At this day nothing else than the self-evidencing reason of love will reestablish [the church], because they have fallen. The church of this day errs concerning God; it errs concerning faith; it errs concerning charity; and it knows nothing of eternal life; thus it is in thick darkness. The whole of religion is founded upon the idea of God; and that the former follows according to the latter. This church is that to which all churches, from the first in order, have aimed; and concerning whi...

From the mere letter of the Word of the Old Testament no one would ever discern the fact that this part of the Word contains deep secrets of heaven, and that everything within it both in general and in particular bears reference to the Lord, to His heaven, to the church, to religious belief, and to all things connected therewith; for from the letter or sense of the letter all that anyone can see is that-to speak generally-everything therein has reference merely to the external rites and or...

What happens when we die? What is heaven like? How do angels live? In his classic work, Swedish visionary Emanuel Swedenborg gives readers a detailed road map to the afterlife, describing the process that our soul goes through after death, the nature of heaven and hell, angels and demons, all in meticulous detail. He posits that the love of self or of the world drives one towards hell, and love of God and fellow men towards heaven. Here is the most influential and importan...

THE WHITE HORSE mentioned in THE APOCALYPSE CHAPTER 19 In the Apocalypse of John the Word is thus described as to its spiritual or internal sense: I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in justice He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire; and upon His head were many diadems; and He hath a name written that no one knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is call...

INTRODUCTIONCHAPTER 1. GOD THE CREATORCHAPTER 2. THE LORD THE REDEEMERCHAPTER 3. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE DIVINE OPERATIONCHAPTER 4. THE SACRED SCRIPTURE OR WORD OF THE LORDCHAPTER 5. THE CATECHISM OR DECALOGUE EXPLAINED IN ITS EXTERNAL AND ITS INTERNAL SENSECHAPTER 6. FAITHCHAPTER 7. CHARITY, OR LOVE TO THE NEIGHBOR, AND GOOD WORKSCHAPTER 8. FREEDOM OF CHOICECHAPTER 9. REPENTANCECHAPTER 10. REFORMATION AND REGENERATIONCHAPTER 11. IMPUTATIONCHAPTER 12. BAPTISMCHAPTER 13. THE HOLY SUPPERCHAP...

ALL RELIGION IS OF THE LIFE, AND THE LIFE OF RELIGION IS TO DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD. Every man who has religion knows and acknowledges that he who leads a good life is saved, and that he who leads an evil life is damned; for he knows and acknowledges that the man who lives aright thinks aright, not only about God but also about his neighbor; but not so the man whose life is evil. The life of man is his love, and that which he loves he not only likes to be doing, but also likes to be thinking...

Doctrine of Holy Scripture THE HOLY SCRIPTURE OR WORD IS DIVINE TRUTH It is in everybody's mouth that the Word is from God, is Divinely inspired, and is therefore holy; and yet hitherto no one has known wherein it is Divine. For in the letter the Word appears like a common writing, in a style that is strange, and neither so sublime nor so brilliant as apparently are the writings of the day. For this reason a man who worships nature as God, or in preference to God, and who consequently thin...

UNIVERSAL HOLY SCRIPTURE TREATS OF THE LORD: THE LORD IS THE WORD. We read in John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:1-5). The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glo...

Since, from the Divine mercy of the Lord, the interiors, which are of my spirit, have been opened to me, and thereby it has been granted me to speak with spirits and angels, not only with those who are near our earth, but also with those who are near other earths; because I had a desire to know whether there are other earths, and what their nature is, and the quality of their inhabitants, therefore it has been granted me by the Lord to speak and converse with spirits and angels who are fro...

Several works and tracts having been published by me, during some years past, concerning the New Jerusalem, by which is meant the New Church about to be established by the Lord; and the book of Revelation having been revealed, I have come to a determination to bring to light the entire doctrine of that church in its fullness. But, as this is a work of some years, I have thought it advisable to draw up some sketch thereof, in order that a general idea may first be formed of that church and ...

The reason why men have not hitherto perceived this, and why consequently there have been so many opinions about the human nature of Christ, is because men have had no distinct understanding concerning the nature of good and truth and of their marriage, nor concerning the nature of the will and the understanding, nor of the soul and the body.

THE SENSE OF THE LETTER OF THE WORD, IN WHICH IS THE SPIRITUAL SENSE, REPRESENTED. It was given to see great purses, appearing like sacks, in which was hidden silver in great abundance; and, since these sacks were open, it seemed as if anyone might take from the silver placed therein, yea, steal from it; but near the sacks sat two angels who were guards. The place where the sacks were deposited appeared like a manger in a stable. In the next chamber were seen modest virgins together with a...