784.按照神序，在地上的新教会建立之前，必先形成一个新天堂，因为教会有内在和外在，内在教会与天堂教会，因而与天堂本身成为一体；内在必先于外在形成，然后外在通过内在形成。世上的神职人员十分清楚这一点。对于人来说，随着构成教会内在的新天堂的增长，新耶路撒冷，即新教会从天而降；因此，这一切不可能瞬间发生，而要等到前教会的虚假被逐出后才能成就。因为新东西不可能进入早已植入虚假的地方，除非虚假被铲除，这将发生在神职人员和平信徒身上。因为主说：
没人把新酒装在旧皮袋里，否则皮袋就裂开，酒漏出来。惟独把新酒装在新皮袋里，两样就都保全了。（马太福音9:17；马可福音2:22；路加福音5:37－38）
这些事只在世界的末了才会发生，世界的末了表教会的终结，可从主的这些话看出来：
耶稣说：“天国好像人撒好种在田里，及至人睡觉的时候，有仇敌来，将稗子撒在麦子里就走了。到长苗吐穗的时候，稗子也显出来。仆人说：‘你要我们去薅出来吗？’主人说：‘不必，恐怕薅稗子，连麦子也拔出来。容这两样一齐长，等着收割。当收割的时候，我要对收割的人说：先将稗子薅出来，捆成捆，留着烧；惟有麦子要收在仓里。’”收割的时候就是世界的末了。将稗子薅出来用火焚烧，世界的末了也要如此。（马太福音13:24－30，39－40）
“麦子”在此表新教会的真理和良善，“稗子”则表前教会的虚假和邪恶。从本章第一节就能看出，“世界的末了”表教会的终结。
784. 按照神序, 在地上的新教会建立之前, 必先形成一个新天堂, 因为教会有内在和外在, 内在教会与天堂教会, 因而与天堂本身成为一体; 内在必先于外在形成, 然后外在通过内在形成。 世上的神职人员十分清楚这一点。 对于人来说, 随着构成教会内在的新天堂的增长, 新耶路撒冷, 即新教会从天而降; 因此, 这一切不可能瞬间发生, 而要等到前教会的虚假被逐出后才能成就。 因为新东西不可能进入早已植入虚假的地方, 除非虚假被铲除, 这将发生在神职人员和平信徒身上。 因为主说:
没人把新酒装在旧皮袋里, 否则皮袋就裂开, 酒漏出来。 惟独把新酒装在新皮袋里, 两样就都保全了。 (马太福音9:17; 马可福音2:22;路加福音5:37-38)
这些事只在世界的末了才会发生, 世界的末了表教会的终结, 可从主的这些话看出来:
耶稣说: “天国好像人撒好种在田里, 及至人睡觉的时候, 有仇敌来, 将稗子撒在麦子里就走了。 到长苗吐穗的时候, 稗子也显出来。 仆人说: ‘你要我们去薅出来吗? ’主人说: ‘不必, 恐怕薅稗子, 连麦子也拔出来。 容这两样一齐长, 等着收割。 当收割的时候, 我要对收割的人说: 先将稗子薅出来, 捆成捆, 留着烧; 惟有麦子要收在仓里。 ’”收割的时候就是世界的末了。 将稗子薅出来用火焚烧, 世界的末了也要如此。 (马太福音13:24-30, 39-40)
“麦子”在此表新教会的真理和良善, “稗子”则表前教会的虚假和邪恶。 从本章第一节就能看出, “世界的末了”表教会的终结。
784. It is in accordance with the divine design that the new heaven is to be formed first before the new church develops on earth. There is an inner level and an outer level to the church. Its inner level is united to the church in heaven, meaning heaven itself. This inner level has to be formed before the outer level; then the outer level is formed by means of the inner level. The clergy in the world today know that this is how it works.
The new heaven is what creates the inner level of the church within us. The more that heaven grows, the more the New Jerusalem (that is, the new church) comes down from that heaven. This cannot take place in a moment. It comes about as the falsities of the former church are removed. What is new cannot take hold where people have been born into false beliefs, unless those beliefs are first uprooted. This uprooting has to be done with the clergy first, and then the laity. The Lord said, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins would burst and the wine would pour out. They put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together" (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38).
[2] The Lord's own words make it clear that these things do not occur until "the close of the age," meaning the end of the church.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of the heavens is like a person who sowed good seed in his field; but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds and then went away. When the true crop sprouted, then the weeds appeared as well. The servants came to him and said, 'Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?' He said, 'No. In pulling up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat. Let them both grow together until the harvest. At the time of harvest, I will say to the harvesters, "First pull up the weeds and tie them into bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn. "' The harvest is the close of the age. As the weeds are tied together and burned in the fire, so it will be at the close of the age. " (Matthew 13:24-30, 39-40)
The wheat here means the true teachings and good actions that belong to the new church; the weeds mean the false teachings and evil actions that belong to the former church. (The fact that "the close of the age" means the end of the church was shown under the first heading in this chapter [753-756].)
784. The formation of a new heaven before that of a new church on earth is in accordance with Divine order. For there is an internal and an external church; the internal church makes one with the church in heaven, and so with heaven, and the internal must be formed before the external, which is formed afterwards by means of the internal. Clergy in the world are well aware that this is so. In proportion as this new heaven, which makes up the internal of the church in the case of a person, grows, so the New Jerusalem comes down out of that heaven, and this is the new church. This therefore cannot happen in an instant, but happens as the falsities of the previous church are banished. For what is new cannot come in where falsities have been formerly established, unless these are uprooted. This will happen with the clergy, and so spread to laymen. For the Lord said:
No one puts new wine into old leather bottles, without the bottles bursting and the wine being spilled; but they put new wine in new bottles, and both are then kept safe together, Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38.
