17
até que lhes falte o pão e a água, e se espantem uns com os outros, e se definhem na sua iniqüidade.
Ezequiel 4:17
Arcana Coelestia #4721
4721. 'And Joseph went to his brothers, and found them in Dothan' means that they were steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Lord as regards Divine Truth, dealt with in 4669; from the representation of 'his brothers' as the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity, dealt with in 4665, 4671, 4679, 4680, 4690; and from the meaning of 'Dothan' as the specific details belonging to false assumptions' deals with immediately above in 4720. From this it is evident that the words used here mean that he found them steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions.
[2] So that anyone can know what 'specific details belonging to false assumptions' is used to mean, let some of the ideas taught by the Church making and acknowledging faith alone as its basic assumption serve to illustrate that phrase. That is to say, the ideas that a person is justified by faith alone; that in this case all sins are wiped away from him; that by faith alone he is saved even in the last hour of his life; that salvation is simply being admitted by grace into heaven; that even young children are saved through faith; that because they do not possess that faith gentiles are not saved; besides many other ideas that are taught. These ideas and others like them are the specific details belonging to the basic assumption made regarding faith alone. But if the Church were to make and acknowledge the life of faith as its basic assumption it would acknowledge charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord, and consequently the works of charity and love. Then all those specific details that have just been mentioned would fall to the ground. Instead of justification the Church would acknowledge regeneration, of which the Lord speaks in John,
Unless anyone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.
It would also acknowledge that regeneration is effected by means of the life of faith, not by faith separated from charity. It would not acknowledge that all sins are in that case wiped away from a person, but that in the Lord's mercy he is withheld from them and maintained in good and from this in truth; so the Church would acknowledge that all good originates in the Lord and all evil in oneself. Nor would it acknowledge that a person is saved through faith even in the last hour of his life but through his life of faith which awaits his arrival [in heaven]. It would not acknowledge either that salvation is simply being admitted by grace into heaven, for heaven is refused to none by the Lord, but that if his life is not the kind that enables him to exist together with angels he is impelled to flee from it, 4674. Nor would the Church acknowledge that young children are saved through faith, but that in the next life they are taught about the good deeds of charity and about the truths of faith by the Lord and in this way are accepted into heaven, 2289-2308. Nor also would it acknowledge that because they do not possess faith gentiles are not saved, but that the life they have led awaits their arrival in heaven, and that those who have led charitable lives with one another are taught about the good deeds of faith and are equally accepted in heaven. Those who lead a good life also desire the same and believe in it, see 2589-2604. And so on with many other specific ideas.
[3] The Church which makes and acknowledges faith alone as its basic assumption cannot possibly know what charity is, not even what the neighbour is, and so cannot know what heaven is. It will be astonished whenever anyone says that the happiness of the life after death and the joy in heaven consist in the Divine which flows into desiring and doing for others that which is good, and that the happiness resulting from this, and the bliss, surpass one's entire ability to perceive them. It will be astonished to learn that the reception of that influx from the Divine is by no means possible with anyone who has not been leading the life of faith, that is, with whom the good of charity has not been present. That the life of faith is what saves a person is also explicitly taught by the Lord in Matthew 25:31-end. The same teaching is found in many other places, and that too is why the Creed, called the Athanasian, states towards the end of it,
Everyone will give an account of his works: he who has done well will go into eternal life, but he who has done wickedly into eternal fire.
Matthew 25
1
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
14
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
