You are the boss of a small company. You are looking to hire a new employee to fill a vacancy. The first applicant steps into the room and sits down. As you look over the application, you realize there is no resume. You must have overlooked that because you are still kind of new at being a boss. You go ahead with the interview anyway... maybe this will be interesting. After some getting-to-know-you questions, you ask the applicant about references and prior work experience. The applicant thinks for a second and then says, “don’t you know that Jesus told us not to judge?”

This is the second of two articles about judgment. The first one was about the types of judgment we ought to avoid: condemning, self-righteous, hypocritical, spiritual judgments. In this one, we will look at the type of judgment the Lord gives us permission to do.

What are the ways we can judge and even ought to judge? What are some ways in which we can be helpful once we have judged righteously?

To begin with, maybe we should just verify that it is ok for us to be judging at all. The real test is whether it makes sense in the Lord’s eyes.

So, let’s take a quick look at some verses on judgment that we used in the previous sermon:

“He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” — This is NOT about NOT judging, it’s about not destroying and killing somebody’s spirit by judging them with our ideas (no matter how true they may be).

“Judge not that you be not judged....” — This really means “condemn not”, meaning that we cannot judge a person’s spiritual character, because we can only see what is on the outside.

“First, remove the plank out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.” — Note that Jesus doesn’t say “don’t remove your brother’s speck.” He says, “first remove your plank.”

The Lord does give us permission to judge people’s actions. Actually, He tells us that we should. In Leviticus we are told,

“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people (Leviticus 19:15-16)

Here, the Lord commands the Israelites to judge their neighbor in righteousness. And, just in case anyone was looking for a little wiggle room for their habit of gossiping, I left in the Lord’s command saying, “you shall not go about as a talebearer.” Spreading negative stories is not an act of love, but rather is more likely an act of selfishness.

New Church teachings also support the practice of making certain kinds of judgments. The following from the book True Christianity offers a very practical reason for judging:

“When anyone chooses from three or four people a steward to run his household, or to be a servant, does he not investigate that person’s internal self, and choose one who is honest and faithful, and so love him?” (True Christianity 410)

Here's a somewhat similar teaching from Apocalypse Explained:

"It is permissible to everyone to think about the moral and civil life of another, and to judge of it; without such thought and judgment concerning others, no civil society could subsist." (Apocalypse Explained 629.14)

There it is: we can judge the moral and civil life of another. We can judge somebody’s actions, and we can also judge based on those actions whether or not a person appears to be acting honestly and faithfully. The judges in our courts make these kinds of decisions all the time. They have to determine whether or not a person did something with ill intent or simply accidentally.

OK. So what? So what if we judge righteously? Then what?

Well, we can use it to determine who our friends should be, or who to hire for a job. But is that all? Is it used just to keep away people that we don’t want near us? In some cases — for example in families and other unavoidable situations — it’s impossible to distance ourselves from anybody, and yet, we can still apply those judgments for good.

Loving our neighbor doesn’t mean loving the person, it means loving the good that we see in that person. Without exception, every human being is a mix of good and evil. Our goal in loving is to support the good. What, then, do we do about the evil we see? Are we supposed to love that evil in some way?

To answer this, we look to the verses following the Lord’s words about the speck and the plank. He continues by saying,

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (Matthew 7:6)

One way to apply the Lord’s words here is to not give our love and thus support to the bad habits we see in people. That love will be destroyed, and it will not serve love’s purpose of helping our neighbor toward heaven. In order for our love to be useful, we must use our ability to judge and recognize the swine and dogs — that is, the bad habits in our neighbor and also in ourselves.

Right, so, love and support good habits... what about the bad habits? The Lord tells us not to cast our pearls before swine. So, what DO we do with the swine?

This isn’t a simple situation, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. We have to use our judgment and the Lord’s guidance to try to find the best way to respond. Here are some possible ways to approach the bad habits we observe in others.

The first thing we can do is ignore a bad habit that isn’t hurting anybody. In the story of Noah about his drunkenness, Shem and Japheth walked into the tent backwards to cover their father’s nakedness. They didn’t even look at him. We are told that angels act in this way also — they love and support the good in their neighbor while hardly noticing their sins.

The second thing we should do is protect the

innocent. In one passage, New Church teachings offer insight into the appropriate occupation of a judge. A judge inflicts a penalty on a guilty person in order to prevent evil being done to innocent people. And our judgment can serve

the same purpose — protection of the innocent.

