Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 238109. In this respect a comparison may be made with the heat andlight from the sun of this world, which causes vegetation in treesand shrubs even when they are out of its direct rays and under aclouded sky, provided the sun has risen and shown itself in theworld. It is the same with the light and heat of heaven from theLord as the sun, this light being Divine truth, the source of allintelligence and wisdom to angels and men. It is therefore said ofthe Word:That it was with God, and was God; that it enlightens every man thatcomes into the world (John 1:1, 9); and also that that light appears in thedarkness (John 1:5).110. From all this it is evident that the Word which exists in theChurch of the Reformed enlightens all nations and peoples by aspiritual communication; and also that it is provided by the Lordthat there shall always be a church on earth where the Word isread, and where consequently the Lord is known. It was for thisreason that when the Word had been almost completely rejected bythe papists, of the Lord’s Divine providence the Reformation wasbrought about, whereby the Word was again received, as also thatthe Word is accounted holy by a notable nation among the papists.111. As without the Word there is no knowledge of the Lord,and therefore no salvation, it pleased the Lord that when the Wordhad been wholly falsified and adulterated among the Jewish nationand thus as it were brought to nothingness, that he should descendfrom heaven and come into the world, and fulfill the Word, andthereby repair and restore it, and again give light to the earth’sinhabitants, in accordance with his declaration:The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light; and to those who satin the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up (Matt. 4:16; Isa. 9:2).112. As it had been foretold that darkness would arise at the endof the present church in consequence of the lack of knowledge andacknowledgment of the Lord as being the God of heaven and earth,and also in consequence of the separation of faith from charity,therefore in order that by reason of this a genuine understanding of