Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 23

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

23. After this social festivity, all who had been invited to the wedding, including the ten men with their angel, departed. It was late in the evening and they went to bed. At dawn they heard a proclamation: "Today is the Sabbath"' and they rose and asked the angel what it meant. He answered: It is for the worship of God. This recurs at set times and is proclaimed by the priests. It is celebrated in our temples and continues for about two hours. If you please, therefore, come with me and I will introduce you." So they made ready and, accompanying the angel, they entered the temple. And lo, it was large, being capable of holding about three thousand, semi- circular, with benches or seats stretching in an unbroken curve which followed the lines of the temple, the back seats being higher than the front. The pulpit in front of the seats was a little back from the center; and behind at the left was a door. The ten new-comers entered with their angel guide, and the angel assigned them the places where they were to sit, saying: "Every one who enters the temple knows his own place. He knows it from an innate perception, nor can he sit anywhere else. If he sits in any other place, he hears nothing and perceives nothing; he also disturbs the order, and when this is disturbed, the priest is not inspired."


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church