Now, do not look at this as the end of the Church in man, but as the end of the false Church in man - the evils and the falsities within man that had entered in through his senses and had taken over and that reign in man. Look at it this way; man is but a vessel in which the Lord's life - His love and wisdom - may flow in and fill him and, thus, bring him life, not death. However, for man to be truly a man - a human being - and be created in the Lord's image and after His likeness, man must have freedom.
That means that man must be able to choose what is good and true from the Lord. He already chooses from himself, and what is from self is evil and falsity. His choice is to be between the Lord and self. You can understand why man had to leave the state of innocence. It is as if a child must grow up and no longer be dependent on his parents. In the process there are other lessons to learn, truths to be learned that his parents no longer are able to teach, having shut them off. He must, now, learn them 'as if' of himself. This is in order that he may become made into an image of God. It is a natural process that we all must go through. It is the faculty of reason that is developed here. This new truth comes through his senses. He needed to learn, from himself, these truths and to stand on his own 'as it were' and to experience the good that comes from them. And, as he, either lives from truths from the Lord's Word or from evils from hell, he has either to choose the Lord or self. Those truths he obeys from the Word of God effect his life for good. Yet, his life 'as if' from self is affected with the love of self. So he has choice and is in freedom.
You can see that at the end of each state of the Church in man a new state arose from the remains or from the truths that had remained within him from the Lord. The falsities that he thought were truths were put away and evils subjugated and were no longer are able to rule. We can see that man had now come to live in the natural state because of his love of self. The spiritual, and before that, the celestial were now closed in man for fear he would profane the truths that entered into his natural mind and would be condemned forever. In this natural state, the Lord could no longer lead man; the Lord's power and strength was 'as if' cut off and could not enter within. In the third Church, the natural state, the man was to be prepared for the Lord Himself to come and be conjoined with him. This was to be the Fourth Church. It was obvious that a man, by himself, by his own, could not become conjoined with the Lord, but was separated. It was a time of devastation of the evils and falsities in man.
We need to see that this is not something terrible happening in its self, for evil life was not to be man's life. This was not what God had created. That was the kind life that had ruled, that was soon to end. Such a man's life is a life without the Lord and without any truth and without any good. Remember life is the Lord's and man only receives life. So, man, unless there is conjunction with the Lord, does not have true life. The Word even teaches that such a life without the Lord is death. Then, that life which man has without the truth from the Lord, but is only seen in appearances, is not true life. However, it appears to man that he has life of his own. When the evils and falsities with man rule, the Lord then came and was born as man is born. Then, the evils and falsities could attack Him, as they do all born, and He could overcome them and be victorious. In this, we see that God came to dwell within the natural man as He does in the celestial, but He does so only in a man's spiritual, and it is the spiritual, which is to rule within over the natural, and thus, the Lord reigns in man. The Lord, as a man on earth, went through the states that a man does and the true Church began to develop within Him.
So this, now, brings us to a new state of the Church on earth and in man - the Christian Church. In the order that has been established it is the end, which is called the man's nighttime state. This is the fourth Church and the fourth state the Church in man; it is before a fifth and final state, that is, before the crown of all Churches is established on earth and in man. In this fourth state, the evils and their falsities that came into it are consummated and such a Church with man, who is really not a true Church, ends and a new Church is risen. We see that the Lord God Himself established this fourth state of the Church on earth. No longer was man to be without the Lord as he was in both the spiritual and natural states. However, man was still natural and was to live from the Lord through his senses. The Lord had come and He taught men genuine truths and men could be enlightened to see such truths. And, those who followed the Lord Jesus Christ were given the name 'Christian'.
The remnant of the Israelitish and Jewish Church, of those who had some good and charity, those who were joined at least to some good of charity, went to make up the first Christian Church and from them we see Gentles embracing this new Church of Christianity. The only good that such a Church had was natural good that comes from a sincere desire to follow the Commandments. Like all prior Churches on earth, that is, like all the states of the Churches in man, it began in its morning state; it began its rise with love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor. However, in the process of time, like all others before it, they were instructed truths about the Lord and who He is. This is known as the state of day or light. Then its decline followed, which was its evening or state of vastation - the natural state - and at last, there came to them the fourth or the state of night - its consummation and end - and a new Church appears and is raised up within man.
Let us begin with its morning state - the rise of the Christian Church. This rise of a new Church, which is called Christian, is first seen as the Primitive Church and sometimes is revealed as the Gentile Church. The reason that a new Church begins with Gentiles is because it is raised out of goods and truths. These - goods and truths - were no longer within the prior Church having rejected the Lord. However, Gentiles had not rejected the Lord and often have natural good. The Israelitish and Jewish Church had all receded from the commandments (except the disciples, a few women and others). There was no true faith remaining with them, even as we have seen it was the Israelitish and Jewish who made not only the commandment of no authority, but rejected the Lord Himself as well.
