113.记事四：
我朝灵人界望去，看见一支骑着红马和黑马的军队，坐在马背上的人像猴子。他们的脸和胸朝向马尾，后脑勺和后背朝向马脖和马头，缰绳松松垮垮地挂在骑马者的脖子上。他们朝对面骑白马的人大喊大叫，双手猛然扯紧缰绳，将他们的马拉回来，避免交战，并且反复这样做。这时，两位天使从天而降，靠近我说：“你看到了什么？”我向他们描述了这支滑稽的骑兵队，并问道：“这是怎么回事？他们是谁？”天使回答说：“他们来自名为哈米吉多顿（启示录16:16）的地方，那里有几千人聚集，要与主的新教会（它被称为新耶路撒冷）成员作战。他们正在那里谈论教会和宗教。然而，他们当中连教会的影儿都没有，因为他们没有一丝属灵的真理；也没有一丝宗教信仰，因为他们没有一丝属灵的良善。而关于这两个主题，他们嘴上说得够多的了。
“他们年轻时就学会相信唯信，并对神有所了解。在教会晋升到更高职位后，他们一度持守自己的信仰。但由于那时他们开始不再思想神与天堂，只想着自己和这个世界，从而放弃了永生的幸福快乐，只追求短暂的显赫与财富。他们将年轻时所学到的教义从与天堂相通，因而处于天堂之光的理性心智内层逐出，并将其甩到与这个世界相通，因而处于尘世之光的理性心智的外层；最后，这些教义被贬到属世的感官领域。结果，对他们来说，教会的教义成了纯粹的口头语。他们不再出于理性、更不出于爱的情感思考它们。他们已然变得如此，故不会接受构成教会的神圣真理，也不接受构成宗教信仰的真正良善。打个比方，其心智内层变得象盛满铁屑和硫磺混合物的瓶子。这时，若里面注入水，那么先是发热，然后着火，从而使瓶子爆裂。因此，当这些人听到有关活水，也就是圣言的纯正真理的事，并且它灌入他们的耳朵时，他们就会勃然大怒，把它当成能爆破他们脑袋的东西加以弃绝。
“他们就是那些在你看来像猴子，骑着红马和黑马，面朝马尾，缰绳绕在脖子上的人。人若不热爱源于圣言的教会真理与良善，就不愿看马的前面部分，只看马的后面部分。因为“马”表示对圣言的理解力：“红马”表示失去对圣言良善的理解力，“黑马”表示失去对圣言真理的理解力。他们之所以对着骑白马的人大喊大叫，是因为“白马”表示对圣言的真理与良善的理解力。他们似乎拽紧马脖子，将马拉回来，是因为他们害怕战斗，唯恐圣言的真理到达很多人那里，为大家所周知。这就是解释。”
天使继续说：“我们来自名为米迦勒的天堂社群，遵照主的吩咐，降到一个叫哈米吉多顿的地方，就是你看到的骑兵要开战的地方。对我们而言，哈米吉多顿在天上的意思是指想以歪曲的真理作战的心态，这些歪曲的真理源于掌控并胜过其他所有人的欲望。我们发觉你有一种渴望，想要了解这场战斗，所以我们会告诉你它的一些情况。从天上降下后，我们来到叫哈米吉多顿的地方，看到数千人聚集在这里。不过，我们没有进入人群当中。南边有几座房子，房子里有一些少年人和他们的老师。我们进到房子里，受到友好款待，与他们在一起非常开心。他们双眼炯炯有神，谈吐生动活泼，因而都非常英俊。双眼炯炯有神，是因着他们对真理的领悟，谈吐生动活泼是因着他们对良善的情感。因此缘故，我们赠送给他们几顶帽子，帽子边缘饰有串着珍珠的金线，还赠送了白色和深蓝色的衣服。我们问他们有没有看到附近被称为哈米吉多顿的地方。他们说，他们曾透过屋顶下面的窗户看到过，并且还看见一大群人聚集在那里，这些人的形像常常发生变化。有时，他们就像身材高大的人，有时根本不像人，而是看似塑像和雕刻的偶像，周围跪着一帮人。在我们看来，跪着的这帮人的形像也各式各样，有的看似人，有的看似豹，有的看似山羊，后者还长着向下弯的角，他们就用这些角掘地。我们能解释他们的这些变化，知道他们代表谁、意指什么。
“言归正传：当这些会众听说我们进了那房子时，彼此说：‘他们在那些少年人中做什么？不如打发一些人到那里去，把他们赶出来。’于是他们便派出很多人，这些人来到说：‘你们为什么进入这些房子？你们打哪来？我们有权命令你们离开。’但我们回答说：‘你们无权发出这种命令。的确，在你们自己眼里，你们就像亚衲人，而此处的我们则如同小矮人。然而，你们在此仍旧没有任何权柄，只会耍弄阴谋诡计，并且这也是行不通的。所以，回去告诉你们的人，就说我们从天上被派到此处，来调查你们当中有没有宗教信仰；若没有，你们就会从这个地方被赶出去。去，把下面这个涉及教会与宗教本质的问题摆到他们面前：主祷文中的这些话是什么意思：我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣，愿你的国降临。’他们闻言先是说：‘这都什么呀？’然后同意了。于是他们去告诉同伴所发生的这一切，他们回复说：‘这个问题是什么意思？它是哪种议题？’不过，他们猜到了这个问题背后的意图，也就是说，我们想知道这些话是否支持他们的信所教导的靠近父神的方式。于是，他们说：‘这些话清楚表明，我们应向父神祷告，因为基督是我们的中保，我们应为了祂儿子的缘故而向父神祷告。’他们立刻愤然决定来到我们跟前，与我们面对面说明这个问题，还声称他们要拧下我们的耳朵。他们离开那个地方，进入少年人及其老师所在房子附近的一个小树林。小树林中央有升起的平台，就象一个竞技场，他们手牵手进入这个竞技场，而我们正在此等着他们。地上有几个铺着草皮的小土丘，他们就坐在这些小土丘上，彼此说：‘我们不能当着他们的面站着，得坐下来。’然后，其中一个人具有使自己看似光明天使的本事，于是就被其他人指派来与我们对话，说：‘你们就我们如何理解主祷文中的头几句话而要求我们公开自己的观点，所以我谨告知你们，我们是这样理解的：我们应向父神祷告；并且由于基督是我们的中保，我们的救恩端赖于祂的功德；所以我们出于对基督功德的信而向父神祷告。’
但这时，我们对他们说：‘我们来自名为米迦勒的天堂社群，被派来造访你们，以调查在此聚集的你们有没有宗教信仰。因为对神的观念会进入宗教信仰的方方面面，人凭此与神结合，并凭这结合而得救。我们在天上日日念诵主祷文，和世人一样。但这时我们并不思想父神，因为祂是不可见的；而是思想处于其神性人中的祂，因为祂在这神性人中是可见的。你们称在神性人中的祂为基督，而我们则称其为主；主以这种方式成为我们在天上的父。此外，主曾教导：祂与父为一，父在祂里面，祂在父里面；看见了祂，就看见了父；若不藉着祂，没有人能到父那里去。祂还教导：父的意思是人当信子；不信子的看不见生命；神的震怒常在他身上。从这些经文清楚可知，要藉着子，并在子里面靠近父。正因如此，祂也曾教导：天上地下一切的权柄都赐给了祂。主祷文中说：愿人都尊您的名为圣，愿您的国降临；我们通过圣言证明，父的名就是祂的神性人，若直接靠近主，父的国就会降临；而若直接靠近父神，祂的国根本不会降临。所以，主也吩咐祂的门徒传讲神的国，神的国就是这么一回事。’
“听完这番话，我们的对手说：‘你从圣言引用了很多经文，我们或许读过这类经文，但不记得了。所以请在此当着我们的面打开圣言，朗读这些经文，尤其声称当主的国到来时，父的国就到来这样的经文。’于是，他们吩咐少年人取来圣言，少年人照做了，我们便从中读了如下经文，约翰传神国的福音时说：
时候到了，神的国近了。（马可福音1:14，15；马太福音3:2）
耶稣自己传神国的福音，说，神的国近了。（马太福音4:17，23；9:35）
耶稣吩咐祂的门徒们去传扬和宣讲神国的福音。（马可福音16:15；路加福音8:1；9:60）
祂差遣的那七十个人也一样。（路加福音10:9，11）
我们还宣读了以下经文：马太福音（11:5；16:27，28）、马可福音（8:35；9:1，47；10:29，30；11:10）、路加福音（1:19；2:10，11；4:43；7:22；21:30，31；22:18）。神的国，也就是他们要传讲的好消息，就是主的国，因而是父的国。这一点从以下经文明显可知：
父已将万有交在子的手里。（约翰福音3:35）
父赐给子权柄，管理凡有血气的。（约翰福音17:2）
一切所有的，都是父交付我的。（马太福音11:27）
天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。（马太福音28:18）
还有：
万军之耶和华是祂的名，救赎你的是以色列的圣者，祂必称为全地之神。（以赛亚书54:5）
我观看，见有一位像人子的，祂得了权柄、荣耀、国度，各民各族都敬拜祂。祂的权柄是永远的，不能废去，祂的国必不败坏。（但以理书7:13，14）
第七位天使吹号，天上就有大声音说，世上的国，成了我主和主基督的国，祂必掌王权，直到永永远远。（启示录11:15；12:10）’。
“我们还进一步通过圣言向他们说明，主降世不仅是为了使天使和世人能得到救赎，还为了他们能藉着祂，并在祂里面与父神合而为一；因为祂教导：
凡信祂的，便在祂里面，祂也在他们里面。（约翰福音6:56；14:20；15:4，5）
听后，他们问：‘那你们的主又怎么被称为父呢？’听到这里，他们问：‘你们的主怎能被称为父呢？’我们回答说：‘这从我们刚才所读的经文，以及下列经文可推知：
有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们。祂的名是神、勇士、永恒的父。（以赛亚书9:6）
亚伯拉罕虽然不认识我们，以色列也不承认我们，你却是我们的父。耶和华啊，你是我们的父；从万古以来，你名称为我们的救赎主。（以赛亚书63:16）
当腓力想看看父时，耶稣岂不对腓力说：
腓力，你还不认识我吗？人看见了我，就是看见了父。（约翰福音14:9；12:45）
那么，除了腓力亲眼看到的这一位外，还有其他的父吗？’对此，我们补充道：‘整个基督教界都说，教会成员构成基督的身体，并在祂的身体里面。若不藉着基督（他就居于基督的身体之内），教会成员如何靠近父神呢？否则，他为了靠近父必彻底离弃那个身体。’最后，我们告诉他们，如今，主正在建一个新教会，也就是启示录（3:12；21:2，10）中新耶路撒冷所指的。在这新教会如在天堂那样，单单敬拜主，因而主祷文所包含的一切自始至终都得到了应验。我们通过圣言中的福音书和先知书，以及从头至尾都在论述新教会的启示录充分证明所有这一切，直到他们听得不耐烦了。
哈米吉多顿那一方听到这一切很恼火，不时地想打断我们的发言。最终，他们插话说：‘你们所说的话违背了我们教会的教义，我们的教义教导，人们必须直接靠近父神，必须信祂；因此，你们犯亵渎我们信仰的罪过。所以，从这里滚开，否则，你们会被强行驱逐。’他们情绪激昂，以至于从威胁发展到试图采取行动。不过，我们凭着所赋予我们的力量击打他们，使他们瞎了眼，看不到我们。他们冲了出去，四处逃窜。有的掉进启示录（9:2）所提到的无底坑，这个无底坑如今就在靠东的南部地区，是那些确信唯信称义之人所呆的地方。在那里，凡通过引用圣言证实唯信称义的灵人都被扔到了荒漠中，在那里被赶到基督教区域的边界，与那些异教徒混在一起。”
113. 第四個經歷:
我朝靈界望去, 看見一支騎著紅馬和黑馬的軍隊, 坐在馬背上的像猴子。他們的臉和胸向後朝向馬尾, 後腦勺和身體朝向馬脖和馬頭, 韁繩松垮垮地掛在騎手們的脖子上。他們向另外一邊騎著白馬的騎手們吆喝著, 並用雙手拉扯韁繩, 把馬駛離戰場, 來來回回持續這麼做。
接著, 兩名天人從天降下, 走向我這邊, 問道:"你看到什麼？"
我向他們描述這幫有趣的騎兵們, 並詢問發生什麼事情, 他們是誰？
天人回答:"那些人來自啟示錄16:16所說的哈米吉多頓, 有幾千人聚焦, 要與主的新教會, 就是稱為"新耶路撒冷"的信徒們打仗。
"在那裡, 他們在談論教會和信仰方面的話題。儘管他們裡面並沒有教會, 因為他們沒有任何屬靈的真理; 他們也無信仰, 因為他們沒有任何屬靈的良善。他們以嘴唇來討論教會和信仰, 但目的是利用教會和信仰來支配他人。
[2]"作年青人時, 他們學會去相信唯獨因信稱義, 並學會一些關於上帝的知識。當他們在教會有進一步的服侍時, 他們會勉強保留一段時間這樣的信仰。但是接著會逐漸淡忘去思考上帝和天國, 取而代之的是自己和塵世。他們不再思想在永恆裡的喜樂和永福, 轉而思想過眼雲煙的榮華富貴。他們將年青時所學的教導驅出他們理性思維的內在領域, 就是與天國相連的,並在天國的光照之中的領域。把這些教導趕進理性思維的外在領域, 就是與塵世相連,在塵世之光中的區域。最終降至自然感官的領域。這使得他們對待教會的教導,僅僅如同不斷重複的公式而已, 不再是基於理性的思考, 更缺乏摯愛之情。結果, 他們不再接受教會提供的聖理, 也不接受由信仰而來的任何真正的良善。
"作個比方, 他們思想的內在領域變得如同裝滿鐵屑和硫磺粉的皮袋, 當水流入時, 先是溫度升高,然後著火, 皮袋跟著爆裂了。類似的, 當這些人聽到任何關於活水-就是聖言裡真正的真理, 流入他們的耳朵時, 他們就會一下子發起火來, 極力抗拒, 仿佛某些東西要爆了他們的腦袋。
[3]"這些就是你看到的像猴子般,騎在紅馬和黑馬上,脖子上繞著韁繩的人。這是因為他們不熱愛教會那些從聖言而來的真理和良善, 不願意朝著馬的前方往前看, 而只是看後面。因為"馬"表示對聖言的認知與領悟。"紅馬"表示失去其中的良善而對聖言的認知; "黑馬"表示失去其中的真理而對聖言的認知。那些人向白馬之上的騎手們吆喝, 是因為"白馬"表示對聖言的真理和良善的認知(紅馬表示無良善, 黑馬表示無真理, 因此與白馬為敵)。他們看起來像是拉著馬的韁繩要駛離戰場, 因為他們害怕戰鬥, 擔心聖言的真理夠到他們並光照他們。"
[4]天人繼續說:"我們從天上一個叫米迦勒的社區而來。主命令我們去到一個叫哈米吉多頓的地方, 就是你看到的騎兵們要開戰的地方。對我們而言,哈米吉多頓在天上的意思指想以偽謬為武器來作戰的心態, 這些偽謬源自於控制和勝過所有人的欲望。我們感覺到你想瞭解那場戰鬥, 因此多告訴你一些資訊。
"從天上降下後, 我們來到被稱為哈米吉多頓的地方, 看見有數千人聚焦在那裡。然而, 我沒有進到人群之中。在南邊有些馬, 還有孩子和老師。我們到了那裡, 他們友好地邀請我們, 我們也開心地與他們一起。他們全都外表俊美, 雙眼炯炯有神, 談話充滿激情。眼睛的生動有神源自於他們對真理的認知, 談話的活潑生氣源自於他們對良善的摯愛。因為這些, 我們送禮物給他們, 有金帶繞邊,還鑲有珍珠的帽子, 以及白色和藍色的衣服。
"我問他們, 是否看到鄰近地區,被稱為哈米吉多頓的地方。他們說, 從屋頂下面的窗子往外看到。他們看到那裡有人聚集, 那群聚集會改變顯現的形狀, 一時他們像個高大的人形, 一時根本不是人, 而是看起來像雕刻的偶像,一大幫跪在周圍。我們也看到這群聚集顯示出不同的形狀, 有些像人, 有些像獵豹, 有些像山羊——長著向下彎的角。他們正在向下挖坑。我們解釋了那些變化的形狀, 各代表什麼, 喻指什麼含義。
