The Word’s Literal Sense Is the
Foundation,
Containing Vessel and Buttress
of Its Spiritual and Celestial Meanings
SS 27-29
Every Divine work has in it
a first, intermediate, and final element,
and the first one progresses
through the intermediate one
to the final one,
and so takes form and endures.
Thus the final element is the foundation.
Moreover, the first element
is present in the intermediate one,
and present through the intermediate one
in the final one.
Thus the final element is the containing vessel.
And because the final element
is the containing vessel and foundation,
it is also the buttress.
An educated person sees that these three elements
can be termed end, cause and effect,
also being, becoming, and expression,
and that the end is the being,
the cause is the becoming,
and the effect is the expression.
He sees, too, that as a consequence,
every complete entity has in it a trine
comprising a first, intermediate, and final element,
or an end, cause and effect,
and also a being, a becoming, and an expression.
Seeing this, he also sees that every Divine work
is complete and perfect in its final expression,
and also that the whole of any trine
is found in the final expression,
because the prior elements are at the same time
present in it.
It is owing to this
that the number three in the Word means,
in the spiritual sense,
something complete and perfect,
and everything together.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
~ Shout and Be Glad ~
"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of
Zion.
For I am coming, and I will live among you,"
declares the Lord.
"Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day
and will become My people.
I will live among you and you will know
that the Lord Almighty has sent Me to you.
The Lord will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land
and will again choose Jerusalem.
Be still before the Lord, all mankind,
because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."
(Zechariah 2:10-13)
For I am coming, and I will live among you,"
declares the Lord.
"Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day
and will become My people.
I will live among you and you will know
that the Lord Almighty has sent Me to you.
The Lord will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land
and will again choose Jerusalem.
Be still before the Lord, all mankind,
because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."
(Zechariah 2:10-13)
Monday, April 29, 2019
SS 18, 20 , 26 - The Spiritual Meaning of the Word
SS 18
The spiritual meaning is what causes the Word
to be Divinely inspired and holy in every word.
People in the church say that the Word is holy,
and this because Jehovah God spoke it.
But because its holiness is not apparent
from the letter alone,
therefore someone who once doubts
its holiness on that account,
later finds, when he reads the Word,
many things in it to confirm himself in that doubt.
For he asks himself then, “Is this holy? Is this Divine?”
Therefore, to keep this kind of thinking
from flowing in and prevailing among many people,
and so causing the conjunction of the Lord
with the church where the Word is to perish,
it has pleased the Lord now to reveal the spiritual sense,
in order to make known in what
the holiness in the Word lies.
SS 20
Every single thing found in nature
corresponds to something spiritual.
. . . For people who lived [in very ancient times],
the study of correspondences was the supreme study,
and so universal
that all their manuscripts and books
were written in terms of correspondences.
SS 26 [1-2]
The Word’s spiritual meaning is granted after this
only to someone who possesses
genuine truths from the Lord.
The reason is this:
because no one can see the spiritual meaning
unless he is enabled to do so by the Lord alone,
and unless he possesses genuine truths from Him.
For the Word’s spiritual meaning
deals with the Lord alone and His kingdom,
and that sense is the one possessed
by His angels in heaven.
It is, indeed, His Divine truth there.
It is possible for a person to violate that truth
if he has a knowledge of correspondences
and tries to use it
to explore the Word’s spiritual meaning
in accord with his own intelligence.
Applying some of the correspondences he knows,
he may twist its meaning
and use it to confirm even falsity,
which would be to do injury to Divine truth,
and to heaven as well.
If someone tries to lay open that sense on his own,
therefore, and not from the Lord,
heaven is closed,
and when heaven is closed,
a person either sees nothing,
or he becomes spiritually irrational.
There is also another reason.
Because the Lord teaches everyone by means of the Word,
and teaches him in accordance with the truths
the person already possesses
and does not infuse new truths directly,
therefore if the person is without any Divine truths,
or if he possesses only a few truths
and is caught up at the same time in falsities,
it would be possible for him to use those falsities
to falsify the truths —
as is also commonly known to be the case
with every heretic as regards just the Word’s literal sense.
Consequently, to keep people
from entering into the Word’s spiritual meaning,
or from twisting
the genuine truth found in that sense,
the Lord has set protections,
meant in the Word by cherubim.
The spiritual meaning is what causes the Word
to be Divinely inspired and holy in every word.
People in the church say that the Word is holy,
and this because Jehovah God spoke it.
But because its holiness is not apparent
from the letter alone,
therefore someone who once doubts
its holiness on that account,
later finds, when he reads the Word,
many things in it to confirm himself in that doubt.
For he asks himself then, “Is this holy? Is this Divine?”
Therefore, to keep this kind of thinking
from flowing in and prevailing among many people,
and so causing the conjunction of the Lord
with the church where the Word is to perish,
it has pleased the Lord now to reveal the spiritual sense,
in order to make known in what
the holiness in the Word lies.
SS 20
Every single thing found in nature
corresponds to something spiritual.
. . . For people who lived [in very ancient times],
the study of correspondences was the supreme study,
and so universal
that all their manuscripts and books
were written in terms of correspondences.
SS 26 [1-2]
The Word’s spiritual meaning is granted after this
only to someone who possesses
genuine truths from the Lord.
The reason is this:
because no one can see the spiritual meaning
unless he is enabled to do so by the Lord alone,
and unless he possesses genuine truths from Him.
For the Word’s spiritual meaning
deals with the Lord alone and His kingdom,
and that sense is the one possessed
by His angels in heaven.
It is, indeed, His Divine truth there.
It is possible for a person to violate that truth
if he has a knowledge of correspondences
and tries to use it
to explore the Word’s spiritual meaning
in accord with his own intelligence.
Applying some of the correspondences he knows,
he may twist its meaning
and use it to confirm even falsity,
which would be to do injury to Divine truth,
and to heaven as well.
If someone tries to lay open that sense on his own,
therefore, and not from the Lord,
heaven is closed,
and when heaven is closed,
a person either sees nothing,
or he becomes spiritually irrational.
There is also another reason.
Because the Lord teaches everyone by means of the Word,
and teaches him in accordance with the truths
the person already possesses
and does not infuse new truths directly,
therefore if the person is without any Divine truths,
or if he possesses only a few truths
and is caught up at the same time in falsities,
it would be possible for him to use those falsities
to falsify the truths —
as is also commonly known to be the case
with every heretic as regards just the Word’s literal sense.
Consequently, to keep people
from entering into the Word’s spiritual meaning,
or from twisting
the genuine truth found in that sense,
the Lord has set protections,
meant in the Word by cherubim.
~ The Lord Your God Is With You ~
The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
(Zephaniah 3:17)
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
(Zephaniah 3:17)
Sunday, April 28, 2019
SS 5, 8 - The Word's Spiritual Meaning and Correspondences
SS 5
The spiritual meaning is not the sense
that shines from the literal one
when one is studying the Word
and interpreting it
in order to confirm some dogma of the church.
This sense is the Word’s literal sense.
Rather its spiritual meaning is one
not apparent in the literal one.
The spiritual meaning lies within the literal one,
like the soul within the body,
like thought within the eyes,
and affection within the face,
which operate in concert,
like cause and effect.
That spiritual meaning is what principally
causes the Word to be spiritual,
not only for people, but also for angels.
Consequently that meaning
is the means by which the Word
communicates with the heavens.
SS 8
Since the Word is inwardly spiritual and celestial,
it has therefore been written solely
in terms of correspondences,
and something written solely
in terms of correspondences
is written in its outmost sense
in the kind of style found
in the Prophets and Gospel writers.
Even though this style seems to be an ordinary one,
still it conceals in it Divine wisdom
and all the wisdom of angels.
The spiritual meaning is not the sense
that shines from the literal one
when one is studying the Word
and interpreting it
in order to confirm some dogma of the church.
This sense is the Word’s literal sense.
Rather its spiritual meaning is one
not apparent in the literal one.
The spiritual meaning lies within the literal one,
like the soul within the body,
like thought within the eyes,
and affection within the face,
which operate in concert,
like cause and effect.
That spiritual meaning is what principally
causes the Word to be spiritual,
not only for people, but also for angels.
Consequently that meaning
is the means by which the Word
communicates with the heavens.
SS 8
Since the Word is inwardly spiritual and celestial,
it has therefore been written solely
in terms of correspondences,
and something written solely
in terms of correspondences
is written in its outmost sense
in the kind of style found
in the Prophets and Gospel writers.
Even though this style seems to be an ordinary one,
still it conceals in it Divine wisdom
and all the wisdom of angels.
~ His Holy Temple ~
"Of what value is an idol,
since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it
trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
"But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before Him."
(Habakkuk 18, 20)
since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it
trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
"But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before Him."
(Habakkuk 18, 20)
Saturday, April 27, 2019
SS 3 - The Word
SS 3
The style in the Word is such
that there is something holy
in every sentence and in every word,
indeed in some places in the very letters.
Because of that
the Word conjoins a person with the Lord
and opens heaven.
The style in the Word is such
that there is something holy
in every sentence and in every word,
indeed in some places in the very letters.
Because of that
the Word conjoins a person with the Lord
and opens heaven.
There are two
emissions emanating from the Lord:
Divine love and Divine wisdom.
Or to say the same thing,
Divine goodness and Divine truth.
For Divine goodness is a property of His Divine love,
and Divine truth a property of His Divine wisdom.
In its essence the Word is both of these.
And because, as we said,
it conjoins a person with the Lord and opens heaven,
therefore the Word fills a person who reads it
prompted by the Lord, and not by himself simply.
It fills him with the goodness of love and truths of wisdom —
his will with the goodness of love,
and his intellect with truths of wisdom.
The person has life as a result through the Word.
______________________________________________
Divine love and Divine wisdom.
Or to say the same thing,
Divine goodness and Divine truth.
For Divine goodness is a property of His Divine love,
and Divine truth a property of His Divine wisdom.
In its essence the Word is both of these.
And because, as we said,
it conjoins a person with the Lord and opens heaven,
therefore the Word fills a person who reads it
prompted by the Lord, and not by himself simply.
It fills him with the goodness of love and truths of wisdom —
his will with the goodness of love,
and his intellect with truths of wisdom.
The person has life as a result through the Word.
______________________________________________
SS = The Doctrine of
the New Jerusalem
Regarding the Sacred Scripture
Regarding the Sacred Scripture
~ The Lord Will Have Compassion ~
Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
Because I have sinned against Him,
I will bear the Lord's wrath,
until He pleads my case and establishes my right.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see His righteousness.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of His inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
You will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as You pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.
