I. The Consummation of the Age, foretold by the Lord in Daniel 5 ¹ , and in Matthew 24- by means of articles.

The Second Coming of the Lord, foretold by the Lord in the Prophets, the Evangelists, and by the Apostles - by means of articles.

The Lord's New Church, announced by the New Jerusalem in the Word of both Testaments, and described in the Apocalypse — by means of articles.

Invitation to the whole Christian world to that Church, and exhortation to receive the Lord worthily.

One memorable matter: that all things of the New Church appear before every enlightened man, in the light of truth; but, as soon as subjected to the present — day orthodoxy of the Church, the light of truth becomes shade.

The particulars of the doctrine of the New Church are to be set forth in order; likewise, those which are of the orthodoxy of the old.

II. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, AND THE FULNESS OF TIME

1. Concerning the Consummation of the Age, and the Abomination of Desolation at the time.

2. There is no cognition ² of God, but such as is erroneous, false, and entirely worthless; no cognition whatever of Omnipotence.

3. No cognition of the Lord.

4. No cognition of the Divine Human, but such as is historical.

5. No cognition of the Holy Spirit.

6. Hence, no cognition of the Divine Trinity.

7. No cognition of the holiness of the Word.

8. No cognition of Redemption, but such as is false.

9. No cognition of Faith, but such as is perceived by a blind man, which is none. It is similar with all things which depend upon that faith, and which from "God" are called Theological, from the "Church" Ecclesiastical, and from the "Spirit of God," by which they are inspired, Spiritual.

10. No cognition of Charity.

11. No cognition of Free — determination; and hence no human will; and therefore man is not man.

12. No cognition of Repentance, except oral; which is not Repentance.

13. No cognition of the Remission of Sins, and hence no cognition of Conversion.

14. No cognition of Reformation and Regeneration.

15. No cognition of the Imputation of good and evil; thus, no Judgment.

16. No cognition of Heaven and of Hell.

17. No cognition of Man's state after death; and hence no cognition of salvation and eternal life.

18. No cognition of Baptism and the Holy Supper, which are scarcely anything but ceremonies.

19. No cognition of the Law but such as is erroneous.

20. No cognition of the Gospel — which is, that man can be regenerated, and thus saved — except such as is erroneous.

21. There is no doctrine of Theology; thus consummation is so complete that not any truth whatever remains; which is why the Christian Religion is rent into so many heresies.

22. The Catechism is not anything.

23. The whole Word is not anything.

24. It follows hence that there is no Religion, Church, Worship, Ministry;

25. Because from all that precedes, it follows that there is mere Predestination.

26. It hence follows that in the above Church there remains not a grain of truth; thus, that it is the Abomination of Desolation.

27. The sayings of the Word burst with the sound of a loud report, when they are sent towards heaven by those who have studied modern orthodoxy — from experience.

28. Falsities must be eradicated before truths are implanted.

29. The "fulness of time" is the consummation, because time signifies the state of the Church; wherefore we read in Revelation, "time shall be no longer," neither morning nor day, but night; neither spring nor summer, but winter. The like is signified by "for a time, times, and half a time."

30. This state of the Church was foretold by the Lord through Daniel, and in Matthew, and in seven chapters in the Apocalypse, which are to be quoted.

31. The religion of this Church is not to be implanted by means of miracles, but by the Word, and by means of light therein from the Lord. This light enters and remains to eternity; but religion by means of miracles extinguishes this light, and, because it places the miracles before itself, therefore it perishes with a loud report (compare Matthew 24:24-25).

[32.] I have spoken with Paris, ³ whose miracles occupy two volumes, as to how he wrought his miracles — that it was done through spirits who entered into man's memory.

III. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

1. The Consummation of the Age, and the Abomination of Desolation at the time.

2. No cognition of God except what is erroneous; therefore, also, no cognition whatever concerning Omnipotence.

3. No cognition of the Lord.

4. No cognition of the Holy Spirit.

5. Hence, no cognition of the Divine Trinity.

6. No cognition of the holiness of the Word.

7. No cognition of Redemption.

8. No cognition of Faith.

9. No cognition of Charity.

10. No cognition of Free — determination.

11. No cognition of Repentance.

12. No cognition of the Remission of Sins, and hence no cognition of Conversion.

13. No cognition of Regeneration.

14. No cognition of Imputation.

15. No cognition of Heaven and Hell.

16. No cognition of the state of Man after death; and hence no cognition of salvation and eternal life.

17. No cognition of Baptism.

18. No cognition of the Holy Supper.

19. No cognition of the Law except what is erroneous.

20. No cognition of the Gospel — which is, that man can be regenerated, and thus saved — except what is erroneous.

[21.] There is no doctrine of Theology; thus the consummation is so complete that not any truth remains; which is why the Christian Religion is rent into so many heresies, concerning which...

