"Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:3

Additional readings: Isaiah 1:1-20

In the childhood of the human race, before men had departed from right ways of life, heaven was near to them. They could be led directly by the Lord, for their hearts and minds were open to him. Of this Golden Age of the human race it is written, "Man walked with God." But we have all read in the history of the human race as revealed in the Scripture the account of how many departed from the way of life and, following the devices of his own heart, closed his mind to the direct reception of goodness and truth from the Lord, until finally he reached a state in which all true knowledge of God and heaven was lost.

Then the Lord came to bring salvation to mankind, and preparation for His reception was made through John the Baptist, the messenger sent in fulfillment of a prophecy given centuries before. John’s message is our text: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And when John was put to death, and the Lord began His active ministry in the world, the words of our text were also His first message. For He came to make clear the way of life, and wrong ideas held possession of the minds of men then, as they do of many minds today.

It is not by chance that this first message turns our thoughts to heaven. The purpose of our creation is that we may so live that we shall find our homes in heaven. Belief in heaven had been lost, along with the knowledge about it. And today belief in heaven is for the most part vague, and many think that eternal life does not mean personal existence in the spiritual world, but only the persistence of one’s influence in this world. Great men like Homer, Plato, Moses, Shakespeare, Gladstone, Lincoln, Pasteur, and many others perpetuate themselves in the influence they exert in the minds of living men. This, they say, is what is meant by immortality, by everlasting life. But we should realize that this type of everlasting life is open to the evil as well as to the good. A Diocletian may be remembered forever as well as the beloved Apostle. We need to know the truth that men and women, as individuals, live forever after death in the spiritual world.

But this is not the implication of the text which I have chosen for consideration this morning." The kingdom of heaven is at hand." We know that heaven is not in some remote part of the natural sky, that we cannot say, "Lo, here, or Lo, there" (Luke 17:21). But we are still apt to think of it as far away. We are also inclined to think of it as remote in time. We speak commonly of the "future" world. In the thought of some even, it lies at the indefinitely remote time, when they expect a general resurrection along with others; death is the gateway of heaven, but heaven still seems too distant to be of much practical and present interest.

But the truth is that heaven is far away neither in space nor in time. It is here, it is now, it is "at hand." We live in it now, or we may do so. It is a present reality, the most real and the most important element of the life we are now living. When we speak of heaven, and of living for heaven, we are not, as some charge, setting our hearts on something far away, and despising the real world in which we now are. If one lives for a far-off heaven — and no doubt some have lived so — he may be careless of this world’s joys and sorrows, of opportunities for usefulness, keeping his eyes fixed on some vision of the future. But we may live for heaven and still live thoroughly in the present. We ought to value heaven as the most real of present realities. The Gospel is true: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

We are taught in the New Church that heaven is essentially a state of human feeling, thought and life, a state in which love to the Lord and love to the neighbor are the ruling motives. We are taught that no outward paradise which could be made by human or by Divine skill would be a heaven if those affections were absent from the heart, that there is no real or lasting satisfaction except in the exercise of these affections. It follows that we can come into heaven in this world, and live in heaven while we live on earth, for we may learn here to love the Lord and one another, and to find our chief enjoyment in the exercise of these heavenly loves.

But this is an abstract way of speaking. Concretely, heaven is not merely a heavenly state in ourselves; it is the great world of human beings who are living in that state, those people in whose hearts are heavenly affections, whose minds are bright with spiritual light, and whose hands are busy with heavenly works. There are many such people in this world. There are countless more who have gone from the earth to the spiritual world, and are there living the same good life under freer and happier conditions. All these people are heaven.

When we have love to the Lord and the neighbor in ourselves, we are brought spiritually near to those in like affections, both of this world and of the spiritual world. It is not a figure of speech when we say that heaven is about us when we are in heavenly states. It is a literal and positive fact. Heaven is so really around us at such times that if it were granted to us, as it was to Elisha’s servant and to others in Bible days to have our spiritual eyes opened, we should see the angels who are our companions and the beautiful land in which they dwell. Among them we should see and recognize some who were dear to us on earth, who still love and help us, and there would be some whom we had not known before but who would from the first glance seem to us as old friends, because they have similar desires and thoughts. And we should recognize them as the source of our happiness.