That means that man must be able to choose what is good and true from the Lord. He already chooses from himself, and what is from self is evil and falsity. His choice is to be between the Lord and self. You can understand why man had to leave the state of innocence. It is as if a child must grow up and no longer be dependent on his parents. In the process there are other lessons to learn, truths to be learned that his parents no longer are able to teach, having shut them off. He must, now, learn them 'as if' of himself. This is in order that he may become made into an image of God. It is a natural process that we all must go through. It is the faculty of reason that is developed here. This new truth comes through his senses. He needed to learn, from himself, these truths and to stand on his own 'as it were' and to experience the good that comes from them. And, as he, either lives from truths from the Lord's Word or from evils from hell, he has either to choose the Lord or self. Those truths he obeys from the Word of God effect his life for good. Yet, his life 'as if' from self is affected with the love of self. So he has choice and is in freedom.
You can see that at the end of each state of the Church in man a new state arose from the remains or from the truths that had remained within him from the Lord. The falsities that he thought were truths were put away and evils subjugated and were no longer are able to rule. We can see that man had now come to live in the natural state because of his love of self. The spiritual, and before that, the celestial were now closed in man for fear he would profane the truths that entered into his natural mind and would be condemned forever. In this natural state, the Lord could no longer lead man; the Lord's power and strength was 'as if' cut off and could not enter within. In the third Church, the natural state, the man was to be prepared for the Lord Himself to come and be conjoined with him. This was to be the Fourth Church. It was obvious that a man, by himself, by his own, could not become conjoined with the Lord, but was separated. It was a time of devastation of the evils and falsities in man.
We need to see that this is not something terrible happening in its self, for evil life was not to be man's life. This was not what God had created. That was the kind life that had ruled, that was soon to end. Such a man's life is a life without the Lord and without any truth and without any good. Remember life is the Lord's and man only receives life. So, man, unless there is conjunction with the Lord, does not have true life. The Word even teaches that such a life without the Lord is death. Then, that life which man has without the truth from the Lord, but is only seen in appearances, is not true life. However, it appears to man that he has life of his own. When the evils and falsities with man rule, the Lord then came and was born as man is born. Then, the evils and falsities could attack Him, as they do all born, and He could overcome them and be victorious. In this, we see that God came to dwell within the natural man as He does in the celestial, but He does so only in a man's spiritual, and it is the spiritual, which is to rule within over the natural, and thus, the Lord reigns in man. The Lord, as a man on earth, went through the states that a man does and the true Church began to develop within Him.
So this, now, brings us to a new state of the Church on earth and in man - the Christian Church. In the order that has been established it is the end, which is called the man's nighttime state. This is the fourth Church and the fourth state the Church in man; it is before a fifth and final state, that is, before the crown of all Churches is established on earth and in man. In this fourth state, the evils and their falsities that came into it are consummated and such a Church with man, who is really not a true Church, ends and a new Church is risen. We see that the Lord God Himself established this fourth state of the Church on earth. No longer was man to be without the Lord as he was in both the spiritual and natural states. However, man was still natural and was to live from the Lord through his senses. The Lord had come and He taught men genuine truths and men could be enlightened to see such truths. And, those who followed the Lord Jesus Christ were given the name 'Christian'.
The remnant of the Israelitish and Jewish Church, of those who had some good and charity, those who were joined at least to some good of charity, went to make up the first Christian Church and from them we see Gentles embracing this new Church of Christianity. The only good that such a Church had was natural good that comes from a sincere desire to follow the Commandments. Like all prior Churches on earth, that is, like all the states of the Churches in man, it began in its morning state; it began its rise with love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor. However, in the process of time, like all others before it, they were instructed truths about the Lord and who He is. This is known as the state of day or light. Then its decline followed, which was its evening or state of vastation - the natural state - and at last, there came to them the fourth or the state of night - its consummation and end - and a new Church appears and is raised up within man.
Let us begin with its morning state - the rise of the Christian Church. This rise of a new Church, which is called Christian, is first seen as the Primitive Church and sometimes is revealed as the Gentile Church. The reason that a new Church begins with Gentiles is because it is raised out of goods and truths. These - goods and truths - were no longer within the prior Church having rejected the Lord. However, Gentiles had not rejected the Lord and often have natural good. The Israelitish and Jewish Church had all receded from the commandments (except the disciples, a few women and others). There was no true faith remaining with them, even as we have seen it was the Israelitish and Jewish who made not only the commandment of no authority, but rejected the Lord Himself as well.