328、这些要点要按它们的系列来呈现。
①随着时间推移，每种宗教都逐渐衰落并走向完结。我们地球上曾有数个教会，一个接一个；因为哪里有人类，哪里就有一个教会。如前所示，天堂，也就是创世的目的，来自人类；没有教会的两个普遍原则，就是对神的承认和良善的生活（参看326节），没有人能进入天堂。由此可知，从上古时代直到今日，我们地球上曾有数个教会。这些教会在圣言中有所描述，但只有以色列和犹太教会有历史记载。然而，在此之前还有几个教会；不过，经上仅以几个人名和一些民族的名字，以及关于它们的几个事实描述了这些教会。
上古教会，就是第一个教会，以亚当和他的妻子夏娃来描述。随后的教会被称为古教会，以挪亚和他的三个儿子及其后代来描述。这是一个分布广泛的教会，遍布亚洲许多国家，如：约旦河两岸的迦南地，叙利亚或亚兰，亚述，迦勒底，美索不达米亚，埃及，阿拉伯，提尔和西顿。它们拥有一本古圣言，《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》（101-103节）曾提到这本古圣言。古教会存在于这些国家中，这一点从圣言的预言部分论到它们的各种话明显看出来。但希伯对古教会作了显著改变，他也标志着希伯来教会的开始，通过献祭敬拜就是在这个教会被首次建立的。以色列和犹太教会是为了圣言在那里被编著而建立的，该教会就来源于希伯来教会。
这四个教会由尼布甲尼撒梦见的雕像来表示，该雕像的头是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是银的，肚腹和大腿是铜的，腿是铁的，脚是半铁半泥的（但以理书2:32-33）。这正是古代作家们所提到的黄金、白银、青铜和黑铁时代所表示的。众所周知，犹太教会之后就是基督教会。从圣言也可以看出，随着时间推移，所有这些教会都逐渐衰落，直到它们结束，这种结束就被称为“完结”。
由“吃知识树”（“吃知识树”表示自我聪明的骄傲）所导致的上古教会的完结，被描述为大洪水（创世记3:6）。古教会的完结以圣言的历史和预言部分所提到的各民族的毁灭，特别是以色列人逐出迦南地的各个民族来描述。以色列和犹太教会的完结由耶路撒冷圣殿的摧毁，以色列人被掳并陷入永久的囚禁，犹太民族进入巴比伦，圣殿与耶路撒冷的二次摧毁，以及这个民族的分散来表示。该完结在先知书的许多地方和但以理书（9:24-27）中被预言。主在马太福音24章，马可福音13章和路加福音21章描述了基督教会的最终彻底毁灭，但完结本身出现在启示录中。由此可见，随着时间推移，教会逐渐衰落，并走向完结，宗教也是。
②每种宗教都是因人里面的神之形像的颠倒而逐渐衰落并走向完结的。众所周知，人是照着神的形像、按着神的样式被造的（创世记1:26）。有必要解释一下何为神的“形像和样式”。唯独神是爱和智慧。人被造为接受两者的容器，他的意愿是接受神性之爱的容器，他的理解力是接受神性智慧的容器。我在前面（324节）已说明，这两个容器自创造时就在人里面，它们构成人，并在每个人里面于子宫之内形成。因此，人是神的“形像”，意思是说，他是神性智慧的接受者；人是神的“样式”，意思是说，他是神性之爱的接受者。这意味着被称为理解力的容器就是神的一个形像，被称为意愿的容器就是神的一个样式。既然人被造和形成是为了成为一个容器，那么可推知，人被造和形成是为了他的意愿可以从神接受爱，他的理解力可以从神接受智慧。当人承认神，并照祂的诫命生活时，他就会接受它们，但接受程度的大小取决于他出于宗教对神及其诫命的认识，因而取决于他对真理的认识，因为正是真理教导何为神，当如何承认祂，以及祂的诫命是什么，当如何照它们生活。
人里面的神的形像和神的样式不会真的被毁，而是貌似被毁。因为它们仍在那里，天生就在他那被称为自由和理性的两种官能里面（前面大量论述了这两种官能）。当人将神性之爱的容器，也就是他的意愿，变成自我之爱的容器，将神性智慧的容器，也就是他的理解力，变成自我聪明的容器时，它们就貌似被毁了。他以这种方式颠倒了神的形像和样式，因为他使这些容器转离神，并把它们转向自己。这就是为何它们上面关闭，下面打开，或前面关闭，后面打开，尽管它们被造时是前面打开，后面关闭的。一旦它们以这种颠倒的方式被打开和关闭，爱的容器或意愿，就接受来自地狱，或来自人的自我或自我重要感的流注；智慧的容器或理解力，也是如此。由此在教会便兴起对人的敬拜，而不是对神的敬拜，基于虚假教义的敬拜，而不是基于真理教义的敬拜；后者来自自我聪明，前者来自自我之爱。由此可见，随着时间推移，宗教因人里面的神之形像的颠倒而逐渐衰落并走向完结。
③这种情形的发生是由于遗传之恶世世代代的不断增加。我在前面（277节）阐述并解释了，遗传之恶并非来自吃了知识树的亚当和他的妻子夏娃，而是从父母逐渐传下来并转给子女，从而通过不断增加而世世代代变得更糟。当这种累积的邪恶在大多数人当中变得足够强大，或更加糟糕时，它就凭借自身的动力而将邪恶传播到更多的人当中，因为每种邪恶里面都有一种迷惑人的欲望，在有些情况下，这种欲望对着良善怒火中烧；因此，邪恶具有传染性。当这种欲望在教会掌控了领袖，管理人员和主要代表人物时，宗教就变得堕落；医治它的方法，也就是真理，因扭曲而变得败坏。这导致教会中的良善逐渐被毁灭，真理逐渐被抛弃，直到教会走向完结。
④尽管如此，主仍规定人人都能得救。主规定，每个地方都要有一种宗教；并且每种宗教里面都要有得救的两个基本要素，即：承认神，不作恶，因为邪恶反对神。属于理解力和由此而来的思维、被称为信仰事务的其它一切，则照着各人的生活而被提供给各人，因为它们是生活的附属物。然而，它们若被置于首位，就接受不到任何生命。主也规定，凡过着良善生活并承认神的人死后都要被天使教导。那时，那些在世时就持守宗教的这两个基本原则的人就会接受诸如在圣言中的那种教会真理，并承认主为天堂和教会的神。他们比那些从世上带来主之人性与主之神性分离的观念的基督徒更容易接受这一切。主还规定，凡在婴儿时期死去的人都要得救，无论他们生于何处。
此外，如果可能的话，每个人死后都被赋予足够的方法或机会来修正他的生命。主通过天使教导并引领所有人；那时他们因知道他们在死后活着，天堂和地狱是真实存在的，所以开始接受真理。然而，那些在世上不承认神，也不避恶如罪的人很快就厌倦真理，并退缩了。而那些只是嘴上而非心里承认真理的人，就像愚拙的童女，她们有灯却没有油，于是向别人乞讨油，并出去买，但仍不准许参加婚礼（马太福音25:1-13）。“灯”表示信之真理，“油”表示仁之良善。由此可见，按照圣治，人人都能得救，若未得救，那是人自己的过错。
⑤祂还规定新教会要取代被彻底摧毁的前教会。这种事自古有之，即：一旦前一个教会被彻底摧毁，一个新教会就会取而代之。继上古教会而来的是古教会，继古教会而来的是以色列或犹太教会，之后是基督教会。经上在启示录预言，基督教会之后将有一个新教会，该教会由启示录（21:2，10）中从天而降的新耶路撒冷来表示。至于主预备一个新教会来取代被彻底摧毁的前教会的原因，可参看《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》（104-113节）。
328. But we will demonstrate these points one by one.
FIRST, that every religion in the course of time declines and comes to an end: There have been several churches on this earth, one after another, as the church exists wherever the human race exists. For heaven, the end in creation, is formed out of the human race, as we have demonstrated above, and no one can enter into heaven without possessing the two universal elements of the church, which are to acknowledge God and to live rightly, as we showed just above in no. 326. It follows, therefore, that churches have existed on this earth from the earliest time to the present day.
These churches are depicted in the Word, though not as history. Only the Israelite and Jewish Church has been. But before that there were several others, and these are depicted in the Word only by the names of nations and persons, and by some statements about them.
[2] The Most Ancient Church, which was the first church, is depicted by Adam and his wife Eve.
