 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Fellow |
ship > Concerning Emanuel Swedenborg |
|
|
 |
|
Concerning
Emanuel Swedenborg
In reply to one of our readers.
"The Wisdom that is from Above is first pure"
(1 Corinthians 6:9).
by Tom Stewart
Dear _,
Katie and I (Tom) received your email today, and we also hope this reaches you before
the Rapture. We have been happily married in the LORD for all of 24 years, with three
grown children-- who also love the LORD. "3 Lo, children are an heritage
of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children
of the youth. 5
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them"
(Psalm 127:3-5).
Outside of the So Great Salvation (Hebrews 2:3) purchased for us by the matchless "grace of our LORD Jesus Christ"
(Romans 16:20),
Katie and I agree that our marriage is the best thing that our LORD has done for
both of us. "Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from Above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with Whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning"
(James 1:17).
We look forward to the day that we will see the LORD Jesus face to face at the Rapture
"for we shall see Him as He is" (1John 3:2). Jesus is truly the Blessed Hope (Titus
2:13). Deliverance from the "wrath to come" (1Thessalonians 1:10) during
the Tribulation Week, as well as deliverance from the "wrath
of Almighty God" (Revelation
19:15) in Eternity, make our soon departure
so inviting. At this point, even the deliverance from the physical bodily infirmities
of this life, is a bonus of our Rapture. "22 For we know that the whole
Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the Redemption of our body" (Romans 8:22-23).
In Heaven, we are assured by the Scriptures that there still will be sweet family
ties. King David voiced this certainty when he realized that his infant son had just
died-- as predicted by Nathan the prophet. "But
now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go
to him, but he shall not return to me"
(2Samuel 12:23).
Certainly, Katie and I will continue to have the privilege of loving one another
in Heaven-- just as Christ will continue to love His Church. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the Church, and gave Himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
In answer to your question as to whether we have heard of a man called Emanuel Swedenborg...
Yes, we are familiar with his work. We believe that the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg
have an unnatural emphasis upon the necessity of human sexual pleasure, even though
Swedenborg attempts to elevate that concept with his expression "conjugial love".
Our opinion of Swedenborg is... "3 Without natural affection...
4 ...lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away" (2Timothy 3:3-5).
As you know, the LORD Jesus gave His explanation of Heaven, angels, and their lack
of marriage, to the Sadducees, who denied the Resurrection and the existence of angels
(Acts 23:8). "35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and
the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any
more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the
children of the resurrection..." (Luke 20:35-36). Swedenborg's
"heavenly" experiences negate the Words of the LORD Jesus and embarrass
the propriety of the Body of Christ. Swedenborg wrote of three human spirits, who
were three youths that were recently deceased: [Note: Quotes
from Emanuel Swedenborg will be shown in blue ink.] "Hereupon the three human
spirits questioned the two angelic spirits concerning heaven; and as two of the three
were youths, and there darted from their eyes as it were a sparkling fire of lust
for sex, the angelic spirit said, 'Possibly you have seen some females;' and
they replied in the affirmative." Scripture's
reply to Swedenborg's "heavenly" experience is: "Flee
also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness"
(2Timothy 2:22).
Not only are Swedenborg's teachings a negation of the LORD Jesus' Words, but they
are unnecessary in light of the context of Luke 20. The context of Luke 20:36 explains
the reason why there will be no need of marrying to produce a human offspring. "Neither can they die any more" (20:36)
explains to us that there will be no need of marrying to procreate children, to keep
up a succession of men-- because no one will be dying in Heaven. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away"
(Revelation 21:4).
If no one dies in Heaven, then no one needs to be born in Heaven to continue the
succession of men. Hence, physical marriage and procreation are unnecessary in Heaven.
Swedenborg argues that this "conjugial love" is not for the sake of offspring
because marital sex is for the sake of gaining Wisdom. This is not the reasoning
of a Godly man. Wisdom has never been gained from marital sex in this life--
or the next. Wisdom comes from heeding God's Word. "1 My son, if thou wilt receive
My Words, and hide My Commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto Wisdom, and apply thine
heart to Understanding..." (Proverbs 2:1-2). Is it any
wonder that Jesus, Whose "Name is called
The Word of God" (Revelation
19:13), is also known as the Wisdom of God
(1Corinthians 1:24)?
The more we learn of the LORD Jesus, the more we grow in Wisdom. "For the LORD giveth Wisdom: out of His mouth cometh Knowledge
and Understanding" (Proverbs
2:6).
Wisdom and Understanding come from abiding with the Word of God, meditating upon
the Word of God, and keeping the Word of God. "98 Thou through Thy Commandments
hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 99 I have more Understanding than all my teachers: for Thy
Testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy Precepts...
104 Through
Thy Precepts I get Understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:98-100,104).
The joy of Heaven is not to be found wanting. "Oh
how great is Thy Goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which
Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!" (Psalm 31:19). It will be so much more than any possible physical joy--
even more than a heightened pleasure of "conjugial love". "As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love Him" (1Corinthians
2:9). Jesus is the Joy of Heaven. "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my
Exceeding Joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God" (Psalm 43:4). This is the reason to desire to be in Heaven. "11 Thou wilt shew me the path of Life: in Thy Presence is fulness
of joy; at Thy Right Hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).
Emanuel Swedenborg forgot the reason for marriage. It is not simply for sexual pleasure
or simply to avoid the sin of fornication, but marriage is for the dual purpose of
having a "help meet" (Genesis 2:18) and producing a "Godly
seed" to have Spiritual Dominion through
Jesus Christ over this planet. "And did
not He make one? Yet had He the residue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That He
might seek a Godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously
against the wife of his youth" (Malachi 2:15). Though Adam
was blessed by the physical union with Eve, their offspring represented the result
of their Spiritual obedience to the Heavenly Father to "be
fruitful, and multiply" (Genesis
1:28).
Whenever anyone begins to build their Spiritual walk upon an incorrect interpretation
of Scripture, they are building a house upon the sand. As Jesus said, "26 And every one that heareth these Sayings of Mine, and doeth Them
not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and
great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:26-27). You need
to reconsider what Emanuel Swedenborg said-- solely, in light of the Word
of God. "To the Law and to the Testimony:
if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light
in them" (Isaiah
8:20). Swedenborg built his house upon sand.
Beware that you do not the same!
A Christian does not need physical sex to have the Wisdom of God or to be fulfilled.
The Apostle Paul, the bachelor, gave the following advice on marriage. "For I would that all men were even as I myself [single and the LORD's]" (1Corinthians 7:7). Katie and I believe that you have allowed an undue importance
upon physical sex. Your remarks about sexual union to a spouse to achieve Godly Wisdom
are unscriptural. All that you have been able to say about the gaining of Wisdom
(Proverbs 1-4)
and the shunning of adultery (Proverbs 5) only demonstrate that Wisdom shuns adultery-- not
that marital sex is the means of gaining Wisdom.
We pray that the Word of God will have "free
course" (2Thessalonians
3:1) and give you Wisdom that you and your
family "may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
You will find enclosed a referenced html file that gives a Scriptural perspective
on Emanuel Swedenborg, that you may have never seen before.
In Christian love,
Tom and Katie Stewart
WhatSaithTheScripture.com
"But the Wisdom that is from Above
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3:17).
Additional information:
Swendenborgianism ---New Window
An excerpt from "Heresies Exposed"
by William Hoste, B.A.
Section Index for Fellowship
Readers are permitted and encouraged to copy
and freely share this article with others.
Holy Bible
