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Previous: The Lord came into the World to fulfill all things of the word, and thereby to become the divine truth, or the word, in ultimates also (S. S. 98-100) Before the Word which is in the world at this day, there was a word which is lost (S. S. 101-104) By means of the Word, those also have light who are outside the church and have not the word (S. S. 104-113) Up: III The Application To The Writings Of The Teachings Concerning The Word Next: Conclusion

If There Were Not a Word, No One Would Have a Knowledge of God, of Heaven and Hell, of the Life After Death, and Still Less of The Lord (S. S. 114-118)

This heading constitutes the last chapter in the Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture. Specifically the chapter is directed to showing the impossibility of natural theology, that is, of a theology not drawn from Revelation. It declares that there can be no knowledge of God, or of the Lord, or of the Spiritual World, except by means of the revealed Word; and the declaration clearly identifies as the Word all revelations which impart these knowledges to man. In the Old Testament, God reveals himself as the doctrine of faith and charity; in the New Testament, he reveals himself as a Man, teaching more interior truths, and leading to closer conjunction with himself. In neither of these revelations, however, do we learn anything concerning heaven and hell, except that they are the final abodes of men according to their life on earth. They do not teach any of those interior arcana which are so fully disclosed in the Writings, arcana which " if there were not a Word " would remain unknown. They can now be known for the first time by means of the Word delivered to the New Church.

Let me here quote a striking passage from the Spiritual Diary n. 1464, which is peculiarly significant in this connection:

" I spoke concerning those in the world who will say no other than that they have the Word, and that there is no need of revelation, thus rejecting these things, which come forth and descend out of heaven; when yet what is here treated of is the genuine meaning (sensus) and understanding of the Word, and the nature of faith, and, in addition, many things specifically concerning the state of those who are in the other life; for, in its ultimate or literal sense, the Word simply mentions heaven and hell, with damnation in hell and felicity in the heavens; and yet there are things indefinite in both. Therefore the objection that they have such things solely from the things [already] revealed, is of no avail."


Previous: The Lord came into the World to fulfill all things of the word, and thereby to become the divine truth, or the word, in ultimates also (S. S. 98-100) Before the Word which is in the world at this day, there was a word which is lost (S. S. 101-104) By means of the Word, those also have light who are outside the church and have not the word (S. S. 104-113) Up: III The Application To The Writings Of The Teachings Concerning The Word Next: Conclusion
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