The next church, which we will call the Ancient Church, is depicted by Noah and his three sons, and by the people descended from them. This church was widespread and extended through a number of kingdoms in Asia, which included the land of Canaan on either side of the Jordan, Syria, Assyria and Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia, Tyre and Sidon. They had among them the Ancient Word, as we reported in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 101-103. The existence of this church in these kingdoms is clear from various particulars related concerning them in the prophetic portions of the Word.
This church, however, was transformed markedly by Eber, from whom arose the Hebrew Church. Worship by means of sacrifices was first instituted in the latter.
From the Hebrew Church was born the Israelite and Jewish Church, but one ceremonially established for the sake of the Word that was composed in it.
[3] These four churches are meant by the statue Nebuchnezzar saw in a dream, whose head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and its legs and feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:32-33). Nor is anything else meant by the golden, silver, copper and iron ages mentioned by ancient writers.
That the Jewish Church was followed by the Christian Church is common knowledge.
It may also be seen from the Word that in the course of time all these churches declined until they reached their end, called their consummation.
[4] The consummation of the Most Ancient Church, caused by their eating of the tree of knowledge, which symbolically means a conceit in one's own intelligence, is depicted by the Flood.
The consummation of the Ancient Church is depicted by various devastations of the nations, mentioned in the Word in both its historical and prophetic portions, especially by the expulsion of the nations from the land of Canaan by the children of Israel.
The consummation of the Israelite and Jewish Church is meant by the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and by the carrying off of the Israelite people into permanent captivity and of the Jewish people into Babylonia, and finally by the second destruction of the temple and at the same time of Jerusalem and the dispersion of that nation - a consummation foretold in many places in the Prophets, and in Daniel 9:24-27.
Moreover, the gradual devastation of the Christian Church until it reaches its end is described by the Lord in Matthew 24, in Mark 13, and in Luke 21, but its actual consummation in the book of Revelation.
It can be seen from this that in the course of time a church declines and comes to an end, and so also religion.
[5] SECOND, that every religion declines and comes to an end by an inversion of the image of God in mankind: People know that man was created in the image of God, according to the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We must say, however, what the image and likeness of God are.
God alone is love and wisdom. Man was created to be a recipient vessel of both - his will to be the recipient vessel of Divine love, and his intellect to be the recipient vessel of Divine wisdom.
These two vessels are, as we showed above, in man from creation and are what make him human, and are also formed in everyone in the womb. The human being is therefore an image of God in his being a recipient of Divine wisdom, and a likeness of God in his being a recipient of Divine love. Consequently the recipient vessel called the intellect is an image of God, and the recipient vessel called the will a likeness of God. Because the human being was created and formed to be a recipient vessel, it follows then that he was so created and formed that his will might receive love from God and that his intellect might receive wisdom from God. And a person also receives these when he acknowledges God and lives according to His commandments, but in a lesser or greater degree according to the knowledge of God he has from religion and knowledge of His commandments, and according therefore to his knowledge of truths. For truths teach what God is and how He is to be acknowledged, and also what His commandments are and how one is to live according to them.