(Micah 7:8--9, 18-20)
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
Because I have sinned against Him,
I will bear the Lord's wrath,
until He pleads my case and establishes my right.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see His righteousness.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of His inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
You will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as You pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.
(Micah 7:8--9, 18-20)
Friday, April 26, 2019
DLord 63 - The Church, a Bride and Wife
DLord 63
People know that a bride and a wife mean the church
when the Lord is meant by the bridegroom and husband.
The church is a bride when it wishes to receive the Lord,
but a wife when it does receive Him.
People know that a bride and a wife mean the church
when the Lord is meant by the bridegroom and husband.
The church is a bride when it wishes to receive the Lord,
but a wife when it does receive Him.
~ The Mountain of the Lord ~
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways,
so that we may walk in His paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nations will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.
All the nations may walk in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.
(Micah 4:1-5)
the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways,
so that we may walk in His paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nations will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.
All the nations may walk in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.
(Micah 4:1-5)
Thursday, April 25, 2019
DLord 59 - The Divine Humanity Called the Son of God
DLord 59
. . . the Lord assumed a humanity in the world
that was conceived of Jehovah,
who is the Lord from eternity,
and born of the virgin Mary.
He possessed, therefore, a Divinity and a humanity —
a Divinity from His Divinity from eternity,
and a humanity from Mary, His mother in time.
This latter humanity, however,
He put off, and put on a Divine humanity.
The humanity He put on
is what we call His Divine humanity,
and which in the Word is called the Son of God.
. . . the Lord assumed a humanity in the world
that was conceived of Jehovah,
who is the Lord from eternity,
and born of the virgin Mary.
He possessed, therefore, a Divinity and a humanity —
a Divinity from His Divinity from eternity,
and a humanity from Mary, His mother in time.
This latter humanity, however,
He put off, and put on a Divine humanity.
The humanity He put on
is what we call His Divine humanity,
and which in the Word is called the Son of God.
~ Jonah Prays to the Lord ~
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to
the Lord his God.
He said:
"In my distress I called to the Lord,
And He answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and You listened to my cry.
"When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered You, Lord
and my prayer rose to You and to Your holy temple.
"Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to You.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord."
And the Lord commanded the fish,
and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
(Jonah 2:1-2, 7-10)
He said:
"In my distress I called to the Lord,
And He answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and You listened to my cry.
"When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered You, Lord
and my prayer rose to You and to Your holy temple.
"Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to You.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord."
And the Lord commanded the fish,
and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
(Jonah 2:1-2, 7-10)
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
DLord 51, 54 - There Is One God and That God Is the Lord
DLord 51 [3, 5]
Because the Spirit of Truth or the Holy Spirit
is the same as the Lord,
who is the truth itself.
It also says “There was not the Holy Spirit yet
because Jesus was not yet glorified”.
(John 7:39)
This is because after His glorification
or full union with the Father,
which was accomplished by His suffering on the cross,
the Lord was then divine wisdom itself
and divine truth-therefore the Holy Spirit.
The reason the Lord breathed on the disciples and said
“Receive the Holy Spirit”
was that all of heaven’s breathing originates with the Lord.
Angels breathe just as we do, and their hearts beat.
Their breathing depends on
their acceptance of divine wisdom from the Lord
and their heartbeat or pulse
depends on their acceptance of divine love from the Lord.
When “the Holy Spirit” is used in speaking of the Lord
it means His divine life and therefore Himself,
and specifically it means the life His wisdom gives us,
which is called divine truth;
therefore the spirit of the prophets,
which is also called the Holy Spirit,
means divine truth that comes from the Lord.
Since, then, the Holy Spirit means specifically
the Lord’s divine wisdom and therefore His divine truth,
we can see why it is that people say of the Holy Spirit
that It enlightens, teaches, and inspires.
DLord 54
It is now apparent from this
that it was Jehovah, the Lord from eternity,
who spoke through the prophets,
and that wherever the Holy Spirit is mentioned,
it means the Lord Himself.
So we conclude that
there is one God in both person and essence
and that that God is the Lord.
Because the Spirit of Truth or the Holy Spirit
is the same as the Lord,
who is the truth itself.
It also says “There was not the Holy Spirit yet
because Jesus was not yet glorified”.
(John 7:39)
This is because after His glorification
or full union with the Father,
which was accomplished by His suffering on the cross,
the Lord was then divine wisdom itself
and divine truth-therefore the Holy Spirit.
The reason the Lord breathed on the disciples and said
“Receive the Holy Spirit”
was that all of heaven’s breathing originates with the Lord.
Angels breathe just as we do, and their hearts beat.
Their breathing depends on
their acceptance of divine wisdom from the Lord
and their heartbeat or pulse
depends on their acceptance of divine love from the Lord.
When “the Holy Spirit” is used in speaking of the Lord
it means His divine life and therefore Himself,
and specifically it means the life His wisdom gives us,
which is called divine truth;
therefore the spirit of the prophets,
which is also called the Holy Spirit,
means divine truth that comes from the Lord.
Since, then, the Holy Spirit means specifically
the Lord’s divine wisdom and therefore His divine truth,
we can see why it is that people say of the Holy Spirit
that It enlightens, teaches, and inspires.
DLord 54
It is now apparent from this
that it was Jehovah, the Lord from eternity,
who spoke through the prophets,
and that wherever the Holy Spirit is mentioned,
it means the Lord Himself.
So we conclude that
there is one God in both person and essence
and that that God is the Lord.
~ A Famine ~
"The days are coming," declares the
Sovereign Lord,
"when I will send a famine through the land --
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
Men will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it."
(Amos 8:11-12)
"when I will send a famine through the land --
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
Men will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it."
(Amos 8:11-12)
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
DLord 46 - The Holy Spirit
DLord 46 [4]
. . . the Holy Spirit is the Lord's presence in a person
by means of angels and spirits,
by which and in accordance with which
a person is enlightened and taught.
. . . the Holy Spirit is the Lord's presence in a person
by means of angels and spirits,
by which and in accordance with which
a person is enlightened and taught.
~ Seek Good, Not Evil ~
For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
You oppress the righteous and take bribes
and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say He is.
(Amos 5:12-14)
and how great your sins.
You oppress the righteous and take bribes
and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say He is.
(Amos 5:12-14)
Monday, April 22, 2019
DLord 45 - God Is One, and the Lord Is God
DLord 45
On the basis of
the quite ample number
of passages from the Word . . .,
we can determine that the Lord is called Jehovah,
the God of Israel and of Jacob, the Holy One of Israel,
Lord and God, as well as King,
[Jehovah’s] Anointed, and David,
all of which enables us to see
(though as yet through a kind of veil)
that the Lord is God Himself,
the source and subject of the Word.
All the same, it is generally acknowledged
everywhere in the whole world
that God is one,
and no one of sound reason denies this.
What now remains to be done, then,
is to support this from the Word
and further, to show that the Lord is God.
of passages from the Word . . .,
we can determine that the Lord is called Jehovah,
the God of Israel and of Jacob, the Holy One of Israel,
Lord and God, as well as King,
[Jehovah’s] Anointed, and David,
all of which enables us to see
(though as yet through a kind of veil)
that the Lord is God Himself,
the source and subject of the Word.
All the same, it is generally acknowledged
everywhere in the whole world
that God is one,
and no one of sound reason denies this.
What now remains to be done, then,
is to support this from the Word
and further, to show that the Lord is God.
The following passages from the Word show that God is one.
Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
therefore you are to love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.’”
(Mark 12:29-30)
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah;
you are to love Jehovah your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Someone came to Jesus and said,
“Good Teacher, what good thing should I do
in order to have eternal life?”
Jesus said to him,
“Why do you call Me good?
No one is good except the one God.”
(Matthew 19:16-17)
... so that all the kingdoms of the earth may acknowledge
that You alone are Jehovah.
(Isaiah 37:20)
I am Jehovah and there is no other.
There is no God other than me.
[I have prepared you] so that people will know
from the rising of the sun to its setting
that there is no God other than me.
I am Jehovah and there is no other.
(Isaiah 45:5-6)
Jehovah Sabaoth, God of Israel,
dwelling between the angel guardians,
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
(Isaiah 37:16)
Is there any God other than Me?
Or any other Rock?
I do not know of one.
(Isaiah 44:8)
Who is God, except Jehovah?
Who is the Rock, if it is not our God?
(Psalms 18:31)
Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
therefore you are to love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.’”
(Mark 12:29-30)
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah;
you are to love Jehovah your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Someone came to Jesus and said,
“Good Teacher, what good thing should I do
in order to have eternal life?”
Jesus said to him,
“Why do you call Me good?
No one is good except the one God.”
(Matthew 19:16-17)
... so that all the kingdoms of the earth may acknowledge
that You alone are Jehovah.
(Isaiah 37:20)
I am Jehovah and there is no other.
There is no God other than me.
[I have prepared you] so that people will know
from the rising of the sun to its setting
that there is no God other than me.
I am Jehovah and there is no other.
(Isaiah 45:5-6)
Jehovah Sabaoth, God of Israel,
dwelling between the angel guardians,
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
(Isaiah 37:16)
Is there any God other than Me?
Or any other Rock?
I do not know of one.
(Isaiah 44:8)
Who is God, except Jehovah?
Who is the Rock, if it is not our God?
(Psalms 18:31)
The following passages from the Word
show that the Lord is God.
God is only among you,
and there is no God except Him.
Surely You are a hidden God,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
Isaiah 45:14-15)
Am I not Jehovah?
And there is no God other than Me.
I am a just God,
and there is no Savior other than Me.
Look to Me so that you may be saved,
all you ends of the earth,
because I am God and there is no other.
(Isaiah 45:21-22)
I am Jehovah, and there is no Savior other than Me.
(Isaiah 43:11)
I am Jehovah your God.
You are to acknowledge no God other than Me;
there is no Savior other than Me.
(Hosea 13:4)
Thus says Jehovah the King of Israel,
and Israel’s Redeemer, Jehovah Sabaoth:
“I am the First and the Last,
and there is no God other than Me.”
(Isaiah 44:6)
Jehovah Sabaoth is His name,
and the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
He will be called the God of the whole earth.
(Isaiah 54:5)
On that day Jehovah will become king over all the earth.
On that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one.
(Zechariah 14:9)
Since the Lord alone is Savior and Redeemer,
and since it says that Jehovah and no one else is that one,
it follows that the one God is no other than the Lord.
show that the Lord is God.
God is only among you,
and there is no God except Him.
Surely You are a hidden God,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
Isaiah 45:14-15)
Am I not Jehovah?
And there is no God other than Me.
I am a just God,
and there is no Savior other than Me.
