When the Academy started it was independent of any church . When the Academy started it was intended to be a revolution .
���� ������� �V��������
to think in new ways and to live lives shaped by their new modes of thought . And they wanted to convince other people to do so as well . They wanted to start a revolution . They wanted to change everything .
They weren ’ t just trying to start a revolution in Bryn Athyn ; they weren ’ t even in Bryn Athyn . They weren ’ t trying to start a revolution in the General Church ; the General Church , as it is today , didn ’ t even exist then . What they wanted was for anyone who
When the Academy started it was independent of any church . When the Academy started it was intended to be a revolution .
would listen to give up their old ways of thinking and to start to learn to think in radically new ways .
The Charter of the Academy begins : “ The Academy of the New Church shall be for the purpose of propagating the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem and establishing the New Church signified in the Apocalypse by the New Jerusalem .” But the New Church that it speaks of was not some particular New Church organization .
The Academy was founded to spread ideas – new ideas – and life and action according to those new ideas . The opening words of the Charter speak of the “ New Jerusalem .” And here we have returned to our opening theme : The Academy , although it is 140 years ago , was founded and still exists to promote something new . So what is this “ New Jerusalem ”?
The picture of the New Jerusalem comes from a vision that the apostle John described in the final chapters of the Apocalypse , or the book of Revelation .
His account begins : “ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth , for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and the sea is no more . And I , John , saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven , prepared as a bride adorned for her husband .” ( Revelation 21:1-2 )
A new heaven , a new earth , a revolution . And in the midst of this transformation , a New Jerusalem . And this newness is pervasive , for a few verses later the account continues : “ And He who sat upon the throne said , Behold , I make all things new .” All things were to be made new , everything changed .
Many sincere Christians have awaited the day when this prophecy would be fulfilled . Many of them have longed to see the day of the Second Coming of Christ . Many still await that day . And here is the first radical idea of the founders of the Academy : The Second Advent has already happened . The Last Judgment has already taken place .
539