Verses:
1-3:
Revelation concerning the successive changes of state of the church:
[2]
4:
The first, while they were in the understanding of truth;
[2]
5:
The second, when they studied only the sense of the letter of the Word;
[2]
6:
The third, when the sense of the letter of the Word was falsified, and falsity was made to appear as truth;
[2]
7:
The fourth, when there was faith alone, which destroyed all things of the church,
[3]
8:
and which was confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word;
[3]
9, 10:
they were judged from the Word,
[3]
11:
and that faith was wholly destroyed,
[3]
12:
and [those who were in] the former [states] were judged according to their life,
[3]
13, 14:
and the church became the Lord's.
[11]
15, 16:
Further explanation of those things:
[2]
17, 18:
four successive states of the church are meant;
[2]
19-21:
the last state is faith alone confirmed by reasonings and by the Word falsified, by virtue of which they would prevail;
[2]
22:
and this until the Lord shall institute the church
[11]
23, 24:
which has been destroyed by faith alone,
[3]
25:
and which despises the Lord Himself.
[3]
26, 27:
Finally those who are in faith alone will be judged, and a new church will be established by the Lord.
[15, 11]
28:
Thus comes the end.
[11]