Look to Me so that you may be saved,
all you ends of the earth,
because I am God and there is no other.
(Isaiah 45:21-22)
I am Jehovah, and there is no Savior other than Me.
(Isaiah 43:11)
I am Jehovah your God.
You are to acknowledge no God other than Me;
there is no Savior other than Me.
(Hosea 13:4)
Thus says Jehovah the King of Israel,
and Israel’s Redeemer, Jehovah Sabaoth:
“I am the First and the Last,
and there is no God other than Me.”
(Isaiah 44:6)
Jehovah Sabaoth is His name,
and the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
He will be called the God of the whole earth.
(Isaiah 54:5)
On that day Jehovah will become king over all the earth.
On that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one.
(Zechariah 14:9)
Since the Lord alone is Savior and Redeemer,
and since it says that Jehovah and no one else is that one,
it follows that the one God is no other than the Lord.
~ The Lord Is the Head of His Army ~
The Lord thunders at the head of His
army;
His forces are beyond number,
and mighty are those who obey His command.
the day of the Lord is great . . ..
(Joel 2:11)
His forces are beyond number,
and mighty are those who obey His command.
the day of the Lord is great . . ..
(Joel 2:11)
Sunday, April 21, 2019
DLord 37 - The Lord is the Origin and Subject of the Word
DLord 37 [1-2]
I have been granted to go through
the Prophets and the Psalms of David
and to examine each verse
and see what the subject is there,
and I saw that the subjects were nothing else
than the church established by the Lord
and the church to be established,
the Lord’s advent, His battles,
His glorification, redemption and salvation,
and the heaven established by Him and to be established,
and at the same time their opposites.
Because these are all works of the Lord,
it was apparent that the Holy Scripture throughout
has the Lord as its subject,
and that the Lord therefore embodies the Word.
However, this can only be seen by people
who are enlightened by the Lord
and who are acquainted as well
with the spiritual sense of the Word.
Angels in heaven all possess this sense.
Consequently, when a person reads the Word,
that is the only meaning the angels comprehend.
For a person has spirits and angels with him continually,
and because they are spiritual,
they understand spiritually everything
that the person understands naturally.
I have been granted to go through
the Prophets and the Psalms of David
and to examine each verse
and see what the subject is there,
and I saw that the subjects were nothing else
than the church established by the Lord
and the church to be established,
the Lord’s advent, His battles,
His glorification, redemption and salvation,
and the heaven established by Him and to be established,
and at the same time their opposites.
Because these are all works of the Lord,
it was apparent that the Holy Scripture throughout
has the Lord as its subject,
and that the Lord therefore embodies the Word.
However, this can only be seen by people
who are enlightened by the Lord
and who are acquainted as well
with the spiritual sense of the Word.
Angels in heaven all possess this sense.
Consequently, when a person reads the Word,
that is the only meaning the angels comprehend.
For a person has spirits and angels with him continually,
and because they are spiritual,
they understand spiritually everything
that the person understands naturally.
~ The Righteous and the Rebellious ~
Who is wise?
He will realize these things.
Who is discerning?
He will understand them.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.
(Hosea 14:9)
He will realize these things.
Who is discerning?
He will understand them.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.
(Hosea 14:9)
** Where Is He? **
On the first day of the week,
very early in the morning,
the women took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this,
suddenly two men
in clothes that gleamed like lightning
stood beside them.
In their fright
the women bowed down with their faces to the ground,
but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here;
He has risen!
Remember how He told you in Galilee:
'The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men,
be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"
Then they remembered His words.
When they came back from the tomb,
they told all these things to the Eleven
and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James, and the others with them
who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women,
because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.
Bending over,
he saw the strips of linen laying by themselves,
and he went away,
wondering to himself what had happened.
(Luke 24:1-12)
very early in the morning,
the women took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this,
suddenly two men
in clothes that gleamed like lightning
stood beside them.
In their fright
the women bowed down with their faces to the ground,
but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here;
He has risen!
Remember how He told you in Galilee:
'The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men,
be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"
Then they remembered His words.
When they came back from the tomb,
they told all these things to the Eleven
and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James, and the others with them
who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women,
because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.
Bending over,
he saw the strips of linen laying by themselves,
and he went away,
wondering to himself what had happened.
(Luke 24:1-12)
Saturday, April 20, 2019
DLord 35 - Submission and Glorification
DLord 35 [3, 9]
In His state of submission
He prayed to the Father
as though praying to another than Himself,
while in His state of glorification
He spoke with the Father
as though speaking with Himself.
In the latter state
He said that the Father was in Him and He in the Father,
and that He and the Father were one.
On the other hand, in His state of submission
He underwent temptations or trials, suffered the cross,
and prayed to the Father not to forsake Him.
For the Divine cannot be tempted or tested,
and still less suffer the cross.
Since the Lord glorified His humanity,
that is, made it Divine,
therefore after death
He rose on the third day with His whole body.
This does not happen in the case of any other person;
for a person rises only in respect to his spirit,
and not in respect to his body.
In His state of submission
He prayed to the Father
as though praying to another than Himself,
while in His state of glorification
He spoke with the Father
as though speaking with Himself.
In the latter state
He said that the Father was in Him and He in the Father,
and that He and the Father were one.
On the other hand, in His state of submission
He underwent temptations or trials, suffered the cross,
and prayed to the Father not to forsake Him.
For the Divine cannot be tempted or tested,
and still less suffer the cross.
Since the Lord glorified His humanity,
that is, made it Divine,
therefore after death
He rose on the third day with His whole body.
This does not happen in the case of any other person;
for a person rises only in respect to his spirit,
and not in respect to his body.
~ He Will Bind Up Our Wounds ~
"Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but He will heal us;
He has injured us
but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
on the third day He will restore us,
that we may live in His presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises,
He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth."
(Hosea 6:1-3)
He has torn us to pieces
but He will heal us;
He has injured us
but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
on the third day He will restore us,
that we may live in His presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises,
He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth."
(Hosea 6:1-3)
** Joseph of Arimathea Asked for Jesus' Body **
It was Preparation Day
(that is, the day before the Sabbath).
So as evening approached,
Joseph of Arimathea,
a prominent member of the Council,
who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,
went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead.
Summoning the centurion,
he ask him if Jesus had already died.
When he learned from the centurion that it was so,
he gave the body to Joseph.
So Joseph bought some linen cloth,
took down the body,
wrapped it in the linen,
and placed it in the tomb cut out of rock.
Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses*
saw where He was laid.
(Mark 15:42-47)
* Some translations say Joseph, some use Joses.
(that is, the day before the Sabbath).
So as evening approached,
Joseph of Arimathea,
a prominent member of the Council,
who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,
went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead.
Summoning the centurion,
he ask him if Jesus had already died.
When he learned from the centurion that it was so,
he gave the body to Joseph.
So Joseph bought some linen cloth,
took down the body,
wrapped it in the linen,
and placed it in the tomb cut out of rock.
Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses*
saw where He was laid.
(Mark 15:42-47)
* Some translations say Joseph, some use Joses.
Friday, April 19, 2019
DLord 34 - By His Humanity, He Redeemed and Saved
DLord 34 [1-2, 3]
Now because the Lord by His suffering on the cross
completely glorified His humanity,
that is, united it to His Divinity
and so made His humanity Divine,
it follows that He is Jehovah and God in respect to both.
In many places in the Word, therefore,
He is called Jehovah, God, and the Holy One of Israel,
the Redeemer, Savior and Former . . .
Redemption and salvation, indeed,
are the unique attributes of His humanity
called merit and righteousness.
For it was His humanity
that underwent temptations or trials
and the suffering of the cross,
so that it is by His humanity
that He redeemed and saved.
Now because the Lord by His suffering on the cross
completely glorified His humanity,
that is, united it to His Divinity
and so made His humanity Divine,
it follows that He is Jehovah and God in respect to both.
In many places in the Word, therefore,
He is called Jehovah, God, and the Holy One of Israel,
the Redeemer, Savior and Former . . .
Redemption and salvation, indeed,
are the unique attributes of His humanity
called merit and righteousness.
For it was His humanity
that underwent temptations or trials
and the suffering of the cross,
so that it is by His humanity
that He redeemed and saved.
~ He Is Righteous ~
. . . for the Lord our God is
righteous
in everything He does;
yet we have not obeyed Him.
(Daniel 9:14)
in everything He does;
yet we have not obeyed Him.
(Daniel 9:14)
** Pilate Talks With Jesus and Gives In to the Jews **
Pilate then went back inside the palace,
summoned Jesus and asked Him,
"Are You the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked,
"or did others talk to you about Me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied.
"It was Your people and Your chief priests
who handed You over to me.
What is it You have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world.
If it were, My servants would fight
to prevent My arrest by the Jews.
But now My kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a King.
In fact, for this reason I was born,
and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
With this he went out again to the Jews and said,
"I find no basis for a charge against Him.
But it is your custom for me to release to you
one prisoner at the time of the Passover.
Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
They shouted back, "No, not Him! Give us Barabbas!"
Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns
and put it on His head.
They clothed Him in a purple robe
and went up to Him again and again, saying,
"Hail, king of the Jews!"
And they struck Him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews,
"Look, I am bringing Him out to you
to let you know
that I find no basis for a charge against Him"
When Jesus came out
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,
Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him,
they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take Him and crucify Him.
As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him"
The Jews insisted, "We have a law,
and according to that law He must die,
because He claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,
and he went back inside the palace.
"Where do You come from?" he asked Jesus,
but Jesus gave him no answer.
"Do You refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said.
"Don't you realize I have power
either to free You or to crucify You?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over Me
if it were not given to you from above.
Therefore the one who handed Me over to you
is guilty of a greater sin."
From then, Pilate tried to set Jesus free,
but the Jews kept shouting,
"If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.
Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this,
he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat
at a place known as the Stone Pavement
(which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week,
about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take Him away! Take Him away!
Crucify Him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar,"
the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified.
(John 18:33-40; 19:1-16)
summoned Jesus and asked Him,
"Are You the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked,
"or did others talk to you about Me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied.
"It was Your people and Your chief priests
who handed You over to me.
What is it You have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world.
If it were, My servants would fight
to prevent My arrest by the Jews.
But now My kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a King.
In fact, for this reason I was born,
and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
With this he went out again to the Jews and said,
"I find no basis for a charge against Him.
But it is your custom for me to release to you
one prisoner at the time of the Passover.
Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
They shouted back, "No, not Him! Give us Barabbas!"
Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns
and put it on His head.
They clothed Him in a purple robe
and went up to Him again and again, saying,
"Hail, king of the Jews!"
