Judged All According to Their Works

Selection from Divine Providence ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

THE OPERATION OF THE LORD'S DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN CONJOINING MAN WITH THE LORD, AND THE LORD WITH MAN.

This operation is not upon any particular of man by itself, except as it is simultaneously upon all things of man; and this is done from his inmost and from his outmosts simultaneously.

• The inmost of man is his life's love

• his outmosts are the things that are in the external of his thought

• his intermediates are the things that are in the internal of his thought.

From this again it is clear that the Lord cannot act from inmosts and outmosts simultaneously except in connection with man, for in outmosts man and the Lord are together, consequently as man acts in outmosts, which are under his control, being within the realm of his freedom, so the Lord acts from man's inmosts and upon the unbroken series to outmosts. The things that are in man's inmosts and in the series from inmosts to outmosts are wholly unknown to man; and therefore he knows nothing whatever of the way in which the Lord works there or what He does; but as these things are so closely connected as to be a one with outmosts it is unnecessary for man to know more than that he must shun evils as sins and look to the Lord. In this and in no other way can his life's love, which from birth is infernal, be put away by the Lord, and a heavenly life's love be implanted in its place.

WHEN A HEAVENLY LIFE'S LOVE HAS BEEN IMPLANTED BY THE LORD

When a heavenly life's love has been implanted by the Lord in place of an infernal life's love, affections for good and truth are implanted in place of the lusts of evil and falsity; and the enjoyments of affections for good are implanted in place of the enjoyments of the lusts of evil and falsity; and the goods of heavenly love are implanted in place of the evils of infernal love. Then prudence is implanted in place of cunning, and wise thoughts in place of crafty thoughts. Thus man is born again and becomes a new man. 

It has been shown above from the exhortations read in all Christian churches before the Holy Communion that the common religion of the whole Christian world teaches that -

• man must examine himself

• see his sins

• acknowledge them

• confess them before God

• refrain from them

and that this is repentance, remission of sins, and consequently salvation.

This can be seen also from THE FAITH THAT TAKES ITS NAME FROM ATHANASIUS, and that has been accepted in the whole Christian world: at the end of which are these words:-

The Lord will come to judge the living and dead; at whose coming those that have done good shall enter into life eternal, and those that have done evil into eternal fire.

Who does not know from the Word that a life after death is allotted to every one according to his deeds? Open the Word, read it, and you will see this clearly; but while doing this, exclude from your thoughts faith and justification by it alone. As evidence that the Lord teaches this everywhere in His Word, take these few examples:-

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matt. 7:19, 20)

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and in Thy name done many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I do not know you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:22, 23)

Every one that heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock; and every one that heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the ground without a foundation (Matt. 7:24, 26; Luke 6:46-49).

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, and then He shall render unto every man according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27).

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matt. 21:43).

Jesus said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God and do it (Luke 8:21).

Then shall ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us; but He shall answer and say to them, I know ye not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:25-27).

They that have done good shall go forth unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment (John 5:29).

We know that God heareth not sinners; but if anyone worship God and do His will, him He heareth (John 9:31).

If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them (John 13:17).

He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and I will love him and will come to him, and make My abode with him (John 14:15, 21-24)

Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. I have chosen you that ye may bring forth fruit, and that your fruit may abide (John 15:14, 16).

The Lord said to John, To the angel of the Ephesian church write, I know thy works; I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity. Repent, and do the first works; if not I will remove thy lampstand out of its place (Rev. 2:1, 2, 4, 5).

To the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write, I know thy works (Rev. 2:8, 9).

To the angel of the church at Pergamum write, I know thy works, repent (Rev. 2:12, 13, 16).

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, I know thy works and charity, and thy last works to be more than the first (Rev. 2:18, 19).

To the angel of the church in Sardis write, I know thy works, that thou hast a name and that thou livest, and art dead. I have not found thy works perfect before God; repent (Rev. 3:1-3).

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, I know thy works (Rev. 3:7, 8).

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, I know thy works; repent (Rev. 3:14, 15, 19).

I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; their works do follow them (Rev. 14:13).

A book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged, all according to their works (Rev. 20:12, 13).

Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his work (Rev. 22:12).

Thus far the New Testament.

