24. Vers. 1:7. Voici, il vient avec les nuées, signifie que le Seigneur se révélera dans le sens de la lettre de la Parole, et en ouvrira le sens spirituel à la fin de l'Église. Celui qui ne connaît rien du sens interne ou spirituel de la Parole, ne peut pas savoir ce qui a été entendu par le Seigneur par cela qu'il devait venir dans les Nuées du Ciel ; car il répondit au Grand-Prêtre qui l'adjurait de dire s'il était le Christ, le Fils de Dieu :

— « Toi, tu (l')as dit : Moi je (le) suis ; et vous verrez le Fils de l'homme assis à la droite de la puissance, et venant avec les Nuées du Ciel. » Matthieu 26:63-64 ; Marc 14:61-62 ;

— et lorsque le Seigneur parle de la Consommation du siècle aux disciples, il dit :

— « Et alors apparaîtra le signe du fils de l'homme, et on le verra venir dans les Nuées du Ciel avec puissance et gloire. » — Matthieu 24:30 ; Marc 13:26.

Par la Nuée du Ciel, dans laquelle il doit venir, il n'est pas entendu autre chose que la Parole dans le sens de la lettre, et par la Gloire, dans laquelle on le verra, il n'est pas entendu autre chose que la Parole dans le sens spirituel.

1835. That 'Abram drove them away' means that the Lord put them to flight is clear from what has been stated. The position is the same with regard to the Church. When it starts to depart from charity, evils and derivative falsities are quite easily put to flight, for it is still in a state not far removed from charity, and so people's minds are quite pliable. In the course of time however evils and derivative falsities increase, and so are confirmed and consolidated. This matter will be dealt with later on.

[2] As far as it is possible the Lord is constantly putting evils and falsities to flight, but He does so by means of conscience. When the bonds of conscience are loosed no channel exists by which the Lord may flow in, for the Lord's influx with man is an influx by way of charity into his conscience. But when this comes about a new channel, an external one, is formed and takes the place of charity, that is to say, influx now comes through a fear of the law, fear of loss of life, honour, wealth, and consequent reputation. But these bonds are not those of conscience; they are merely external bonds which enable a person to live in society with others and to appear friendly, whatever he may be like within.

[3] This channel, or these bonds, are of no value whatever in the next life, for in that life things that are external are taken away, and such as the person is within remains. There are very many who have led good lives, private and public, have harmed no one, and have performed acts of friendship and kindness; indeed they have done good to very many. Yet they acted solely for themselves, for the sake of honour, gain, and similar considerations. In the next life these are among those in hell since they have nothing good and true within them at all, only evil and falsity. Indeed they have nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery within them, which do not show themselves before anyone - not showing themselves, that is, insofar as those fears which constitute external restraints prevail.