New Church Life September/October 2017 | Page 70

new church life: september/october 2017 From just a few of the relevant teachings it seems clear that the Lord has attached considerable importance to this work that, sadly, now gives some people associated with the New Church considerable trouble. Arcana Coelestia by the Lord through Swedenborg and were presented in a separate published book  on the beginning of the New Jerusalem in both worlds as a part of its doctrine. (See, for example, Spiritual Diary/ Spiritual Experiences 5946)  In fact there is some reason to believe that this may have been the first work, after a small treatise on the White Horse, to have been drawn out of the Arcana Coelestia for this purpose. Three times the Lord chose to present this teaching!  There must be something of real importance here if the Lord chose to use so much of his aging servant’s time to three times write out and then twice publish the results. As further evidence of the significance of the teachings of this work, Earths In The Universe, notice what is twice recorded in memorable relations, first in Conjugial Love 532 and then in True Christian Religion 846. “As to my spirit I was once taken up into the angelic heaven and into one of its societies. Some of the wise men there then came to me and asked, ‘What news from earth?’ I told them: ‘This is new: The Lord has revealed arcana which surpass in excellence the arcana hitherto revealed from the beginning of the Church.’  “To their question, ‘What are these arcana?’ I answered, ‘They are these: [Seven paragraphs follow enumerating some of these arcana, concluding as follows:] Futhermore, revelation has been made concerning the inhabitants of the Planets and concerning the Earths in the Universe; besides many memorable and wonderful things from the spiritual world, whereby much that pertains to wisdom has been disclosed from heaven.” (Conjugial Love 532) As indicated above, from just a few of the relevant teachings, it seems clear that the Lord has attached considerable importance to this work that, sadly, now gives some people associated with the New Church considerable trouble. What could be so important about this work? This has been a matter of some speculation in the New Church. I will not say much about it here except to draw attention to just one teaching that occurs near the beginning of that part of the work which has the heading: “The Earths In The Starry Heaven, a teaching that may provide some insight into this matter.” The context here is that Swedenborg, from the Lord, is commenting on the 424