AE948 - Progressions

 AE 948 [3]

There have been several churches on our globe
one after another.
There was the Most Ancient, that was before the flood;
there was the Ancient, that was after the flood;
then the Hebrew; and then the Israelitish;
after this the Christian;
and now the New Church is beginning.
Inmost Divine truths were revealed to those
who were of the Most Ancient Church;
more external Divine truths were revealed to those
of the Ancient Church;
and most external or ultimate Divine truths
to the Hebrew Church,
and afterwards to the Israelitish,
with which church all Divine truth finally perished,
for at last there was nothing in the Word
that had not been adulterated.
But after the end of the Israelitish Church
interior Divine truths were revealed by the Lord
for the Christian Church,
and now still more interior truths
for the church that is to come.
These interior truths are such
as are in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word.
All this makes clear
that there has been a progression of Divine truth
from inmosts to ultimates,
thus from wisdom to mere ignorance;
and that now there is a progression of it
from ultimates to interiors,
thus from ignorance again to wisdom.