3353、绝大多数人以为当最后的审判到来时，可见宇宙中的一切都将毁灭；地球被大火吞噬；太阳和月亮化为乌有；众星都消失不见；然后，一个新天新地会神奇地出现。描述这类事件的启示录和预言给了他们这种观点，但真实情况完全不是这样，这从关于最后审判的说明（900， 931， 1850， 2117-2133节）可以看出来。这些章节说明，最后的审判其实是教会在一个民族那里的结束和在另一个民族那里的开始。当主不再被承认，或也可说，信不复存在时，这结束和开始就会发生。当仁不复存在时，承认或信就不复存在，因为信只能存在于那些处于仁爱的人里面。在这种时候，教会就会结束，转到其他人那里，这一点从主自己在福音书（马太福音24章， 马可福音13章， 路加福音21章）中关于末日或时代完结所教导和预言的一切很明显地看出来。
没有内义这把钥匙，没有人能明白主的这些话，让我一点一点地来解释它们，就从此处马太福音中的这些话开始：
门徒上耶稣跟前来，说，请告诉我们，什么时候会发生这些事？你降临和时代的完结，有什么预兆呢？耶稣回答他们说，你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们。因为许多人要冒我的名来，说，我是基督，并且要迷惑许多人。你们必听见战争和战争的风声；注意，不要惊慌；因为这些事必须发生，只是终结还没有到。因为民族要起来攻击民族，国家要起来攻击国家；各处都有饥荒、瘟疫和地震。这一切只是痛苦的开始。（马太福音24:3-8）
那些局限于字义的人不可能知道这些话和该章接下来的话是与耶路撒冷的毁灭和犹太民族的四散有关，还是与被称为最后审判的大灾难或末日有关。而另一方面，那些专注于内义的人清楚看出，此处论述的是教会的结束，这结束就是那在此处和别处被称为主的降临和时代完结的。由于所表示的是教会的结束，所以可知，主所说的这一切话都表示教会的事物或方方面面。不过，它们的总体含义可从内义上的几个细节看出来，如经上说：“许多人要冒我的名来，说，我是基督，并且要迷惑许多人”：此处“名”不是指名字，“基督”也不是指基督；“名”表示敬拜主的一种手段（2724， 3006节），而“基督”表示真理本身（3009， 3010节）。因此，这句话的意思是，人们会来说，这是信所教导的，或这是信的全部和实质，也就是说，这是真理；而事实上，这既不是信条，或信的全部和实质，也不是真理，而是虚假。他们“要听见战争和战争的风声”表示关于真理的争论和纠纷将出现，这些都是灵义上的战争。“民族要起来攻击民族，国家要起来攻击国家”表示邪恶将与邪恶交战，虚假将与虚假交战。“民族”表示良善，但在反面意义上表示邪恶（参看1259， 1260， 1416， 1849节）；“国家”表示真理，但在反面意义上表示虚假（1672， 2547节）。“各处都有饥荒、瘟疫和地震”表示良善和真理的知识或认知将不复存在，因此教会的状态会发生改变，这种改变就是“地震”。
Potts(1905-1910) 3353
3353. CHAPTER 26 Most men believe that when the Last Judgment comes, all things in the visible world will be destroyed; that the earth will be consumed by fire; the sun and the moon dissipated; that the stars will vanish away; and that a new heaven and a new earth will afterwards arise. They have conceived this opinion from the prophetic revelations in which such things are mentioned. But that the case is very different may be seen from what has been shown above concerning the Last Judgment (n. 900, 931, 1850, 2117-2133); from which it is manifest that the Last Judgment is nothing else than the end of the church with one nation, and its beginning with another, which end and beginning occur when there is no longer any acknowledgment of the Lord, or what is the same, when there is no faith. There is no acknowledgment, or no faith, when there is no charity; for faith is impossible except with those who are in charity. That at such a time there is an end of the church, and a transference of it to others, is plainly evident from all the things the Lord Himself taught and foretold in the Evangelists concerning that last day, or consummation of the age (Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). [2] But as these passages cannot be comprehended by anyone without the key, which is the internal sense, I may unfold in regular order the things contained in them, beginning here with these words in Matthew:
The disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the consummation of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, See that no man lead you astray. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. But all these things are the beginning of sorrows (Matt. 24:3-8). It is impossible for those who remain in the sense of the letter to know whether these things and those which follow in the chapter were spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish nation, or concerning the end of days, called the Last Judgment; but they who are in the internal sense see clearly that the end of the church is here treated of, which end is what is here and elsewhere called the coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age. And because this is the end which is meant, it may be known that all these expressions signify things of the church; but what they signify may appear from the several particulars in the internal sense, as when it is said that "many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray," where "name" does not signify name, nor "Christ," Christ; but "name" signifies that by which the Lord is worshiped (n. 2724, 3006); and "Christ" signifies truth itself (n. 3009, 3010); thus it is meant that there would come those who would say, "This is of faith," or "This is true," when yet it is neither of faith, nor true, but false. That they "should hear of wars and rumors of wars" denotes that there would be disputes and strife concerning truths, which are wars in the spiritual sense. That "nation should be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" signifies that evil would fight with evil, and falsity with falsity. (That "nation" signifies good, but in the opposite sense evil, may be seen above, n. 