RIGHTEOUSNESS

Some people wonder, if God is Love itself and sin is the cause of all human troubles and even of hell itself, why would not God use some way to prevent humans from sinning altogether.

Once again, in order to answer this question, we must understand what the purpose of the universe is. Divine Love is a substance that is organized harmonically. This organization or form is Divine Wisdom or Truth. In order to realize Love or put Love into effect, God needs to produce a realm where He can love others who are distinct from Himself. And, for Love to be fully realized, this Love must be FREELY and HARMONICALLY received and FREELY and HARMONICALLY reflected or reciprocated by these  other beings in this realm.

The key words are FREELY and HARMONICALLY. Now, when we observe the electro-magnetic field, we notice that it is comprised of an electric field and  a magnetic field. And these two fields cross each other at right angles. This is not a coincidence. This is because the electromagnetic field is in correspondence with the WISDOM-LOVE field in higher dimensions. Thus, by correspondence, the WISDOM-LOVE field must be the field of RIGHTEOUSNESS. And this realm, where beings who are in God's image can be FREELY and HARMONICALLY conjoined with each other and with God, must be the field of RIGHTEOUSNESS or HEAVEN.

Therefore, if God desires to produce this realm (Heaven) that is both FREE and HARMONIC, He is compelled to create a universe where humans can freely choose righteousness. And, in order to FREELY choose righteousness, they must have the possibility and freedom to choose unrighteousness. Thus, God must allow the possibility of unrighteousness in the universe and He cannot prevent human beings from freely rejecting righteousness. But, when humans freely choose to  intend what is not Good (harmonic), believe what is not righteous (true) and do what is selfish, they produce unrighteous spiritual fields (or hells) where they reside outside of Heaven. And, although these unrighteous fields are outside of Heaven, they continue to be sustained and maintained by God's Love.

In fact, our own society mirrors the structure of the universe in many ways. When we behave reasonably and obey civil laws, we can function and interact freely with others in society. But, when we disobey these laws, we end up in a harsh prison alienated from society. The hells are the prisons of spiritual society where those who freely choose to disobey the laws of Heaven cast themselves  out. By freely disobeying the laws of righteousness, we actually end up in a state of fear and bondage. And, when we are in such a hellish state, we have no one to blame but ourselves because we have chosen to be there FREELY and WILLINGLY. God never created any hells, nor does He ever cast anyone there. These unrighteous spiritual fields were freely created by human beings over the ages.

WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?

From quantum physics, we know that all objects or even beings are wave functions. Thus, when we interact with other beings, the waves of our being interfere with other waves. But these waves can interfere constructively or destructively depending on the quality of our intentions and actions. When we intend and act from conscience and reason, our waves interfere righteously or coherently  and  they are able to fractally implode into the harmonic vortex of Love. This is how we experience joy and the Love within our being continues to grow.

However, when we intend and act from self-love, we not only produce disorder and destruction in the outer world, the waves of our being are not able to righteously implode into the harmonic vortex of Love. Instead, these waves are scattered into the disordered fields of hell and, as a consequence,  we continue to feel lonely and miserable.

Essentially, righteousness or justice is an equilibrium between judgment and mercy. And the Lord Himself said that we should be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Yet some people foolishly believe that we should not be judgmental towards others. This is basically saying that we should be naive or gullible. In fact, there are many malicious individuals in the world seeking such gullible people in order to take advantage of them.  Hence we should always use our God-given faculty of intelligence or judgment to determine what kind of person we are dealing with. For example, we should not cast our pearls (spiritual wisdom) before swine (people who only love wealth and the vanities of the world).

Now, if we were only judgmental, we would be harsh and cruel like some self-righteous religious zealots who try to enforce their beliefs upon others by violence. In order to be righteous or just, we must equally practice mercy or love. This means that we must be tolerant and patient with the imperfections of others and respect every person’s spiritual freedom. As human beings, all of us are imperfect; we all have our flaws and we are all progressively learning to be human on earth. And the way we learn is by making mistakes. Hence, we should equally be merciful and forgive all those who are repentant. 

