I read some things about Swedenborg but stopped when I read the above paragraph. Be very careful DaveMSmith. The 2nd coming of Christ will not be by communicating with one man as Swedenborg claims.
Swedenborg received the keys to the Second Coming in a Spiritual Sense. The Church was established to preserve the pristine Doctrine. 'The bride is ready for the bridegroom'
As I said, Swedenborg wrote a book that outright says the Messiah will walk on earth. He was in a spiritual state when he wrote this. It is preparation for He who is to follow.
Here's an explanation from the University of Hawaii:
While we are still attached to the body on earth, the quality and level of our life also depends on closeness to God, but in a less obvious way compared to the afterlife. This is because God hides His Sensuous Presence in the natural and rational mind. The reason for this is that on earth we are undergoing character change, reformation, and regeneration, while this is not possible in the afterlife (see Section xx). In order to undergo character reformation that is permanent we must do it as-if on our own, with as-of self effort and the willingness to resist temptations (see Section xx). Only in this manner of voluntary and free choice is the new character something we can love, something we can accept as our eternal heaven (see Section xx).
Due to the necessity of this freedom of choice and as-of self effort, God hides His Sensuous Presence in our natural mind so that we may feel free to reject Him if that is our choice (see Section xx). If God suddenly spoke in your natural mind, you would hear voices like the prophets of old before the modern era. But today this kind of direct sensuous communication would be harmful to our modern mind, and you would be diagnosed as delusional or schizophrenic -- a very serious mental disease. Hence it is that God would never speak to you in the natural mind with a physical voice, or would not appear to you visually to your physical eyes. Our understanding of reality and God, to be valid and effective, must be based on the rational understanding of God as He describes Himself in Sacred Scripture.
To see God with the "inner eyes" is possible for people on earth, and this inner sight is called rational understanding. You know this from our popular expression "I see what you mean." To understand rationally = to see with the inner senses. This refers to the sensorimotor organ of the spiritual mind (see Section xx).
Once we have a rational basis for a relationship with God, we become capable of seeing God's Presence rationally in our mind, that is, in terms of the good and truth substances that operate our thoughts and feeling (see Section xx).
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It's my belief the Lord will interact with the world via the Internet. Swedenborg couldn't imagine it in his time.
I've had spiritual experiences with him and many others who read his works on earth (Franklin, Lincoln, Johnny Appleseed, Helen Keller). New Churchman don't usually give testimony. They hide the secret within.
AR 707: And he gathered them together into the place termed in Hebrew Armageddon signifies the state of combat fought against truths and untruths, and the intention of destroying the New Church, originating out of a love of command and supremeness.
Blessings,