Those are two things we can do when we judge righteously: first we can ignore it and support their good habits, and second, if a person’s sin might hurt someone, we should first protect good and innocence.

And finally, there is a third option: confront the transgressor.

We need to consider carefully how we confront someone whose actions or words merit correction. In this kind of confrontation, as with any other interaction, we might consider whether we are offering love or truth? Ask yourself what the person really needs. Or a better idea: ask the person what they need? “Hey, do you need some helpful ideas here, or do you just need somebody to listen?” It’s very possible that the person we are confronting is experiencing a difficult life situation, and they simply need some love.

And then, when we do offer truth, check if your words are really helpful by submitting them to three tests: kind, true, and useful.

First test... is the thing we are saying kind — meaning, are we really coming from love and a desire to help the person get to heaven, or are we being a little bit self-righteous or condemnatory. Even when we are offering our ideas, it should be from a place of love.

Second test... is the thing we are saying actually true, or is our perception perhaps skewing the situation. It’s very possible that we are misinterpreting someone’s actions and responding inappropriately? To avert misinterpretation, it is usually a good idea to listen to the person first.

Third test... are our words useful? Sure, we want to help, and as far as we can tell, it’s true... but is it really, actually, truly going to help the person in their situation? We may be trying to be kind, and we think it’s true, but if the person is in a hard situation, then it may not be helpful for that person.

It can be quite useful for someone to receive some outside perspective on their words and actions. If they are coming across as a jerk, they really do deserve to know. New Church teachings inform us that it can be really useful to have some outside input regarding our external appearance, otherwise we continue live in our own fantasies (See Heaven and Hell 487).

So, are you ok with being judged? With the measure you judged, are you ready for it to be measured back? Are you ready for others to do unto you as you do unto them?

If your answer is yes, then as you go about your daily life judging righteously, first think about whether the problem can simply be ignored while supporting goodness. If it can’t be, then first make sure that innocence and goodness are being protected. And if a person’s bad habit needs to be confronted, then choose your words very, very carefully. Are your words kind, true, and useful?

(Adapted from a sermon by Jeffrey Smith, April, 2021)

14. And they that hear the words of the prophecy, signifies that they live according to the doctrine of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "hearing," as being to perceive and obey (See Arcana Coelestia 2542, 3869, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 10061); thus also to live according to that doctrine; for those who perceive and obey the doctrine of heaven live according to it; and from the signification of "the words of the prophecy," as being the truths that pertain to the doctrine of heaven; for "words" are truths (n. 4692, 5075); and "prophecy" is doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); here it is the doctrine of heaven, since it is prophecy belonging to the Word, and the Word is from heaven. To "hear" is to obey and to live, because with celestial angels the things that are heard enter into the life; but as this is a thing unknown, I would like to explain it briefly.

There are two senses given to man which serve as means of receiving the things whereby the rational is formed, and also the things by which man is reformed; these are the sense of sight and the sense of hearing; the other senses are for other uses. The things that enter by the sense of sight enter into man's understanding and enlighten it, for which reason by "sight" is signified the understanding enlightened, for the understanding corresponds to the sight of the eye, as the light of heaven corresponds to the light of the world. The things, however, that enter by the sense of hearing enter both into the understanding and into the will, and for this reason by "the hearing" is signified perception and obedience. Consequently, in human language, to "hear" anyone, and to "give ear to" anyone, also to "listen to," and "hearken to," are common expressions; and by "hearing anyone" is meant to perceive, and by "giving ear to," as also by "listening to" is meant to obey; while "hearkening to" means either perceiving or obeying. These expressions flowed down into human language out of the spiritual world, where man's spirit is. Their origin in the spiritual world shall also be explained.