And they struck Him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews,
"Look, I am bringing Him out to you
to let you know
that I find no basis for a charge against Him"
When Jesus came out
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,
Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him,
they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take Him and crucify Him.
As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him"
The Jews insisted, "We have a law,
and according to that law He must die,
because He claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,
and he went back inside the palace.
"Where do You come from?" he asked Jesus,
but Jesus gave him no answer.
"Do You refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said.
"Don't you realize I have power
either to free You or to crucify You?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over Me
if it were not given to you from above.
Therefore the one who handed Me over to you
is guilty of a greater sin."
From then, Pilate tried to set Jesus free,
but the Jews kept shouting,
"If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.
Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this,
he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat
at a place known as the Stone Pavement
(which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week,
about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take Him away! Take Him away!
Crucify Him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar,"
the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified.
(John 18:33-40; 19:1-16)
Thursday, April 18, 2019
** The Lord's Supper **
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
"Where do you want us to make preparations
for You to eat the Passover?"
He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near.
I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples
at your house.'"
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them
and prepared the Passover.
When evening came,
Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, He said,
"I tell you the truth,
one of you will betray Me."
They were very sad
and began to say to Him one after the other,
"Surely not I, Lord?"
Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with Me
will betray Me.
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him.
But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!
It would be better for him if he had not been born."
Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said,
"Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
While they were eating,
Jesus took bread,
gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to His disciples, saying,
"Take and eat; this is My body."
Then He took the cup,
gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink it, all of you.
This is My blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you,
I will not drink of this fruit of the vine
from now on until that day
when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom."
When they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
(Mathew 26:17-30)
the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
"Where do you want us to make preparations
for You to eat the Passover?"
He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near.
I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples
at your house.'"
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them
and prepared the Passover.
When evening came,
Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, He said,
"I tell you the truth,
one of you will betray Me."
They were very sad
and began to say to Him one after the other,
"Surely not I, Lord?"
Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with Me
will betray Me.
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him.
But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!
It would be better for him if he had not been born."
Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said,
"Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
While they were eating,
Jesus took bread,
gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to His disciples, saying,
"Take and eat; this is My body."
Then He took the cup,
gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink it, all of you.
This is My blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you,
I will not drink of this fruit of the vine
from now on until that day
when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom."
When they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
(Mathew 26:17-30)
DLord 29 - The Union of His Divine Humanity and the Father
DLord 29 [2, 3]
Now because His soul was the Divinity itself of the Father,
it follows that His body or humanity became also Divine;
for when one element is Divine,
the other must be also.
But how the union was formed --
this we will tell point by point as follows:
1. The Lord from eternity is Jehovah.
2. The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah,
assumed a humanity in order to save mankind.
3. He made His humanity Divine from the Divinity in Him.
4. He made His humanity Divine
through temptations or trials that He underwent.
5. The complete union of the Divine and the human in Him
was achieved by His suffering of the cross,
which was the last of those temptations or trials.
6. He gradually put off
the humanity received from the mother
and put on a humanity from the Divinity in Him,
which is the Divine humanity and the Son of God.
7. Thus God became human in final elements
as well as in first ones.
Now because His soul was the Divinity itself of the Father,
it follows that His body or humanity became also Divine;
for when one element is Divine,
the other must be also.
But how the union was formed --
this we will tell point by point as follows:
1. The Lord from eternity is Jehovah.
2. The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah,
assumed a humanity in order to save mankind.
3. He made His humanity Divine from the Divinity in Him.
4. He made His humanity Divine
through temptations or trials that He underwent.
5. The complete union of the Divine and the human in Him
was achieved by His suffering of the cross,
which was the last of those temptations or trials.
6. He gradually put off
the humanity received from the mother
and put on a humanity from the Divinity in Him,
which is the Divine humanity and the Son of God.
7. Thus God became human in final elements
as well as in first ones.
~ Another of Daniel's Visions ~
"As I looked, thrones were set in
place,
and the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of His head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before Him.
Thousands upon thousands attended Him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened."
"In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a son of man,
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was led into His presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power;
all peoples, nations and men of every language
worshiped Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
(Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)
and the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of His head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before Him.
Thousands upon thousands attended Him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened."
"In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a son of man,
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was led into His presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power;
all peoples, nations and men of every language
worshiped Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
(Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)
** The Two Great Commandments **
One of the teachers of the law came
and heard them debating.
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer,
he asked Him,'"Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind
and with all your strength.'
The second is this:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these."
(Mark 12:28-31)
and heard them debating.
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer,
he asked Him,'"Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind
and with all your strength.'
The second is this:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these."
(Mark 12:28-31)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
DLord 27 - Redemption, Salvation, Reformation and Regeneration
DLord 27
The Lord is called the Son of man when the subject is
redemption, salvation, reformation and regeneration.
This is clear from the following:
. . . the Son of man (came)
to give His life a redemption for many.
(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45)
. . . the Son of man has come to save . . .,
(and) not . . . to destroy . . ..
(Matthew 18:11, Luke 9:56)
. . . the Son of man has come to seek
and to save that which was lost.
(Luke 19:10)
(The Son of man came)
that the world through Him might be saved.
(John 3:17)
He who sows the good seed is the Son of man.
(Matthew 13:37)
The subject there is redemption and salvation,
because these are accomplished
by the Lord through the Word,
and the Lord therefore calls Himself the Son of man.
The Lord is called the Son of man when the subject is
redemption, salvation, reformation and regeneration.
This is clear from the following:
. . . the Son of man (came)
to give His life a redemption for many.
(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45)
. . . the Son of man has come to save . . .,
(and) not . . . to destroy . . ..
(Matthew 18:11, Luke 9:56)
. . . the Son of man has come to seek
and to save that which was lost.
(Luke 19:10)
(The Son of man came)
that the world through Him might be saved.
(John 3:17)
He who sows the good seed is the Son of man.
(Matthew 13:37)
The subject there is redemption and salvation,
because these are accomplished
by the Lord through the Word,
and the Lord therefore calls Himself the Son of man.
~ After Daniel Survives in the Den of Lions ~
Then King Darius wrote to all the
peoples, nations
and men of every language throughout the land:
"May you prosper greatly!
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom
people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For He is the living God and He endures forever;
His kingdom will not be destroyed,
His dominion will never end.
He rescues and He saves;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius
and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
(Daniel 6:25-28)
and men of every language throughout the land:
"May you prosper greatly!
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom
people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For He is the living God and He endures forever;
His kingdom will not be destroyed,
His dominion will never end.
He rescues and He saves;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius
and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
(Daniel 6:25-28)
** Thomas and Philip Question Jesus **
Thomas said to Him,
"Lord, we don't know where You are going,
so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered,
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
If you really knew Me,
you would know My Father as well.
From now on,
you do know Him and have seen Him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father
and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered:
"Don't you know Me, Philip,
even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen Me
has seen the Father.
How can you say,
'Show us the Father'?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father,
and that the Father is in Me?
The words I say to you are not just My own.
Rather, it is the Father,
living in Me,
who is doing His work.
Believe Me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me;
or at least believe on the evidence
of the miracles themselves.
I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in Me
will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things that these,
because I am going to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in My name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in My name,
and I will do it.
(John14:5-14)
"Lord, we don't know where You are going,
so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered,
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
If you really knew Me,
you would know My Father as well.
From now on,
you do know Him and have seen Him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father
and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered:
"Don't you know Me, Philip,
even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen Me
has seen the Father.
How can you say,
'Show us the Father'?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father,
and that the Father is in Me?
The words I say to you are not just My own.
Rather, it is the Father,
living in Me,
who is doing His work.
Believe Me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me;
or at least believe on the evidence
of the miracles themselves.
I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in Me
will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things that these,
because I am going to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in My name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in My name,
and I will do it.
(John14:5-14)
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
DLord 20, 21 - A Divine Human Nature
DLord 20
Since “the Son of God” means the Lord
in the human nature that He assumed in the world,
which is a Divine human nature,
we can see what was meant by
the Lord’s frequently saying
that He was sent into the world by the Father
and that He had gone forth from the Father.
His being sent into the world by the Father
means that He was conceived by Jehovah the Father.
This and nothing else is the meaning of
“being sent” and “sent by the Father, ”
as we can tell from all the places where it also says
that He was doing the will of the Father
and doing His works,
which were overcoming the hells,
glorifying His human nature,
teaching the Word,
and establishing a new church.
The only way these things could have been done
was by means of a human nature
conceived by Jehovah and born of a virgin --
that is, by God becoming human.
DLord 21
Many people these days think of the Lord
only as an ordinary person like themselves
because they think only of His human nature
and not at the same time of His divine nature,
when in fact His human and divine natures
cannot be separated.
“The Lord is both God and a human being;
and God and a human being in the Lord
are not two but one person.
He is one altogether,
as the soul and the body are one human being” --
this is according to
what is taught throughout the Christian world,
a teaching that has been ratified by councils
and is called the Athanasian statement of faith.
Since “the Son of God” means the Lord
in the human nature that He assumed in the world,
which is a Divine human nature,
we can see what was meant by
the Lord’s frequently saying
that He was sent into the world by the Father
and that He had gone forth from the Father.
His being sent into the world by the Father
means that He was conceived by Jehovah the Father.
This and nothing else is the meaning of
“being sent” and “sent by the Father, ”
as we can tell from all the places where it also says
that He was doing the will of the Father
and doing His works,
which were overcoming the hells,
glorifying His human nature,
teaching the Word,
and establishing a new church.
The only way these things could have been done
was by means of a human nature
conceived by Jehovah and born of a virgin --
that is, by God becoming human.
DLord 21
Many people these days think of the Lord
only as an ordinary person like themselves
because they think only of His human nature
and not at the same time of His divine nature,
when in fact His human and divine natures
cannot be separated.
“The Lord is both God and a human being;
and God and a human being in the Lord
are not two but one person.
He is one altogether,
as the soul and the body are one human being” --
this is according to
what is taught throughout the Christian world,
a teaching that has been ratified by councils
and is called the Athanasian statement of faith.
~ Daniel Praises the Lord ~
Then Daniel praised the God of heaven
and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are His.
He changes times and seasons;
He sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with Him.
I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
You have made known to me what we asked of you,
You have made known to us the dream of the king."
(Daniel 2:19.5-23)
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are His.
He changes times and seasons;
He sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with Him.
I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
You have made known to me what we asked of you,
You have made known to us the dream of the king."
(Daniel 2:19.5-23)
** The Chief Priests Question Jesus **
They arrived again in Jerusalem,
and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts,
the chief priests, the teachers of the law
and the elders came to him.
"By what authority are You doing these things?"
they asked.
"And who gave You authority to do this?"
Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question.
Answer Me,
and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
John's baptism -- was it from heaven, or from men?
Tell Me!"
They discussed it among themselves and said,
"If we say,'From heaven,' He will ask,
'Then why didn't you believe Him?'
But if we say, 'From men' . . . ."
(They feared the people,
for everyone held that John really was a prophet."
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you
by what authority I am doing these things."
(Mark 11:27-33)
and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts,
the chief priests, the teachers of the law
and the elders came to him.
"By what authority are You doing these things?"
they asked.
"And who gave You authority to do this?"
Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question.
Answer Me,
and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
John's baptism -- was it from heaven, or from men?
Tell Me!"
They discussed it among themselves and said,
"If we say,'From heaven,' He will ask,
'Then why didn't you believe Him?'
But if we say, 'From men' . . . ."
(They feared the people,
for everyone held that John really was a prophet."
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you
by what authority I am doing these things."
(Mark 11:27-33)
Monday, April 15, 2019
DLord 18 - Salvation by the Lord
DLord 18 [2]
Salvation by the Lord . . .
can be ascribed to a person after he repents,
that is, after he has seen and acknowledged his sins
and then desisted from them,
doing so in obedience to the Lord.
Salvation is then ascribed to him
in the measure that he is saved,
not by his own merit,
or in consequence of his own righteousness,
but owing to the Lord
who alone fought and overcame the hells
and who alone also afterward fights for a person
and overcomes the hells for him.
Salvation by the Lord . . .
can be ascribed to a person after he repents,
that is, after he has seen and acknowledged his sins
and then desisted from them,
doing so in obedience to the Lord.
Salvation is then ascribed to him
in the measure that he is saved,
not by his own merit,
or in consequence of his own righteousness,
but owing to the Lord
who alone fought and overcame the hells
and who alone also afterward fights for a person
and overcomes the hells for him.
~ The River From the Temple ~
The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water coming out
from under the threshold of the temple toward the east
(for the temple faced east).
The water was coming down
from under the south side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He then brought me out through the north gate
and led me around the outside
to the outer gate facing east,
and the water was flowing from the south side.
As the man went eastward
with a measuring line in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand cubits
and led me through water that was knee-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and led me through water that was up to the waist.
He measured off another thousand,
but now it was a river that I could not cross,
because the water had risen
and was deep enough to swim in --
a river that no one could cross.
He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"
Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
When I arrived there,
I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.
He said to me,
"This water flows toward the eastern region
and goes down into the Arabah,
where it enters the Sea.
When it empties into the Sea,
the water there becomes fresh.
Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.
There will be large numbers of fish,
because this water flows there
and makes the salt water fresh;
so where the river flows everything will live.
Fishermen will stand along the shore;
from En Gedi to En Eglaim
there will be places for spreading net.
The fish will be of many kinds --
like the fish of the Great Sea.
But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh;
they will be left for salt.
Fruit trees of the kinds will grow on both banks of the river.
their leaves will not wither,
nor will their fruit fail.
Every month they will bear,
because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.
Their fruit will serve for food
and their leaves for healing."
(Ezekiel 47:1-12)
and I saw water coming out
from under the threshold of the temple toward the east
(for the temple faced east).
The water was coming down
from under the south side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He then brought me out through the north gate
and led me around the outside
to the outer gate facing east,
and the water was flowing from the south side.
As the man went eastward
with a measuring line in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand cubits
and led me through water that was knee-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and led me through water that was up to the waist.
He measured off another thousand,
but now it was a river that I could not cross,
because the water had risen
and was deep enough to swim in --
a river that no one could cross.
He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"
Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
When I arrived there,
I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.
He said to me,
"This water flows toward the eastern region
and goes down into the Arabah,
where it enters the Sea.
When it empties into the Sea,
the water there becomes fresh.
Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.
There will be large numbers of fish,
because this water flows there
and makes the salt water fresh;
so where the river flows everything will live.
Fishermen will stand along the shore;
from En Gedi to En Eglaim
there will be places for spreading net.
The fish will be of many kinds --
like the fish of the Great Sea.
But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh;
they will be left for salt.
Fruit trees of the kinds will grow on both banks of the river.
their leaves will not wither,
nor will their fruit fail.
Every month they will bear,
because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.
Their fruit will serve for food
and their leaves for healing."
(Ezekiel 47:1-12)
** Jesus Visits the Temple **
Then He entered the temple area
and began driving out those who were selling.
"It is written," He said to them,
"'My house will be a house of prayer';
but you have made it a den of robbers.'"
Every day He was teaching at the temple.
But the chief priests, the teachers of the law
and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.
Yet they could not find any way to do it,
because the people hung on His words.
(Luke 19:45-48)
and began driving out those who were selling.
"It is written," He said to them,
"'My house will be a house of prayer';
but you have made it a den of robbers.'"
Every day He was teaching at the temple.
But the chief priests, the teachers of the law
and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.
Yet they could not find any way to do it,
because the people hung on His words.
(Luke 19:45-48)
Sunday, April 14, 2019
DLord 15, 16, 17 - Bearing Iniquities and Taking Away Sins
DLord 15
To bear iniquities means nothing else
than to endure severe temptations or trials,
and to allow the Jews to treat Him as they treated the Word.
DLord 16
. . . the Son of man symbolized the truth of the church,
thus the Word.
. . . to bear iniquities means
to represent and portray in person
sins against the Word's Divine truths.
. . . the Lord endured and suffered these things
as the Son of man,
and not as the Son of God;
for the Son of man symbolized the Lord
in relation to the Word.
DLord 17
Taking away sins has the same meaning
as the redeeming and saving of mankind.
For the Lord came into the world to save mankind.
Without His advent
no mortal could have been reformed and regenerated,
thus saved.
To bear iniquities means nothing else
than to endure severe temptations or trials,
and to allow the Jews to treat Him as they treated the Word.
DLord 16
. . . the Son of man symbolized the truth of the church,
thus the Word.
. . . to bear iniquities means
to represent and portray in person
sins against the Word's Divine truths.
. . . the Lord endured and suffered these things
as the Son of man,
and not as the Son of God;
for the Son of man symbolized the Lord
in relation to the Word.
DLord 17
Taking away sins has the same meaning
as the redeeming and saving of mankind.
For the Lord came into the world to save mankind.
Without His advent
no mortal could have been reformed and regenerated,
thus saved.
~ The Gates of the Temple ~
Then the man brought me back
to the outer gate of the sanctuary,
the one facing east,
and it was shut.
The Lord said to me,
"This gate is to remain shut.
It must not be opened;
no one may enter through it.
It is to remain shut
because the Lord, the God of Israel,
has entered through it.
The prince himself is the only one
who may sit inside the gateway
to eat in the presence of the Lord.
He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway
and go out the same way."
Then the man brought me by way of the north gate
to the front of the temple.
I looked and saw the glory of the Lord
filling the temple of the Lord,
and I fell facedown.
The Lord said to me,
"Son of man, look carefully
listen closely and give attention to everything
I tell you concerning all the regulations
regarding the temple of the Lord.
Give attention to the entrance of the temple
and all the exits of the sanctuary.
(Ezekiel 44:1-5)
to the outer gate of the sanctuary,
the one facing east,
and it was shut.
The Lord said to me,
"This gate is to remain shut.
It must not be opened;
no one may enter through it.
It is to remain shut
because the Lord, the God of Israel,
has entered through it.
The prince himself is the only one
who may sit inside the gateway
to eat in the presence of the Lord.
He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway
and go out the same way."
Then the man brought me by way of the north gate
to the front of the temple.
I looked and saw the glory of the Lord
filling the temple of the Lord,
and I fell facedown.
The Lord said to me,
"Son of man, look carefully
listen closely and give attention to everything
I tell you concerning all the regulations
regarding the temple of the Lord.
Give attention to the entrance of the temple
and all the exits of the sanctuary.
(Ezekiel 44:1-5)
** The Triumphal Entry **
As they approached Jerusalem
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples,
saying to them,
"Go to the village ahead of you,
and at once you will find a donkey tied there,
with her colt by her.
Untie them and bring them to Me.
If anyone says anything to you,
tell him that the Lord needs them,
and he will send them right away."
This took place to fulfill
what was spoken through the prophet:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
The disciples went and did
as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt,
placed their cloaks on them,
and Jesus sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him
and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the whole city was stirred and asked,
"Who is this?"
The crowds answered,
"This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
(Matthew 21:1-11)
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples,
saying to them,
"Go to the village ahead of you,
and at once you will find a donkey tied there,
with her colt by her.
Untie them and bring them to Me.
If anyone says anything to you,
tell him that the Lord needs them,
and he will send them right away."
This took place to fulfill
what was spoken through the prophet:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
The disciples went and did
as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt,
placed their cloaks on them,
and Jesus sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him
and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the whole city was stirred and asked,
"Who is this?"
The crowds answered,
"This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
(Matthew 21:1-11)
Saturday, April 13, 2019
DLord 12 - The Lord Conquered Hell
DLord 12
People in the church know that the Lord conquered death,
which means hell,
and that He afterward ascended with glory into heaven.
But they still do not know
that the Lord overcame death or hell by means of battles,
which are temptations or trials;
that by these means He at the same time
glorified His humanity;
and that the suffering of the cross
was the final battle or trial
by which He overcame hell or death
and glorified His humanity.
Much is said about these trials in the Prophets and Psalms,
but not so much in the Gospels.
In the latter, the temptations or trials
He endured in childhood
are summarized and described by
His trials in the wilderness
and subsequent temptations by the devil,
and the last ones by those He suffered
in Gethsemane and on the cross.
People in the church know that the Lord conquered death,
which means hell,
and that He afterward ascended with glory into heaven.
But they still do not know
that the Lord overcame death or hell by means of battles,
which are temptations or trials;
that by these means He at the same time
glorified His humanity;
and that the suffering of the cross
was the final battle or trial
by which He overcame hell or death
and glorified His humanity.
Much is said about these trials in the Prophets and Psalms,
but not so much in the Gospels.
In the latter, the temptations or trials
He endured in childhood
are summarized and described by
His trials in the wilderness
and subsequent temptations by the devil,
and the last ones by those He suffered
in Gethsemane and on the cross.
~The Glory of God ~
Then the man brought me to the gate
facing east,
and I saw the glory of the God of Israel
coming from the east.
His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,
and the land was radiant with His glory.
(Ezekiel 43:1-2)
and I saw the glory of the God of Israel
coming from the east.
His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,
and the land was radiant with His glory.
