HH.0.0.1, (주2).AC.3353-3356, '주님의 예언들'(The Lord’s predictions)(마24:3-7)

※ (주2). The Lord’s predictions in Matthew (24 and 25), respecting the consummation of the age and His coming, and the consequent successive vastation of the church and the final judgment, are explained in the prefaces to chapters 26–40 of Genesis (n. 3353–3356, 3486–3489, 3650–3655, 3751–3757, 3897–3901, 4056–4060, 4229–4231, 4332–4335, 4422–4424, 4635–4638, 4661–4664, 4807–4810, 4954–4959, 5063–5071).

 

 

THE LAST JUDGMENT (마24:3-7)

 

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Most men believe that when the last judgment comes, all things in the visible world will be destroyed; that the earth will be consumed by fire; the sun and the moon dissipated; that the stars will vanish away; and that a new heaven and a new earth will afterwards arise. They have conceived this opinion from the prophetic revelations in which such things are mentioned. But that the case is very different may be seen from what has been shown above concerning the last judgment (n. 900, 931, 1850, 2117–2133); from which it is manifest that the last judgment is nothing else than the end of the church with one nation, and its beginning with another, which end and beginning occur when there is no longer any acknowledgment of the Lord, or what is the same, when there is no faith. There is no acknowledgment, or no faith, when there is no charity; for faith is impossible except with those who are in charity. That at such a time there is an end of the church, and a transference of it to others, is plainly evident from all the things the Lord himself taught and foretold in the evangelists concerning that last day, or consummation of the age (Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21).

 

[2] But as these passages cannot be comprehended by anyone without the key, which is the internal sense, I may unfold in regular order the things contained in them, beginning here with these words in Matthew:

 

3예수께서 감람 산 위에 앉으셨을 때에 제자들이 조용히 와서 이르되 우리에게 이르소서 어느 때에 이런 일이 있겠사오며 또 주의 임하심과 세상 끝에는 무슨 징조가 있사오리이까 4예수께서 대답하여 이르시되 너희가 사람의 미혹을 받지 않도록 주의하라 5많은 사람이 내 이름으로 와서 이르되 나는 그리스도라 하여 많은 사람을 미혹하리라 6난리와 난리 소문을 듣겠으나 너희는 삼가 두려워하지 말라 이런 일이 있어야 하되 아직 끝은 아니니라 7민족이 민족을, 나라가 나라를 대적하여 일어나겠고 곳곳에 기근과 지진이 있으리니 8이 모든 것은 재난의 시작이니라 (마24:3-8) The disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, See that no man lead you astray. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. But all these things are the beginning of sorrows (Matt. 24:3–8).

 

It is impossible for those who remain in the sense of the letter to know whether these things and those which follow in the chapter were spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish nation, or concerning the end of days, called the last judgment; but they who are in the internal sense see clearly that the end of the church is here treated of, which end is what is here and elsewhere called the coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age. And because this is the end which is meant, it may be known that all these expressions signify things of the church; but what they signify may appear from the several particulars in the internal sense, as when it is said that “many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray,” where “name” does not signify name, nor “Christ,” Christ; but “name” signifies that by which the Lord is worshiped (n. 2724, 3006); and “Christ” signifies truth itself (n. 3009–3010); thus it is meant that there would come those who would say, “This is of faith,” or “This is true,” when yet it is neither of faith, nor true, but false. That they “should hear of wars and rumors of wars” denotes that there would be disputes and strife concerning truths, which are wars in the spiritual sense. That “nation should be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” signifies that evil would fight with evil, and falsity with falsity. (That “nation” signifies good, but in the opposite sense evil, may be seen above, n. 1259–1260, 1416, 1849; and also that “kingdom” signifies truth, but in the opposite sense falsity, n. 1672, 2547.) “And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places” signifies that there would be no longer any knowledges of good and of truth, and thus that the state of the church would be changed, which is an “earthquake.”