"回到正題。當那些聚集一處的人們聽說我們進了那些屋子裡, 他們彼此商議, 說:'他們想和那些孩子們做什麼呢？我們要從隊伍中派些人過去, 把他們扔出來。"於是, 他們這樣去做了。
"當他們所派的代表到達後, 對我們說:'你們為何進那些屋子？你們從哪裡來？我們有權讓你們離開。"
"我們回答:'你們無權要求我們這樣。無可否認, 在你們自己眼中, 你們就像亞衲人, 這裡的人們如同小矮人。但是, 你們在這裡沒有半點能力和權力, 你們只會那不正當的欺詐手段。回去向你們的人彙報, 就說我們從天上被差遣下來, 調查你們之中還有一點信沒有。若沒有, 你們將被趕出所占之地。因此會向他們提出下列問題, 這些問題涉及到教會和信仰的真正的本質。你們如何認知主禱文中的這些話:'我們在天上的父, 願禰的名為聖, 願禰的國度降臨？'
"當他們聽到後, 先是說:'這是什麼啊？'但他們還是答應去照辦。於是他們離開, 將這個議題轉達給他們的人。
"他們的人回答:'這是哪門子問題啊？'不過他們明白其中定有玄機。他們想:'對方想知道這些話是否支持我們對父上帝的信仰。'於是他們說:'這些話說得很明顯, 我們必須向父上帝禱告, 因為基督是我們的中保, 因此我們必須為祂兒子的緣故來向父禱告。'
"然後, 他們義憤填膺, 決定要面對面向我們表達他們的立場, 還說將要擰下我們的耳朵。他們離開那地方, 來到孩子和老師們房屋邊的小公園裡。公園當中有一塊升起的平臺,像個舞臺。他們手牽手走上那舞臺, 我們在那等候著。平臺上有幾個鋪著草皮的土堆, 他們坐在上面, 彼此說:'我們不用站在他們面前, 坐下吧。'
"其中一個被他們推選出來作發言人, 這個人裝扮得像個光明的天人, 他說:'你們請我們表達對主禱文開頭部分的看法, 想知道我們如果認知。所以, 現在我來通知你們, 我們的意見如下:我們必須向父上帝禱告。因為基督是我們的中保, 我們因祂的功德而被救, 因此我們必須因信基督的功德,向父上帝禱告。'
[6]"然後我告訴他們:'我們來自天國中稱為米迦勒的社區, 被差遣到這裡, 檢視你們是否還有信。對上帝的認識滲透到信仰的各方面, 並藉此與上帝聯結, 因著與上帝的聯結而被拯救。在如同人們在地上, 我們在天國也日日背誦主禱文。我們背誦的時候, 並非思想父上帝, 因為祂不可見; 而是思想在神性之人中的祂, 因為如此, 祂是可見的。祂在神性之人當中, 你們稱祂為基督, 我們稱祂為主。對我們來說, 主是我們天國中的父。
"主教導, 祂與父是一, 父在祂裡面,祂在父裡面, 看見祂就看見父。祂還教導, 除非藉著祂,沒有人到父那裡。祂還教導, 信子是父的旨意。不信子的看不見生命, 上帝的震怒要在他身上。從這些教導可明明看出, 只有通過主,並在祂之中, 父方可被接近。因此, 主還教導, 天地所有的權柄都賜給祂了。
"主禱文說:'禰的名為聖, 禰的國降臨。'從聖言中證明, 父的名就是祂的人身顯現, 當主被直接接近時, 父的國就臨到。而父上帝被直接接近, 父的國就根本不會臨到。這就是為何主命令祂的門徒去傳揚上帝的國度, 這就是上帝的國度。
[7]"他們聽後, 我們的對手說:'你引用了聖言的許多章節。我們要看一看, 因為不記得了。打開聖言, 在我們面前讀一下, 特別是說到當主的國臨到,父的國就降臨。'
"然後, 他們對孩子們說:'去, 把聖言拿來, '於是孩子們就拿了來。我們就向他們宣讀以下經文:'當約翰傳天國的福音時, 他說:"日子滿了, 上帝的國近了"(馬可福音1:14-15;馬太福音3:2)。耶穌自己傳天國的福音:"上帝的國近了"(馬太福音4:17, 23; 9:35)。耶穌命令祂的門徒們去傳道並宣講上帝之國的好消息(馬可福音16:15;路加福音8:1; 9:60)。祂給那差出去的七十個人同樣的命令(Luke 10:9-10)。我們還宣讀了以下經文:馬太福音11:5:; 16:27-28;馬可福音8:35; 9:1, 47; 10:29-30; 11:10; 還有路加福音1:19; 2:10-11; 4:43; 7:22; 21:30-31, 22:18。
"我們說:'下列經文可清楚看出, 上帝之國, 就是福音所傳揚的, 就是主的國, 同樣是父的國:父已將萬有交在子的手裡(約翰福音3:35)。父給子權柄掌管凡有血氣的(約翰福音17:2)。一切所有的都由父交給我了(馬太福音11:27)。天地所有的權柄都給我了(馬太福音28:18)。
'還有這些:萬軍之耶和華是祂的名, 救贖你的是以色列的聖者, 祂必稱為全地的上帝(以賽亞書54:5)。我觀看, 看見有一位像人子的。祂得了權柄,榮耀和國度。萬民萬國將敬拜祂。祂的掌權到永遠, 不會過去, 祂的國度將不會滅亡(但以理書7:13-14)。第七位天人吹號, 天上就有大聲音說:"世上的國成了我主和祂基督的國, 祂將永永遠遠執掌王權(啟示錄11:15; 12:10)"。
[8]"我們還以聖言來教導他們, 主降世不僅救贖眾天人和世人, 而且通過祂自己以及在自己之中,祂將他們與上帝聯結。祂教導, 如果人信祂, 祂就在他們裡面,他們在祂裡面(約翰福音6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5)
"聽後, 他們問:'那你們的主又怎麼被稱為父呢？'
"我們回答:'基於我們剛才讀給你們聽的聖言, 還以下面的:有一嬰孩為我們而生, 有一子賜給我們, 祂的名字是上帝,永遠的父(以賽亞書9:6)。禰是我們的父。亞伯拉罕不認識我們, 以色列不承認我們。禰, 耶和華, 是我們的父; 永遠的救贖者是禰的名(以賽亞書63:16)。當腓力想看父, 耶穌說:"你不認識我嗎, 腓力？看見我, 就看見了父"(約翰福音14:9; 12:45)。除了腓力眼前看到的這位, 那誰是父呢？
"我再說幾句, 整個基督徒世界都說, 教會裡的會眾組成了基督的身體, 他們在祂的身體裡面。任何一個教會成員, 除了通過祂(在祂的身體裡), 怎樣去接近父上帝呢？要不然, 他就不可避免地離開這個身體去接近父上帝。
"最後, 我通知他們:'現今, 主正在建立新的教會, 就是(啟示錄3:12; 21:2, 10)中所說的新耶路撒冷。在其中, 跟天國一樣, 只會單單敬拜主, 。這就應驗了主禱文中從頭到尾所含的內容。'
"為了證明這些觀點, 我們福音書和先知書引用聖言, 還從『啟示錄』中引用大量經文——都是論到那教會(主建立的新教會)。最終, 他們聽得有點不耐煩了。
[9] "對這些內容有些惱火, 那些哈米吉多頓們不時想阻撓我們的談話。最終, 他們打斷並大叫:'你們所說的, 與我們教會的教導完全相反, 教會的教導告訴我們當直接走向父上帝並相信祂。因此你們犯了褻瀆信仰的罪過, 所以趕快離開這裡, 要不然就會被扔出去。'
"他們情緒高漲, 威脅即將付諸行動。接著, 我們得著能力, 擊打他們, 使他們變得瞎眼。由於什麼也看不見了, 他們就沖出來到處亂竄。一些掉進(啟示錄9:2)所說的深坑, 在南邊靠東的地方, 在那裡到處可見那些確信僅憑信仰即可稱義的靈。而且, 引用聖言來證實那個錯誤信條的被扔在荒野, 在那裡被趕到基督徒世界的最遠邊界,與異教徒們混在起。
113. The fourth memorable occurrence. I looked out across the world of spirits and saw an army on red horses and black horses. The riders looked like monkeys. They were turned around with their faces and chests facing the horses' backs and tails, while the riders' backs and the backs of their heads faced the horses' necks and heads. The reins were hanging around the riders' necks. They were uttering [battle] cries at some riders on white horses and plying the reins with both hands, yet in fact they were reining in their horses from battle. This went on and on.
Then two angels descended from heaven, and came over to me and said, "What do you see?"
I told them how I was watching a very entertaining cavalry. I asked what was going on and who they were.
"Those people are from the place that is called Armageddon in Revelation 16:16, the angels replied. As many as several thousand have gathered there with the purpose of fighting those who are from the Lord's new church that is called the New Jerusalem.
"At that spot they have been discussing the church and religion, although they have no church, because they have no spiritual truth, and they have no religion, because they have no spiritual goodness. They have been discussing the church and religion with their mouths and lips, but only with the purpose of using the church and religion to dominate [others].
[2] "In early adulthood they learned to sanction faith alone and learned something about God. When they were promoted to higher-ranking positions in the church, they held on to what they had learned for a while. Then they gradually ceased thinking about God or heaven, and instead began thinking about themselves and the world. They did not think about blessedness or happiness in eternity; they thought about prominence and wealth in time. They moved the teachings they had been attracted to in early adulthood out of the inner realms of their rational mind - realms that communicate with heaven and are in heavens light. They drove them instead into the outer realms of their rational mind - realms that communicate with the world and are in the worlds light. In the final stage they pushed those teachings down to the realm of their physical senses. For them the teachings of the church became the exclusive property of their lips; those teachings were no longer part of their thinking on the basis of reason, let alone part of their feelings of love. As a result, they do not now let in any divine truth that is part of the church or any genuine goodness that is part of religion.
"The inner realms of their mind have become like beakers full of iron filings mixed with powdered sulfur. If water is poured in the beakers, first there is increasing heat and then there is fire, which breaks the beakers. Likewise, when they hear living water, which is the genuine truth in the Word, and it goes into their ears, they burst violently into flames and expel it as something that is about to break their heads.