(Ezekiel 43:1-2)
Friday, April 12, 2019
DLord 8 - The Lord Fulfilled Everything in the Word
DLord 8
Many people today believe that,
when it is said of the Lord that He fulfilled the Law,
it means that He fulfilled
all the commandments of the Decalogue,
and that in so doing
He became righteousness
and at the same time justified people in the world
by that belief.
Nevertheless, that is not the meaning.
Rather the meaning is that He fulfilled everything
written about Him in the Law and the Prophets,
that is, throughout Holy Scripture,
because it has Him alone as its subject,
as we said in the previous section.
The reason many people have believed otherwise
is that they have not searched the scriptures
and seen what is meant by the Law there.
In a strict sense the Law there means
the ten commandments of the Decalogue.
In a broader sense it means
everything written by Moses in his five books.
And in the broadest sense it means
the whole of the Word.
Many people today believe that,
when it is said of the Lord that He fulfilled the Law,
it means that He fulfilled
all the commandments of the Decalogue,
and that in so doing
He became righteousness
and at the same time justified people in the world
by that belief.
Nevertheless, that is not the meaning.
Rather the meaning is that He fulfilled everything
written about Him in the Law and the Prophets,
that is, throughout Holy Scripture,
because it has Him alone as its subject,
as we said in the previous section.
The reason many people have believed otherwise
is that they have not searched the scriptures
and seen what is meant by the Law there.
In a strict sense the Law there means
the ten commandments of the Decalogue.
In a broader sense it means
everything written by Moses in his five books.
And in the broadest sense it means
the whole of the Word.
~ 'The Most Holy Place' ~
He brought me to the portico of the
temple
and measured the jambs of the portico;
they were five cubits wide on either side.
the width of the entrance was fourteen cubits
and its projecting walls
were three cubits wide on either side.
The portico was twenty cubits wide,
and twelve cubits from front to back.
It was reached by a flight of stairs,
and there were pillars on each side of the jambs.
Then the man brought me to the outer sanctuary
and measured the jambs;
the width of the jambs was six cubits on each side.
The entrance was ten cubits wide,
and the projecting walls on each side of it
were five cubits wide.
He also measured the outer sanctuary;
it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.
Then he went into the inner sanctuary
and measured the jambs of the entrance;
each was two cubits wide.
The entrance was six cubits wide,
and the projecting walls on each side of it
were seven cubits wide.
And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary;
it was twenty cubits,
and its width was twenty cubits across the end
of the outer sanctuary.
He said to me,
"This is the Most Holy Place."
(Ezekiel 40:48-49; 41:1-4)
and measured the jambs of the portico;
they were five cubits wide on either side.
the width of the entrance was fourteen cubits
and its projecting walls
were three cubits wide on either side.
The portico was twenty cubits wide,
and twelve cubits from front to back.
It was reached by a flight of stairs,
and there were pillars on each side of the jambs.
Then the man brought me to the outer sanctuary
and measured the jambs;
the width of the jambs was six cubits on each side.
The entrance was ten cubits wide,
and the projecting walls on each side of it
were five cubits wide.
He also measured the outer sanctuary;
it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.
Then he went into the inner sanctuary
and measured the jambs of the entrance;
each was two cubits wide.
The entrance was six cubits wide,
and the projecting walls on each side of it
were seven cubits wide.
And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary;
it was twenty cubits,
and its width was twenty cubits across the end
of the outer sanctuary.
He said to me,
"This is the Most Holy Place."
(Ezekiel 40:48-49; 41:1-4)
Thursday, April 11, 2019
DLord 4 - "In that Day"
DLord 4
. . . in the Word where we find references to
"that day," "in that day," or "at that time,"
where "day" and "time" mean the Lord's advent.
(Many examples are shown.)
https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/doctrine-of-the-lord-rogers/contents/40
. . . in the Word where we find references to
"that day," "in that day," or "at that time,"
where "day" and "time" mean the Lord's advent.
(Many examples are shown.)
https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/doctrine-of-the-lord-rogers/contents/40
~ There Will Be a New Temple ~
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile,
at the beginning of the year,
on the tenth of the month,
in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city -
on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me
and He took me there.
In visions of God
He took me to the land of Israel
and set me on a very high mountain,
on whose south side were some buildings
that looked like a city.
He took me there,
and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;
he was standing in the gateway
with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.
The man said to me,
"Son of man, look with your eyes
and hear with your ears
and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,
for that is why you have been brought here.
Tell the house of Israel everything you see."
(Ezekiel 40:1-4)
at the beginning of the year,
on the tenth of the month,
in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city -
on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me
and He took me there.
In visions of God
He took me to the land of Israel
and set me on a very high mountain,
on whose south side were some buildings
that looked like a city.
He took me there,
and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;
he was standing in the gateway
with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.
The man said to me,
"Son of man, look with your eyes
and hear with your ears
and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,
for that is why you have been brought here.
Tell the house of Israel everything you see."
(Ezekiel 40:1-4)
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
DLord 2-3 - The Lord in the Word
DLord (Doctrine of the Lord) 2-3
Since each and every thing in the Word
has to do with the Lord,
and the Word is the Lord
because it embodies Divine truth,
it is clear why we are told,
"And the Word. . . became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory."
Also why we are told,
"While you have the light,
believe in the light,
that you may be children of light . . ..
I have come as a light into the world;
whoever believes in Me
does not abide in darkness."
The light is Divine truth, thus the Word.
As a result, everyone, even at this day,
who turns to the Lord alone when he reads the Word,
and prays to Him,
is enlightened as regards it.
We must briefly say here, too,
that themes concerning the Lord
are found in general and in particular throughout
the Prophets of the Old testament, from Isaiah to Malachi:
1. The Lord came into the world in the fullness of time,
which is to say,
when the Jews no longer knew Him,
and when for that reason nothing of the church remained.
And if the Lord had not then
come into the world and revealed Himself,
mankind would have perished in eternal death.
He Himself says in John,
"If you do not belief that I am [who I am],
you will die in your sins."
(John 8:24)
2. The Lord came into the world
to execute a last judgment,
and by doing so
conquer the hells that were reigning at the time.
This He did by combats,
that is, by temptations or trials,
which He permitted His human
from His mother to undergo,
and by continual victories in them then.
If the hells had not be conquered,
no one could have been saved.
3. The Lord came into the world to glorify His human,
that is, to unite it to the Divinity
that He had in Him from conception.
4. The Lord came into the world
to establish a new church
which would acknowledge Him
as its Redeemer and Savior,
so as to be redeemed and saved
through love for and faith in Him.
5. At the same time He did so
in order to set heaven in order,
in order for it to be in harmony with the church.
6. His suffering of the cross was the last combat,
or temptation or trial,
by which He thoroughly conquered the hells
and fully glorified His human.
Since each and every thing in the Word
has to do with the Lord,
and the Word is the Lord
because it embodies Divine truth,
it is clear why we are told,
"And the Word. . . became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory."
Also why we are told,
"While you have the light,
believe in the light,
that you may be children of light . . ..
I have come as a light into the world;
whoever believes in Me
does not abide in darkness."
The light is Divine truth, thus the Word.
As a result, everyone, even at this day,
who turns to the Lord alone when he reads the Word,
and prays to Him,
is enlightened as regards it.
We must briefly say here, too,
that themes concerning the Lord
are found in general and in particular throughout
the Prophets of the Old testament, from Isaiah to Malachi:
1. The Lord came into the world in the fullness of time,
which is to say,
when the Jews no longer knew Him,
and when for that reason nothing of the church remained.
And if the Lord had not then
come into the world and revealed Himself,
mankind would have perished in eternal death.
He Himself says in John,
"If you do not belief that I am [who I am],
you will die in your sins."
(John 8:24)
2. The Lord came into the world
to execute a last judgment,
and by doing so
conquer the hells that were reigning at the time.
This He did by combats,
that is, by temptations or trials,
which He permitted His human
from His mother to undergo,
and by continual victories in them then.
If the hells had not be conquered,
no one could have been saved.
3. The Lord came into the world to glorify His human,
that is, to unite it to the Divinity
that He had in Him from conception.
4. The Lord came into the world
to establish a new church
which would acknowledge Him
as its Redeemer and Savior,
so as to be redeemed and saved
through love for and faith in Him.
5. At the same time He did so
in order to set heaven in order,
in order for it to be in harmony with the church.
6. His suffering of the cross was the last combat,
or temptation or trial,
by which He thoroughly conquered the hells
and fully glorified His human.
~ My Holy Name ~
"'I will make known
My holy name among My people Israel.
I will no longer let My holy name be profaned,
and the nations will know
that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.
It is coming!
It will surely take place,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
This is the day I have spoke of.'"
(Ezekiel 39:7-8)
My holy name among My people Israel.
I will no longer let My holy name be profaned,
and the nations will know
that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.
It is coming!
It will surely take place,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
This is the day I have spoke of.'"
(Ezekiel 39:7-8)
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
EU 174 - Dominion
EU 174
. . . there are two kinds of dominion,
one of love towards the neighbor,
and the other of self-love;
and that the dominion of love towards the neighbor
is among those who dwell separated
into houses, families, and nations;
whereas the dominion of self-love
is among those who dwell together in society.
Among those who live separated
into houses, families, and nations,
he has dominion who is the father of the nation,
and under him the father of families,
and under these the father of each house.
He is called the father of the nation
from whom the families originate,
from which families the houses are derived;
but all these exercise dominion from love,
like that of a father towards his children,
who teaches them how they ought to live,
does good to them,
and as far as he can, gives them of his own.
It never enters into his mind to subject them to himself,
as subjects or as servants,
but he loves that they should obey him
as sons obey their father.
And because this love increases in descending,
as is known, therefore the father of the nation
acts from a more interior love
than the father himself
from whom the sons are next descended.
Such also is the dominion in the heavens,
inasmuch as such is the Lord's dominion;
for His dominion is from the Divine love
towards the whole human race.
But the dominion of self-love,
which is opposite
to the dominion of love towards the neighbor,
began when man alienated himself from the Lord;
for in proportion
as man does not love and worship the Lord,
in the same proportion he loves and worships himself,
and so far also he loves the world.
. . . there are two kinds of dominion,
one of love towards the neighbor,
and the other of self-love;
and that the dominion of love towards the neighbor
is among those who dwell separated
into houses, families, and nations;
whereas the dominion of self-love
is among those who dwell together in society.
Among those who live separated
into houses, families, and nations,
he has dominion who is the father of the nation,
and under him the father of families,
and under these the father of each house.
He is called the father of the nation
from whom the families originate,
from which families the houses are derived;
but all these exercise dominion from love,
like that of a father towards his children,
who teaches them how they ought to live,
does good to them,
and as far as he can, gives them of his own.