[6] The image of God and likeness of God are not lost in mankind, but only seemingly so. For they remain implanted in his two faculties called freedom and rationality, which we have discussed many times above. They became seemingly lost when mankind made the recipient vessel of Divine love, his will, a recipient vessel of self-love, and the recipient vessel of Divine wisdom, his intellect, a recipient vessel of his own intelligence. In so doing he inverted the image and likeness of God, for he turned these recipient vessels away from God and directed them toward himself.
It is because of this that these recipient vessels are closed above and open below, or are closed in front and open behind, even though from creation they were open in front and closed behind. And when their opening and closing are thus reversed, then the recipient vessel of love, or the will, receives influx from hell or from its own native self, and so, too, the recipient vessel of wisdom, or the intellect.
For this reason there arose in the churches a worship of people instead of a worship of God, and a worship founded on teachings of falsities instead of a worship founded on teachings of truth, the first owing to people's self-love, and the latter to a conceit in their own intelligence.
It is apparent from this that religion in the course of time declines and comes to an end by an inversion of the image of God in mankind.
[7] THIRD, that this results from continual increases in hereditary evil through the generations: We have already said and shown above that hereditary evil does not come from Adam and his wife Eve as a result of their eating of the tree of knowledge, but that it is derived from parents and transmitted into their progeny successively, and so by continual increases grows worse from generation to generation.
When evil thus grows worse in many people, it then spreads the evil issuing from itself to many more. For every evil has in it a lust to lead astray, a lust ablaze in some with a wrath against goodness. This is the reason for the contagion of evil. When this infects the leaders, governors and prominent people in a church, the religion becomes corrupted, and the means of healing, namely truths, become perverted by falsifications.
This, now, is the reason for the successive devastation of good and desolation of truth in the church until it reaches its end.
[8] FOURTH, that the Lord nevertheless provides that it be possible for everyone to be saved: The Lord provides that there be everywhere some religion, and in every religion the two essentials of salvation, which are to acknowledge God and not to do evil because it is contrary to God. All else having to do with the intellect and its consequent thought called matters of faith are provided to everyone in accordance with his life, for they are subsidiary to life, and if they are received first, still they do not receive life before then.
The Lord also provides that all who have lived rightly and have acknowledged God be instructed after death by angels, and people who have possessed these two essentials of religion in the world then accept such truths of the church as are found in the Word and acknowledge the Lord as God of heaven and the church. Moreover they embrace the latter more easily than Christians who have brought with them from the world an idea of the Lord's humanity as separate from His Divinity.
The Lord has provided, too, that all who die as little children be saved, wherever they were born.
[9] Furthermore, every person is afforded an opportunity after death to amend his life, if possible. They are all taught and led by the Lord through angels, and because they know then that they are living after death, and that heaven and hell exist, at first they accept truths. But those who have not acknowledged God and abstained from evils as sins in the world soon loathe the truths and turn away. And those who have acknowledged truths with the lips and not with the heart are like the foolish virgins who had lamps but no oil, who asked to be given oil by others, and who also went away and bought some, and yet were not admitted into the wedding. 1The lamps symbolize truths of faith, and the oil symbolizes the goodness of charity.
It can be seen from this that it is Divine providence that everyone can be saved, and that the person himself is at fault if he is not saved.
[10] FIFTH, that the Lord also provides that a new church follow in place of the earlier, devastated one: This has been the case from earliest times, namely that an earlier, devastated church is followed by a new one. The Most Ancient Church was followed by the Ancient Church. The Ancient Church was followed by the Israelite or Jewish Church. That church was followed by the Christian Church. And it is foretold in the book of Revelation that it will be followed by a new church, meant there by the New Jerusalem descending from heaven.
The reason the Lord provides a new church to follow in place of an earlier, devastated one may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 104-113.
Footnotes:
1. Matthew 25:1-13.
328. These items need now to be presented in their sequence.
(a) Every religion eventually wanes and comes to completion. There have been several churches on our planet, one after the other, since wherever the human race exists there is a church. As already noted, heaven, which is the ultimate goal of creation, comes from the human race, and no one can get to heaven without the two universal principles of the church, belief in God and leading a good life (see 326 above). It follows that there have been churches on our planet from the earliest times all the way to the present day.
These churches are described in the Word, though only for the Israelite and Jewish church are we given historical accounts. There were several churches before them, but these are described only by the names of some people and nations and a few facts about them.
[2] The earliest church, the very first, is described by Adam and his wife Eve. The next church, called the early church, is described by Noah, his three sons, and their descendants. This was extensive, and spread through most of the nations of the Near East: the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan; Syria; Assyria and Chaldea; Mesopotamia; Egypt; Arabia; and Tyre and Sidon. They had an early Word that is discussed in Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 101-103. The existence of the church in these kingdoms is witnessed by various statements about them in the prophetical books of the Word.
This church changed significantly with Eber, though, who marks the beginning of the Hebrew church. This was the point at which sacrificial worship was established. From the Hebrew church, the Israelite and Jewish church was born, formally established for the sake of the Word that would be authored in it.
[3] These four churches are meant by the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, with its head of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, and its legs and feet of iron and clay (see Daniel 2:32-33). This is exactly what is meant by the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages mentioned by ancient authors. It is well known that the Christian church followed after the Jewish church.
We can also see from the Word that each of these churches declined to its close, called a "consummation," with the passage of time. The consummation of the earliest church, brought about by eating from the tree of knowledge (meaning pride in our own intelligence) is described by the Flood [Genesis 3:6; ].
[4] The consummation of the early church is described by the destruction of the nations mentioned in the historical and prophetic books of the Word, and especially by the Israelites' expulsion of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. The consummation of the Israelite and Jewish church is meant by the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, by the carrying off of the people of Israel into permanent captivity and of the nation of Judah into Babylon, and ultimately by the second destruction of the temple and Jerusalem and the scattering of the people. This consummation is foretold in many passages in the prophets, and in Daniel 9:24-27.
