Page:A brief discussion of some of the claims of the Hon. E. Swedenborg.pdf/24

 pretation of the prediction evidences, most plainly, the naturalism of that dispensation which announces it. Moreover, it gives a supposed literal meaning to a certainly symbolical description. It regards the expressions "clouds of heaven" to mean the clouds of the earth, and supposes the Lord's glorified person to be capable of being seen with the natural eyes of men. It is a plain evidence that truth has departed from the church, when we find it understanding literally the figurative language of the Scriptures. Look at the subject with some degree of elevated thought, examine it carefully and with candour, and it must be seen that the professing church has mistaken its way in this very important matter. An error of such a magnitude could not have been unattended with dangers—dangers which nothing but the fulfilment of the prediction in question could have averted. From the 29th verse of the language quoted, we learn that immediately after the tribulation of the days treated of, that certain spiritual calamities are to transpire; and in the 30th we are informed that they would be succeeded by several benedictine phenomena. Now by the tribulation of the days referred to, is clearly meant the disastrous state of the church which is treated of, induced by the perversions of error and the influences of evil. By the sun that is to be darkened, is denoted that love to the Lord would be obscured; by the moon not giving her light is meant, that charity to man would not appear; by the stars falling from heaven, is signified that the knowledge of goodness and truth would depart from the church, and by the powers of the heaven being shaken, is denoted that all the principles of the church would be convulsed. It is when these spiritual calamities transpire, that the sign of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, by which is meant the manifestation of divine truth to the church; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, that is, all who have any genuine good in the church will grieve on account of the desolations which evils and errors have brought upon it. Then shall they,—they who have any genuine good in the church,—see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven; that is, they shall perceive the revelation of the internal truths of the Lord's most Holy Word, because they will be set forth and confirmed by means of the literal sense of it. The power and great glory by which this is to be accompanied denote the omnipotence of good and the magnificence of truth by which it will be distinguished.