The Bible

 

Daniel 12

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1 And at that time Michael will take up his place, the great angel, who is the supporter of the children of your people: and there will be a time of trouble, such as there never was from the time there was a nation even till that same time: and at that time your people will be kept safe, everyone who is recorded in the book.

2 And a number of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will come out of their sleep, some to eternal life and some to eternal shame.

3 And those who are wise will be shining like the light of the outstretched sky; and those by whom numbers have been turned to righteousness will be like the stars for ever and ever.

4 But as for you, O Daniel, let the words be kept secret and the book rolled up and kept shut till the time of the end: numbers will be going out of the way and troubles will be increased.

5 Then I, Daniel, looking, saw two others, one at the edge of the river on this side and one at the edge of the river on that side.

6 And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was over the waters of the river, How long will it be to the end of these wonders?

7 Then in my hearing the man clothed in linen, who was over the river, lifting up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, took an oath by him who is living for ever that it would be a time, times, and a half; and when the power of the crusher of the holy people comes to an end, all these things will be ended.

8 And the words came to my ears, but the sense of them was not clear to me: then I said, O my lord, what is the sense of these things?

9 And he said, Go on your way, Daniel: for the words are secret and shut up till the time of the end;

10 Till a number are tested and make themselves clean; and the evil-doers will do evil; for not one of the evil-doers will have knowledge; but all will be made clear to those who are wise.

11 And from the time when the regular burned offering is taken away, and an unclean thing causing fear is put up, there will be a thousand, two hundred and ninety days.

12 A blessing will be on the man who goes on waiting, and comes to the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days.

13 But you, go on your way and take your rest: for you will be in your place at the end of the days.

   

The Bible

 

Daniel 10:13

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13 But the angel of the kingdom of Persia put himself against me for twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief angels, came to my help; and when I came he was still there with the angel of the kings of Persia.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #606

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606. These facts allow us to reach the conclusion that a person who is not regenerated is like someone who seeing phantoms by night thinks they are people. Then when he is being regenerated he is like someone who sees at daybreak that what he saw in the night was a delusion, and later, when he has been regenerated and is in full daylight, he sees that they were hallucinations. The person who has not been regenerated is like a dreamer; one who has, is like someone wide awake. In the Word too natural life is likened to sleep, spiritual life to wakefulness. It is the unregenerate person who is meant by the foolish virgins who had lamps, but no oil. The regenerated person is meant by the wise virgins who had lamps and also oil. Lamps mean things to do with the understanding, oil things to do with love. Regenerated persons are like the lights of the lampstand in the Tabernacle; and like the bread of the Presence and the incense placed on it there. These are the people who 'will shine like the radiance of the firmament, and be bright as stars for an age and for ever', as described in Daniel (Daniel 12:3).

[2] The person who is not regenerated is like someone in the Garden of Eden who eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and is therefore expelled from the garden; in fact he is that very tree. But a regenerated person is like someone in that garden who eats of the tree of life. These words in Revelation establish that it is permissible to eat of that tree.

To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, Revelation 2:7.

The Garden of Eden means intelligence in spiritual matters arising from the love of truth; see Apocalypse Revealed 90. In short, the unregenerate is the 'son of the evil one', and the regenerate is the 'son of the kingdom' (Matthew 13:38). 'Son of the evil one' there is the son of the devil, 'son of the kingdom' the son of the Lord,

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.