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Emanuel Swedenborg (Exposed)
Aaron Erhardt
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Emanuel
Swedenborg (January 29, 1688-March 29, 1772) was a renowned scientist and
inventor of the eighteenth century. He could speak eleven languages and served
as a member of the Swedish House of Nobles. He was highly regarded in both the
academic and political arenas of his day.
Swedenborg
was influenced religiously by his father Jesper, a clergyman who had a
fascination for angels and spirits, and claimed to have received direct messages
from the Lord. (This may shed some light on Emanuel’s claims, just as knowing
that Joseph Smith Jr.’s father dug in the earth for hidden treasure may shed
some light on why he claimed to find golden plates hidden in the hill Cumorah).
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Swedenborg
claimed to have dreams and visions that culminated in a spiritual awakening,
whereupon he was visited by the Lord, commissioned to teach the doctrines of the
New Church, and allowed to converse with angels and spirits for years.
What
Swedenborg Taught
Though
few in number, there are Swedenborgian churches that regard his teachings as
divine truth. Therefore, it is important that we know what Swedenborg actually
taught.
(1) There is life on the moon
and planets. Swedenborg claimed to communicate with life forms throughout the
solar system. He said that there were people living on the moon who spoke
through their bellies, and fancifully described the inhabitants of various
planets.
Though Swedenborg claimed to
converse with life forms from Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, he
never mentioned inhabitants on Uranus and Neptune -- because those planets had
not been discovered!
(2) Marriage will continue in
heaven. Swedenborg taught that loving marriages will continue beyond this
life. Those in unloving marriages will find more compatible mates and
unmarried people, like Swedenborg, will be given a "perfect match"
from the Lord.
(3) No beings were created
angels. Swedenborg taught that angels were once people. They became angels
after death.
(4) The Lord never casts
anyone into hell. Swedenborg taught that people choose to be in hell freely.
It is there preference. He denied that hell was a place of eternal punishment.
(5) The Father and Son are
not separate divine persons. Swedenborg taught that God is one person with a
threefold essence. He denied that the Divine Nature consists of three separate
persons.
(6) The Last Judgment has
already occurred. Swedenborg taught that the Last Judgment took place in 1757.
It occurred in the World of Spirits and he was allowed to be a witness.
(7) The Second Coming has
already occurred. Swedenborg taught that the Lord's return took place in the
World of Spirits. He did not come in person, but in revelation to Swedenborg.
(8) Scripture has an inner
meaning. Swedenborg taught that there is a hidden component to the Bible that
is not obvious to the casual reader. Only through his teachings could one come
to the true sense of the Word.
This
is just a sampling of what Swedenborg taught. However, I think it is more than
enough to prove that he was not truly inspired. What he taught is nonsensical
(moon-people speaking through their bellies) and contrary to clear Bible
teaching.
The
Bible teaches that marriage will not exist in heaven (Matthew 22:30), that
angels were created "before" people (Job 38:4-7), that the lost will
be "cast" into hell (Matthew 25:30), that there is a distinction of
"persons" between the Father and Son (John 8:16-18), that last
judgment will take place when Jesus returns in person to earth (Matthew
25:31-32), that the truth can be understood when read (Ephesians 3:4), etc.
Conclusion
The
faith was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Though Swedenborg had a
prolific career in the secular realm, he was not what he claimed to be
religiously. He was not commissioned by the Lord. In fact, what he taught is
both un-scriptural and anti-scriptural. He was a mystic who deceived the people.
He should be placed in the same category as Joseph Smith Jr. and other so-called
latter day revelators.
[Note:
It is my sincere intention to represent the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg
accurately. To assure that this is so, I corresponded with several reputable
teachers of Swedenborg via email. They said that I “certainly have it in a
nutshell,” a “fairly accurate summary,” and “a good characterization of
Swedenborg’s beliefs”].
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