4229. 第32章

最后的审判 (续)

我们从第三卷 (系指拉丁文的第3卷) 开始解释主在马太福音 24章关于最后审判的预言. 这些解释被放在了那一卷最后几章的开头部分, 目前已解释到31节 (参看3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3897-3901, 4056-4060节).

概括地说, 主的这些预言的内义从所给出的解释很清楚看出来, 即祂预言了教会的逐渐毁灭和最终一个新教会的建立, 其次序如下:

⑴教会成员不再知道何为良善与真理, 反而开始彼此争论它们.

⑵他们蔑视它们.

⑶他们从心里不承认它们.

⑷他们亵渎它们.

⑸由于信之真理和爱之良善仍存留在某些被称为 “选民” 的人当中, 故经上描述了那时信之真理所具有的状态.

⑹然后描述了仁的状态.

⑺最后论述了一个新教会的开始, 由最后所解释的那些话来表示, 即:

祂要差遣祂的使者, 用号筒的大声, 将祂的选民从四风, 从天这边到天那边, 都招聚了来. (马太福音 24:31)

这些话表示一个新教会的开始 (参看4060末尾节).

5. Verse 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, signifies predictions from the Lord respecting the last times of the church. This is evident from the signification of "revelation," as being predictions; and since these are from the Lord alone, it is said, "the revelation of Jesus Christ." The revelation, or predictions, are respecting the last times of the church, since those times are especially treated of. It may be supposed that in Revelation the successive states of the church from beginning to end are treated of; these, however, are not there treated of, but only the state of heaven and of the church near the end, when the Last Judgment takes place, thus the last times. The successive states of the church were foretold by the Lord Himself in Matthew 24, Matthew 25; and also in Mark 13; yet what is there given is written in the Divine prophetic style, that is, by means of correspondences; consequently it is of such a character that it can only be revealed and made evident by the internal or spiritual sense. (It has therefore been granted me from the Lord to unfold these things in the Arcana Coelestia, at the beginning of chapters Genesis 26 to Genesis 40 of Genesis; which explanations may be seen in their order, in the following places: n. Arcana Coelestia 3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, 3897-3901, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4424, 4635-4638, 4661-4664, 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071)

224. And My new name, signifies that they will also acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human. This is evident from the signification of "I will write upon him My new name," as being that they will acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human. "To write upon one" is to implant in the life (See above, n. 222), here to implant in the faith that is from charity, because that faith is treated of in what is written to the angel of this church (See above, n. 203); and to implant in that faith is to acknowledge in heart. "The Lord's new name" is His Divine Human, because this prophetic book, which is called Revelation, treats of those who will be in the New Jerusalem, and of those who will not, and not of the successive states of the church as is believed (See above, n. 5); and those who will be in the New Jerusalem are all who will acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human. It is therefore also said at the end of The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem:

That there is a trine in the Lord, namely, the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the proceeding Divine, is an arcanum from heaven, and is for those who will be in the holy Jerusalem (n. 297).

It can be seen that this is "the Lord's new name," since this truth was not before acknowledged in the church. What besides this is meant in the Word by "the name of Jehovah," "the name of the Lord," and "the name of Jesus Christ," can be seen above (n. 26, 102, 133, 135, 148); and that the Lord's Divine Human is meant (n. 26, 102). This is meant by "the name of Jehovah," because "name" in the Word signifies the quality of a state and of a thing (See above, n. 148), and the Divine quality by which all things were created and made in the heavens and on earth, is the Lord's Divine Human, as is said in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the world was made through Him. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-3, 10, 14).

From this it can be seen why "the name of Jehovah" means the Lord's Divine Human. That this is meant in the Word by "the name of Jehovah" the Lord Himself shows in John:

Jesus said, Father, glorify Thy name. And there came a voice out of heaven, saying, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:28).

To "glorify" is to make Divine. In the same:

Jesus said, I have manifested Thy name unto men, and I have made known unto them Thy name, and will make it known (John 17:6, 26).