1. Prefazione dell’Autore

Il Signore parlando ai suoi discepoli della fine dei tempi, cioè nell’ultimo periodo della chiesa, ¹ dice, all’avvicinarsi della predetta fine, in merito al successivo stato di amore e fede: ²

Subito dopo l’afflizione di quei giorni il sole si oscurerà e la luna non darà il suo splendore, e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e le potenze dei cieli saranno scosse. Ed allora apparirà nel cielo il segno del Figlio dell’uomo; ed allora tutte le tribù della terra faranno cordoglio, e vedranno il Figliuolo dell’uomo venire sulle nuvole del cielo con gran potenza e gloria. E manderà i suoi angeli con gran suono di tromba a radunare i suoi eletti dai quattro venti, da un capo all’altro dei cieli. (Matteo 24:29-31)

Coloro che si soffermano sul mero significato letterale di queste parole, hanno la convinzione che alla fine dei tempi, quando vi sarà il giudizio universale, tutte queste cose avranno luogo, così come sono descritte nel senso letterale, cioè che il sole e la luna si oscureranno e le stelle cadranno dal cielo, e che il segno del Signore apparirà nel cielo, ed egli stesso sarà visto sulle nubi, con gli angeli e con le trombe al seguito; inoltre è predetto in altri passi che l’intero universo sarà distrutto, e poi sorgerà un nuovo cielo e una nuova terra. Tale è la convinzione della maggior parte degli uomini nella chiesa, nel presente. Ma coloro che sono in questa fede ignorano i segreti che sono nascosti in ogni minimo dettaglio della Parola; in realtà in ogni singolo vocabolo della Parola vi è un significato interiore che concerne le cose spirituali e celesti anziché le cose naturali e mondane, così come appaiono nel senso letterale. E questo è vero non solo per il significato di gruppi di parole, ma per ciascuna parola. ³ Perché la Parola è scritta esclusivamente per corrispondenze ⁴ , affinché vi possa essere un significato interiore in ogni singolo particolare di essa. Quale sia questo significato lo si può vedere da tutto ciò che è stato scritto al riguardo in Arcana Coelestia [pubblicato nel 1749-1756]; e dalle citazioni attinte da quell’opera, nell’illustrazione del Cavallo Bianco [dell’Apocalisse, pubblicato nel 1758] cui si fa riferimento nell’Apocalisse.

È in conformità di quel significato spirituale, che deve essere inteso l’avvento del Signore dal cielo, sulle nuvole, di cui al passo sopra citato. Ivi il sole che si oscura significa il Signore quanto all’amore; ⁵ la “luna” si riferisce alla fede; ⁶ le stelle indicano la conoscenza del bene e della verità, o dell’amore e della fede; ⁷ il “segno del Figlio dell’uomo nel cielo” indica la manifestazione della Divina verità; le “tribù della terra” significano tutte le cose concernenti la verità ed il bene, o la fede e l’amore; ⁸ “l’avvento del Signore sulle nuvole del cielo, in gloria e potenza,” significa la sua presenza nella Parola e la sua rivelazione; ⁹ le “nuvole” significano il senso letterale della Parola, ¹⁰ e la “gloria” il senso interiore della Parola; ¹¹ gli “angeli con gran suono di tromba” indicano il cielo quale sorgente della Divina verità. ¹² Tutto questo chiarisce cosa deve intendersi con queste parole del Signore, vale a dire che alla fine della chiesa, quando non vi sarà più alcun amore, e quindi alcuna fede, il Signore svelerà il significato interiore della Parola e rivelerà i segreti del cielo. I segreti rivelati nelle seguenti pagine riguardano il cielo e l’inferno, nonché la vita dell’uomo dopo la morte. L’uomo della chiesa attualmente ha una scarsa conoscenza del cielo e dell’inferno, o della sua vita dopo la morte, sebbene questi argomenti siano contemplati e descritti nella Parola; ciò nondimeno molti di quelli nati in seno alla chiesa, negano queste cose, dicendo nel loro intimo, “Chi mai è venuto da quel mondo e ha confermato queste cose?” Per evitare che questo atteggiamento negazionista, invalso specialmente presso quelli pervasi dalla saggezza mondana, possa contaminare e traviare le persone semplici nel cuore e nella fede, mi è stato concesso di essere associato agli angeli e di parlare con loro, come tra uomo e uomo, e anche di vedere come sono i cieli e gli inferni, e questo da tredici anni, ormai; quindi, adesso posso descrivere ciò che ho visto è udito, nell’auspicio che l’ignoranza possa essere illuminata, e l’incredulità, dissipata. Le presenti rivelazioni sono estese ora perché questo deve intendersi per la venuta del Signore.

Footnotes:

10261. And oil of olive. That this signifies the Lord’s Divine celestial good, is evident from the signification of “oil,” as being good both celestial and spiritual (see n. 886, 4582, 9780); and from the signification of “olive,” as being celestial love (of which below); hence by “oil of olive” is signified the good of celestial love, or what is the same, celestial good. It is called the Lord’s Divine celestial good, because all good which is essentially good in the heavens, is from the Divine of the Lord.

[2] But be it known that in itself the Lord’s Divine good is one and indivisible, for it is infinite, and contains infinite things within it. That which is infinite is one and indivisible, because the infinite things which it contains make a one. But that it is distinguished into celestial and spiritual is owing to its reception by angels in the heavens and by men on earth. As received by the angels and men who belong to the Lord’s celestial kingdom, it is called Divine celestial good; but as received by the angels and men who belong to the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, it is called Divine spiritual good; for all angels and men receive variously or dissimilarly the one only good of the Lord. Comparatively speaking this is like the heat and light of the sun of the world, which although considered in themselves they are one and indivisible, yet vary according to the times of the year and of the day, and also in a dissimilar manner in every region of the earth; and this variation of heat and light is not effected by the sun, but by the varied turning of the earth, according to the varieties of its orbit and of its rotation, thus also by the reception. Moreover, the same light varies in every object according to the reception, whence come colors. From all this it can be seen whence it is that the Lord’s Divine good, which is one and indivisible, because infinite, is called celestial and spiritual.

