TCR 229-230
Doctrine Must Be Taken From
the Sense of the Letter of the Word,
and Be Confirmed By It.
This is because the Lord is present in that sense,
teaching and
enlightening the mind;
for the Lord never acts except in fullness,
and the Word in the sense of the Letter
is in its fullness . . .
therefore doctrine must be taken
from the sense of the
Letter.
The doctrine of genuine truth may also be
fully drawn from
the literal sense of the Word;
for the Word in that sense is like a
person clothed,
but whose face and hands are uncovered.
Everything
in the Word pertaining to
a person's faith and life, and thus to his
salvation,
is there unveiled.
The rest is veiled;
and in many places
where it is veiled
it is nevertheless visible,
as things appear to a
woman when they are seen
through a thin veil of silk over her face.
Moreover, as the truths of the Word increase
from the love of them,
and are coordinated by love,
they become more and more translucent
and obvious.
It may be supposed that the doctrine of genuine truth
can be
acquired by means of
the spiritual sense of the Word,
which is
obtained through
a knowledge of correspondences.
Doctrine, however,
cannot be acquired by such means,
but only illustrated and
corroborated.
For as was stated above in n. 208
it is possible for a person to falsify the Word,
by connecting and applying some
correspondences
he may know to confirm what is firmly held in his
mind
and based on some principle which he has assumed.
Moreover, the
spiritual sense
is not communicated to any one
except by the Lord
alone,
and He guards it as He guards the angelic heaven,
for heaven
is within it.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
~ The Lord's Ways Are Right ~
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your
God.
Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
"Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
O Ephraim, what more have I do with idols?
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a green pine tree;
your fruitfulness comes from Me."
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: 1-2, 8-9)
Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
"Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
O Ephraim, what more have I do with idols?
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a green pine tree;
your fruitfulness comes from Me."
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: 1-2, 8-9)
Monday, March 30, 2020
TCR 215 - The Truths of the Sense of the Letter of the Word
TCR 215
The truths of the sense of the Letter of the Word are,
in some cases, not naked truths,
but appearances of truth,
being, as it were, similitudes and comparisons,
taken from such things as are in nature,
accommodated and adequate
to the apprehension of simple people and children;
but because they are at the same time correspondences,
they are the receptacles and abodes of genuine truth.
They are the vessels that contain it,
as a crystal cup contains good wine,
or a silver dish nourishing food.
They are like garments which serve as clothing,
like swaddling clothes for an infant,
and comely robes for a maiden.
They are also like the knowledge of the natural man,
which comprises
the perceptions and affections of spiritual truth.
The truths themselves unveiled,
which are included, contained, clothed, and comprised,
are in the spiritual sense of the Word,
and goods unveiled are in its celestial sense.
The truths of the sense of the Letter of the Word are,
in some cases, not naked truths,
but appearances of truth,
being, as it were, similitudes and comparisons,
taken from such things as are in nature,
accommodated and adequate
to the apprehension of simple people and children;
but because they are at the same time correspondences,
they are the receptacles and abodes of genuine truth.
They are the vessels that contain it,
as a crystal cup contains good wine,
or a silver dish nourishing food.
They are like garments which serve as clothing,
like swaddling clothes for an infant,
and comely robes for a maiden.
They are also like the knowledge of the natural man,
which comprises
the perceptions and affections of spiritual truth.
The truths themselves unveiled,
which are included, contained, clothed, and comprised,
are in the spiritual sense of the Word,
and goods unveiled are in its celestial sense.
~ Sow and Seek ~
Sow for ourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until He comes
and showers righteousness on you.
(Hosea 10:12)
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until He comes
and showers righteousness on you.
(Hosea 10:12)
Sunday, March 29, 2020
TCR 207 - The Science of Correspondences
TCR 207
The science of correspondences,
by which is communicated the spiritual sense [of the Word],
is to-day revealed,
because the Divine truths of the Church
are now being brought to light.
These are the truths
of which the spiritual sense of the Word consists,
and while these are in man,
the sense of the Letter of the Word cannot be perverted.
For this sense can be turned in two ways:
if it is turned to favor falsity,
then its internal holiness perishes,
and with this, its external holiness also;
but if it is turned to what is true,
its holiness remains.
The science of correspondences,
by which is communicated the spiritual sense [of the Word],
is to-day revealed,
because the Divine truths of the Church
are now being brought to light.
These are the truths
of which the spiritual sense of the Word consists,
and while these are in man,
the sense of the Letter of the Word cannot be perverted.
For this sense can be turned in two ways:
if it is turned to favor falsity,
then its internal holiness perishes,
and with this, its external holiness also;
but if it is turned to what is true,
its holiness remains.
~ "Come, Let Us Return to the Lord." ~
"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)
Saturday, March 28, 2020
TCR 200 - Because of the Spiritual Sense, the Word Is Divinely Inspired, and Holy In Every Word
TCR 200
It is asserted in the Church that the Word is holy,
because Jehovah the Lord spoke it;
but since its holiness is not apparent
in the sense of the Letter alone,
any one who begins to doubt its holiness on that account,
confirms his doubts by many things
he afterwards reads in the Word,
for he says to himself,
"Is this holy? Is this Divine?"
