Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

[7] Jesus said to his disciples,DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 194When the son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, ye also shall situpon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28).From these words it may be inferred that the Lord’s disciples willsit in judgment, when yet they can judge no one. Doctrinetherefore must reveal this secret by explaining that the Lord alone,who is omniscient and knows the hearts of all, will sit in judgment,and is able to judge; and that his twelve disciples mean the churchas to all the truths and goods it possesses from the Lord throughthe Word; from which doctrine concludes that these truths willjudge everyone, according to the Lord’s words in John 3:17–18;12:47–48.[8] He who reads the Word without doctrine does not see theconsistency of what is said in the prophets about the Jewish nationand Jerusalem—that the church with that nation, and its seat inthat city, will remain to eternity; as in the following passages:Jehovah will visit his flock the house of Judah, and will make them as ahorse of glory in war; from him shall come forth the corner stone, from himthe nail, and from him the bow of war (Zech. 10:3–4, 6–7).Behold I come, that I may dwell in the midst of thee. And Jehovah shallmake Judah an inheritance, and shall again choose Jerusalem (Zech. 2:10,12).It shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop new wine,and the hills shall flow with milk, and Judah shall be to eternity, andJerusalem from generation to generation (Joel 3:18–20).Behold, the days come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the houseof Judah with the seed of man, and in which I will make a new covenant withthe house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; and this shall be thecovenant, I will put my law in their inward parts, and will write it upon theirheart and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer. 31:27, 31,33).In that day ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations,of the skirt of a man that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we haveheard that God is with you (Zech. 8:23).