IV. WHAT THE "CONSUMMATION" AND "DESOLATION" IS, AND THE "FULNESS OF TIME"

1. There is no cognition of God except what is false, and entirely worthless.

2. No cognition of the Divine Human of the Lord except what is historical.

3. No recognition of Redemption except what is false.

4. No cognition of Faith, except such as is seen by a blind man, which is none: it is similar with all things that depend on this faith, and are called Theological from "God," and Ecclesiastical from the "Church," and Spiritual from the "Spirit" of God, by whom they are inspired.

5. There is no Charity.

6. No Free-determination, thus no human will, and thus man is not man.

7. No Repentance, except oral; which is not Repentance.

-. No cognition of the Remission of Sins.

8. No Reformation and Regeneration.

9. No Imputation of good and evil, thus no Judgment.

10. Baptism and the Holy Supper scarcely anything but ceremonies.

11. The Catechism not anything.

12. The whole Word not anything.

13. Hence it follows that there is not any Religion, Church, Worship, Ministry.

14. Since from all these it follows that there is mere Predestination,

15. It follows, that in that Church there remains not a grain of truth; thus, that it is the Abomination of Desolation.

16. Hence are so many heresies.

17. The things said in the Word, when sent towards heaven by those who have studied present — day orthodoxy, burst with a loud report — from experience.

18. Falsities must be eradicated before truths are implanted.

[19.] The "fulness of time" is Consummation, because "time" signifies the state of the Church; wherefore we read in the Apocalypse: "There shall be time no longer," neither morning nor day, but night; neither spring nor summer, but winter. The like is signified by, "for a time, times, and half a time."

[20.] This state of the Church was foretold by the Lord through Daniel, and in Matthew, and in seven chapters in the Apocalypse — which are to be quoted.

[21.] The religion of this [i.e., the New] Church is not to be implanted by miracles, but by the Word, and by light from the Lord therein. This light enters and remains to eternity; but religion through miracles extinguishes this light; and because it places the miracles before itself (compare Matthew 24:24-25), it therefore perishes with a loud report.

[22.] I spoke with Paris, ⁴ of whose miracles there are two volumes, concerning how he wrought his miracles: that it was done through spirits who entered into the memory of the man, and [persuaded] him; very many things concerning them. Still, however, Paris did not apply himself to any religion, and hence did not know anything of the truth of the Church; wherefore he is at the present day with those who are in hell.

V. CONCERNING THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, AND CONCERNING THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

No cognition of God.

No cognition of the Lord.

No cognition of the Holy Spirit.

No cognition of the holiness of the Word.

No cognition of Redemption.

No cognition of Faith.

No cognition of Charity.

No cognition of Free — determination.

No cognition of Repentance.

No cognition of the Remission of Sins and Conversion.

No cognition of Regeneration.

No cognition of Imputation.

No cognition of Heaven and Hell.

No cognition of Man's State after death, and hence of Salvation.

No cognition of Baptism.

No cognition of the Holy Supper.

It hence follows that there is no Religion, and hence no Church.

Concerning the Lord's Advent.

Concerning Miracles.

Invitation to the whole world to the New Church.

That there is one Shepherd and one flock; that Jehovah is one.

Footnotes:

51. The worldly knowledge and spiritual knowledge that serve for the opening of our inner spiritual self. "Worldly knowledge" refers to the knowledge we have in our outer or earthly self and its memory, but not to the knowledge we have in our inner or spiritual self: 3019, 3020, 3293, 3309, 4967, 9918, 9922. Since worldly knowledge belongs to the outer or earthly self it is relatively menial. This is because the outer or earthly self is made to serve the inner or spiritual self the way the world serves heaven: 5077, 5125, 5128, 5786, 5947, 10272, 10471. The outer self is like the world because the laws of the divine design that prevail in the world are written into it; and the inner self is like heaven because the laws of the divine design that prevail in heaven are written into it: 4523, 4524, 5368, 6013, 6057, 9278, 9279, 9283, 9709, 10156, 10472; [see also] Heaven and Hell 51-58.