The Lord created the world and all things in it. All things in the world were made for man to use and enjoy, from the very materials of the earth to all the myriad things of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, the beast of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea. For man’s needs of food, clothing, shelter, for gratification of his senses, and the improvement of his mind these things were made. All these were created and given to man for blessings. But they are subject to one important condition: man must indeed labor to make these things of service to himself, but he must also use them in the service of others. Only so can he have any security or peace. The world of nature and of human beings is not for one man, or a few men, or a nation to control or exploit. Indeed we cannot rightly claim sovereignty over ourselves. We need the guidance of the Lord. And whatever under the Divine Providence we have been able to acquire, whether of material wealth, or of skill, or of learning, we did not acquire it by our unaided efforts. Our daily knowledge of the happenings in the world, our libraries, our schools are made possible by the labor of mind and body of other men and women, great or humble, living or dead. We depend on others and they on us, and life and security today, as always, depend upon the honesty and good will of the community in which we live.

Yet we should also realize that behind the labors and sufferings and the honesty and good will of men stands the Lord. Through His power alone man achieves progress. It is a law of the Divine Providence that man must act in freedom according to reason. This applies to the life of nations as well as to the life of individuals. But the Lord is present and operative always.

For infinitely wise and good reasons, the Lord does not draw the veil aside for us and allow us to see the heavenly world. Some argue that if only they could see heaven, they would believe in it. But to see that world as an outward, objective reality would destroy our freedom. We should be lured by its outward attractiveness, and it would be less possible for us to come into its true spirit.

When we are living in selfish and evil affections, we are in hell. Not only is hell within us at such times but it is also about us, not by a figure of speech, but actually. We are breathing its poisoned atmosphere and, if our eyes were opened, we should see the forms and faces of those who find their life in evil and who exult in influencing others to evil. Why, at least then, does the Lord not draw the veil aside and show us the terribleness of evil? The sight might for the moment frighten us, but we should be less able to shun evil freely because it is evil, and our power to escape permanently from it would be greatly lessened.

If we are tempted to question the Lord’s Providence in not revealing to us more openly the conditions of the good and evil in the spiritual world, we do well to remember His words, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them….If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:29-31).

The Lord said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). We should seek those good things which endure forever, and should not sacrifice them for the sake of money or health or life itself. To acquire love to the Lord and to the neighbor is the only thing worth living for. Our business dealings should have as their motive the love of use, of service to others. The most necessary thing in making a home is having in it the sunshine of heaven. The only absolute requirement for our happiness as we go to and fro in the ways of the world is that heaven shall go with us. This is to live for heaven, and yet to live must fully in the present. This is the practical meaning of living for heaven.

It may be stated still more simply. Heaven is not heaven from locality, neither is it heaven from anything which belongs to the angels as their own. It is heaven from what is received from the Lord into the lives and hearts of the angels. To be near the Lord, not in place merely, but in heart, to feel the protection and peace of His presence is heaven. Heaven is being near to the Lord and keeping near to Him. There is no other heaven for men or angels.

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand." When John first spoke this message, the kingdom of heaven was in a special sense at hand, because the Lord had come to live with men and to make Himself accessible to them. A power to heal and bless went forth from the Lord during His life on earth. Men obsessed felt his saving power and sat at His feet clothed and in their right mind.

At the Transfiguration Peter said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here" (Matthew 17:4, Mark 9:5, Luke 9:33). In following the Lord, in hearing His Word and in doing His work, they were tasting of heaven. But we need to note that the mere physical nearness of the Lord did not make heaven. Some cried out with fear at His approach. It was not heaven to them. It was not heaven to those who followed Him to accuse and to betray Him. His presence was a blessing only to those who in some measure drew near to Him in spirit.

Even in the Lord’s coming on earth the kingdom of heaven was not forced on me. It was made accessible to them; it was brought within their reach.