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849; and also that "kingdom" signifies truth, but in the opposite sense falsity, n. 1672, 2547.) "And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places" signifies that there would be no longer any knowledges of good and of truth, and thus that the state of the church would be changed, which is an "earthquake."
Elliott(1983-1999) 3353
3353. The majority of people believe that when the Last Judgement comes everything visible in the world is going to perish - that is to say, the earth will go up in flames, the sun and moon will be reduced to nothing, and the stars will disappear; and after that a new heaven and a new earth will come into being. They have acquired this idea from the prophetical revelations, among which such occurrences are mentioned. But what will in fact happen at that time is quite different, as becomes clear from what has been shown already concerning the Last Judgement in 900, 931, 1850, 2117-2133. Those paragraphs show that the Last Judgement is nothing else than the end of the Church with one group of people and the beginning of it with another. This end with one and beginning with another occurs when the Lord is not acknowledged any longer, or what amounts to the same, when there is no faith any longer. No acknowledgement or faith exists any longer when there is no charity any longer, for faith is in no way possible except with those in whom charity is present. In those circumstances the Church comes to an end and is transferred to others, as is plainly evident from all the things that the Lord Himself taught and foretold in the Gospels concerning the last day or the close of the age - in Matthew 24; Mark 13; and Luke 21. But since nobody without the key, which is the internal sense, is able to understand those things foretold by Him there, let them be explained one after another.
[2] Here first let the following words be explained which appear in Matthew,
The disciples came to Jesus, saying, Tell us. when will those things take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? And Jesus answering said to them, See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, see that you are not alarmed; for all things must take place; but the end is not yet. For nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of sorrows. Matt 24:3-8.
Those who confine themselves to the sense of the letter cannot know whether these words and those that follow in this chapter refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, or whether they refer to the end of days which is called the Last Judgement. But those admitted into the internal sense see clearly that the end of the Church is being referred to, this end being that which here and in other places is called 'the coming of the Lord' and 'the close of the age'. And inasmuch as the end of the Church is meant one is able to see that all these statements made by the Lord mean such things as have to do with the Church. But their overall meaning may be seen from the individual meaning below which each of them has in the internal sense.
Many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. 'Name' here does not mean name, nor 'the Christ' the Christ, but 'name' means that by which the Lord is worshipped, 2724, 3006, while 'the Christ' means truth itself, 3009, 3010. Thus the meaning is that people will come who say that this is the sum and substance of faith, that is, it is the truth, when in fact it is neither the sum and substance of faith, nor the truth, but falsity.
They will hear of wars and rumours of wars means that arguments and disagreements over truths will arise which are wars in the spiritual sense.
Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom means that evil will conflict with evil, and falsity with falsity, 'nation' meaning good, but in the contrary sense evil, see 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849, and 'kingdom' meaning truth, but in the contrary sense falsity, 1672, 2547. And there will be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places means that no cognitions of good and truth will exist any more, and thus that the state of the Church is altered, meant by 'an earthquake'.
Latin(1748-1756) 3353
3353. GENESEOS CAPUT VIGESIMUM SEXTUMMaxima pars hominum credit quod interitura sint omnia quae in mundo aspectabili, cum ultimum judicium venit, quod nempe conflagrabit terra, sol et luna dissipabuntur, et sidera evanescent et quod novum caelum et nova terra postea exsurgent; eam opinionem ceperunt ex revelationibus propheticis in quibus talia memorantur sed quod aliter se res habeat, constare potest ab illis quae de Ultimum Judicio prius n. 900, 931, 1850, 2117-2133 ostensa sunt; inde patet quod Ultimum Judicium non aliud sit quam finis Ecclesiae apud unam gentem ac initium ejus apud aliam, qui finis et quod initium tunc existit quando nulla amplius agnitio Domini, seu quod idem quando nulla fides; nulla agnitio seu nulla fides est cum nulla charitas, nam fides nusquam dabilis est quam apud illos qui in charitate sunt; quod tunc Ecclesiae finis sit et ejus translatio ad alios, patet evidenter ab omnibus illis quae Ipse Dominus de ultimo illo die seu de consummatione saeculi docuit et praedixit apud Evangelistas, nempe apud Matthaeum xxiv, apud Marcum xiii et apud Lucam xxi. Sed quia illa absque clave, qui est sensus internus, a nemine comprehendi possunt, licet per vices illa quae ibi, evolvere; hic nunc primum haec quae apud Matthaeum, [2] Accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum, dicentes, Dic nobis quando ista fient, et quodnam signum Tui adventus et consummationis saeculi: et respondens Jesus dixit illis;
Videte ne quis vos seducat, multi enim venient in nomine Meo, dicentes, Ego sum Christus; et multos seducent: audituri autem estis bella, et rumores bellorum; videte ne turbemini; oportet enim omnia fieri, sed nondum {1}est finis. Excitabitur namque gens contra gentem, et regnum contra regnum; et erunt fames, et pestes et terrae motus variis locis. Omnia vero haec initium dolorum, xxiv 3-8;
qui in sensu litterae manent, non scire possunt num haec et quae sequuntur in illo capite, dicta sint de destructione Hierosolymae et {2}dispersione gentis Judaicae, vel num de fine dierum qui Ultimum Judicium vocatur; at qui in sensu interno sunt, clare vident quod hic de fine Ecclesiae agatur, qui finis est qui hic et alibi vocatur adventus Domini et consummatio saeculi: et quia ille finis intelligitur, sciri potest quod omnia illa significent talia quae sunt Ecclesiae; quid autem significant, constare potest a singulis in sensu interno: ut, quod `multi venient in nomine Meo, dicentes, Ego sum Christus, et multos seducent'; ibi `nomen' non significat nomen, nec `Christus' Christum, sed `nomen' significat illud per quod colitur Dominus, n. 2724, 3006; et `Christus' ipsum verum, n. 3009, 3010; ita quod venturi qui dicent, hoc esse fidei, seu hoc esse verum, cum tamen nec fidei sit, nec verum, sed falsum: quod `audituri sint bella et rumores bellorum' est quod existent de veris disceptationes et lites, quae sunt bella in sensu spirituali: quod `excitabitur gens contra gentem, et regnum contra regnum' significat quod pugnaturum malum cum malo, et falsum cum falso; quod `gens' sit bonum, at in opposito sensu malum, videatur n. 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849, et quod `regnum' sit verum, {3}at in opposito sensu falsum, n. 1672, 2547: `et erunt fames et pestes, et terrae motus variis locis' est quod amplius nullae cognitiones boni et veri, ac ita quod Ecclesiae status sit mutatus, quod est `terrae motus.' @1 erit$ @2 dissipatione$ @3 sed$