The Lord describes the eventual total destruction of the Christian church in Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 but the consummation itself is found in the Book of Revelation.
This shows that with the passage of time the church wanes and reaches its consummation, as does its religion as well.
[5] (b) Every religion wanes and comes to completion by inverting the image of God within us. We know that we were created in the image of God and after the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), but what is this image and what is this likeness of God? Only God is love and wisdom. We are created to be recipients of both, so that our volition may be a recipient of divine love and our discernment a recipient of divine wisdom.
I have already explained [324] that we have these two recipient vessels in us from birth, that they are what make us human, and that they are formed within us in the womb. Our being images of God is our being open to divine wisdom, and our being likenesses of God is our being open to divine love. This means that the vessel we call "discernment" is the image of God and the vessel we call "volition" is the likeness of God. This then means that since we have been created and formed to be vessels, it follows that we have been created and formed to have our volition accept love from God and our discernment accept wisdom from God. We do in fact accept them when we believe in God and live by his commandments. We do this to a lesser or greater extent, though, depending on what we know about God and his commandments from our religion. Specifically, our acceptance depends on what truths we know, since truths are what tell us what God is and how we are to acknowledge him, what his commandments are and how we are to live by them.
[6] God's image and likeness in us have not been actually destroyed, but they have been virtually destroyed. They are still there, innate within those two abilities called freedom and rationality that I have already said so much about. They become virtually destroyed when we make the vessel of divine love--our volition--a vessel for self-love and make the vessel of divine wisdom--our discernment--a vessel for our own intelligence. By so doing we invert the image and likeness of God. We turn the vessels away from God and toward ourselves. This is why they are closed on top and open on the bottom, or closed in front and open behind, even though they were created open in front and closed behind. Once they are opened and closed in this inverted fashion, then the vessel of love, our volition, is open to an inflow from hell or from our own sense of self-importance, as is the vessel of wisdom, our discernment. This has led to the birth in our churches of the worship of particular people in place of the worship of God, and a worship based on teachings of falsity rather than on teachings of truth, the latter from our own intelligence and the former from our love for ourselves.
We can see from this that in the course of time a religion will wane and come to its conclusion by inverting the image of God within us.
[7] (c) This happens because of the constant increase of hereditary evil from generation to generation. I have already stated and explained [277] that we do not inherit evil from Adam and his wife Eve because they ate from the tree of knowledge; instead evil is gradually handed down and transplanted from parents to children, and so by constant increase gets worse with each generation. When this cumulative evil becomes strong enough among the majority, it spreads evil to even more people by its own momentum, since in every evil there is a compulsion to mislead, in some cases blazing with a rage against everything good, and so there is a consequent infectious evil. When this gets control of the leaders, managers, and chief representatives in the church, its religion is corrupted. Its means of healing, its truths, become defiled by distortions. This leads to an ongoing destruction of what is good and an abandonment of truth in the church until finally it is brought to its close.
[8] (d) The Lord still provides that everyone can be saved. The Lord provides that there will be some religion everywhere, and that in every religion there will be the two elements essential to salvation: belief in God, and not doing evil because it is against God. The other matters of intellect and thought, what we call the elements of faith, are offered to different people according to the way they live, since they are optional elements as far as living is concerned. If they are put first, we still do not receive life until we live them.
The Lord also provides that everyone who has led a good life and has believed in God will be taught by angels after death. Then people who have been devoted to the two essential principles of religion in the world accept the truths of the church as they are presented in the Word and recognize the Lord as God of heaven and of the church. They accept this more readily than Christians who have brought with them from the world a concept of the Lord's human nature as separated from his divine nature. The Lord has also provided that all the people who die in early childhood are saved, no matter where they were born.
[9] We are all given the means of amending our lives after death, if we can. The Lord teaches and leads us through angels, and since by then we know that we are living after death and that heaven and hell are real, we accept truths at first. However, if we have not believed in God and abstained from evils as sins in the world, before long we develop a distaste for truths and back away. If we have professed these principles orally but not at heart, we are like the foolish young women who had lamps but no oil. They begged others for oil and went off to buy some, but still they were not admitted to the wedding [Matthew 25:1-13]. The lamps mean the truths that our faith discloses and the oil means the good effects of our caring.
This shows that under divine providence everyone can be saved, and that it is our own fault if we are not saved.
[10] (e) He also provides that a new church will take the place of the one that has been razed. This has been going on from the earliest times: once a church has been razed, a new one succeeds the former one. The early church followed the earliest church, the Israelite or Jewish church followed the early one, and after that came the Christian church. After it there is going to be still another new church, the one foretold in the Book of Revelation. That is the meaning of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven [Revelation 21:2, 10].
For the reason the Lord provides a new church to take the place of an earlier one that has been razed, see Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 104-113.
328. These propositions are now to be demonstrated in their order:
First: Every religion in process of time declines and is consummated. On this earth there have been several Churches, one after another; as wherever the human race exists there a Church exists; for, as was shown above, heaven which is the end of creation is from the human race; and no one can enter heaven unless he is in the two universals of the Church which, as was shown above (n. 326), are the acknowledgment of God and the leading of a good life. Hence it follows that there have been Churches on this earth from the most ancient times down to the present. These Churches are described in the Word, but not historically with the exception of the Israelitish and Jewish Church. Before that, however, there were Several that are only described in the Word under the names of nations and of persons, and by certain particulars concerning them.