That "righteousness" has regard to good, and "judgment" to truth, is evident from the signification of "righteousness," and from the signification of "judgment." In the Word, "righteousness and judgment" are many times named together, but what they signify in the internal sense has not yet been known. In the proximate sense "righteousness" is predicated of what is righteous or just [justus], and "judgment" of what is right [rectus]. There is what is righteous when anything is judged from good, and this according to conscience; but what is right when anything is judged from the law, and thus from the righteousness of the law, thus also according to conscience, because it has the law for its rule. But in the internal sense "righteousness" denotes that which is from good, and "judgment" that which is from truth. Good is all that which belongs to love and charity; truth is all that which belongs to the derivative faith. Truth derives its essence from good, and is called truth from good, just as faith derives its essence from love, and in the same way judgment from righteousness.

          [2] That such is the signification of "righteousness and judgment" is evident from the following passages in the Word. In Jeremiah:

 Thus saith Jehovah, Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and rescue the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor. Woe to him that buildeth his house in that which is not righteousness and his chambers in that which is not judgment. Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and righteousness? Then he had that which is good (Jer. 22:3, 13, 15),

 where "judgment" denotes the things that are of truth, and "righteousness" the things that are of good. In Ezekiel:

 If the wicked shall return from his sin, and do judgment and righteousness, all his sins that he hath sinned shall not be mentioned unto him; he hath done judgment and righteousness: he shall surely live. When the wicked turns himself from his wickedness, and does judgment and righteousness, for these he shall live (Ezek. 33:14, 16, 19),

 where in like manner "judgment" denotes truth, which is of faith; and "righteousness" good, which is of charity.

      [3] So in Amos:

 Let judgment flow like waters, and righteousness like a mighty river (Amos 5:24).

 In Isaiah:

 Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to reveal itself (Isa. 56:1).

 In the same:

 To peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it, with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and even to eternity (Isa. 9:7),

 denoting that they are in the truths of faith and in the goods of charity.

 In the same:

 Jehovah is exalted, for He dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness (Isa. 33:5),
 where "judgment" denotes faith, "righteousness" love, and "Zion" the church. "Judgment" stands first because love comes through faith; but when "righteousness" stands first, it is because the faith is from love, as in Hosea:

 I will betroth thee unto Me to eternity, and I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness and judgment, and in mercy and in compassions; and I will betroth thee unto Me in faith, and thou shalt know Jehovah (Hos. 2:19-20),

 where "righteousness" stands first, as also "mercy," which are of love; and "judgment" follows, as also "compassions," which are of faith from love; both are called "faith" or "faithfulness."

     [4] In David:

 Thy mercy, O Jehovah, is in the heavens, thy truth reacheth unto the skies [aetheres]; Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God, Thy judgments are a great deep (Ps. 36:5-6),

 where both "mercy" and "righteousness" are in like manner of love, and "truth" and "judgments" are of faith. In the same:

 Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look forth from heaven. Yea, Jehovah shall give good, and our land shall yield its increase (Ps. 85:11-12),

 where "truth," which is of faith, denotes "judgment," and "righteousness" love or mercy. In Zechariah:

 I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness (Zech. 8:8),

 from which also it is evident that "judgment" denotes truth, and "righteousness" good; because "truth" is here used in place of "judgment." In like manner in David:

 He that walketh perfect, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth (Ps. 15:2).

     [5] As faith is of charity, or as truth is of good, the truths of good are occasionally called the "judgments of righteousness;" and thus "judgments" signify almost the same as "precepts;" as in Isaiah:

 They will seek Me day by day, and desire to know My ways, as a nation that doeth righteousness and forsaketh not the judgment of their God; they will ask of Me judgments of righteousness, they will desire to draw near to God (Isa. 58:2).

 That "precepts" signify the same may be seen in David:

 Seven times a day have I praised Thee because of the judgments of Thy righteousness; all Thy precepts are righteousness (Ps. 119:164, 172).

 It is especially said of the Lord that He "does judgment and righteousness," when He creates man anew as in Jeremiah:

 Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am Jehovah that doeth mercy, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I am well pleased (Jer. 9:24),

 where mercy, which is of love, is described by "judgment and righteousness." In the same:

 I will raise up unto David a righteous offshoot, and He shall reign as King, and shall act intelligently, and shall do judgement and righteousness in the earth (Jer. 23:5; 33:15).