Accordingly, lest such thoughts should enter
the minds of many and ultimately prevail,
and the Word consequently be rejected
as a book of no value,
and the Lord's conjunction with man be thereby cut off,
it has pleased the Lord at this time
to reveal its spiritual sense,
in order that it may be known
where within it its Divine holiness lies concealed.
Some examples may be given to illustrate this.
In the Word mention is sometimes made of
Egypt, Assyria, Edom, Moab, the children of Ammon,
the Philistines, Tyre, Sidon, and Gog.
Any one who does not know
that by these names are signified
things of heaven and the Church
may erroneously conclude that the Word treats much
of peoples and nations,
and but little of heaven and the Church,
thus much of worldly and little of heavenly things.
When he knows, however,
what is signified by these peoples or by their names,
he may be led from error to the truth.
The case is the same when any one sees in the Word
frequent mention of gardens,
woods and the trees that grow in them,
as the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar, and the oak;
and of the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox;
and also of mountains, hills, valleys,
and the fountains, rivers, and waters found there;
and of many similar things.
He who knows nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word
cannot but suppose
that it is only those objects which are meant.
He does not know that by
a garden, grove and wood
are meant wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge;
by the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar and the oak
are meant the good and truth of the Church,
celestial, spiritual, rational, natural and sensual;
by the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox
are meant innocence, charity, and natural affection;
and by mountains, hills and valleys
are meant the higher,
the lower and the lowest things of the Church.
Again, he does not know that by Egypt
is signified the scientific principle,
by Assyria the rational,
by Edom the natural,
by Moab the adulteration of good,
by the children of Ammon the adulteration of truth,
by the Philistines faith without charity,
by Tyre and Sidon the knowledge of good and truth,
and by Gog external worship without the internal.
In general, by Jacob in the Word
is meant the natural Church,
by Israel the spiritual Church
and by Judah the celestial Church.
When a man knows these things he may realize
that the Word treats solely of heavenly things,
and that the things of this world
are merely the subjects
in which those heavenly things are.
It is asserted in the Church that the Word is holy,
because Jehovah the Lord spoke it;
but since its holiness is not apparent
in the sense of the Letter alone,
any one who begins to doubt its holiness on that account,
confirms his doubts by many things
he afterwards reads in the Word,
for he says to himself,
"Is this holy? Is this Divine?"
Accordingly, lest such thoughts should enter
the minds of many and ultimately prevail,
and the Word consequently be rejected
as a book of no value,
and the Lord's conjunction with man be thereby cut off,
it has pleased the Lord at this time
to reveal its spiritual sense,
in order that it may be known
where within it its Divine holiness lies concealed.
Some examples may be given to illustrate this.
In the Word mention is sometimes made of
Egypt, Assyria, Edom, Moab, the children of Ammon,
the Philistines, Tyre, Sidon, and Gog.
Any one who does not know
that by these names are signified
things of heaven and the Church
may erroneously conclude that the Word treats much
of peoples and nations,
and but little of heaven and the Church,
thus much of worldly and little of heavenly things.
When he knows, however,
what is signified by these peoples or by their names,
he may be led from error to the truth.
The case is the same when any one sees in the Word
frequent mention of gardens,
woods and the trees that grow in them,
as the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar, and the oak;
and of the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox;
and also of mountains, hills, valleys,
and the fountains, rivers, and waters found there;
and of many similar things.
He who knows nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word
cannot but suppose
that it is only those objects which are meant.
He does not know that by
a garden, grove and wood
are meant wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge;
by the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar and the oak
are meant the good and truth of the Church,
celestial, spiritual, rational, natural and sensual;
by the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox
are meant innocence, charity, and natural affection;
and by mountains, hills and valleys
are meant the higher,
the lower and the lowest things of the Church.
Again, he does not know that by Egypt
is signified the scientific principle,
by Assyria the rational,
by Edom the natural,
by Moab the adulteration of good,
by the children of Ammon the adulteration of truth,
by the Philistines faith without charity,
by Tyre and Sidon the knowledge of good and truth,
and by Gog external worship without the internal.
In general, by Jacob in the Word
is meant the natural Church,
by Israel the spiritual Church
and by Judah the celestial Church.
When a man knows these things he may realize
that the Word treats solely of heavenly things,
and that the things of this world
are merely the subjects
in which those heavenly things are.
~ A Charge Against Those Who Live in the Land ~
Hear the word of the Lord, you
Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge to bring against you
who live in the land:
"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Because of this the land mourns,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
. . . "Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as My priests;
because you have ignored the law of God,
I also will ignore your child."
(Hosea 4: 1-3, 6.5)
because the Lord has a charge to bring against you
who live in the land:
"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Because of this the land mourns,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
. . . "Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as My priests;
because you have ignored the law of God,
I also will ignore your child."
