1. Prefazione dell’Autore

Il Signore parlando ai suoi discepoli della fine dei tempi, cioè nell’ultimo periodo della chiesa, ¹ dice, all’avvicinarsi della predetta fine, in merito al successivo stato di amore e fede: ²

Subito dopo l’afflizione di quei giorni il sole si oscurerà e la luna non darà il suo splendore, e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e le potenze dei cieli saranno scosse. Ed allora apparirà nel cielo il segno del Figlio dell’uomo; ed allora tutte le tribù della terra faranno cordoglio, e vedranno il Figliuolo dell’uomo venire sulle nuvole del cielo con gran potenza e gloria. E manderà i suoi angeli con gran suono di tromba a radunare i suoi eletti dai quattro venti, da un capo all’altro dei cieli. (Matteo 24:29-31)

Coloro che si soffermano sul mero significato letterale di queste parole, hanno la convinzione che alla fine dei tempi, quando vi sarà il giudizio universale, tutte queste cose avranno luogo, così come sono descritte nel senso letterale, cioè che il sole e la luna si oscureranno e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e che il segno del Signore apparirà nel cielo, ed egli stesso sarà visto sulle nubi, con gli angeli e con le trombe al seguito; inoltre è predetto in altri passi che l’intero universo sarà distrutto, e poi sorgerà un nuovo cielo e una nuova terra. Tale è la convinzione della maggior parte degli uomini nella chiesa, nel presente. Ma coloro che sono in questa fede ignorano i segreti che sono nascosti in ogni minimo dettaglio della Parola; in realtà in ogni singolo vocabolo della Parola vi è un significato interiore che concerne le cose spirituali e celesti anziché le cose naturali e mondane, così come appaiono nel senso letterale. E questo è vero non solo per il significato di gruppi di parole, ma per ciascuna parola. ³ Perché la Parola è scritta esclusivamente per corrispondenze ⁴ , affinché vi possa essere un significato interiore in ogni singolo particolare di essa. Quale sia questo significato lo si può vedere da tutto ciò che è stato scritto al riguardo in Arcana Coelestia [pubblicato nel 1749-1756]; e dalle citazioni attinte da quell’opera, nell’illustrazione del Cavallo Bianco [dell’Apocalisse, pubblicato nel 1758] cui si fa riferimento nell’Apocalisse.

È in conformità di quel significato spirituale, che deve essere inteso l’avvento del Signore dal cielo, sulle nuvole, di cui al passo sopra citato. Ivi il sole che si oscura significa il Signore quanto all’amore; ⁵ la “luna” si riferisce alla fede; ⁶ le stelle indicano la conoscenza del bene e della verità, o dell’amore e della fede; ⁷ il “segno del Figlio dell’uomo nel cielo” indica la manifestazione della Divina verità; le “tribù della terra” significano tutte le cose concernenti la verità ed il bene, o la fede e l’amore; ⁸ “l’avvento del Signore sulle nuvole del cielo, in gloria e potenza,” significa la sua presenza nella Parola e la sua rivelazione; ⁹ le “nuvole” significano il senso letterale della Parola, ¹⁰ e la “gloria” il senso interiore della Parola; ¹¹ gli “angeli con gran suono di tromba” indicano il cielo quale sorgente della Divina verità. ¹² Tutto questo chiarisce cosa deve intendersi con queste parole del Signore, vale a dire che alla fine della chiesa, quando non vi sarà più alcun amore, e quindi alcuna fede, il Signore svelerà il significato interiore della Parola e rivelerà i segreti del cielo. I segreti rivelati nelle seguenti pagine riguardano il cielo e l’inferno, nonché la vita dell’uomo dopo la morte. L’uomo della chiesa attualmente ha una scarsa conoscenza del cielo e dell’inferno, o della sua vita dopo la morte, sebbene questi argomenti siano contemplati e descritti nella Parola; ciò nondimeno molti di quelli nati in seno alla chiesa, negano queste cose, dicendo nel loro intimo, “Chi mai è venuto da quel mondo e ha confermato queste cose?” Per evitare che questo atteggiamento negazionista, invalso specialmente presso quelli pervasi dalla saggezza mondana, possa contaminare e traviare le persone semplici nel cuore e nella fede, mi è stato concesso di essere associato agli angeli e di parlare con loro, come tra uomo e uomo, e anche di vedere come sono i cieli e gli inferni, e questo da tredici anni, ormai; quindi, adesso posso descrivere ciò che ho visto è udito, nell’auspicio che l’ignoranza possa essere illuminata, e l’incredulità, dissipata. Le presenti rivelazioni sono estese ora perché questo deve intendersi per la venuta del Signore.

