Matthew 2:13 The angel appeareth in a dream

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream...

-Matthew 2:13 Bible, King James Version

The Dream world is the Spirit world therefore God and the angels can interact with mankind through their dreams. Most of the time however the daily messages from God through our dreams are symbolic so they may not make any sense until we unlock their meaning.

Personally I keep a Dream and Vision Journal and I often use, as a guide, the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg to help me interpret a dream. The site I use is 

https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/advanced-search/

then click on Swedenborg's works and type in key words such as; flooding signifies. As a result a list of quotes will appear which may help to unlock the dream's symbolism.

Matthew 2:9 The Star went before them

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. -Matthew 2:9 Bible, King James Version

In the Inner Worlds a Star, which is a Sun, a Sun or a Moon is always seen before an Angel.

Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen by Emanuel Swedenborg

Chapter 14

The Sun in Heaven.

117. Although the sun of the world is not seen in heaven, nor anything from that sun, there is nevertheless a sun there, and light and heat, and all things that are in the world... The sun of heaven is the Lord; the light there is the Divine truth and the heat the Divine good that go forth from the Lord as a sun. From this origin are all things that spring forth and are seen in the heavens. This light and heat and things existing therefrom in heaven will be treated of in the following chapters; in this chapter we will speak only of the sun there. In heaven the Lord is seen as a sun, for the reason that He is Divine love, from which all spiritual things, and by means of the sun of the world all natural things, have their existence. That love is what shines as a sun.

 

118. That the Lord is actually seen in heaven as a sun I have not only been told by angels, but it has occasionally been granted me to see it; and therefore what I have heard and seen respecting the Lord as a sun I shall be glad to tell in a few words. The Lord is seen as a sun... before the faces of the angels at a middle height... Every person sees the Lord in accordance with the quality of his reception of the Lord, thus He is seen in one way by those that receive Him with the good of love, and in another by those that receive Him with the good of faith. Those that receive Him with the good of love see Him as a sun, fiery and flaming, in accordance with their reception of Him; these are in His celestial kingdom; while those that receive Him with the good of faith see Him as a moon, white and brilliant in accordance with their reception of Him, and these are in His spiritual kingdom. This is so because good of love corresponds to fire; therefore in the spiritual sense fire is love; and the good of faith corresponds to light, and in the spiritual sense light is faith...

 

121. When, however, the Lord appears in heaven, which often occurs, He does not appear encompassed with a sun, but in the form of an angel, yet distinguished from angels by the Divine shining through from His face, since He is not there in person, for in person the Lord is constantly encompassed by the sun, but He is present by look. For it is a common occurrence in heaven for persons to appear to be present in a place where their look is fixed or is terminated, even when this place is far away from where they really are... I have also seen the Lord out of the sun in an angelic form, at a height a little below the sun; also near by in a like form, with shining face, and once in the midst of angels as a flame-like radiance.

 

123. As it is from the Divine love that is in and from Him that the Lord appears in heaven like a sun, so all in the heavens are turned constantly to Him those in the celestial kingdom to Him as a sun and those in the spiritual kingdom to Him as a moon. But those that are in hell turn themselves to an opposite darkness and dense darkness, that is, they turn backwards, away from the Lord; and for the reason that all in the hells are in love of self and the world...

Beloved Chanera teaches us in Her poem: "My Rainbow of Stars, is God's Open Door... Thus Heaven above, to Earth descends..." ('The Voice of the I AM' February 1949 p5)

Matthew 2:1-2,11 Symbolism of the Star and gifts

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ² Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him... ¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. -Matthew 2:1-2,11 Bible, King James Version

[3] The knowledge of correspondences survived among a number of the orientals, even until the Lord's advent, as is evident from the wise men of the east who came to the Lord at his birth; and this was why a star went before them, and why they brought with them as gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:1-2, 9-11). For the "star that went before them" signified knowledge from heaven; "gold," celestial good; "frankincense," spiritual good; and "myrrh," natural good; from which three is all worship.(23:3 Doctrine of Sacred Scriptures, by Emanuel Swedenborg, 1763, tr. by John F. Potts 1904 at sacred-texts.com) 

Matthew 2:1 Wise men from the East

'Now when Jesus was born... there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. ²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.'

Star of Bethlehem, Magi By Wonderlane

(Etching, 1885)

(Flickr: Creative Commons; Some Rights Reserved)

'Beyond the river Euphrates the magians lived: and they were wise, could read the language of the stars, and they divined that one, a master soul was born, they saw his star above Jerusalem. And there were three magian priests who longed to see the master of the coming age; and they took costly gifts and hastened to the West in search of him, the unknown king, that they might honour him. And one took gold, the symbol of nobility; another myrrh, the symbol of dominion and of power; gum-thus the other took, the symbol of the wisdom of the sage.' The three wise men Hor, Lun and Mer came from the city Persepolis in Persia. (The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi Dowling pp18-19, 61)

Zoroaster By A. Davey

An image of Zoroaster appears on mirrored etched glass at the Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Taft, Iran.

(Flickr: Creative Commons; Some Rights Reserved)

Zoroaster, the Persian prophet, taught that a virgin should conceive and bear a son and a star would appear blazing at midday to signal the occurrence. "When you behold the star," said he to his followers, "follow it wither soever it leads you. Adore the mysterious child, offering him gifts with profound humility. He is indeed the Almighty Lord, which created the heavens. He is indeed your Lord and everlasting King." (History of Idolatry by Faber, Vol 2, p92)

Between the age of 12 and 30 Jesus visited other countries including India, Tibet and Persia:

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ, by Levi H. Dowling, [1920], at sacred-texts.com


Section VIII: Cheth: Life and Works of Jesus in Persia

Chapter 38

Jesus crosses Persia. Teaches and heals in many places. Three magian priests meet him as he nears Persepolis. Kaspar, and two other Persian masters, meet him in Persepolis. The seven masters sit in silence seven days.

