—­Heaven and Hell, n. 57 —­Apocalypse Explained, n. 388 —­Arcana Coelestia, n. 6637; ib., n. 9256

A SUCCESSION OF CHURCHES

There have been four Churches on this earth since the day of creation; a first, to be called the Adamic, a second, to be called the Noachic; a third, the Israelitish; and a fourth, the Christian.  After these four Churches, a new one will arise, which is to be truly Christian, foretold in Daniel and in the Apocalypse, and by the Lord Himself in the Evangelists, and looked for by the Apostles.

—­Coronis, Summary, I, VIII

EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND ITS DECLINE

When a Church is raised up by the Lord, it is in the beginning blameless; and one then loves the other as his brother, as we know of the primitive Church after the Lord’s advent.  At that time, all the sons of the Church lived together like brothers, and also called one another brother, and mutually loved each other.  But in the course of time charity diminished, and vanished; and as it vanished, evils succeeded; and together with evils falsities insinuated themselves.  Hence came schisms and heresies, which would never come to be, were charity regnant and alive.

—­Arcana Coelestia, n. 1834

THE LORD’S SECOND COMING:  WHEN?  HOW?

Now is the Lord’s Second Coming, and a New Church is to be instituted.  The Second Coming of the Lord is not a coming in Person, but in the Word, which is from Him, and is Himself.  We read in many places that the Lord will come in the clouds of heaven.  The “clouds of heaven” mean the Word in its natural sense, and “glory” the Word in its spiritual sense, and “power” the Lord’s power by means of the Word.  So the Lord is now to appear in the Word.  He is not to appear in Person because, since His ascension into heaven, He is in the Glorified Humanity, in which He cannot appear to any man, unless He opens the eyes of his spirit first, and this cannot be done with any one who is in evils and thence in falsities.  It is vain, therefore, to believe that the Lord will appear in a cloud of heaven in Person; but He will appear in the Word, which is from Him, and so is Himself.

—­True Christian Religion, nn. 115, 776, 777

What occurred at the end of the Jewish Church has occurred similarly now; for at the end of that Church, which was when the Lord came into the world, the Word was interiorly opened.  Interior Divine truths were revealed by the Lord, which were to serve the New Church to be established by Him, and did serve it, too.  To-day, again, for similar reasons, the Word has been interiorly opened, and divine truths still more interior have been revealed, which are to serve a New Church, which will be called the New Jerusalem.

—­Apocalypse Explained, n. 948