Footnotes:

741. Which seduceth the whole world.- That this signifies that they pervert all things of the church, is evident from the signification of the whole world, as denoting all things of the church, of which we shall speak presently; and as all things of the church are signified by the whole world, therefore to seduce it signifies to pervert those things. For all things of the church are perverted when the good of charity, which is the good of life, is separated and removed from faith, as not contributing to salvation or having anything to do with it; all things of the Word, and all things of the church are consequently falsified. For the Lord says, that the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments, to love God above all things, and the neighbour as oneself; and these two commandments signify to live and act according to the commandments of the Word; for to love is to will and act, since what a man loves interiorly, this he wills, and what he wills, this he does. The law and the prophets signify all things of the Word.

[2] There are two principles of evil and falsity into which the church successively falls. The one is the love of having dominion over all things of the church and of heaven, which dominion is meant in the Word by Babel or Babylonia - into this the church falls as a result of evil; the other is the separation of faith from charity, in consequence of which all the good of life perishes; this is meant in the Word by Philistea, and is signified by the he-goat in Daniel, and by the dragon in the Apocalypse; into this the church falls through falsity.

But since this chapter treats of the dragon, which primarily signifies the religion of faith separated from charity, I will refer to some of the methods by which the defenders of faith separated [from charity] lead the world astray. They lead the world astray particularly by teaching, that as no one from himself can do good, that in itself is good, and without placing merit therein, therefore good works can contribute nothing to salvation; they nevertheless say that goods ought to be done on account of the public good, and that these are the goods meant in the Word, in preachings therefrom, and in some of the prayers of the church. But how great an error this is shall now be explained. When a man does good from the Word, that is, because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word, he does not then do it from himself, but from the Lord, for the Lord is the Word (John 1:1, 14), and the Lord is in those things which man has from the Word, as He also teaches in these words in John:

"He that keepeth my word, I will come unto him, and will make my abode with him" (14:23).

This is why the Lord so often teaches that His words and commandments must be done and that those who do them shall have life eternal, also that every one will be judged according to his works. It follows from this that those who do good from the Word do good from the Lord; and good from the Lord is truly good, and so far as it is from the Lord, so far there is no merit in it.

[3] That good done from the Word, that is from the Lord, is truly good, is also clear from these words in the Apocalypse:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (3:20).

This shows that the Lord is ever and unceasingly present, and bestows upon man the effort to do good, but that man must open the door, that is, must receive the Lord; and he receives Him when he does good from His Word. Although this appears to man to be done as of himself, yet it is not of man, but of the Lord with him. It has this appearance to man, because he has no other feeling than that he thinks from himself, and acts from himself, although when he thinks and acts from the Word, he does so as of himself, therefore he then also believes that he does this from the Lord.

[4] From this it can be seen, that the good which a man does from the Word is spiritual good, and that it conjoins man to the Lord and to heaven. But the good which a man does for the sake of the world and for the sake of communities in the world, which is called civil and moral good, conjoins him to the world and not to heaven. Moreover, the conjunction of the truth of faith is with spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, because faith in itself is spiritual, and what is spiritual cannot be conjoined with any other good than what is equally spiritual. But civil and moral good, separated from spiritual good, is not good in itself, because it is from man, in fact, so far as self and the world lie concealed in it, so far it is evil; this good therefore cannot be conjoined with faith, and if it were conjoined, faith would be dissipated.

[5] To seduce the whole world signifies to pervert all things of the church, because by world in general is signified the church as to all things pertaining to it, both goods and truths, but specifically it signifies the church as to good; and this is the signification of world (orbem) when earth (terra) also is mentioned. That the earth (terra) in the Word signifies the church, has been shown above (n. 304, 697); but when the world (orbis) also is mentioned, then the earth signifies the church as to truth. For there are two things that make the church, namely, truth and good, and these two are signified by earth and world in the following passages.

[6] In Isaiah:

"With my soul have I desired thee in the night; with my spirit also in the midst of me have I waited for thee in the morning; for when thou teachest the earth thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn justice" (26:9).

