10. (ii) Who the inhabitants of the former heaven and earth were and what they were like. This was described in the book ON THE LAST JUDGMENT, but some further remarks will be made here, because to understand what follows it must be recognised who and what they were. All those who had made themselves into groups below heaven, and in various places had made something like heavens for themselves, were linked with the angels of the lowest heaven, but only in externals, not also in internals. Most of them were goats and of that family, as described in Matthew (25:41-46). These had in fact not done evil deeds in the world, for they had lived morally good lives, but they had not done good deeds coming from good, because they separated faith from charity and consequently had regarded evil actions as no sins. Since these had lived externally as Christians, they were linked with angels of the lowest heaven, who resembled them in externals but not in internals; these are the sheep and have faith, but it is the faith of charity. On account of this linkage the former group had to be tolerated, for separating them before the Last Judgment would have damaged those in the lowest heaven, since they would have dragged them with them to ruin. This is what the Lord predicted in Matthew:
Jesus told a parable. The kingdom of the heavens is like a an sowing good seed in his field; but while people were asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds, and went away. When the stalk sprouted and formed a crop, then the weeds appeared also. The servants of the head of the household came to him and said, Master, was it not good seed you sowed in your field? Do you want us then to go and gather [the weeds]? But he said, No, for fear that in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat together with them. So let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I shall say to the reapers, Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but gather the wheat into the barn. He who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the seed is the children of the kingdom, the weeds are the children of evil; the harvest is the ending of the age. As therefore the weeds are gathered and burnt, so shall it be at the ending of the age. Matt. 13:24-30, 37-40.
The ending of the age is the final period of the church; the weeds are those who are inwardly wicked, the wheat those who are inwardly good. Their being gathered into bundles for burning is the Last Judgment on them; and for fear that by gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them means for fear that by separating them before the Last Judgment damage is done to the good.
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