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PRELATE BENGEL. 1137
NOTE 183.
PRELATE BENGEL.
John Albrecht Bengel was one of the most celebrated theolo
gians of his times and highly respected by Etinger, who addressed
many letters to him, and asked for his advice on many subjects.
Especially did Etinger think highly of Bengel’s literal explanation
of the Book of Revelation, which he placed above the spiritual
explanation of Swedenborg ; he insisted that Swedenborg should
interrogate the Apostle John in the other life, in order to learn
from him whether Swedenborg’s explanation of the Revelation "agreed
more with the words of the text, than that of Prelate Bengel" (see
Document 233, p. 258). In a later letter (Document 314, B), he
begged him to converse with Bengel’s spirit in the other life, to
which request Swedenborg, it seems, acceded, and brought him a
satisfactory account of his state (see Document 314, F, p. 1057).
Bengel was born in 1687, and after graduating in the University
of Tübingen, and undertaking a long scientific journey, was appointed
minister, and professor in the school at Denkendorf. There he con
tinued until 1741, when he was appointed dean at Herbrechtingen ;
in 1747 he became a councillor in the consistory and prelate of
Alpirsbach. He died in 1752. He is reputed as the first German
theologian who made a really critical examination of the texts of
the New Testament; his edition of the New Testament being pub
lished in Tübingen in 1734; although he became more generally
known by his explanation of the Book of Revelation (Erklärte
Offenbarung St. Johannis) which was published in 1740, and has
often since been reprinted. One of the results which he computed
from that book was, that the world would last exactly 7777 years,
and that the release of Satan and his being cast out would take place
in the summer of 1836. Still there is no doubt that otherwise he
was a most learned and pious man, and deserved the respect which
was accorded to him by his contemporaries.
NOTE 184.
IMMANUEL KANT.
The name of the Philosopher Kant is of interest to the biographer
of Swedenborg on account ofhis minute investigation into the "Extra
ordinary facts proving Swedenborg’s intercourse with the spiritual
world," which are discussed in Division E of Section X of the present
72
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