1. Four-and-Twenty years of age was Jesus when he entered Persia on his homeward way.
2. In many a hamlet, town and neighbourhood he paused a while and taught and healed.
3. The priests and ruling classes did not welcome him, because he censured them for cruelty to those of low estate.
4. The common people followed him in throngs
5. At times the chiefs made bold to try to hinder him, forbidding him to teach or heal the sick. But he regarded not their angry threats; he taught, and healed the sick.
6. In time he reached Persepolis, the city where the kings of Persia were entombed; the city of the learned magi, Hor, and Lun, and Mer, the three wise men.
7. Who, four-and-twenty years before, had seen the star of promise rise above Jerusalem, and who had journeyed to the West to find the new-born king;
8. And were the first to honour Jesus as the master of the age, and gave him gifts of gold, gum-thus and myrrh.
9. These magi knew, by ways that masters always know, when Jesus neared Persepolis; and then they girt themselves, and went to meet him on the way.
10. And when they met, a light much brighter than the light of day, surrounded them, and men who saw the four stand in the way declared they were transfigured; seeming more like gods than men.
11. Now, Hor and Lun were aged men, and Jesus placed them on his beast to ride into Persepolis; whilst he and Mer led on the way.
12. And when they reached the magi's home they all rejoiced. And Jesus told the thrilling story of his life, and Hor and Lun and Mer spoke not; they only looked to heaven, and in their hearts praised God.
13. Three wise men from the North were Persepolis; and they were Kaspar, Zara and Melzone; and Kaspar was the wisest master of the Magian land. These three were at the home of Hor and Lun and Mer when Jesus came.
14. For seven days these seven men spoke not; they sat in silence in the council hall in close communion with the Silent Brotherhood.
15. They sought for light, for revelation and for power. The laws and precepts of the coming age required all the wisdom of the masters of the world.

Chapter 39

Jesus attends a feast in Persepolis. Speaks to the people, reviewing the magian philosophy. Explains the origin of evil. Spends the night in prayer.

1. A feast in honour of the magian God was being held, and many men were gathered in Persepolis.
2. And on the great day of the feast the ruling magian master said, Within these sacred walls is liberty; whoever wills to speak may speak.
3. And Jesus standing in the midst of all the people, said, My brothers, sisters, children of our Father-God:
4. Most blest are you among the sons of men today, because you have such just conceptions of the Holy One and man.
5. Your purity in worship and in life is pleasing unto God; and to your master, Zarathustra, praise is due.
6. Well say you all, There is one God from whose great being there came forth the seven Spirits that created heaven and earth; and manifest unto the sons of men are these great Spirits in the sun, and moon, and stars.
7. But in your sacred books we read that two among these seven are of superior strength; that one of these created all the good; the other one created all that evil is.
8. I pray you, honoured masters, tell me how that evil can be born of that which is all good?
9. A magus rose and said, If you will answer me, your problem will be solved.
10. We all do recognize the fact that evil is. Whatever is, must have a cause, If God, the One, made not this evil, then, where is the God who did?
11. And Jesus said, Whatever God, the One, has made is good, and like the great first Cause, the seven Spirits all are good, and everything that comes from their creative hands is good.
12. Now, all created things have colours, tones and forms their own; but certain tones, though good and pure themselves, when mixed, produce inharmonies, discordant tones.
13. And certain things, though good and pure, when mixed, produce discordant things, yea, poisonous things, that men call evil things.
14. So evil is the inharmonious blending of the colours, tones, or forms of good.
15. Now, man is not all-wise, and yet has will his own. He has the power, and he uses it, to mix God's good things in a multitude of ways, and every day he makes discordant sounds, and evil things.
16. And every tone and form, be it of good, or ill, becomes a living thing, a demon, sprite, or spirit of a good or vicious kind.
17. Man makes his evil thus; and then becomes afraid of him and flees; his devil is emboldened, follows him away and casts him into torturing fires.
18. The devil and the burning fires are both the works of man, and none can put the fires out and dissipate the evil one, but man who made them both.
19. Then Jesus stood aside, and not a magus answered him.
20. And he departed from the throng and went into a secret place to pray.


Chapter 40

Jesus teaches the magians. Explains the Silence and how to enter it. Kaspar extols the wisdom of Jesus. Jesus teaches in the groves of Cyrus.