[3] "These are the people who looked to you like monkeys riding backward on red horses and black horses with the reins around their own necks. Those who have no love for the truth or the goodness from the Word that belong to the church want to see the back, not the front, of a horse. A horse means one's understanding of the Word. A red horse means an understanding of the Word that has lost its goodness. A black horse means an understanding of the Word that has lost its truth. Those people were uttering battle cries against riders on white horses because a white horse means an understanding of the Word's truth and goodness. They appeared to drag their horses backward by the neck because they themselves were afraid to fight, fearing that the truth of the Word would reach many people and would come to light that way. This is the interpretation. "
[4] The angels went on to say, "We are from the community in heaven that is called Michael. The Lord commanded us to come down to the place called Armageddon where the cavalry you saw was on the attack. To us in heaven Armageddon means the mindset that fights, using falsified truths as weapons - a mindset that originates in a love for dominating and being superior to all. We sense your desire to know about that battle, so we will tell you something about it.
"After we came down from heaven we went to the place called Armageddon. We saw as many as several thousand who had gathered there, but we did not go into the crowd. Off to the south side of that area there were some houses where there were children and teachers. We went there, and they kindly took us in. We enjoyed their company. Their faces were all good-looking as a result of their lively eyes and their impassioned way of speaking. What made their eyes lively was their awareness of what is true, and what made their talk impassioned was their passion for what is good. So we presented a gift to them of hats whose rims were decorated with bands made of golden threads with pearls woven in, as well as clothing of white and blue.
"We asked them whether they had looked at the neighboring area called Armageddon. They said they had looked out a window just under the roof of the house. They had seen a gathering there, but those gathering changed shapes, at one point looking like nobility, at another not even seeming to be human; they looked like statues and carved idols with a crowd around them on their knees. We too had seen that group in different forms. Some looked like people, some like leopards, some like goats. The goats had horns that curved downward; they were digging up the ground with them. We explained those metamorphoses - whom they portrayed and what they meant.
[5] "But back to the main point. When the people who had gathered heard that we had gone into those houses, they said to each other, What do they want with those children? We should send some from our crowd over there to throw them out. And so they did.
"When their envoys arrived they said to us, 'Why did you go into those houses? Where are you from? With full authority we order you to leave. '
"We replied, That is not an order you can give with any authority. Admittedly, in your own eyes you are like the Anakim, and the people who are here are like dwarves. But nonetheless you have no power or jurisdiction here except by fraud, and that is not valid. Tell your people that we have been sent here from heaven to assess whether religion exists among you or not. If it doesn't, you will be thrown out of the place. Propose the following to your people, therefore - a point in which lies the essence of the church and religion. How do they understand the following words in the Lord's prayer: "Our Father, you who are in the heavens, your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come" [Matthew 6:9-10]?'
"When the others heard this, at first they said, 'What is this?' But then they said they would propose it. They left and conveyed this proposition to their people.
"Their people replied, 'What kind of a proposition is that?' But they understood the hidden agenda. They thought, 'They want to know whether these words support the orientation of our faith to God the Father. ' So they said, 'The words are clear that we must pray to God the Father, and because Christ is our Mediator, we must pray to God the Father for the Son's sake. '
"Soon in their indignation they decided to come over to us in person and tell us this. In fact, they said that they were going to twist our ears. They left that place and came to a stand of trees that was near the houses where the children and their teachers were. In the middle of the trees there was a raised level area like a natural stage. They went onto that stage hand in hand. We were there waiting for them. There were piles of sod on the ground there. They sat on these piles, because they had said to each other, 'We are not going to stand up in front of them; we'll sit down. '
"One of them who was able to make himself appear to be an angel of light had been ordered by the rest to speak to us. He said, 'You have proposed to us that we reveal our opinions on the first words of the Lord's prayer and how we understand them. Therefore I am telling you that we understand those words to mean that we have to pray to God the Father. Because Christ is our Mediator and we are saved by his merit, we have to pray to God the Father with a belief in Christ's merit. '
[6] "We said to them, 'We are from the community in heaven called Michael. We have been sent to assess and investigate whether you who have gathered in that place have any religion or not. The idea of God permeates every aspect of religion. Through that idea a partnership [with God] is forged, and through that partnership comes salvation. In heaven we recite the Lord's prayer every day just as people on earth do. When we do so we don't think of God the Father, because he cannot be seen. We think of him in his divine-human manifestation, because in that he can be seen. In that human manifestation he is called Christ by you, but the Lord by us. To us the Lord is our Father in the heavens.