It is brought within our reach. Just as there is no royal road to knowledge, there is no royal road to heaven. We must cease to do evil before we can learn to do well. Repentance, the willingness to recognize and acknowledge our faults and weaknesses and to struggle to overcome them opens the door. Heavenly life comes into the soul when selfish desires are replaced by kindly thoughts and the desire to serve. The Lord tell us to seek these heavenly virtues now, not for the sake of honor for ourselves, but that we may be really kind and helpful to others, that our lives may have something of the Lord’s love in them. Then we shall find that life here makes one with heavenly life, and that our Heavenly Father is the Source of happiness in both alike.

740. Called the devil and Satan, signifies because interiorly they were in evils and in falsities that are from hell. This is evident from the signification of "the devil and as being hell in respect to evils and falsities (of which presently). It means those who were interiorly in evils and the falsities thence, since those who are here meant by "the dragon" and are called "the devil and Satan," are not exteriorly such, but interiorly; for exteriorly ¹ they speak like men of the church, and some like angels of heaven, about God, the Lord, faith in Him and love to Him, and about heaven and hell, and they gather many things from the Word by which they confirm their dogmas; thus by these exteriors they are conjoined to heaven; and yet interiorly they are not affected by them, much less delighted with them, but are affected and delighted only with bodily and worldly things, even so that they regard heavenly things as comparatively of no account. In a word, they love above all things the things of the body and of the world, and heavenly things only as things serviceable; thus they make the things of the body and of the world the head, and heavenly things the feet. They are such because they make the life to be of no account, saying that faith alone saves, and not any good of life. Therefore they are devils and satans, for man is such as he is interiorly, and not such as he is merely exteriorly, except when he speaks and acts outwardly from the interior. Moreover, a man continues such after death; for such as a man is interiorly, such he is in respect to the spirit, and the spirit of man is the affection from which is the will and the life therefrom. From this it follows that those who make no account of the life are interiorly devils and satans, and they also become devils and satans when their life in the world is ended and they become spirits.

[2] They are called "the devil and Satan" because both "the devil" and "Satan" signify hell; "the devil" signifying the hell from which are evils, and "Satan" the hell from which are falsities; this hell is called "Satan" because all who are in it are called satans, and the other hell is called "the devil" because all who are in it are called devils. Before the creation of the world there was no devil or Satan who had been an angel of light and was afterwards cast down with his crew into hell, as can be seen from what has been said in the work on Heaven and Hell 311-316, under the head, "Heaven and Hell are from the Human Race").

[3] It is to be known that there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, namely, a celestial kingdom and a spiritual kingdom (on which see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). To these two kingdoms correspond by opposition the two kingdoms into which the hells are divided; to the celestial kingdom corresponds by opposition the infernal kingdom that consists of devils and is therefore called "the devil," and to the spiritual kingdom corresponds by opposition the infernal kingdom that consists of satans and is therefore called "Satan." And as the celestial kingdom consists of angels who are in love to the Lord, so the infernal kingdom corresponding by opposition to the celestial kingdom consists of devils, who are in the love of self; consequently from that hell evils of every kind flow forth. And as the spiritual kingdom consists of the angels who are in charity towards the neighbor, so the infernal kingdom that corresponds by opposition to the spiritual kingdom consists of satans, who are in falsities from love of the world, consequently from that hell falsities of every kind flow forth.

[4] From this it is clear what "the devil" and "Satan" signify in the following passages. In the Gospels:

Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1, seq.; Luke 4:1-13).

What is signified by the "wilderness," and by the Lord's "temptations" for forty days and forty nights, has been shown above n. 730. He is said to have been tempted "by the devil" to signify that He was tempted by the hells from which are evils, thus by the worst of the hells, for these were the hells that chiefly fought against the Lord's Divine love, since the love that reigned in those hells was the love of self, and this love is the opposite of the Lord's love, thus of the love that is from the Lord.

[5] In Matthew:

The tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy that soweth is the devil (Matthew 13:38, 39).

"Tares" signify the falsities of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, which are from evil, therefore they are also called "the sons of the evil one;" and as evil brings them forth it is said that it is "the devil that soweth them."

[6] In Luke:

Those upon the way are they that hear; then cometh the devil and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved (Luke 8:12).

