DID NOT REPENT OF MURDERS-SORCERIES-FORNICATIONS

Abstract: By using text from the book “The Prophet Isaiah”, from the theological works of Swedenborg” by Rev J.H. Smithson, we will be able to see how evil influences the minds of people on the earth. For the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

We should also pay careful attention to the words of Jesus Christ regarding signs of the end of the age. “Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved” (Matthew 24:12-13). This is said to all people but especially to Christians. As this blog name suggests the New Emerging Church should also listen carefully to this teaching of Jesus in these end times.

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Key to Blog Text,

Bold highlighting = Important terms and concepts. Blue highlighting = words, terms, and concepts containing primarily a spiritual sense or TRUTH. Red highlighting = words, terms, and concepts containing a sense directly related to The Lord Himself or LOVE. Gray highlighting = words, terms, and concepts relating to evil and hell.  Italic letters in (parentheses) = my emphasis.

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“the commander of fifty and the exalted of face; the counselor and the skilled craftsman; and the expert enchanter” (Isaiah 3:3)

This explanation that was given by Rev Smithson for Isaiah 3:3 is the spiritual meaning drawing from Swedenborg’s commentary in the Book of Revelation 9:21;

“And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:21)

The following text is taken from Apocalypse Revealed section #462, of the Bible Commentary on Revelation 9:21 by Emanuel Swedenborg (the spiritual meaning as understood by the angels in heaven)

“Since it is not known at this day (in modern times) what is understood (meant) by “ENCHANTMENTS“, a few things shall be said. The “enchantments” just above are mentioned in place of the eighth precept in the Decalogue (this verse in Revelation means the same almost as the 8th commandment in the 10 Commandments), “THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS“, for the other three, which are “murders“, “whoredoms” and “thefts“, are there mentioned by name. By to “bear false witness” in the “natural sense” (what we understand in the world meaning of letters and words) is signified (means) to act as a false witness, to lie and defame, and in the “spiritual sense” (as the angels in heaven understand it) to confirm (try to make others believe in the lie they are telling) and persuade (tell them you have to believe this) that what is untrue (a lie) is true (“false witness“) and that evil (things from hell) is good; from which it is plain that by “to enchant” is signified (means) to persuade (make them believe) to what is untrue (a lie), and thus to destroy (wreak or crush) what is true (all the things that Jesus taught).

“Enchantments” were in use (they practiced this black magic) among the ancients (before the flood), and were brought about (how they harmed people) in three ways:

FIRST: That they kept the hearing (the talk that entered their ears) and thus the mind (they could hear nothing else but what was being spoken to them so their mind was focused on the words) of another on their own words and statements without interruption (having their attention captured as by an evil spell), never letting go of anything thereof (they will not let go of the victim), at the same time infusing (injecting poison like a scorpion) and inspiring thought (the victim begins to think the words they are saying seem so true) conjoined with affection by means of the breath in the sound of their speaking (the evil speaker uses a tone of voice like a salesman of words that seem so convincing), with the result (after all this mind control) that the hearer (the victim of all the poisonous lies) could not think anything from himself (they are totally in the control of the evil speaker as under hypnosis or the power of their words). In this manner, the falsifiers used to pour their untruths in with violence (when the evil speaker has total control of the mind of the listener they drive home the meaning of their words so they will not forget them as total truth even though they are a lie).

SECOND: That they diffused a persuasive [sphere] (they blinded the mind of the victim so they could not hear anything but what they were saying), which was done by holding the mind back from every contrary thing (TRUTH may be trying to speak to the victim but they could only hear the words of the lie), and its being kept intent exclusively on the idea of the things said by them (the evil person says do not listen to them listen to me only). Consequently (it will follow that) the spiritual sphere of the mind (the part of the mind that can understand when someone is lying or telling the truth) of the one dispersed (the evil person who spread the poisonous lie into) the spiritual sphere (the part of the mind that can understand when someone is lying or telling the truth) of the mind of the other (the victim), and stifled it (they no longer can tell the TRUTH from a lie). This was a spiritual witchcraft (to control the mind) that the wizards of old (in times past) used, and it was called the binding and tying (controlling the mind of the victim to do as they said) of the understanding (to know the difference between right and wrong). This kind of “enchantment” (this SECOND kind) was solely of the spirit or thought (the part of the mind that can understand when someone is lying or telling the truth), whereas the former (the FIRST of the three ways) was also of language or speech (the evil speaker uses a tone of voice like a salesman of words that seem so convincing as being true when they are really lying).

THIRD: That the hearer (the lying speaker) held his mind so firmly in his own opinion (if the listener of the lying speaker tries to deny his lying words the lying speaker keeps his mind focused on his lies and will not listen to the truth) that he almost closed his ears against hearing anything from the speaker (he refuses to listen to anything that could be true). This was done by holding the breath, and also by a noiseless muttering, and thus by a continual denial of his adversary’s opinion (this is like someone plugging their ears with their fingers and talking nonsense words so they cannot hear a thing said by the speaker). This (THIRD) kind of “enchantment” was practiced by those who were hearing others (the lying speaker refusing to listen to the true speaker), but the former two (the FIRST and SECOND of the three kinds of “ENCHANTMENT“) by those speaking to others (those that use lying words to convince others of their lies).

These three kinds of “enchantment” existed among the ancients (before the flood on the earth), and still exist (today) among infernal spirits (demonic and satanic spirits from hell still have these evil skills). In the case of men (people) in the world, however, there is only a vestige (remaining spiritual existence) of the third kind among those who have confirmed with themselves untruths of religion derived from self-intelligence (these teachers thought they could better explain the words of Jesus better than anyone else because they thought they were smarter than anyone else); for these, when they hear contrary things (things they do not agree with), do not admit them more closely into their thought than to mere contact (they refuse to listen to others opinions), and then out of an interior recess of their mind (where pride exists in their mind that they are smarter than others) emit as it were a fire that consumes them (when their opinion is questioned their pride erupts into an angry fire), the other knowing nothing of this (of the anger that is boiling inside of this person) except by the indications of the facial expression (their face may look angry) and tone in reply (they may talk short and mean), if the enchanter (the person telling lies) does not control that fire, that is, the wrath of his pride, by simulation (by faking a calm happy face when inside they are burning up in anger). This “enchantment” (putting out spells of witchcraft) is practiced (made more perfect) at the present day to prevent truths being accepted (demons and spirits who hate Jesus try to destroy His Words), and, with many, to prevent their being understood (twist around the love of God and prevent Him from reaching people with the Good News of His kingdom).

That in the times of the ancients (before the big flood on the earth) there were many magic arts (witchcraft), and among them “enchantments“, is plain (easy to see) in Moses (the first five books of the Bible),

“When you come to the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you, you shall not learn to do according to the hateful acts of those nations. There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or one divining, or a whisperer of spells, or a magic charmer, or one consulting mediums, or a spirit-knower, or one inquiring of the dead” (Deuteronomy 18:9-11)

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As the Apostle, Paul said, “I have done this to keep Satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind” (2 Corinthians 2:11)