The Spiritual Life and the Word of God

Who at this day can believe that the delight of adultery is hell in man, and that the delight of marriage is heaven in him, consequently so far as he is in the one delight he is not in the other, since so far as man is in hell he is not in heaven? -from "VI: The Sixth Commandment" Emanuel Swedenborg, an 18th-century inventor and man of science, experienced a spiritual epiphany at the age of 56, when he began to explore Christianity from a mystic standpoint, a stunning change of heart that has since intrigued and fascinated generations of rationalists and philosophers, from Immanuel Kant to Arthur Conan Doyle to C.G. Jung. Did Swedenborg go mad, or is he a genuine prophet? In this work, an extract from Swedenborg's 1757 Apocalypse Explained, he explores the meaning of each of the 10 commandments and discusses good, truth, and what it means to live a righteous life. Swedish scientist and philosopher EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772) made notable contributions in the fields of biology, geology, and astronomy before embarking upon his Scriptural commentary. His religious writings include The Divine Love and Wisdom, The Apocalypse Revealed, The True Christian Religion, and The Last Judgment.