Theistic Psychology: 
The Scientific Knowledge of God
Extracted from the Correspondential Sense
of Sacred Scripture

16.0

 

 

 

A Parallel Cross-Denominational Glossary of Spiritual Concepts
Spiritual Concepts	Cross-Denominational Equivalents				Spiritual Science
	Judaism	Christianity	Mohammedanism	Buddhism
Identity of Spiritual God head who establishes Covenant with Humankind	Lord God Jehovah, Elohim, Wisdom	Lord God Jehovah, Elohim, Christ	Lord God Jehovah, Elohim, Allah, Lord of the Words	Buddha Lord	Taxonomic Hierarchy of Beings
Chief Prophets & Human Presenters, & Scriptures	Abraham-I-J Moses, Isaiah, Hillel, Holy Bible (OT)	Abraham-I-J Moses, Isaiah, Jesus Holy Bible	Abraham, I-J Moses, Ishmael, Mohammed Pentateuch & Koran	Buddha, Amida Numerous Scriptures	Each historical figure has his own special revelation.
Resurrection of the Dead, Day of Judgment, and the Kingdom of God	Resurrection, Day of Judgment, Kingdom, World to Come	Resurrection, Day of Judgment, Kingdom, Apocalypse	Resurrection, Day of Judgment, World to Come	Pure Land, Other Shore, Enlightenment	Evolutionary Historical Survey through the Akashic Record
Fate of the Souls of unrepenting Evil-doers, Non-believers	Gehenem, Place of Darkness Satan	Hell, Fires, Pit of Darkness, Satan, Devil	Torment of the fire	Suffering, Self-delusion, Karma, Samsara	Kamaloka & New Karma, Lucifer, Ahriman
Prayer & Public Worship; Denominational & Historical Symbols; Spiritual communion & Communication	Offerings, Synagogues, Temples, Festivals, Menorah, David's Star, Jerusalem, Inspiration, Prophesy, Angel Apparitions	Offerings, Church, Festival, Cross, Eucharyst, Jerusalem, Inspiration, Prophesy, Angel Apparitions	Offerings, Pilgrimage, Minaret, Mecha, Prayer Beads, Spiritual Apparitions & Beings	Offerings, Brotherhood, Buddha's Statue, Lotus Position, Meditation, Prayer Beads, Spiritual Apparitions & Beings	Meditation; Study of Religious; Supersensible Perception; Intercourse with Spirit Beings; Intuition Freedom

 

Principal Duties of the Faithful:  A Cross-Denomination Chart
Judaism	Christianity	Mohammedanism	Buddhism	Spiritual Science
Continuous affirmation of the unity of Lord God & the worship of his Name	Love of Lord God & His worship through His son, Christ	Resignation & Surrender [="Muslim"] to Lord God	Attainment of Enlightenment through the practice of Buddha's Dharma (Techniques)	Anthroposophical study & Practice
Doing God's Commandments & Waiting for the Messiah & the Kingdom	Love of People & Waiting for the Kingdom	Belief in God's Messengers ("Sent"): Abraham Ishmael Isaac Jacob Moses Jesus the Prophets	Working for the Brotherhood & Universal Enlightenment	Reading Akashic Record & Interact with Spirit Beings
Study of Old Testament Bible & Belief in it	Study of Old & New Testament Bible & Belief in it	Study of Koran & Belief in it	Study of Scriptures relating to Buddha's Teaching & Belief in it	C-B:  Education, Science & Art
	Seeking & Finding Grace in Christ Jesus

 

