THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 65)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 65)
MURDERS, ADULTERIES, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, TOGETHER WITH ALL CONCUPISCENCE,
FOR THESE THINGS ARE THE EVILS WHICH MUST BE SHUNNED AS SINS.

All nations in the wide world who have religion possess precepts like those in the Decalogue, and all who from religion live them are saved, and all who do not live them from religion are damned.

When those who live them from religion are instructed after death by the angels, they receive truths, and acknowledge the Lord; the reason of which is that they shun evils as sins, and are consequently in good, and good loves truth, and from the desire of this love, receives it (as has been shown above, n. 32-41). This is meant by the words of the Lord to the Jews:

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).

And also by these:
When therefore the Lord of the vineyard shall come, He will destroy those evil men, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their season (Matt. 21:40-41).

And by these:
I say unto you that many shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God, but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness (Matt. 8:11-12; Luke 13:29).

(LIFE 65)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 64)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 64)
MURDERS, ADULTERIES, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, TOGETHER WITH ALL CONCUPISCENCE,
FOR THESE THINGS ARE THE EVILS WHICH MUST BE SHUNNED AS SINS.

It is a common principle of every religion that a man ought to examine himself, repent, and desist from sins, and that if he fails to do so he is in a state of damnation.

Teaching the Decalogue is also a common thing throughout the whole Christian world, and by it little children are commonly initiated into the Christian religion, for it is in the hands of all young children. Their parents and teachers tell them that to commit these evils is to sin against God, and in fact while speaking to the children they know nothing different.

We may well wonder that these same persons, and the children too when they become adults, think that they are not under this Law, and that they are not able to do the things that belong to it.

Can there be any other cause for their learning to think in this way, than that they love evils and consequently the false notions that favor them? These therefore are the people who do not make the commandments of the Decalogue a matter of religion. And that these same persons live without religion

(LIFE 64)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 63)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 63)
MURDERS, ADULTERIES, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, TOGETHER WITH ALL CONCUPISCENCE,
FOR THESE THINGS ARE THE EVILS WHICH MUST BE SHUNNED AS SINS.

A religious tenet has prevailed to the effect that no one is able to fulfill the law; the law being not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness.

Every civic man and moral man is able to fulfill these commandments of the law by a civic and moral life; but this tenet denies that he can do so by a spiritual life; from which it follows that his not doing these evils is only for the sake of avoiding penalties and losses in this world, and not for the sake of avoiding penalties and losses after he has left it. It is for this reason that a man with whom this tenet has prevailed, thinks these evils allowable in the sight of God, but not so in that of the world.

And in consequence of such thought from this his tenet, the man is in concupiscence for all these evils, and refrains from doing them merely for the world's sake; and therefore after death such a man, although he had not committed murders, adulteries, thefts, and false witness, nevertheless desires to commit them, and does commit them when the external possessed by him in this world is taken away from him. Every concupiscence he has had remains with him after death. It is owing to this that such persons act as one with hell, and cannot but have their lot among those who are there.

Very different is the lot of those who are unwilling to kill, to commit adultery, to steal, and to bear false witness for the reason that to do these things is contrary to God. These persons, after some battling with these evils, do not will them, thus do not desire to commit them: they say in their hearts that they are sins, and in themselves are infernal and devilish. After death, when the external which they had possessed for this world is taken away from them, they act as one with heaven, and as they are in the Lord they come into heaven.

(LIFE 63)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 62)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 62)
MURDERS, ADULTERIES, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, TOGETHER WITH ALL CONCUPISCENCE,
FOR THESE THINGS ARE THE EVILS WHICH MUST BE SHUNNED AS SINS.

It is well known that the Law of Sinai was written on two tables —

• The first table contains all things that belong to God
• The second all that belong to man

That the first table contains all things that belong to God, and the second all that belong to man does not appear in the letter, yet are they all in them, and it is for this reason that they are called the Ten Words, by which are signified all truths in the complex . . . . But in what way all things are in them cannot be set forth in a few words, but may be apprehended . . . . This is why it is said "murders, adulteries, thefts, and false witness of every kind."

(LIFE 62)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 61)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 61)
THE DECALOGUE TEACHES WHAT EVILS ARE SINS.

The commandments of this Law were called the "Ten Words," (see Exod. 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 10:4.)

They are so called because "ten" signifies all, and "words" signifies truths, for there were more than ten words. As "ten" signifies all,

The curtains of the tabernacle were ten (Exod. 26:1);

And for the same reason the Lord said

That a certain man who was to receive a kingdom, called ten of his servants, and gave them ten pounds to trade with (Luke 19:13).

And for the same reason also the Lord

Likened the kingdom of the heavens to ten virgins (Matt. 25:1).

