Den Schriften zufolge war die Alte Kirche auf ihrem Höhepunkt weltweit und erhaben in ihrem Wissen über den Herrn, in ihrem Wissen über die Entsprechungen zwischen der Natur und der geistigen Welt und in ihrem Wissen darüber, wie die Menschen liebevoll und fürsorglich zueinander sein können. Sie fiel jedoch schließlich, als die Menschen begannen, dieses Wissen über die Liebe zu stellen, der es dienen sollte, und als sich die böse Liebe einschlich, begannen die Menschen, dieses Wissen zu verdrehen, um ihren bösen Begierden zu dienen.

Solch verdrehtes Wissen wird hier von den Männern an der Tür repräsentiert; es hat genug Wahrheit in sich, dass sie die Wahrheit, die von der Tür repräsentiert wird, erkennen und sie angreifen könnten. Wir alle wissen, wie das ist - es gibt nur wenige Dinge, die abschreckender sind als ein Argument, das mit Fakten und scheinbarer Wahrheit gespickt ist, aber für böse Zwecke eingesetzt wird.

Aber der Herr - vertreten durch die Engel - kümmert sich um die Bedrohung. Die Blendung der Männer bedeutet, dass die Wahrheit aus ihren Vorstellungen entfernt und sie mit Falschheit gefüllt wurden, mit Vorstellungen, die so falsch waren wie ihre Wünsche. In einem solchen Zustand konnten sie nicht einmal die wahren Ideen erkennen, die durch die Tür dargestellt wurden.

Auf einer persönlichen Ebene, wenn wir das Ende eines Zustandes der Versuchung erreichen und der Herr uns in einen friedlichen Zustand bringt, sind wir in der Lage, den Irrsinn und die bösen Absichten der Gedanken und Ideen zu erkennen, die uns vor kurzem noch geplagt haben.

607. But the character of this church will be described hereafter. That an idea of it may be presented here, it shall be briefly said that the Most Ancient Church was celestial, as already shown, but this church became spiritual. The Most Ancient Church had a perception of good and truth; this, or the Ancient Church, had not perception, but in its place another kind of dictate, which may be called conscience.

[2] But what is as yet unknown in the world, and is perhaps difficult to believe, is that the men of the Most Ancient Church had internal respiration, and only tacit external respiration. Thus they spoke not so much by words, as afterwards and as at this day, but by ideas, as angels do; and these they could express by innumerable changes of the looks and face, especially of the lips. In the lips there are countless series of muscular fibers which at this day are not set free, but being free with the men of that time, they could so present, signify, and represent ideas by them as to express in a minute’s time what at this day it would require an hour to say by articulate sounds and words, and they could do this more fully and clearly to the apprehension and understanding of those present than is possible by words, or series of words in combination. This may perhaps seem incredible, but yet it is true. And there are many others, not of this earth, who have spoken and at this day speak in a similar manner; concerning whom, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.

[3] It has been given me to know the nature of that internal respiration, and how in process of time it was changed. As these most ancient people had a respiration such as the angels have, who breathe in a similar manner, they were in profound ideas of thought, and were able to have such perception as cannot be described; and even if it could be described such as it really was, it would not be believed, because it would not be comprehended. But in their posterity this internal respiration little by little came to an end; and with those who were possessed with dreadful persuasions and phantasies, it became such that they could no longer present any idea of thought except the most debased, the effect of which was that they could not survive, and therefore all became extinct.