Similarity Index = C/N x 100			C = Number of overlapping items (Correspondences) N = Number of items of comparison
J & C = 99% J & B = 60% C & B = 55% J & M = 80% C & M = 80% M & B = 20%
	J	C		M	B
Trumpets	X	X		X	-
Soul & Sin	X	X		X	X
Hell - Fire	X	X		X	-
Feeding the Poor	X	X		X	X
Life after Death	X	X		X	X
Inspiration by Holy Spirit	X	X		-	X
Praise the Name	X	X		X	X
Covenant with Abraham	X	X		X	-
Buddha	-	-		-	X
Jesus Christ	-	X		-	-
Moses	X	X		X	-
Covenant	X	X		X	-
Creating Story by Lord God	X	X		X	-
Apostles	X	X		X	X
Prophets	X	X		X	-
Resurrection	X	X		X	-
Day of Judgment	X	X		X	-
Messiah/Son	X	X		-	-
Public & Private Worship	X	X		X	X
Jehovah God	X	X		X	-
Holy Scriptures from God (Denominational)	X	X		X	X
Non-believers are wicked (Denominational)	X	X		X	X
Do good works	X	X		X	X
Guardian Angels & Spirit Beings of God's Host	X	X		-	-
Forgive others	X	X		X	X
God's will only (pleasure)	X	X		X	X
Solvable Temptations to Believers	X	X		X	-
Everlasting life	X	X		X	X
Social justice (no cheating	X	X		X	X
Offspring reunited at Resurrection	X-	X-		X-	-
Spirit possession	X	X		X	X
The righteous will be justified	X	X		X
God Creates through the Word	X	X		X	-

 

GOD'S ATTRIBUTES	J	C	M	B
Merciful	X	X	X	X
Mighty	X	X	X	X
Wise	X	X	X	X
Omniscient	X	X	X	X
Omnipresent	X	X	X	X
Compassionate	X	X		X

 

 

 

 

I received this from an email message:

Q. What is the shortest chapter of the Bible? A. Psalm 117

Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible? A: Psalms 119

Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible? A: Psalms 118

• Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
• Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118
• Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q: What is the center verse in the Bible? A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will   for our lives?

Psalms 118:8 (NKJV)
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

At the end of the message was this:

Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?
Before sending this I said a prayer for you. Got a minute? 60 seconds for God?
All you do is say a small prayer for the person who sent you this.........
"Father God bless my friend in whatever it is that you know he/she may be needing this day!
And may his/her life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with You. Amen.
Then send it on to 10 other people. Within hours 10 people have prayed
for you, and you caused a multitude of people pray to God for other people.
Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life...
 

16.1   Literalism and Dogmatism

 

 

 

Quoting from a student report:

Science and the Bible are key points in the study of theistic psychology, since when combined with Swedenborg’s correspondences; the bible is the guidebook for this science. Many people have tried to relate the bible to science and vice versus, but the DEFENDER’S Study bible, sites specific correlations, making the scientific aspects of the bible clearer (www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml ). The Defenders talk about sciences such as Paleontology, Astronomy, Meteorology, Biology, Anthropology, Hydrology, Geology, and Physics. For each one of these fields a passage from the bible is listed with an explanation of how it proves a scientific discovery over 3000 years old.

 

On the other hand there is a problem when science and the bible clash. “When Faith and Reason Clash: Evolution and the Bible”, is an article by Alvin Plantinga, which discusses many of the contradictions between the bible, faith, science, and common sense (www.asa3.org/ASA/dialogues/Faith-reason/CRS9-91Plantinga1.html). The science of evolution is broached and viewed from a Christian’s point of view. While theistic psychology hopes to bring all of science and religion together, it still faces a monumental challenge when faced the everyday sense of the average person. Most people want a science and religion that seemingly coincide with one another, but what they fail to realize is that they already do. It is only the lack of the science of correspondences that keeps them from this realization.

( www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459s2004/clark/report1.htm )

 

16.3   Anti-Semitism

 

 

 

16.4   The Millennial Doctrine

 

 

 

16.5   The Trinity of Three Divine Persons

 

 

 

16.6   Spiritual Warfare

 

I receives this email:

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004
Subject: Urgent Call To Prayer

This is a call for all of us to unite together to pray earnestly for the election in our nation on Tuesday, November 2nd (this coming Tuesday). Also be sure to vote. It is not only our privilege to vote, it is our duty. I'd like to add this Scripture to the message below: Exodus 18:21 (NAS) ~ "Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders..... "

===============

Dear Friends,

Up until now the Holy Spirit has not led me to issue a call to prayer for this year¹s elections, as I did in 2000 (others have done so and many are praying). That began to change this morning as I sensed clearly that the warfare over this election went to another level Ëbig time! As it was in 2000, it is an all-out war in the spirit realm for the soul of this nation and I sense in my spirit that we have not yet broken through into victory. If we lose this war Ëand make no mistake, we can lose it if at any point we yield to apathy, overconfidence, weariness, or anything else that might cause us to not finish well Ëthe results will be devastating.