And in Mark:

These are they upon the way, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan and taketh away the word which hath been sown in their hearts (Mark 4:15).

Respecting this the term "devil" is used in Luke, and "Satan" in Mark, for the reason that "the seed that fell upon the way" signifies truth from the Word that is received in the memory only and not in the life, and as this is taken away both by evil and by falsity, therefore both "the devil" and "Satan" are mentioned; and therefore in Luke it is said that "the devil cometh and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved;" and in Mark that "Satan cometh and taketh away the word which hath been sown in their hearts."

[7] In Matthew:

The king shall say to them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil ² and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Here the term "devil" is used because this was said of those who did not do good works, and therefore did evil works; for those who do not do good works do evil works; for the works they did not do are recounted in the preceding verses, and when goods are lightly esteemed evils are loved.

[8] The Lord calls Judas Iscariot:

A devil (John 6:70);

And it is said that the devil put into his heart (John 13:2);

And that after he had taken the sop satan entered into him (John 13:27; Luke 22:3).

It is so said because Judas Iscariot represented the Jews, who were in falsities from evil, and therefore from evil he is called a "devil," and from falsities a "Satan." Wherefore it is said that "the devil put into his heart," "to put into the heart" meaning into the love that is of his will. Also it is said that "after he had taken the sop Satan entered into him;" "to enter into him with the sop" meaning into the belly, which signifies into the thought, and falsities from evil belong to the thought.

[9] In John:

Jesus said to the Jews, Ye are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth because there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own (John 8:44).

This describes the Jewish nation, such as it had been from the beginning, namely, that it was in evil and in falsities therefrom. "Their father the devil" means evil from hell, in which their fathers were in Egypt and afterwards in the desert; that they willed to remain in the evils of their cupidities is signified by "the desires of your father ye will to do;" that they destroyed every truth of the understanding is signified by "he was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth because there was no truth in him;" as "man" signifies the truth of intelligence, so "murderer" signifies its destroyer. Their falsities from evil are signified by "when he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own;" "his own" signifying the evil of the will, and "lie" the falsity therefrom.

[10] In Matthew:

The Pharisees said of Jesus, He doth not cast out demons but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, If Satan casteth out satan he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? But if I in the spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come unto you (Matthew 12:24-26, 28).

Here the term "Satan," and not devil is used, because "Beelzebub," who was the god of Ekron, means the god of all falsities, for "Beelzebub" by derivation means the god of flies, and "flies" signify the falsities of the sensual man, thus falsities of every kind. This is why Beelzebub is called Satan. So, too, the Lord said, "If I in the spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come unto you;" "the spirit of God" meaning Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "the kingdom of God" thence signifying heaven and the church that are in Divine truths.

[11] In the Gospels:

Peter rebuking Jesus because He was willing to suffer, Jesus turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan, thou art a stumbling-block, because thou savorest not the things which are of God, but the things which are of men (Matthew 16:22, 23; Mark 8:32, 33).

The Lord said this to Peter because in a representative sense "Peter" signified faith; and as faith is of truth, and also, as here, of falsity, Peter is called Satan, for as has been said "Satan" means the hell that is the source of falsities. "Peter" represented faith in both senses, namely, faith from charity, and faith without charity; and faith without charity is the faith of falsity.

Moreover, those who are in faith without charity find a stumbling-block in the Lord's suffering Himself to be crucified; therefore this is called a "stumbling-block." As the passion of the cross was the Lord's last temptation and complete victory over all the hells, and also the complete union of His Divine with the Divine Human, and this is unknown to those who are in the faith of falsity, the Lord said "thou savorest not the things which are of God, but the things which are of men. "

[12] In Luke:

Jesus said to Simon, Behold Satan demanded you that he might sift you as wheat. But I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; when, therefore, thou shalt be converted, strengthen thou thy brethren (Luke 22:31, 32).

