understand Divine Truths and thereby receive that life.” (Arcana Coelestia
9818.14, 15) What truths? The Writings have now presented all of it,
visibly, comprehensively and in print, “in natural language, to the rational
comprehension.” (De Verbo 6)
This is how we “see God” in the Doctrine of the Lord all through the
Writings. It was by anyone reading them that the New Church started: “The
New Church as to Doctrine was seen by John as the city, New Jerusalem.”
(Apocalypse Revealed 896) “This book is the coming of the Lord.” 11“This
Second Coming of the Lord is taking place by means of someone to whom the
Lord has manifested Himself in Person . . . I testify in truth that the Lord . . .
has assigned to me this task.” (True Christian Religion 779)
The Writings were the outcome of Swedenborg’s enlightenment and dual
existence in both the natural and spiritual world for 29 years. This outcome
was made possible by the Lord’s dual enlightenment, leading also to our
modern world of science and technology: “He enlightens also the physical
man.” (Ibid. 109) Together with this new – 2000-year-old! – influx, there was
another most astonishing change – the end of Paradise, or of the Holy Land,
being representative as to every river and mountain, hill and town site. “They
no longer represented heaven.” (Word 233, True Christian Religion 291, Arcana
Coelestia 1003) Instead, this representation was transferred. Where to?
To Europe, the “kingdoms of Christendom” (Divine Providence 251.4), but
now resting on the internals of people, not their externals. (Arcana Coelestia
1003) This northwestern transfer is meant in the internal sense by “Patmos . . .
meaning enlightenment.”12 John was exiled there by the Romans in Providence
because Patmos was part way between Asia and Europe. (Fig.2) And so
representations moved away from
where worship had been practiced
since Adam or the Most Ancient
Church, to “Europe, those to
whom the Word is about to come.”
(Apocalypse Revealed 34)
The Word came to Europe
and its history. First Peter was
martyred in Rome, later Emperor
Constantine was converted,
and then every pagan horde
that attacked Rome was also
Figure 2
11 His Liber est Adventus Domini,” written by Swedenborg on work of the Writings, preserved British
Museum, London.
12 Patmos, square lower right.
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