Explanation of Matthew 24
Po New Christian Bible Study Staff
Matthew 24 and 25 are the only chapters in the four gospels that receive systematic commentary by Swedenborg. That makes them really interesting, because we get a glimpse of how to look for the inner meaning using methods like the ones he used to study Genesis, Exodus, and Revelation.
We find this commentary deep in the middle of "Arcana Coelestia". For chapter 24, it starts in Arcana Coelestia 3353, (and continues in 3487-3489, 3650-3655, 3750-3757, 3897-3900, 4056-4060, 4229-4335, 4422-4424). Here's an excerpt from no. 3353:
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"Here first let the... words be explained which appear in Matthew [24:3-8].... Those who confine themselves to the sense of the letter cannot know whether these words and those that follow in this chapter refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, or whether they refer to the end of days which is called the Last Judgement. But those admitted into the internal sense see clearly that the end of the Church is being referred to, this end being that which here and in other places is called 'the coming of the Lord' and 'the close of the age'. And inasmuch as the end of the Church is meant one is able to see that all these statements made by the Lord mean such things as have to do with the Church. But their overall meaning may be seen from the individual meaning below which each of them has in the internal sense.
Many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. 'Name' here does not mean name, nor 'the Christ' the Christ, but 'name' means that by which the Lord is worshipped, 2724, 3006, while 'the Christ' means truth itself, 3009, 3010. Thus the meaning is that people will come who say that this is the sum and substance of faith, that is, it is the truth, when in fact it is neither the sum and substance of faith, nor the truth, but falsity.
They will hear of wars and rumours of wars means that arguments and disagreements over truths will arise which are wars in the spiritual sense.
Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom means that evil will conflict with evil, and falsity with falsity, 'nation' meaning good, but in the contrary sense evil, see 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849, and 'kingdom' meaning truth, but in the contrary sense falsity, 1672, 2547. And there will be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places means that no cognitions of good and truth will exist any more, and thus that the state of the Church is altered, meant by 'an earthquake'.'
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That's how Swedenborg described the inner meaning. Not surprisingly, it's pretty consistent with his exegesis of other books. It's interesting to see it applied to the Gospels, where often the literal meaning seems easier to apply to our lives than the stories of the Old Testament.
Next, we'll append the commentary on this chapter that Rev. John Clowes wrote back in the 1850's:
Verses 1, 2. The Lord predicts the vastation and destruction of the church.
Verses 3, 4. And from His Divine Love teaches, that the understanding ought to be opened to the light of truth, to prevent its being misled by falsities.
Verse 5. Because those are about to come who will say that this is of faith, or this is truth, when yet it is neither of faith nor is it truth, but what is false.
Verse 6. Debates also and disputes will exist concerning truths.
Verse 7. And the evil is about to fight against good, and the false against truth, and there will no longer be any knowledge of what is good and true, but perversion instead thereof, whereby the state of the church will be changed.
Verse 8. That this is the first state of the perversion of the church.
Verse 9. That the second state is when good and truth are about to perish, first by perversion, next by denial, and then by contempt for, and aversion from, all things which are of good and truth.
Verse 10. That hence will come enmities against the Lord's Divine Humanity, and likewise against all truth and good.
Verse 11. Also false doctrines and derivations thence.
Verse 12. And with faith will expire charity, according to the falsities of faith.
Verse 13. But they who are in charity, and do not suffer themselves to be seduced, will be saved.
Verse 14. And these things will first be made known in the Christian world, that none may pretend that they were ignorant, and then will be the consummation.
Verse 15. And when such things are observed, which had been predicted concerning vastation as to all things that are of good and truth, they ought to be carefully attended to, especially by those who are in love and faith.
Verse 16. Who, on such occasion, ought not to look elsewhere than to the Lord, thus to love to Him and charity towards the neighbour.
Verse 17. And they who are in the good of charity, ought not to take themselves thence to those things which are of the doctrines of faith.
Verse 18. And they who are in the good of truth, should not take themselves from its good to the doctrines of truth.
Verse 19. For they who are imbued with the good of love to the Lord, and with the good of innocence, will then be in danger of profaning those goods, and thus of eternal damnation.
