JOEL
Joel - BM Home - Full PageChap. I.—(1) That the Word is perverted by false worship. (2) Whereas the Word should have been obeyed by all of the Church, (3) and communicated to all in falsity from evil, (4) the spiritual things of the Church have been destroyed by sensualism. (5) So that remorse should be awakened on account of the loss of faith, (6) which has been destroyed by the lust of heathen worship: (7) depriving the Church of spiritual truth and good. (8) That the Church should return to the Lord (9) with inward mourning and contrition (10) over the loss of good and truth in the natural and spiritual man. (11) Especially they who seek the good of the Church and they who desire its genuine doctrine: for the Church is about to perish. (12) Spiritual truth, its good, knowledge, and its delights, which constitute the Church, are perverted.
(13) So that only by repentance can communion with the Lord be renewed. (14) That the Church can only remove the evil and falsity by acknowledging and worshiping the Lord: (15) for the end of the Church is near, when it will be judged. (16) Good works are not done, nor are there any who delight in spiritual things. (17) Natural good is subordinated to evil: the truth and good of the Word are rejected. (18) Wherefore there is no good in the Church, (19) and the heart must be turned to the Lord: for self has corrupted all things therein. (20) Although truth is desired, it has been misappropriated to self.
Chap. II.—(1) That the Lord will come, descending through the heavens, (2) and the judgement will take place; when the falsity of evil (3) and the evil of idolatry will have destroyed the Church. (4) That false reasoning seeking to persuade, (5) and fallacious opinions dominating the mind (6) make religious life difficult for all. (7) By the assaults on truth from insane persuasions (8) evil is not averted, (9) but they pervert the good and truth of the letter of the Word. (10) So all good, truth, and knowledge in the Church are dissipated, (11) The Lord, by the power of His Truth, will oppose evils and falsities. (12) That men should fully respond to the Lord's will (13) and earnestly desire the truth from Him alone, so as to enjoy His salvation; (14) and if this be done He will respond to their desires.
(15) Thus would love remain, self be denied and the Lord acknowledged, (16) and the Church would enjoy the blessings of spiritual life, (17) and be saved from the dominion of heathenism. (18) That the Lord would then restore the Church in faith and charity, (19) and implant the graces of spiritual life. (20) He would also remove the falsities of hell. (21) That the Church will trust in the Lord with joy (22) and show confidence in His Word. (23) Whereby there will be greater light and intelligence, (24) with increasing affections of mutual love and charity: (25) and therefore the Church will be removed from the evils which destroy. (26) Thence the Lord will be worshiped according to the love of good, (27) and the Church will acknowledge Him as the only God.
(28) The Lord will infuse His Divine into the Church, and His Word shall be known; (29) there shall also be a newness of life therein. (30) That the inflowing Divine truth will make manifest the state of the world: (31) it will be received by the good and dissipated by the evil. (32) But those who acknowledge and worship the Lord shall be saved.
Chap. III.—(1) That by the Lord's Advent all will be brought together, (2) and, by disposing all things into order, judgement will take place upon those who dissipate the goods and truths (3) by estranging them from the Lord and ascribing them to self: (4) also upon those in knowledge alone and faith alone (5) who pervert the truth and good of the Word, (6) and appropriate them to self. (7) Thereby truth and good are estranged from the Lord's service, (8) and they who do this bring their judgement upon themselves.
(9) The combats of the hells against the Lord begin by false insinuations (10) and fallacious persuasions; (11) but, notwithstanding their hatred, they will be subdued by Divine Truth; (12) and hell will be set in order. (13) Then the falsity of the Church will be consummated: (14) for its last state is near, (15) when love, faith, and true knowledge are no more. (16) That the Lord will defend the faithful (17) who will acknowledge Him as the source of all things in the Church.
(18) That then the Word will be the only source of truth for the New Church, (19) and all falsity and profanity shall be removed. (20) The Church shall then endure in goodness and truth, (21) being founded on the Word and sustained by the Lord's presence.