Here, too, "Peter" represents faith without charity, which faith is the faith of falsity, for this was said to him by the Lord just before he thrice denied Him. Because he represented faith therefore the Lord says, "I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not;" that he represented the faith of falsity is evident from the Lord's saying to him, "when, therefore, thou shalt be converted, strengthen thou thy brethren." As the faith of falsity is like chaff before the wind, it is said that "Satan demanded them that he might sift them as wheat," "wheat" meaning the good of charity separated from chaff. From this it is clear why the name "Satan" is here used.

[13] In the same:

I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven (Luke 10:18).

Here "Satan" has a similar signification as "the dragon" who was also seen in heaven and was cast out of heaven; but properly it is the "dragon" that is meant by the "devil," and "his angels" that are meant by "Satan." That "the angels of the dragon" mean the falsities of evil will be seen in a subsequent paragraph. "Satan falling down from heaven" signifies that the Lord by Divine truth, which He then was, thrust all falsities out of heaven and subjugated those hells that are called "Satan," like as Michael cast down "the dragon and his angels" (of which above, n. 737).

[14] In Job:

There was a day when the sons of God came to stand by Jehovah, and Satan came in the midst of them. And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking through it. And Jehovah gave into the hand of Satan all things belonging to Job, but he was not to put forth his hand upon Job; also afterwards that he might touch his bone and his flesh (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7).

That this is a composed history is evident from many things in this book. The book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church, full of correspondences, according to the mode of writing at that time, but yet it is an excellent and useful book. The angels at that time were called "sons of God," because "sons of God," the same as "angels," mean Divine truths, and "Satan" infernal falsities. And as the hells tempt men by falsities, as Job was afterwards tempted, and as infernal falsities are dispersed by Divine truths, it is said that "Satan stood in the midst of the sons of God." What the rest signifies will not be explained here, since it must be made clear in its series.

[15] In David:

They put upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love; appoint Thou a wicked one over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand (Psalms 109:5-6).

This, like most things in the Psalms of David, is a prophecy respecting the Lord and His temptations; for He above all others endured the most frightful temptations; and as He in His temptations fought from Divine love against the hells, which were most hostile to Him, it is said "they put upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love;" and as infernal evil and falsity prevail with them it is said "appoint thou a wicked one over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand;" "to stand at the right hand" signifying to be wholly possessed, and "Satan" signifying infernal falsity with which he was possessed.

[16] In Zechariah:

Afterwards he showed me Joshua the great priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary; and Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, even He who chooseth Jerusalem; is not this a brand delivered out of the fire? And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and thus stood before the angel (Zechariah 3:1-3).

What this involves can be seen only from the series of things that precede and follow; from these it can be seen that this represented how the Word was falsified. "Joshua the great priest" signifies here the law or the Word; and "he stood before the angel clothed in filthy garments" signifies its falsification. This shows that "Satan" here means the falsity of doctrine from the Word when it is falsified; and as this began to prevail at that time, Zechariah saw "Satan standing at his right hand;" "to stand at the right hand" signifying to fight against Divine truth. Because it is the sense of the letter of the Word only that can be falsified, for the reason that the things in that sense are truths in appearance only, and those who interpret the Word according to the letter cannot easily be convinced of falsities, so Joshua ³ said, "Jehovah rebuke thee," as above n. 735, where is explained what is signified by "Michael disputed with the devil about the body of Moses, and Michael said to the devil, The Lord rebuke thee" (Jude 1:9). Because the truth of doctrine from the Word which has been falsified is here meant, it is said, "Jehovah who chooseth Jerusalem; is not this a brand delivered out of the fire?" "Jerusalem" signifying the doctrine of the church, and "a brand delivered out of the fire" that there was but little of truth left.

[17] In these passages in the Old Testament "Satan" only is mentioned, and in no place the devil, but instead of the devil the terms "foe," "enemy," "hater," "adversary," "accuser," "demon," also "death" and "hell," are made use of. From this it may be clear that "the devil" signifies the hell from which are evils, and "Satan" the hell from which are falsities; as also in the following passages in Revelation:

Afterwards I saw an angel coming down out of heaven having the key of the abyss and a great chain upon his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall lead the nations astray. And the devil that led them astray was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:1, 2, 7, 8, 10).

But what "demon" and "spirit of a demon" signify may be seen above n. 586.

Footnotes: