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Matthew Chapter 24

Chapter XXIV.

1. and
Jesus going out, departed from the temple: and His disciples came to [Him] to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2. But Jesus said to them, See you not all these things? Verily I say to you, There shall not be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be dissolved.
3. But as He sat on the mount of Olives, His disciples apart came to Him, saying, Say to us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of Your coming, and of the consummation of the age?
4. And Jesus answering, said to them, See, lest any one deceive you.
5. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall deceive many.
6. But you are about to hear [of] wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. For nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.
8. But all these are the beginning of sorrows.
9. Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you : and you shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake.
10. And then shall many be scandalized, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.
13. But he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved.
14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole inhabited [earth], for a witness to all the nations: and then shall the end come.
15. When, therefore, you shall see the abomination of desolation, declared by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (he that reads let him observe)
16. Then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains:
17. Let him that is on the house not come down to take any thing out of his dwelling:
18. And he that is in the field, let him not return back to take his clothes.
19. But wo to them that bear in the womb, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath:
21. For then shall be great affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be.
22. And except those days should be shortened, all flesh would not have been saved: but for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.
23. Then if any one shall say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or there, believe not.
24. For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall give great signs and prodigies, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25. Behold, I have told you before.
26. If then they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold, [he is] in the closets, believe you not.
27. For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and shines to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
28. For wherever the carcase is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
29. But immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail, and shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and much glory.
31. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet of great voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the extreme of the heavens to their extreme.
32. But learn a parable from the fig tree; When its branch is now become soft, and puts forth leaves, you know that the summer is near:
33. So also you, when you shall see all these things, know you that it is near at the doors.
34. Verily I say to you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things come to pass.
35. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
36. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not the angels of the heavens, but My Father alone.
37. For as the days of Noah, so shall be also the coming of the Son of Man.
38. For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took [them] all; so shall be also the coming of the Son of Man.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the one shall be left.
41. Two [women shall be] grinding in the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
42. Watch therefore, because you know not at what hour your Lord comes.
43. But this know you, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief comes, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be dug through.
44. On this account be you also ready, because in the hour you think not, the Son of Man comes.
45. Who then is the faithful servant and prudent, whom his Lord has appointed over his family, to give them meat in season?
46. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing.
47. Verily I say to you, that He will appoint him over all things that He has.
48. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays to come;
49. And shall begin to beat the fellow-servants, but to eat and drink with the drunken;
50. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know;
51. And shall cut him to pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

EXPOSITION,

Chapter XXIV.

verse 2.There shall not be left a stone upon a stone, which shall not be dissolved.-By a stone of the temple not being left upon a stone, which should not be dissolved, is signified the destruction and total vastation of the church; a stone also signifies the truth of the church: and whereas that destruction and vastation was signified, therefore in Matthew xxiv., Mark xiii., and Luke xxi. the subject treated of is concerning the successive vastation of the church. AE 220. See also B.E.71-75.

A stone not being left upon a stone, which should not be dissolved, signified that the Lord would be altogether denied amongst them, wherefore also the temple was utterly destroyed. AE 391.

From the time of the council of Nice dreadful heresies began to be propagated concerning God, and concerning the Person of Christ, whereby the head of antichrist was lifted up, and God was divided into three, and the Lord the Saviour into two, and thereby the temple which the Lord had erected by the apostles was destroyed, and this to such a degree, until a stone was not left upon a stone, which was not dissolved, according to the Lord's words in Matthew 24:2; where by the temple is not only meant the temple of Jerusalem, but also the church, the consummation or end of which is treated of in that chapter throughout. TCR 174.

The disciples came to Jesus "to show Him the buildings of the temple, and Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." Matt. xxiv.; Mark 13:1-5; Luke 21:5, 6, 7. By temple, here is signified the church at this day, and by its dissolution even to there not being one stone left upon another, is signified the end of this church, in that no truth whatever would be left: for when the disciples spoke to the Lord concerning the temple, the Lord foretold the successive states of this church to the end of it, or the consummation of the age, and by the consummation of the age is meant its last period, which is at this day; this was represented by that temple being utterly destroyed. AR 191. See also AE 220.

At this day the learned clergy and laity understand by the destruction of the temple, its destruction by Vespasion; and by the coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age, they understand the end and destruction of the world. But by the destruction of the temple is not only meant the destruction thereof by the Romans, but also the destruction of the present church; and by the consummation of the age and the coming of the Lord at that period, is meant the end of the present church and the establishment of a new church by the Lord. That these things are there meant, is evident from the whole of the chapter from beginning to end, which treats solely of the successive delusions and corruptions of the Christian church down to its destruction, when it is at an end.

Verse 3. As He sat on the mount of Olives, &c. - The mount of Olives signifies the Divine Love, on which account the Lord was accustomed to tarry upon that mountain, as is

evident in Luke, "Jesus was in the day teaching in the temple, but at night going forth He passed the night in the mount which is called [the mount] of Olives," Luke 21:37, 22:89, John 8:1, and there discoursed with His disciples concerning His coming and the consummation of the age, that is, concerning the last judgement; and also from there He went to Jerusalem, and suffered. AE 405.

The mount of Olives was on the east of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem signified the church as to doctrine; and all the church, and all the truth of doctrine, are illustrated and receive light from the Lord in the east; and the east, in heaven, is where the Lord appears as a Sun; and inasmuch as the sun signifies the Divine Love, therefore the east, and the mount of Olives which was on the east of Jerusalem, signify the same. The reason of the various circumstances which took place there, was because the mount of Olives signified the Divine Love, and because things significative, inasmuch as they were the representatives of heaven and the church, were the things which, at that time, conjoined the Lord with heaven and the world. AE 638. See also Exposition, chap. 21:1.

What shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the consummation of the age?-By the coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age, is signified the beginning of a new church, and the end of a former church; by the coming of the Lord, the beginning of a new church; and by the consummation of the age, the end of an old church. Wherefore the Lord, in this chapter, instructs the disciples concerning the successive vastation of the former church, and concerning the establishment of a new church at the end of the former; but He instructs and teaches them by mere correspondences, which cannot be unfolded and known except by the spiritual sense, and inasmuch as they were correspondences by which the Lord spoke, therefore they were all signs, thus testifications; they are also called signs by the Lord, as in Luke, "There shall also be great signs from heaven. There shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth distress of nations," Luke 21:11-25. AE 706.

As to what concerns the Lord's coming, it is believed by some that the Lord is about to come again in person, and, indeed, to execute the last judgment, and this because it is said in Matthew, "The disciples came saying to Jesus, Tell us what is the sign of Your coming, and of the consummation of the age?" and after that the Lord had predicted to them the state of the church successively decreasing even to its devastation and, consummation, He said, "Then shall

appear the sign of the Son of Man, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with virtue and glory: watch you therefore because you know not in what hour your Lord is about to come," Matt xxiv, 30, 39, 42; also in John 21:22; but by His coming is not there meant His coming in person, but that He will then reveal Himself in the Word, that He is Jehovah, the Lord of heaven and earth, and that they all will adore Him alone, who shall be in His new church, which is meant by the New Jerusalem; for which end also He has now opened the internal sense of the Word, in which sense the Lord is everywhere treated of. This also is what is meant by His coming in the clouds of heaven with glory. Matt 24:30, 26:34, Mark 13:26, 14:62, Luke 21:27; that the clouds of heaven signify the Word in the letter, and glory its spiritual sense, see above, AE 36, 594. Inasmuch as He is the Word, as He is called in John 1:1, 2, 14, therefore the revelation of Himself in the Word is His coming. AE 870.

That by consummation is meant the devastation of the church when there is no longer in it the truth of doctrine and the good of life, thus when its end is, see AR 658, 750; and whereas, in this case, there is the coming of the Lord, and of His kingdom, therefore mention is made both of the consummation of the age and of the Lord's coming, Matt 24:3, and each also is predicted in that chapter. AR 519.

It was predicted by the Lord, where He speaks of the consummation of the age (Matt 24:3, to the end; Mark 23:3, to the end; Luke 21:7, to the end), that faith would be scarce in the last times; for whatever is said in those chapters involves that in those times charity and faith will be scarce, and that at length there would be none. AC 1843.

By the consumption of the age, is signified the last time of the church, thus its end, when there is no longer any faith because there is no charity. That this is the consummation of the age, consequently that an age is the duration of the church even to its end, may be manifest from all those things which were said by the Lord in that chapter which may be seen explained before the chapters of Genesis, from chap. xxvi. to chap. xl. AC 10248.

Verse 5. Many shall come in My name, &c. - These things were said by the Lord to the disciples concerning the consummation of the aee, by which is signified the state of the church as to its ultimate or last time, which is described in this chapter; wherefore also the successive perversion and falsification of the truth and good of the Word is meant, until there is nothing but the false and the evil thence derived; by those who shall come in His name, and shall say that they are christs, and shall seduce many, is signified that those are about to come who will say that this is Divine Truth, when yet it is truth falsified, which in itself is the false, for by Christ is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, but here, in the opposite sense, truth falsified. By hearing of wars and rumours of wars, is signified that disagreements and disputes are about to exist concerning truths, and that thence will come falsifications. By nation being stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, is signified that evil is about to fight with evil, and the false with the false, for evils never agree amongst themselves, neither do falses, which is the reason why churches are divided amongst themselves, and so many heresies have come forth; nation signifies those who are in evils, and kingdom those who are in falses, of which the church consists. By famines,and pestilences,and earthquakes,is signified that there will no longer be any knowledges of truth and of good, and that by reason of the falses which will infect, the state of the church would be changed; famine denotes the privation of the knowledges of truth and of good; pestilences denote infections from falses; and earthquakes denote changes of the church. AE 734. See also Exposition, chap, 18:19, 20.

The above words are not to be understood as declaring that any would rise up, who would call themselves Christ or christs, but who would falsify the Word, and would say that this or that is Divine Truth, when it is not; they who confirm falses from the Word, are meant by false christs, and they who hatch false doctrine, are meant by false prophets; for the subject treated of in the chapter from whence the above words are taken, is concerning the successive vastation of the church, thus concerning the falsification of the Word, and at length concerning the profanation of truth thence derived. AE 684.

Verses 5-8. Many shall come in My name, &c. - The greatest part of mankind believe, that when the last judgement comes, all things in the visible world are to perish, that the earth shall be burned up, the sun and the moon be dissipated, and the stars vanish away; and that a new heaven and a new earth shall afterwards rise up; this opinion has been conceived from the prophetic revelations, in which such things are mentioned; but that the case is otherwise, may be manifest from what has been shown above concerning the last judgement, AC 900, 931, 1850, 2117-2133. Hence it is evident, that the last judgment is nothing else but the end of the church with one nation, and its beginning with another, which end and which beginning take place at the time when there is no longer any acknowledgement of the Lord, or, what is the same thing, when there is no faith. There is no acknowledgment or no faith, when there is no charity, for faith cannot be given but with those who are in charity. That in such case there is an end of the church, and a translation of it to others, evidently appears from all those things which the Lord Himself taught and predicted concerning the last day, or concerning the consummation of the age, in the Evangelists, namely, in Matthew xxiv., in Mark xiii., and in Luke xxi.: but whereas those things cannot be comprehended by any one without a key, which is the internal sense, it is allowed to unfold them, and the first things contained in Matthew 24:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. They who abide in the sense of the letter cannot know whether the contents of these verses, and those things which follow in that chapter, have relation to the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jewish nation, or to the end of days, which is called the last judgement. But they who are in the internal sense see clearly that the subject here treated of is concerning the end of the church, which end is here, and in other passages, called the coming of the Lord, and the consummation of the age. Since that end is meant, it may be known that all those things signify such things as relate to the church; but what they signify, may be manifest from the particulars contained in the internal sense; as where it is said, Many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and shall seduce many; where name does not signify name, nor Christ Christ; but name signifies that by which the Lord is worshiped, and Christ the very truth; thus it signifies that they will come who will say that this is of faith, or that this is the truth, when yet it is neither of faith, nor the truth, but the false. Again, where it is said, That they shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars, it denotes that debates and disputes, which are wars in the spiritual sense, will exist concerning truths. Again, That nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, signifies that evil is about to fight with evil, and the false with the false. And again, There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places, denotes that there will no longer be any knowledges of good and truth, and thus that the state of the church will be changed, which is meant by an earthquake. From these considerations, it is evident what is meant by the above words of the Lord, namely, that they describe the first state of the perversion of the church, which is when they begin no longer to know what is good and what is true, but dispute with each other on those subjects, from which disputes come falsities. Inasmuch as this is the first state, therefore it is said, that the end is not yet, and that those things are the beginning of sorrows, and that this state is called earthquakes in diverse places, which, in the internal sense, signify a change of the state of the church in part, or the first state. Its being so said to the disciples, signifies that it is said to all who are of the church, for the twelve disciples represented it, wherefore it is said, See lest any one seduce you; also,you are about to hear of wars, and rumours of wars; see that you be not troubled. AC 3353, 3354.

Verses 6, 7. You are about to hear of wars, &c. - When the Lord said that in the last times there should be wars, and that nation shall then rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and that there should he famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places, it does not signify such things in the natural world, but things corresponding in the spiritual; for the Word, in its prophetic parts, does not treat of kingdoms on earth, nor of nations there, thus neither of their wars, nor of famine, pestilence, and earthquakes there, but of such things as correspond thereto in the spiritual world. LJ 73. See also AC 2120, 2547.

Kingdom denotes what is false in doctrinals; hence city against city and kingdom against kingdom, denote that heresies and false principles should contend with each other; in like manner as is signified by those words which the Lord spoke concerning the consummation of the age, "Nation shall be excited against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," Matt 24:7; to denote evils against evils, and falses against falses. AC 2547.

Earthquakes signify changes of state in the church, because the earth signifies the church, AR 285; and because, in the spiritual world, when the state of the church is perverted anywhere, and there is a change, an earthquake takes place, and as this is a prelude to destruction, the effect is terror; for the earths, in the spiritual world, are in appearance like the earths in the natural world, AR 260; but as the earths there, like all other things in that world, are from a spiritual origin, therefore changes occur according to the state of the church among the inhabitants, and when the state of the church is perverted, they quake and tremble, yea, sink down and are moved out of their places. That this was the case when the last judgement was at hand and accomplished, may be seen in the tract on the last judgement. From hence it may appear what is meant by quakings, concussion, and commotions of the earth, in the following places, "There shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places, Matt 24:7. AR 331.

By nation being stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, is signified that evil shall contend against evil, and the false with the false, nation signifying the good of the church, and in an opposite sense the evil, and kingdom signifying the truth of the church, and in an opposite sense the false; by there shall be pestilence, famine, and earthquakes in various places, are signified that goods and truths, and the knowledges of good and truth, will be no more, and thus that the state of the church will be changed, which is signified by the earthquakes. In these chapters of the Evangelists, Matt 24:7, 8, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11, the successive states of the church, even to its consummation, are predicted, but they are described by mere correspondences, which are explained in the Arcana Coelestia, AC 3353 to 3356, AC 3486 to 3489, 3650 to 3655, 3751 to 3759, 3597 to 3901, 4056 to 4060, 4229 to 4231, 4332 to 4335, 4417 to 4424. AE 400.

Verses 8-14. But all these are the beginning of sorrows, &c. - By the words which precede, from verses 1-8, was described the first state of the perversion of the church (see above); but by these words is described another state of the perversion of the church, which is, that they were about to despise good and truth, and also to hold them in aversion, and thus that faith in the Lord would expire, according to degrees, as charity would cease. That a second state of the perversion of the church is described by the above words of the Lord in the Evangelist, is evident from the internal sense of the same, which is to the following effect: All these things are the beginning of sorrows, signify those things which precede, namely, which are of the first state of the perversion of the church, consisting, as was said, in beginning no longer to know what was good and what was true, but in disputing among themselves on those subjects, from which disputes come falsities, consequently heresies; that such things have perverted the churches for several ages past, is evident from this consideration, that the church in the Christian world has been divided, and this according to opinions concerning good and truth, thus that the perversion of the church has been begun for a long time back. Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you, signifies that good and truth are about to perish, first by affliction, which is by perversion; next by killing them, which is by denial; that to kill, when it is predicated of good and truth, denotes not to be received, thus to deny, see AC 3387, 3395; by you,or by the apostles, are signified all things of faith in one complex, thus both its good and its truth; that by the twelve apostles those things are signified, see AC 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3354, and which is here very manifest, for the subject treated of is not concerning the preaching of the apostles, but concerning the consummation of the age. And you shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake, signifies contempt for, and aversion to, all things which are of good and truth, for to hate is to despise and to hold in aversion, these being the properties of hatred; of all nations, denotes of those who are in evil; that nations denote such, see AC 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588; for My name's sake, denotes for the sake of the Lord, thus for the sake of all things which come from Him; that the name of the Lord denotes every thing in one complex by which He is worshiped, thus every thing which pertains to His church, see AC 2724, 3006. And then shall many be scandalized, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another, signifies enmities on account of those things; many being scandalized, denotes enmity in themselves: it is the Humanity Itself of the Lord against which they have enmity; that that Humanity was about to be an offence and scandal, is predicted in the Word throughout; they shall betray one another, denotes enmity amongst themselves derived from the false which is in opposition to truth; and shall hate one another, denotes enmity amongst themselves derived from the evil which is in opposition to good. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall seduce many, signifies the preaching of what is false; that false prophets denote those who teach falses, thus false doctrine, see AC 2534; and shall seduce many, denotes the effects which would be thence derived. And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the charity of many shall grow cold, signifies the expiration of charity with faith: because of the multiplication of iniquity, denotes according to the falses of faith; the charity of many shall grow cold, denotes the expiration of charity; for each keeps pace with the other, where there is no faith there is no charity, and where there is no charity, there is no faith; but charity is what receives faith, and when there is p& charity faith is rejected: hence is the origin of all that is false, and of all that is evil.. But he that endures to the end, the same shall lie saved, signifies the salvation of those who are in charity; he that endures to the end, is he who does not suffer himself to be seduced, thus who does not yield in temptations. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the inhabited [earth], for a witness to all the nations, signifies that this shall first be made known in the Christian world; shall be preached, denotes that it shall be made known; this gospel of the kingdom, denotes this truth, that so it is, gospel denotes annunciation, kingdom denotes truth; that kingdom denotes truth, see AC 167, 2547. Iin all the inhabited [earth], denotes the Christian world; that earth is the tract of country where the church is, thus the Christian world, see AC 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355: the church is here called inhabited from the life of faith, that is, from the good which is of truth, for to inhabit, in the internal sense, is to live, and inhabitants, in that sense, are the goods of truth, see AC 1293, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3384; for a witness, denotes that they may know, lest they should pretend that they were ignorant; to all the nations, denotes to all the evil, AC 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588; for when they are in the false and in evil, they no longer know what is true and what is good, believing in this case what is false to be true, and what is evil to he good, and vice versa; when the church is in this state, then shall the end come.

That the church is of such a quality, does not appear before those who are in the church, namely, it does not appear that they despise and hold in aversion all things which are of good and of truth, also that they cherish enmities against those things, especially against the Lord Himself; for they frequent temples, hear preachings, are in a sort of sanctity when there, go to the holy supper, and occasionally discourse with each other in a becoming manner on those subjects, the evil doing these things alike as the good, yea, they even live one with another in civil charity or friendship; hence it is that before the eyes of men there does not appear any contempt, still less aversion, and least of all enmity against the goods and truths of faith, thus neither against the Lord: but those things are external forms, by which one seduces another: whereas the internal forms of the men of the church are altogether dissimilar, yea, altogether contrary to the external, the internal forms are what are here described, and which are of such a quality; what their quality is. appears to the life in the heavens, for the angels do not attend to any other than internal things, that is, to ends, or to the intentions and wills of men, and to the thoughts hence derived. How dissimilar these are to the externals may be manifest from those who come into the other life from the Christian world, concerning whom see AC 2121, 2122, 2123, 2124, 2125, 2126; for in the other life, the things according to which they think and speak, are internal things alone, for external things were left with the body. It there evidently appears that however such persons seemed peaceable in the world, they still hated one another, and hated all things which are of faith, especially the Lord, for when the Lord is only named before them in the other life, a sphere not only of contempt, but also of aversion and enmity against Him, manifestly breathes forth and diffuses itself around, even from those who, according to appearance, have spoken and have also preached holily concerning Him; there is such a sphere in like manner when mention is made of charity and faith. Such is their quality in the internal form, which is manifested in the other life, so that if, during their abode in the world, external things had been loosened and taken away from them, that is, if they had not been afraid of the loss of life, and of the penalties of the law, and especially if they had not been afraid of the loss of reputation for the sake of the honours which they courted and coveted, and for the sake of the wealth which they lusted after and greedily sought, they would have rushed one against another from intestine hatred, according to their tendencies and thoughts, and without any conscience would have plundered the goods of others, and also without any conscience would have murdered them, how guiltless soever they were. Such are Christians at this day as to the interiors, except a few who are not known; hence it is evident what is the quality of the church. AC 3486 to 3489.

Verse 9. Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you, &c. - By affliction is meant external and internal temptations: the external are persecutions from the world; the internal are persecutions from the devil. AC 1846.

By the disciples, in the spiritual representative sense, are meant all the truths and goods of the church, whence it is evident what is meant in that sense by killing them, namely, that they shall then destroy the truths and goods of the church. AE 315.

By the disciples are meant all who worship the Lord, and live according to the truths of His Word; these the wicked in the world of spirits are continually desirous to kill; but whereas they cannot there affect this as to the body, they are continually desirous to effect this as to the soul; and when they cannot accomplish this desire, they burn with such hatred against them, that they feel nothing more delightful than to do them mischief. AR 325.

Verse 9. You shall be hated of all nations, &c.-By being hated by all nations, is signified to be hated by all who are in evil; by the name of the Lord, on account of which they shall be hated, is signified all things of love and faith by which the Lord is worshiped. AE 175.

In this passage by killing is signified to deprive of spiritual life, that is, of faith and charity; for by the disciples are signified all things of the truth and good of faith and charity, AC 3488, 3858, 6397. That the disciples to whom the Lord spoke are not here meant, is evident from this consideration, that the subject treated of is concerning the consummation of the age, when the Lord was to come in the clouds of heaven, concerning which consummation the disciples were inquiring, and by which is meant the last time of the church, at which time the disciples could not be seen alive. See AC 3488, 8902.

For My names sake.-See Exposition, chap. 6:9, 10:22, 18:19, 20.

Verse 11. And many false prophets shall arise, &c.-By false prophets and by false christs, are not meant prophets according to the common notion respecting prophets, but all those who pervert the Word and teach falses; these also are false christs, for Christ signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, whence false christs signify Divine Truths falsified. AE 624.

The reason why a prophet signifies the doctrine of the church derived from the Word, and prophecy the same, is because the Word was written by prophets, and in heaven a person is regarded according to that which belonged to his position and office; according to this also, is every man, spirit and angel, named in heaven; wherefore when the word prophet is used, his function being to write and teach the Word, the Word is understood as to doctrine, or doctrine derived from the Word. Hence it is that the Lord, being the Word itself, was called a prophet, Deut 18:15-20, Matt 13:57, 21:1, Luke 13:23. To show that by prophet is meant doctrine of the church derived from the Word, some passages shall be adduced, from which this may be collected. In Matthew, " In the consummation of the age many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many; there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect," Matt xxiv. ll-24. The consummation of the age is the last time of the church, which is at hand when there are not false prophets, but false principles of doctrine. AR 8.

Verse 12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.-That in the end of the church there is no faith, is foretold by the Lord, where He says, "When the Son of Man shall come, will He find faith in the earth?" Luke 18:8; and also that there is then no charity, where He says, "In the consummation of the age, iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall grow cold." L.J. 35.

Verse 14. This gospel of the kingdom, &c. - Inasmuch as by the Word is signified the church as to good, therefore it is said that that gospel shall be preached to all nations, for by the nations who will hear and receive, are signified all who are in good, but by nations, in the opposite sense, are also signified those who are in evils, who also will hear, but in this case, by the world is signified the universal church when fallen into evils, whence it is also said that then shall the end come. AE 741.

Verses 15, 16, 17, 18. When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, declared by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains, &c.-Every one may see that these words contain arcana, and that unless those arcana are discovered, it cannot be at all known what is meant by those who are in Judea fleeing to the mountains, and by him who is on the house top, not going down to take anything out of the house, and by him who is in the field, not returning back to take his garment. Unless the internal sense taught what these things signify and involve, the examiners and interpreters of the Word might be led away and fall into opinions altogether foreign from that sense; yea, also they, who in heart deny the sanctity of the Word, might thence conclude, that in the above words was only described flight and escape on the approach of an enemy, consequently, that nothing more holy was contained in them, when yet by those words of the Lord is fully described the state of the vastation of the church as to the goods of love and the truths of faith, as may be manifest from the following explication of those words: When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, signifies the vastation of the church, which then takes place when the Lord is no longer acknowledged, consequently, when there is no love to Him, and no faith in Him; also when there is no longer any charity towards the neighbour; and, consequently, when there is not anything of the faith which is of good and of truth. When these things have place in the church, or rather in the tract of country where the Word is, namely, in the thoughts of the heart, although not in the doctrine of the mouth, then there is desolation in the church, and the above things are its abomination. Hence, when you shall see the abomination, denotes when any one observes such things; what is then done, follows in verses 16, 17, 18. Declared by Daniel the prophet, signifies, in the internal sense, what is said by the prophets, for where any prophet is named by his name in the Word, it is not that prophet who is meant, but the prophetic Word itself, because names in no case penetrate into heaven, AC 1876, 1888. But by one prophet is not signified the like as by another; what is signified by Moses, Elias, and Elisha, see in the preface to Gen. xviii., and AC 2762; but by Daniel is signified every thing prophetic concerning the coming of the Lord, and concerning the state of the church, in this case concerning its last state. Vastation is much treated of in the prophets, and by it is there signified, in the sense of the letter, the vastation of the Jewish and Israelitish church, but in the internal sense, the vastation of the church in general, thus also the vastation which is now at hand. Standing in the holy place, signifies vastation as to all the things which are of good and truth; holy place is a state of love and of faith; that place, in the internal sense, is state, see AC 2625, 2827, 3356, 3387; the holy principle of that state is the good which is of love, and thence the truth which is of faith, nothing else being meant by holy in the Word, because those things are from the Lord, who is the Holy, or the Sanctuary Itself. He who reads, let him observe, signifies that these things ought to be well noted by those who are in the church, especially by those who are in love and faith, who are now treated of. Then let them who are in Judea, flee to the mountains, signifies that they who are of the church ought not to look elsewhere than to the Lord, thus to love to Him, and to charity towards the neighbour; that by Judea is signified the church, will be shown below; that by mountain is signified the Lord Himself, but by mountains love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, see AC 795, 796, 1430, 2722.

According to the sense of the letter it would mean that when Jerusalem was besieged, as it was by the Romans, then they should not take themselves thither, but to the mountains, according to what is said in Luke, " When you shall see Jerusalem encompassed by armies, then know you that the devastation is near; then let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them who are in the midst thereof go forth, but they who are in the countries let them not enter into it," Luke 21:20, 21; but with Jerusalem, in this passage, the case is similar, namely, that in the sense of the letter it is Jerusalem which is meant, but in the internal sense the church of the Lord, see AC 402, 2117. For all things, and every particular, which are mentioned in the Word concerning the Judaic and Israelitish people, are representative of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, and of the Lord's kingdom on the earth, that is, of the church, as has been frequently shown. Hence it is that by Jerusalem, in the internal sense, is nowhere meant Jerusalem, nor by Judea is Judea meant; but they were such places as were capable of representing the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom: and they were also made that they might represent; thus the Word could be written, which might be according to the apprehension of the man who was to read it, and according to the understanding of the angels attendant on man. This was also the reason why the Lord spoke in like manner; for if He had spoken otherwise, what He had said would not have been adequate to the apprehension of those who heard, especially at that time, nor at the same time to the understanding of the angels, thus it would not have been received by man, nor understood by the angels.

He that is on the house top, let him not go down to take anything out of his house, signifies that they who are in the good of charity ought not to take themselves thence to those things which are of the doctrinals of faith; the house top, in the Word, signifies the superior state of man, thus his state as to good; but the things which are beneath, signify the inferior state of man, thus his state as to truth; what is meant by house, see aC 7101708, 2230, 2234, 3142, 3538. With the state of the man of the church, the case is this: when he is regenerating, he then learns truth for the sake of good, for he has the affection of truth for that end; but after that he is regenerated, he then acts from truth and good; when he arrives at this state, he then ought not to take himself to the former state, for if he was to do this, he would reason from truth concerning the good in which he is, and would thus pervert his state: for all reasoning ceases, and ought to cease, when man is in a state to will what is true and good, for in this case he thinks and acts from the will, consequently from conscience, and not from the understanding, as heretofore. For if he was to act again from this latter principle, he would fall into temptations in which he would yield: these are the things which are signified by the words, Let not him who is on the house top go down to take anything out of his house." And he who is in the field, let him not return back to take his garment, or coat, signifies that they who are in the good of truth should not betake themselves from its good to the Doctrinal of truth; field, in the word, signifies that state of man as to good; what field is, see AC 368, 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317, 3500, 3508; and garment or coat, signifies that which clothes good; that is, the doctrinal of truth, for this is as a garment to good; that garment has this signification, see AC 297, 1073, 2576, 3302. Every one may see that deeper things lie concealed herein than what appear in the letter, for the Lord Himself spoke them.

From these considerations, it may now be manifest that a state of the vastation of the church, as to the goods of love and the truths of faith, is fully described in these verses, and that at the same time an exhortation is given to those who are in those goods and truths, what they ought to do on the occasion. There are men of three kinds within the church, namely, they who are in love to the Lord, they who are in charity towards the neighbour, and they who are in the affection of truth. They who are in the first class, namely, they who are in love to the Lord, are specifically signified by the words, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In the second class are they who are in charity towards the neighbour, and are specifically signified by these words, he who is on the house top, let him not go down to take anything out of his house. In the third class are they who are in the affection of truth, and are specifically signified by these words, he who is in the field, let him not return back to take his garment.That Judea, in the internal sense of the Word, does not signify Judea, as neither does Jerusalem signify Jerusalem, may be manifest from several passages in the Word. In the Word it is not so often named Judea, but the land of Judah, and by it, as by the land of Canaan, is there signified the kingdom of the Lord, consequently also the church, for this is the kingdom of the Lord on the earth, and this on this account, because by Judah, or by the Judaic nation, was represented the celestial kingdom of the Lord, and by Israel, or the Israelitish people, His spiritual kingdom, and because this was represented, therefore also in the Word, when they are mimed, nothing else is signified in the internal sense. AC 3650-3654. See also HH 208.

Verse 15. When therefore you shall see the abomination declared by Daniel the prophet, &c. - The abomination of desolation, or the devastation of the church, is described in these words in Daniel: "Seventy weeks are decided upon your people, and upon your city of holiness, to consummate prevarication, and seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring the justice of ages, and to seal the vision and the prophets, and to anoint the holy of holies. Know therefore and perceive from the going forth even to restore and build Jerusalem, even to Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks: afterwards in sixty and two weeks the street and the trench shall be restored and built, but in straitness of times. But after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. Then shall the people of a prince about to come, destroy the city and the sanctuary, so that its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end of war are decided desolations. Yet He shall confirm the covenant with many in one week, but in the midst of the week, He shall make to cease the sacrifice and meat-offering: at length upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, and even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation," Dan 9:24, 25, 26, 27.

The sense of these words has been investigated and explained by many of the learned, but only as to the literal sense, and not yet as to the spiritual sense, for this latter sense has been heretofore unknown in the Christian world; in this sense the following things are signified by the above words: Seventy weeks are decided upon your people, signifies the time and the state of the church which was then among the Jews, even to its end, seven and seventy signifying what is full from beginning to end, and people signifying those who are of the church at that time. And upon your city of holiness, signifies the time and the state of the end of the church, as to the doctrine of truth derived from the Word, city signifying the doctrine of truth, and the city of holiness the Divine Truth which is the Word. To consummate, prevarication, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, signifies when nothing but falses and evils are in the church, thus when iniquity is fulfilled and consummated: for until this is the case the end does not come (for the reasons which are treated of in a little work concerning the Last Judgement), for if the end came sooner, the simply good would perish, who as to externals are conjoined with those who pretend to be in truths and goods, and assume hypocritical appearances in externals; wherefore it is added, to bring the justice of ages, by which is signified to save those who are in the good of faith and of charity; and to seal the vision and the prophet, signifies to fulfill all things which are in the Word; and to anoint the holy of holies, signifies to unite the Divine Itself with the Humanity in the Lord, for this latter is the Holy of Holies. Know therefore and perceive, from the going forth of the Word, signifies from the end of the Word of the Old Testament, because it was to be fulfilled in the Lord, for all things of the Word of the Old Testament, in the supreme sense, treat of the Lord, and of the glorification of His Humanity, and thus of His dominion over all things of heaven and of the world. Even to restore and to build Jerusalem, signifies when a new church was about to be established, Jerusalem signifying that church, and to build signifying to establish it anew. Even to Messiah the Prince, signifies even to the Lord, and the Divine Truth in Him and from Him, for the Lord is called Messiah from the Divine Humanity, and Prince from the Divine Truth. Seven weeks, signify a full time and state. Afterwards in sixty and two weeks, the street and trench shall be restored and built, signifies a full time and state after His coming, until the church is established with its truths and its doctrine, sixty signifying a full time and state as to the implantation of truth, in like manner as the number three or six, and two signifying those things as to good, thus sixty and two together signifying the marriage of truth with a little good, street signifying the truth of doctrine, and trench the doctrine. (For what is meant by a street, see above, AE 652, and what by a trench or a well, AE 537.) But in straitness of times, signifies hardly and with difficulty, because amongst the nations who have but little of the perception of spiritual truth. But after sixty and two weeks, signifies after a full time and state of the church being established as to truth and as to good. Messiah shall be cut off, signifies that they will recede from the Lord, which was done principally by the Babylonians, by the translation of the Divine Power of the Lord to the popes., and thus by the nonacknowledgment of the divine in His Humanity. But not for Himself, signifies that still He has power and He has the divine. Then shall the people of a prince about to come destroy the city and the sanctuary, signifies that thus doctrine and the church would perish by falses, city signifying doctrine, sanctuary the church, and the prince about to come the reigning false principle. So that its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end of the war are decided desolations, signifies the falsification of truth, even until there is not any combat between what is true and false, flood signifying the falsification of truth, war the combat between what is true and false, and desolation the last state of the church, when there is no longer any truth, but merely what is false. Yet He shall confirm the covenant with many in one week, signifies the time of the reformation when again there shall be the reading of the Word, and the acknowledgement of the Lord, namely, of the divine in His Humanity; this acknowledgement, and thence the conjunction of the Lord by the Word, with those who acknowledge Him, is signified by covenant, and the time of the reformation by one week, But in the midst of the week He will cause to cease the sacrifice and meat offering, signifies that still there ia neither good nor truth in worship interiorly, amongst those who are of the reformed; sacrifice signifies worship from truths, and meat-offering worship from goods; by the midst of the week is not signified the midst of that time, but the inmost of the state belonging to the reformed, for midst signifies what is inmost, and week the state of the church.

The reason why neither good nor truth was interiorly in worship after the reformation, is because they assumed faith for the essential of the church, and separated it from charity; and when faith is separated from charity, there is then neither good nor truth in the inmost of worship, for the inmost of worship is the good of charity, and from it proceeds the truth of faith. At length upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, signifies the extinction of all truth by the separation of faith from charity; the bird of abominations signifies faith alone, thus faith separate from charity, for bird signifies thought concerning the truths of the Word, and the understanding of truths; which bird becomes a bird of abominations, when there is not any spiritual affection of truth which illustrates and teaches truth, but only a natural affection which is for the sake of fame, glory, honour, and gain; which affection, inasmuch as it is infernal, is abominable, since mere falses are thence derived. And even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation, signifies its extreme state, when there is nothing of truth and faith any longer, and when it is the last judgement: that these last things in Daniel were predicted concerning the end of the Christian church, is evident from the Lord's words in Matthew, "When you shall see the abomination of desolation," &c. Matt 24:15. For the subject treated of in that chapter is concerning the consummation of the age, thus concerning the successive vastation of the Christian church, wherefore the devastation of this church is meant by the above words in Daniel. AE 684.

Verse 16. Let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains, &c. - The Lord refers to love and charity by the term mountains, where, speaking of the consummation of the age, he says, "Let them which be in Judea flee unto the mountains," Matt 24:16, Luke 21:21, Mark 13:14. Judea there signifying the church vastated. AC 795. See also AE 336.

Verse 17, 18. Let him that is on the house top not come down, &c.-Man before regeneration acts from truth, but by it is acquired good; for truth then becomes good with him, when it gains a place in his will,, and thereby in his life: but after regeneration he acts from good, and by it are procured truths. For the better understanding of this, it is to be observed that man before regeneration acts from obedience, but after regeneration from affection; those two states are inverted in respect to each other, for in the former state truth has the dominion, but in the latter state good has the dominion, or in the former state man looks downwards or backwards, but in the latter upwards or forwards. When man is in this latter state, namely, when he acts from affection, it is no longer allowed him to look back, and to do good from truth, for then the Lord flows in into good, and by good leads him. If in this case he was to look back, or was to do good from truth, he would act from a principle of self, for he who acts from truth leads himself, but he who acts from good is led by the Lord. These are the things which are meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew, "When you shall see the abomination of desolation, he that is on the house, Let him not go down to take anything out of his house; and he that is in the field, let him not return back to take his clothes." AC 8505. See also AC 2454, 3650, 8516, 9274, 10184.

Every angel has three degrees of life, in the same manner as there are three degrees of heaven. Those who are in the inmost heaven have the third or inmost degree open, and the second and first shut; those who are in the middle heaven have the second degree open, and the first and third shut; and those who are in the ultimate heaven have the first degree open, and the second and third shut. As soon therefore as an angel of the third heaven looks down into a society of the second heaven, and converses with any one there, his third degree is closed, and when this is closed, he is deprived of his wisdom, because this resides in his third degree, and he does not possess any in his second and first. This is what is meant by the Lord's words in Matt 24:17, 18. HH 208.

A house and a field are occasionally mentioned in other parts of the Word; and when the subject is the celestial man, a house signifies celestial good, and a field spiritual good: celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good is the love of charity towards the neighbour; but when the subject is the spiritual man, a house signifies the celestial belonging to him, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and a field the spiritual belonging to him, which is the truth of faith. Both are signified in Matt 24:17, 18. AC 4982.

The sense of these words is; let not him, who is in good, turn himself from it to those things which relate to the doctrinals of faith. See AC 8652, where the above words are explained. AC 5895. See also AC 5897, 7601, 7857.

Verses 19, 20, 21, 22. But wo to them that hear in the womb, and to than that give suck in those days, &c. - What these words signify, it is impossible for any one to comprehend, unless he is enlightened by the internal sense. That they were not said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, is apparent from various expressions in the chapter, as from the following: "Except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened;" and again: "After the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory;" and from other expressions. That neither were those things said concerning the destruction of the world, is evident from several passages in the same chapter, as from what goes before: "He that is on the house, let him not go clown to take anything out of his house; and he that is in the field, let him not return back to take his clothes;" also from what is here said, "Pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath;" and from what follows, "Then two shall be in the field, one shall he taken, the other shall be left; two women shall be grinding at the mill, one shall be taken, the other shall be left." But it is evident that they were said concerning the last time of the church, that is, concerning its vastation; the church is then said to be vastated, when there is no longer any charity.

Every one who thinks holily concerning the Lord, and who believes that the divine was in Him, and that He spoke from the divine, may know and believe that the above words, like the rest which the Lord taught and spoke, were not said concerning one nation, but concerning the universal human race: and not concerning their worldly state, but concerning their spiritual state: and also that the Lord's words comprehended those things which are of His kingdom, and which are of the church, for these things are Divine and eternal. He who so believes, concludes that these words, "Wo to them that bear in the womb, and to them that give suck in those days," do not signify those who bear in the womb and give suck; and that these words, "Pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath," do not signify any flight on account of a worldly enemy; and so forth.

The subject treated of in what goes before, was concerning three states of the perversion of good and of truth in the church; the subject now treated of is concerning a fourth state, which also is the last. Concerning the first state, which consisted in their beginning no longer to know what is good and what is true, but in disputing on those subjects among themselves, whence come falsities, see AC 3354: concerning the second state, consisting in their despising what is good and true, and also holding them in aversion, and thus that faith in the Lord was about to expire, according to the degrees in which charity was about to cease, see AC 3487, 3488. Concerning the third state, that it was a state of the desolation of the church as to good and truth, see AC 3651, 3652. The subject now treated of is concerning the fourth state, which is that of the profanation of good and of truth; that this state is here described, may be manifest from all the particulars of the description in the internal sense, which is to this effect: But wo to than that bear in the womb, and to them who give suck in those days, signifies those who are imbued with the good of love to the Lord and the good of innocence; wo is a formulary of expression, signifying the danger of eternal damnation; to bear in the womb, denotes to conceive the good of celestial love; to give suck, denotes also a state of innocence; those days, denote the states in which the church then is. But pray you that your flight be not in the winter,

nor on the sabbath, signifies a removal from them, that this should not be done precipitately in a state of too much cold, nor in a state of too much heat. Flight denotes a removal from a state of the good of love and of innocence, spoken of just above; flight in the winter, denotes a removal from them in a state of too much cold; there is such cold when those things are held in aversion, which aversion is induced by the various kinds of the love of self; flight on the sabbath, denotes a removal from them in a state of too much heat; such heat consists in a holy external, when the love of self and of the world is within. For then shall be great affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be, signifies the highest degree of the perversion and vastation of the church ag to good and truth, which is profanation; for the profanation of what is holy induces eternal death, and much more grievous than all the other states of evil, and so much the more grievous, as the goods and truths which are profaned are more interior. Inasmuch as interior goods and truths are open and known in the Christian church, and are profaned, therefore it is said that then shall be great affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there would not any flesh be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened, signifies the removal of those who are of the church from interior goods and truths to exterior, that they may still be saved who are in the life of good and truth; by days being shortened, is signified a state of removal; by no flesh being saved, is signified that otherwise no one could be saved; by the elect, are signified those who are in the life of good and truth.

Few know what is meant by the profanation of what is holy; but it may be manifest from what has been said and shown on the subject, namely, that they are capable of profaning who know and acknowledge, and imbibe good and truth, but not they who have not acknowledged, still less they who do not know. Thus that they who are within the church can profane holy things, but not they who are without: and that they who are of the celestial church can profane holy goods, and they who are of the spiritual church can profane holy truths: that on this account interior truths were not discovered to the Jews, lest they should profane them. AC 3751-3757.

Verse 19. Wo to them that bear iIn the womb, &c. - The subject here treated of is concerning the consummation of the age, by which is meant the end of the church, when it is the last judgement; hence by those who bear in the womb, and by those who give suck in those days, who are the objects of lamentation, are meant they who at that time receive the goods of love, and the truths of that good; they that bear in the womb, denote those who receive the good of love; and they that give suck, denote those who receive the truths of that good; for the milk which is sucked, signifies truth from the good of love. The reason why a wo is pronounced upon them, is because they cannot keep the goods and truths which they receive, for at that time hell prevails, and takes them away, whence comes profanation: the reason why hell prevails at that time, is because in the end of the church the falses of evil reign, and take away the truths of good; for man is held in the midst between heaven and hell, and before the last judgement that which arises out of hell prevails over that which descends out of heaven. AE 710.

Verse 20. But pray you that your flight be not in the winter.-No faith, and faith without love, is by the Lord compared to winter, where He predicts the consummation of the age; flight denotes the last time of the church, also of every man when he dies; winter denotes the life of no love. AC 34.

Verse 21. - The Lord, after having spoken of false prophets that should arise, and of the abomination of desolation worked by them, (verses 11-15) adds, Then shall be great affliction, such as was not from the beginning, &c., whence it is evident, that by great affliction, in this passage, as well as in other places throughout the Word, is meant the infestation of truth by falses, until there remains no genuine truth derived from the Word which has not been falsified, and by that means consummated. This has come to pass, by reason that the churches have not acknowledged the unity of God in the Trinity, and His Trinity in unity in one Person, but in three, and hence have founded a church, in the mind, upon the idea of three Gods, and, in the mouth, upon the confession of one God. But by this means they have separated themselves from the Lord, and at length to such a degree, that they have no idea left of there being any Divinity in His Human Nature (see the Apocalypse Revealed, AR 294), when nevertheless the Lord as to His Humanity is Divine Truth, Itself, and Divine Light Itself, as He abundantly teaches in His Word; hence is the great affliction so prevalent at the present day. That this has been principally brought on by the Doctrine of justification and imputation through the medium of faith alone, will be shown in the following pages. This affliction, or infestation of truth by falses, is treated of in seven chapters of the Apocalypse, and is what is meant by the black horse and the pale horse going forth from the book, the seals whereof the Lamb had opened, Rev 6:5-8. And by the beast ascending out of the abyss, which made war against the two witnesses, and slew them. Rev 11:7, and following verses. As also by the dragon, which stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, in order to devour her child, xii. B.E.75, 76.

Verses 21, 22. Then shall there be great affliction, &c. - The Lord, in this chapter, is speaking of the consummation of the age, by which is signified the end of the present church, and to lay the foundation of a new one. Who does not know, that except the Lord had come into the world, and accomplished the work of redemption, no flesh could have been saved? and to accomplish this work of redemption, is to establish a new heaven and a new church. That the Lord will come again into the world, He Himself has prophetically declared in the Evangelists, Matt 24:30, 41; Mark 13:26; Luke 12:40, 21:27, and in the Revelation, particularly in the last chapter. That He is also at this day accomplishing a redemption, by establishing a new heaven, and laying the foundation of a new church, with a view to make salvation possible to mankind, was shown above in the lemma concerning redemption. The great arcanum respecting the impossibility of any flesh being saved, except a new church be formed by the Lord, is this, that as long as the dragon with his crew continues in the world of spirits, into which he was cast, so long it is impossible for any Divine Truth, united with Divine Good, to pass through to men on earth, but it is either perverted or falsified, or destroyed. TCR 182.

