BLASPHEMY
HOW THE WORD IS BLASPHEMED BY THE FALSIFICATION OF IT
Selection from
APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED
According to the spiritual sense
in which the arcana there predicted
but heretofore concealed
are revealed
Translated from the Latin of
EMANUEL
SWEDENBORG
And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and
upon his heads a name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)
"Blasphemy" signifies the falsification of the Word, because in what follows by
this beast is described the way in which those who are meant by the dragon
pervert the sense of the letter of the Word by reasonings from the natural man,
that they may confirm the justification and salvation by faith alone without
good works; and this cannot be done except by their falsifying the Word, which
in each and every particular conjoins truths to goods and goods to truths, thus
faith to charity and charity to faith (as shown above, n. 775). This is why
falsifications of the Word are signified by "blasphemy," which is said to be the
name of this beast.
[2] But how the Word is blasphemed by the falsification
of it shall be illustrated by the following example. Those who separate faith
from good works say:
That
God the Father removed and even rejected from Himself the human race on
account of their evils; and for this reason His Son was sent into the world,
or the Son Himself, moved by pity, came into the world, and by the punishment
of extreme condemnation, which was the passion of the cross, and by His own
blood upon it, and finally by His death, He reconciled mankind to the Father,
by thus interceding for it.
As this is among the chief things of the doctrine of those who separate faith from its life, which is
charity, I will state briefly how the Divine is thereby blasphemed. It is
blasphemed by this, that they believe and think that the Divine removed or
rejected the human race from itself, when yet God is love itself, mercy itself,
and goodness itself, and these are His Esse; evidently, therefore, it is
impossible for God to remove or reject a single one of the human race, for this
would be to act against His own Esse, which, as has been said, is the source of
all love, all mercy, and all good. It would be impossible even for any angel or
any man who is in love, mercy, and good from the Lord, to do this; and yet their
love is finite, while the Divine love is infinite. God the Father's removing or
rejecting the human race they call vindictive justice, of which they cherish no
other idea than that of a king or judge avenging an evil done to him,
consequently that it is like their vengeance, in which there cannot but be
something of anger. To confirm this they cite passages from the Word where God
is called an avenger, a revenger, jealous, angry, wrathful; and these passages
of the Word they thus falsify, since these expressions are used in the sense of
the letter of the Word according to appearances.
When a man after death
becomes a spirit, if he is in evils from his life in the world he turns himself
away from the Lord; and when he turns himself away from the Lord and denies Him
he can no longer be so under the Lord's protection that his evil does not punish
him, for the punishment of evil is in the evil, as the reward of good is in the
good. But because the punishment of evil by the evil, or by those who are evil,
appears as if it were punishment by the Divine, so from that appearance the
Divine is said in the Word to be angry, to condemn, to cast into hell, and the
like. Yet the Lord condemns and punishes no one (as can be seen in the work on
Heaven and Hell, n. 545-550, under the head, The Lord Casts No One Down
Into Hell, But The Spirit Casts Himself Down"). From this can be seen how the Divine
is blasphemed by the falsification of the Word.
For it is thought that God is in some respect an avenger, or revenger, that He is angry, that He casts into hell
and punishes, when in fact it is evil that punishes itself, that is, hell from which evil is, and not the Divine. The Divine is blasphemed by the falsification
of the Word also by their believing and thinking that God the Father wished to
be reconciled to the human race by the punishment of extreme condemnation, which
was the passion of the cross, thus by the blood of His Son; and that by this He
was moved and is moved to mercy. Who that has an enlightened understanding does
not see that this, too, is contrary to the Divine, and therefore contrary to the
genuine truth of the Word? For as what is contrary to the Divine is blasphemy,
so to wrest the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm this doctrine is
blasphemy. But more about this in what follows.
[3] What, then, is signified by "blasphemy" can be seen from passages in the Word where it is mentioned; from
which I am only allowed to cite the following. In the Gospels:
Jesus said,
Every sin and blasphemy shall be remitted unto men, but the blasphemy of the
Spirit shall not be remitted unto men. And whosoever shall speak a word against
the Son of man it shall be remitted unto him, but whosoever shall speak against
the Holy Spirit it shall not be remitted unto him, neither in this age nor in
that which is to come (Matthew. 12:31, 32).
I say unto you, All sins shall be
remitted unto the sons of man. But whosoever shall blaspheme against the Spirit
hath no remission to eternity, but shall be subject to an eternal judgment (Mark
3:28, 29).
Everyone who shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be
remitted unto him, but unto him that blasphemeth the Holy Spirit it shall not be remitted (Luke 12:10).