 

 

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From these things it is manifest what is meant by these words of the Lord, namely, the first state of the church’s perversion, which comes to pass when men begin no longer to know what is good and what is true, but dispute among themselves concerning them, whence arise falsities. As this is the first state, it is said that “the end is not yet,” and that “these things are the beginning of sorrows”; and this state is called “earthquakes in diverse places,” which signifies in the internal sense a change of the state of the church in part, or at first. That all this was said to the disciples, signifies that it is said to all who are of the church, for the twelve disciples represented all such (n. 2089, 2129, 2130); and therefore it is said, “See that no man lead you astray”; also, “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled.”

 

 

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That in the internal sense an “earthquake” signifies a change in the state of the church is evident from the signification of “earth” as being the church (n. 566, 662, 1066–1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117–2118, 2928); and from the signification of “quaking,” or movement, as being a change of state; here, as to the things of the church, namely, in respect to good and truth. The same is also evident from other passages in the Word, as in Isaiah:

 

18두려운 소리로 말미암아 도망하는 자는 함정에 빠지겠고 함정 속에서 올라오는 자는 올무에 걸리리니 이는 위에 있는 문이 열리고 땅의 기초가 진동함이라 19땅이 깨지고 깨지며 땅이 갈라지고 갈라지며 땅이 흔들리고 흔들리며 20땅이 취한 자 같이 비틀비틀하며 원두막 같이 흔들리며 그 위의 죄악이 중하므로 떨어져서 다시는 일어나지 못하리라 21그 날에 여호와께서 높은 데에서 높은 군대를 벌하시며 땅에서 땅의 왕들을 벌하시리니 (사24:18-21) It shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the voice of the dread shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for the cataracts from on high were opened, and the foundations of the earth were shaken; in breaking the earth is broken; in moving the earth is moved; reeling the earth reeleth like a drunken man, and sways to and fro like a hut; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day that Jehovah shall visit upon the army of the height on high, and upon the kings of the ground upon the ground (Isa. 24:18–21).

 

That in this passage the “earth” is the church is plainly evident; for it is the church that is treated of, whose foundations are said to be “shaken,” and itself to be “broken and moved, and to reel and sway to and fro,” when good and truth are no longer known. The “kings of the ground” are truths; here, falsities, upon which there will be visitation. (That “kings” are truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, see above, n. 1672, 2015; and that “ground,” like “earth,” denotes the church, but with a difference, n. 566, 1068.)

 

[2] Again:

 

12내가 사람을 순금보다 희소하게 하며 인생을 오빌의 금보다 희귀하게 하리로다 13그러므로 나 만군의 여호와가 분하여 맹렬히 노하는 날에 하늘을 진동시키며 땅을 흔들어 그 자리에서 떠나게 하리니 (사13:12, 13) I will make a man more rare than fine gold, and a man than the gold of Ophir; therefore I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place; in the indignation of Jehovah of Armies, and in the day of the wrath of his anger (Isa. 13:12–13);

 

speaking of the day of judgment; and in this passage also “earth” clearly denotes the church, which is said to be “shaken out of its place,” when it is changed as to state. (That “place” is state may be seen above, n. 1273–1275, 1377, 2625, 2837.) Again:

 

16너를 보는 이가 주목하여 너를 자세히 살펴보며 말하기를 이 사람이 땅을 진동시키며 열국을 놀라게 하며 17세계를 황무하게 하며 성읍을 파괴하며 그에게 사로잡힌 자들을 집으로 놓아 보내지 아니하던 자가 아니냐 하리로다 (사14:16, 17) Is this the man that shaketh the earth, that shaketh kingdoms, that maketh the world as a wilderness, and destroyeth the cities thereof? (Isa. 14:16–17);

 

speaking of Lucifer; the “earth” denotes the church, which he is said to “shake” when man attributes to himself all things of it. (That “kingdoms” are the truths of the church may be seen above, n. 1672, 2547.)