By shortening those days, is meant the putting an end to the present church, and establishing a new one; for, as has been already observed, the 24th chapter of Matthew treats of the successive declensions and perversions of the Christian church, even to the consummation and end thereof, and of the coming of the Lord at that period. The reason why no flesh could be saved, unless those days should be shortened, is because the faith of the present church is founded on the idea of three gods, and with this idea no one can enter into heaven. Consequently, no one can enter heaven with the faith of the present church, because the idea of three gods is in all and every part thereof; and besides, in that faith there exists no life from the works of charity. That the faith of the present church cannot be conjoined with charity, and produce any fruits, which are good works, was shown above, BE 47 to 50. B.E.92.

Verse 22. Except those days should be shortened, &c. - By these words is meant, that unless the church was ended before its time, it would altogether perish. The subject treated of is concerning the consummation of the age, and concerning the coming of the, Lord; and by the consummation of the age, is meant the last state of the old church; and by the coming of the Lord, the first state of a new church. AR 4.

No flesh could have been saved.-The combats of the Lord are described in Isaiah 63:1-10; where are these words, Your garments are as of him that treads in the wine-press: I have trodden the wine-press alone, by which is signified that He alone sustained the evils and falses of the church, and all violence offered to the Word, thus to Himself. It is said violence offered to the Word, thus to Himself, because the Lord is the Word; and violence has been offered to the Word and to the Lord Himself by the Roman Catholic superstition, also by the superstition amongst the reformed concerning faith alone. The evils and falses of the former and the latter the Lord sustained when He executed the last judgement, by which He again subdued the hells, for unless they had been again subdued, no flesh could have been saved, as He Himself says in Matt 24:21, 22. AE 829.

Man, after enduring temptation is, as to the internal man, in heaven, and by the external, in the world, wherefore by temptations with man is effected the conjunction of heaven and the world, and in this case the Lord, with man, according to order, rules his world from heaven. The contrary is the case if man remains natural, for then he is desirous to rule heaven from the world; such every one becomes who is in the love of dominion grounded in the love of self; and if he be inwardly explored, it will appear that he does not believe in any God, but in himself; and after death he believes that he is God, who has the greatest power over others; such is the insanity in hell. Hence it is evident of what quality man becomes after death, if the natural man is not regenerated, consequently, what he would become in phantasy, if a new church was not established by the Lord, in which genuine truths are taught. This is meant by the Lord's words, in the consummation of the age, that is, in the end of the present church, "There shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be. Wherefore except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved." TCR 598. As to what concerns the intention of subjugation, such as prevails amongst the wicked who are in hell, it has been also given to know, that it is such an attempt and intention of subjugating those who are in good and truth, as cannot be described; for they use all malice, all cunning and fraud, all deceit, and all cruelty, which are so great and of such a quality, that, if they were only mentioned in part, scarce any one in the world could believe. The hells, consisting of such, are at this day immensely increased, and, what is wonderful, especially from those who are within the church, on account of the cunning, deceit, hatred, revenge, adultery, which abound there more than in other places, for within the church cunning now passes for ingenuity, and adulteries are reckoned honourable, and they are laughed at who think otherwise. This being the case at this day within the church, it is a proof that its last time is at hand, for unless there be an end, no flesh would be saved, according to the Lord's words in Matt 24:22. Inasmuch as all evil is contagious, and infects, as dregs infect the mass, thus at length it infects all. AC 6666.

Verses 23-28. Then if any one shall say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or there, believe not, &c.-What these words involve, no one can know, unless the internal sense teaches him, as that false christs shall arise, who shall give signs and prodigies; and if they shall say, that Christ is in the desert, they should not go forth; if they shall say, that He is in the closets, they should not believe; and that the coming of the Son of Man will be as lightning, which goes forth from the east, and appears even to the west; also, that where the carcase is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. These things, like those which precede and which follow in this chapter, as to the sense of the letter, seem to be in no regular series, but yet, as to the internal sense, are in a series the most beautiful; which series then first appears, when it is understood what is signified by false christs, what by signs and prodigies, what by a desert and closets, also, what by the coming of the Son of Man, and, lastly, what by a carcase and eagles. The reason why the Lord so spake, was to the intent that they, might not understand the Word, lest they should profane it; for when the church is vastated, as it was at that time amongst the Jews, if they had understood the Word, they would have profaned it, wherefore also the Lord spoke by parables for the same reason, as He Himself teaches in Matt 13:13, 14, 15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10. For the Word cannot be profaned by those who do not know its mysteries, but by those who do know, and more so by those who appear to themselves learned, than by those who appear to themselves unlearned. But the reason why at this time the interiors of the Word are opened, is because the church at this day is so far vastated, that is, so far without faith and love, that although they know and understand, still they do not acknowledge, still less do they believe, as may be seen, AC 3398, 3399, except the few who are in the life of good and are called the elect, who can now be instructed, and with whom a new church is about to be instituted. But where they are the Lord alone knows; there will be few within the church, new churches, heretofore, having been established among the Gentiles, as may be seen, AC 2986.

The subject treated of in what goes before in this chapter, was concerning the successive vastation of the church, namely, that at first they began no longer to know what was good, and true, but disputed on the subject. Next, that they despised those things; thirdly, that they did not acknowledge. Fourthly, that they profaned: the subject now treated of is concerning the state of the church, what its quality is at that time as to doctrine in general, and specifically with those who are in holy external worship, but in profane internal, that is, who with the mouth profess the Lord with holy veneration, but with the heart worship themselves and the world, so that the worship of the Lord is to them for a medium of gaining honours and wealth; so far as these have acknowledged the Lord, heavenly life and faith, so far they profane, when they become of such a quality. This state of the church is now treated of, as may better appear from the internal sense of the Lord's words above quoted, which is to this effect: Then if any one shall say to you, Behold, here is Christ, or there, believe not, signifies exhortation to beware of their doctrine. Christ is the Lord as to Divine Truth, hence as to the Word and as to doctrine from the Word: but in the present instance it is manifest that Christ denotes the contrary, namely, Divine Truth falsified, or the doctrine of the false: that Jesus denotes Divine Good, and Christ Divine Truth, see AC 3004, 3005, 3008, 3009. For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, signify the falses of that doctrine; that false christs denote doctrinals from the Word falsified, or truths not Divine, is evident from what was said just above, and that false prophets denote those who teach those falses. They who teach falses are, in the Christian world, principally those who regard their own distinction, also worldly opulence, as ends, for they pervert the truths of the Word to favour themselves: for when the love of self and the world is regarded as an end, nothing else is thought of; these are false christs and false prophets. And shall give great signs and prodigies, signifies things confirming and persuading from external appearances and fallacies, by which the simple suffer themselves to be seduced; that these things are meant by giving signs and prodigies, will be shown elsewhere by the Divine Mercy of the Lord. So as to seduce, if possible, even the elect, signifies those who are in the life of good and truth, and thence appertain to the Lord; these are they who in the Word are called the elect; they seldom appear in the assembly of those who veil profane worship under what is holy, or if they appear they are not known, for the Lord hides them, and thus protects them; for before they are confirmed, they suffer themselves to be easily led away by external sanctities, but after they are confirmed, they endure; for they are kept by the Lord in the consort of angels, which they themselves are ignorant of, and in this case it is impossible that they should be seduced by that wicked crew. Behold I have told you before, signifies exhortation to prudence, namely, to take heed to themselves, since they are amongst false prophets, who appear in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves, Matt 8:5; those false prophets are the sons of the age, who are more prudent, that is, more cunning than the sons of light in their generation (see Luke 16:8); wherefore the Lord exhorts them in these words, "Behold, I send you as sheep into the midst of wolves; be you therefore prudent as serpents and simple as doves." Matt 7:15. If therefore they shall say to you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; behold, He is in the closets, believe not, signifies that it must not be believed what they speak concerning truth, nor what they speak concerning good, and more besides.