It never enters into his mind to subject them to himself,
as subjects or as servants,
but he loves that they should obey him
as sons obey their father.
And because this love increases in descending,
as is known, therefore the father of the nation
acts from a more interior love
than the father himself
from whom the sons are next descended.
Such also is the dominion in the heavens,
inasmuch as such is the Lord's dominion;
for His dominion is from the Divine love
towards the whole human race.
But the dominion of self-love,
which is opposite
to the dominion of love towards the neighbor,
began when man alienated himself from the Lord;
for in proportion
as man does not love and worship the Lord,
in the same proportion he loves and worships himself,
and so far also he loves the world.
~ Dwelling Place ~
"'My dwelling place will be with them;
I will be their God,
and they will be My people.
Then the nations will know
that I the Lord make Israel holy,
when My sanctuary is among them forever.'"
(Ezekiel 37:27-28)
["Israel" generally represents the spiritual church.]
I will be their God,
and they will be My people.
Then the nations will know
that I the Lord make Israel holy,
when My sanctuary is among them forever.'"
(Ezekiel 37:27-28)
["Israel" generally represents the spiritual church.]
Monday, April 08, 2019
EU 159 - A Trine and One Together
EU 159
. . . an idea of a Trine and a One together
agrees with the angelic idea of the Lord;
and that it is from
the Lord's own teaching concerning Himself;
for He teaches that the Father and He are one;
that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father;
that who see Him so, see the Father;
and that He who believes in Him,
believes in the Father and knows Him;
also that the Comforter,
by whom is meant the proceeding Divine,
and whom He calls the Spirit of truth,
as also the Holy Spirit,
proceeds from Him,
and speaks not from Himself, but from Him.
Moreover, that the idea of
a Trine and of One at the same time
agrees with the esse and existere of the Lord's life,
when He was in the world.
The esse of His life was the Divine Itself,
for He was conceived of Jehovah,
and the esse of any one's life
is that from which he is conceived;
the existere of life from that esse
is the Human in form.
The esse of every person's life
which he has from his father, is called the soul;
and the existere of life therefrom is called the body.
The soul and the body constitute one person.
The likeness between both
is like that between that which is in effort
and that which is in the act thence,
for the act is the effort acting,
and so the two are one.
Effort in a person is called the will,
and effort acting is called action.
The body is the instrument,
by which the will, which is the principal, acts;
and the instrument and the principal in acting are one;
thus the soul and the body are one.
The angels in heaven have such an idea
concerning the soul and the body;
and thus they know that the Lord
made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself,
which He had as His soul from the Father.
The faith also received everywhere
in the Christian world does not dissent from this,
for it teaches:
"Although Christ is God and Man,
yet He is not two, but one Christ;
yea, He is altogether a one and only Person;
for as the body and the soul are one man,
so also God and Man is one Christ."
(from the Athanasian Creed)
Because there was such a union,
or such a One in the Lord,
He therefore, otherwise than any man,
rose not only as to the soul,
but also as to the body,
which He glorified in the world;
concerning which
He also instructed His disciples, saying:
Handle Me and see;
for a spirit has not flesh and bones,
as you see Me have.
(Luke 24:39)
. . . an idea of a Trine and a One together
agrees with the angelic idea of the Lord;
and that it is from
the Lord's own teaching concerning Himself;
for He teaches that the Father and He are one;
that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father;
that who see Him so, see the Father;
and that He who believes in Him,
believes in the Father and knows Him;
also that the Comforter,
by whom is meant the proceeding Divine,
and whom He calls the Spirit of truth,
as also the Holy Spirit,
proceeds from Him,
and speaks not from Himself, but from Him.
Moreover, that the idea of
a Trine and of One at the same time
agrees with the esse and existere of the Lord's life,
when He was in the world.
The esse of His life was the Divine Itself,
for He was conceived of Jehovah,
and the esse of any one's life
is that from which he is conceived;
the existere of life from that esse
is the Human in form.
The esse of every person's life
which he has from his father, is called the soul;
and the existere of life therefrom is called the body.
The soul and the body constitute one person.
The likeness between both
is like that between that which is in effort
and that which is in the act thence,
for the act is the effort acting,
and so the two are one.
Effort in a person is called the will,
and effort acting is called action.
The body is the instrument,
by which the will, which is the principal, acts;
and the instrument and the principal in acting are one;
thus the soul and the body are one.
The angels in heaven have such an idea
concerning the soul and the body;
and thus they know that the Lord
made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself,
which He had as His soul from the Father.
The faith also received everywhere
in the Christian world does not dissent from this,
for it teaches:
"Although Christ is God and Man,
yet He is not two, but one Christ;
yea, He is altogether a one and only Person;
for as the body and the soul are one man,
so also God and Man is one Christ."
(from the Athanasian Creed)
Because there was such a union,
or such a One in the Lord,
He therefore, otherwise than any man,
rose not only as to the soul,
but also as to the body,
which He glorified in the world;
concerning which
He also instructed His disciples, saying:
Handle Me and see;
for a spirit has not flesh and bones,
as you see Me have.
(Luke 24:39)
~ A Promise of a Covenant of Peace ~
"'I will make a covenant of peace with them
and rid the land of wild beasts
so that they may live in the desert
and sleep in the forests in safety.
I will bless them
and the places surrounding My hill.
I will send down showers in season;
there will be showers of blessing.
The trees of the field will yield their fruit
and the ground will yield its crops;
the people will be secure in their land.
They will know that I am the Lord,
when I break the bars of their yoke
and rescue them
from the hands of those who enslaved them.
They will no longer be blundered by the nations,
nor will wild animals devour them.
They will live in safety,
and no one will make them afraid.
I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops,
and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land
or bear the scorn of the nations.
Then they will know that I,
the Lord their God,
am with them
and that they,
the house of Israel,
are My people,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
You My sheep,
the sheep of My pasture,
are people,
and I am your god,
declares the Sovereign Lord.'"
(Ezekiel 34:25-31)
and rid the land of wild beasts
so that they may live in the desert
and sleep in the forests in safety.
I will bless them
and the places surrounding My hill.
I will send down showers in season;
there will be showers of blessing.
The trees of the field will yield their fruit
and the ground will yield its crops;
the people will be secure in their land.
They will know that I am the Lord,
when I break the bars of their yoke
and rescue them
from the hands of those who enslaved them.
They will no longer be blundered by the nations,
nor will wild animals devour them.
They will live in safety,
and no one will make them afraid.
I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops,
and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land
or bear the scorn of the nations.
Then they will know that I,
the Lord their God,
am with them
and that they,
the house of Israel,
are My people,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
You My sheep,
the sheep of My pasture,
are people,
and I am your god,
declares the Sovereign Lord.'"
(Ezekiel 34:25-31)
Sunday, April 07, 2019
EU 151-152 - Wonderful Sanctuaries
EU 151 - 152
. . . their sanctuaries . . .
are constructed of trees, not cut down,
but growing in their native soil.
They said that on their earth there were trees
of wonderful growth and height.
These from their beginnings they arrange in order,
so that they serve for porticos and walks,
and by cutting and pruning the branches
when they are tender,
they fit and prepare them
so that while they are growing
they may intertwine and unite
to make the base and floor of the sanctuary,
and rise on the sides for the walls,
and bend above into arches for the roof.
By these means
they construct the sanctuary with admirable art,
elevated high above the earth,
and they also prepare an ascent into it
by successive branches of the trees extending out
and firmly connected.
Moreover they adorn the sanctuary
without and within in various ways,
by bending the leafy bows into various forms.
Thus they build entire groves.
But what these sanctuaries are within,
I was not permitted to see.
It was only told me that the light of their sun
is let into them through apertures between the branches,
and is here and there transmitted through crystals,
by which the light falling on the walls
is variegated into colors like the rainbow,
especially the colors blue and orange,
which they love more than the rest.
Such is their architecture,
which they prefer
to the most magnificent palaces of our earth.
They said, further,
that the inhabitants do not live in high places,
but on the earth in low cottages,
for the reason that high places are for the Lord,
who is in heaven,
and low places for men, who are on earth.
. . . their sanctuaries . . .
are constructed of trees, not cut down,
but growing in their native soil.
They said that on their earth there were trees
of wonderful growth and height.
These from their beginnings they arrange in order,
so that they serve for porticos and walks,
and by cutting and pruning the branches
when they are tender,
they fit and prepare them
so that while they are growing
they may intertwine and unite
to make the base and floor of the sanctuary,
and rise on the sides for the walls,
and bend above into arches for the roof.
By these means
they construct the sanctuary with admirable art,
elevated high above the earth,
and they also prepare an ascent into it
by successive branches of the trees extending out
and firmly connected.
Moreover they adorn the sanctuary
without and within in various ways,
by bending the leafy bows into various forms.
Thus they build entire groves.
But what these sanctuaries are within,
I was not permitted to see.
It was only told me that the light of their sun
is let into them through apertures between the branches,
and is here and there transmitted through crystals,
by which the light falling on the walls
is variegated into colors like the rainbow,
especially the colors blue and orange,
which they love more than the rest.
Such is their architecture,
which they prefer
to the most magnificent palaces of our earth.
They said, further,
that the inhabitants do not live in high places,
but on the earth in low cottages,
for the reason that high places are for the Lord,
who is in heaven,
and low places for men, who are on earth.
~ The Righteous and the Wicked ~
"Therefore, son of man, say to your
countrymen,
'The righteousness of the righteous man
will not save him when he disobeys,
and the wickedness of the wicked man
will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.
The righteous man, if he sins,
will not be allowed to live
because of his former righteousness.'
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live,
but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil,
none of the righteous things he has done
will be remembered;
he will die for the evil he has done.
And if I say to the wicked man,
'You will surely die,'
but he then turns away from his sin
and does what is just and right --
if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan,
returns what he has stolen,
follows the decrees that give life,
and does not evil,
he will surely live; he will not die.
None of the sins he has committed
will be remembered against him.
He has done what is just and right;
he will surely live."
(Ezekiel 33:12-16)
'The righteousness of the righteous man
will not save him when he disobeys,
and the wickedness of the wicked man
will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.
The righteous man, if he sins,
will not be allowed to live
because of his former righteousness.'
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live,
but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil,
none of the righteous things he has done
will be remembered;
he will die for the evil he has done.
And if I say to the wicked man,
'You will surely die,'
but he then turns away from his sin
and does what is just and right --
if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan,
returns what he has stolen,
follows the decrees that give life,
and does not evil,
he will surely live; he will not die.
None of the sins he has committed
will be remembered against him.
He has done what is just and right;
he will surely live."