     [6] Hence it is said in John:

 If I go away, I will send the Comforter unto you; and when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go unto My Father, and ye shall see Me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (John 16:7-11)
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 "Sin" here denotes all unfaithfulness. His "reproving in regard to righteousness" means in regard to all that is against good, when yet the Lord united the Human to the Divine to save the world-which is the meaning of "I go unto My Father and ye shall see Me no more." His "reproving in regard to judgment" means in regard to all that is against truth, when yet evils were cast down into their hells so as no longer to be able to inflict injury-which is meant by the prince of the world being judged. In general, His "reproving in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment," means that it was in regard to all unfaithfulness against good and truth; and thus that there was no charity and faith; for in ancient times by righteousness and judgment were understood, as regards the Lord, all mercy and grace; and as regards man, all charity and faith. Emanuel Swedenborg [ AC 2235]
 

How the hells are ruled by the Lord shall be briefly explained. In general the hells are ruled by a general outflow from the heavens of Divine good and Divine truth whereby the general endeavor flowing forth from the hells is checked and restrained; also by a particular outflow from each heaven and from each society of heaven. The hells are ruled in particular by means of the angels, to whom it is granted to look into the hells and to restrain insanities and disturbances there; and sometimes angels are sent to them who moderate these insanities and disturbances by their presence. But in general all in the hells are ruled by means of their fears. Some are ruled by fears implanted in the world and still inherent in them; but as these fears are not sufficient, and gradually subside, they are ruled by fears of punishments; and it is especially by these that they are deterred from doing evil. The punishments in hell are manifold, lighter or more severe in accordance with the evils. For the most part the more wicked, who excel in cunning and in artifices, and who are able to hold the rest in subjection and servitude by means of punishments and consequent terror, are set over them; but these governors dare not pass beyond the limits prescribed to them. It must be understood that the sole means of restraining the violence and fury of those who are in the hells is the fear of punishment. There is no other way.

An opinion has prevailed with some that God turns away His face from man, casts man away from Himself, and casts him into hell, and is angry with him on account of his evil; and some believe also that God punishes man and does evil to him. In this opinion they establish themselves by the sense of the letter of the Word, where such things are declared, not knowing that the spiritual sense of the Word, by which the sense of the letter is made clear, is wholly different; and consequently that the genuine doctrine of the church, which is from the spiritual sense of the Word, teaches otherwise, namely, that God never turns away His face from man, and never casts man away from Himself, that He casts no one into hell and is angry with no one. Everyone, moreover, whose mind is enlightened perceives this to be true when he reads the Word, from the simple truth that God is good itself, love itself, and mercy itself; and that good itself cannot do evil to any one, and love itself and mercy itself can not cast man away from itself, because this is contrary to the very essence of mercy and love, thus contrary to the Divine Itself. Therefore those who think from an enlightened mind clearly perceive, when they read the Word, that God never turns Himself away from man; and as He never turns Himself away from him He deals with him from goodness, love, and mercy, that is, wills good to him, loves him, and is merciful to him. And from this they see that the sense of the letter of the Word, in which such things are declared, has stored up within itself a spiritual sense, and that these expressions that are used in the sense of the letter in accommodation to man's apprehension and according to his first and general ideas are to be explained in accordance with the spiritual sense.

When man enters the other life he is received first by angels, who perform for him all good offices, and talk with him about the Lord, heaven, and the angelic life, and instruct him in things that are true and good. But if the man, now a spirit, be one who knew about these things in the world, but in heart denied or despised them, after some conversation he desires and seeks to get away from these angels. As soon as the angels perceive this they leave him. After some interaction with others he at length unites himself with those who are in evil like his own. When this takes place he turns himself away from the Lord and turns his face towards the hell to which he had been joined in the world, in which those abide who are in a like love of evil. All this makes clear that the Lord draws every spirit to Himself by means of angels and by means of influx from heaven; but those spirits that are in evil completely resist, and as it were tear themselves away from the Lord, and are drawn by their own evil, thus by hell, as if by a rope. And as they are so drawn, and by reason of their love of evil are eager to follow, it is evident that they themselves cast themselves into hell by their own free choice. Men in the world because of their idea of hell are unable to believe that this is so. In fact, in the other life before the eyes of those who are outside of hell it does not so appear; but only so to those who cast themselves into hell, for such enter of their own accord. Those who enter from a burning love of evil appear to be cast headlong, with the head downwards and the feet upwards. It is because of this appearance that they seem to be cast into hell by Divine power. From all this it can be seen that the Lord casts no one into hell, but everyone casts himself into hell, both while he is living in the world and also after death when he comes among spirits. Emanuel Swedenborg [HH 543, 545, 548]

IMAGE CREDIT: Phi fractal interference of waves: Daniel Winter

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