[2] There are bodies of knowledge of an earthly nature that have to do with our civic condition and our civic life; there are bodies of knowledge that have to do with our moral condition and our moral life; and there are bodies of knowledge that have to do with our spiritual condition and our spiritual life: 5774, 5934. For clarity's sake, though, I refer to knowledge about our spiritual condition and our spiritual life as "spiritual knowledge," which mainly consists of theological teachings: 9945.

[3] It is important for us to become steeped in worldly and spiritual knowledge, because it is through this that we learn to think, then to understand what truth and goodness are, and eventually to be wise-that is, to live by what we have learned: 129, 1450, 1451, 1453, 1548, 1802. Worldly and spiritual knowledge are basic things on which our life is built and founded-both our civic and our moral life as well as our spiritual life; but they need to be learned with the goal of living a useful life: 1489, 3310. Spiritual knowledge opens a pathway to the inner self and then joins the inner and the outer self together according to our usefulness: 1563, 1616. Our rationality is born by means of worldly and spiritual knowledge (1895, 1900, 3086), yet it is not born through that knowledge itself, but through and according to our desire to put it to use (1895). The inner self is opened and gradually perfected through worldly and spiritual knowledge if we seek good and useful goals, especially goals related to eternal life: 3086. Then spiritual insights from the heavenly and spiritual self encounter the knowledge of worldly and spiritual things that is in the earthly self and adopt what is suitable: 1495. Then from the knowledge about worldly and spiritual things that is in our earthly self the Lord, by means of our inner self, draws out, refines, and raises up what is useful for heavenly life (1895, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 5871, 5874, 5901), but information that is incompatible or conflicting is pushed aside and excluded (5871, 5886, 5889). The sight of our inner self calls forth from the worldly and spiritual knowledge in our outer self only those things that relate to what we love: 9394. Our worldly and spiritual knowledge is arranged in bundles and bound together according to the type of love that drove us to learn it: 5881. Then to the eye of our inner self the information that relates to what we love is at the center and in bright light, while the information that does not relate is off to the sides and in darkness: 6068, 6085. Worldly and spiritual knowledge is gradually sown in our loves and takes up residence there: 6323. If we were born loving the Lord and loving our neighbor we would be born into all knowledge and understanding, but since we are born loving ourselves and the world we are born into total ignorance: 6323. Knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom are the offspring that are born of love for the Lord and love for our neighbor: 1226, 2049, 2116.

[4] Since knowledge of worldly and spiritual things belongs to the outer or earthly self, it is in this world's light, but truths that have become matters of love and faith and therefore have been applied to life are in heaven's light: 5212. Even so, earthly concepts are needed to help us understand the truths that we are applying to life: 5510. There is a spiritual inflow through the inner self into the knowledge of worldly and spiritual things that is in the outer self: 1940, 8005. Knowledge of worldly and spiritual things is a container and vessel for the truth and goodness that belong to the inner self: 1469, 1496, 3068, 5489, 6004, 6023, 6052, 6071, 6077, 7770, 9922. That is why "vessels" in the Word, spiritually understood, means knowledge of worldly and spiritual things: 3068, 3069, 3079, 9394, 9544, 9723, 9724. Our worldly knowledge is like a mirror in which we can see and perceive in a kind of image things that are true and things that are good in the inner self (5201); all three meet together there on the outermost level (5373, 5874, 5886, 5901, 6004, 6023, 6052, 6071, 6077). Since worldly information is in this world's light, it is tangled and dark compared to things that are in heaven's light, which means that the same holds true for the contents of the outer self in comparison to those of the inner self: 2831. In fact, in the Word "a thicket" (2831) and "clouds" and "darkness" (8443, 10551) mean worldly knowledge.