1. Now, in the early morning Jesus came again to teach and heal. A light not comprehended shown about, as though some mighty spirit overshadowed him.
2. A magus noted this and asked him privately to tell from whence his wisdom came, and what the meaning of the light.
3. And Jesus said, There is a Silence where the soul may meet its God, and there the fount of wisdom is, and all who enter are immersed in light, and filled with wisdom, love and power.
4. The magus said, Tell me about this Silence and this light, that I may go and there abide.
5. And Jesus said, The Silence is not circumscribed; is not a place closed in with wall, or rocky steeps, nor guarded by the sword of man.
6. Men carry with them all the time the secret place where they might meet their God.
7. It matters not where men abide, on mountain top, in deepest vale, in marts of trade, or in the quiet home; they may at once, at any time, fling wide the door, and find the Silence, find the house of God; it is within the soul.
8. One may not be so much disturbed by noise of business, and the words and thoughts of men if he goes all alone into the valley or the mountain pass.
9. And when life's heavy load is pressing hard, it is far better to go out and seek a quiet place to pray and meditate.
10. The Silence is the kingdom of the soul which is not seen by human eyes.
11. When in the Silence, phantom forms may flit before the mind; but they are all subservient to the will; the master soul may speak and they are gone.
12. If you would find this Silence of the soul you must yourself prepare the way. None but the pure in heart may enter here.
13. And you must lay aside all tenseness of the mind, all business cares, all fears, all doubts and troubled thoughts.
14. Your human will must be absorbed by the divine; then you will come into a consciousness of holiness.
15. You are in the Holy Place, and you will see upon a living shrine the candle of the Lord aflame.
16. And when you see it burning there, look deep into the temple of your brain, and you will see it all aglow.
17. In every part, from head to foot. are candles all in place, just waiting to be lighted by the flaming torch of love.
18. And when you see the candles all aflame, just look, and you will see, with eyes of soul, the waters of the fount of wisdom rushing on; and you may drink, and there abide.
19. And then the curtains part, and you are in the Holiest of All, where rests the Arc of God, whose covering is the Mercy Seat.
20. Fear not to lift the sacred board; the Tables of the Law are in the Ark concealed.
21. Take them and read them well; for they contain all precepts and commands that men will ever need.
22. And in the Ark, the magic wand of prophecy lies waiting for your hand; it is the key to all the hidden meanings of the present, future, past.
23. And then, behold, the manna there, the hidden bread of life; and he who eats shall never die.
24. The cherubim have guarded well for every soul this treasure box, and whosoever will enter in and find his own.
25. Now Kaspar heard the Hebrew master speak and he exclaimed, Behold, the wisdom of the gods has come to men!
26. And Jesus went his way, and in the sacred groves of Cyrus, where the multitudes were met, he taught and healed the sick.

Chapter 41

Jesus stands by a healing fountain. Reveals the fact that faith is the potent factor in healing and many are healed by faith. A little child teaches a great lesson of faith.

1. A flowing spring that people called the Healing Fount, was near Persepolis.
2. And all the people thought that at a certain time of the year their deity came down and gave a virtue to the waters of the fount, and that the sick who then would plunge into the fount and wash would be made whole.
3. About the fount a multitude of people were in waiting for the Holy One to come and potentise the waters of the fount.
4. The blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, and those obsessed were there.
5. And Jesus, standing in the midst of them, exclaimed, Behold the spring of life! These waters that will fail are honoured as the special blessing of your God.
6. From whence do healing virtues come? Why is your God so partial with his gifts? Why does he bless this spring to-day, and then to-morrow take his blessings all away?
7. A deity of power could fill these waters full of healing virtue every day.
8. Hear me, you sick, disconsolate: The virtue of this fount is not a special gift of God.
9. Faith is the healing power of every drop of all the waters of this spring.
10. He who believes with all his heart that he will be made whole by washing in this fount will be made whole when he has washed; and he may wash at any time.
11. Let every one who has this faith in God and in himself plunge in these waters now and wash.
12. And many of the people plunged into the crystal fount; and they were healed.
13. And then there was a rush, for all the people were inspired with faith, and each one strove to be among the first to wash, lest all the virtue be absorbed.
14. And Jesus saw a little child, weak, faint and helpless, sitting all alone beyond the surging crowd; and there was none to help her to the fount.
15. And Jesus said, My little one, why do you sit and wait? Why not arise and hasten to the fount and wash, and be made well?
16. The child replied, I need not haste; the blessings of my Father in the sky are measured not in tiny cups; they never fail; their virtues are the same for evermore.
17. When these whose faith is weak must haste to wash for fear their faith will fail, have all been cured, these waters will be just as powerful for me.
18. Then I can go and stay a long, long time within the blessed waters of the spring.
19. And Jesus said, Behold a master soul! She came to earth to teach to men the power of faith.
20. And then he lifted up the child and said, Why wait for anything? The very air we breathe is filled with balm of life. Breathe in this balm of life in faith and be made whole.
21. The child breathed in the balm of life in faith, and she was well.
22. The people marvelled much at what they heard and saw; they said, This man must surely be the god of health made flesh.
23. And Jesus said, The fount of life is not a little pool; it is as wide as are the spaces of the heavens.
24. The waters of the fount are love; the potency is faith, and he who plunges deep into the living springs, in living faith, may wash away his guilt and be made whole, and freed from sin.


After Jesus' Resurrection He appeared to the Magi in Persia:


Chapter 176


Jesus appears, fully materialised, to the eastern sages in the palace of Prince Ravanna in India. To the magian priests in Persia. The three wise men speak in praise of the personality of the Nazarene.

