5960. ABOUT GOG AND MAGOG
There were some, nearly over my head, who placed everything in reading pious books. They were full of prayers and hymn singing, believing that everything of worship consisted in these. Because they were above me, they extinguished all understanding of the Word as to its inner meaning and dulled affection for spiritual truth as well. And scattered around below were many from a similar religion who, so to speak, obsess the mind. Then I spoke with them, and they said that they only read books like this, and that they have officials who come and test whether those in their society are reading diligently. They were asked whether they don't learn truths; they said they don't concern themselves with them. They think that they flow in from God without their actively taking them in and thinking about them, thus without working on learning truths. I replied that without truths a person is empty, that the reading and praying they do are just empty sound, and that they absolutely ought to learn truths and ought to work and not be idle in this. And it was perceived that such are Gog and Magog.
Furthermore, what Gog and Magog are like is evident from Rosenstolpe 1who had diligently read the Wordؓchriverus' edition, had attended church, and had also prayed fervently. But nevertheless he was not well-versed in anything of truth, nor had he understood the Word as far as a single point of doctrine. His life was one of injustice because he had made judgments in favor of his friends. Because of all this he looked like a log, devoid of spiritual life, and it was perceived that this is what Gog and Magog are like.
Footnotes:
1. See footnoted information on him in passage 5863.
5960. GOG AND MAGOG.
There were some, nearly over my head, who placed everything in the reading of pious books, and were full of prayers, and sang psalms, believing that all worship consists in those exercises. These, as they were above me, obliterated all understanding of the Word as to the internal sense and also dulled the spiritual affection of truth; and scattered roundabout, below, were many of the like religion, who as it were obsessed me. I then conversed with them, and they said that they read only such books, and that they have officers who make visitation to them in their society, to see whether they are diligent in their reading. They were asked whether they do not learn truths. They said that they do not trouble themselves about them, supposing that they inflow from God, independently of reception, and thought regarding them thus, without putting themselves to the trouble of learning knowledges. I replied to them, that, without truths, man is empty; and that readings and prayings by those are like sound from a vacuum, and that they ought by all means to learn truths, and to be engaged in work, and not in such idleness. It was also perceived that Gog and Magog were such. Moreover, it may be evident what Gog and Magog are, from Rosenstolpe, who had read the Word [Scriverus's edition] diligently, had attended church and prayed fervently, and nevertheless knew nothing at all of scarcely a single thing, nor had he understood the Word as to a single point of doctrine. His life also was unjust, since he gave judgment in favor of his friends. Hence he appeared like a log, vacant and destitute of spiritual life. It was also perceived that such ones are Gog and Magog.
5960. DE GOGO ET MAGOGO
Fuerunt paene supra me qui ponebant omne in legendis libris piis, qui pleni precibus, et qui cantabant psalmos, credentes quod in illis omnis cultus consistat, illi quia supra me, exstinguebant omnem intellectum Verbi quoad sensum internum, et quoque hebetabant affectionem veri spiritualem, et circumsparserunt circum circa infra plures ex simili religione, qui quasi obsidebant, loquutus cum illis dein, et dixerunt quod solum legant libros tales, et quod habeant officiarios qui visitant illos in sua societate num diligentes sint in legendo; interrogati num non discant vera, dixerunt quod non curent illa, putantes quod influant a Deo, absque receptione et cogitatione de illis, ita absque cognitionibus, quibus addiscendis invigilarent; respondi illis quod absque veris homo sit vacuus, et quod lectiones et orationes ab illis sint sicut sonus ex vacuo, et quod omnino discere debeant vera, et quod debeant in opere esse, et non in tali otio, et perceptum quod tales essent Gog et Magog. Porro quales Gog et Magog sunt, constare potest a Rosenstolpe, qui legerat Verbum, Schriverum, 1
diligenter, frequentaverat templum, tum oraverat ardenter, et tamen nihil veri calluit, vix unum, nec intellexerat Verbum quoad unum doctrinae, et quod vita ejus fuerit injusti quia pro amicis judicavit, is inde apparet sicut stipes, vacuus absque spirituali vita, et perceptum quod tales sint Gog et Magog.
Footnotes:
1. vide 4831