Do not make the fatal mistake of laying the results of this election solely on the will and sovereignty of God. As He did in 2000, God is requiring a partnership with the praying church in order for righteousness to prevail. We must not allow a faulty theology that simply says ³we have asked God to intervene, the rest is up to Him² to give us a false sense of security. Sometimes asking is all that is necessary, sometimes not. In this battle It

absolutely is not. Just as when Israel did not possess Canaan, and also when Jerusalem missed a visitation from Heaven in Christ¹s day, God¹s will alone will not decide this election (Hebrews 3:18-19; Luke 19:44). In 1963 we forfeited God¹s will by removing His influence from our schools; in 1973 we missed God¹s will by allowing abortion to be legalized. And make no mistake about it, our lack of action at this point in time can cause us to miss God¹s will and send us spiraling downward again.

We must move into spiritual warfare now as never before. There is a persistence that must be exercised, striking the ground until complete victory is assured (2 Kings 13:14-19). By those who understand the principles of spiritual warfare, there is a kingdom force that must be employed in the spirit until the powers of darkness yield to the forces of light (Daniel 10:12-14; Matthew 11:12; Ephesians 6:12). There is a binding and loosing that must occur until confusion reigns in the enemy¹s camp (Matthew 16:18-19). The kingdom rule and will of God must be released in intercession and declaration until Heaven¹s desires prevail on earth (Matthew 6:10).

Don¹t let up. Intensify! The next 3 days will determine the fate of America for decades Ëmaybe forever. Also, I believe the purposes of God in many nations are at stake, not the least of which is a great harvest of souls around the world.

Take some radical steps. I am changing my schedule and going to Washington DC for the next 3 days in order to pray in the way I believe the Lord is leading me. Though this is not practical for most of you, here are some suggestions for the final 3 days leading up to this election:

1. Fast. Some are already fasting; I am asking for thousands more to join them. Ask God to lead you as to what kind of fast, and use wisdom concerning medical factors.

2. Join together in prayer meetings and prayer services: the prayer of agreement is powerful Ëuse it.

• Turn Sunday school classes into prayer meetings.

• Take time in Sunday services this week for prayer.

• Have special prayer services Saturday, Sunday, or Monday nights.

• Move home/cell groups to Saturday, Sunday, or Monday nights and devote them to prayer.

• Do prayer ³conference calls² with friends and prayer partners.

3. Get up earlier than usual and pray before beginning other

activities.

4. If possible, do a night watch Ëget up through the night and pray; or

pull an ³all nighter² if you feel the strength to do so.

5. Pray Isaiah 22:22!

6. Send this prayer alert to every praying Christian that you know. Please give it to your pastor far enough in advance of Sunday¹s services so

that he can plan.

Finally, this is not a partisan issue; it is simply a righteousness issue. God must have a man in office who seeks His face. If all of us do our part, we will prevail in this election and see America take another turn toward righteousness and revival.

 

 

 

16.7   The Second Coming

 

 

CL 533. On hearing all this, the angels greatly rejoiced; but then, perceiving a sadness in me, they asked, "Whence is your sadness?" I said, "The arcana now revealed by the Lord, though in excellence and worth they surpass the knowledges hitherto made public, are yet esteemed on earth as of no value." Wondering at this, the angels besought the Lord that it might be allowed them to look down into the world. And they looked down and there, lo, mere darkness! They were then told to write those arcana upon a paper, and the paper would be let down upon the earth and they would see a portent. This was done. The paper on which those arcana had been written was let down from heaven, and lo, in its progress, while still in the spiritual world, it shone like a star; but as it fell into the natural world, the light disappeared and by degrees, as it went down, it was darkened. When it was let down by the angels into companies where were doctors and learned men of the clergy and laity, from many of these a murmur was heard, in which were the words: "What is this? Is it anything? What matters whether we know these things or not? Are they not offspring of the brain?" and it seemed as though some of them took the paper and folded and rolled and unrolled it with their fingers in order to obliterate the writing. It also seemed as though others would tear it to pieces, and as though still others wished to trample it under their feet. But from that criminal deed they were restrained by the Lord, and command was given to the angels to withdraw the paper and guard it. And because the angels were made sad and thought, "How long will this be?" it was said, "Until a time and times and half a time" (Rev. 12:14). (CL 533)

