699. And the temple of God was opened in heaven.- That this signifies the manifestation of a new heaven and a new church, where is the worship of the Lord, is evident from the signification of the temple, as denoting heaven and the church, here, a new heaven and a new church; the manifestation of these is signified by the temple being opened. That temple, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to His Divine Human, and the Divine Truth proceeding from Him, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church, may be seen above (n. 220, 391, 630). The temple here signifies a new heaven and a new church, where there is worship of the Lord, because this chapter treats of the changes of state which precede a last judgment, namely, the separation of the evil from the good, and the removal of them from the places where they were before. When this is accomplished, then a new heaven and a new church appear to those who are in the higher heavens. These could not be made manifest so long as they were conjoined with the evil, because their interiors were closed, lest they might suffer injury from the evil, with whom they had communication as to externals. But when the evil had been separated and removed, then the interiors in the good, which in themselves were heavenly, were opened, and these being opened, heaven and the church became manifest. For in the measure that the interiors, which are celestial and spiritual, are opened, so far the nature of heaven in regard to the church with those in whom heaven and the church are, becomes manifest.
[2] No one from [his] own intelligence could know that these things are so because they are arcana of heaven, which must be learned from revelation. For who could possibly know how the Last Judgment was accomplished, and also what changes preceded it in the spiritual world, and what followed? In order, however, that these things might be known, they have been disclosed to me, therefore I am allowed to describe them here from revelation. It is said, a new heaven and a new church, where the worship of the Lord is, because in the new heaven and in the New Church the Lord alone is worshipped; for the Divine is not there distinguished into three persons, but into a Trine in one person. Concerning this Trinity see what is written in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem (n. 280-310). This also is what is meant in the Apocalypse where the New Jerusalem is treated of, "And I saw no temple therein, because the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof" (xxi. 22). The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb mean the Lord as to the Divine itself and the Divine Human. No temple was seen there, because the temple, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth and as to worship, as shown above (n. 220, 391, 630); also because the New Jerusalem means the church as to doctrine, or the doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Nevertheless there are temples in heaven, in which the Lord is preached, and Divine truth taught.
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