Preface to the English Translation of the First Draft of the Index to Apocalypse Revealed

Recently the Heavenly Doctrine Publishing Foundation (HDPF) sponsored the scanning of the entire collection of the works of Swedenborg at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Among these works was Codex 7 which contains a first draft of an index made by Swedenborg for Apocalypse Revealed. This index is made mostly on the right page of the codex with some entries extending onto the facing page on the left. On the facing pages Swedenborg also made an index to the first 83 numbers of a work on marriage, the text of which has been lost. (See the preface to the Indexes to Angelic Wisdom concerning Marriage.)

Although the fair copy or Second Draft of the Index to The Apocalypse Revealed has been transcribed and published in Latin in 1813 and 1881, the text of the first draft of this Index has, to the best of this editor's knowledge, never been transcribed before. To accompany the scans of Codex 7, the Latin text of this rough draft now been transcribed. Because of the difficulty of reading Swedenborg's handwriting in the first draft, the editor made extensive use of the Latin electronic text of the fair copy. For more information on the transcription of the first draft of this Index please see the preface to the Latin edition of this work done in the year 2021.

After transcribing the text of the first draft, a translation was made of this index making extensive use of the English translation by John Whitehead of the second draft, or fair copy, of this index found at the end of the second volume of the Apocalypse Revealed published by the Swedenborg Foundation.

Although the content of the first draft is quite similar to that of the fair copy or second draft, the order and wording of the entries are often different. The first draft was clearly made by reading through the work The Apocalypse Revealed from beginning to end, making entries under the different subjects as he read through it. For this reason, the references under each subject are usually in the order of the book. But the second draft of this index was made from the first, the entries were rearranged and usually combined, and often more words were used to fill out the idea. Occasionally new entries and references were added, or entries and references from the first draft were left out.

[%2] In this first English edition of The First Draft of the Index to the Apocalypse Revealed, we have kept the notes made in the Latin transcription to indicate some of the differences between the first draft and the fair copy, especially when something is found in one index and not in the other. In a few cases certain words indexed in the first draft were not transferred to the fair copy. (See the entries for Benedictio, Jesabel and Spatium.). We have also used special marks to indicate the differences between the first and second drafts as follows:

1. ||Words that were crossed out are contained in doubled vertical bars.||
2. ^Entries that appear in the first draft but do not seem to have been copied into the fair copy have a circumflex accent before and after the text.^
3. [*The asterisk at the beginning of inserted words in square brackets indicates that are in the second draft but not in the first draft.]
4. {*FC in front of certain words in curly braces indicates wording that differs in the Fair Copy from the First Draft.}
5. In order to make this index accessible in Search Engines other than the Kempton Project, we have added numbers in front of the subject headings. For example, "152 Church (Ecclesia)" has the same number being used for "Ecclesia" in the Latin transcriptions of the two indexes to Apocalypse Revealed, which is also the same number for the subject "Church" in the English and Portuguese translations of the fair copy of this index.
6. When different subject refers to the back or forward to the subject Ecclesia, we have inserted #152 in front of the word Ecclesia, e. g. : #152 Ecclesia. While these key words are all underlined in the original manuscript, we have used numbers to set them off. Using these numbers lets the computer easily find the subject using the same programming as it does for paragraph numbers in the Heavenly Doctrine.
7. The reader will note that subsection numbers have been inserted in the text but with a percentage sign in front of the number, such as [%2]. These subsection marks are not intended to mark a paragraph where there is a change of idea, but simply for practical reasons. One reason for the subsections is to simplify the search for a word or phrase in a subject with many entries, such as the subject Papists (Pontificii). But more often, the subsections were inserted so that the scan of the manuscript could be displayed beside the matching Latin electronic text, and the text of the Latin can be displayed beside this English translation. This is of course the reason for the numbering of the words as well.

[%3] Those using this Index will also find other notes and abbreviations as follows:

In general followed the style of Whitehead's by using parentheses around the references to other subjects in the index, e.g. (See #103 Heaven.) We have also maintained the use of quotation marks around words from Scripture. The manuscript uses neither parentheses nor quotation marks in this way. But key words are underlined, but these in this translation these are marked by an & or # followed by a number.

Often accompanying the references to the Apocalypse Revealed, the reader will see certain abbreviations such as sho., ill., and illustr.. These are from the manuscript, when sho. stands for ost. which is short for ostensum or shown, and ill. and illustr. are abbreviations for illustrated. We find the following explanation of these abbreviations in the manuscript of the second draft of the index as follows: "In this Index, Ill. or illustrated signifies more fully explained, and Ost. signifies shown from the Word." In the first draft these abbreviations are usually written out more fully as ostens. and illustr., but the shorter forms are used as well.