1. Ravanna, prince of India, gave a feast. His palace in Orissa was the place where men of thought from all the farther East were wont to meet.
2. Ravanna was the prince with whom child Jesus went to India many years ago.
3. The feast was made in honour of the wise men of the East.
4. Among the guests were Meng-ste, Vidyapati and Lamaas.
5. The wise men sat about the table talking of the needs of India and the world.
6. The door unto the banquet hall was in the east; a vacant chair was at the table to the east.
7. And as the wise men talked a stranger entered, unannounced, and raising up his hands in benediction said, All hail!
8. A halo rested on his head, and light, unlike the light of sun, filled all the room.
9. The wise men rose and bowed their heads and said, All hail!
10. and Jesus sat down in the vacant chair; and then the wise men knew it was the Hebrew prophet who had come.
11. And Jesus said, Behold, for I am risen from the dead. Look at my hands, my feet, my side.
12. The Roman soldiers pierced my hands and feet with nails; and then one pierced my heart.
13. They put me in a tomb, and then I wrestled with the conqueror of men. I conquered death, I stamped upon him and arose;
14. Brought immortality to light and painted on the walls of time a rainbow for the sons of men; and what I did all men shall do.
15. This gospel of the resurrection of the dead is not confined to Jew and Greek; it is the heritage of every man of every time and clime; and I am here a demonstration of the power of man.
16. Then he arose and pressed the hand of every man and of the royal host, and said,
17. Behold, I am not myth made of the fleeting winds, for I am flesh and bone and brawn; but I can cross the borderland at will.
18. And then they talked together there a long, long time. The Jesus said,
19. I go my way, but you shall go to all the world and preach the gospel of the omnipotence of men, the power of truth, the resurrection of the dead;
20. He who believes this gospel of the son of man shall never die; the dead shall live again.
21. Then Jesus disappeared, but he had sown the seed. The words of life were spoken in Orissa, and all of India heard.
22. The magian priests were in the silence in Persepolis, and Kaspar, and the magian masters who were first to greet the child of promise in the shepherd's home in Bethlehem, were with the priests.
23. And Jesus came and sat with them; a crown of light was on his head.
24. And when the silence ended Kaspar said, A master from the royal council of the Silent Brotherhood is here; let us give praise.
25. And all the priests and masters stood and said, All hail! What message from the royal council do you bring?
26. And Jesus said, My brothers of the Silent Brotherhood, peace, peace on earth; goodwill to men!
27. The problem of the ages has risen from the dead; has shown that human flesh can be transmuted into flesh divine.
28. Before the eyes of men this flesh in which I come to you was changed with speed of light from human flesh. And so I am the message that I bring to you.
29. To you I come, the first of all the race to be transmuted to the image of the AM.
30. What I have done, all men will do; and what I am, all men will be.
31. But Jesus said no more. In one short breath he told the story of his mission to the sons of men, and then he disappeared.
32. The magi said, Some time ago we read this promise, now fulfilled, upon the dial plate of heaven.
33. And then we saw this man who has just demonstrated unto us the power of man to rise from carnal flesh and blood to flesh of God, a babe in Bethlehem.
34. and after many years he came and sat with us in these same groves;
35. He told the story of his human life, of trials, sore temptations, buffetings and woes.
36. He pressed along the thorny way of life he had risen and over thrown the strongest foes of God and man; and he is now the only master of the human race whose flesh has been transmuted into flesh divine.
37. He is the God-man of to-day; but every one of earth overcome and be like him, a son of God.
 

Matthew 1:20 The Angel appeared in a dream

'The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream.' -Matthew 1:20 Bible, King James Version

The Dream world is the Spirit world therefore God and the angels can interact with mankind through their dreams. Most of the time however the daily messages from God through our dreams are symbolic so they may not make any sense until we unlock their meaning.

Personally I keep a Dream and Vision Journal and I often use, as a guide, the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg to help me interpret a dream. The site I use is 

https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/advanced-search/

then click on Swedenborg's works and type in key words such as; flooding signifies. As a result a list of quotes will appear which may help to unlock the dream's symbolism.

Matthew 1:18 Should Mary be worshipped?

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. -Matthew 1:18 King James Version (KJV)

True Christian Religion, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1771], tr. by John C. Ager [1906] at sacred-texts.com

94.

In the Christian churches of the present day [1771] it is customary to call the Lord our Savior the son of Mary, and rarely the Son of God... This is because the Roman Catholics have made Mary the mother more holy than all others, and have exalted her as a goddess or queen over all their saints. When, however, the Lord glorified His Human He put off everything belonging to His mother, and put on everything belonging to His Father...

102

It is believed that the Lord as to His Human not only was, but still is, the son of Mary; but in this the Christian world is under a delusion. It is true that He was the son of Mary, but not true that He still is; for by the acts of redemption He put off the human from the mother and put on a Human from the Father; and this is why the Human of the Lord is Divine, and in Him God is Man, and Man is God...

Spiritual Diary, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by Bush, Smithson and Buss [1883-9] at sacred-texts.com

5834

MARY. Mary, who had been the mother of the Lord, was seen. She appeared somewhat at the back, in white, and spoke but little, save this about the Lord, that she now worships Him as God, also that He was born of her, but that He became God and put off all the maternal human; and she was utterly opposed to anyone's acknowledging Him as her son, because, in the Lord, all is Divine.

Last Judgment Continued, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John Whitehead [1892] at sacred-texts.com

61

VIII. THE POPISH [Roman Catholic Church's] SAINTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD...[Those] who are in the mediate and in the ultimate degree of the love of ruling, are all in hell, for that love is the devil there; and in hell there are some of such a nature, that they cannot bear to hear any one speaking of God.

62.

Those of the Papal nation [Roman Catholic Church] have this love who have had dominion from the frenzy of its delight, and have despised the Word [Bible,] and preferred the dictates of the Pope to it. They are utterly devastated as to externals, until they no longer know anything of the church, and then they are cast down into hell and become devils. There is a certain separate hell for those who wish to be invoked as gods, where such is their fantasy, that they do not see what is, but what is not. Their delirium is such as affects persons in a malignant fever, who see things floating in the air and in the chamber, and on the covering of the bed, which do not exist. This worst of evils is meant by: The head of the serpent, which is bruised by the Seed of the woman, and which wounds His heel (Gen. 3:15). "The heel" of the Lord, who is "the Seed of the woman," is the Divine proceeding in [the outer] ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter.

63.
Because man from heredity is such, that he wishes to rule, and as the reins are loosened, successively over more, and at length over all, and because the wish to be invoked and worshiped as God, is the inmost of this love of ruling, therefore all who have been made saints by the Papal bulls, [a formal proclamation issued by the Pope] are removed from the sight of others and hidden, and are deprived of all interaction with their worshipers. This is done, lest that worst root of evils should be excited in them, and they should be hurried into such fantastic deliriums as prevail in the above mentioned hell. In such deliriums are those who, when they lived in the world, have eagerly sought to be made saints after death, for the purpose of being invoked. [or called on as a deity or spirit in prayer.]

