38. And they who pierced him. That this signifies that they also will see Him who are in falsities from evil, is evident from the signification of piercing, or of they who pierce, as being those who altogether deny the Lord, for such kill and pierce Him in themselves. These also are meant by the soldier who pierced His side (John 19:34-37). By a soldier, and soldiers, are meant those who belong to the church, and who would fight for the Lord. But those of the Jewish Church, in particular, are there meant, and, in general, all who belong to the church who are in falsities from evil. And because these were signified by the soldiers, therefore they divided the Lord's garments, and cast lots upon His vesture; which means, that the Jewish Church dispersed the Divine truths of the literal sense of the Word, but that they could not do so with the interior truths, or the truths of the internal sense. (For garments signify truths in ultimates, see Arcana Coelestia 2576, 5248, 6918, 9158, 9212; to divide signifies to dissipate and disperse, see n. 4424, 6360, 6361, 9093; and the vesture interior truths, n. 9049, 9212, 9216, 9826.)

10622. 'And He does not at all absolve' means allowing them to exist until they reach their closing stage. This is clear from the meaning of 'absolving' as forgiving sin; but when the words does or will not absolve are added ¹ , allowing the thing to exist is meant. The reason why until their closing stage is meant is that the Lord allows evil to exist until it has reached its closing stage or culmination. Various places throughout the Word use the expression 'the close of the age'; and in these places evil may be spoken of as having reached or not having reached its closing stage, at which stage visitation takes place. Since this is the meaning of the words 'He does (or will) not at all absolve' a brief statement must be made showing what to understand by this. In general the closing stage or the close means the end of the Church. And it reaches its end when neither charity nor faith exist any longer, because the Church has turned itself completely away from the Lord and no good at all reigns there any longer, only evil. This is called its close, at which stage visitation takes place. When it takes place all those ruled by evil are cast away, and all those governed by good are accepted. This visitation takes place in the next life, where all who have belonged to the Church from its beginning through to its end dwell together. The casting away of the evil into hell when it takes place and the saving of the good is what is called the last judgement.

[2] In particular the closing stage takes place with every individual person in a very similar manner. When anybody enters the next life, which happens immediately after death, he is allowed to exist among those who are good; even someone bad is allowed to do so. But after a while the person's interiors are opened. If these are evil he is borne away more and more into his own evil, until his will is taken over by his evil, and his understanding by the falsity which goes with that evil. Once this has happened that evil is said to have reached the closing stage in him, and he is cast away into hell. These are the things that should be understood by 'He will not at all absolve'. The like is meant by what Jehovah said to Moses,

Now, go! lead the people to what I have spoken of to you. Behold, My angel will go before you; and on the day of My visitation I will visit their sin upon them. Exodus 32:34.

[3] The fact that the close means the end of the Church is clear from the following places: In Jeremiah,

With Israel and with Judah I will not bring about the close ² , but I will not treat you as one who is at all innocent ³ , because there is no hope for your fracture; the wound is grievous. You have no restorative medicaments. Jeremiah 30:11-13; 46:28.

In the same prophet,

Your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, has been brought to a close. He will visit your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He will reveal your sins. Lamentations 4:22.

In Daniel,

Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people, to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity. At length upon the bird of abominations will come desolation; and until the close ... Daniel 9:24, 27.

In Matthew,

The harvest is the close of the age. As the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be at the close of the age. Matthew 13:39-40.

In the same gospel,

The disciples said to Jesus, Tell us, what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? Matthew 24:3.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, Behold I am with you at all times ⁴ even to the close of the age. Matthew 28:20.

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