 

 

AR 675. To this I will add this Relation. There was seen a certain paper sent down from the Lord through heaven to a society of the English, but that society was one of the smallest of them, where also there were two bishops. The paper contained an exhortation that they should acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth, as He taught (Matt. 28:18); and that they should recede from the doctrine of justifying faith without the works of the law, because it is erroneous. This paper was read and copied by many; and respecting the things that were in it they thought and spoke soundly from interior judgment, and were enlightened by the Lord; and the enlightenment was received in the light, which is implanted with the English more than with others. Yet after they had received those things, they said among themselves, "Let us hear the bishops." And they were heard; but they contradicted and disapproved. For those bishops who were there, were of those who had become in the world hard of heart as to the spiritual things of faith and charity, from the love of dominion over the holy things of the church, and of super-eminence by means of them even in political affairs. Wherefore, after a short consultation among themselves, they sent the paper back to heaven, whence it came. This being done, after some murmuring, most of the laity receded from their former assent; and then their light in spiritual things, which before shone brightly, was suddenly extinguished; and they were afterwards admonished again, but in vain. I saw that society sinking down, but how deeply I did not see, thus it was withdrawn from the sight of the angels, who worship the Lord alone, and are averse to faith alone.

[2] But after some days, I saw as many as a hundred of them ascending from the lower earth, whither that small society sank down; who approached me, and a wise man from among them spoke and said, "Hear a wonder: when we sank down, the place at first appeared to us like a lake, but soon like dry land; and afterwards like a small city, in which everyone had his house, but a poor one. After a day we consulted among ourselves what was to be done. Many said that we must go to the two bishops, and mildly argue with them, because they sent back the paper into heaven, whence it was let down; on account of which this had happened to us. They chose some, who went to the bishops," and he that was speaking with me said that he was one of them. "And then a certain one among us who excelled in wisdom, addressed the bishops thus. 'Hear, ye fathers; we believed that with us above others was the church which deserved to be called the first in the Christian world, and a religion which deserves to be called the greatest. But there has been given to us enlightenment from heaven, and in the enlightenment a perception that at this day there is no longer any church in the Christian world, nor any religion.'

[3] The bishops said 'What are you saying? Is not the church where the Word is, where Christ the Savior is known, and where are the sacraments?' To this our spokesman replied, 'Those things are the church, and they make the church; but they do not make it outside of man, but within man.' And he said further, 'As to the church: can the church be where three gods are worshiped? Can the church be where the whole of its doctrine is founded upon a single saying of Paul falsely understood, and hence not upon the Word? Can the church be where the Savior of the world is not approached, and where He is divided into two? As to religion: who can deny that religion is to shun evil and to do good? Is there any religion where it is taught that faith alone saves, and not charity? Is there religion where it is taught that charity proceeding from a man is nothing but moral and civil charity? Who does not see that in that charity there is not anything of religion? Is there in faith alone anything of deed or of work? And yet religion consists in doing. Is there given in the entire world a nation with any religion, which excludes everything saving from the goods of charity, which are good works, when yet the all of religion consists in good, and the all of the church in doctrine, which must teach truths, and good by truth? See, fathers, what glory we should have, if the church, which is not, and religion, which is not, should begin and arise with us.'

[4] Then those bishops replied, 'You speak too loftily. Is not faith in act, which is faith fully justifying and saving, the church? And is not faith in state, which is faith proceeding and perfecting religion? Apprehend this, O sons.' But the wise Englishman then said, 'Hear, O fathers; does not a man conceive faith in act like a stock? Is the church, according to your idea, in a stock that is then vivified? Is not faith in state the continuation and progression of faith in act? And since according to your idea everything saving is in faith, and not anything in the good of charity from man, where then is religion?' The bishops then said, 'Friend, you speak thus, because you do not know the mysteries of justification by faith alone; and he who does not know them, does not know the way of salvation from within. Your way is an external and plebeian way. Go that way if you will; but know only that all good is from God, and nothing from man; and that thus in spiritual things a man can do nothing at all of himself. How then can a man do good, which is spiritual good, from himself?'

