Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 5202

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

5202. CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE LAST JUDGMENT AND CONCERNING THE DESTRUCTION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. SUCH THINGS AS RELATE TO VASTATION, ARE, MAINLY, CONCERNING THE LUTHERANS, AND THE REFORMED, SO-CALLED. After the many particular vastations of which I spoke above* were accomplished, and those companies, which were many, were thrust down from the mountains and rocks, and cast into ponds, marshes, lakes and gulfs, from which they can never ascend - there came, at length, certain ones who placed themselves above others, and incited souls against the Lord, and against the Divine Truth which is from Him. From these, the whole mass, as it were, began to be fermented; and it was observed, that that disturbance and tumult spread around, on every side, in from ten to twenty mountains and rocks, to those who were upon them and those who were beneath, at the foot and even to the summits, where it was believed the heavens were; for they who were there, appeared, to those lower down, like a mist; and it was believed, that the heavens were there. These also, equally with those who were below, got into the tumult; and then some exalted themselves, and the rest adhered to them, and aided them, for the sole purpose of destroying those who were in Divine Truth from the Lord; thus, [of acting] against the Lord. When, therefore, attention was turned to the fact that the contagion spread on every side, then there occurred a general Advent of the Lord. In appearance, it was like a cloudy sphere, which was borne about upon the mountains and rocks and carried down all the dwellers there - not by casting them down, as before, but by so bearing them away that it did not appear whence it occurred; for that Divine Sphere passed over into their interiors, which were of the will, or heart, and snatched them away, and they were transferred, in a moment, to lower places, and to the hells to which they corresponded; and this to the number of myriads. This was done inside of an hour's time. That Divine sphere was borne round about, in a circular course, returning several times; and thus it carried down all those who revolted. They who were not carried down, were not visible, because they were hidden. They were those who did not revolt. Those mountains and mountain-tops receded and sank down, some quite to the plain. The cities were cast down, and desolation appeared everywhere. This was the destruction of heaven and earth which, in the genuine sense, is meant by the Last Judgment, in the Word; and, in the place of these things, a new heaven and new earth [are now] looked for. * Nos. 5184-5186.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church