6895. Saying, Visiting I have visited you. That this signifies His coming to those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “visiting,” as being the coming of the Lord, which precedes the last time of the church, which time in the Word is called the “Last Judgment.” (That this is meant by “visitation,” see n. 2242, 6588.) That this is called “the Lord’s coming,” is plain from these words in Matthew:

The disciples said unto Jesus, Tell us when shall these things shall be? and what is the sign of Thy coming, and of the consummation of the age? (Matthew 24:3);

and then the Lord instructed the disciples about the last time of the church, as can be seen from what has been unfolded above (n. 3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3897-3901, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4422-4424); and He said that when all these things should come to pass, “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory” (Matthew 24:30).

[2] That by the “coming of the Lord” is not meant His appearing with angels in the clouds, but acknowledgment in hearts by love and faith (see n. 3353, 3900); also His appearing from the Word, the inmost or supreme sense of which treats of the Lord alone (n. 4060). This coming is meant by the coming of the Lord which takes place when an old church is rejected, and a new church is set up again by the Lord. And as newness of the church was now to be restored with the posterity of Jacob, it is said, “Visiting I have visited you,” as was also said by Joseph when he died:

Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and visiting God will visit you, and will make you come up out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Genesis 50:24);

by “visiting to visit you,” in the sense of the letter, is here signified liberation from slavery in Egypt, and introduction into the land of Canaan; but this is not the spiritual content of the Word, but the natural. The spiritual of the Word treats of the Lord, of His kingdom and church, and of love and faith; and therefore by “visiting to visit” in the spiritual sense is meant liberation from falsities, and thus initiation into what is of the Lord’s church and kingdom, thus the coming of the Lord in love and faith with those who will be of the new church.

6588. And visiting God will visit you. That this signifies that the last time will come, is evident from the signification of “being visited,” as being the last time, here the last time of the oppression of the sons of Israel in Egypt; in the internal sense, the last time of an old church, and the first of a new one. In the Word this last time is called “visitation,” and is predicated both of the church in general, and also of those who are within the church in particular; and of the new church which is being born, and of the old church which is expiring; in particular of the man of the church who is being saved, and of him who is being damned.

[2] That these things are signified in the Word by “visitation,” and the “day of visitation,” may be seen from the following passages.

In Luke:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and wrought deliverance for His people. Through the bowels of mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, that He may appear to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:68, 78-79); this is the prophetic utterance of Zacharias concerning the Lord when born; “to be visited” here denotes the raising up of a new church, and the enlightenment then of those who were in ignorance of the truth and good of faith, thus their deliverance; and therefore it is said, “He hath visited and wrought deliverance for His people,” “He hath visited that He may appear to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death.”

[3] In Moses:

Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, Visiting I will visit you, and that which is done to you in Egypt (Exodus 3:16).

Again:

The people believed; and they heard that Jehovah had visited the sons of Israel (Exodus 4:31).

“To be visited here denotes the last time when the church has ceased, and the first when it is beginning; the last with the Egyptians, and the first with the sons of Israel; thus also the deliverance of the latter.

[4] In Jeremiah:

They shall be carried away to Babylon; and there shall they be even until the day that I will visit them; then will I make to come up the vessels of the house of God, and I will bring them back unto this place (Jeremiah 27:22).

Again:

When seventy years have been fulfilled to Babylon, I will visit you, and I will establish upon you My good word, and will bring you back unto this place (Jeremiah 29:10); where “to visit” denotes to deliver; in general the last time of captivity and desolation.

[5] “Visitation” and the “day of visitation” denote the last time of the church, in Isaiah:

What will ye do in the day of visitation and of devastation? it shall come from afar; unto whom will ye flee for help? (Isaiah 10:3). Again:

Behold the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, and of indignation, and of wrath, and of anger, to make the earth a waste. I will visit evil upon the world, and their iniquity upon the wicked (Isaiah 13:9, 11).

In Jeremiah:

They shall fall among them that fall; and in the time of their visitation they shall stumble (Jeremiah 8:12).

In Hosea:

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come (Jeremiah 9:7).

In Moses:

Jehovah said to Moses, Notwithstanding, go, lead this people in, whither I have spoken to thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; but in the day of My visiting I will visit upon them their sin (Exodus 32:34).

In Luke:

Jesus said concerning Jerusalem, They shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou hast not acknowledged the time of thy visitation (Luke 19:44).

The “day of visitation” denotes the coming of the Lord, and enlightenment then; but in respect to the Jewish nation, as they did not acknowledge it, it denotes the last time of the representatives of the church with them; for when Jerusalem was destroyed, the sacrifices ceased, and that nation was scattered.

[6] In Ezekiel:

A great voice cried in mine ears, The visitations of the city have come nigh, and a man has his instrument of destruction in his hand (Ezekiel 9:1); where the sense is similar.

In Isaiah:

The Rephaim shall not rise, in that Thou hast visited, Thou hast extinguished them (Isaiah 26:14).

The “Rephaim” denote the posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which was before the flood, who are also called “Nephilim” and “Anakim” (see n. 567, 581, 1673); “Thou hast visited and extinguished the Rephaim” denotes the last time of that church, and also the casting of them into hell (n. 1265-1272). “Visitation” denotes requital, thus damnation, in Jeremiah:

Shall I not visit for this? shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this? (Jeremiah 5:9).

Again:

I will bring the destruction of Esau upon him in the time that I shall visit him (Jeremiah 49:8).

And in Hosea:

I will visit upon him his ways, and I will requite his works (Hos. 4:9).