Night signifies a state when there is no light of truth, and morning a state when there is the light of truth; the latter state is from love, but the former exists when there is as yet no love. Therefore by the soul which desired Jehovah in the night is signified the life which is not yet in the light of truth, and by the spirit in the midst of him with which he waited for Jehovah in the morning, is signified the life which is in the light of truth, and consequently the words are added, "For when thou teachest the earth thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn justice," which signifies that the church is in truths from the Lord, and by means of truths in good, the earth signifying the church as to truths, and the world the church as to good. For judgment, in the Word, refers to truth, and justice to good, while inhabitants signify the men of the church, who are in goods of doctrine and thus of life. That judgment, in the Word, refers to truth, and justice to good, may be seen in theArcana Coelestia 2235, 9857); and that to dwell or inhabit signifies to live, and thence, inhabitants signify those who are in the good of doctrine and thus of life, may be seen above (n. 133, 479, 662).

[7] In Lamentations:

"The kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world believed not that the enemy and the foe would enter into the gates of Jerusalem" (4:12).

The kings of the earth signify the men of the church who are in truths, and the inhabitants of the world the men of the church who are in good. That kings signify those who are in truths, may be seen above (n. 31, 553, 625); and that inhabitants signify those who are in good has been shown just above. This makes it clear that the earth signifies the church as to truths, and the world the church as to good. And because all things of the doctrine of the church were destroyed by falsities and evils, it is said that they believed not that the enemy and the foe would enter into the gates of Jerusalem, the enemy signifying the falsities which destroyed the truths of the church, meant by the kings of the earth, and the foe signifying the evils which destroyed the goods of the church, meant by the inhabitants of the world, and Jerusalem signifying the church as to doctrine.

[8] And in David:

"Let all the earth fear Jehovah, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him" (Psalm 33:8).

Here also by the earth are signified those who are in the truths of the church, and by the inhabitants of the world, those who are in the goods of the church.

In the same:

"The earth is Jehovah's, and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein; he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the streams" (Psalm 24:1, 2).

The earth here again signifies the church as to truth, and the fulness thereof signifies all truths collectively; while the world signifies the church as to good, and the inhabitants thereof goods collectively. The signification of founding it upon the seas and establishing it upon the streams may be seen above (n. 275:9, 518:23).

[9] And in Isaiah:

"We have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought salvation in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have [not] fallen" (26:18).

Here too the earth stands for the church as to truths, and the world for the church as to goods; the rest has been explained above (n. 721:4).

In the same:

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people; let the earth hear and the fulness thereof, the world and all its offspring" (34:1).

That by nations are meant those who are in goods, and by people those who are in truths, may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625); therefore it is said, "Let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, the world and all its offspring"; for by the earth and the fulness thereof is signified the church as to all truths, and by the world and all its offspring, the church as to all goods.

[10] In the same:

"All ye inhabitants of the world and ye dwellers on the earth, when the sign of the mountains shall be lifted up, behold ye; and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye" (18:3).

By the inhabitants of the world and the dwellers on the earth are signified all in the church who are in goods and truths, as above; the Lord's coming is signified by When the sign of the mountains shall be lifted up, behold ye, and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye, - the sign upon the mountains and the sounding of the trumpet signifying a calling together to the church.

[11] In David:

"Before Jehovah, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world in justice and the peoples in truth" (Psalm 96:13; Psalm 98:9).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the last judgment at that time. Because the world signifies those of the church who are in good, and peoples those who are in truths, therefore it is said that "he shall judge the world in justice and the peoples in truth"; justice as well as the world refers to good.

In the same:

"Before the mountains were brought forth, and the earth and the world were formed, from everlasting and even to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).

The mountains signify those who dwell upon mountains in the heavens, and these are such as are in celestial good, while the earth and the world signify the church from those who are in truths and in goods.

[12] In the same:

"Jehovah reigneth, he puts on majesty, Jehovah puts on strength, he girdeth himself; the world also shall be established, nor shall it be moved; thy throne is made firm from of old, thou art from eternity" (Psalm 93:1, 2).

This is said of the Lord who was about to come into the world; and because He has glory and power from the Human which He united to His Divine, it is said that He puts on majesty and strength, and that He girdeth Himself; for the Lord assumed the Human in order that He might have power to subjugate the hells. The church which He was about to establish, and protect for ever, is signified by the world which shall be established, and shall not be moved, and by the throne which shall be made firm; for by the world is signified heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine Good, and by the throne, heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine Truth.

[13] In the same:

"Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth; the world also shall be established, neither shall it be moved; he shall judge the peoples in uprightness; the heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice" (Psalm 96:10, 11).