Still more numerous are the evidences in the Old Testament, from which I will quote this one only:

Stand in the gate of Jehovah, and proclaim there this word, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings; trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah are these. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and then come and stand before Me in this house, upon which My name is named, and say, We are delivered, while ye do these abominations? Is this house become a den of robbers? Behold I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah (Jer. 7:2-4, 9-11).

(from Divine Providence 125-128)

Truths of Faith Lead to Good which is of Charity

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
TRUTHS WHICH ARE OF FAITH LEAD TO GOOD WHICH IS OF CHARITY

Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD , the first, and with the last; I am he. (Isaiah 41:4)

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. (Isaiah 48:12)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.; I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.; And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (Revelation 1:8; 11; 17)

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; (Revelation 2:8)

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:13)

All things both in general and in particular have relation to an end, and look to it, and those which do not look to an end cannot subsist. For the Lord has created nothing whatever except for the sake of an end; in so much that it may be said that the end is the all in all things that have been created; and all things that have been created are in such an order that as the end from the First through the intermediates looks to the last or ultimate, so the end within the last or ultimate has regard to the end in the First. Hence comes the connection of things.

In its first origin the end itself is nothing but the Divine good of the Divine love; thus it is the Lord Himself. Wherefore also in the Word He is called the "First and the Last," the "Alpha and Omega". This being the case, it is necessary that each and all things which pertain to the life with man should have relation to an end and should look to it.

He who has any rational ability can see that the memory-knowledges with a man look to truths as their end, and that the truths look to goods, and that the goods look to the Lord as the last and the first end; as the last end when they look at Him from truths, and as the first end when they look at Him from good. Such is the case with the truths of the church that they lead to good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 6044)

The Temptations the Lord Sustained

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The temptations the Lord sustained ... concerning which nothing is related in the Word of the New Testament, except: —

• concerning His temptation in the wilderness or soon after He came out of the wilderness (below)
• concerning His last temptation in Gethsemane and then what then followed—

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:36-39)

Three Prayers Jesus Prayed on the Cross

• Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)

• Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

• Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46)

That the Lord's life, from His earliest childhood even to the last hour of His life in the world, was continual temptation and continual victory, is evident from many things in the Word of the Old Testament; and that it did not cease with the temptation in the wilderness is evident from what is said in Luke:

And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from Him for a season. (Luke 4:13)

as also from the fact that He was tempted even to the death on the cross, and thus to the last hour of His life in the world.

Hence it is evident that the whole of the Lord's life in the world, from His earliest childhood, was continual temptation and continual victory. The last was when He prayed on the cross for His enemies, and thus for all in the whole world.

In the Word of the Lord's life, in the Gospels, none but the last is mentioned, except His temptation in the wilderness. More were not disclosed to the disciples. The things that were disclosed appear in the sense of the letter so slight as to be scarcely anything — for to speak and to answer in this manner is no temptation, when yet His temptation was more grievous than can ever be comprehended and believed by any human mind.

No one can know what temptation is except the one who has been in it.

The temptation that is related in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13, contains all temptations in a summary; namely, that from love toward the whole human race, the Lord fought against the loves of self and of the world, with which the hells were filled.

All temptation is an assault upon the love in which the man is, and the temptation is in the same degree as is the love. If the love is not assaulted, there is no temptation. To destroy anyone's love is to destroy his very life — for the love is the life.

The Lord's life was love toward the whole human race, and was indeed so great, and of such a quality, as to be nothing but pure love. Against this His life, continual temptations were admitted, as before said, from His earliest childhood to His last hour in the world. The love which was the Lord's veriest life is signified by His "hungering," and by the devil's saying,

If Thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread and by Jesus answering that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:2-4; Matt. 4:2-4).

That He fought against the love of the world, or all things that are of the love of the world, is signified by:

The devil took Him up into a high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them, for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it; if Thou therefore wilt worship before me, all shall be Thine. But Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve (Luke 4:5-8; Matt 4:8-10).

That He fought against the love of self, and all things that are of the love of self, is signified by this:

The devil took Him into the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If Thou art the Son of God, cast Thyself down for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee, and upon their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matt. 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12).

Continual victory is signified by its being said that after the temptations, "angels came and ministered unto Him" (Matt. 4:11; Mark 1:13).

