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:

59. V. BEFORE THIS STATE, AND AFTER IT, PROMISE WAS MADE OF THE COMING OF THE LORD JEHOVIH INTO THE WORLD, AND OF A NEW CHURCH AT THAT TIME, WHEREIN JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT SHOULD REIGN. It is known, from the reading of the prophetic Word of the Old Testament, that, in many places there, the Coming of our Lord is foretold, and also that the Lord is there designated by various names; as, that He is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," "Jehovah our Righteousness," "Jehovah our Saviour and Redeemer," "Lord Jehovih," "Adonai," "Immanuel" or "God with us," "God of Israel," "Holy One of Israel," "Rock of Israel," "Messiah" or "Anointed of Jehovah," "King," "David," "Mighty One of Jacob," "Shepherd of Israel," "High Priest," "Priest after the order of Melchizedech," "Son of God," "Son of Man," "Angel of Jehovah," "Angel of the Covenant," the "Grand Prophet," "Shiloh"; also, in Isaiah, "Counsellor," "Prince of Peace," "Father of Eternity"; and in the New Covenant, "Jesus Christ," and "Son of God." That our Lord's Coming was foretold in very many places in the Prophets, will be seen from the predictions adduced in the following pages. But it may be asked,

Why was such frequent prediction of His Coming made? There were many reasons, some regarding the Israelitish and Jewish people, and some regarding the Christian people after them.

[2] But we will recount the reasons which especially regarded the Israelitish and Jewish people. The First was that, by His being named and recalled to mind, they might be kept in the interior worship of Jehovah, since, without that, there was no entrance of Jehovah to any one of them, nor approach of any one of them to Jehovah. The case was then as it is at this day,

that no one hath seen God the Father; the Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath set Him forth (John 1:18; 5:37);

and again:

No one cometh to the Father, but by Me (John 14:6).

The Second reason regarding that people was, that the representative types of their Church, which all looked to our Lord and to the Church to be established by Him after His Coming, might serve them as so many signs and symbols of their worship; consequently, that they might acknowledge Him when He came, and suffer themselves to be introduced into the internals of the worship of Him, and, together with the nations that surrounded them, become Christians. The Third reason was that, by calling to mind His Coming, somewhat of the notion, or idea, of the resurrection and eternal life might find entrance into their thoughts. For who of them could not have thought interiorly in himself, or in his heart, "What is the Messiah to us after we are dead, unless we return then, see His glory and reign with Him?" From this source was derived their superstition, that, at that time, they were to be raised again, everyone out of his grave, and return to the land of Canaan. The Fourth reason was that they might be succoured and healed in their state of vastation and oppression, when they were in temptations and afflictions, like their fathers and brethren in the wilderness (Num. 21:1-9; John 3:14-15); for, without such succour and healing, they would have cast aspersions against Jehovah, and departed, in crowds, from the representative worship of Him to idolatry.

[3] Indeed, temptations and afflictions, in the state of vastation and oppression, are nothing else than combats of the Lord with the Devil respecting man, that is, respecting his soul, which is to possess it; of which state it may be said, that the God of Israel, or the Lord the Messiah, stands on one side, and Beelzebub and the Serpent, the Devil, on the other, and that the latter casts forth out of his mouth blasphemies like a flood against the Lord, but that the Lord turns them aside and bears them away, and thus delivers man from spiritual captivity and slavery. This combat is felt in man as if waged by himself. That temptation is such a combat, and that there is such a perception by man, and hence co-operation, I can avow, for, having often experienced it, I have known it perfectly. That it is carried on outside man, and is felt in him as if by himself, and that man is standing in the middle, and co-operates, is for the end that recompense may be ascribed to him when he conquers; but only that man conquers who looks to the Lord, and trusts in Him alone for help.

[4] That every one who calls upon the Lord in temptations, conquers, but that otherwise he yields, shall be illustrated by comparisons. It is like a ship hurled by storms near the rocks: unless the captain knows how to divert it from its danger, and to direct it to an outlet and thus to port, it must be lost. It is like a city besieged by enemies: unless there be escape or aid somewhere, the commander and his garrison become hopeless and disheartened, and yield themselves prisoners, and surrender their lives to the will of the enemy. It is like a person on a journey entering unawares into a cottage where there are robbers, unless, when he is shut in, a friend come and knock at the door, or show himself at the window, and thereby terrify those villains and rescue him from ill-treatment. It is like a person falling into a cave where there is a bear with cubs, or into a pit where there are a wolf and a leopard, if his father, or brother, on seeing this, do not immediately let down to him a ladder, or a rope, and draw him up thence. It is like a person who stands, or walks, in the day-time, in a thick fog, who consequently does not know which way to turn, unless he light a lamp, and thereby show himself the place where he stands or the way in which he should walk. It is like being in the depth of winter, and short of provisions, if not supported by the hope of a harvest to come, on the return of summer. So, again, it is like a person wandering at midnight in a wood, unless he comfort himself with the hope of day, and in that hope goes to lie down, and sleeps quietly till morning. It is also like one, who, for the sake of salvation, is desirous of being instructed in the things of the Christian Religion, and who meets with mitred doctors and laurelled teachers, who expound them by terms borrowed from metaphysics, and wrap them in mysteries, unless there be some other person to explain those terms, and thereby unravel the perplexities, and to set forth from the Word, thus from the Lord, the holy things of the Church, in clear light: would he not otherwise be bewildered by the falsities respecting faiths, and the other dogmas which depend on the faith laid down, just as the links of a chain hang together unbrokenly from a hook fixed to the wall?

[5] The case would be similar in temptations and the attendant infestations from satans, unless man looked trustingly to the Lord, and fully assured himself that the whole work and ability of deliverance are from Him alone. It is for these reasons that the Coming of the Lord is so frequently foretold in the Old Prophetic Word, and for the same reasons also the Lord is proclaimed in the New Evangelic and Apostolic Word, and his Second Coming foretold; concerning which see the statements following.