[2] The Most Ancient Church, which was the first, is described under the name of Adam and his wife Eve. The Church that followed, called the Ancient Church, is described under the name of Noah, his three sons and their posterity. This was a wide spread Church, extending over many of the kingdoms of Asia, namely, the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan, Syria, Assyria and Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia, Tyre and Sidon. These had the ancient Word referred to in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 101-103). That such a Church existed in those kingdoms is evident from various particulars recorded concerning them in the prophetical parts of the Word. This Church, however, was notably changed by Eber, from whom arose the Hebrew Church, in which worship by sacrifices was first instituted. From the Hebrew Church sprang the Israelitish and Jewish Church, established with due solemnity for the sake of the Word which was there to be written.
[3] These four Churches are meant by the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, the head of which was of pure gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs and feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:32-33 The same is meant by the golden, the silver, the copper and the iron ages, mentioned by ancient writers. It is well known that the Christian Church succeeded the Jewish Church; and it may be seen from the Word that all these Churches in process of time declined until they reached their end, which is called their consummation.
[4] The consummation of the Most Ancient Church, brought about by the eating of the tree of knowledge, by which is signified the pride of one's own intelligence, is described by the Flood. The consummation of the Ancient Church is described by various devastations of nations treated of both in the historical and in the prophetical parts of the Word, especially by the driving out of the nations from the land of Canaan by the Children of Israel. The consummation of the Church of Israel and Judah is under stood by the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, and by the carrying away of the people of Israel into perpetual captivity, and of the Jewish nation to Babylon, and finally by the second destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem at the same time and the dispersion of that nation. This consummation is foretold in many places in the Prophets and in Daniel 9:24-27; while the gradual devastation of the Christian Church until its end is described by the Lord in Matthew 24, in Mark 13, and in Luke 21, but the consummation itself in the Apocalypse. From these considerations it may be evident that a Church in process of time declines and is consummated; and so also does a religion.
[5] Second: Every religion declines and is consummated by the inversion of the image of God in man. It is well known that man was created in the image of God, according to the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). It will now be explained what the image and what the likeness of God is. God alone is Love and Wisdom; and man was created to be a receptacle of both, that his will might be a receptacle of the Divine Love and his understanding a receptacle of the Divine Wisdom. It was shown above that these two receptacles are in man from creation, that they constitute man and that they are formed in everyone in the womb. Thus man's being an image of God means that he is a recipient of the Divine Wisdom, and his being a likeness of God means that he is a recipient of the Divine Love. Therefore the receptacle called the understanding is an image of God, and the receptacle called the will is a likeness of God. Since man then was created and formed to be a receptacle, it follows that he was created and formed that his will might receive love from God and that his understanding might receive wisdom from God. These man receives when he acknowledges God and lives according to His commandments, but in a lesser or greater degree as he has from religion a knowledge of God and of His commandments; and consequently as he has a knowledge of truths; for truths teach what God is and how He is to be acknowledged, also what His commandments are and how man is to live according to them.
[6] The image and likeness of God are not destroyed in man though they may be seemingly destroyed; for they remain inherent in his two faculties called liberty and rationality, which have been treated of above in many places. They have become seemingly destroyed when man has made the receptacle of Divine Love, that is, his will, a receptacle of self-love, and the receptacle of Divine Wisdom, that is, his understanding, a receptacle of his own intelligence. By doing this he has inverted the image and likeness of God, for he has turned these receptacles away from God and has turned them towards himself. Consequently they have become closed above and opened below, or closed in front and opened behind, although by creation they were opened in front and closed behind. When they have thus been inversely opened and closed, the receptacle of love, that is, the will, receives influx from hell or from one's own proprium; and so also does the receptacle of wisdom, that is, the understanding. Hence arose in the Churches the worship of men in place of the worship of God, and worship based on doctrines of falsity in place of worship based on doctrines of truth, the latter from one's own intelligence and the former from love of self. From this it is clear that religion in process of time declines and is consummated by the inversion of the image of God in man.
[7] Third: This takes place from the continual increase of hereditary evil in successive generations. It was stated and explained above that hereditary evil is not what has come down from Adam and his wife Eve by their eating of the tree of knowledge, but that it is successively derived and transmitted from parents to their off-spring, and thus by continual increase grows from generation to generation. When evil thus increases among many, it spreads evil amongst many more; for in all evil there is the lust of leading astray, and in some this burns with anger against what is good, giving rise to the contagion of evil. When this has permeated the leaders, and the rulers, and those prominent in the Church, religion becomes perverted, and the means of restoring it to health, which are truths, become corrupted by falsification. Hence there now proceeds a gradual vastation of good and desolation of truth in the Church until its consummation is reached.
[8] Fourth: Nevertheless it is provided by the Lord that everyone may be saved. It is provided by the Lord that there should be a religion everywhere; and that in every religion there should be the two essentials of salvation, namely, to acknowledge God and to refrain from evil because it is against God. All other things pertaining to the understanding and thence to thought, which are called matters of faith, are provided for everyone according to his life, for they are accessories of the life; and if these are given precedence (over the essentials) still they do not receive life. It is also provided that all who have lived well and have acknowledged God are instructed after death by angels; and then those who had observed these two essentials of religion while in the world accept the truths of the Church as they are in the Word, and acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and of the Church. This teaching they receive more readily than Christians who have brought with them from the world an idea of the Lord's Human separated from His Divine. It is moreover provided by the Lord that all are saved who die in infancy, no matter where they have been born.
[9] Further, there is granted to everyone after death the opportunity of amending his life, if that is at all possible. All are instructed and led by the Lord by means of angels; and as they now know that they live after death, and that there is a heaven and a hell, they at first receive truths. Those, however, who have not acknowledged God and who have not shunned evils as sins when in the world soon show a distaste for truths and withdraw; while those who acknowledged truths with the lips but not with the heart are like the foolish virgins who had lamps but no oil, and who begged oil of others and also went away and bought it, and yet were not admitted to the wedding. Lamps signify truths of faith and oil signifies the good of charity. Hence it may be evident that the Divine Providence designs that everyone can be saved, and that man himself is in fault if he is not saved.
