36
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Apocalypse Revealed # 716
716. To this I will append the following account:
I spoke with several English bishops in the spiritual world about the short works I published in London in 1758, namely, Heaven and Hell, The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, The Last Judgment, The White Horse, and The Earths in the Universe. I had sent these short works as a gift to all the Bishops and to a number of magnates or lords. The bishops said that they had received them and looked them over, but that they did not regard them as having any merit, even though artfully written. And they said, too, that they had persuaded as many as they could not to read them.
I asked why this was, since in fact the books contain secrets concerning heaven and hell, and concerning life after death, and many more worthy of much merit, having been revealed by the Lord for people who will belong to His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.
But they said, "What is that to us?" And they poured out invectives against them as they had in the world. I heard them.
I then read in their presence these verses from the Apocalypse:
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons that perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty... And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)
Having explained these verses in their presence, I told the bishops that they, and others like them elsewhere, were the people meant by these depictions.
[2] A king, the grandfather of the king reigning today, 1 heard from heaven what I said to the bishops, and being somewhat annoyed, he said, "What is this?"
And then one of those bishops, who had not gone along with the others in the world, turned to the king and said, "These whom you now see with your own eyes, thought in the world, and so even now continue to think, of the Lord's Divine humanity as being that of an ordinary person, and they attribute all salvation and redemption to God the Father, and not to the Lord except as the occasioning cause. For they believe in God the Father, and not in His Son, even though they know from the Lord that it is the Father's will that they believe in the Son, that those who believe in the Son shall have eternal life, and that those who do not believe in the Son shall not see life. 2
"In addition, the charity done by the Lord through a person as though done by the person - this they cast out from having anything to do with salvation."
[3] Speaking further with the king, the bishop disclosed the hierarchy that many of the bishops continually aspire to and also take part in, which they establish by joining together and forming an alliance. They do this with all of their order through emissaries, messengers, letters and conversations, supported by their ecclesiastical and at the same time political authority. As a result they almost all cling together, like a single bundle of sticks. Moreover, it is in consequence of that hierarchy, too, that even though the aforementioned works for the New Jerusalem were published in London and sent to them as a gift, they have caused those works to be so shamefully rejected that they are regarded as not even worth a mention in their book catalogue.
Hearing this, the king was dumbfounded, especially on being told that the bishops thought as they did regarding the Lord, who nevertheless is God of heaven and earth, and regarding charity, which nevertheless is the essence of religion.
At that, by a shaft of light descending then from heaven, the interiors of their minds and faith were laid open; and when the king saw them, he said, "Depart! Alas, who can become so hardened against hearing anything relating to heaven and eternal life?"
[4] The king then asked why the clergy rendered the bishops such universal obedience, and the bishop said that it resulted from the power granted to every bishop in his diocese of nominating to the king only one man or candidate for a parish, and not three as in other kingdoms. Owing to that power, then, they have the ability to promote their supporters to higher positions of honor and larger incomes - each one according to the obedience that he renders.
The bishop disclosed also how far that hierarchy could go, and that it has progressed to the point that power is the essential goal and religion a formality.
He revealed, too, their passion for power, and when viewed by angels, they saw that it exceeded the passion for power of people in positions of secular authority.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. In 1766 when this work was published, the reigning monarch was George III, who in 1760 succeeded his grandfather, George II, as king of England.
2. John 6:40; 3:36
Isaiah 14
1
For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.
2
The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh's land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
3
It will happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,
4
that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!"
5
Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,
6
who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.
7
The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song.
8
Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us."
9
Sheol from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
10
They all will answer and ask you, "Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?"
11
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you.
12
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!
13
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!
14
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!"
15
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit.
16
Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;
17
who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn't release his prisoners to their home?"
18
All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house.
19
But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot.
20
You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evildoers will not be named forever.
21
Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.
22
"I will rise up against them," says Yahweh of Armies, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son," says Yahweh.
23
"I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says Yahweh of Armies.
24
Yahweh of Armies has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
25
that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.
26
This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27
For Yahweh of Armies has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"
28
This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died.
29
Don't rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.
30
The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.
31
Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
32
What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.