What is signified by "sin and blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit," and what by "a word against the Son of man," has not hitherto been
known in the church, and for the reason that it has not been known what is
properly meant by "the Holy Spirit," and what by "the Son of man." "The Holy
Spirit" means the Lord in relation to Divine truth such as it is in the heavens,
that is, the Word such as it is in the spiritual sense, for this is Divine truth
in heaven. And "the Son of man" means Divine truth such as it is on the earth,
that is, the Word such as it is in the natural sense, for this is Divine truth
on the earth. When it is known what is meant by "the Holy Spirit," and what by
"the Son of man," it can also be known what is signified by "sin and blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit," and by "a word against the Son of man;" also why "a
word against the Son of man" can be remitted, and "sin and blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit" cannot. "Sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" means to deny
the Word, and to adulterate its essential goods and falsify its essential
truths; while "a word against the Son of man" means to interpret the natural
sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, according to
appearances.
[4] To deny the Word is a sin that "cannot be remitted in this
age nor in that which is to come," that is, to eternity, and he who does it "is
subject to an eternal judgment," because those who deny the Word deny God, deny
the Lord, deny heaven and hell, and deny the church and all things pertaining to
it; and those who deny these are atheists, who, although with their lips they
attribute the creation of the universe to some Supreme Entity, or Deity, or God,
yet in heart ascribe it to nature. Because such by denial have dissolved all
bond of connection with the Lord they must needs be separated from heaven and
conjoined to hell. To adulterate the essential goods of the Word and to falsify
its essential truths is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that cannot be
remitted, because "the Holy Spirit" means the Lord in relation to Divine truth
such as it is in the heavens, that is, the Word such as it is in the spiritual
sense, as has been said above.
In the spiritual sense are genuine goods and
genuine truths; but in the natural sense these same are as it were clothed, and
only here and there are naked. They are therefore called apparent goods and
truths. These are what are adulterated and falsified; and they are said to be
adulterated and falsified when they are so explained as to be contrary to
genuine goods and truths, for heaven then removes itself and man is separated
from it; and for the reason, as has been said, that genuine goods and truths
constitute the spiritual sense of the Word in which the angels of heaven are. For example, heaven is removed from man when the Lord and His Divine are denied,
as was done by the Pharisees who said that the Lord wrought miracles by
Beelzebub and had an unclean spirit; and because they thus denied Him and His
Divine He said that this was sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, because
it was against the Word, as may be seen in the preceding verses of these
chapters in the Gospels. For the same reason also the Socinians and Arians, who
deny the Divine of the Lord, although they do not deny the Lord, are out of
heaven, and cannot be received by any angelic society.
[5] Take, as another
example, those who exclude the goods of love and the works of charity from among
the means of salvation, and who claim that faith, exclusive of these, is the
sole means of salvation, and who confirm this opinion not only by doctrine but
also by their life, saying in heart, Goods do not save me nor evils condemn,
because I have faith. Such also blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they falsify the
genuine good and truth of the Word, and this in a thousand passages, where love
and charity and deeds and works are mentioned. Moreover, as has been said above,
in each and every thing of the Word there is the marriage of good and truth,
thus of charity and faith; consequently when good or charity is taken away that
marriage perishes, and instead there is adultery; the nature of this adultery
will be explained elsewhere. This is why these, too, cannot be received into
heaven; and for the further reason that they have put earthly love in place of
heavenly love and evil works in place of good works, because their works are
from earthly love, and when this is separated from heavenly love it is infernal
love.
It is otherwise with
those who believe, indeed, from the doctrine of the church and from their
teachers, that faith is the only means of salvation, or who know this, but
inwardly neither affirm it nor deny it, and who, nevertheless, live a good life
from the Word, that is, because the Lord has so commanded in the Word. Such do
not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they do not adulterate the goods of the Word
nor falsify its truths, wherefore they have conjunction with the angels of
heaven. Moreover, few of such know that faith is anything else than believing in
the Word. The dogma of justification by faith alone without the works of the law
they do not apprehend, because it transcends their understanding.
[6] These two examples are cited to make known what is
meant by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," that is, that sin against
it is to deny the Divine truth, thus the Word, and that blasphemy against it is
to adulterate the essential goods of the Word and falsify its essential truths.
Let it be noted that the good of the Word when adulterated is evil, and that its
truth when falsified is falsity. A word against the Son of man, signifies to
interpret the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter,
according to appearances, because the Son of man means the Lord in relation to
Divine truth such as it is on earth, thus such as it is in the natural sense. Such a word is remitted unto men, because most things in the natural sense of
the Word, or the sense of its letter, are goods and truths clothed, and some
only are naked, as they are in the spiritual sense; and goods and truths that
are clothed are called appearances of truth. For the Word in its ultimates is
like a man clothed with a garment, but with his face and hands naked; and where
the Word is thus naked its goods and truths appear naked, as they do in heaven,
thus such as they are in the spiritual sense. There is, therefore, nothing to
hinder those who are enlightened by the Lord from seeing, or to hinder those who
are not so enlightened from confirming, the doctrine of genuine good and genuine
truth from the sense of the letter of the Word.
