Apocalypse Explained #1056
1056. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder. That this signifies those of that religious persuasion who reject the Word, is evident from the signification of them that dwell on the earth, as denoting those who are of that religious persuasion. For by the earth is signified the church; but, in this case, that religious persuasion, because the church is not there. For the church is only where the Lord is worshipped and the Word is read.
That those who reject the Word are meant is evident from what follows; that is, that they are those whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world; and that they are those who saw the beast, which was, and is not, but yet is. For by the beast is signified the Word, as was said above. Therefore their wonder is, that the Word still is, although it was, and is not.
Concerning the second kind of Profanation:-
[2] The love of ruling by the holy things of the church as a means, entirely closes the interiors of the human mind from inmost to outmost, according to the quality and quantity of that love. But in order that it may be known how they are closed, something shall first be said concerning the interiors of the human mind.
Man has a spiritual mind, a rational mind, a natural mind, and a sensual mind. By the spiritual mind he is in heaven, and is a heaven in its least form. By the natural mind he is in the world, and is a world in its least form. Heaven with man communicates with the world in him through the rational mind; and with the body through the sensual mind. After man's birth the sensual mind is first opened; afterwards the natural mind; and, as he studies to become intelligent, the rational mind; and, as he studies to become wise, the spiritual mind. But afterwards, as he becomes wise, the spiritual mind becomes with him as the head, and the natural mind as the body, to which the rational mind serves for conjunction, as the neck to the head, and then the sensual mind is like the sole of the foot.
[3] All these minds with infants are so disposed by the Lord, through an influx of innocence from heaven, that they may be opened. But with those who, from their youth, begin to be inflamed with the lust of ruling by the holy things of the church, as means, the spiritual mind is entirely closed, and also the rational mind; lastly, the natural mind, down to the sensual mind, as it is said in heaven, even to the nose. And thus they become merely sensual men; these are the most stupid of all in spiritual things, and thence in rational things; and the most cunning of all in worldly matters and those of a civil kind. That they are so stupid in spiritual things, they themselves do not know, because in heart they do not believe those things, and because they believe cunning to be prudence, and malice to be wisdom.
All of this kind, however, differ according to the quality and quantity of the lust of ruling and of its exercise also, according to the quality and quantity of persuasion that they are holy; and according to the quality of the good and truth from the Word, which they profane.
Genesis 5
1
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
6
And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
7
And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
8
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9
And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
10
And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:
11
And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
12
And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
13
And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
14
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
15
And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
16
And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
17
And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18
And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
19
And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
20
And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
22
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23
And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
25
And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
26
And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
27
And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
28
And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
29
And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30
And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
31
And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