Verse 20. They, therefore, who are principled in good and truth, ought to take heed lest a removal from those principles should be made precipitately in a state of too much cold arising from self-love, and in a state of too much heat arising from a holy external, concealing inwardly the loves of self and of the world.
Verse 21. For on that occasion will be the highest degree of perversion and vastation of the church as to good and truth, which is profanation.
Verse 22. So that for the salvation of those who are in the life of good, it will be necessary that they who are of the church should be removed from interior goods and truths to exterior.
Verses 23, 24. And the doctrine of those who are in a holy external principle, but in a profane internal, is to be guarded against, because it abounds with falsities.
Verse 24, latter part. Which falsities are supported by confirmations and persuasions grounded in external appearances and fallacies, whereby the simple suffer themselves to be seduced, but against which they are guarded who are in the life of good and truth.
Verse 25. Therefore there is need of prudence and caution.
Verse 26. Since they are not to be believed either as to what they speak about truth, or what they speak about good.
Verse 27. For as the lightning is instantly dissipated, so the internal worship of the Lord will at that time be dissipated also.
Verse 28. And confirmations of what is false will be multiplied by reasonings in the vastated church.
Verse 29. And where there is no longer any faith remaining, all love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour will disappear, and the knowledges of good and truth will perish, and thus the foundations of the church will be removed.
Verse 30. And then shall be the appearing of Truth Divine, and all who are in the good of love and the truth of faith will be in grief, and then shall be revealed the Word as to its internal sense, in which the Lord is.
Verse 31. And then shall be election by the influx of holy good and truth from the Lord by the angels, and thus the establishment of a new church.
Verse 32. And when this new church is creating by the Lord, then first of all appears the good of the natural principle with its affections and truths.
Verse 33. And when all the things above spoken of appear, then will be the consummation of the church, that is the last judgement and coming of the Lord, consequently then the old church will be rejected, and the new established.
Verse 34. And the Jewish nation in the mean time will not be extirpated like other nations.
Verse 35. And the internals and externals of the former church will perish, but the Word of the Lord will remain.
Verse 36. And the state of the church at that time, as to goods and truths, will not appear to anyone, neither in earth nor in heaven, but to the Lord alone.
Verse 37. But the state of the vastation of those who are of the church will resemble that of the first or most ancient church, the consummation of whose age, or whose last judgement, is described by a flood.
Verse 38, 39. For they will appropriate evil and the false, and will conjoin those principles in themselves, and will not know that they are inundated by them, because they will be ignorant what the good of love to the Lord is, and the good of charity towards the neighbour, also what the truth of faith is, therefore they will not receive the Divine Truth.
Verse 40. Nevertheless they within the church, who are in good, will be saved, and they within the church, who are in evil, will be damned.
Verse 41. And they within the church who are in truth, that is, in the affection thereof from good, will be saved, and they within the church who are in truth that is in the affection thereof from evil, will be damned.
Verses 42, 43, 44. Therefore man ought to procure to himself life from the Lord, which is spiritual life, because he is in ignorance what the state of his life is, which is to remain to eternity.
Verse 45. And for this purpose he should make enquiry concerning the principles of heavenly good and truth, by which the natural man is restored to order, and made receptive of heavenly life.
Verses 46, 47. Until he discovers that those principles are in conjunction with the Lord, and have thence dominion over all inferior principles.
Verses 48, 49, 50, 51. And that if the natural man through unbelief perverts those principles, and appropriates to himself evils and falsities, he will then know nothing of the interior state of his own life, but will be separated from all the goods and truths of heaven, and will have his lot with those who outwardly appear in truth as to doctrine, and in good as to life, but inwardly believe nothing of truth, and will nothing of good, whose state thereof in the other life is most lamentable, from the distraction between evils and goods, and the collision of falsities with truths.
Matthew 26
1
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2
Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
3
Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4
And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
5
But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
6
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
8
But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10
When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11
For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
14
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15
And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16
And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
17
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18
And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19
And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
20
Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21
And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
23
And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
25
Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
26
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
30
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
31
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
32
But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
33
Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
34
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35
Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
36
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
47
And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
49
And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
50
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
52
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
53
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
56
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
57
And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
58
But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
59
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
60
But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
61
And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
62
And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
63
But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
66
What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
67
Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
68
Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
69
Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70
But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71
And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75
And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