That these are the things which are signified, no one can see, unless he who is acquainted with the internal sense; that an arcanum is contained in these words, may be known from this consideration, that the Lord spoke them, and that without another sense interiorly stored up, the literal sense is nothing of moment; for to what end could be the exhortation, not to go forth, if they should say that Christ was in the desert, and not to believe, if they should say that He was in the closets? But vastated truth is what is signified by desert, and vastated goods by closets or inner chambers. The ground and reason why vastated truth is signified by a desert is, because when the church is vastated, that is, when there is no longer in it any Truth Divine, because there is no longer any good, nor any love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, it is then said to be a desert, or to be in the desert, for by desert is meant all that which is not cultivated or inhabited, also that which has little of a vital principle in it, as is the case at that time with truth in the church. Hence it is evident that desert here denotes the church in which there is no truth, but closets or inner chambers, in the internal sense, signify the church as to good, they also signify simply good, the church which is in good being called the house of God, closets denote goods, and those things which are in the house. That the house of God denotes Divine Good, and house in general the good which is of love and charity, see AC 2233, 2234, 2559, 3142, 3652, 3720. The reason why what they speak concerning truth, and what they speak concerning good, ought not to be believed, is because they call what is false true, and what is evil good, for they who regard themselves and the world as an end, understand nothing else by truth and good than that themselves are to be adored, and that good is to be done to themselves; and if they inspire piety, it is that they may appear in sheep's clothing. Moreover, since the Word which the Lord spake contains in it things innumerable, and desert is a term of large signification, for all that is called desert which is not cultivated and inhabited, and all those things are called closets in which are things interior, therefore also by desert is signified the Word of the Old Testament, for this is thought to be abrogated, and by closets the Word of the New Testament, because it teaches interior things, or concerning the internal man. In like manner also the whole Word is said to be a desert, when it no longer serves for doctrinals, and human institutions are called closets, which, because they depart from the precepts and institutes of the Word, make the Word to be a desert, as is also a known thing in the Christian World, for they who are in holy external worship, and profane internal, on account of the innovations which respect the exaltation of themselves over all, and opulence above all, as ends, abrogate the Word, and this, to such a degree, that they do not even allow it to be read by others. And they who are not in such profane worship, although they hold the Word to be holy, and allow it to be commonly read, still they bend and explain all things to their doctrinals, which has this effect, that the remaining things in the Word, which are not according to their doctrinals, are a desert, as may be sufficiently manifest from those who place salvation in faith alone, and despise works of charity; these make all that as a desert, which the Lord Himself spoke in the New Testament, and so often in the Old, concerning love and charity, and as closets all those things which are of faith without works. Hence it is evident what is signified by the words, "If they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth; behold, He is in the closets, believe not." For as the lightning goes forth from, the east, and appears even to the west, so shall be, also the coming of the Son of Man, signifies that with the internal worship of the Lord it was as with lightning, which is instantly dissipated; for by lightning is signified that which is of celestial light, thus which is predicated of love and faith, for these are of celestial light; the east, in the supreme sense, signifies the Lord; in the internal sense, the good of love, of charity and faith from the Lord; but the west, in the internal sense, denotes what has set or ceased to be, thus the non-acknowledgement of the Lord, also the non-acknowledgement of the good of love, of charity and of faith; thus the lightning which goes forth from the east, and appears even to the west, denotes the dissipation of those things; the coming of the Lord is not according to the literal expression, that He is to appear again in the world, but it is His presence within every one, which occurs as often as the Gospel is preached, and a holy principle is thought of. For wheresoever the carcase is, thither will the eagles be gathered together, signifies that confirmations of what is false by reasonings will be multiplied in the vastated church. The church, whilst it is without good and the truth of faith thence derived, or when it is vastated, is then said to be dead, for its life is from good and truth, hence when it is dead, it is compared to a carcase; reasonings concerning goods and truths, to the effect that they are not anything only so far as they are comprehended, and confirmations of what is evil and false by those reasonings, are eagles, as may be manifest from what presently follows; that carcase here denotes the church which is without the life of charity and faith, is evident from the Lord's words, where He treats of the consummation of the age in Luke, "The disciples said, Where, Lord?" (namely, where is the consummation of the age, or the last judgement?) Jesus said to them, "Where the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together," Luke 17:37; in this passage it is called the body instead of the carcase, for it is a dead body which is here meant, and it signifies the church, for that judgment is about to begin at the house of God or the church, is manifest from the Word throughout.

These are the things which the words of the Lord here quoted and explained in the internal sense signify; and that they are in a most beautiful series, although it does not so appear in the sense of the letter, may be manifest to every one who contemplates them in their connection according to the explication. The reason why the last state of the church is compared to eagles, which are gathered together to a carcase or a body, is because by eagles are signified the rational principles of man, which when predicated of goods, are true rationals, but when predicated of evils, are false rationals or ratiocinations, as may appear from the passages in the Word where they are named. AC 3897, 3901.

Verses 23, 24. Then if any one shall say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, &c. - It is not to be understood from these words, that any will arise who will call themselves Christ or christs, but they who will falsify the Word, and say that this or that is Divine Truth, when it is not. They who confirm falses from the Word are meant by false christs, and they who hatch falses of doctrine are meant by false prophets, for the subject treated of is concerning the successive vastation of the church, thus concerning the falsification of the Word, and at length concerning the profanation of truth thence derived. AE 684.

By false christs are signified truths not Divine, or falses, and by false prophets they who teach them. AC 3010.

Truths ought not to be thought of as being from any other source than from the Lord. Truths from another source than from the Lord are, in general, those in which the Lord is not; and the Lord is not in the truths belonging to man, when man denies Him and His divine,nor when he acknowledges Him, and still believes that good and truth are not from Him, but from self, and hence claims to himself justice. Truths, also, in which the Lord is not, are those which are taken from the Word, especially from the sense of the letter, and are explained in favour of self-dominion and self-gain; these are in themselves truths, because they are from the Word, but they are not truths, because they are misinterpreted and thereby perverted; such are the truths which are meant By the Lord where He says, "If any one shall say, Behold, here is the Christ, or there, believe not, for false christs, and false prophets, shall arise," &c. AC 8867, 8868.

It is said in the Revelations 13:11, that the beast which came up out of the earth had two horns like a lamb, and spoke as a dragon, by which is signified that the clergy speak, teach, and write from the Word, as if what they teach was the Divine Truth of the Lord, and yet it is truth falsified; and that this is signified, is evident from these words of the Lord in Matthew, "If any one shall say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or there, believe not, for false christs and false prophets shall arise," &c.: by Christ is signified the like as by lamb, namely, the Divine Truth of the Word; wherefore by their saying, Behold, here is the Christ, is signified their saying that this is the Divine Truth of the Word; but that it is that truth falsified, is signified by these words, believe not, because false christs and false prophets shall arise. AR 595.

Verse 24. And shall give great signs and miracles.-By great signs are signified those things which testify and persuade, and by miracles those things which strike and induce astonishment, from which comes strong persuasion. AE 706. See also Exposition, chap. 12:39.

Verse 27. As the lightning comes forth from the east, &c. - Inasmuch as the Lord is the east, therefore it is said in Matthew, as the lightning goes forth from the east, &c.AE 422.

So shall the coming of the Son of Man be.-The Son of Man is the Lord as to the Divine Humanity, and as to the Divine Truth proceeding from Him; by His coming is signified the revelation of Divine Truth in the end of the church. AE 63. See also AC 9807.

Verse 28. Wheresoever the carcase is, &c. - When a faith in three gods was introduced into the Christian churches, which was done at the time of the council of Nice, all the good of charity and every truth of faith were banished, for those two principles have no sort of consistence with the mental worship of three gods, and at the same time with the oral worship of one God; for the mind then denies what the mouth speaks, and the m