12. III
THE LORD CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SUBJUGATE THE HELLS AND TO GLORIFY HIS HUMAN; AND THE PASSION OF THE CROSS WAS THE LAST COMBAT BY WHICH HE FULLY CONQUERED THE HELLS FULLY GLORIFIED HIS HUMAN
It is known in the Church that the conquered death, by which is meant hell, and that He afterwards ascended with glory into heaven. But it is not yet known that the Lord conquered death, or hell, by combats, which are temptations, and at the same time by these glorified His Human; and that the passion of the cross was the last combat or temptation by which He effected this conquest and glorification. These combats are much treated of in the Prophets and in the Psalms, but not so much in the Evangelists. In these the temptations which He endured from childhood are described in summary form by His temptations in the wilderness; and afterwards are described His temptations by the devil, and the final temptations by His sufferings in Gethsemane and on the cross. His temptations in the wilderness, and afterwards His temptations by the devil, are related in Matthew iv 1 to 11; in Mark i 12, 13; and in Luke iv 1 to 13. But by these are meant all His temptations even to the last. He did not reveal more concerning them to His disciples; for it is said in Isaiah:
He was oppressed . . . yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. Isa. liii 7.
His temptations in Gethsemane are related in Matthew xxvi 36 to 44; in Mark xiv 32 to 42; and in Luke xxii 39 to 46;
And those on the cross, in Matthew xxvii 33 to 56; in Mark xv 22 to 38; in Luke xxiii 33 to 49; and in John xix 17 to 37.
Temptations are nothing else than combats against the hells. Concerning the Lord's temptations or combats, see the little work on THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE, published in London Nos. 201 and 302; and concerning temptations in general, Nos. 187 to 200 of the same work.