[10] Fifth: It is also provided that a new Church should succeed in place of the former devastated Church. This has been the case from the most ancient times, namely, that when a former Church was devastated a new Church has taken its place. The Ancient Church succeeded the Most Ancient; after the Ancient Church the Israelitish or Jewish Church followed; and after this, the Christian Church. Moreover, it is foretold in the Apocalypse that this will be followed by a new Church which is there meant by the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. The reason why a new Church is being provided by the Lord to succeed in place of the former devastated Church may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 104-113).
328. But these points are to be made clear in their series. First: In process of time every religion declines and is consummated. On this earth there have been several churches, one after another; for wherever the human race exists there a church exists, because heaven, which is the end of creation, is from the human race (as has been shown above), and no one can come into heaven unless he is in the two universals of the church, acknowledgment of God and a good life (as has been shown just above,326). It follows that on this earth there have been churches from the most ancient times down to the present. These churches are described in the Word, but not historically, except the church of Israel and Judah; but there were several previous to that, and these are described only by the names of nations and persons, and by a few things respecting them.
[2] The Most Ancient Church, which was the first, is depicted by "Adam and his wife Eve." The church that followed, which shall be called the Ancient Church, is depicted by "Noah and his three sons," and by their posterity. This was a wide-spread church extending through many kingdoms of Asia, - the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan, Syria, Assyria, and Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia, and Tyre and Sidon. These had the ancient Word treated of in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture 101-103). That this church existed in those kingdoms is evident from various things said of them in the prophetical parts of the Word. But this church was notably changed by Heber, from whom arose the Hebraic Church, in which worship by sacrifices was first instituted. From the Hebrew Church sprang the Church of Israel and Judah; and this was solemnly established for the sake of the Word, which was there to be compiled.
[3] These four churches are meant by the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, the head of which was of pure gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs and feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:32-33).
Nor is any thing else meant by the golden, the silver, the brazen, and the iron ages, mentioned by ancient writers. It is well known that the Christian Church followed the Jewish. From the Word it may also be seen that all these churches in process of time declined until they reached their end, which is called their consummation.
[4] The consummation of the Most Ancient Church, which came from their "eating of the tree of knowledge" (which signifies the conceit of self-intelligence), is depicted by the flood. The consummation of the Ancient Church is depicted in the various devastations of the nations, treated of both in the historical and in the prophetical parts of the Word, especially in the expulsion of the nations from the land of Canaan by the children of Israel. The consummation of the Church of Israel and Judah is meant by the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, and by the carrying away of the people of Israel into perpetual captivity, and of the Jewish nation to Babylon, and again by the second destruction of the temple together with Jerusalem, and the dispersion of that nation. This consummation is foretold in the prophets in many places and in Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). The gradual devastation of the Christian Church until its end is depicted by the Lord in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and in Luke 21bb0., but the consummation itself in the Apocalypse. From all this it can be seen that a church in process of time - and religion also - declines and is consummated.
[5] Secondly: Every religion declines and is consummated by the inversion of God's image in man. It is known that man was created into God's image, after God's likeness (Genesis 1:26). It shall now be told what the "image" and what the "likeness" of God is. God alone is love and wisdom. Man was created to be a receptacle of both, that his will might be a receptacle of the Divine love and his understanding a receptacle of the Divine wisdom. It has already been shown that these two receptacles are in man from creation, and that they constitute man, and are formed in every one in the womb. Therefore man's being an "image" of God means that he is a recipient of the Divine wisdom, his being a "likeness" of God means that he is a recipient of the Divine love; thus the receptacle called the understanding is an image of God, and the receptacle called the will is a likeness of God. As man, then, was created and formed to be a receptacle, it follows that he was so created and formed that his will might receive love from God, and his understanding might receive wisdom from God; and these man does receive when he acknowledges God and lives according to His commandments, but in a less or greater degree as from religion he has knowledge of God and of His commandments, consequently according to his knowledge of truths; since it is truths that teach what God is and how He must be acknowledged, also what His commandments are and how to live according to them.
[6] God's image and God's likeness are not destroyed in man, but are seemingly destroyed; for they remain implanted in his two capacities called liberty and rationality (which have been frequently treated of above). They became seemingly destroyed when man made the receptacle of Divine love, which is his will, a receptacle of love of self, and the receptacle of Divine wisdom, which is his understanding, a receptacle of self-intelligence. In this way he inverted the image and likeness of God, for he turned these receptacles away from God and turned them towards self. Thus they were closed above and opened below, or closed in front and opened behind, although by creation they had been opened in front and closed behind. When these have been thus opened inversely and closed inversely the receptacle of love, or the will, receives influx from hell, or from what is its own (proprium); and the receptacle of wisdom, or the understanding, likewise. From this there has sprung up in the churches a worship of men in place of the worship of God, and a worship from doctrines of falsity in place of a worship from doctrines of truth; the latter from self-intelligence, the former from love of self. This makes clear how in process of time religion declines and is consummated by the inversion of God's image in man.
[7] Thirdly: This comes from the continual increase of hereditary evil from generation to generation. It was stated and explained above that hereditary evil did not come from Adam and his wife Eve by their eating of the tree of knowledge, but is gradually derived and is transplanted from parents into offspring, and thus by continual increase grows worse from generation to generation. When evil thus grows worse among many it scatters evil from itself among others still; for there is a lust of seducing in all evil, and in some this burns with rage against good; hence the contagiousness of evil. When in the church this has taken possession of the leaders, the rulers, and the champions, religion becomes perverted, and the means of cure, which are truths, become corrupted by falsification. From these there is then a gradual vastation of good and desolation of truth in the church, until its consummation is reached.
