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Page 24
A SUCCESSION OF CHURCHES
There have been four Churches on this earth since the day of creation;
a first, to be called the Adamic, a second, to be called the Noachic;
a third, the Israelitish; and a fourth, the Christian. After these
four Churches, a new one will arise, which is to be truly Christian,
foretold in _Daniel_ and in the _Apocalypse_, and by the Lord Himself
in the Evangelists, and looked for by the Apostles.
--_Coronis_, Summary, I, VIII
EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND ITS DECLINE
When a Church is raised up by the Lord, it is in the beginning
blameless; and one then loves the other as his brother, as we know of
the primitive Church after the Lord's advent. At that time, all the
sons of the Church lived together like brothers, and also called one
another brother, and mutually loved each other. But in the course of
time charity diminished, and vanished; and as it vanished, evils
succeeded; and together with evils falsities insinuated themselves.
Hence came schisms and heresies, which would never come to be, were
charity regnant and alive.
--_Arcana Coelestia, n._ 1834
THE LORD'S SECOND COMING: WHEN? HOW?
Now is the Lord's Second Coming, and a New Church is to be instituted.
The Second Coming of the Lord is not a coming in Person, but in the
Word, which is from Him, and is Himself. We read in many places that
the Lord will come in the clouds of heaven. The "clouds of heaven"
mean the Word in its natural sense, and "glory" the Word in its
spiritual sense, and "power" the Lord's power by means of the Word. So
the Lord is now to appear in the Word. He is not to appear in Person
because, since His ascension into heaven, He is in the Glorified
Humanity, in which He cannot appear to any man, unless He opens the
eyes of his spirit first, and this cannot be done with any one who is
in evils and thence in falsities. It is vain, therefore, to believe
that the Lord will appear in a cloud of heaven in Person; but He will
appear in the Word, which is from Him, and so is Himself.
--_True Christian Religion, nn._ 115, 776, 777
What occurred at the end of the Jewish Church has occurred similarly
now; for at the end of that Church, which was when the Lord came into
the world, the Word was interiorly opened. Interior Divine truths were
revealed by the Lord, which were to serve the New Church to be
established by Him, and did serve it, too. To-day, again, for similar
reasons, the Word has been interiorly opened, and divine truths still
more interior have been revealed, which are to serve a New Church,
which will be called the New Jerusalem.
--_Apocalypse Explained, n._ 948
A NEW CHURCH
It was foretold in the _Apocalypse_ (XXI, XXII) that at the end of the
former Church a New Church was to be instituted, in which this would
be the chief teaching: that God is One in Person as well as in
Essence, in Whom is the Trinity, and that that God is the Lord. This
Church is what is there meant by the New Jerusalem, into which only he
can enter who acknowledges the Lord alone as God of Heaven and earth.
--_Divine Providence, n._ 263
The descent of the New Jerusalem cannot take place in a moment, but
becomes a fact as the falsities of the former Church are removed. For
what is new cannot enter where falsities have previously been
engendered, unless these are eradicated; which will take place with
the clergy, and so with the laity.
--_True Christian Religion, n._ 784
THE ULTIMATE GOAL
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