Frequent use of the abbreviation sign. is also found in the manuscript. This can stand for both the active or passive forms of the Latin verb for signify (significat). When it clearly refers to the passive we have supplied the verb to be in front of sign. as part of the translation. E.g. "By 'height' is sign. the good and truth of the church in every degree."

[%4] As this is the first time this first index to The Apocalypse Revealed has been translated into English, there are most likely some errors in in the text, and the HDPF would be quite thankful if readers would let us know of any mistakes that you may come across when using this translation. The easiest way to let us know is by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

Although it was a struggle to transcribe accurately what was written as a first draft by the Lord through Swedenborg, and then to rearrange Whitehead's translation, or translate something not in the Fair Copy, it is also a joy and a privilege to bring to the light in both Latin and English what has been hidden away in a manuscript for over 250 years.

Andrew J. Heilman, secretary of the HDPF.

Kempton, PA - August 2022

103. Heaven (Coelum).

A New Heaven was formed by the Lord from Christians, from which A New Church will descend, which is the New Jerusalem, shown in the Preface.

This heaven consists of those who acknowledge the Lord alone to be the God of heaven and earth, and who have practiced (egerunt) repentance from evil works, the reason, Preface.

This heaven is under the ancient heavens, [*and they communicate by influx,] Preface.

Heaven before the Lord is as one man, whose soul [*and life] is the Lord, wherefore the Lord is heaven, n. 5, [*363, 882, 943.]

In the heavens there are three degrees, celestial, spiritual and natural, because these are in the Lord, n. 49. **

The angels of the third heaven are in the good of love [*from the Lord] to the Lord; they have the truths of wisdom written in their life, and not in their memory; they clearly see those truths (illa) [*inwardly in themselves], when they hear them; they become angels. of the third heaven who do good works, and adjoin thereto truths from the Word, sho. n. 120, 121, 123, [*920.]

The heavens are expanses [*one above another,] and everywhere there is earth under the feet, n. 260.

Under the earth sign. those who are in the ultimate heaven, ill. and sho. n. 260.

The higher and the lower heavens act as one by influx, n. 286. (See #228 Influx.)

From whom was the first heaven, which passed away, of n. 330. (See #242 Judgment.)

^Heaven [makes] one with the church on earth, [and] is before the Lord as one man, n. 362.^

The 144,000 sealed from the tribes ^of Israel^ constitute the head, and a great multitude in what follows, [*which could not be numbered,] the body, n. 363.

[*All] the heavens are distinguished. into innumerable societies, and these societies are according to the varieties of affections, in general and. in specific, n. 364.

All the heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual, concerning which, n. 387. [*647, 725, 920.]

Heaven and the church on earth are as internal and the external of man, wherefore heaven is first prepared [*and formed by the Lord], and from it [*afterwards] the church ^in the lands^, [*in like manner as the internal of man before his external, and the latter by the former,] n. 486.

[%2] In what manner an angelic spirit, after he is prepared, ascends into heaven; and he is first explored, whether he has a home in that society, and if not, he goes away to a society where he remains to eternity, in memorabile. n. 611.

In what manner an evil spirit is tormented when he ascends into heaven, described in memorabile n. 611.

^Thus it happened with 300 from the clergy, who ascended into heaven, and who were seen in [their] descent as dead horses, in memorabile n. 611.^

Heaven is not to be thought of from place, but from wisdom and love, in memorabile n. 611.

The church is [*both] in the heavens and in the lands, n. 612.

The new heaven is from Christians who lived from the time that the Lord came into the world, and who approached the Lord and lived according to His precepts, n. 612.

This heaven is distinct from the ancient heavens, it is under these, and they communicate by influx, n. 612, 617.

The church in the lands is the foundation of heaven, n. 645.

That this heaven is formed of those who lived after the Lord’s coming, n. 612, 876.

This New Heaven is distinct from the ancient heavens, andis under them, and they communicate by influx (PREFACE, and n. 612, 617, 876).

The church on earth is the foundation of heaven; when the church in the lands is perverted, [*and no good remains in it, and consequently no truth proceeding from good,] the angels of heaven lament, and supplicate for its end, thus for the Last Judgment, [*and for the New Church in place of the former,] n. 645, [*761.]

^All the heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual, n. 647, 725, 920.^ (see n. 387 above)

Concerning the higher and the lower Christian heaven, n. 661, [*878.]

[%3+] The speech of the angels ¹ is variously heard below, either as the sound of waters or of thunders, or of trumpets, or of harps, sho. n. 661.

^The heavens were infested by evils and falsities, and therefore those who were in evils and falsities were driven away, generally by means of the Last Judgment, n. 761.^

Heaven and hell are in opposite situations, [*altogether distinct,] because all things in the heavens are goods and truths, and in the hells are evils and falsities, n. 761.