"'The Lord taught that he and the Father are one, that the Father is in him and he is in the Father, and that those who see him see the Father. He also taught that no one comes to the Father except through him, and that the will of the Father is that people should believe in the Son. Those who do not believe in the Son do not see life; in fact, God's anger remains on them. From these teachings it is clear that access to the Father is gained through the Lord and in him. Because that is true, the Lord also taught that all power in heaven and on earth was given to him.
"'In the prayer it says, "Your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come. " We have demonstrated from the Word that his divine-human manifestation is the name of the Father; and that the Father's kingdom exists when the Lord is directly approached, but does not exist at all when God the Father is directly approached. That is why the Lord commanded the disciples to preach the kingdom of God. This is the kingdom of God. '
[7] "When they heard that, our opponents said, 'You are citing many passages from the Word. We may have read things like that there, but we don't remember. Open the Word before us and read those things from it, especially that point about the kingdom of the Father coming when the Lord's kingdom comes. '
"Then they said to the children, 'Bring the Word,' so the children brought it.
"From it we read the following: 'As he preached the gospel of the kingdom, John said, "The time has been completed. The kingdom of God has come near" (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 3:2). Jesus himself preached the gospel of the kingdom and that the kingdom of God was coming near (Matthew 4:17, 23; 9:35). Jesus commanded his disciples to preach and evangelize the kingdom of God (Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1; 9:60); he gave a similar command to the seventy he sent out (Luke 10:9, 11). ' We also read passages such as Matthew 11:5; 16:27-28; Mark 8:35; 9:1, 47; 10:29-30; 11:10; and Luke 1:19; 2:10-11; 4:43; 7:22; 21:30-31; 22:18.
"We said, 'The following passages make clear that the kingdom of God that was evangelized was the Lord's kingdom and at the same time the Father's kingdom:
The Father has given all things into the hand of the Son. (John 3:35)
The Father has given the Son power over all flesh. (John 17:2)
All things have been handed to me by the Father. (Matthew 11:27)
All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)
And also these passages:
Jehovah Sabaoth is his name, and he will be called the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, God of all the earth. (Isaiah 54:5)
I saw and behold, there was someone like the Son of Humankind. He was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. All people and nations will worship him. His dominion is a dominion of an age that will not pass, and his kingdom is one that will not perish. (Daniel 7:13-14)
When the seventh angel sounded, great voices rang out in the heavens saying, "The kingdoms of the world have become kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. " (Revelation 11:15; 12:10)
[8] "We also used the Word to teach them that the Lord came into the world not only to redeem angels and people but also to unite them to God the Father through himself and in himself. He taught that if people believe in him, he is in them and they are in him (John 6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5).
"Upon hearing that they asked, 'Then how can your Lord be called Father?'
"We said, 'That is based on the passages we already read to you, and also on the following passages: "A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, Father of Eternity" (Isaiah 9:6). "You are our Father. Abraham did not know us and Israel did not acknowledge us. You, Jehovah, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name" (Isaiah 63:16). When Philip wanted to see the Father, Jesus said, "Have you not known me, Philip? Those who see me see the Father" (John 14:9; 12:45). Who else then is the Father except the One whom Philip was seeing with his eyes?
"And let's add this as well. Throughout the whole Christian world there is a saying that those who are part of the church form the body of Christ and are in his body. How then can people who belong to the church go to God the Father without going through the One whose body they are in? Otherwise they would have to go completely outside that body to go to the Father. '
"Finally, we informed them, 'Today the Lord is establishing the new church meant by the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation [Revelation 3:12; 21:2, 10]. In it there will be worship of the Lord alone, as there is in heaven. This is fulfilling everything contained in the Lord's prayer from beginning to end. '
"To support all these points we used the Word in the Gospels and in the Prophets, and we quoted so much from the Book of Revelation, which from beginning to end is about this church, that they became tired of hearing it.
[9] "Annoyed at all this, those Armageddonites wanted to interrupt our diatribe now and then. Finally they broke in and shouted, 'You have spoken against the doctrine of our church, which teaches us to go directly to God the Father and believe in him. You have made yourselves guilty of violating our faith. Therefore go away from here. If you don't, you will be thrown out. '
"Their minds became inflamed with their own threats and soon turned toward action, but then by a power given to us we struck them with a blindness. Because they couldn't see us, as they went on the attack they ran off in the wrong direction. Some fell down into the great pit mentioned in Revelation 9:2, which is now on the eastern side of the southern region. The spirits there support a belief in justification by faith alone. The people there who are using the Word to support that belief are now being sent into a desert in which they are taken all the way to the farthest edge of the Christian world. There they are being integrated among pagans. "
113. The fourth experience. 1
I looked out into the world of spirits and saw an army mounted on chestnut and black horses. Those who sat upon them looked like monkeys, their faces and chests turned towards the hind quarters and tails of the horses, the backs of their heads and bodies towards the horses' necks and heads; the reins hung loosely about the necks of the riders. They raised a shout against those who rode on white horses, and pulled on the reins with both hands to keep their horses away from the battle, and they kept on doing this.
Then two angels came down from heaven, and on approaching me said: 'What do you see?' I described this ridiculous cavalry and asked: 'What is this, and who are they?'
The angels replied: 'They come from the place called Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), where some thousands have gathered to do battle with the members of the Lord's new church, which is called the New Jerusalem. They were talking there about the church and religion; yet there was not a trace of the church in them, because they were without any spiritual truth, or any trace of religion, because they were without any spiritual good. There was much talk there on their lips about both subjects, but their motive was to exercise power by their means.
[2] 'As young men they had learned to believe in faith alone, and they knew a little about God. After being promoted to the higher offices of the church, they retained their beliefs for a while. But since they then began to think no more about God and heaven, and only about themselves and the world, and so abandoned blessedness and everlasting happiness for temporal distinction and wealth, they pushed the doctrines they had learned in youth out of the interiors of the rational mind, which are in contact with heaven and so illuminated by its light, and banished them to the exteriors of the rational mind, which are in contact with the world and are illuminated only by its faint beams. They ended by relegating those doctrines to the level of the natural senses. This made them treat the doctrines of the church merely as formulas to be repeated, and no longer thought about rationally, much less affectionately loved. By making themselves like this, they do not receive the Divine truth which the church provides, nor any real good which comes from religion. To use a simile, the interiors of their minds have become like leather bags filled with a mixture of iron filings and powdered sulphur; if then water is poured in, there is first heat generated, and then flame, which makes the bags burst. In like manner, when these people hear anything about living water, which is the real truth of the Word, and it penetrates through their ears, they become furiously heated and angry, and reject it as something which would burst their heads.
[3] 'These are the people who appeared to you like monkeys riding back to front on chestnut and black horses with the reins about their necks. This is because those who do not love the truth and good which the church has from the Word, are unwilling to look towards the front of a horse, but only its hinder parts. For 'horse' means the understanding of the Word, 'a chestnut horse' understanding of the Word bereft of good, 'a black horse' understanding of the Word bereft of truth. The reason why they yelled to do battle against the riders on white horses is that 'a white horse' means the understanding of the truth and good of the Word. They seemed to be holding their horses back by the neck because they were frightened of fighting, for fear the truth of the Word might reach many people and so come to light. That is the interpretation.'
[4] The angels went on to say: 'We are from the community in heaven named Michael, and we have been ordered by the Lord to go down to the place called Armageddon, from which the cavalry you saw had broken out. Armageddon for us in heaven means the state of wishing to fight with falsified truths, which arises from the love of controlling and surpassing all others. Since we perceive you have a desire to learn about that battle, we will tell you something about it. After coming down from heaven we approached the place called Armageddon and saw several thousands of people gathered there. However, we did not go into that assembly, but there were some houses on the south side where there were boys with their teachers; we went into these, where we were made welcome, and we enjoyed their company. They were all good-looking because of the liveliness of their eyes and the animation of their conversation. The liveliness in their eyes came from their perception of truth, the animation of their conversation from their affection for good. Because of this we presented them with hats, the brims of which were ornamented with bands of gold thread intertwined with pearls, and also with clothes of a white and dark blue pattern.
'We asked them whether they had looked towards the neighbouring place called Armageddon. They said they had done so through the window they had under the roof of their house. They said they had seen a great gathering of people there, who took on varying appearances. At one time they resembled tall 2 men, at another no longer people at all, but they looked like images and carved statues, and around them was a crowd kneeling. These too seemed to us to have varying appearances,- some looked like human beings, some like leopards, some like goats, and these had downward-pointing horns, which they used to dig up the ground. We were able to interpret their transformations, and know whom they represented and what they meant.
[5] 'But to return to the story; when the people assembled heard that we had gone into those houses, they said to one another: "What are they doing, going to see those boys? Let us send some of our number to turn them out." They did so, and when they came they said to us: "Why have you gone into those houses? Where do you come from? We have authority to tell you to go away."
'But we replied: "You have no authority to tell us that. In your own eyes you may be like the Anakim, and the people here like dwarfs, but still you have no power or right here, except through trickery, and that will not work. So go back and report to your people, that we have been sent here from heaven to investigate whether there is any religion among you or not; if not, you will be thrown out of the place you occupy. So set before them the following question, which touches the very essence of the church and religion, what is the meaning of these words from the Lord's Prayer: Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come."
'Their first reaction on hearing this was indignation, but then they agreed to put the question. So they went away and told their people what had happened, and they replied: "What does this question mean and what sort of a question is it?" But they understood the concealed point, that the questioners wished to know whether these words favoured the way their faith approaches God the Father. So they said: "These words clearly mean that we should pray to God the Father, and because Christ is our mediator, that we should pray to God the Father for the sake of His Son."
'Then in their indignation they resolved to approach us and to assert this face to face, saying too that they would tweak our ears. They actually left the place where they were, and went into the park adjacent to the houses where the boys were with their teachers. In the middle of the park there was a raised platform like an arena, and holding one another's hands they went into the arena where we stood waiting for them. There were small mounds of earth there covered with turf, and they sat on these, saying to one another: "In such company we will not remain standing, but sit down."
'Then one of them who had the trick of making himself look like an angel of light, and who had been appointed by the rest to act as their spokesman, said: "You have asked us to reveal our opinion on how we should understand the first words of the Lord's Prayer. So I beg to inform you that we understand them like this: we should pray to God the Father; and because Christ is our mediator, and our salvation depends upon His merit, we should pray to God the Father trusting in Christ's merit."