64

Many of the Papal nation [or the Roman Catholic Church,] especially the monks, when they come into the spiritual world, seek the saints, each the saint of his own order; yet they do not find them, and therefore they wonder. But afterwards they are instructed by others, that they are either intermingled with those who are in the heavens, or with those who are in the hells, every one according to his life in the world; and that in whichsoever they are, they know nothing of the worship and invocation of themselves; and that they who know it, and wished to be invoked, are in that separate and delirious hell. The worship of saints is such an abomination in heaven, that whenever they hear of it they are horrified, because as far as worship is paid to any man, in so far it is withheld from the Lord, for thus He alone cannot be worshiped; and if the Lord is not alone worshiped, a discrimination is made, which destroys communion, and the felicity [intense happiness] of life which flows from it.

65

That I might know, for the sake of informing others, what kind of men the Popish saints are, as many as a hundred of them, who knew of their canonization, were brought up from the lower earth.

[The lower earth is the region beneath the feet [of heaven which is in the form of a man,] where upright spirits are, before they are elevated into heaven: shown, 4728. Concerning the lower earth; it is beneath the feet and soles; and they are there who are natural; concerning which and those who are there, 4940-4951. By far the greatest number of Christians are sent into the lower earth, because they are natural, 4944. Where the lower earth is situated; and by which hells it is surrounded, 7090. That there is a lower earth: shown from the Word, 7090:2. There also the vastation of falsity takes place to-day, 7090:2. The lower earth is girt with hells which infest, 7240]

The greater part ascended from behind, and only a few in front, and I spoke with one of them, who they said was Xavier.

A painting of Saint Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552)

While he talked with me, he was quite foolish, yet he was able to tell me, that in his place, where he remains confined, he is not so; but that he becomes foolish as often as he thinks that he is a saint. I heard a like murmur from those who were behind.

66

It is otherwise with the so-called saints who are in heaven; they know nothing at all of what is doing upon earth, nor have I spoken with them, lest any idea of this should enter their minds. Only once Mary, the mother of the Lord, passed by, and appeared over head in white raiment, and then, stopping awhile, she said that she had been the mother of the Lord, and that He was indeed born of her, but that He became God, and put off all the human from her, and that therefore she now adores Him as her God, and is unwilling that any one should acknowledge Him as her Son, because in Him all is Divine.

67.

I will here add this... A certain woman in splendid raiment and with saint-like countenance, occasionally appears in a middle altitude, to the Parisians [

a native or inhabitant of Paris]

who are in a society in the spiritual world, and tells them she is Genevieve.

Saint Genevieve, seventeenth-century painting, Musée Carnavalet, Paris

(c. 419/422 AD – Paris 502/512 AD)

But as soon as any of them begin to adore her, then instantly her countenance is changed, and her raiment too, and she becomes like an ordinary woman, and chides them for wishing to adore a woman, who, among her companions, is in no more repute than a maid servant; wondering that men in the world are caught by such trifles. The angels said that she appears for the purpose of separating those there who worship man from those who worship the Lord.

Matthew 1:18 Has Mary attained the Ascension?

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. -Matthew 1:18 King James Version (KJV)

Pope Pius XII from the Catholic Church taught that Mary the Mother of Jesus was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory or in other words she has already gained the Resurrection. "...After we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth... by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory..." (Munificentissimus Deus Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII defining the dogma of the Assumption, 1 November 1950)

Beloved Mary, Mother of Jesus, is one of the Lady Ascended Masters...(http://www.saintgermainfoundation.org/SGF_09a_Master__Mary.html)

Malachi 4:1 Earth to become a Celestial Sun

'For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all...that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts.'

This earth is destined to become a Celestial Sun on which only those righteous with a Celestial Body will be able to reside. The rest of mankind will have to re-embody on another earth which is less evolved.

Zechariah 14:3-9,16 Prophecy of Judgment Day

Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  ⁴ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. ...And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark ...at evening time it shall be light... And the LORD shall be king over all the earth... And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which come against Jerusalem shall ever go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts.

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com

405. 
...[23] In Zechariah: Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations; His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, before the faces of Jerusalem from the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be cloven asunder, a part thereof toward the east and toward the sea with a great valley, and a part of the mountain shall withdraw toward the north, and a part of it toward the south. Then shall ye flee through the valley of My mountains; and the valley of the mountains shall reach towards Azal (Zech. 14:3-5). This is said of the Last Judgment, which was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; for when the Lord was in the world He reduced all things to order in the heavens and in the hells, therefore He then wrought a judgment upon the evil and upon the good. This judgment is what is meant in the word of the Old Testament by "the day of indignation," "of anger," "of wrath," "of the vengeance of Jehovah," and by "the year of retributions" (on this judgment see the small work on The Last Judgment, n. 46). That the Lord's coming and the judgment that then took place are treated of in this chapter, is evident from these words in it: Then Jehovah my God shall come, all the holy ones with Thee. And there shall be in that day no light, brightness, nor flashing; and it shall be one day that shall be known to Jehovah, not day nor night; for about the time of evening there shall be light (Zech. 14:5-7). "The time of evening" means the last time of the church, when judgment takes place; then it is "evening" to the evil, but "light" to the good. As soon as these things are known, it becomes plain, through the spiritual sense, what the particulars here signify, namely, "Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations" signifies the Last Judgment upon the evil, "to go forth and fight" means to execute judgment, and "nations" the evil; "His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, before the faces of Jerusalem from the east" signifies that this is effected from the Divine love by means of Divine truths proceeding from His Divine good; "the Mount of Olives" signifying, in reference to the Lord, the Divine love, "Jerusalem," the church in respect to truths, and therefore the Divine truths of the church, and "the east" the Divine good; "the Mount of Olives shall be cloven asunder, a part thereof toward the east and toward the sea, with a great valley" signifies the separation of those who are in good from those who are in evil; for "the Mount of Olives," as was said, means the Divine love; "the east" means where those are who are in Divine good, and "the sea" where those are who are in evil, for in the western quarter of the spiritual world is a sea which separates; "a part of the mountain shall withdraw toward the north, and part of it toward the south" signifies the separation of those who are in the falsities of evil from those who are in the truths of good; "the north" meaning where those are who are in the falsities of evil, since they are in darkness, and "the south" where those are who are in the truths of good, since they are in light; "then shall ye flee through the valley of my mountains" signifies that then those who are in truths from good shall be rescued, "to flee" signifying to be rescued, "the valley of the mountains" signifying where those are who are in the knowledges of truth, and thus in truths from good, for those who are in the knowledges of truth dwell in valleys, and those who are in good upon the mountains; "and the valley of the mountains shall reach even unto Azal" signifies separation from the falsities of evil, "Azal" signifying separation and liberation. [24] Because "the Mount of Olives," which was before Jerusalem eastward, signified the Divine love, and "Jerusalem from the east" Divine truth proceeding from Divine good, as was said above, the Lord was accustomed to stay on that mount, as is evident in Luke: Jesus during the days was teaching in the temple; but at night He went out and lodged in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1). It was here, too, that He spoke with His disciples about His coming and the consummation of the age, that is, about the Last Judgment (Matt. 24:3 seq.; Mark 13:3 seq.). It was from here, also, that He went to Jerusalem and suffered (Matt. 21:1; 26:30; Mark 11:1; 14:26; Luke 19:29, 37; 21:37; 22:39); signifying thereby that He did all things from the Divine love, for "the Mount of Olives" signified that love; for whatever the Lord did in the world was representative, and whatever He spoke was significative...

Zechariah 12:10-11 & 13:6 Second Coming Prophecy

 

'And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son... In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem...And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'

Christians believe this is a prophecy concerning the Second Coming of Jesus to the Jews who will mourn because they crucified their own Jewish Messiah.

Zechariah 12:1 The spirit of man within him

                                                                        Preexistence

The... Lord... formeth the spirit of man within him. -Zechariah 12:1 Bible, King James Version

Everyone has a spirit within them which gives our outer physical body life. When our spirit within permanently leaves our body it dies and we continue to live in the Spirit World. 

Zechariah 9:9 ProphecyConcerningTheJewishSaviour

'Rejoice greatly...Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass.'

Another prophecy letting the Jews know how to recognise the coming of their Spiritual King. Jesus, the King of the Jews, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill this prophecy concerning the coming Messiah.

Zechariah 7:10 Never imagine evil against others

'Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.'

The essence of black magic is evil thoughts and feelings directed at others. We must all learn to be like White magicians who only project good thoughts and feelings towards others.

Zechariah 3:9-10 On one stone shall be seven eyes

9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. -Zechariah 3:9-10King James Version (KJV)

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com

717.

...[13] In Zechariah: Behold the stone that I have set before Joshua, the high priest, upon one stone are seven eyes; behold, I engrave the engraving of it. In that day ye shall call every man to his companion, under the vine and under the fig tree (Zech. 3:9, 10). This is said of the Lord's coming; and "the stone set before Joshua the priest" signifies Divine truth, which is the Word; "seven eyes in one stone" signify Divine wisdom and intelligence, which are of Divine truth, thus of the Word; seven is predicated of the holy things of the Word and of the church, and "eyes" signify intelligence and wisdom; "to engrave an engraving" signifies a representative and significative of it; "the vine and fig tree" under which they shall come signify the church and doctrine from internal and external truths; internal truths are those that are called spiritual, and external truths are those that are called natural, and the former are signified by the "vine," and the latter by the "fig tree."

Micah 5:2 Messiah to be born in Bethlehem

'Beth-lehem...though thou be little...yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.'

Christians believe this was a prophecy referring to the Jewish Messiah Jesus Who was born in Bethlehem and Who is the King of the Jews.

Jonah 2:10 We can change our future

'And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.'

The future is made up of probabilities, therefore if we, or mankind, change our ways right now we can change our future. As you do unto others so shall it be done unto you. Therefore, do unto others now as ye would have them do unto you in the future.

Jonah 1:17 Is the story of Jonah & the whale true?

¹⁷ Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. -Jonah 1:17 King James Version (KJV)




Spiritual Experiences by Emanuel Swedenborg


#1391 
...Jonah was swallowed by a whale [Jonah i. 17,] which actually happened in the world, as also the miracles of Egypt, and many others which are called miracles.




Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com


538.

