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and pieces of Divine Truth can be collected and presented in a more formal
and logical manner. This is also true for us in our regeneration.
The works published in 1758 (Heaven and Hell, Heavenly Doctrine, Last
Judgment, White Horse and Earths in the Universe) are largely drawn from the
inter-chapter material in the Arcana. The works of 1763 and 1764 (Doctrine of
the Lord, Sacred Scripture, Life, Faith, Last Judgment Continued, Divine Love
and Wisdom and Divine Providence) are developments of doctrines found in
the Arcana, rather than extractions from the Arcana.
The works published in 1766 and later (Apocalypse Revealed, Conjugial
Love, Brief Exposition, Intercourse Between Soul and Body and True Christian
Religion) are further developments, but they look to the establishment of a new
church. They talk about the falsities of the previous Christian Church and the
truths of the new Christian Church.
These works also tend to be more direct and critical of the previous
Christian Church and its faith. While there are teachings concerning the new
Christian Church in the Arcana, they are vague about its nature. These later
works, however, make it clear that the new Christian Church must replace the
previous church.
My sense is that there is a sequence in how the Lord presents His truths
in the Heavenly Doctrines which was important to be followed for the sake of
the Last Judgment, Redemption, the Second Coming, and the establishment
of the New Church.
I feel that this sequence or process mirrors our needs for Divine truth in
the process of our regeneration.
The Lord begins our regeneration by presenting truths to us in a scattered
fashion. This allows us to accept them because we can’t see how disruptive
they will be to our evils and falsities. As our regeneration progresses the Lord
separates some of our evils and falsities from some of our goods and truths,
performing a kind of last judgment. After this the Lord collects our scattered
truths, and organizes them. He uses them to subjugate some of our evils and
falsities, and then to order the goods and truths of our internal.
When this is done, the Lord makes a coming into our lives; He is present
in us in a new and deeper manner. This is followed by an establishing of His
Church in us. Our faith in Him has become more solid and entrenched. He
can now be more direct about our evils and falsities and the need to put them
aside.
When we read the Heavenly Doctrines in chronological order, I believe
that the Lord can more easily order our minds by separating our evils and
falsities from our goods and truths, subjugating our evils and falsities, ordering
our goods and truths, becoming especially present with us, and forming us
into a new church. I believe that the Lord can do this even when we don’t read
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