[6] 'Then we told them: "We are from the community in heaven known as Michael. We have been sent to visit you, and enquire whether you who are gathered here have any religion or not. For the idea of God enters into every part of religion, and it is this which establishes a link with God, and that link is the means of salvation. We in heaven recite that prayer every day, just as people on earth do; but then we do not think of God the Father, since He is invisible, but we think of Him in His Divine Human, since in this He is visible. In this you call Him Christ, we call Him the Lord; thus the Lord is our Father in the heavens. The Lord too taught that He and the Father are one, that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father; that he who sees Him, sees the Father; and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. He also taught that it is the Father's will that people should believe in the Son; that he who does not believe in the Son will not see life; rather the wrath of God remains upon him. From these passages it is clear that the Father is to be approached through the Son and in Him. For that reason too He also taught that all power in heaven and on earth was given to Him. The Prayer says, "Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come," and we have proved from the Word that the Father's name is His Divine Human, and that the Father's kingdom comes when the Lord is directly approached, and not at all when God the Father is directly approached. So too the Lord told His disciples to preach the kingdom of God, and this is what is meant by the kingdom of God."
[7] 'On hearing this our opponents said: "You quote many passages from the Word. We may have read such things there, but we do not remember them. So open the Word in our presence, and read us those passages from it, especially the ones which say that the Father's kingdom comes when the Lord's kingdom does." Then they told the boys to fetch the Word, and when they did so, we read to them from it the following passages:
John 3 preaching the Gospel of the kingdom said, The time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand, Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 3:2.
Jesus Himself preached the Gospel of the kingdom, and said that the kingdom of God was at hand, Matthew 4:17, 23; 9:35.
Jesus ordered His disciples to preach and proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God (Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1; 9:60); likewise the seventy whom He sent out (Luke 10:9, 11)
And many passages besides, such as Matthew 11:5; 16:27-28; Mark 8:35; 9:1, 47; 10:29-30; 11:10; Luke 1:19; 2:10-11; 4:43; 7:22; 17:20-21; 4 Luke 21:31; 22:18. The kingdom of God, the good news of which they were to proclaim, was the Lord's kingdom, and so the Father's kingdom. This is plain from the following passages: The Father gave all things into the Son's hand (John 3:35); The Father gave the Son power over all flesh (John 17:2).
All things are handed over to me by the Father, Matthew 11:27.
All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth, Matthew 28:18.
Further from the following:
Jehovah Zebaoth is His name and the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, He shall be called the God of the whole earth, Isaiah 54:5.
I saw and behold, one like the Son of Man, to whom was given dominion, glory and the kingdom; and all peoples and nations shall worship Him. His dominion is a dominion for ever, which will not pass away, and His kingdom one which will not perish, Daniel 7:13-14.
When the seventh angel sounded, mighty voices were heard in the heavens saying, The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever, Revelation 11:15; 12:10.
[8] 'In addition we instructed them from the Word that the Lord came into the world not only to redeem angels and men, but also so that they might be united with God the Father through Him and in Him. For He taught that He is in those who believe in Him and they are in Him (John 6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5). On hearing this they asked: "How then can your Lord be called Father"? We said: "It follows from the passages we have read, and also from these:
A child is born for us, a son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, the everlasting Father, Isaiah 9:6.
You are our Father, Abraham does not recognise us, neither does Israel acknowledge us; You, Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name, Isaiah 63:16.
Did He not say to Philip, when he wanted to see the Father.
Philip, do you not know me? He who sees me sees the Father, John 14:9; 12:45.
What other Father then is there, than the one whom Philip saw with his own eyes?"
'To this we added the following. "It is said throughout the Christian world that the members of the church constitute the body of Christ, and that they are in His body. How then can any person in the church approach God the Father, except through Him in whose body he is? Otherwise he would inevitably leave the body to approach Him." Finally we informed them that at the present time a new church is being established by the Lord, which is meant by the New Jerusalem in Revelation. In this church worship will be directed to the Lord alone, as it is in heaven, and thus all will be accomplished which the Lord's Prayer contains from beginning to end.
'We proved everything from the Gospels and the Prophets in the Word, and from Revelation, which deals from beginning to end with that church, and went on at such length that they became tired of listening.
[9] 'The Armageddon party listened with indignation, and wanted repeatedly to interrupt our speech. Eventually they broke in and cried: "You have spoken against the doctrine of our church, which states that God the Father is to be approached directly, and is to be believed in. You have thus become guilty of violating our faith. So begone from here, or you will be thrown out." Their tempers were so roused they passed from threats to attempted action. But then by the powers we had been given we struck them blind, so that, being unable to see us, they broke out and ran blindly in all directions. Some fell into the abyss described in Revelation (Revelation 9:2), which is now in the southern quarter towards the east; this is where those are to be found who are convinced that justification is effected by faith alone. Those there who prove that doctrine by quoting the Word are cast out into a desert, where they are driven to the edge of the Christian world and mix with the pagans.'
Footnotes:
1. The first part of this section is repeated from Apocalypse Revealed 839.
2. The Latin has 'leading men' (proceres), but the following reference to giants (Anakim) shows that this must be a misprint for 'tall men' (proceros).
3. Apparently a slip for 'Jesus'; John is mentioned earlier in the verse.
4. This reference was inserted in the author's copy.
113. Fourth Memorable Relation:
I looked into the world of spirits and saw an army mounted on red and black horses. The riders looked like apes, with face and breast turned toward the horse's tail, and the hinder part of the head and the back toward the horse's neck and head, and the bridle-rein thrown over the rider's neck; and they were shouting at other riders mounted on white horses, and were jerking the reins with both hands, thus pulling back their horses from the battle; and this they did continuously.
Then two angels descended from heaven, and approaching me said, "What do you see?"
I told about the ludicrous company of horsemen that I saw, and asked what it meant and who they were.
The angels answered, "They are from the place called Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), where they have assembled to the number of several thousands, to fight against those who belong to the Lord's New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem. They were talking there about the church and about religion; and yet there was nothing of the church among them, because they had nothing of spiritual truth, and nothing of religion, because they had no spiritual good. About both of these they were talking with their mouths and lips; but their aim was to acquire dominion by means of them.
[2] In their youth they had learned to confirm the doctrine of faith alone, and something about God; and when they had been advanced to higher offices in the church, they held on to these teachings for a time, but having ceased to think any longer about God and heaven, but only about themselves and the world, thus not about eternal blessedness and happiness, but only about temporal eminence and wealth, the doctrinal principles which in youth they had drawn from the interiors of the rational mind, which communicate with heaven and therefore are in the light of heaven, were cast out into the exteriors of the rational mind, which communicate with the world and are therefore in the light of the world; and finally these principles were thrust down into the region of the natural senses; and as a consequence the doctrines of the church became with them a mere matter of words, and no longer of thought from reason, much less of affection from love. And having made themselves such, they grant no admittance to that Divine truth which constitutes the church, nor to that genuine good that constitutes religion. The interiors of their minds have become like bottles filled with a mixture of iron chips and sulfur, upon which, if water is poured, there is first produced heat and then a flame, whereby the bottles are burst. So when they hear anything about the living water, which is the genuine truth of the Word, and it finds entrance through their ears, they become violently heated and inflamed, and reject it as a thing that would burst their heads.
[3] These are they that appeared to you like apes riding horses red and black, and facing toward the tail, and the bridle-rein around the rider's neck. Men that do not love the truth and good of the church derived from the Word never wish to look toward the forward parts of a horse, but only toward his hinder parts. For a horse signifies understanding of the Word-a red horse that understanding when destroyed in respect to good, and a black horse when destroyed in respect to truth. They were shouting for battle against the riders on the white horses, because a white horse signifies understanding of the Word in respect to truth and good. They seemed to pull their horses backward by the neck, because they dreaded the battle, and feared that the truth of the Word might be reaching many and might thus come to light. This is the interpretation."
[4] The angels further said, "We are from a society of heaven which is called Michael, and we were commanded by the Lord to descend to the place Armageddon, from which the horsemen that you saw broke forth. With us in heaven Armageddon signifies a state of mind and a disposition (arising from a love of ruling and being eminent over all others) to fight from truths falsified; and as we perceive in you a desire to learn about this kind of contest, we will relate to you a certain matter. On descending from heaven we came to that place called Armageddon, and there saw several thousands assembled. We did not enter this crowd; but on the southern side of the place there stood several houses where there were lads with their teachers; we entered these, and were kindly received. We were delighted with their company. From the life in their eyes and the eagerness displayed in their talk their faces were beautiful. The life in their eyes came from perceiving what is true, and the eagerness in their talk from the affection for what is good. Because of this we presented them with caps, the borders of which were ornamented with bands of gold lace in which pearls were interwoven, also with garments of white and blue commingled.
"We asked them if they had ever looked in upon the so called Armageddon, near by. They said that they had, through a window under the roof, and had seen an assembly there, but the shapes of the people were changeable; sometimes they looked like men of lofty stature, and sometimes like statues and carved idols, with a crowd on bended knees around them. To ourselves as well they appeared under various forms; some like men, others like leopards, and others again like goats, the latter with horns projecting downward, with which they tore up the ground. We interpreted these transformations, and showed what classes they represented, and what things they signified.
[5] "But to return: When those assembled there heard of our having entered the houses they said to one another, 'What are they doing among those lads? Let us send some of us thither and put them out.' They did send a number, and when these came they said, 'What took you into these houses? Where do you come from? By authority we order you to leave.'
"But we answered, 'You cannot give that order by authority. In your own eyes, indeed, you seem like Anakim, and we here like dwarfs; yet here you have no power or authority except by cunning, and that will not prevail. Go, then, and tell your comrades that we are sent here from heaven to find out if you have religion or if you have none; and if none, you will be cast out of this place. Go, then, and put to them this question, which contains the veriest essential of the church and of religion: In the Lord's Prayer what mean the words 'Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come?'
"Hearing this, they said at first, 'What is all that?' And then they consented and went away and told their companions what had been said, who replied, 'What sort of a proposal is that?' But they guessed what was behind the question, namely, that we wished to know if they thought that these words confirmed what their faith taught about the way to approach God the Father. Therefore they said, 'The words are clear that we ought to pray to God the Father; and as Christ is our Mediator, that we ought to pray to God the Father for the sake of the Son. '
"And at once in their indignation they resolved to come to us and say this to our faces, and they added that they would pull our ears. So they left that place, and went into a grove near the houses where the lads and their teachers were. In the center of this was an elevated spot like a place for games; and joining hands they came there. We were there also, and were waiting for them. The ground was thrown up into little green mounds, as it were, upon which they reclined, saying to one another, 'We will not stand in their presence; we will sit.'