In brief, the Lord from His earliest childhood up to the last hour of His life in the world, was assaulted by all the hells, against which He continually fought, and subjugated and overcame them, and this solely from love toward the whole human race. And because this love was not human but Divine, and because such as is the greatness of the love, such is that of the temptation, it may be seen how grievous the combats were, and how great the ferocity on the part of the hells.

~~~

Evil spirits are those who make the assault.

The Lord never began the combat with any hell, but the hells assaulted Him; as is also the case with every man who is in temptation, or In combat with evil spirits.

In man's case, the angels never make the assault, but always and continually the evil or infernal spirits do so; the angels only ward off and defend. This comes from the Lord, who never desires to bring evil upon anyone, or to thrust him down into hell, even if he were the worst and the most bitter enemy of all; but it is he who brings the evil upon himself, and precipitates himself into hell. This also follows from the nature of evil, and from the nature of good.

It is the nature of evil to desire to maltreat everyone; but that of good to desire to maltreat no one. The evil are in their very life when they are assaulting; for they continually desire to destroy. The good are in their very life when they are assaulting no one, and when they can be of use in defending others from evils.

(from Arcana Coelestia 1683)

~~~

That "the mountain" means the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the signification of a "mountain," concerning which presently. All evil and falsity come forth from the love of self and the love of the world; they have no other origin; for the love of self and the love of the world are the opposites of celestial love and spiritual love; and because they are the opposites, they are what are continually endeavoring to destroy the celestial and spiritual things of the kingdom of God. From the love of self and of the world come forth all hatreds; from hatreds, all revenges and cruelties; and from these, all deceits; in short, all the hells..

That in the Word by "mountains" there is signified the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

The proud eyes of man shall be humbled and the loftiness of men shall be brought low. The day of Jehovah Zebaoth is upon all that is proud and lofty, upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower (Isa. 2:11-12, 14-15)

the "high mountains" plainly denote the love of self; and the "hills that are lifted up," the love of the world.

Again:

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isa. 40:4)

here also "mountain and hill" manifestly denote the love of self and the love of the world.

Again:

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage (Isa. 42:15);

where also "mountains" denote the love of self, and "hills" the love of the world. In Ezekiel:

The mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the earth (Ezek. 38:20).

In Jeremiah:

Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning (Jer. 51:25);

where Babel and Chaldea are spoken of, by which is signified the love of self and of the world, as before shown.

In the Song of Moses:

A fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall devour the earth and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains (Deut. 32:22)

"the foundations of the mountains" mean the hells, as is plainly said; these are called the foundations of the mountains, because the love of self and the love of the world reign in them, and are from them.

In Jonah:

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the seaweed was wrapped about my head; I went down to the cuttings-off of the mountains; the bars of the earth were upon me forever; yet hast Thou brought up my lives from the pit, O Jehovah my God (Jonah 2:5-6)

the Lord's temptations against the hells are thus prophetically described by Jonah, when he was in the belly of the great fish. So likewise in other passages of the Word, especially in David. He who is in temptations is in the hells; place has nothing to do with being in the hells, but state.

As "mountains" and "towers" signify the love of self and of the world, it may be seen what is signified by the Lord's being taken by the devil "upon a high mountain," and "upon a pinnacle of the temple," namely, that He was led into temptation combats, the most extreme of all, against the loves of self and of the world, that is, against the hells. "Mountains" also, in the opposite sense, signify celestial and spiritual love.

~~~

Scarcely anyone can know what temptations, or combats of temptations, effect. They are the means by which evils and falsities are broken up and dispersed, and by which horror of them is induced; and not only is conscience given, but it is also strengthened thereby, and so the man is regenerated, which is the reason why they who are being regenerated are let into combats, and undergo temptations; and they who do not undergo them in the life of the body, do so in the other life, if they are capable of being regenerated, on which account the Lord's church is called militant. But the Lord alone sustained the most cruel combats of temptations by His own strength or His own power; for He was surrounded by all the hells, and continually conquered them.

It is the Lord alone also who fights in the men who are in the combats of temptations, and who overcomes. Man from his own power can effect nothing at all against evil or infernal spirits; for they are so connected with the hells that if one were overcome, another would rush in, and so on forever. They are like the sea which presses upon every part of a dike; and if the dike should be broken through by a cleft or a crack, the sea would never cease to burst through and overflow, until nothing was left standing. So would it be with man unless the Lord alone sustained in him the combats of temptations

(from Arcana Coelestia 1690 - 1692)