 

[3] In Ezekiel:

 

18그 날에 곡이 이스라엘 땅을 치러 오면 내 노여움이 내 얼굴에 나타나리라 주 여호와의 말씀이니라 19내가 질투와 맹렬한 노여움으로 말하였거니와 그 날에 큰 지진이 이스라엘 땅에 일어나서 20바다의 고기들과 공중의 새들과 들의 짐승들과 땅에 기는 모든 벌레와 지면에 있는 모든 사람이 내 앞에서 떨 것이며 모든 산이 무너지며 절벽이 떨어지며 모든 성벽이 땅에 무너지리라 (겔38:18-20) It shall come to pass in that day, when Gog cometh upon the land of Israel, that my wrath shall rise in mine anger; in my zeal and in the fire of my indignation I will speak, Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake upon the ground of Israel (Ezek. 38:18–20);

 

“Gog” denotes external worship separate from internal, and thus become idolatrous (n. 1151); the “earth” and the “ground of Israel” denote the spiritual church; the “earthquake,” a change in its state. In Joel:

 

그 앞에서 땅이 진동하며 하늘이 떨며 해와 달이 캄캄하며 별들이 빛을 거두도다 (욜2:10) The earth quaked before him, the heavens trembled, the sun and the moon became black, and the stars withdrew their brightness (Joel 2:10);

 

where also the subject is the day of the last judgment; the “earth quaking” denotes a changed state of the church; the “sun and moon,” the good of love and its truth (n. 1529–1530, 2441, 2495), which are said to “become black,” when goods and truths are no longer acknowledged; the “stars” denote the knowledges of good and truth (n. 2495, 2849). In David:

 

이에 땅이 진동하고 산들의 터도 요동하였으니 그의 진노로 말미암음이로다 (시18:7) The earth was shaken and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and were shaken, because he was wroth (Ps. 18:7);

 

the “earth shaken and quaking” denotes the state of the church become perverted.

 

[4] In John:

 

12내가 보니 여섯째 인을 떼실 때에 큰 지진이 나며 해가 검은 털로 짠 상복 같이 검어지고 달은 온통 피같이 되며 13하늘의 별들이 무화과나무가 대풍에 흔들려 설익은 열매가 떨어지는 것 같이 땅에 떨어지며 (계6:12, 13) And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal, and lo there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth (Rev. 6:12–13);

 

where the “earthquake, sun, moon, and stars” have a like signification as above in Joel. Again:

 

그 때에 큰 지진이 나서 성 십분의 일이 무너지고 지진에 죽은 사람이 칠천이라 그 남은 자들이 두려워하여 영광을 하늘의 하나님께 돌리더라 (계11:13) In that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake names of men seven thousand (Rev. 11:13).

 

From all these passages it is evident that an “earthquake” is nothing else than a change in the state of the church; and that in the internal sense the “earth” is nothing else than the church; and as the “earth” is the church, it is evident that by the “new heaven and new earth,” which were to succeed in place of the former (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1), there is signified nothing else than a new church internal and external (n. 1733, 1850, 2117–2118).

 

보라 내가 새 하늘과 새 땅을 창조하나니 이전 것은 기억되거나 마음에 생각나지 아니할 것이라 (사65:17)

 

내가 지을 새 하늘과 새 땅이 내 앞에 항상 있는 것 같이 너희 자손과 너희 이름이 항상 있으리라 여호와의 말이니라 (사66:22)

 

또 내가 새 하늘과 새 땅을 보니 처음 하늘과 처음 땅이 없어졌고 바다도 다시 있지 않더라 (계21:1)

 

 

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The reason a “quaking” or “motion” denotes a change of state, is that it takes place in space and in time; and in the other life there is no idea of space and of time; but in their stead there is state. It is indeed true that in the other life all things appear as in space, and follow one another as if in time; but in themselves the space and time are changes of state, for they come from this source. This is perfectly well known to every spirit, even to the wicked, who by changes of state induced on others cause them to appear in another place, when yet they are not there. Men may know the same from the fact that insofar as a man is in a state of the affections and of the derivative joy; and insofar as he is in a state of the thoughts and of a consequent absence from the body, so far he is not in time; for many hours then appear to him scarcely as one; and this because his internal man or spirit has states to which the spaces and times in the external man correspond. “Motion,” therefore, being a successive progression in space and time, is in the internal sense a change of state.