"Then one of them who could make himself appear like an angel of light, and who had been deputed by the others to speak with us, said, 'You have proposed that we open our minds as to our understanding of the first words of the Lord's Prayer. Therefore I say to you that this is our understanding of them, that we ought to pray to the Father; and as Christ is our Mediator, and as it is through His merit that we are saved, that we ought to pray to God the Father from faith in Christ's merit.'
[6] "But then we said to them, 'We are from the heavenly society called Michael, and have been sent to see you and inquire whether you who were assembled yonder have any religion or not; for the idea of God enters into everything of religion, and by means of it man is conjoined with God, and by means of conjunction is saved. We in heaven say that Prayer daily in the same way as men do on earth, and in doing so we are not thinking of God the Father, for He is invisible; but we think of Him in His Divine Human, because in that He is visible, and in that He is by you called Christ, but by us is called the Lord; in this way it is that to us the Lord is the Father in the heavens. Moreover, the Lord has taught that He and the Father are one; that the Father is in Him and He in the Father; and that whosoever sees Him sees the Father; and again, that no one comes to the Father except through Him; also that it is the will of the Father that men should believe in the Son, and that whosoever believes not in the Son shall not see life; and even that the wrath of God abides upon him. All this makes it clear that approach to the Father is through the Son and in the Son. And because this is so He has also taught that to Him all power has been given in heaven and on earth. In that Prayer it is said, 'Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come;' and we have shown from the Word that the Father's name is the Divine Human of the Lord, and that the kingdom of the Father comes when the Lord is approached directly, and comes not at all when God the Father is approached directly. For this reason, too, the Lord commanded His disciples to preach the kingdom of God; and the kingdom of God is this very thing.'
[7] "Having heard this, our antagonists said, 'You quote many passages from the Word; and such perhaps we may have read there-we do not remember; therefore open the Word here before us, and read them from it; especially the statement that the Father's kingdom comes when the Lord's kingdom comes.' And they said to the lads, 'Bring the Word.' And the lads brought it, and we read from it as follows:
John preached the gospel of the kingdom, and said, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:14, 15; Matthew 3:2).
Jesus Himself preached the gospel of the kingdom, and that the kingdom of God was at hand (Matthew 4:17, 23; 9:35).
Jesus commanded His disciples to preach and declare the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1; 9:60); as also the seventy whom He sent forth (Luke 10:9). (And elsewhere, as in Matthew 11:5; 16:27-28; Mark 8:35, 41, 47; 10:29-30; 11:10; Luke 1:19; 2:10-11; 4:43; 7:22; 17:20-21; 21:31; 22:18).
The kingdom of God, of which the good tidings were preached, was the kingdom of the Lord, and thus the kingdom of the Father. This is evident from the following statements:
The Father gave all things into the hand of the Son (John 3:35).
The Father gave the Son power over all flesh (John 17:2).
All things have been delivered unto Me of My Father (Matthew 11:27).
All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
Also from the following:
Jehovah of Hosts is His name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isaiah 54:6).
I saw, and behold one like unto the Son of man; and there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all people and nations shall worship Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).
When the seventh angel sounded there came great voices in the heavens, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign unto the ages of the ages (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10).
[8] "We showed them still further from the Word that the Lord came into the world not only in order that angels and men might be redeemed, but also that through Him and in Him they might be made one with God the Father; for He taught:
That those who believe in Him are in Him, and He in them (John 6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5).
"Having heard these things they asked, How then can your Lord be called the Father?' We replied, 'Because of what we have just read, and also the following passages:
Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and His name is God, Mighty, Father of Eternity (Isaiah 9:6).
Thou art our Father; Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us Thou Jehovah art our Father, our Redeemer, from everlasting is Thy name (Isaiah 63:16).
Did He not say to Philip, who wished to see the Father:
Hast thou not known Me, Phillip? He that seeth Me seeth the Father (John 14:9; 12:45).
What other Father then is there than He whom Philip's eyes were seeing?'
"To this we added, 'It is said in the Christian world that those who are of the church constitute the body of Christ and are in His body; how then can the man of the church approach to God the Father except through Christ, in whose body he resides? Otherwise he must pass entirely out of that body in order to approach the Father.' In concluding we informed them that at this day the Lord is establishing a New Church, which is meant by the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse, in which there will be, as in heaven, the worship of the Lord alone, and that thus everything which is contained in the Lord's Prayer from beginning to end will be fulfilled.
"All this we confirmed so copiously from the Word, in the Gospels and Prophets and in the Apocalypse, where from the beginning to the end that church is treated of, that they grew tired of listening.
[9] "The Armageddons heard all this with indignation, and wished constantly to interrupt our speaking; and at last they did break in, exclaiming, 'You have spoken contrary to the doctrine of our church, which teaches that men must approach God the Father directly and must believe in Him; thus have you made yourselves guilty of a violation of our faith. Get you gone, therefore; if not, you will be put out by force.' And their passions being aroused, from threats they proceeded to the attempt; but by power given us we smote them with blindness, and not seeing us they rushed away and ran about wandering in all directions. Some fell into the abyss spoken of in Revelation 9:2), which is now in the southern quarter toward the east, and is occupied by those who confirm the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Those there who confirm that doctrine by the Word are banished to a desert, where they are driven to the boundary of the Christian realm, and are mingled with the heathen."
113. The fourth experience. I once looked out into the spiritual world and there I saw an army on red and black horses. Those who rode upon them appeared like apes. They sat with face and breast facing the rear quarters and tails of the horses, and with the hinder part of their head and back facing the horses' necks and heads, and the bridle-reins hung about the necks of the riders. They raised shouts of battle against a company mounted upon white horses; but as they kept pulling the reins with both hands they drew their horses away from the combat; and thus they continued the action. Then two angels descended from heaven, and, coming to me, said, "What do you see?" "I told them I saw an absurd body of horsemen; and I asked what it meant, and who they were. The angels replied: "They are from the place which is called Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), where some thousands have assembled to fight against those who belong to the Lord's New Church, called the New Jerusalem. In that place they used to talk about the Church and religion, and yet there was nothing of the Church in them, because there was no spiritual truth, nor was there anything of religion, because there was no spiritual good. They held forth there, with the lips only, on these subjects that they might thereby acquire influence.
[2] "In their youth they learned to confirm the doctrine of Faith Alone, as well as some teaching about God; and after attaining to higher offices in the Church, they maintained their views for some time. However, because they then began to think no more about God and heaven, but about themselves and the world, thus not about eternal blessedness and happiness but about temporal eminence and wealth, they cast out the doctrines which they had received in their early years, from the interiors of their rational mind, which communicate with heaven, and which are therefore in the light (lux) of heaven, into the exteriors of the rational mind, which communicate with the world, and which are therefore in the light (lumen) 1 of the world, and at length they relegated them to the natural plane of the senses. Consequently the doctrinals of the Church have become with them matters of lip service only, and no longer matters of thought from reason, still less of affection from love. Because they have reduced themselves to such a state as this, they do not give admittance to the Divine Truth which has relation to the Church, nor to any genuine good which has relation to religion. It is as if their minds were like bottles, filled with fragments of iron mixed with powdered sulphur. If water is poured upon this mixture, heat is generated and then fire, which causes the bottles to burst. In like manner, when they hear, and admit through their ears, any mention of living water, which is the genuine truth of the Word, they become heated, and violently flare up, and cast it out as something which would burst their heads.
[3] "Those are they who appeared to you like apes, riding on red and black horses, with their bodies turned the wrong way, and with the bridle-reins round their necks; since those who do not love the truth and good of the Church derived from the Word, do not desire to view the fore parts of a horse, but only its hinder parts; for a horse signifies the understanding of the Word, a red horse signifying the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good, and a black horse the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth. They raised shouts of battle against those who rode upon white horses, because a white horse signifies the understanding of the Word as to truth and good; and they appeared to draw back their horses because they feared the combat, lest the truth of the Word should become known to many, and so come to light. This is the interpretation of the incident."
[4] The angels continued, saying: "We belong to the Society in heaven which is called Michael, 2 and we were commanded by the Lord to descend to the place called Armageddon, from which the horsemen you saw sallied forth. With us in heaven Armageddon signifies the state and desire of the mind to wage war, prompted by falsified truths, arising from the love of domination and pre-eminence over all; and because we perceive in you a desire to know something of that war, we will give you some account of it. On our descent from heaven we went to that place Armageddon, and saw several thousands assembled there. We did not join that assembly, but there were some houses to the south of that place, and these we entered. In them were children with their teachers, who received us kindly; and we were delighted with their company. They were all attractive in appearance, with vitality flashing from their eyes and an engaging eagerness in their conversation. The life in their eyes arose from their perception of truth, and their eagerness in conversation from their affection of good. We therefore presented them with caps, the borders of which were ornamented with bands of gold thread interwoven with pearls; and we also gave them garments parti-colored in white and blue. We asked them if they ever looked into the neighboring place called Armageddon. They replied that they did, through a window under the roof of the house, and that they saw a large assembly there, but under various forms, at one time appearing like noble men, at another, not like men but like statues and graven images, and round them a company on bended knees. These also appeared to us under various guises, some like men, some like leopards, and some like goats with their horns thrust downwards, digging up the ground. We interpreted for them these transformations, explaining who were represented and what was signified by them.
[5] "But to come to the point. When those who formed the assembly heard that we had entered those houses, they said to one another: 'What are they doing among the children? Let us send some of our company to turn them out.' So they sent some, and when they came to us they said: 'Why did you enter those houses? Where do you come from? We, by authority, command you to depart.' To this we replied: 'You have no authority to command that. You appear indeed in your own eyes like giant Anakim, and those who are here like dwarfs; but still you have no power or authority here, except by cunning, which nevertheless will be of no avail. So tell your companions that we have been sent here from heaven, to see whether there is any religion with you or not; and if there is not, you will be cast out of the place where you now are. Propose, therefore, to your companions this question, which involves the very essence of the Church and of religion, how they understand these words in the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come."'
"When they heard these words, they said at first: 'What is the meaning of this?' but afterwards they agreed to convey the proposed question. They went away and reported those things to their companions, who said: 'What is the meaning of this proposal?' However, they understood that behind this question there lay the desire to know whether those words affirmed their belief in the way of approach to God the Father which our faith taught. 3 Therefore they said: 'The meaning of the words is plain, that we ought to pray to God the Father, and because Christ is our Mediator, that we ought to pray to God the Father for the sake of the Son.' Forthwith in their indignation they determined to come to us and say so to our faces, adding further that they would pull our ears.