The Word is such in the sense of
the letter that it may be a basis for the spiritual sense; thus, too, it is
accommodated to the comprehension of the simple, who, unless things are so
stated, are unable to perceive them, and when perceived, to believe and do
them.
[7] Moreover, because the Divine truths in the sense of
the letter of the Word are for the most part appearances of truth, and the
simple in faith and heart cannot be raised above them, it is not sin or
blasphemy to interpret the Word according to appearances, provided principles
are not formed from these appearances and so confirmed as to destroy Divine
truth in its genuine sense. For example, where it is said:
Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29);
and: This is My
blood, that of the new Testament, which is poured out for many for the remission
of sins (Matt. 26:28);
and again: Michael and his angels fought against
the dragon and his angels. And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb
(Rev. 12:7, 11);
and when from these words it is believed in simplicity that
the Lord suffered the passion of the cross on account of our sins, and that
through this suffering and His blood He redeemed us from hell—since this is an
apparent truth, and can be stated and believed, therefore it does not condemn
the simple in faith and heart. But to establish a principle from these words,
and to confirm that principle so far as to hold that God the Father was and is
in this way reconciled to man, and that man is justified and saved by his faith
alone without the good things of charity, which are good works, and to be in
that principle in life as well as in doctrine-this cannot be remitted.
[8]
From this it can be seen that "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" signifies the
falsification of the Word even to the destruction of Divine truth in its genuine
sense. Therefore "a name of blasphemy" signifies the falsification of Divine
truth, thus of the Word, because it is called blasphemy when anyone speaks
against God; and to speak against God is to speak against the Divine truth, for
the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is what is meant in the Word by "God;"
and Divine good is meant by "Jehovah," and by "the Lord." And as it is blasphemy
to speak against God, thus also against the Word, since the Word is Divine
truth, it follows that blasphemy is to falsify the Word. For those who falsify
the Word make its truth to be falsity, and falsity continually speaks against
truth, and even assaults it. This is why "blasphemy" signifies the falsification
of the Word, even to the destruction of its genuine good and genuine
truth.
[9] The like is
said of the "scarlet beast" further on in Revelation: The woman sitting upon
the scarlet beast was full of the names of blasphemy (17:3).
That beast with
the woman sitting on it there means Babylon; and "the names of blasphemy" mean
the adulterations of the good and the falsifications of the truth of the Word;
and these, as has been said, are blasphemies against the Lord.
[10] That "blasphemies"
signify to believe and speak wickedly and falsely about God and about Divine
truth can also be seen from other passages in the Word. As in Isaiah: Jehovah
said, Fear not on account of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the
young men of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. And Hezekiah the king
prayed, and said, Hear, O Jehovah, all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent
to blaspheme the living God. And Jehovah spake concerning him, Whom hast thou
blasphemed and reviled, and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted
up thine eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel! By the hand of thy
servants thou hast blasphemed the Lord (37:6, 15, 17, 23, 24).
From this,
too, it can be seen that blasphemy is predicated of false speaking against God. For "the king of Assyria," who at that time was Sennacherib, signifies the
rational, but here the rational perverted, which speaks against Divine truth,
treats it shamefully, and censures it by falsities; and this is to falsify it,
as has been said above. The falsities spoken against Divine truth are signified
by the things mentioned in verses 10-13, 24, 25, which were all not only
blasphemies against God but also falsifications of Divine truth.
[11] In Moses: As to the
soul that doeth with a high hand, the same blasphemeth Jehovah, in that he hath
despised the word of Jehovah and hath rendered void His commandment, that soul
shall be utterly cut off, its iniquity shall be upon it (Num. 15:30,
31).
This treats of those who act against the commandments of God given
through Moses, both through error, and also from purpose (as is clear from verse
23 and those that follow in that chapter); here those who so act from purpose
are treated of, and this is meant by "doing with a high hand." And since to act
against a commandment is to act against Divine truth, and to act against this
from purpose is to act from the intention of the will, and from that to speak
falsity, which is the actual adulteration and falsification of the Word,
therefore it is said "he blasphemeth Jehovah." And as this is similar to the sin
and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit it is said, "that soul shall be utterly
cut off, its iniquity shall be upon it;" "its iniquity shall be upon it"
signifying that it cannot be remitted.
[12] That blasphemy is predicated of
evil speaking and false speaking about God, and thus about Divine truth, it is
unnecessary to confirm here by many passages from the Word; not only because
anyone can see that blasphemy is nothing else in the spiritual sense, but also
because there are various kinds of it; consequently in human languages, as in
the Hebrew, there are various terms by which the kinds of blasphemy of God and
of the Divine truth are expressed, such as calumny, contumely, ignominy,
opprobrium, reproach, rebuke, jesting, scoffing, mocking, and others, each of
which is used in the Word with a generic and specific difference, to analyze and
explain which would require many pages.
(from Apocalypse
Explained 778)
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