The angelic heavens are as one Man ||from the Lord||, whose soul is the Lord, and [*therefore] when the Lord speaks through heaven, he speaks as the soul does through the body, n. [*882,] 943.

When the Lord speaks with man through heaven, the angels know nothing of this, comparatively as the [*viscera and] muscles in the body [*are ignorant thereof] when the mind speaks and acts, [*and nevertheless they are in connection after a wonderful manner,] n. 943.

Felicity in heaven is according to the quality of the affection of good and truth, n. 782.

The angels of heaven rejoiced because [*in the spiritual world] the Babylonians are removed, ^not on account of their damnation, but because then a new Church can be formed ² , n. 790.

After the Last Judgment, it was not allowed ^as before^ to form to themselves imaginary heavens, but then everyone was bound to their own society ^in the world of spirits^, n. 791.

The fictitious [*and imaginary] heavens, before the Last Judgment, were like black clouds between [*the sun and earth, thus between] the Lord ^or heaven^ the men of the church, wherefore they were dissipated, n. 804.

A voice out of heaven is from the Lord, n. 809.

All the heavens acknowledge the Lord ^alone^ to be the God of heaven and earth, n. 811.

A voice from the lowest heaven is heard sometimes as the voice of many crowds, a voice from the middle heaven as the voice of many waters, and a voice from the highest heaven as thunder, n. 811.

The celestial kingdom of the Lord is His priestly kingdom, and the spiritual kingdom [is] His royal kingdom, ill. n. 854.

The fictitious heavens were dissipated on the day of the last judgment, n. 865.

Footnotes:

876. REVELATION: CHAPTER 21

1. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no more sea.

2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. And He Himself will be with them their God.

4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more toil (suffering), for the former things have passed away."

5. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

6. And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8. But the fearful, faithless, and abominable, and murderers, the sexually licentious, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

9. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

10. And he carried me away in the spirit onto a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11. having the glory of God; and its light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal.

12. It had a great and high wall, and twelve gates, and over the gates twelve angels, with names written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13. three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed at twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height were equal.

17. Then he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

18. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

19. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24. And the nations that are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it.

25. Its gates shall not be shut by day, for there shall be no night there.

26. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27. But there shall not enter it anything unclean, or that creates an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter has as its subject the state of heaven and the church following the Last Judgment, that through the New Heaven, a New Church will afterward emerge on earth which will worship the Lord alone (verses 1-8). Its conjunction with the Lord (verses 9, 10). A description of it as regards its intelligence gained from the Word (verse 11); as regards its consequent doctrine (verses 12-21); and as regards its whole character (verses 22-26).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

THE EXPOSITION

21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. This symbolically means that the Lord formed a new heaven out of Christians, which today is called the Christian heaven and is inhabited by people who worshiped the Lord and lived in accordance with His commandments in the Word, who consequently possess charity and faith. Found in that heaven also are all the little children of Christians.

The new heaven and new earth do not mean the natural heavens that are visible to our eyes or the natural earth inhabited by the human race. Rather they mean a spiritual heaven and the land of that heaven where angels dwell. That that heaven and the land of that heaven are meant is something everyone sees and acknowledges if only he can be drawn away from a purely natural and material idea when he reads the Word.

It is apparent that an angelic heaven is meant because we are told in the very next verse that John saw the holy city Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This does not mean some Jerusalem coming down, but the church, and the church on earth descends from the Lord out of the angelic heaven, since angels in heaven and people on earth are united in everything having to do with the church (no. 626).

It can be seen from this how naturally and materially some people have thought and continue to think who, from these words and those that follow in this verse, have fabricated for themselves the dogma regarding the destruction of the world and everything's being created anew.

[2] This new heaven was the subject several times before in the book of Revelation, especially in chapters 14, 15. It is called the Christian heaven, because it is apart from the ancient heavens which were constituted of people of the church before the Lord's advent. These ancient heavens are above the Christian heaven, for the heavens are like expanses, one above another. The same is the case with each of the heavens, for every heaven is in itself distinguished into three heavens - an inmost or third heaven, an intermediate or second heaven, and a lowest or first heaven. So with this new heaven. I have seen its inhabitants and spoken with them.

This new Christian heaven is inhabited by all those people who from the first establishment of the Christian Church have worshiped the Lord and lived in accordance with His commandments in the Word, and who consequently possess both charity and faith from the Lord through the Word, thus whose faith is not a lifeless one but a living one.

Regarding this heaven, see various mentions above, in nos. 612, 613, 626, 631, 659, 661, 845, 846, 856.

Found in that heaven likewise are all the little children of Christians, because they are brought up by angels in the two essential elements of the church, namely an acknowledgment of the Lord as God of heaven and earth, and living in accordance with the Ten Commandments.