
Dark Ages both in the world of spirits and on planet Earth. All other
worlds and the rest of the intermediate world and its regions did not
participate in this Judgment because at that time the typical human era
had not fulfilled its purpose and use from the standpoint of the Grand
Plan of the Most High.
Swedenborg perceived those events as global occurrences and not as a
local event. This local event had to be undertaken for the purpose of
preparing for the ending of the typical human era and the starting of the
Age of New Spirituality. For certain spiritual reasons, Swedenborg was
not consciously permitted to know that what he witnessed was not the
beginning of the New Age, but an extremely important period of
transition from the Dark Ages to the Age of New Spirituality. The
extreme importance of this event gave Swedenborg an understandable
sense (albeit incorrect) that this was the beginning of the New Age.
Unconsciously Swedenborg sensed that those events simulated, during
his time, the beginning of the New Age. For that reason he correctly
perceived that there would be no apparent difference in people’s lifestyles
on planet Earth. They would not be discernible as a result of the Last
Judgment that was executed over the founders and perpetuators of the
Dark Ages. The only obvious thing would be greater spiritual freedom of
thinking, expression and rationality. Hence the age of widespread
scientific enlightenment, but not so much widespread spiritual
enlightenment, commenced as a result of that Judgment. On the natural
level, before the ending of the typical human era, it was necessary first to
begin with scientific enlightenment (in order to disperse the thick
darkness of superstitions, prejudices and biases of the Dark Ages in the
human conscious mind) before the widespread spiritual enlightenment
could take proper hold with permanent results.
Second, the opening of the internal and interior sense of the Bible, as
revealed through Swedenborg, could not take hold on Earth in as
widespread a manner as some expected. Even now, only a few people on
Earth know about the internal and interior sense of the Word. The
overwhelming majority of Christians still cling rigidly to the literal sense
of the Bible without perceiving in it any other sense or meaning.
As long as the typical human era exists, it is impossible for the
multiple meaning and sense of the Bible and other holy books to take
hold on Earth. If this were the case, people would tend to use these
meanings for their ulterior motivation, which would lead to profanation
of holiness of the Word, and, in the higher sense, of the Lord. Such
profanation would lead to their eternal damnation. This is what is
basically meant by the unpardonable sin (against the Holy Spirit). Since
no one has the proper understanding of these meanings (Swedenborg
was permitted to reveal only a tiny little fraction of these meanings —
not sufficient to profane), no one can profane them and be damned to
eternity. In this sense, there are no such things as unpardonable sins.
Once again, the internal sense speaks about the potentiality of such a
situation that may lead to eternal damnation by committing an
unpardonable sin. But the literal sense converts this potential possibility
into the final and absolute certainty. The paradox here is obvious: the
transience of the temporal natural degree clings rigidly to the false idea
of its illusional immortality. Nothing is permanent in this degree.
Therefore, under such conditions, nothing can transpire here that would
lead one to the unchangeable state and condition. As long as the typical
human era exists, the Lord takes good care that no one is ever capable of
committing such a profanation.
Most people do not realize that literal events, places, names,
statements, etc., described in the Bible do not signify anything spiritual
in themselves, as Swedenborg profoundly pointed out. Their value is in
conveying something spiritual without being spiritual in themselves.
This error originated from the fact that there is in existence another
Earth, existing in paratime between the Spiritual World and natural
world in mediating proximity to both. The outward appearance of this
paratime Earth is almost identical with the natural Earth. Names of the
countries, cities, nations, regions, etc., are virtually the same. This is the
reason why, as Swedenborg pointed out, when people leave their physical
body and enter that world, as a first step on their journey, they think for
a while that they are still on their original Earth. The Bible mostly
speaks about events that were, are and will be taking place on that
paratime Earth because only there events may have multidimensional
impact thanks to the special position it occupies for this particular
purpose. All such events are described by historical events, expressions
and behaviors of humans in the natural form because they have the
exact correspondence to the events of that intermediate state which is
also called Earth. In themselves, without this correspondence, these
events do not have any true spiritual meaning.
This is the reason, among other things, why people who deny any
internal and interior sense of the Bible and similar holy books, clinging
rigidly to only the literal sense, cannot acquire any true spirituality.
They cannot be truly spiritual; therefore, they cannot truly profane
anything. One can profane only true spirituality. False spirituality
cannot be profaned. For this reason, because most people are in such a
predicament, no true spirituality has been in existence on this Earth
since the time of the Fall.
In order to resume the reign of true spirituality on this Earth, it is
necessary to have simultaneous perception, understanding and
application of all three meanings (internal, intermediate and literal) of
the Bible and of similar holy books. As long as the typical human era
continues, no such situation can come to realization. For that reason, in
order to accomplish this, it is necessary first to remove and to abolish
this typical human era. Then, and only then, will the full meanings of the
Bible and similar holy books be available to everyone for consideration
and for spiritual progression.
The negative state of the Hells does everything in its power to keep
people in the darkness of the literal sense only. Such sense, without any
regard to the internal or interior sense, perpetuates, fuels and feeds the
typical human era. Thus, whoever rejects the manifold meaning of these
Books does it by the inspiration of the Hells.
On the other hand, preoccupation only with the internal sense,
without consideration of other meanings, leads to disregard of the
consequences of correspondences in a concretized manner, manifested in
people’s feelings, emotions, behaviors and strivings and in the political,
social, physical, material, etc., events of the natural world. Neither
extreme denotes true spirituality.
True spirituality can be found in the middle stance. It states that true
spiritual principles are discernible properly and correctly only in
synchronous, simultaneous and integrated perceptions, understandings,
and in acceptance of these meanings and senses which follow a certain
spiritual hierarchy — from the innermost to the outermost. In this way,
spirituality is in its completeness and fullness. In such a stance is the
presence of the Most High. Either extreme by itself excludes the Most
High’s presence. To be without this presence means to be in the negative
state. Thus, it means to be in Hell.
This is the end of today’s message.
Source: MESSAGE FROM WITHIN