"So they left that place, and went into a grove near the houses where the children were with their teachers. In the centre of this grove was a level clearing like an arena. Having joined hands, they entered this, and found us there waiting for them. On the ground were heaps of turf like little green mounds; and they sat down on these, saying, 'We will not stand in their presence, but sit.' Then one of them, who could assume the appearance of an angel of light, and who was asked by the others to speak with us, said: 'You have proposed to us that we should explain how we understand those first words in the Lord's Prayer. I say, therefore, to you that according to our interpretation they signify, that we ought to pray to God the Father; and because Christ is our Mediator, and we are saved by His merit, we ought to pray to God the Father from faith in His merit.'
[6] "Thereupon we said to them: 'We are from a Society in heaven which is called Michael, and we have been sent to see you, and to enquire whether you, who are assembled in this place, have any religion or not; for the idea of God enters into everything of religion, and by it conjunction is effected, and by conjunction, salvation. We in heaven, like men on earth, repeat that prayer daily, and in doing so we do not think of God the Father, because He is invisible, but we think of Him in His Divine Human, because in this He is visible; and in this He is by you called Christ, but by us the Lord, and thus the Lord to us is the Father in the heavens. Moreover, the Lord taught us that He and the Father are one; that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father; and that he who seeth Him, seeth the Father. He taught also that no one cometh to the Father but by Him; and that it is the will of the Father that men should believe on the Son; and that he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. From these passages it is manifest that the Father is to be approached through Him and in Him; and since this is the case, He also taught that all power is given Him in heaven and on earth. It is said in that prayer, "Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come:" and we have shown from the Word that His Divine Human is the Father's name, and that the Father's kingdom then comes when the Lord is approached directly, and not when God the Father is approached directly. Therefore also the Lord commanded His disciples to preach the kingdom of God; and this is the kingdom of God.'
[7] "On hearing these words our opponents said: 'You quote many passages from the Word, and possibly we may have read them there, but we do not remember. Therefore open the Word in our presence, and read those passages from it, especially that which says that the Father's kingdom comes when the Lord's kingdom comes.' Then they said to the children: 'Bring hither the Word;' and they brought it. We then read from it the following passages:
John came preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. Jesus said, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.' Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 3:2.
Jesus Himself preached the Gospel of the kingdom, and said that the kingdom of God was at hand. Matthew 4:17, 23; 9:35.
Jesus gave commandment to His disciples that they should preach and show the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1; 9:60. So also the Seventy taught, whom He sent forth. Luke 10:9, 11;
besides what is taught in other places, as Matthew 11:5; 16:28; Mark 9:1; 11:10; Luke 4:43; 21:31; 22:18.
The kingdom of God which was preached was the Lord's kingdom, and thus the Father's kingdom, as is evident from these passages:
'The Father... hath given all things into His (the Son's) hand.' John 3:35;
The Father hath given the Son power over all flesh. John 17:2;
'All things are delivered unto me of my Father,' Matthew 11:27;
'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Matthew 28:18.
It is also evident from these passages:
'JEHOVAH ZEBAOTH is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called.' Isaiah 54:5;
'I saw... and behold, one like the Son of Man... And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people and nations... should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.' Daniel 7:13-14;
'And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.' Revelation 11:15; 12:10.
[8] We further instructed them from the Word that the Lord came into the world, not only to redeem angels and men, but also that they might be united to God the Father through Him and in Him; for He taught:
those who believe on Him are in Him, and He in them. John 6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5.
When they heard this they asked, 'How then can your Lord be called Father?' We replied: 'That appears from what has just been read, and also from these passages:
'Unto as a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and His name shall be called... The mighty God, The everlasting Father. Isaiah 9:6
'Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, JEHOVAH, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.'
Did He not say to Philip, who desired to see the Father,
'Hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.' John 14:9; 12:45.
Who else, then, is the Father but He whom Philip saw with his eyes? To this we added: It is said throughout the whole Christian world that those who are of the Church constitute the body of Christ, and are in His body. How, then, can any man of the Church approach God the Father but through Him in whose body he is? Otherwise he must go quite out of the body and so approach Him. Finally, we informed them that at this day the Lord is establishing a New Church which is signified by the New Jerusalem in the Revelation, in which there will be the worship of the Lord alone, as in heaven, and that thus everything contained in the Lord's Prayer from beginning to end will be fulfilled. So fully did we confirm all this from the Word in the Evangelists, and in the Prophets, as well as from the Revelation, which from beginning to end treats of that Church, that they grew tired of listening.
[9] "The men from Armageddon were so angry at hearing these things that they desired at every turn to interrupt our remarks. Finally they did interrupt, calling out: 'You have spoken against the doctrine of our Church, which teaches that God the Father is to be approached directly, and that men should believe on Him; you are thus guilty of a violation of our faith. Leave this place, therefore, or you will be turned out. Inflamed with angry passion they now proceeded to carry out their threats; but at that instant, being endowed with power, we struck them with blindness, so that they could not see us; but rushing forth they ran, not knowing whither, and some fell into the abyss mentioned in Revelation 9:2. This is now in the region lying to the south-east, where dwell those who confirm their belief in justification by faith alone. Those among them who confirm it from the Word, are sent forth to a desert part, where they reach the outskirts of the Christian world, and associate with the heathen."
Footnotes:
1. See footnote on Revelation 3:8.
2. Michael, the archangel.
3. The phrase ad Deum Patrem is attached to viam. quod velint scire, Numbers illa confirmant viam fidei nostrae ad Deum Patrem.
113. QUARTUM MEMORABILE.
Prospexi in Mundum Spirituum, et vidi Exercitum super Equis rufis et nigris; Sedentes super illis apparebant sicut Simiae, versae quoad faciem et pectus ad lumbos et caudas Equorum, et quoad occipitium et tergum ad cervices et capita illorum, et capistra pendebant circum colla Equitantium, et clamabant contra Equitantes super Equis albis, et movebant utrisque manibus suis capistra, at sic retrahebant Equos a pugna; et hoc continue. Tunc e Coelo se demiserunt duo Angeli, et venerunt ad me, et dicebant, quid vides, et narrabam, quod videam tam ludicrum Equitatum, et quaesivi quid hoc, et quinam illi, et responderunt Angeli, sunt e loco, qui vocatur Armageddon, Apocalypsis 16:16, in quem congregati sunt ad aliquot millia ad pugnandum contra illos, qui e Nova Domini Ecclesia, quae vocatur Nova Hierosolyma, sunt; loquebantur in loco illo de Ecclesia et Religione, et tamen apud illos non erat aliquid Ecclesiae, quia non aliquod spirituale verum, nec aliquid Religionis, quia non aliquod spirituale bonum; loquebantur ibi ore et labiis de hac et de illa, sed ex causa, ut per illas dominarentur;
[2] didicerunt in juventute confirmare Solam Fidem, et aliquid de Deo, sed cum ad eminentiora Officia in Ecclesia provecti sunt, aliquamdiu retinuerunt illa; at quia tunc coeperunt non magis cogitare de Deo et de Coelo, sed de Se et de Mundo, ita non de beatitudine et felicitate aeterna, sed de eminentia et opulentia temporali, rejecerunt doctrinalia in juventute attracta e Mentis rationalis interioribus, quae communicant cum Coelo, et inde in luce Coeli sunt, in Mentis rationalis exteriora, quae communicant cum Mundo, et inde in lumine Mundi sunt, et tandem detruserunt illa in naturale sensuale; unde doctrinalia Ecclesiae apud illos facta sunt solius oris, et non amplius cogitationis ex ratione, et adhuc minus affectionis ex amore; et quia se tales fecerunt, non admittunt ullum Divinum verum quod Ecclesiae est, nec ullum genuinum bonum quod Religionis; comparative facta sunt Interiora mentis eorum sicut Utres repleti ramentis ferri cum pulvere sulphureo commixtis, in quae si immittitur aqua, fit 1 primum incalescentia et postea flamma, ex qua utres illi rumpuntur; similiter illi, cum audiunt aliquid de aqua viva, quae est genuinum verum Verbi, et hoc intrat per aures, vehementer excandescunt et inflammantur, et id rejiciunt sicut tale, quod rumperet capita illorum.
[3] Hi sunt, qui tibi apparuerunt sicut Simiae equitantes inverso corpore super Equis rufis et nigris cum capistris circum colla, quoniam illi, qui non amant verum et bonum Ecclesiae ex Verbo, non volunt spectare anteriora alicujus Equi, sed posteriora ejus; Equus enim significat intellectum Verbi, Equus rufus intellectum Verbi deperditum quoad bonum, et Equus niger intellectum Verbi deperditum quoad verum: quod clamaverint ad pugnam contra Equitantes super Equis albis, est quia Equus albus significat intellectum Verbi quoad verum et bonum; quod visi collo retrahere suos Equos, erat quia timebant pugnam, ne verum Verbi ad multos veniret, et sic in lucem: haec est interpretatio.
[4] Angeli porro dixerunt, nos sumus e Societate Coeli, quae vocatur Michael, et a Domino mandati sumus descendere in locum dictum Armageddon, unde Equitatus tibi visus erupit: per Armageddon apud nos in Coelo significatur status et animus pugnandi ex falsificatis veris, oriundus ex amore dominandi et eminendi super omnes; et quia percipimus apud te desiderium sciendi de Pugna illa, aliquid narrabimus. Post descensum e Coelo accessimus ad locum illum dictum Armageddon, et vidimus illuc congregatos ad aliquot millia; verum non intravimus in Caetum illum, sed erant aliquae Domus ad latus meridionale istius loci, ubi erant Pueri cum Magistris; illuc intravimus, qui nos exceperunt benigne; delectabamur a consortio illorum: erant omnes quoad faciem speciosi ex Vita in oculis, et ex Zelo in sermone; vita in oculis erat illis ex perceptione veri, et zelus in sermone ex affectione boni; quare etiam dedimus illis Pileos, quorum limbos ornabant fasciae ex filis aureis intertextae margaritis, et quoque dedimus Vestes ex colore albo et hyacinthino variegatas: quaesivimus illos, Numeri in locum propinquum, qui vocatur Armageddon, spectaverint; dixerunt, quod per fenestram, quae sub tecto domus; et quod congregationem ibi viderint, sed sub variis figuris; nunc ut homines proceres, 2 et nunc non ut homines, sed ut Statuas et Idola sculpta, et circum illos Caetum flectentem genua; hi etiam sub variis formis nobis apparuerunt, quidam sicut homines, quidam sicut pardi, et quidam sicut hirci, et hi cum cornibus deorsum protensis, quibus effodiebant humum; nos interpretati sumus metamorphoses illas, quos repraesentabant, et quid significabant.
