Last Judgment

“ If it be true that the long expected Last Judgment has at length been performed,—that the long looked-for time of the Lord's second coming has at last arrived,—in what man pner would it be reasonable to conclude that the important tidings would be conveyed? Are we to behold a multitude of angels in the air, sounding great trumpets, and vocally calling the attention of the world to the crisis which has arrived? ”

“ It was to culminate in the Last Judgment, when the final separation of good and evil should take place and the blessed should ascend into the heavens to dwell with God forever, while the wicked sank to hell to writhe in endless torment. ”

“ And, now, what is the truth about the "judgment to come"? What is the ethical equivalent of "hell fire"? In the first place, we refuse to believe in a "last judgment" because we know that judgment is not only pronounced but executed instantaneously, automatically, I would say, on the commission of wrong. There is no need to wait for the day of judgment or even for the hour of death. If a man has done wrong he sits condemned that self-same moment. ”

“ And what change could there be adequate to the production of so great a change as we are witnessing here, but the performance of the Last Judgment,—the entirely new state which is thence induced on the intermediate region of the spiritual world, the seat of man's most immediate spiritual association,—and the consequent outpouring from heaven of new streams of light and life into the world of nature? ”

“ But there is a class of minds to whom it seems just and reasonable to believe, that the last judgment will take place in accordance with the laws of our spiritual nature, and will leave the laws and operations of the natural world undisturbed; on minds of this class, the old and popular views of the judgment day have ceased to exert the least influence. They seem to them more like the creations of the imagination, or the visions of poetry, than like the stern and sober realities of our spiritual destiny. ”

“ But when we pass beyond the simple reception of this doctrine in a general form, and inquire when and how this judgment will take place, we instantly find ourselves surrounded by opposite and conflicting opinions. The most popular and general impression appears to be that the last judgment will take place on this earth, and that it will be accomplished by the Son of God, who will personally descend from heaven for that purpose. ”

“ On the contrary, all which, in history, is realized in an entire series of judicial acts, to be at last consummated in the final judgment, is there comprehended in one great harvest—in one great vintage. ”

“ It was shown above, in the article for the purpose, that the last judgment does not exist on the earth, but in the spiritual world, where all who have lived from the beginning of creation are together ”

“ Good and evil imperfectly developed in the natural world—how the good are led to heaven and the wicked to hell—the world of spirits—the Last Judgment in its general character—such Judgments have several times taker place—quotations from Noble's Appeal—that the last General Judgment has taken place, shown from effects in the natural world—the testimony of Swedenborg–quotations from his works—concluding remarks. ”

“ A Vision of the Last Judgment This world of Imagination is the World of Eternity; it is the divine bosom into which we shall go after the death of the Vegetated body. This World of Imagination is Infinity & Eternal, whereas the world of Generation or Vegetation is Finite & Temporal. There exist in the Eternal World the Permanent Realities of Every Thing which we see reflected in this Vegetable Glass of Nature. ”

“ It is a final healing rather than a meting out of punishment, however much you may think that punishment is deserved. Punishment is a concept totally opposed to right-mindedness, and the aim of the Last Judgment is to restore right-mindedness to you. The Last Judgment might be called a process of right evaluation. It simply means that everyone will finally come to understand what is worthy and what is not. After this, the ability to choose can be directed rationally. ”

“ Oh! one sometimes wishes that people did not so much believe in a future judgment, in so far as it obscures to them the solemn thought of a present and a continuous one. 'Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth,' and, of course, all these provisional decisions, which are like the documents that in Scotch law are said to 'precognosce the case,' are all laid away in the archives of heaven, and will be produced, docketed and in order, at the last for each of us. ”

“ When Our Lord says that the powers of Heaven shall be moved, He alludes to the Angels; for so terrible will the judgment be, that the Angels will not be exempt from fear; they too will tremble and be afraid. For just as when a judge sits in judgment his grave countenance not only strikes terror into the culprits before him, but over-awes the officials standing around, so when all mankind are brought to judgment the celestial ministers will share the universal horror and alarm. ”

“ This continuation of life is what is understood by the resurrection. The reason why men believe that they are not to rise again before the last judgment, when also every visible object of the world is to perish, is because they have not understood the Word; and because sensual men place their life in the body, and believe that unless this were to live again, it would be all over with the man. ”

“ As to the first, you have somewhere said, in one of your letters, that the final judgment on your merits as a poet is in the hands of posterity, and that you fear the verdict will be “Guilty,” and the sentence “Death.” Such apprehensions cannot have been fixed or frequent in the mind of one whose genius burned always with a clearer and steadier flame to the last. The jury of which you spoke has met: a mixed jury and a merciful. The verdict is “Well done,” and the sentence Immortality of Fame. There have been, there are, dissenters ”

“ If, therefore, we are enabled to show that neither reason nor the word of the Lord affords any evidence that the natural world will ever be destroyed, we are justly entitled to infer that it will never be the theatre of a last, or general judgment. ”

“ Some People flatter themselves that there will be No Last Judgment & that Bad Art will be adopted & mixed with Good Art, that Error or Experiment will make a Part of Truth, & they Boast that it is its Foundation ”

“ That is to say, if we suffer our Consciences to perform their proper function here in the time of life, to pass sentence upon us justly, and execute the sentences passed, then there would be no second judgment for us at the last. ”

“ Let us not deceive ourselves. These images are, it is true, in their primary signification to be understood as indicating the doom of sinful nations, but, in a wider and a higher sense, according to the interpretation given of them by the exponents of Scripture, they are predictions of the judicial chastisement which, after the final judgment, will be the portion of reprobate sinners. ”