[5] We need to make our start from the truths of a body of teaching from the Word and acknowledge them first, and then it is allowable to turn to worldly knowledge in order to find support for them and verify them: 6047. So if people have a positive attitude toward the truths that belong to religious faith, it is all right for them to look to worldly knowledge for intellectual support, but it is not all right for people who have a negative attitude to such truths, because a positive attitude as a starting point pulls everything in a positive direction, but a negative attitude as a starting point pulls everything in a negative direction: 2568, 2588, 3913, 4760, 6047. There is an affirmative way of doubting and a negative way of doubting, the former being characteristic of the good and the latter characteristic of the evil: 2568. Engagement with worldly knowledge on the basis of the truths that belong to religious faith accords with proper order; but the reverse, engaging on the basis of worldly knowledge with the truths that belong to religious faith, is contrary to proper order: 10236. Since inflow is spiritual and not physical or earthly it is a flow from the truths that belong to religious faith (because these are spiritual) into worldly knowledge (because this is earthly): 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5479, 6322, 9109, 9110.

[6] People who doubt in a truly negative way, and say that they will not believe until they are convinced by objective evidence, will never believe: 2094, 2832. People who do this become insane in regard to matters of the church and heaven: 128, 129, 130. They fall prey to false beliefs and evil cravings (232, 233) in the other life when they think about spiritual matters they become like drunks (1072). More about what they are like: 196. Some examples illustrating the fact that spiritual matters cannot be grasped if they are approached from the wrong direction: 233, 2094, 2196, 2203, 2209. Many scholars are more insane in spiritual matters than ordinary people because they are resolutely negative and have an abundant supply of facts to support their denial: 4760. An example of a scholar who was incapable of understanding anything about spiritual life: 8629. People who use worldly knowledge to dispute the truths that belong to religious faith do so with vehemence, since their arguments are based on the deceptive impressions of the five senses. These impressions, being hard to dispel, are arresting and persuasive: 5700. People who understand nothing of what is true and who are also given to evil are able to reason about the truths and the good actions taught by faith, and yet they have no enlightenment: 4214. Simply confirming a dogma is not a sign of intelligence, because a dogma that is false is as easy to confirm as one that is true: 1017, 2477, 2490, 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680, 7950, 8521, 8780. People who reason about the truths of the church by asking whether something is so or not are completely in the dark about truths and have no spiritual light yet: ¹ 215, 1385, 3428.

[7] There are types of knowledge that support divine truths and types that do not: 5213. Empty facts have to be eliminated from our minds: 1489, 1492, 1499, 1500. Facts are empty if they intend and support our love for ourselves and the world and lead us away from loving the Lord and our neighbor, because this kind of thing closes the inner self so completely that we can then not accept anything from heaven: 1563, 1600. Worldly knowledge is a means to both wisdom and madness; by it the inner self is either opened or closed and our rational functioning is either developed or destroyed: 4156, 8628, 9922.

[8] Worldly learning means nothing after death except what we have gained through it for our understanding and life: 2480. Nevertheless, all our worldly knowledge remains intact after death, though it is dormant: 2476-2479, 2481-2486.

[9] The same facts that are false for evil people because they are used for evil purposes are true for good people because they are used for good purposes: 6917. The truths that evil people know are not actually true no matter how true they may seem when they say them, because there is something evil within those truths and they are falsified as a result; not even the knowledge they have deserves to be called knowledge, because it has no life within it: 10331.

[10] It is one thing to be wise, another to be intelligent, another to be knowledgeable, and another to act; all the same, for people engaged in a spiritual life, these follow in order and correspond to each other, and they are all present together in the doing and in the deeds: 10331. It is also one thing to know the truth, another to acknowledge it, and still another to believe it: 896.

[11] An example of the kind of craving for information that spirits have: 1973. Angels have an immense desire for knowledge and wisdom because knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom are spiritual food: 3114, 4459, 4792, 4976, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 6277, 8562, 9003.

[12] Among the ancients the most important field of study was knowing correspondences, but nowadays that body of knowledge has been erased: 3021, 3419, 4280, 4844, 4964, 4965, 6004, 7729, 10252. There was a knowledge of correspondences among the people of the Near East and in Egypt: 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407. This was the source of their hieroglyphics: 6692, 7097. Through their knowledge of correspondences the ancients gained access to spiritual knowledge of various kinds: 4749, 4844, 4966. The Word was written in pure correspondences, and that is the source of its inner or spiritual meaning. Without a knowledge of correspondences we cannot know that this meaning exists or know what the nature of the Word is: 3131, 3472-3485, 8615, 10687. How superior a knowledge of correspondences is to other forms of knowledge: 4280.

Footnotes: