Last Judgment in Retrospect

The Last Judgment, one of the lesser-known works of Swedish visionary Emanuel Swedenborg (1668-1772), presents a startling claim: "The Last Judgment began last year—1757—and was completed by the end of that year." This judgment, accordig to Swedenborg, occurred in the heavens rather than on earth and marked the beginning of a transformation in the spiritual realms that would, over time, affect all of humanity. Swedenborg's view of the Last Judgment stresses God's love and mercy and combats the fearful prophecies of fiery destruction and eternal damnation that have characterized this subject for so long.