For the same reason also,

The dragon is described as having ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems (Rev. 12:3).

In like manner the beast that came up out of the sea (Rev. 13:1).

And another beast also (Rev. 17:3, 7).

Likewise the beast in Daniel (7:7, 20, 24).

The like is signified by ten in Leviticus 26:26, and in Zechariah 8:23, and in other places.
This is the origin of tithes, for "tithes" (or "tenths") signify something from all.

(LIFE 61)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 60)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 60)
THE DECALOGUE TEACHES WHAT EVILS ARE SINS.

The tables of stone on which the Law was written were called "the tables of the covenant," and that from them the ark was called "the ark of the covenant," and the Law itself "the covenant," (see Num. 10:33; Deut. 4:13, 23; 5:2, 3; 9:9; Josh. 3:11; 1 Kings 8:19, 21; Rev. 11:19; and in many other places.

The reason why the Law was called the "covenant," is that "covenant" signifies conjunction; and it is therefore said of the Lord that:

He shall be for a covenant to the people (Isa. 42:6; 49:8);

and He is called:

The messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1);

and His blood:

The blood of the covenant (Matt. 26:28; Zech. 9:11; Exod. 24:4-10).

And therefore the Word is called the "Old Covenant," and the "New Covenant."

Moreover covenants are made for the sake of love, friendship, association, and thus for the sake of conjunction.

(LIFE 60)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 59)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 58)
THE DECALOGUE TEACHES WHAT EVILS ARE SINS.

What has been said [previously] (pt. 54-56) respecting the promulgation, holiness, and power of that Law, will be found in the following places in the Word:

• That Jehovah came down on Mount Sinai in fire, and that the mountain smoked and quaked, and that there were thunderings, lightnings, and a thick cloud, and the voice of a trumpet (Exod. 19:16, 18; Deut. 4:11; 5:22-26).
• That before the descent of Jehovah the people prepared and sanctified themselves for three days (Exod. 19:10, 11, 15).
• That bounds were set round the mountain, lest anyone should come near its base, and should die and that not even were the priests to come near, but Moses only (Exod. 19:12, 13, 20-23; 24:1, 2).
• That the Law was promulgated from Mount Sinai (Exod. 20:2-17; Deut. 5:6-21).
• That that Law was written by the finger of God on two tables of stone (Exod. 31:18; 32:15, 16; Deut. 9:10).
• That when Moses brought those tables down from the mountain the second time, his face shone (Exod. 34:29-35).
• That the tables were kept in the ark (Exod. 25:16; 40:20; Deut. 10:5; 1 Kings 8:9).
• That upon the ark was placed the mercy-seat, and upon this the golden cherubs (Exod. 25:17-21).
• That the ark, together with the mercy-seat and the cherubs, constituted the inmost of the tabernacle, and that the golden lampstand, the golden altar of incense, and the table overlaid with gold on which were the loaves of faces, constituted the exterior of the tabernacle and the ten curtains of fine linen, bright-crimson, and scarlet, its outermost (Exod. 25:1-end; 26:1-end; 40:17-28).
• That the place where the ark was, was called the holy of holies (Exod. 26:33).
• That the whole people of Israel encamped around the habitation in order according to their tribes, and marched in order after it (Num. 2:1-end).
• That there was then over the habitation a cloud by day and a fire by night (Exod. 40:38; Num. 9:15-end; 14:14; Deut. 1:33).
• That the Lord spoke with Moses from over the ark between the cherubs (Exod. 25:22; Num. 7:89).
• That the ark, from the Law within it, was called Jehovah-There, for when the ark set forward, Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah; and when it rested be said, Return Jehovah (Num. 10:35, 36), and see further 2 Sam. 6:2; Ps. 132:7, 8.
• That on account of the holiness of that Law Aaron was not allowed to enter within the veil except with sacrifices and with incense (Lev. 16:2-14, etc.).
• That the ark was brought into Zion by David with sacrifices and with shouting (2 Sam. 6:1-19). That on that occasion, Uzzah, who touched it, died (verses 6 and 7).
• That the ark was placed in the midst of the temple in Jerusalem, where it constituted the shrine (1 Kings 6:19, etc. 8:3-9).
• That by the Lord's presence and power in the Law that was in the ark, the waters of Jordan were cleft asunder, and so long as the ark rested in the midst of it, the people passed over on dry ground (Josh. 3:1-17; 4:5-20).
• That when the ark was carried around them, the walls of Jericho fell (Josh. 6:1-20).
• That Dagon the god of the Philistines fell to the earth before the ark, and afterwards lay upon the threshold of the temple headless (1 Sam. 5:1-4).
• That on account of the ark the Bethshemites were smitten, to the number of many thousands (1 Sam. 6:19).

(LIFE 58)