This also is said of the Lord's coming, and concerning the church to be established by Him and protected to eternity, which is signified by the world that shall be established and shall not be moved, as above. And because the world, signifies the church as to good, therefore it is also said concerning the peoples whom He shall judge in uprightness; peoples, like the earth, signify those who are in the truths of the church, therefore they are called peoples of the earth, and inhabitants of the world; uprightness denotes truths. The joy of those who are in the church in the heavens and in the church on earth is signified by The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice.

[14] In the same:

Jehovah "shall judge the world in justice, he shall judge the peoples in uprightness" (Psalm 9:8).

Since the world means the church as to good, and "justice" is used in reference to good, therefore it is said, "Jehovah shall judge the world in justice;" and as those who are in truths are called peoples, and uprightness denotes truths as above, therefore it is said, "He shall judge the peoples in uprightness."

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah maketh the earth by his power, and prepareth the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretcheth out the heavens" (10:12; 51:15).

Jehovah maketh the earth by His power, signifies that the Lord establishes the church by the power of Divine Truth; He prepareth the world by His wisdom, signifies that the church which is in good He forms from Divine Good by means of Divine Truth; By His understanding He stretcheth out the heavens, signifies that thus He enlarges the heavens.

[15] In David:

"The heavens and the earth are thine, the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded" (Psalm 89:11).

The heavens and the earth signify the church in the heavens and on earth, each as to truths, while the world and the fulness thereof signifies the church in the heavens and in the earths, each as to goods, fulness denoting goods and truths in their whole extent.

Again:

"If I should be hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 50:12).

This is said of sacrifices, that the Lord does not delight in them, but in confession and works, for it is added, "Should I eat the flesh of the mighty, or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice to God confession, and pay thy vows to the Most High" (verses 13, 14). Therefore, if I should be hungry, signifies if I should desire sacrifices; but because the Lord desires worship from goods and truths, it is said, "For the world is mine and the fulness thereof," fulness signifying goods and truths in their whole extent, as above. This is said indeed of the beasts which were sacrificed, but these signify in the spiritual sense various kinds of good and truth.

[16] In Matthew:

"This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come" (24:14).

Since the world signifies the church as to good, therefore it is said that this Gospel shall be preached unto all nations, for the nations who are to hear and receive signify all those who are in good; moreover, nations also signify all those who are in evils, who also will hear; and then the world signifies the whole church when in evils; therefore it is also said that "then shall the end come."

[17] In the First Book of Samuel:

Jehovah "raiseth up the humbled out of the dust, he raiseth the needy from the dunghill, to cause them to sit with princes, and he shall make them to inherit a throne of glory, for the bases of the earth are Jehovah's, and he hath set the world upon them" (2:8).

This is the prophecy of Hannah the mother of Samuel. To raise up the humbled out of the dust, and the needy from the dunghill, signifies the instruction and enlightenment of the nations in interior truths, which would be revealed by the Lord, and thus removal from evils and falsities. The bases of the earth signify exterior truths, such as those of the sense of the letter of the Word, for interior truths are founded upon these; therefore the world which he hath set upon them signifies the church as to all its goods and truths. But concerning these things see above (n. 253, 304).

[18] In Isaiah:

"Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, Israel shall blossom and flourish, so that the faces of the world shall be filled with the produce" (27:6).

Jacob means the external church, and Israel the internal church; and because the internal of the church is founded upon its externals, and internals are thus multiplied and made fruitful, it is said that "Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, and that Israel shall blossom and flourish;" the resulting fructification of the church is signified by The faces of the world shall be filled with the produce.

[19] In the same:

"Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh kingdoms tremble, that hath turned the world into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof? Prepare slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up and possess the earth, and the faces of the world be filled with cities" (14:16, 17, 21).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babel is meant, that is, the love of ruling over heaven and over the earth; therefore to move the earth, to make kingdoms tremble, to turn the world into a wilderness and destroy the cities thereof, signifies to destroy all things of the church, the earth denoting the church as to truth, kingdoms the churches distinguished according to truths, the world the church as to good, and cities doctrinals. To prepare slaughter for his sons, for the iniquities of their fathers, signifies the destruction of the falsities that arise from their evils. Lest they possess the earth, and fill the faces of the world with cities, signifies lest falsities and evils, and doctrinals from them, take possession of the whole church.