[8] Fourthly: Nevertheless the Lord provides that every one may be saved. The Lord provides that there shall be everywhere a religion; and that in every religion there shall be the two essentials of salvation, which are, to acknowledge God and to refrain from doing evil because it is against God. All other things, which belong to the understanding and to thought therefrom, and which are called matters of faith, are provided for every one according to his life, for they are accessories of the life; and yet if they are put before [the essentials] they receive no life. It is also provided that all that have lived well and have acknowledged God shall be instructed after death by angels; and then those that had been while they lived in the world in these two essentials of religion, accept the truths of the church such as they are in the Word and acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and of the church. And this they accept more readily than Christians, who have brought with them from the world an idea of the Lord's Human as separated from His Divine. The Lord also provides that all who die in infancy shall be saved, wherever born.
[9] Moreover, there is granted to every man after death ample means of amending his life, if that be possible. All are taught and led by the Lord by means of angels; and as they then know that they are living after death, and that there is a heaven and a hell, they at first receive truths; but those that in the world did not acknowledge God and shun evils as sins soon weary of truths and withdraw; while those that acknowledged truths with the lips but not with the heart are like the foolish virgins who had lamps but no oil, and who begged oil of others, and who went away and bought, and yet were not admitted to the wedding. "Lamps" signify truths of faith, and "oil" signifies the good of charity. From this it can be seen that the Divine providence makes it possible for every one to be saved, and that man himself is to blame if he is not saved.
[10] Fifthly: It is provided also that a new church should follow the previous devastated church. This has been done from the earliest times, that when a former church has been devastated a new church has followed. The Ancient Church followed the Most Ancient; after the Ancient Church the Israelitish or Jewish Church followed; and after this the Christian. It is foretold in the Apocalypse that this also will be followed by a new church, which is there meant by "the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven." Why the Lord is providing a new church to follow the former devastated church is explained in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture 104-113.
328. Sed haec in serie demonstranda sunt. PRIMUM. Quod omnis Religio successu temporis decrescat et consummetur. In hac Tellure fuerunt plures Ecclesiae, una post alteram, nam ubi datur Genus humanum, ibi datur Ecclesia, Coelum enim, quod est finis creationis, est ex Humano genere, ut supra demonstratum est, et non aliquis in coelum venire potest, nisi sit in duobus universalibus Ecclesiae, quae sunt agnoscere Deum, et bene vivere, ut mox supra 326, ostensum est; inde sequitur, quod in hac Tellure fuerint Ecclesiae ab Antiquissimo tempore, usque ad tempus hodiernum. Illae Ecclesiae describuntur in Verbo, sed non historice; modo Ecclesia Israelitica et Judaica, ante quam tamen plures fuerunt, et hae solum ibi descriptae sunt per gentium et personarum nomina, et per quaedam de illis.
[2] Antiquissima Ecclesia, quae Prima fuit, descripta est per Adamum et Chaivam uxorem ejus. Ecclesia sequens, quae Ecclesia Antiqua vocanda est, descripta est per Noachum et tres ejus filios, ac per posteros ex illis; haec fuit ampla, et extensa per plura Regna Asiae, quae fuerunt Terra Canaan cis et trans Jordanem, Syria, Assyria et Chaldaea, Mesopotamia, Aegyptus, Arabia, Tyrus et Sidon; apud hos fuit Verbum vetustum, de quo in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 101-103; Quod illa Ecclesia in his Regnis fuerit, constat ex variis, quae de illis in Propheticis Verbi memorantur. Sed illa Ecclesia insigniter mutata est ab Ebero, ex quo orta est Ecclesia Hebraea; in hac cultus per Sacrificia primum institutus est. Ex Hebraea Ecclesia nata est Ecclesia Israelitica et Judaica, sed solenniter instituta propter Verbum, quod ibi conscriberetur.
[3] Hae quatuor Ecclesiae intelliguntur per statuam visam Nebuchadnezari in somnio, cujus caput erat ex auro puro, pectus et brachia ex argento, venter et femora ex aere, ac crura et pedes ex ferro et argilla, 1Daniel 2:32-33. Nec aliud per Saecula aureum, argenteum, cupreum, et ferreum, a scriptoribus antiquis memorata, intelligitur. Quod Ecclesiae Judaicae successerit Ecclesia Christiana, notum est. Quod omnes illae Ecclesiae successu temporis decreverint usque ad finem, qui vocatur Consummatio, ex Verbo etiam videri potest.
[4] Consummatio 2Ecclesiae Antiquissimae, quae facta est per esum ex arbore scientiae, per quem significatur fastus propriae intelligentiae, describitur per Diluvium. Consummatio Ecclesiae Antiquae describitur per varias devastationes Gentium, de quibus in Verbo tam Historico quam Prophetico, cumprimis per ejectionem Gentium e terra Canaane a filiis Israelis. Consummatio Ecclesiae Israeliticae et Judaicae intelligitur per destructionem Templi Hierosolymitani, et per abductionem populi Israelitici in perpetuam captivitatem, ac gentis Judaicae in Babyloniam: et demum per alteram Templi et simul Hierosolymae destructionem, ac illius Gentis dispersionem: quae Consummatio praedicitur in multis locis apud Prophetas, et apud Danielem 9:24-27. Ecclesiae autem Christianae successiva vastatio usque ad finem, describitur a Domino apud Matthaeum 24: apud Marcum 13 : et apud Lucam 21; ipsa vero ejus Consummatio in Apocalypsi. Ex his constare potest, quod Ecclesia successu temporis decrescat et consummetur; ita quoque religio.