(Ezekiel 33:12-16)
Saturday, April 06, 2019
EU 135 - Mankind Was So Created; EU 139 - Spirits of Every Earth
EU 135
. . . mankind was so created,
that while living in the world among men,
he might at the same time also live
in heaven among angels, and the converse;
thus that heaven and the world with a person
might be together, and act as one;
and that people might know what is in heaven,
and angels what is in the world;
and when men die,
they might thus pass out of the Lord's kingdom on earth
into the Lord's kingdom in heaven,
not as into a different kingdom,
but as into the same in which they also were
when they lived in the body.
But because man (homo) has become so corporeal,
he has closed heaven to himself.
EU 139
. . . the spirits of every earth
appear about their own earth,
by reason that they are of a genius
similar to that of the inhabitants,
for they are from them,
and in order that they may serve them.
. . . mankind was so created,
that while living in the world among men,
he might at the same time also live
in heaven among angels, and the converse;
thus that heaven and the world with a person
might be together, and act as one;
and that people might know what is in heaven,
and angels what is in the world;
and when men die,
they might thus pass out of the Lord's kingdom on earth
into the Lord's kingdom in heaven,
not as into a different kingdom,
but as into the same in which they also were
when they lived in the body.
But because man (homo) has become so corporeal,
he has closed heaven to himself.
EU 139
. . . the spirits of every earth
appear about their own earth,
by reason that they are of a genius
similar to that of the inhabitants,
for they are from them,
and in order that they may serve them.
~ The Lord Laments Pharaoh king of Egypt ~
In the twelfth year,
in the twelfth month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, take up a lament
concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
"'You are like a lion among the nations;
you are like a monster in the seas
thrashing about in your streams,
churning the water with your feet
and muddying the streams.'"
(Ezekiel 32:1-2)
in the twelfth month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, take up a lament
concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
"'You are like a lion among the nations;
you are like a monster in the seas
thrashing about in your streams,
churning the water with your feet
and muddying the streams.'"
(Ezekiel 32:1-2)
Friday, April 05, 2019
EU 113 - The Reasons Why the Lord Was Willing to be Born on Our Earth, and Not on Another
EU 113
There are many reasons . . . why it pleased the Lord
to be born and to assume the human on our earth,
and not on another.
The PRINCIPLE REASON was because of the Word,
in that it might be written on our earth;
and when written be afterwards published
throughout the whole earth;
and when once published be preserved to all posterity;
and that thus it might be made manifest,
even to all in the other life,
that God became Man (Homo).
There are many reasons . . . why it pleased the Lord
to be born and to assume the human on our earth,
and not on another.
The PRINCIPLE REASON was because of the Word,
in that it might be written on our earth;
and when written be afterwards published
throughout the whole earth;
and when once published be preserved to all posterity;
and that thus it might be made manifest,
even to all in the other life,
that God became Man (Homo).
~ A Majestic Cedar ~
In the eleventh year,
in the third month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes:
"'Who can be compared with you in majesty?
Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.
The waters nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed all around its base
and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.
So it towered higher than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.
All the birds of the air nested in its boughs,
all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches;
all the great nations lived in its shade.
It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down to abundant waters.
The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it,
nor could the pine trees equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees compare with its branches --
no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty.
I made it beautiful with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.'"
(Ezekiel 31:1-9)
in the third month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes:
"'Who can be compared with you in majesty?
Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.
The waters nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed all around its base
and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.
So it towered higher than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.
All the birds of the air nested in its boughs,
all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches;
all the great nations lived in its shade.
It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down to abundant waters.
The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it,
nor could the pine trees equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees compare with its branches --
no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty.
I made it beautiful with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.'"
(Ezekiel 31:1-9)
Thursday, April 04, 2019
EU 103 - They Know They Will Live
EU 103
. . . all on that earth know that they will live after death;
and that on this account also
they make light of their bodies,
only so far as regards that life,
which they say is to remain and serve the Lord.
. . . all on that earth know that they will live after death;
and that on this account also
they make light of their bodies,
only so far as regards that life,
which they say is to remain and serve the Lord.
~ The Lord Laments Tyre ~
The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre
and say to him:
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
"'You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
til wickedness was found in you.'"
(Ezekiel 28:11-15)
"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre
and say to him:
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
"'You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
til wickedness was found in you.'"
(Ezekiel 28:11-15)
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
EU 96 - What Love Leads Us to Know
EU 96
. . . those alone have spiritual life who are in heavenly love,
and in knowledges therefrom;
and that a love contains in itself all the power
of knowing which is of that love.
For example, the animals of the earth,
and also the animals of the air, or the birds,
have the knowledge of all things that are of their loves.
These loves are, to nourish themselves,
to dwell in safety,
to propagate offspring, to bring up their young,
and with some, to provide for themselves against winter.
Consequently they have all the requisite knowledge,
for this is in those loves,
and it flows into them as into its very receptacles;
which knowledge with some animals is such,
that person cannot but be astonished.
The knowledge is innate with them, and is called instinct;
but it is of the natural love in which they are.
If a person were in his love,
which is love to God and toward the neighbor
(for this love is man's proper love,
by which he is distinguished from the beasts,
and is heavenly love),
a person would then be
not only in all requisite knowledge,
but also in all intelligence and wisdom;
for these would flow into those loves from heaven,
that is, through heaven from the Divine.
But because a person is not born into those loves,
but into the opposite ones,
namely, into the loves of self and the world,
for that reason he cannot but be born
into all ignorance and lack of knowledge.
But by Divine means he is led on
to something of intelligence and wisdom,
yet not actually into anything of it,
unless the love, of self and the world are removed,
and the way is thus opened
for love to God and the neighbor.
That love to God and love toward the neighbor
have in them all intelligence and wisdom,
may be evident from those
who in the world have been in these loves.
When after death they come into heaven,
they there come into such knowledge and wisdom
as they had never known before;
indeed, they think and speak there,
as do the rest of the angels,
such things as the ear has never heard,
nor the mind has ever known,
and which are ineffable (too great).
The reason is,
that those loves have in them
the faculty of receiving such things.
. . . those alone have spiritual life who are in heavenly love,
and in knowledges therefrom;
and that a love contains in itself all the power
of knowing which is of that love.
For example, the animals of the earth,
and also the animals of the air, or the birds,
have the knowledge of all things that are of their loves.
These loves are, to nourish themselves,
to dwell in safety,
to propagate offspring, to bring up their young,
and with some, to provide for themselves against winter.
Consequently they have all the requisite knowledge,
for this is in those loves,
and it flows into them as into its very receptacles;
which knowledge with some animals is such,
that person cannot but be astonished.
The knowledge is innate with them, and is called instinct;
but it is of the natural love in which they are.
If a person were in his love,
which is love to God and toward the neighbor
(for this love is man's proper love,
by which he is distinguished from the beasts,
and is heavenly love),
a person would then be
not only in all requisite knowledge,
but also in all intelligence and wisdom;
for these would flow into those loves from heaven,
that is, through heaven from the Divine.
But because a person is not born into those loves,
but into the opposite ones,
namely, into the loves of self and the world,
for that reason he cannot but be born
into all ignorance and lack of knowledge.
But by Divine means he is led on
to something of intelligence and wisdom,
yet not actually into anything of it,
unless the love, of self and the world are removed,
and the way is thus opened
for love to God and the neighbor.
That love to God and love toward the neighbor
have in them all intelligence and wisdom,
may be evident from those
who in the world have been in these loves.
When after death they come into heaven,
they there come into such knowledge and wisdom
as they had never known before;
indeed, they think and speak there,
as do the rest of the angels,
such things as the ear has never heard,
nor the mind has ever known,
and which are ineffable (too great).
The reason is,
that those loves have in them
the faculty of receiving such things.
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
EU 72 - Stars; EU 74 - Angels
EU 72
Moving stars signify falsities,
but fixed stars truths.
EU 74
. . . their angels who sit at the head,
have a kind of judicial authority over the person;
since they permit, moderate, restrain, and flow in.
But it was said that they do not judge,
for the Lord alone is the Judge . . ..
Moving stars signify falsities,
but fixed stars truths.
EU 74
. . . their angels who sit at the head,
have a kind of judicial authority over the person;
since they permit, moderate, restrain, and flow in.
But it was said that they do not judge,
for the Lord alone is the Judge . . ..
~ The Lord Warns Ezekiel ~
The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, with one blow
I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.
Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
Groan quietly;
do not mourn for the dead.
Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet;
do not cover the lower part of your face
or eat the customary food of mourners."
So I spoke to the people in the morning,
and in the evening my wife died.
The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
(Ezekiel 24:15-18)
"Son of man, with one blow
I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.
Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
Groan quietly;
do not mourn for the dead.
Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet;
do not cover the lower part of your face
or eat the customary food of mourners."
So I spoke to the people in the morning,
and in the evening my wife died.
The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
(Ezekiel 24:15-18)
Monday, April 01, 2019
EU 62 - The Sciences; EU 65 - He Is Called Jesus Christ
EU 62 [3-4]
. . . in this world sciences are the means
of opening up the sight of the intellect,
which depends on the light of heaven.
But because of the dominance of matters
concerned only with natural life,
the life of the senses,
these sciences serve them rather as means to madness,
that is, proofs which favor Nature rather than God,
and the world rather than heaven.
They were further told
that sciences are in themselves spiritual riches,
and their possessors resemble
the possessors of worldly riches;
for these are likewise the means
of performing services to oneself,
one's neighbor and one's country,
and also the means of doing evil.
They can also be compared with clothes,
which are both useful and ornamental,
and are also a matter of pride to those
who want to be respected for them alone.
EU 65 [2]
. . . in our world He is called Christ Jesus,
and that Christ means the Anointed or King,
and Jesus Savior,
they said they do not worship Him as King,
because kingship smacks of worldly affairs,
but they do worship Him as Savior.
. . . in this world sciences are the means
of opening up the sight of the intellect,
which depends on the light of heaven.
But because of the dominance of matters
concerned only with natural life,
the life of the senses,
these sciences serve them rather as means to madness,
that is, proofs which favor Nature rather than God,
and the world rather than heaven.
They were further told
that sciences are in themselves spiritual riches,
and their possessors resemble
the possessors of worldly riches;
for these are likewise the means
of performing services to oneself,
one's neighbor and one's country,
and also the means of doing evil.
They can also be compared with clothes,
which are both useful and ornamental,
and are also a matter of pride to those
who want to be respected for them alone.
EU 65 [2]
. . . in our world He is called Christ Jesus,
and that Christ means the Anointed or King,
and Jesus Savior,
they said they do not worship Him as King,
because kingship smacks of worldly affairs,
but they do worship Him as Savior.
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