65. It says in the Book of Revelation, a new heaven and a new earth [Revelation 21:1], and after that, Behold, I am making all things new [Revelation 21:5]. This means simply that in the church that is now about to be established by the Lord, there will be a new body of teaching that did not exist in the former church. The reason it did not exist is that if it had existed it would not have been accepted. The Last Judgment had not yet been carried out, and until that happened the power of hell was stronger than the power of heaven. Consequently, if the Lord had given the new body of teaching too early, it would not have lasted with us; and even today it does not last except with people who turn to the Lord alone and acknowledge him as the God of heaven and earth (see above 61).

This same teaching had in fact already been given in the Word, but since the church changed into Babylon not long after its establishment-and then, among some, into Philistia -this teaching could not be seen in the Word. This is because a church sees the Word only through the lens of its own religious principles and teachings.

The new principles that are in this booklet are, in general terms, the following:

1. God is one in person and in essence, and is the Lord.

2. The whole Sacred Scripture is about him alone.

3. He came into the world to subdue the hells and to glorify his human nature. He accomplished these two goals by allowing himself to undergo trials; he accomplished them fully by the last of these trials, which was the suffering on the cross. By this means he became Redeemer and Savior, and by this means he alone has merit and justice.

4. He fulfilled all of the law, meaning that he fulfilled all of the Word.

5. He did not take away our sins by his suffering on the cross, but he did carry them like a prophet-that is, he suffered in order to be a representation of how the church had abused the Word.

6. The imputation of merit is nothing unless we understand it to be the forgiveness of sins after repentance.

These principles have been presented in this booklet. In forthcoming works-on Sacred Scripture, on teachings about life, on faith, and on divine love and wisdom-there will be more that is new.