3897. CHAPTER 30

In the preliminary section of this chapter - in accordance with the method of presentation adopted previously - those things which the Lord has taught in Matthew 24 about the Last Judgement or final stages of the Church come up for explanation. The preliminary section of the previous chapter explained the contents of Matthew 24:19-22, and now an explanation appears below of verses 23-28, which are,

Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you beforehand. If therefore they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness! do not go out; Behold, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there also the eagles will be gathered together.

35. The Word has made it known that a church comes to its end when there is no longer any faith within it; but it is not yet known that there can be no faith if there is no charity. I must therefore next say a little about this subject.

The Lord foretells that there will be no faith at the end of a church:

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8.

And also that then there will be no charity:

At the ending of the age lawlessness will be increased many times, the charity of many will grow cold; and this gospel will be preached throughout the world. Then the end will come. Matthew 24:12, 14.

The ending of the age is the final period of a church. In that chapter the Lord describes the progressively declining state of the church as regards love and faith; but the description is given only by means of correspondences. The Lord's predictions therefore cannot be understood without knowing the spiritual sense which corresponds to each item. For this reason I have been permitted by the Lord to explain everything in that chapter and part of the following chapter, dealing with the ending of the age, the Lord's coming, the progressive laying waste of the church and the Last Judgment. This is to be seen in ARCANA CAELESTIA 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).