[5] Sed ad rem, Congregati illi, cum audiverunt, quod intraverimus in Domos illas, dixerunt inter se, quid illi apud Pueros illos, mittamus e nostro Caetu aliquos, qui ejiciant illos; etiam miserunt, et cum venerunt, dixerunt ad nos, cur intravistis in Domus illas, unde estis; nos ex imperio mandamus, ut abeatis; sed respondebamus, non potestis id ex imperio mandare; estis quidem vos in oculis vestris sicut Enachim, et illi qui hic sunt sicut homunciones, sed usque nihil potestatis et juris habetis hic, nisi per astutias, quae tamen non valebunt, quare renuntiate vestris, quod nos e Coelo huc missi simus, ad visitandum, num apud vos sit Religio vel non; si non, e loco isto ejiciemini; quare proponite illis hoc, in quo est ipsum Essentiale Ecclesiae et Religionis, quomodo intelligunt haec verba in Oratione Dominica, PATER NOSTER QUI ES IN COELIS, SANCTIFICETUR NOMEN TUUM, ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM; his auditis, dixerunt primum, quid hoc, et deinde quod proponerent; et abiverunt, et dixerunt illa ad suos, qui responderunt, quae et qualis illa propositio; at intellexerunt arcanum, quod velint scire, Numeri illa confirmant viam fidei nostrae ad Deum Patrem, quare dixerunt, sunt clara verba quod orandum sit ad Deum Patrem, et quia Christus est noster Mediator, quod orandum sit ad Deum Patrem propter Filium; et mox in indignatione decreverunt, quod adirent nos, et dictarent id oretenus, dicendo etiam quod vellicarent aures nostras; etiam e loco illo exiverunt, et intraverunt in Lucum Domibus illis, in quibus erant pueri cum magistris, propinquum, in cujus medio erat Planum sicut Palaestra elevatum, ac tenebant se manibus, et intraverunt in palaestram illam, ubi eramus, et exspectavimus; erant ibi cespites ex humo sicut colliculi, super illis se reponebant, nam dixerunt inter se, coram illis non stabimus sed sedebimus. Et tunc unus ex illis, qui potuit facere, ut appareret sicut Angelus lucis, cui a reliquis injunctum fuit cum nobis loqui, dixit, proposuistis nobis ut aperiamus mentes nostras de primis verbis in Oratione Dominica, quomodo illa intelligimus; dico itaque vobis, quod intelligamus illa ita, quod orandum sit ad Deum Patrem, et quia Christus est Mediator noster, et per Ipsius meritum salvamur, quod orandum sit ad Deum Patrem ex fide in Ipsius meritum.
[6] Sed tunc diximus illis, sumus ex Societate Coeli, quae vocatur Michael, et missi sumus ad visitandum et inquirendum, Numeri vobis in locum illum congregatis sit aliqua Religio vel non; idea enim Dei intrat in omne religionis, et per illam fit conjunctio, et per conjunctionem salvatio; nos in Coelo legimus quotidie illam Orationem sicut homines in Terra, et tunc non cogitamus de Deo Patre, 3 quia invisibilis, sed de Ipso in Divino Humano suo, quia in Hoc est visibilis; et Ipse in Hoc a vobis vocatur Christus, sed a nobis Dominus, et sic Dominus nobis est Pater in Coelis; docuit etiam Dominus, quod Ipse et Pater unum sint; Quod Pater in Ipso et Ipse in Patre sit; et quod qui videt Ipsum videat Patrem; tum quod nemo veniat ad Patrem nisi per Ipsum; et quoque quod voluntas Patris sit, ut credant in Filium, et quod qui non credit Filio, non videat vitam, imo quod ira Dei maneat super illo; ex quibus patet, quod adeatur Pater per Ipsum et in Ipso; et quia ita est, etiam docuit, quod Ipsi data sit omnis potestas in Coelo et in Terra: dicitur in Oratione illa, SANCTIFICETUR NOMEN TUUM, VENIAT REGNUM TUUM, et demonstravimus ex Verbo, quod Divinum Humanum Ipsius sit Nomen Patris, et quod Regnum Patris tunc sit, quando Dominus immediate aditur, et prorsus non cum Deus Pater immediate; quare etiam Dominus mandavit Discipulis, ut praedicarent Regnum Dei, et hoc est Regnum Dei.
[7] His auditis dixerunt Antagonistae, recitatis multa ex Verbo, sed talia forte legimus ibi, sed non reminiscimur, quare aperite coram nobis Verbum, et legite illa inde, imprimis id ibi, quod Regnum Patris tunc veniat, quando Regnum Domini; et tunc dixerunt Pueris, apportate Verbum, et apportabant, et inde legimus haec sequentia; Johannes 4 praedicans Evangelium regni, dixit, completum est tempus, appropinquavit REGNUM DEI, Marcus 1:14-15; Matthaeus 3:2. Ipse Jesus praedicavit Evangelium Regni, et quod appropinquaret REGNUM DEI, Matthaeus 4:17, 23; 5 Matthaeus 9:35. Jesus mandavit Discipulis, ut praedicarent et evangelizarent REGNUM DEI, Marcus 16:15; Luca 8:1; 9:60, similiter Septuaginta, quos emisit, Luca 10:9, 11, praeter alibi, ut Matthaeus 11:5; 16:27-28, Marcus 8:35; 9:1, 47, 6 10:29-30; 11:10, Luca 1:19; 2:10-11; 4:43; 7:22; 21:30-31; 22:18. Regnum Dei, quod evangelizabatur, erat Regnum Domini, et sic Regnum Patris; quod ita sit, patet ex his, Pater dedit omnia in manum Filii, Johannes 3:35. Pater dedit Filio potestatem omnis carnis, Johannes 17:2. Omnia Mihi tradita sunt a Patre, Matthaeus 11:27. Data 7 est Mihi omnis potestas in Coelo et in Terra, Matthaeus 28:18. 8 Et porro ex his, "Jehovah Zebaoth nomen Ipsius, et Redemptor Sanctus Israelis, Deus totius Terrae vocabitur," Esaias 54:5. Vidi, et ecce sicut FILIUS HOMINIS, cui datum est Dominium, gloria et regnum, et omnes populi et gentes Ipsum colent, Dominium Ipsius dominium saeculi, quod non transibit, et Regnum Ipsius, quod non peribit, Daniel 7:13-14. Cum septimus Angelus clanxit, factae sunt voces magnae in Coelis, dicentes facta sunt Regna mundi Domini nostri et Christi Ipsius, et regnabit in saecula saeculorum, Apocalypsis 11:15; 12:10.
[8] Et insuper instruximus illos ex Verbo, quod Dominus in Mundum venerit non modo ut redimeret Angelos et Homines, sed etiam ut unirentur Deo Patri per Ipsum et in Ipso, nam docuit, quod qui credunt in Ipsum, sit in illis et illi in Ipso, Johannes 6:56; 14:20; 15:4-5. His auditis, quaesiverunt, quomodo ergo Dominus vester potest vocari Pater; diximus, ex illis quae lecta sunt, et quoque ex his, "Puer natus est nobis, Filius datus est nobis, cujus Nomen DEUS, Heros, PATER AETERNITATIS, Esaias 9:5. 9 Tu Pater noster, Abraham non cognoscit nos, et Israel non agnoscit nos, Tu JEHOVAH PATER NOSTER REDEMPTOR NOSTER A SAECULO NOMEN TUUM," Esaias 63:16. Dixitne ad Philippum volentem videre Patrem, Philippe non nosti Me, qui videt Me videt Patrem, Johannes 14:9; 12:45 quis tunc alius est Pater, quam quem Philippus oculis suis vidit. His addimus hoc, dicitur in toto Christiano Orbe, quod illi, qui ab Ecclesia sunt, faciant Christi Corpus, et sint in Ipsius Corpore; quomodo tunc potest homo Ecclesiae adire Deum Patrem, nisi per Ipsum, in cujus corpore est; sin aliter, omnino exibit e Corpore et adibit. Ultimo informavimus illos, quod hodie NOVA ECCLESIA a Domino instauretur, quae intelligitur per NOVAM HIEROSOLYMAM in Apocalypsi, in qua Cultus solius Domini erit, sicut in Coelo, et quod sic Omne complebitur, quod in Oratione Dominica a principio ad finem continetur: Confirmavimus omnia ex Verbo apud Evangelistas, et apud Prophetas, et ex Apocalypsi, in qua de illa Ecclesia a principio ad finem agitur, in tanta copia, ut defatigarentur audire.
[9] His cum indignatione auditis, voluerunt Armageddoni passim interpolare sermonem nostrum; et tandem ruperunt illum, et exclamaverunt, 10 loquuti estis contra Doctrinam Ecclesiae nostrae, quae est, quod Deus Pater immediate adeundus sit et credendum in Illum, sic reos vos fecistis violationis fidei nostrae, quare exite abhinc, et si non, ejiciemini: et animi illorum accensi a minis in conatum venerunt; sed tunc ex potentia nobis data percussimus illos caecitate, ex qua non videntes nos eruperunt, et in errore discurrebant, et quidam inciderunt in abyssum, de qua in Apocalypsi 9:2, quae nunc est in Plaga meridionali versus Orientem, ubi sunt qui confirmant justificationem per solam fidem, et illi ibi qui confirmant illam ex Verbo, emittuntur in desertum, in quo feruntur usque ad extremitatem Orbis Christiani, et commiscentur paganis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: sit Cf. Vera Christiana Religio 116[4] et Apocalypsis Revelata 839 ubi fit.
2. Nisi legeris proceros (cum Chadwick).
3. Prima editio: Patrae.
4. Sic prima editio, sed Jesus apud Marc. 1:14, 15.
5. Prima editio: Matthaeus 5.
6. Prima editio: 1, 27.
7. Prima editio: data.
8. Prima editio: 16.
9. Sic Schmidt et Biblia Hebraica, sed 9:6 apud Biblia Anglica.
10. Prima editio: exlamaverunt.