[2] Those there who are in the province of the ear are obediences from perception. (That all who are in the spiritual world are in some province that is named from the members, organs, or viscera of man, because they correspond thereto, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102.) Moreover, the province of the ear is in the axis of heaven; into it, therefore, or into those who are there, the whole spiritual world flows in, with the perception that "thus must it be done;" for this is the reigning perception in heaven; from this it is that those who are in that province are obediences from perception. That the things that enter by hearing enter immediately through the understanding into the will, may be further illustrated by the way in which angels of the celestial kingdom, who are most wise, are instructed. These angels receive all their wisdom by hearing, and not by sight; for whatsoever they hear about Divine things, they receive in the will from veneration and love, and make it of their life; and because they receive these things not first in the memory, but immediately in the life, they do not speak about matters of faith, but when these are mentioned by others, they answer, "Yea, yea," or "Nay, nay," according to the Lord's words in Matthew 5:37. From this it is evident that hearing is given to man chiefly for the reception of wisdom, and sight for the reception of intelligence. Wisdom is to perceive, to will, and to do; and intelligence is to know and to perceive. (That the celestial angels imbibe wisdom by hearing, not by sight, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 270-271; and more concerning those angels, n. 20-28.)

220. But it shall be told also what "temple" signifies in the Word. In the highest sense, "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven; and as it signifies heaven, it also signifies the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on earth; and as "temple" signifies heaven and the church it also signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, for the reason that this makes heaven and the church; for those who receive Divine truth in soul and heart, that is, in faith and love, are they who constitute heaven and the church. As such is the signification of "temple," it is said, "the temple of My God;" "My God," when said by the Lord, meaning heaven and Divine truth there, which also is the Lord in heaven. The Lord is above the heavens, and to those who are in the heavens He appears as a sun. From the Lord as a sun light and heat go forth. Light in heaven is in its essence Divine truth, and heat in heaven is in its essence Divine good; these two make heaven in general and in particular. Divine truth is what is meant by "My God;" therefore in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is called both "Jehovah" and "God;" "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, and "God" where Divine truth is treated of; for the same reason also angels are called "gods," and the word God in the Hebrew is used in the plural, Elohim. This shows why it is said, "the temple of My God." (That the Lord is called "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, but "God" where Divine truth is treated of, see Arcana Coelestia 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4283, 4402, 7010, 9167; that He is called Jehovah" from Esse, thus from Essence, but "God" from Existere, thus from Existence, n. 300, 3910, 6905; that the Divine Esse moreover is Divine good, and the Divine Existere is Divine truth, n. 3061, 6280, 6880, 6905, 10579; and in general that good is the esse, and truth the existere therefrom, n. 5002; that the angels are called "gods" from their reception of Divine truth from the Lord, n. 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8301, 8192. That the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth united to Divine good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell (13, 133, 139-140. That light in the heavens is in its essence Divine truth, and heat there is Divine good, both from the Lord, see in the same work n. 126-140, 275.)

[2] That "temple" in the Word signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven and the church, consequently also Divine truth, can be seen from the following passages.

In John:

The Jews asking, What sign showest Thou unto us, that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, In forty and six years was this temple built, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days? But He was speaking of the Temple of His body (John 2:18-23).

That "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human is here openly declared; for "destroying the temple and raising it up after three days" means the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection.

[3] In Malachi:

Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, and the Angel of the covenant whom ye seek (Malachi 3:1).

Here also "temple" means the Lord's Divine Human; for the Lord's coming is here treated of, therefore "coming to His temple" signifies to His Human.

[4] In Revelation:

I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb (Revelation 21:22).

The New Heaven and the New Earth, when they will be in internals, and not in externals, are here treated of, therefore it is said, that "there will be no temple," but "the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb." "The Lord God Almighty," is the Divine Itself of the Lord, and "the Lamb" is His Divine Human; from which also it is clear, that His Divine in the heavens is meant by "temple."

[5] In Isaiah:

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His skirts filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).

"The throne high and lifted up," upon which the Lord was seen to sit, signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth in the higher heavens; but "His skirts" signify His Divine truth in the church. (That "skirts" signify, in reference to the Lord, His Divine truth in ultimates, see Arcana Coelestia 9917.)

That:

The veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom, after the Lord suffered (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:34, 38; Luke 23:45);

signified the union of the Lord's Divine Human with the Divine itself (See Arcana Coelestia 9670).

[6] In the passages that follow "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and at the same time heaven and the church.

In David :

I will bow myself down toward the temple of Thy holiness, and will confess unto Thy name (Psalms 138:2).

In Jonah:

I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes, but yet will I add to look to the temple of Thy holiness, and my prayer came to Thee to the temple of Thy holiness (Jonah 2:4, 7).

In Habakkuk:

Jehovah in the temple of Thy ¹ holiness (Habakkuk 2:20).

In Matthew:

Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (Matthew 23:16, 17).

