THE

BOOK OF GENESIS

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SECOND

4229. In Part Three This refers to the third volume of the original Latin publication. we began an explanation of the Lord’s prophecies in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew concerning the Last JudgmentIn this context, the "Last Judgment" refers not to the physical end of the world, but to the end of a specific spiritual era or "church" when it loses its genuine love and truth.. This explanation was placed at the start of the final chapters of that Part and continued up to the thirty-first verse of that chapter in the Gospel (see numbers 3353–3356, 3486–3489, 3650–3655, 3897–3901, 4056–4060).

The internal senseThe deeper, spiritual meaning hidden within the literal words of the Bible. of these prophecies, when summarized, clearly shows what was being predicted: the successive vastationA theological term describing the gradual process by which a church or society is emptied of spiritual truth and goodness until it is completely "waste" or lifeless. of the church and the eventual establishment of a New ChurchA new spiritual era or community that begins after the old one has lost its spiritual life.. This occurs in the following order:

I. The members of the church would begin to lose sight of what is truly good and true, leading them to argue about these concepts.
II. They would then come to hold these spiritual values in contempt.
III. Deep in their hearts, they would no longer acknowledge them.
IV. They would profaneTreating something sacred with irreverence or using spiritual truths for selfish and worldly ends. them.
V. However, because some truth of faith and some goodness of charityActive love and kindness toward others, rooted in spiritual principle. would still remain with a few—those called the “elect”—a description is given of the state of faith as it then exists.
VI. Next, the state of charity is described.
VII. And finally, the text addresses the beginning of a New Church, which is the meaning of the last words explained:

He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the heavens even to the end thereof (verse 31),

This passage signifies the commencement of a New Church (see number 4060, at the end original: "4060e" — the 'e' stands for 'fine,' indicating the end of the numbered paragraph.).

original: "Part Third * a commencement was made..." This note indicates that this section corresponds to the third volume of the original Latin work.