[20] In the same:

"The earth shall mourn and be confounded, the world shall languish and be confounded, they shall languish, the loftiness of the people of the earth, and the earth itself shall be polluted under its inhabitants" (Isaiah 24:4, 5).

This describes the desolation of the church as to its truths and goods, on account of the pride of [man's] own intelligence, and the profanation of truths that are from good. The desolation is described by mourning, being confounded, and languishing; the church as to truths and as to goods is signified by the earth and by the world; the pride of [man's] own intelligence by The loftiness of the people of the earth, and the profanation of truths which are from good, by The earth shall be polluted under its inhabitants.

[21] In Nahum:

"The mountains shall tremble before him, and the hills shall melt; the earth shall be burnt up before him, and the world, and all that dwell therein" (1:5).

The signification of the mountains that shall tremble, and of the hills that shall melt, may be seen above (n. 400:7, 405). But the earth and the world, and all that dwell therein shall be burnt up, signifies that the church as to all its truths and goods will perish by infernal love.

[22] In David:

"The channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were disclosed, at thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils" (Psalm 18:15; 2 Sam. 22:16).

That all things of the church as to its truths and goods were overturned from their foundation, is signified by The channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were disclosed, the channels of waters denoting the truths, and the foundations of the world its goods; and to appear and be disclosed denote to be overturned from the foundations. That this destruction arises from the hatred and fury of the evil against Divine things is signified by At Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils; the rebuke and the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah has the same signification as His anger and wrath, elsewhere mentioned in the Word. But because there is no anger or wrath in the Lord against the evil, but the evil cherish these against the Lord, and these appear to them when they perish to be from the Lord, therefore it is put in this way, according to the appearance; the blast of the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah means the east wind, which destroys by drought, and overturns by its penetrating power.

[23] In the same:

"The voice of thunder in the world; the lightnings lightened the world; the earth trembled and shook" (Psalm 77:18).

"His lightnings shall enlighten the world, the earth shall see and fear, the mountains shall melt like wax before Jehovah, before the Lord of the whole earth" (Psalm 97:4, 5).

This describes the state of the wicked on account of the Lord's presence in His Divine Truth, which state is similar to that of the sons of Israel when the Lord appeared to them upon mount Sinai. That they then heard thunders, saw lightnings, and that the mountain appeared in a consuming fire like that of a furnace, and that they feared exceedingly, is known from the Word. This was because they were evil in heart; for the Lord appears to every one according to his quality, to the good as a recreating fire, and to the evil as a consuming fire. This makes evident the signification of The voice of Thy thunder in the world, the lightnings lightened the world, the earth shook and trembled, and the mountains melted before Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth; the world meaning all those of the church who are in goods, but here, those who are in evils, while the earth means all those of the church who are in truths, but here, those who are in falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

"I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity" (13:11).

By the world here also are meant those of the church who are in evils, and the impious those who are in falsities. Therefore it is said, I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity, wickedness denoting evil, while iniquity is said of falsities.

[25] In Job:

"They shall drive him from light into darkness, and chase him out of the world" (18:18).

Since light signifies truth, and the world the good of the church, and since the impious when they depart from truth into falsity also cast themselves from good into evil, it is therefore, said They shall drive him from light into darkness, and shall chase him out of the world, darkness denoting falsities, and to chase out of the world denoting to cast out from the good of the church.

[26] In Luke:

"Men fainting through fear and for expectation of those things which shall come upon the world; for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud" of the heavens "with power and much glory" (21:26, 27).

This is said of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church, when there is no longer any truth, because there is no good; the state of heaven at that time is described by the words, Men shall be faint through fear and expectation of those things which shall come upon the world. This describes the fear of those who are in the heavens, lest everything pertaining to the church as to its good, and thus as to its truths, should perish, and also expectation of help from the Lord, The tottering of the power of Divine Truth is signified by the shaking of the powers of the heavens, the powers of the heavens denoting Divine truths as to power. That the Lord will then make Divine Truth manifest, which possesses power, and from which comes intelligence, is signified by Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud of the heavens with power and much glory.

[27] Similar things are signified by the earth and by the world in the following words in the Apocalypse:

"They are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to war" (16:14).

It is said unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, because one thing of the church is signified by the earth, and another by the world. Since the world signifies the church as to good, therefore it also signifies all things of the church; for good is the essential of the church, consequently, where there is good there also is truth, for all good desires truth, and wishes to be conjoined with truth, and to be spiritually nourished by it; this also is mutual.