...the hells where and from which are falsities, ...those hells where the falsities of evil have rule appear like seas, in the depths of which is the infernal [hellish] crew, which is in the falsities of evil. These hells appear like seas because falsities continually flow out from them, and falsities appear like waters; this is why "waters" in the Word also signify falsities. Moreover, from the waters themselves the quality of the falsity there is known, for falsities are of many kinds, as many as there are evils. Falsities that are from grievous evils appear over those hells like dense and black waters, and falsities from the evil of the love of self like ruddy waters, the density and color making evident the kind of falsity. It must be remembered that in the spiritual world truths also appear like waters, but like limpid [completely clear and transparent] and pure waters... [Hells] are called in the Word "seas" and "abysses," "seas" because they appear like seas, and "abysses" from their depth. [2] That "seas," "depths," and "abysses" signify the hells where and from which are the falsities of evil, can be seen in the following passages of the Word... [11] In Jonah: Out of the belly of hell have I cried; Thou hast heard my voice. Thou hadst cast me into the depth, even into the heart of the seas; and the river was round about me; all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me. The waters enclosed me about even to the soul; the abyss encompassed me round about, the sedge [a plant like grass that grows in wet ground or near water] was wrapped about my head. I went down to the cuttings off of the mountains; the bars of the earth are upon me forever; yet Thou hast made my life to come up out of the pit (2:2, 3, 5, 6). The Lord teaches in Matthew (12:39, 40; 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30), that Jonah's being in the whale three days and three nights represented that the Lord would thus be in the heart of the earth; and these words of Jonah describe the Lord's direful temptations. And because it is by the overflow of evils and falsities that come up out of hell, and as it were overwhelm, that temptations exist, it is said that "out of the belly of hell he cried," and that "he was cast into the depth, even into the heart of the seas," which signifies hell; "the river and the waters that enclosed him," and "the billows and waves that passed over," signify the evils and falsities from hell; "the abyss that encompassed round about," signifies the hells where and from which are the falsities; "the cuttings off of the mountains to which he went down," signify the hells where and from which are evils; that the Lord was as it were bound by these is signified by "the sedge wrapped about the head," and "the bars of the earth that were upon him," "wrapped by sedge" signifying to be bound as it were by falsities, and "the bars of the earth" signifying to be bound as it were by evils... In the ...following passages of Revelation: The beast that came up out of the abyss and made war (11:7). The beast that thou sawest was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss (17:8). I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain upon his hand. And he bound the dragon a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss (20:1-3). In these passages, also, "the abyss" and "the depth of the sea" signify the hell where and from which are the falsities of evil; for the reason that the evil spirits who are there, and who while they lived as men in the world were in the falsities of evil, seem to dwell as it were in the bottom of the seas, and this the more deeply according to the grievousness of the evil from which was their falsity. [14] As "abysses" signify the hells, where and from which are falsities, so "abysses" signify also the ultimates [or lowest outer regions] of heaven, where and from which are the knowledges of truth, which are the truths of the natural man. This is because the ultimates of heaven appear to be in waters, but such as are limpid and clear; for, as was said above, the atmosphere of the highest heaven is like an ethereal atmosphere, that of the middle heaven like an aerial atmosphere, and that of the lowest heaven like a watery atmosphere; this is like a watery atmosphere because the truths with those who are in it are truths of the natural man, and the atmosphere of the natural man is as it were watery. This is what gives rise to the appearances of rivers, lakes, and seas, in the spiritual world; consequently "seas" signify also cognitions and knowledges in general, or in the whole complex (see above, n. 275, 342)...




Doctrine of Sacred Scriptures, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1763], tr. by John F. Potts [1904] at sacred-texts.com
29
...by "three" in the Word in the spiritual sense is meant what is complete and perfect; and also the whole simultaneously. And... it is employed in the Word whenever any such thing is marked out for notice. As in the following passages: ...Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened (Matt. 13:33). Jesus said unto Peter that he should deny Him thrice (Matt. 26:34). The Lord said three times unto Peter, Lovest thou Me? (John 21:15-17). Jonah was in the whale's belly three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). Jesus said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19; Matt. 26:61). Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:39-44). Jesus rose again on the third day (Matt. 28:1). Besides many other passages where the number "three" is mentioned; and it is mentioned wherever a finished and perfect work is treated of, because this is signified by that number.

 

Obadiah 1:21 Saviours shall come

'Saviours shall come up on mount Zion'-Obadiah 1:21



Jesus, Saint Germain, and the Ascended Masters are the Saviours of mankind. If mankind does not accept Them, they cannot receive Eternal Salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Amos 4:12 Prepare to meet thy God

'Prepare to meet thy God.'

We should be preparing to meet with God on a daily basis. Who knows when our time will be up on this earth and we will pass on to the Spirit Worlds. Unless we have received the mysteries of Godliness we cannot enter into the presence of God.

Hosea 4:6 PeopleAreDestroyedForLackOfKnowledge

'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge.'

There is a saying that knowledge is power. The knowledge of how to attain the Ascension in this lifetime gives us the power to reach the Goal of Life. Those who reject this knowledge must pass through the normal cycles of birth and death until they choose to accept and apply this knowledge to their life.

Daniel 12:3 Wise shall shine as the stars

 

³ And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. -Daniel 12:3 Bible, King James Version

 

Divine Wisdom is a form of Divine Love in Heaven. Those who are filled with Divine Wisdom are automatically also filled with Light so they shine in Heaven like a star or sun. The Lord of Heaven is seen before all the Celestial Angels as a sun in the sky. (See 116. THE SUN IN HEAVEN. Heaven and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John C. Ager [1900] at sacred-texts.com)

Daniel 12:1 Michael the great Prince

 

12 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. -Daniel 12:1 Bible, King James Version (KJV)

 

It is believed that this is talking about the Archangel Michael. "The Archangel Michael, who has sometimes been referred to as the "Lord of the Sun," is a Great Cosmic Being of tremendous Power... He wields a definite Action of the Sword of Blue Flame from the Great Central Sun... Thousands of centuries ago, the Archangel Michael ruled in what is now America." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1941, June p18-19) The Archangel Michael teaches us: "For two and a half million years I have in the Ascended State, watched civilization after civilization..." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1945, September p26)

Daniel 10:13 Michael, one of the chief Princes

 

 

¹³ ...Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me... -Daniel 10:13 Bible, King James Version (KJV)

 

It is believed that this is talking about the Archangel Michael. "The Archangel Michael, who has sometimes been referred to as the "Lord of the Sun," is a Great Cosmic Being of tremendous Power... He wields a definite Action of the Sword of Blue Flame from the Great Central Sun... Thousands of centuries ago, the Archangel Michael ruled in what is now America." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1941, June p18-19) The Archangel Michael teaches us: "For two and a half million years I have in the Ascended State, watched civilization after civilization..." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1945, September p26)

Daniel 10:5-11 Daniel sees a physical angel

'I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and beheld a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold... His face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves... There remained no strength in me... and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face... toward the ground. And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands... And when he had spoken... unto me, I stood trembling.'