[5] The Englishman that was speaking with them, being indignant at this, said, 'I know your mysteries of justification better than you do yourselves; and I tell you plainly, that in these interior mysteries of yours I have seen nothing but specters. Is not religion to acknowledge and love God, and to shun and hate the devil? Is not God good itself, and the devil evil itself? Who in the whole world, who has any religion, does not know this? Is not acknowledging and loving God the doing of good because this is of God and from God? And is not shunning and hating the devil, to do no evil, because it is of the devil and from the devil? Your faith in act, which you called faith fully justifying and saving, or, what is the same, your act of justification by faith alone, does it teach the doing of any good which is of God and from God? And does it teach the shunning of any evil which is of the devil and from the devil? Nothing at all, because you have decided that there is nothing of salvation in either. What is your faith in state, which you have called faith proceeding and perfecting, but the same with faith in act? How can this be perfected, when you exclude all good done by man as of himself? saying: "How can a man be saved by any good from himself, when salvation is gratuitous?" Also, "What good is from man but meritorious good? And yet Christ's merit is all; and therefore to do good for the sake of salvation would be to attribute to oneself what is Christ's alone; and thus it would be also to will to justify and save oneself." Also, "How can anyone operate good, when the Holy Spirit operates all things without any help from man? What need is there then of any accessory good from man, when all the good from man is in itself not good?" and more besides.

[6] 'Are not these your mysteries? But in my eyes they are mere subtleties and artifices contrived for the end that you may remove good works, which are the goods of charity, to establish your faith alone. And because you do this, you regard man as to these things, and in general as to all spiritual things which are of the church and religion, as a stock, or as a lifeless image, and not as a man created in the image of God, to whom was given, and is continually given, the faculty of understanding and willing, of believing and loving, and of speaking and doing, altogether as of himself; especially in spiritual things, because man is man from them. If man did not think and operate as of himself in spiritual things, what then would faith be? and charity? and worship? Yea, what then would the church and religion be? You know that charity is to do good to the neighbor from love. Yet you do not know what charity is; when yet charity is the soul, the life, and the essence of faith. And because charity is all that, what then is faith when charity is removed, but dead faith? And dead faith is nothing but a specter. I call it a specter, because the apostle James calls faith without good works not only dead, but also diabolical.'

[7] Then one of those two bishops, when he heard his faith called dead, diabolical, and a specter, became so enraged, that he snatched the miter from his head, and threw it upon a table, saying, 'I will not resume it until I have been avenged on the enemies of the faith of our church.' And he shook his head, murmuring and saying, 'That James, that James!' Upon the miter was a plate, on which was engraved 'Faith Alone.' And then there suddenly appeared a monster rising out of the earth with seven heads, whose feet were like a bear's, and his mouth like a lion's, altogether like the beast which is described (Rev. 13:1-2); whose image was made and adored (Rev. 13:14-15). This specter took the miter from the table, and stretched it out beneath, and put it upon his seven heads; after which, the earth opened under his feet, and he sank down into hell. Seeing this, that bishop cried out, 'Violence, violence!' We then departed from them; and behold, there were steps before our eyes, by which we ascended, and returned upon the earth, and into the sight of heaven, where we were before." These things the wise Englishman related to me. (AR 675)

 

 

AC 699. That I might witness the torment of those who are in hell, and the vastation of those who are in the lower earth, I have at different times been let down thither. To be let down into hell is not to be carried from one place to another, but to be let into some infernal society, the man remaining in the same place. But I may here relate only this experience: I plainly perceived that a kind of column surrounded me, and this column was sensibly increased, and it was intimated to me that this was the "wall of brass" spoken of in the Word.* The column was formed of angelic spirits in order that I might safely descend to the unhappy. When I was there I heard piteous lamentations, such as, O God! O God! take pity on us! take pity on us! and this for a long time. I was permitted to speak to those wretched ones, and this for a considerable time. They complained especially of evil spirits in that they desired and burned for nothing else than to torment them. They were in despair, saying that they believed their torment would be eternal; but I was permitted to comfort them. * Jer. 1:18; 15:20. (AC 699)

 

 

16.8   Sexless Angels?

 

 

 

16.9   The Dogma of Faith Alone

 

 

 

16.10   The Mystery of the Holy Spirit

 

 

 

16.11   The Laying on of Hands

 

 

16.12   Community of Fellowship

 

 

16.13  Christian Gentilism