2.在圣言中，提及天地毁灭的经文如下：
你们要向天举目，观看下面的地；因为天必像烟气而消散，地必如衣服渐渐破旧。（以赛亚书51:6）.
看哪，我要造新天新地；从前的事不再被记念。（以赛亚书65:17）
我要造新天新地。（以赛亚书66:22）
天上的星辰坠落于地，天就挪移，好像书卷被卷起来。（启示录6:13-14）
我又看见一个大宝座和那坐在上面的，从祂面前天地都逃避，再也找不到它们的地方了。（启示录20:11）
我又看见一个新天和一个新地，因为先前的天和先前的地已经过去了。（启示录21:1）
在这些经文中，“新天”不是指可见的天，而是指人类聚集所在的真实天堂。因为天堂是由基督教会开始以来的所有人类形成的；但住在那里的，不是天使，而是具有各种宗教信仰的灵人。这个天正是即将废去的“先前的天”；下文会详细解释它是如何废去的；在此仅提及这些以说明何谓即将废去的“先前的天”。凡思维受到一点光照的人都能看出，它不是指星空，就是此处所说的创造的浩瀚穹苍，而是指灵义上的天，就是天使和灵人所住的地方。
2. The following are some passages in the Word where it speaks of the end of heaven and earth:
Lift up your eyes to heaven and look on the earth beneath. The heavens will vanish away like smoke and the earth will grow old like a garment. (Isaiah 51:6)
Behold, I am going to create new heavens and a new earth, and the former ones will not be remembered. (Isaiah 65:17)
I will make new heavens and a new earth. (Isaiah 66:22)
The stars of heaven fell to the earth, and heaven receded like a scroll that is rolled up. (Revelation 6:13, 14)
I saw a great throne and the one who sat on it, from whose face earth and heaven fled away. And no place was found for them. (Revelation 20:11)
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. (Revelation 21:1)
In these passages the “new heaven” does not mean the sky that we see with our eyes but heaven itself, where humankind is gathered in. Ever since the beginning of the Christian church a heaven has been gathered from the whole of humankind. The people in it were not angels, though, but spirits, 1of various religions. This is the heaven meant by the first heaven that would pass away. There will be further detail about their situation in what follows [65-72]. I mention it here only so that the reader may know what is meant by the first heaven that would pass away.
Anyone who thinks with any rational enlightenment can perceive that this is not referring to the sky that has stars in it, the vast firmament of creation, but to heaven spiritually understood, where angels and spirits live.
Footnotes:
1. On the concepts of “angels” and “spirits” in Swedenborg's works, see note 2 in New Jerusalem 25. [Editors]
2. The passages in the Word which mention the destruction of heaven and earth are as follows:
Lift up your eyes to heaven, and look down upon the earth. The heavens shall perish like smoke, and the earth like a worn-out garment. Isaiah 51:6.
Lo, I will create new heavens and a new earth, and the former ones will not be mentioned. Isaiah 65:17.
I will make new heavens and a new earth. Isaiah 66:22.
The stars of heaven fell to earth, and the heaven departed like a scroll which is rolled up. Revelation 6:13-14.
I saw a mighty throne and one sitting on it, earth and heaven fled from his gaze, and their place was found no more. Revelation 20:11.
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had gone away. Revelation 21:1.
In these passages a new heaven does not mean the sky we see with our eyes, but the real heaven, where the human race is gathered. For heaven is a collection of the whole human race right from the beginning of the Christian church; but those in it were not angels, but spirits from various religious bodies. This is what is meant by the first heaven which is to be destroyed; but how this can be, I shall explain in more detail in what follows. At this point it is merely mentioned so that it may be known what is meant by the first heaven which is to be destroyed. Anyone indeed whose thoughts are at all enlightened can see that it is not the starry sky, the immense firmament of creation, which is meant, but heaven in the spiritual sense, where the angels and spirits are.
2. The passages in the Word, in which mention is made of the destruction of heaven and earth, are the following:
Lift up your eyes to heaven, and look upon the earth beneath; the heavens are about to perish like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment (Isaiah 51:6).
Behold, I am about to create new heavens, and a new earth; neither shall the former things be remembered (Isaiah 65:17).
I will make new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 66:22).
The stars of heaven have fallen to the earth, and heaven has departed like a book rolled together (Revelation 6:13, 14).
I saw a great throne, and One sitting thereon, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and their place was not found (Revelation 20:11).
I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Revelation 21:1).
In these passages, by "a New Heaven" is not meant the visible heaven, but heaven itself where the human race is collected; for a heaven was formed from all the human race, who had lived since the commencement of the Christian church; but they who were there were not angels, but spirits of various religions; this heaven is meant by "the first heaven" which was to perish: but how this was, shall be specially declared in what follows; here is related only so much as serves to show what is meant by "the first heaven" which was to perish. Every one even who thinks from a somewhat enlightened reason, may perceive, that it is not the starry heaven, the so immense firmament of creation, which is here meant, but that it is heaven in the spiritual sense, where angels and spirits are.
2. Loca in Verbo, ubi dicitur de Interitu Caeli et Terrae, sunt sequentia:-
"Attollite in caelum oculos vestros, et intuemini in terram deorsum:... caeli velut fumus interituri sunt, et terra ut pannus veteratura (Esaiam 51:6);
"Ecce Ego creaturus sum caelos novos, et terram novam; nec commemorabuntur priora" (Esaiam 65:17);
"Caelos novos et terram novam facturus sum" (Esaiam 66:22);
"Stellae caeli ceciderunt in terram et caelum abscessit sicut liber qui convolvitur" (Apocalypsis 6:13-14);
"Vidi thronum... magnum, et Quendam insidentem, a cujus aspectu fugit terra et caelum, quorum locus non inventus est" (Apocalypsis 20:11);
"Vidi caelum novum et terram novam, primum caelum et prima terra abierat" (Apocalypsis 21:1).
In his locis per "novum caelum" non intelligitur caelum coram oculis nostris aspectabile, sed ipsum caelum, ubi humanum genus collectum est; ex omni enim genere humano, usque ab inchoatione Ecclesiae Christianae, collectum est caelum, sed qui ibi fuerunt non fuerunt angeli, verum spiritus ex varia religione; hoc caelum intelligitur per "primum caelum" quod periturum: sed quomodo cum his se habet, in sequentibus in specie dicetur; hic solum id memoratur, ut sciatur quid per "primum caelum" quod periturum, intelligitur. Quisque etiam qui ex ratione aliqua illustrata cogitat, percipere potest, quod non caelum sidereum, tam immensum firmamentum creationis, intellectum sit, sed quod caelum in spirituali sensu ubi angeli et spiritus.