[3] That “oil” denotes good both celestial and spiritual, is evident from the passages above cited; but that “olive” denotes celestial love, and “oil” the perception and affection of this love, is evident from the passages in the Word where “oil” and “olive” are mentioned; as from the following, in Zechariah:

The prophet saw a lampstand all of gold, its seven lamps were upon it, two olive-trees were near it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. He said to the angel, What are these two olive-trees, and what are these two olive berries, which are in the hand of the two pipes of gold? He said, These are the two sons of olives that stand beside the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. 4:2-3, 11-12, 14).

[4] What these prophetic words involve cannot be known to anyone unless he knows from the internal sense what is signified by a “lampstand,” and what by an “olive-tree;” that a “lampstand” signifies the spiritual heaven, and its “lamps” the holy truths there, see above (n. 9548, 9551, 9555, 9558, 9561, 9684); from which it is evident that an “olive-tree” signifies the celestial kingdom by virtue of its perception and affection of good; and the “olive berries,” the holy goods there, the truths of which are signified by the “sons of olives.” “Two” signifies the internal and the external of this kingdom, and the conjunction.

[5] Like things are signified by “oil” and “lampstand” in these passages:

I will give to My two witnesses that they may prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive-trees, and the two lampstands, that stand before the God of the earth (Revelation 11:3-4).

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar of shittim, and the myrtle, and the wood of oil (Isaiah 41:19).

The “cedar” and the “wood of oil” are mentioned because the “cedar” signifies spiritual good, and the “wood of oil” celestial good. Spiritual good is charity toward the neighbor, and celestial good is love to the Lord; to “plant these trees in the wilderness” means in lands outside the church, thus among the Gentiles.

[6] In Hosea:

His branches shall advance, and his honor shall be as the olive, and his smell as Lebanon (Hos. 14:6).

By “the olive” is here also signified celestial good, and by “Lebanon” spiritual good, thus by “Lebanon” the like as by the “cedar,” because Lebanon was a forest of cedars.

[7] In Isaiah:

Thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the peoples, as the beating of an olive-tree, as the grape gleanings when the vintage is completed (Isaiah 24:13; also 17:6).

It is said “the beating of an olive-tree, and the gleanings of the completed vintage,” because the “olive-tree” signifies the church which is in celestial good, and the “vine” the church which is in spiritual good; for in the Word where good is treated of, truth also is treated of, by reason of their marriage; and in like manner where the celestial is treated of, the spiritual also is treated of. Moreover, the celestial is predicated of good, and the spiritual of truth (see the pl (9263) aces cited in n. 9263, 9314); and therefore it is so concerning the vine and the olive (that a “vine” denotes the spiritual church and its good and truth, see n. 1069, 5113, 6376, 9277).

[8] For this reason the “vine” and the “olive” are mentioned together elsewhere, as in David:

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house, thy sons like olive-plants round about thy table (Psalms 128:3).

The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall produce be in the vines: the work of the olive shall deceive (Hab. 3:17).

The most of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees hath the worm devoured (Amos 4:9).

The “fig-tree” also is here mentioned because the “fig-tree” signifies the good of the external church (n. 5113), but the “vine” the good of the internal spiritual church, and the “olive” the good of the internal celestial church (as in other places).

[9] As the “wood of oil” signified the good of celestial love, therefore the two cherubs which were in the adytum of the temple were made of wood of oil, as were the doors, threshold, and posts (1 Kings 6:23, 31-32); for by the adytum of the temple was represented the inmost heaven, where celestial good is, and therefore all things therein signified celestial things. (That the ark which was there, and for which the adytum was made, signified the inmost heaven where the Lord is, see n. 9485)

[10] Moreover, the like was signified by the “Mount of Olives”—which was over against the temple—as by the “olive,” just as the like was signified by “Lebanon” as by the “cedar;” and therefore in order that there might be represented in the heavens all things which the Lord performed when He was in the world, and especially Divine celestial things, the Lord was very often on the Mount of Olives when He was at Jerusalem, as is evident in Luke:

Jesus was for days teaching in the temple, but in the nights He went out and passed them in the Mount that is called of Olives (Luke 21:37).

Jesus came out, and went, as His custom was, into the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39).

(That this mountain was over against the temple, see Mark 13:3; Matthew 24:3.)

[11] That the “Mount of Olives” signified Divine celestial good, is evident in Zechariah, where it is said:

The feet of Jehovah shall stand upon the Mount of Olives which is before the faces of Jerusalem, and He shall there fight against the nations; and this mountain shall cleave asunder, part toward the east, and toward the sea, with a great valley; and part of the mountain shall withdraw toward the north, and part toward the south (Zech. 14:4).

There is here described the state of heaven and the church when the Lord was in the world, and fought against the hells and overcame them, and at the same time brought back the heavens into order; the “nations” there against which He fought denote evils from the hells; the “Mount of Olives” upon which His feet stood, denotes the Divine good of the Divine love, for from this He fought and conquered; the “cleaving asunder of the mountain toward the east and toward the sea, with a great valley,” signifies the separation of heaven and hell; as also does its “withdrawal toward the north and the south;” for those are said to be “in the south” who are in the light of truth; “in the east,” those who are in the love of good; but “toward the sea,” those who are in evils; and “to the north,” those who are in falsities.