Just as only a few see the Angels on this earth so too do only those in the Spirit World who have opened up their inner eyes, or raised their vibrations, see the Angels of the Higher Planes. In the Inner Worlds a spirit literally cannot stand in the presence of a far more spiritually evolved Being unless they raise their vibrations up to a similar level.

Daniel 9:27 Interpretation by Swedenborg

 

²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:27 King James Version (KJV)

 

True Christian Religion, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1771], tr. by John C. Ager [1906] at sacred-texts.com

178.

The faith of every church is like the seed from which all its dogmas spring. It may be compared to the seed of a tree, out of which grows everything belonging to the tree, even to its fruit; and also to the seed of man, from which offspring and families are begotten in successive series. Therefore as soon as its leading tenet, which from its predominance is called saving, is known, the character of a church is known... Within the faith of the present church, which in its internal form is a faith in three Gods and in its external form a faith in one, there are swarms of falsities, and that as many falsities can be drawn out of it as there are little spiders in the egg-sac of a single spider. Who that has a mind truly rational does not see this by light from the Lord; and how can any other mind see it so long as the door to that faith and its offshoots is shut and bolted by the decree that it is unlawful for reason to look into its mysteries?

179.

(7) This is the source of that "abomination of desolation, and that tribulation such as has not been nor ever shall be," which the Lord foretold in Daniel, and in the Gospels, and in the Apocalypse [or Book of Revelation.] In Daniel we read: Upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation even until the consummation and decision, it shall drop upon the devastation (9:27). In the gospel of Matthew the Lord says: Many false prophets shall arise and shall lead many astray. When, therefore, ye shall see the abomination of desolation predicted by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let him that readeth note it well (24:11, 15); and afterwards in the same chapter: Then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be (verse 21). This tribulation and that abomination are treated of in seven chapters of the Apocalypse; they are what are meant: By the black horse, and the pale horse going out of the book, the seal of which the Lamb opened (6:5-8). Also by: The beast coming up out of the abyss which made war upon the two witnesses and killed them (11:7 seq.). Also by: The dragon which stood before the woman about to be delivered, that he might devour her child, and which pursued her into the desert and there from his mouth cast out water as a river that he might drown her (12). Also by: The beasts of the dragon, one from the sea and the other from the earth (13). Again: By the three green spirits like frogs which went forth out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet (16:13). And finally by this: That after the seven angels had poured out the bowls of the wrath of God, in which were the seven last plagues, into the earth, the sea, the fountains and rivers, upon the sun, upon the seat of the beast, upon the Euphrates, and at length into the air, there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth (16). The "earthquake" means the overturning of the church, which is done by falsities and falsifications of truth, and this is signified also by: The great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world (Matt. 24:21). The following words have a like meaning: And the angel thrust in his sickle and gathered the vineyard of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the anger of God; and the wine-press was trodden and there went out blood even unto the bridles of the horses for a thousand and six hundred furlongs (Apoc. 14:19, 20); "blood" signifying truth falsified. Besides other things contained in those seven chapters.

180.

In the Gospels (Matt. 24; Mark 13; and Luke 21) the successive states of decline and corruption in the Christian church are described; and "the great tribulation such as hath not been since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be" which is there mentioned means (as in many other places in the Word) the infestation of truth by falsities, even until no truth remains that is not falsified... This also is meant by "the abomination of desolation" there mentioned; and again by "the desolation upon the bird of abominations" and by "the consummation and decision" in Daniel; and the same thing is described in the Apocalypse [or Book of Revelation] in the passages just quoted from that book. This has come to pass because the church, instead of acknowledging the unity of God in trinity and His trinity in unity in one person, has acknowledged these in three persons; and in consequence the church has been based in the mind upon the idea of three Gods, and on the lips upon the confession of one God; and thus men have separated themselves from the Lord, and at length to such an extent that no idea of Divinity in His Human nature is left with them, when in fact He is God the Father in the Human, and therefore He is called: The Father of eternity (Isa. 9:6) And He said to Philip, He that seeth Me seeth the Father (John 14:7, 9).

181.

But it may be asked, Whence is the very stream of that fountain from which has come forth an abomination of desolation such as is described in Daniel (9:27), and a tribulation such as was not nor shall be (Matt. 24:21)? The answer is, that it comes from that same universal faith of the Christian world, and from its influx, operation, and imputation according to traditions. Wonderful it is that the doctrine of justification by that faith alone (which, however, is no faith but only a chimera [or a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve]) controls every point of doctrine in Christian churches; that is, with the clerical order it rules as almost the sole theological principle. It is what all students of divinity eagerly learn in the schools and drink in and absorb; and afterwards, seemingly inspired by heavenly wisdom, they teach it in the churches and publish it in books; and by it they strive after and acquire a reputation and fame and praise for superior learning; and on account of it, diplomas, degrees, and prizes are bestowed upon them; and all this is done, although by that same faith alone the sun at this day is darkened, the moon is robbed of her light, the stars have fallen from heaven, and the powers of the heavens have been shaken, according to the words of the Lord's prophecy in Matthew (24:29). It has been proved to me that the doctrine of this faith has today [1771] so darkened men's minds that they are not willing, and therefore as it were not able, to see any Divine truth inwardly, either in the light of the sun or in the light of the moon, but only outwardly on the mere rough surface by the light on a hearth at night; and I am therefore able to declare, that if Divine truths respecting the real conjunction of charity and faith, respecting heaven and hell, the Lord, life after death, and eternal happiness, were sent down from heaven written in letters of silver, those who hold to justification and sanctification by faith alone would not deem them worth reading. But it would be wholly different if a treatise on justification by faith alone were sent up from the hells; this they would receive, and would kiss it and carry it home in their bosoms.