[2] These events only take place at the ending of the age, which means the end of a church, as is evident from the Lord's words:
Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like a man sowing good seed in his field; but while people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away. But when the plants sprouted, then the tares appeared too. The servants came along and said to him. Do you want us to go and gather the tares? But he said, No, for fear that in gathering the tares you uproot the wheat together with them. Allow them both to grow together until harvest-time, and when it is time for the harvest I shall tell the reapers, First gather the tares and bind them into bundles to be burnt; but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest-time is the ending of the age; as the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire, so will it be at the ending of the age, Matthew 13:24-30, 39-40.
Wheat here means the various kinds of truth and good in the new church, the tares the falsities and evils of the previous church. For the ending of the age meaning the end of a church, see the first section of this chapter.
784. It is in accordance with Divine order that a new heaven should be formed before a new church is established on earth, for the church is both internal and external, and the internal church makes one with the church in heaven, thus with heaven itself; and what is internal must be formed before its external, what is external being formed afterwards by means of its internal. This is well known in the world among the clergy. Just so far as this new heaven, which constitutes the internal of the church with man, increases, does the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church, descend from it; consequently this cannot take place in a moment, but it takes place to the extent that the falsities of the former church are set aside. For where falsities have already been implanted what is new cannot enter until the falsities have been rooted out, and this will take place with the clergy, and so with the laity; for the Lord said:
No one puts new wine into old wineskins, else the skins burst and the wine is spilled, but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38).
That these things take place only at the consummation of the age, by which is meant the end of the church, can be seen from these words of the Lord:
Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away; but when the blade sprang up, then appeared the tares also. The servants came and said, Wilt thou that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them; let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn; but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the consummation of the age; as the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (Matthew 13:24-30, 39-40).
"Wheat" means here the truths and goods of the new church, and "tares" the falsities and evils of the former church. In the first section of this chapter it can be seen that "the consummation of the age" means the end of the church.
784. It is according to Divine order that a new heaven should be formed before a New Church is established on earth. For the Church is internal and external, and the internal Church makes one with the Church in heaven, and consequently with heaven; and the internal must be formed before the external, and afterwards the external by means of the internal. That this is so is well known among the clergy in this world. Just so far as this new heaven, which constitutes the internal of the Church in man, increases, so far the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church, comes down from that heaven. Now this cannot take place in a moment but only as the falsities of the former Church are removed: for what is new cannot enter where falsities have previously been implanted, unless those falsities are first rooted out. This will take place with the clergy, and similarly with the laity. For the Lord said,
"No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine doth burst the bottles and the wine is spilled"... "but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved" Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38.
These things do not come to pass, except at the consummation of the age, by which is meant the end of the Church, as is evident from the Lord's words:
Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares... and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up... then appeared the tares also. So the servants came and said unto him... Wilt thou then that we go and gather up the tares? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn... The harvest is the consummation of the age (A.V., the end of the world). As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (A.V., the end of this world)" Matthew 13:24-30, 39-40.
Wheat here means the truths and goods of the New Church, and tares, the falsities and evils of the former Church. That the consummation of the age means the end of the Church may be seen in the first article of this chapter.
784. Quod Novum Coelum prius formetur, quam nova Ecclesia in terris, est secundum Divinum Ordinem; est enim Ecclesia Interna et Externa, et Ecclesia Interna 1 unum facit cum Ecclesia in Coelo, ita cum Coelo, ac Internum prius formandum est quam Externum, ac postea Externum per Internum; quod ita sit, apud Clerum in Mundo notum est. Quemadmodum Coelum hoc novum, quod facit Internum Ecclesiae apud hominem, crescit, tantum ex Coelo illo descendit nova Hierosolyma, hoc est, nova Ecclesia; quare hoc non fieri potest momento, sed fit sicut falsa prioris Ecclesiae removentur; novum enim non potest intrare, ubi falsa prius ingenerata sunt, nisi haec eradicentur, quod fiet apud Clerum, et sic apud Laicum; dixit enim Dominus, Nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres, quin rumpantur utres, et vinum effunditur; sed mittunt vinum novum in utres novos, et utraque conservantur una, Matthaeus 9:17; Marcus 2:22; Luca 5:37-38.
[2] Quod haec non fiant quam in Consummatione saeculi, per quam intelligitur finis Ecclesiae, constat ex his Domini Verbis, Dixit Jesus, simile est Regnum Coelorum homini seminanti bonum semen in agro suo; sed dum dormiverunt homines, venit ejus inimicus et seminavit Zizania, et abivit; quum vero 2 germinavit herba, tunc apparuerunt etiam Zizania; accesserunt servi, et dixerunt illi, visne ut abeamus et colligamus Zizania; ipse vero dixit, non, ne forte colligentes Zizania, eradicetis cum illis Triticum; sinite una crescere utraque usque ad messem, et tempore messis dicam messoribus, colligite prius Zizania, et colligate ea in fasciculos ad comburendum; Triticum vero congregate in horreum meum. Messis est Consummatio saeculi; quemadmodum colliguntur Zizania, et igne comburuntur, sic erit in Consummatione saeculi, Matthaeus 13:24-30, 39-40. Per Triticum ibi intelliguntur vera et bona novae Ecclesiae, et per Zizania falsa et mala prioris; quod per Consummationem saeculi intelligatur finis Ecclesiae, videatur in Articulo primo hujus transactionis.
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