In John :

Jesus said to them that sold in the temple, Take these hence; make not My Father's house a house of merchandise. Then the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine house hath consumed me (John 2:16, 17).

[7] Beside these, there are many other passages in the Word where "temple" is mentioned. That it may be known that "temple" means heaven and the church, as also Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, I will cite these passages here, lest the mind should cling to the idea that a mere temple is meant, and not something more holy; for the temple in Jerusalem was holy because it represented and thus signified what is holy. That "temple" signified heaven is evident from these passages. In David:

I called upon Jehovah, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice from His temple (Psalms 18:6).

In the same:

A day in Thy courts is better than thousands. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalms 84:10).

In the same:

The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalms 92:12-13).

In the same :

One thing have I asked of Jehovah; that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah, and to early visit His temple (Psalms 27:4).

I shall be at rest in the house of Jehovah for length of days (Psalms 23:6).

In John:

Jesus said, In My Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2).

It is clear that in these passages, by "house of Jehovah" and "Father's house" heaven is meant.

[8] In the following passages the church also is meant. In Isaiah:

The house of our holiness and our splendor, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire (Isaiah 64:11).

In Jeremiah:

I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned Mine heritage (Jeremiah 12:7).

In Haggai:

I will shake all nations, that the choice of all nations may come; and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (Haggai 2:7-9).

In Isaiah:

He shall say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thou shalt be founded (Isaiah 44:28).

Here the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time are treated of. In Zechariah the meaning is similar:

The house of Jehovah was founded that the temple may be built (Zechariah 8:9).

In Daniel:

Belshazzar commanded to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that they might drink from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, and then came the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:2-4.).

The "gold and silver vessels that were brought from the temple of Jerusalem" signified the goods and truths of the church; that they "drank wine from them and praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone," signifies the profanation of those goods and truths; and on account of this the writing appeared on the wall, and the king ² was changed from a man into a wild beast.

[9] In Matthew:

And the disciples came to show Jesus the building of the temple. Jesus said unto them, See ye all these things? There shall not be left here stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:1, 2; Mark 13:1-5; Luke 21:5-7).

That "there should not be left of the temple stone upon stone that should not be thrown down" signifies the total destruction and vastation of the church ("stone" signifying the truth of the church); and because this is what is meant, the successive vastation of the church is what is treated of in these chapters in the Evangelists.

In Revelation:

And the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein (Revelation 11:1).

The "temple" here also signifies the church, and "measuring" signifies to explore its quality:

The new temple and its measurements (Ezekiel 40-Ezekiel 47); have a like signification.

[10] That "temple" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, is evident from the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

The glory of Jehovah mounted up from above the cherub over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud; but the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 10:4).

"House" here means heaven and the church, and "cloud" and "glory" Divine truth. (That "cloud" is Divine truth, see above, n. 36; and "glory" the like, n. 33.)

[11] In Micah:

Many nations shall go, and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of our God; that He may instruct us of His ways, and that we may go in His paths; for from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem (Micah 4:2).

"Mountain of Jehovah, and house of God," signify the church, likewise "Zion" and "Jerusalem;" "to be instructed of His ways, and to go in His paths," is to be instructed in Divine truths; it is therefore said, "From Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem."

[12] In Isaiah:

A voice of a tumult of Jehovah ³ from the city, the voice of Jehovah out of the temple (Isaiah 66:6).

"City" means the doctrine of truth; "temple" the church; and "the voice of Jehovah out of the temple" Divine truth. In Revelation:

There came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying (Revelation 16:17).

Here, likewise, "voice" means Divine truth.

Again:

And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and there was seen in the temple the ark of His covenant; and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings (Revelation 11:19).

"Lightnings, voices, thunderings," signify in the Word Divine truths out of heaven (See Arcana Coelestia 7573, 8914).

The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; and there came out from the temple seven angels, having the seven plagues. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power (Revelation 15:5-6, 8).

Here seven angels are said to have come out from the temple in heaven, because "angels" signify Divine truths (See above, n. 130, 200). What is signified by "smoke from the glory of God" will be seen in the explanation of these words further on. It should be known, moreover, that the temple built by Solomon, and also the house of the forest of Lebanon, and each particular thing pertaining to them (as described in 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 7), signified spiritual and celestial things pertaining to the church and to heaven.

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