“ A gleam of resentment flashed across the dark lineaments of the Mohican chief: he loosened his knife in its sheath; and then turning calmly from the sight, his countenance settled into a repose as deep as if he never knew the instigation of passion.
"Montcalm! Montcalm!" continued the deeply resentful and less self-restrained scout; "they say a time must come, when all the deeds done in the flesh will be seen at a single look; and that by eyes cleared from mortal infirmities. Woe betide the wretch who is born to behold this plain, with the judgment hanging about his soul! ”

“ You must not marvel at that, the devil continued, all kinds of people always slip in amongst us who wish to be numbered amongst the devils rather than amongst the damned; but I hope the Last Judgment will put an end to these shenanigans, along with many others. ”

“ And since at every tribunal an accuser must be present, to bring charges against the individual who is to be judged, so at this general judgment the Angels and the devils will be the accusers of man kind. ”

“ I felt like the Last Man, neglected of the judgment, and left pinnacled in mid-heaven, a forgotten relic of a vanished world. ”

“ on that day, that wrathful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Be Thou the trembling sinner's stay,
Though heaven and earth shall pass away! ”

“ Surely, they who are keeping the faith, and earnestly desiring" the appearing of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ," may view the judgment of that day, now so close at hand, as cheerfully. It is only evil doers that have reason to be afraid.
The consummation of the judgment of Christ's house indicates the epoch of the third and last stage of the raising process. This crisis is the quickening, by which resurrection is perfected. ”

“ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Gal. 6:8) .
137. What will become of those whom He rejects? Answer: They will depart from his presence with shame and vexation, to suffer according as the Judge shall think they deserve, and at last to be devoured by the second death. ”

“ All Things are comprehended in their Eternal Forms in the Divine body of the Saviour, the True Vine of Eternity, The Human Imagination, who appear’d to Me as Coming to Judgment among his Saints & throwing off the Temporal that the Eternal might be Establish’d. ”

“ THERE have been visions, dark in the minds of men, death and corruption dancing across the secular abyss that separates eternity from time to where sits the ineluctable judge, waiting, waiting through the ages, and ponders all his predestinated decrees. There will be judgment, and each, in an agony of shame, reluctant yet compelled, will turn his own accuser. ”

“ Some angels broke out into heavenly music and turned the whole wide atmosphere melodious; the inflamed tones embraced fervently and a powerful spirit of love pervaded the awakened eternity, playing in a childlike manner, so that the hearts of the pious were transfigured and opened up before the divine rays, whereby the melodies became inherent in them and they kissed one another with their thirsting souls. ”

“ Nature and death shall with surprise Mors stupebit, et natura, Behold the trembling sinner rise, Cum resurget creatura, To view his Judge with conscious eyes. Judicanti responsura. Then shall, with universal fear, Liber scriptus proferetur, The seven-sealed judgment book appear, In quo totum continetur, To scan the whole of life's career. Unde mundus judicetur. The Judge ascends his awful throne, Judex ergo cum sedebit, Each secret sin shall here be known. Quidquid latet, apparebit. All must their shame confess their own. ”

“ Is there but one day of judgment? Why, for us every day is a day of judgment—every day is a Dies Iræ, and writes its irrevocable verdict in the flame of its West. Think you that judgment waits till the doors of the grave are opened? ”

“ With judges on the one hand who, in spite of all their loftiness, and with all their superhuman keenness, nevertheless are not infallible, and with defendants on the other hand whose tongues refuse to serve them, it might happen, if there were no proofs and witnesses, that a judgment, everlasting in its operations, not founded on exhaustive knowledge and on well-considered premises, might be proclaimed. But the judgment on human souls proclaimed by their final irrevocable fate could not in the sight of the pious and believing bear the stamp of uncertain justice. ”

“ Now the ruling spirit of the World had to bring back to life all the dead and send them up from below, whereupon there arose on the Earth a mighty digging, shaking, rustling, stirring, sliding, bustling, conferring, seizing and speculating, as all the millions of dead creatures tried to come back to life and went to extraordinary lengths to get hold of their former souls again. ”

“ Old Nicolai [3] was still stuck in the ground and had absolutely no desire to come out, because he had heard that pure eternity was to begin now; he refused point blank to have anything to do with anything pure, because he had sworn an implacable hatred for the very concept. There was a great grasping and snatching of souls, but no one wanted to accept his own, so that one poor soul, spurned by her own body, despised by the rest, and blushing with shame, fluttered continuously around his stubborn body and implored him to stuff her into him ”

“ Entire hosts of angels and spirits moved through the transfigured air and a fiery throne was prepared for the judge, who sat down to judge the living and the dead. A great trump struck up, and between its notes there sounded voices so wonderful that my whole soul was shaken. It was not long before a number of colourful and strange characters appeared, jumping playfully and comically all over the place; it was just as if a cornucopia had poured forth the fabulous gods of ancient times; there were satyrs running with characters from Tartarus ”

“ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give at that day—and not to me only, but unto all them that love His appearing.”
Compare the death of the earnest, working Christian, with that of the opposer of truth or of the cold-hearted formalist. After death comes the judgment!—and the Saviour has said, that the former shall live and reign with Him, whilst the latter shall go away into everlasting punishment. ”

“ The boundless mercy was moved, and he was sentenced to take himself off to Nothingness, a valley that lies between life and death, that is neither Heaven nor Hell, that, strictly speaking, does not exist. ”