Conjugial Love # 26
26. Again I swear in truth that these events and words occurred as I have related them, the first ones in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and the subsequent ones in a society of heaven, the society from which came the angel with the trumpet, who acted as guide.
Who in the Christian world would know anything about heaven and the joys and happiness there - knowledge of which is also knowledge of salvation - unless it pleased the Lord to open to someone the sight of his spirit and to show him and teach him?
Corroboration that things like these occur in the spiritual world appears plainly from the things seen and heard by the apostle John, as described in the book of Revelation. For example, he describes having seen the following:
The Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands. 1
A tabernacle, temple, ark, and altar in heaven. 2
A book sealed with seven seals. The book opened, and horses going out of it. 3
Four living creatures around a throne. 4
Twelve thousand taken from each tribe. 5
Locusts arising out of the abyss. 6
A dragon and its fight with Michael. 7
A woman giving birth to a male child and fleeing into the wilderness because of the dragon. 8
Two beasts, one rising up out of the sea, the other out of the earth. 9
A woman sitting on a scarlet beast. 10
The dragon cast into a lake of fire and brimstone. 11
A white horse, and a great supper. 12
A new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jerusalem coming down, described as to its gates, wall, and foundations. 13
Also a river of water of life, and trees of life yielding fruits every month. 14
Besides many other things, all of which were seen by John, and seen when he was in the spirit 15 in the spiritual world and in heaven. In addition, those things which were seen by the apostles after the Lord's resurrection. 16 And which were later seen by Peter (Acts of the Apostles 11). 17 Also which were then seen and heard by Paul. 18
Moreover, there were the things seen by the prophets. For example, Ezekiel saw the following:
Four living creatures, which were cherubs. (Ezekiel 1 and 10)
A new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them. (Ezekiel 40-48)
Being carried off to Jerusalem, he saw the abominations there. (Ezekiel 8) And he was also carried off into Chaldea, to those in captivity. (Ezekiel 11) 19
Something similar happened with Zechariah:
He saw a man riding among myrtle trees. (Zechariah 1:8 ff.)
He saw four horns, and then a man with a measuring line in his hand. (Zechariah 1:18 ff., 2:1 ff.)
He saw a lampstand and two olive trees. (Zechariah 4:1 ff.)
He saw a flying scroll, and an ephah. (Zechariah 5:1, 6)
He saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, with horses. (Zechariah 6:1 ff.)
Likewise with Daniel:
He saw four beasts come up from the sea. (Daniel 7:1 ff.)
Also the combats of a ram and a goat. (Daniel 8:1 ff.)
He saw the angel Gabriel, who spoke at length with him. (Daniel 9) 20
Moreover, Elisha's young man saw fiery chariots and horses around Elisha, and he saw them when his eyes were opened. 21
From these and many other passages in the Word, it is evident that the things which exist in the spiritual world have appeared to many, before and after the Lord's Advent. Why should it be surprising for them to appear also now, when the Church is beginning and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven
Poznámky pod čarou:
2. E.g., Revelation 6:9, 8:3, 9:13, 11:19, 14:17-18, 15:5-6, 15:8.
3. Revelation 5:1, 6:1-8.
4. Revelation 4:6, et al.
9. Revelation 13:1 ff., 11 ff.
10. Revelation 17:3 ff.
15. Revelation 1:10, 4:2, 17:3, 21:10.
16. See Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 21, Acts 1:4-11.
18. See Acts 9:1-19, 22:6-21, 26:12-18.
Ezekiel 47
1
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2
Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3
And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles.
4
Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5
Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6
And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7
Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8
Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9
And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10
And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11
But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
12
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
13
Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.
14
And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
15
And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;
16
Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.
17
And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.
18
And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.
19
And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
20
The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
21
So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
22
And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
23
And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.
