78. THE FOURTH MEMORABLE RELATIONS. After two days the angel again
addressed me, saying, "Let us complete the period of the ages; the last
still remains, which is named from IRON. The people of this age dwell in
the north on the side of the west, in the inner parts or breadth-ways:
they are all from the old inhabitants of Asia, who were in possession of
the ancient Word, and thence derived their worship; consequently they
were before the time of our Lord's coming into the world. This is
evident from the writings of the ancients, in which those times are so
named. These same periods are meant by the statue seen by
Nebuchadnezzar, whose head was of gold, the breast and arms of silver,
the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet of iron
and of clay, Dan. ii. 32, 33." These particulars the angel related to me
in the way, which was contracted and anticipated by changes of state
induced in our minds according to the genius or disposition of the
inhabitants whom we passed; for spaces and consequent distances in the
spiritual world are appearances according to the state of their minds.
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