[5] SECUNDUM. Quod omnis Religio decrescat et consummetur per inversionem imaginis Dei apud hominem. Notum est, quod homo creatus sit in imaginem Dei, secundum similitudinem Dei, Genesis 1:26 : sed dicetur, quid imago et quid similitudo Dei: Deus solus est Amor et Sapientia; homo creatus est ut sit receptaculum utriusque; ut voluntas ejus sit receptaculum Divini Amoris, ac ut intellectus ejus sit receptaculum Divinae Sapientiae. Quod duo illa a creatione sint apud hominem, et quod illa faciant hominem, et quod illa etiam apud unumquemvis formentur in utero, supra ostensum est; homo itaque imago Dei est, quod sit recipiens Divinae Sapientiae, et similitudo Dei est, quod sit recipiens Divini Amoris; quare receptaculum quod vocatur intellectus, est imago Dei, et receptaculum quod vocatur voluntas, est similitudo Dei; inde quia homo creatus et formatus est ut sit receptaculum, sequitur, quod creatus et formatus sit, ut voluntas ejus recipiat amorem a Deo, ac ut intellectus ejus recipiat sapientiam a Deo; quae homo etiam recipit, dum agnoscit Deum, et vivit secundum praecepta Ipsius, sed in minori et majori gradu, sicut ex religione scit Deum, et scit praecepta; proinde sicut scit vera, nam vera docent quid Deus et quomodo agnoscendus est, tum quid praecepta et quomodo vivendum secundum illa.
[6] Imago Dei et similitudo Dei non sunt deperditae apud hominem, sed sunt sicut deperditae; manent enim insitae in binis ejus facultatibus, quae vocantur Libertas et Rationalitas, de quibus supra multis actum est: factae sunt sicut deperditae, cum homo fecit receptaculum Divini Amoris, quod est voluntas ejus, receptaculum amoris sui, ac receptaculum Divinae Sapientiae, quod est intellectus ejus, receptaculum propriae intelligentiae; per id invertit imaginem et similitudinem Dei, avertit enim illa receptacula a Deo, et convertit illa ad se: inde est, quod illa supra occlusa sint, et infra aperta, seu quod a facie occlusa et a tergo aperta, cum tamen a creatione fuerunt a facie aperta et a tergo occlusa; et cum illa ita inverse aperta et occlusa sunt, tunc receptaculum amoris seu voluntas recipit influxum ex inferno seu a suo proprio, similiter receptaculum sapientiae seu intellectus. Inde in Ecclesiis ortus est cultus hominum loco cultus Dei, ac cultus ex doctrinis falsi loco cultus ex doctrinis veri, hic ex propria intelligentia, ille ex amore sui. Ex his patet, quod religio successu temporis decrescat et consummetur per inversionem imaginis Dei apud hominem.
[7] TERTIUM. Quod hoc existat ex continuis incrementis mali haereditarii in generationibus. Quod malum haereditarium non sit ex Adamo et Chaiva uxore ejus per esum ex arbore scientiae, sed quod successive derivetur et transplantetur a parentibus in proles, et sic ex continuis incrementis ingravescat in generationibus, supra dictum et ostensum est. Cum malum inde ingravescit apud multos, tunc a se dispergit malum in plures; nam in omni malo est libido seducendi, in quibusdam ardens ex ira contra bonum; inde contagium mali; hoc cum invasit praesules, moderatores et antesignanos in Ecclesia, fit religio perversa, ac media sanationis, quae sunt vera, per falsificationes fiunt corrupta: 3ex his nunc est successiva vastatio boni et desolatio veri in Ecclesia usque ad consummationem ejus.
[8] QUARTUM. Quod usque a Domino provideatur, ut quisque salvari possit. Providetur a Domino, ut ubivis sit religio, et in unaquavis religione sint duo essentialia salutis, quae sunt, agnoscere Deum et non facere malum quia est contra Deum; reliqua quae sunt intellectus et inde cogitationis, quae vocantur fidei, providentur cuivis secundum vitam ejus, nam illa sunt accessoria vitae; et si praecedunt, usque non vitam prius accipiunt. Providetur etiam, quod omnes qui 4vixerunt bene, et agnoverunt Deum, post mortem instruantur ab angelis, et tunc illi qui in binis illis essentialibus religionis in mundo fuerunt, vera Ecclesiae, qualia sunt in Verbo, acceptant, et Dominum pro Deo Coeli et Ecclesiae agnoscunt; et hoc recipiunt facilius quam Christiani, qui ideam de Humano Domini separato a Divino Ipsius secum e mundo tulerunt. Provisum etiam est a Domino, ut omnes qui moriuntur infantes, ubicunque nati sunt, salventur.
[9] Datur etiam cuivis homini post mortem copia emendandi vitam, si possibile; instruuntur et ducuntur a Domino per angelos, et quia tunc sciunt quod vivant post mortem, et quod coelum et infernum sint, principio recipiunt vera; sed illi qui non agnoverunt Deum, et fugerunt mala ut peccata in mundo, brevi post fastidiunt vera, ac recedunt; et illi qui agnoverunt illa ore et non corde, sunt sicut virgines stultae, quae lampades habebant et non oleum, ac petierunt oleum ab aliis, et quoque abiverunt et emerunt, et tamen non in nuptias intromissae sunt; lampades significant vera fidei, et oleum significat bonum charitatis. Ex his constare potest, quod Divina Providentia sit, ut quisque salvari possit, et quod ipse homo sit in culpa si non salvatur.
[10] QUINTUM. Quod etiam provideatur, ut nova Ecclesia loco devastatae prioris succedat. Hoc factum est ab antiquissimis temporibus, quod nempe devastata Ecclesia priore successerit nova; post Ecclesiam antiquissimam successit Antiqua; post Antiquam Israelitica seu Judaica; post hanc Christiana; quod etiam post hanc successura sit nova Ecclesia, praedicitur in Apocalypsi, quae ibi intelligitur per Novam Hierosolymam descendentem e Coelo. Causa, quod nova Ecclesia loco devastatae prioris successura a Domino provideatur, in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 104-113, videatur.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: atgilla,
2 Prima editio: Cousummatio
3 Prima editio: currupta:
4 Prima editio: qui