5960. GOG AND MAGOG. There were some, nearly over my head, who placed everything in the reading of pious books, and were full of prayers, and sang psalms, believing that all worship consists in those exercises. These, as they were above me, obliterated all understanding of the Word as to the internal sense and also dulled the spiritual affection of truth; and scattered roundabout, below, were many of the like religion, who as it were obsessed me. I then conversed with them, and they said that they read only such books, and that they have officers who make visitation to them in their society, to see whether they are diligent in their reading. They were asked whether they do not learn truths. They said that they do not trouble themselves about them, supposing that they inflow from God, independently of reception, and thought regarding them thus, without putting themselves to the trouble of learning knowledges. I replied to them, that, without truths, man is empty; and that readings and prayings by those are like sound from a vacuum, and that they ought by all means to learn truths, and to be engaged in work, and not in such idleness. It was also perceived that Gog and Magog were such. Moreover, it may be evident what Gog and Magog are, from Rosenstolpe, who had read the Word [Scriverus's edition] diligently, had attended church and prayed fervently, and nevertheless knew nothing at all of scarcely a single thing, nor had he understood the Word as to a single point of doctrine. His life also was unjust, since he gave judgment in favor of his friends. Hence he appeared like a log, vacant and destitute of spiritual life. It was also perceived that such ones are Gog and Magog.