(Hosea 4: 1-3, 6.5)
Friday, March 27, 2020
TCR 189, 193, 194 - The Spiritual Sense of the Word
TCR 189
It is generally agreed that
the Word is from God,
is divinely inspired,
and therefore holy;
but hitherto is has remained unknown
wherein its divinity resides;
for the Word in the Letter
appears like common writing in a strange style,
lacking the sublimity and brilliance
which are apparently features of the literature of the world.
TCR 193
The Word is spiritual in its inmost content
because it descended from Jehovah the Lord,
and passed through the angelic heavens;
and the Divine Itself,
which in itself is ineffable and incomprehensible,
was adapted in its descent
to the perception of angels, and lastly to that of men.
Hence the Word has a spiritual sense
which is within the natural sense
just as the soul is in man,
or as the thought of the understanding is in speech,
or as the affection of the will is in act.
TCR 194
The spiritual sense of the Word
is not that which shines from the sense of the Letter
when any one searches the Word and explains it
to prove some dogma of the Church.
This may be called
the literal and ecclesiastical sense of the Word;
but the spiritual sense is not apparent
in the sense of the Letter;
it is interiorly within it,
as the soul is in the body,
or as the thought of the understanding is in the eye,
or as the affection of love is in the countenance.
It is this sense especially
that makes the Word spiritual,
not only for men,
but also for angels;
and therefore the Word by means of this sense
communicates with the heavens.
Since the interior content of the Word is spiritual,
it is written by pure correspondences;
and what is thus written
exhibits in its ultimate sense the style
of the Prophets, the Evangelists and the Revelation.
This style, ordinary as it may appear,
yet has stored up within it
all Divine and angelic wisdom.
It is generally agreed that
the Word is from God,
is divinely inspired,
and therefore holy;
but hitherto is has remained unknown
wherein its divinity resides;
for the Word in the Letter
appears like common writing in a strange style,
lacking the sublimity and brilliance
which are apparently features of the literature of the world.
TCR 193
The Word is spiritual in its inmost content
because it descended from Jehovah the Lord,
and passed through the angelic heavens;
and the Divine Itself,
which in itself is ineffable and incomprehensible,
was adapted in its descent
to the perception of angels, and lastly to that of men.
Hence the Word has a spiritual sense
which is within the natural sense
just as the soul is in man,
or as the thought of the understanding is in speech,
or as the affection of the will is in act.
TCR 194
The spiritual sense of the Word
is not that which shines from the sense of the Letter
when any one searches the Word and explains it
to prove some dogma of the Church.
This may be called
the literal and ecclesiastical sense of the Word;
but the spiritual sense is not apparent
in the sense of the Letter;
it is interiorly within it,
as the soul is in the body,
or as the thought of the understanding is in the eye,
or as the affection of love is in the countenance.
It is this sense especially
that makes the Word spiritual,
not only for men,
but also for angels;
and therefore the Word by means of this sense
communicates with the heavens.
Since the interior content of the Word is spiritual,
it is written by pure correspondences;
and what is thus written
exhibits in its ultimate sense the style
of the Prophets, the Evangelists and the Revelation.
This style, ordinary as it may appear,
yet has stored up within it
all Divine and angelic wisdom.
~ In That Day ~
"In that day," declares the Lord,
"you will call Me 'my Husband';
you will no longer call Me 'my master.'
I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.
In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field
and the birds of the air
and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.
I will betroth you to Me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the Lord."
(Hosea 2:16-20)
"you will call Me 'my Husband';
you will no longer call Me 'my master.'
I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.
In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field
and the birds of the air
and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.
I will betroth you to Me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the Lord."
(Hosea 2:16-20)
Thursday, March 26, 2020
TCR 186 - In Which Region of the Mind Do Theological Matters Occupy?
TCR 186
I was once engaged in thinking about
what region of the human mind theological matters occupy.
At first I supposed that such things,
being of a spiritual and celestial nature,
occupied the highest region.
For the human mind is divided into three regions,
as a house might be into three storeys,
and as the habitations of the angels
are divided into three heavens.
. . . At first I supposed such things
plated and perceived,
are situated beneath this in the second region,
because they communicate with spiritual things;
and below these in the first region
are matters relating to politics.
But matters of natural knowledge which are manifold,
and which can be classed into genera and species,
form the doorway leading to those higher things.
Those in whom things spiritual, moral, and political,
and also matters of natural knowledge,
are thus ordered,
always think and act from justice and judgment,
because the light of truth,
which is also the light of heaven,
illumines all that proceeds in order
from the highest region,
just as the light of the sun,
passing through the ethers and the air in order,
illumines the vision of men, beasts and fish.
It is otherwise, however,
with those who do not love truth for truth's sake,
but only for their own glory and reputation.
With them,
theological matters abide in the lowest region,
where are matters of natural knowledge;
and in the case of some men, these mingle,
but in the case of others, they cannot mingle.
Beneath these in the same region
are matters relating to politics,
and beneath these again, matters relating to morals.
Since the two higher regions of such men
are not opened on the right side,
they have no interior discernment of judgment,
nor any love of justice,
but only a certain ingenuity,
by virtue of which
they can talk on every subject
with a show of intelligence,
and prove whatever occurs to them
with an appearance of reason.
But the objects of reason which they love most
are falsities,
because these agree with the fallacies of the senses.
I was once engaged in thinking about
what region of the human mind theological matters occupy.
At first I supposed that such things,
being of a spiritual and celestial nature,
occupied the highest region.
For the human mind is divided into three regions,
as a house might be into three storeys,
and as the habitations of the angels
are divided into three heavens.
. . . At first I supposed such things
plated and perceived,
are situated beneath this in the second region,
because they communicate with spiritual things;
and below these in the first region
are matters relating to politics.
But matters of natural knowledge which are manifold,
and which can be classed into genera and species,
form the doorway leading to those higher things.
Those in whom things spiritual, moral, and political,
and also matters of natural knowledge,
are thus ordered,
always think and act from justice and judgment,
because the light of truth,
which is also the light of heaven,
illumines all that proceeds in order
from the highest region,
just as the light of the sun,
passing through the ethers and the air in order,
illumines the vision of men, beasts and fish.
It is otherwise, however,
with those who do not love truth for truth's sake,
but only for their own glory and reputation.
With them,
theological matters abide in the lowest region,
where are matters of natural knowledge;
and in the case of some men, these mingle,
but in the case of others, they cannot mingle.
Beneath these in the same region
are matters relating to politics,
and beneath these again, matters relating to morals.
Since the two higher regions of such men
are not opened on the right side,
they have no interior discernment of judgment,
nor any love of justice,
but only a certain ingenuity,
by virtue of which
they can talk on every subject
with a show of intelligence,
and prove whatever occurs to them
with an appearance of reason.
But the objects of reason which they love most
are falsities,
because these agree with the fallacies of the senses.
~ A Time of Great Distress ~
"At that time Michael,
the great prince who protects your people,
will arise.
There will be a time of distress
such as has not happened
from the beginning of nations until then.
But at that time our people --
everyone whose name is found written in the book --
will be delivered.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:
some to everlasting life,
others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise will shine
like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness,
like the stars for ever and ever.
But you, Daniel,
close up and seal the words of the scroll
until the time of the end.
Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
Then I, Daniel, looked,
and there before me stood two others,
one on this bank of the river
and one on the opposite bank.
One of them said to the man clothed in linen,
who was above the waters of the river,
"How long will it be
before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
The man clothed in linen,
who was above the waters of the river,
lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven,
and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying,
"It will be for a time, times and half a time.
When the power of the holy people
has been finally broken,
all these things will be completed."
I heard, but I did not understand.
So I asked,
"My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
He replied, "Go your way, Daniel,
because the words are closed up and sealed
until the time of the end.
Many will be purified,
made spotless and refined,
but the wicked will continue to be wicked.
None of the wicked will understand,
but those who are wise will understand."
(Daniel 12:1-10)
the great prince who protects your people,
will arise.
There will be a time of distress
such as has not happened
from the beginning of nations until then.
But at that time our people --
everyone whose name is found written in the book --
will be delivered.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:
some to everlasting life,
others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise will shine
like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness,
like the stars for ever and ever.
But you, Daniel,
close up and seal the words of the scroll
until the time of the end.
Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
Then I, Daniel, looked,
and there before me stood two others,
one on this bank of the river
and one on the opposite bank.
One of them said to the man clothed in linen,
who was above the waters of the river,
"How long will it be
before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
The man clothed in linen,
who was above the waters of the river,
lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven,
and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying,
"It will be for a time, times and half a time.
When the power of the holy people
has been finally broken,
all these things will be completed."
I heard, but I did not understand.
So I asked,
"My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
He replied, "Go your way, Daniel,
because the words are closed up and sealed
until the time of the end.
Many will be purified,
made spotless and refined,
but the wicked will continue to be wicked.
None of the wicked will understand,
but those who are wise will understand."
(Daniel 12:1-10)
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
TCR 182 - Redemption Means to Form a New Heaven and a New Church
TCR 182
It is written in Matthew:
"Then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved."
(Matthew 24: 21, 22)
This chapter treats of the consummation of the age,
by which is meant the end of the present Church;
therefore, by shortening those days
is meant bringing it to an end
and establishing a new one.
Who does not know
that unless the Lord had come into the world
and accomplished redemption
no flesh could have been saved?
and to accomplish redemption
means to form a new heaven and a New Church.
That the Lord would come again into the world
He foretold in the Evangelists:
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man
will appear in the sky,
and all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky,
with power and great glory.
And he will send His angels with a loud trumpet call,
and they will gather his elect from the four winds,
from one end of the heavens to the other."
(Matthew 24: 30, 31)
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree:
As soon as its twigs get tender
and its leaves come out,
you know that summer is near."
(Mark xiii. 28)
"You also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at any hour
when you do not expect Him."
At that time they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud
with power and great glory."
Luke 12: 40: 21: 27)
and in the Revelation, particularly in the last chapter.
It has also been shown above
in the section on redemption
that He is to-day accomplishing the work of redemption,
by forming a new heaven
and establishing a new church
in order that man may be saved.
There is a great truth, hitherto unknown,
underlying the fact
that unless a New Church is established by the Lord
no flesh can be saved.
This is, that as long as the dragon with his crew
remained in the world of spirits, into which he was cast,
it was impossible
for any Divine truth conjoined with Divine good
to pass through to men on earth,
without being perverted and falsified, or destroyed.
This is what is meant in the Revelation by these Words:
The dragon "was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him
. . . Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto them (A.V., you),
having great wrath."
(Revelation 12: 9, 12, 13)
"But when the dragon was cast into hell,"
(Revelation 20:10) then
"John saw the new heaven and the new earth,
and the New Jerusalem
descending from God out of heaven."
(Revelation 21: 1, 2)
By the dragon are meant
those who are in the faith of the present Church.
It is written in Matthew:
"Then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved."
(Matthew 24: 21, 22)
This chapter treats of the consummation of the age,
by which is meant the end of the present Church;
therefore, by shortening those days
is meant bringing it to an end
and establishing a new one.
Who does not know
that unless the Lord had come into the world
and accomplished redemption
no flesh could have been saved?
and to accomplish redemption
means to form a new heaven and a New Church.
That the Lord would come again into the world
He foretold in the Evangelists:
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man
will appear in the sky,
and all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky,
with power and great glory.
And he will send His angels with a loud trumpet call,
and they will gather his elect from the four winds,
from one end of the heavens to the other."
(Matthew 24: 30, 31)
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree:
As soon as its twigs get tender
and its leaves come out,
you know that summer is near."
(Mark xiii. 28)
"You also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at any hour
when you do not expect Him."
At that time they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud
with power and great glory."
Luke 12: 40: 21: 27)
and in the Revelation, particularly in the last chapter.
It has also been shown above
in the section on redemption
that He is to-day accomplishing the work of redemption,
by forming a new heaven
and establishing a new church
in order that man may be saved.
There is a great truth, hitherto unknown,
underlying the fact
that unless a New Church is established by the Lord
no flesh can be saved.
This is, that as long as the dragon with his crew
remained in the world of spirits, into which he was cast,
it was impossible
for any Divine truth conjoined with Divine good
to pass through to men on earth,
without being perverted and falsified, or destroyed.
This is what is meant in the Revelation by these Words:
The dragon "was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him
. . . Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto them (A.V., you),
having great wrath."
(Revelation 12: 9, 12, 13)
"But when the dragon was cast into hell,"
(Revelation 20:10) then
"John saw the new heaven and the new earth,
and the New Jerusalem
descending from God out of heaven."
(Revelation 21: 1, 2)
By the dragon are meant
those who are in the faith of the present Church.
~ "Do Not Be Afraid, Daniel" ~
On the twenty-fourth day of the first
month,
as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
I looked up there before me was a man dressed in linen,
with a belt of the finest gold around his waist.
His body was like chrysolite,
his face was lightning,
he eyes like flaming torches,
his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,
and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision;
the men with me did not see it,
but such terror overwhelmed them
that they fled and hid themselves.
So I was left alone,
gazing at this great vision;
I had no strength left,
my face turned deathly pale
and I was helpless.
Then I heard him speaking,
and as I listened to him,
I fell into a deep sleep,
my face to the ground.
A hand touched me
and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed,
consider carefully the words
I am about to speak to you,
and stand up,
for I have now been sent to you."
And when he said this to me,
I stood up trembling.
Then he continued,
"Do not be afraid, Daniel.
Since the first day
that you set your mind to gain understanding
and to humble yourself before your God,
your words were heard,
and I have come in response to them.
But the prince of the Persian kingdom
resisted me twenty-one days.
Then Michael, on of the chief princes,
came to help me,
because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
Now I have come to explain
what will happen to your people in the future,
for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
While he was saying this to me,
I bowed with my face toward the ground
and was speechless.
Then one who looked like a man touched my lips,
and I opened my mouth and began to speak.
I said to the one standing before me,
"I am overcome with anguish
because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless.
How can I, our servant, talk with you, my lord?
My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
Again he one who looked like a man
touched me and gave me strength.
"Do not be afraid,
O man highly esteemed," he said.
"Peace! Be strong now; be strong."
(Daniel 10:4-18)
as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
I looked up there before me was a man dressed in linen,
with a belt of the finest gold around his waist.
His body was like chrysolite,
his face was lightning,
he eyes like flaming torches,
his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,
and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision;
the men with me did not see it,
but such terror overwhelmed them
that they fled and hid themselves.
So I was left alone,
gazing at this great vision;
I had no strength left,
my face turned deathly pale
and I was helpless.
Then I heard him speaking,
and as I listened to him,
I fell into a deep sleep,
my face to the ground.
A hand touched me
and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed,
consider carefully the words
I am about to speak to you,
and stand up,
for I have now been sent to you."
And when he said this to me,
I stood up trembling.
Then he continued,
"Do not be afraid, Daniel.
Since the first day
that you set your mind to gain understanding
and to humble yourself before your God,
your words were heard,
and I have come in response to them.
But the prince of the Persian kingdom
resisted me twenty-one days.
Then Michael, on of the chief princes,
came to help me,
because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
Now I have come to explain
what will happen to your people in the future,
for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
While he was saying this to me,
I bowed with my face toward the ground
and was speechless.
Then one who looked like a man touched my lips,
and I opened my mouth and began to speak.
I said to the one standing before me,
"I am overcome with anguish
because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless.
How can I, our servant, talk with you, my lord?
My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
Again he one who looked like a man
touched me and gave me strength.
"Do not be afraid,
O man highly esteemed," he said.
"Peace! Be strong now; be strong."
(Daniel 10:4-18)
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
TCR 177 - A Church's Belief About God
TCR 177 [3]
A church's belief about God
is like the soul in relation to the body;
and its doctrines are like the members of the body.
Again, faith in God is like a queen,
and its dogmas are like the officials of her court.
just as they hang upon the queen's lips,
so the dogmas depend upon the statement of faith.
At least one can see from that faith
how the Word is understood in that church;
for faith grapples and hauls in to itself
as it were by ropes whatever it can.
If it is a false faith,
it commits adultery with every truth in it,
leading it astray and falsifying it,
so that people become of unsound mind
in spiritual matters.
If, however, it is a true faith,
then it enjoys the favor of the whole Word,
and the God of the Word,
who is the Lord God the Savior,
pours in light,
and breathes His Divine assent upon it,
so that people become wise.
A church's belief about God
is like the soul in relation to the body;
and its doctrines are like the members of the body.
Again, faith in God is like a queen,
and its dogmas are like the officials of her court.
just as they hang upon the queen's lips,
so the dogmas depend upon the statement of faith.
At least one can see from that faith
how the Word is understood in that church;
for faith grapples and hauls in to itself
as it were by ropes whatever it can.
If it is a false faith,
it commits adultery with every truth in it,
leading it astray and falsifying it,
so that people become of unsound mind
in spiritual matters.
If, however, it is a true faith,
then it enjoys the favor of the whole Word,
and the God of the Word,
who is the Lord God the Savior,
pours in light,
and breathes His Divine assent upon it,
so that people become wise.
~ Gabriel Explains the End of Daniel's Dream ~
While I, Daniel, was watching the vision
and trying to understand it,
there before me stood one who looked like a man.
And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling,
"Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
As he came near the place where I was standing,
I was terrified and fell prostrate.
"Son of man," he said to me,
"understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
While he was speaking to me,
I was in a deep sleep,
with my face to the ground.
Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
. . . "In the latter part of their reign,
when rebels have become completely wicked,
a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise.
He will become very strong,
but not by his own power.
He will cause astounding devastation
and will succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.
He will cause deceit to prosper,
and he will consider himself superior.
When they feel secure,
he will destroy many
and take his stand against the prince of princes.
Yet he will be destroyed,
but not by human power.
"The vision of the evenings and mornings
that has been given you is true,
but seal up the vision,
for it concerns the distant future."
I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days.
Then I got up
and went about the king's business.
I was appalled by the vision;
it was beyond understanding.
(Daniel 8:15-17, 23-27)
and trying to understand it,
there before me stood one who looked like a man.
And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling,
"Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
As he came near the place where I was standing,
I was terrified and fell prostrate.
"Son of man," he said to me,
"understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
While he was speaking to me,
I was in a deep sleep,
with my face to the ground.
Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
. . . "In the latter part of their reign,
when rebels have become completely wicked,
a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise.
He will become very strong,
but not by his own power.
He will cause astounding devastation
and will succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.
He will cause deceit to prosper,
and he will consider himself superior.
When they feel secure,
he will destroy many
and take his stand against the prince of princes.
Yet he will be destroyed,
but not by human power.
"The vision of the evenings and mornings
that has been given you is true,
but seal up the vision,
for it concerns the distant future."
I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days.
Then I got up
and went about the king's business.
I was appalled by the vision;
it was beyond understanding.
(Daniel 8:15-17, 23-27)
Monday, March 23, 2020
TCR 163, 168 - Our Idea of God
TCR 163
. . . a right idea of God
is in the Church
like the sanctuary and altar in the Temple,
and like the crown on the head
and scepter in the hand of a king,
sitting upon his throne.
On this doctrine depends the whole body of theology,
like a chain upon its first link;
and, if you will believe it,
every one has his place in heaven
according to his idea of God . . ..
TCR 168
When it is said that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
are three essentials of one God,
like the soul, body and operation in man,
it appears to the human mind
as if these three essentials were three Persons,
which is impossible;
but when it is understood that the Divine of the Father
which constitutes the soul,
and the Divine of the Son
which constitutes the body,
and the Divine of the Holy Spirit
or the proceeding Divine
which constitutes the operation,
are the three essentials of one God,
the statement becomes comprehensible.
For there is His own Divine which is the Father,
and that which is the Son from the Father,
and also that which is the Holy Spirit
proceeding from both;
and these, being of one essence and of one mind,
together constitute one God.
If, however, these Divinities are called Persons,
and peculiar properties are attributed to each,
as imputation to the Father,
mediation to the Son,
and operation to the Holy Spirit,
then the Divine Essence is divided,
which yet is one and indivisible,
so that no one of the three is God in fullness,
but each in power that is shared by three.
This is a conception which
every man of sound understanding must reject.
. . . a right idea of God
is in the Church
like the sanctuary and altar in the Temple,
and like the crown on the head
and scepter in the hand of a king,
sitting upon his throne.
On this doctrine depends the whole body of theology,
like a chain upon its first link;
and, if you will believe it,
every one has his place in heaven
according to his idea of God . . ..
TCR 168
When it is said that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
are three essentials of one God,
like the soul, body and operation in man,
it appears to the human mind
as if these three essentials were three Persons,
which is impossible;
but when it is understood that the Divine of the Father
which constitutes the soul,
and the Divine of the Son
which constitutes the body,
and the Divine of the Holy Spirit
or the proceeding Divine
which constitutes the operation,
are the three essentials of one God,
the statement becomes comprehensible.
For there is His own Divine which is the Father,
and that which is the Son from the Father,
and also that which is the Holy Spirit
proceeding from both;
and these, being of one essence and of one mind,
together constitute one God.
If, however, these Divinities are called Persons,
and peculiar properties are attributed to each,
as imputation to the Father,
mediation to the Son,
and operation to the Holy Spirit,
then the Divine Essence is divided,
which yet is one and indivisible,
so that no one of the three is God in fullness,
but each in power that is shared by three.
This is a conception which
every man of sound understanding must reject.
~ Daniel Warns King Balshazzar ~
" O king,
the Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar
sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.
Because of the high position He gave him,
all the peoples and nations
and men of every language
dreaded and feared him.
Those the king wanted to put to death,
he put to death;
those he wanted to spare, he spared;
those he wanted to promote, he promoted;
and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.
But when his heart
became arrogant and hardened with pride,
he was deposed from his royal throne
and stripped of his glory.
He was driven away from people
and given the mind of an animal;
he lived with the wild donkeys
and ate grass like cattle;
and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven,
until he acknowledged
that the Most High God
is sovereign over the kingdoms of men
and sets over them anyone He wishes.
"But you his son, O Belshazzar,
have not humbled yourself,
though you knew all this.
Instead,
you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.
(Daniel 5:18-23)
the Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar
sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.
Because of the high position He gave him,
all the peoples and nations
and men of every language
dreaded and feared him.
Those the king wanted to put to death,
he put to death;
those he wanted to spare, he spared;
those he wanted to promote, he promoted;
and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.
But when his heart
became arrogant and hardened with pride,
he was deposed from his royal throne
and stripped of his glory.
He was driven away from people
and given the mind of an animal;
he lived with the wild donkeys
and ate grass like cattle;
and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven,
until he acknowledged
that the Most High God
is sovereign over the kingdoms of men
and sets over them anyone He wishes.
"But you his son, O Belshazzar,
have not humbled yourself,
though you knew all this.
Instead,
you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.
(Daniel 5:18-23)
Sunday, March 22, 2020
TCR 161 - A Grinding Wheel and God's Grace; TCR 162 - Delusive Light, The Lord's Light, and to Falsify the Word
TCR 161 [1, 2]
. . . a mill, and grinding, signif(ies)
to search the Word for what is serviceable to doctrine.
. . . grace on God's part, as it is infinite, is also eternal.
On man's part it may be lost, if he does not accept it;
but if grace were to depart from God,
the whole of heaven as well
as the whole of mankind would perish.
Therefore, grace on God's part endures to eternity,
not only towards angels and men,
but even towards devils in hell.
TCR 162 [2-3, 6, 8]
"What is a delusive light?" they asked,
and they were informed it is a light
arising from the confirmation of falsity
and corresponding to the light of owls and bats,
to which darkness is light and light darkness.
Proof of this was the fact
that when they looked up towards heaven,
where is Light itself,
they saw darkness,
and when they looked down towards the abyss,
where they came from,
they saw light.
. . . presently a voice came to them
from the southern quarter saying:
"Come this way,
and you will see something still more wonderful."
So they went, and entered a room
whose walls shone like gold;
and they saw a table there also,
upon which the Word lay,
decorated all round with precious stones,
arranged in a heavenly design.
The angel attendant said:
"When the Word is opened,
a light of inexpressible brilliance shines from it;
and at the same time from the precious stones
there arises the appearance of a rainbow
over and around the Word.
When an angel from the third heaven approaches,
there appears over and around the Word
a rainbow on a red ground;
when an angel from the second heaven approaches
and looks at it, the rainbow appears on a blue ground;
when an angel from the lowest heaven
approaches and looks,
the rainbow appears on a white ground;
and when a good spirit approaches and looks,
there appears a light variegated like marble."
The truth of this was then demonstrated to them.
The angel attendant continued:
"Should any one approach who has falsified the Word,
the brightness first vanishes.
If he comes nearer and looks on the Word,
there arises the appearance of blood around it,
and he is then warned to depart,
because there is danger."
. . . to falsify the Word is to select truths from it
and apply them to the confirmation of what is false,
which is to separate them from the Word
and destroy them . . ..
. . . a mill, and grinding, signif(ies)
to search the Word for what is serviceable to doctrine.
. . . grace on God's part, as it is infinite, is also eternal.
On man's part it may be lost, if he does not accept it;
but if grace were to depart from God,
the whole of heaven as well
as the whole of mankind would perish.
Therefore, grace on God's part endures to eternity,
not only towards angels and men,
but even towards devils in hell.
TCR 162 [2-3, 6, 8]
"What is a delusive light?" they asked,
and they were informed it is a light
arising from the confirmation of falsity
and corresponding to the light of owls and bats,
to which darkness is light and light darkness.
Proof of this was the fact
that when they looked up towards heaven,
where is Light itself,
they saw darkness,
and when they looked down towards the abyss,
where they came from,
they saw light.
. . . presently a voice came to them
from the southern quarter saying:
"Come this way,
and you will see something still more wonderful."
So they went, and entered a room
whose walls shone like gold;
and they saw a table there also,
upon which the Word lay,
decorated all round with precious stones,
arranged in a heavenly design.
The angel attendant said:
"When the Word is opened,
a light of inexpressible brilliance shines from it;
and at the same time from the precious stones
there arises the appearance of a rainbow
over and around the Word.
When an angel from the third heaven approaches,
there appears over and around the Word
a rainbow on a red ground;
when an angel from the second heaven approaches
and looks at it, the rainbow appears on a blue ground;
when an angel from the lowest heaven
approaches and looks,
the rainbow appears on a white ground;
and when a good spirit approaches and looks,
there appears a light variegated like marble."
The truth of this was then demonstrated to them.
The angel attendant continued:
"Should any one approach who has falsified the Word,
the brightness first vanishes.
If he comes nearer and looks on the Word,
there arises the appearance of blood around it,
and he is then warned to depart,
because there is danger."
. . . to falsify the Word is to select truths from it
and apply them to the confirmation of what is false,
which is to separate them from the Word
and destroy them . . ..
~ Nebuchadnezzar Compels Fake Adoration ~
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of
gold,
ninety feet high and nine feet wide,
and set it up on the plain of Dura
in the province of Babylon.
He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors,
advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,
treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
assembled for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and they stood before it.
Then the herald loudly proclaimed,
"This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples,
nations and men of every language:
As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music,
you must fall down and worship
the image of god that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Whoever does not fall down and worship
will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound
of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music,
all the peoples, nations and men of every language
fell down and worshiped the image of gold
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
At this time some astrologers came forward
and denounced the Jews.
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar,
"O king, live forever!"
(Daniel 3:1-9)
ninety feet high and nine feet wide,
and set it up on the plain of Dura
in the province of Babylon.
He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors,
advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,
treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
assembled for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and they stood before it.
Then the herald loudly proclaimed,
"This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples,
nations and men of every language:
As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music,
you must fall down and worship
the image of god that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Whoever does not fall down and worship
will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound
of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music,
all the peoples, nations and men of every language
fell down and worshiped the image of gold
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
At this time some astrologers came forward
and denounced the Jews.
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar,
"O king, live forever!"
(Daniel 3:1-9)
Saturday, March 21, 2020
TCR 158 - The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments
TCR 158
. . . the Holy Spirit is nowhere named
in the Old Testament Word,
but only 'the Spirit of holiness' in three passages,
one in the Psalms of David (Ps. 51:11),
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy spirit from me.
and two in Isaiah (63:10, 11-12).
Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.
So He turned and became their enemy
and He Himself fought against them.
Then His people recalled the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people --
where is He who brought them through the sea,
withe the shepherd of His flock?
Where is He who set His Holy Spirit among them,
who sent His glorious arm of power
to be at Moses' right hand . . ..
But there are frequent references
in the New Testament Word,
as much in the Gospels
as in the Acts of the Apostles and in their Epistles.
The reason is that the Holy Spirit first existed
when the Lord came into the world,
for it came out of Him from the Father;
for 'the Lord alone is holy' (Rev. 15:4).
For this reason too
the angel Gabriel
speaking to Mary the mother of Jesus said
'the Holy Thing which will be born of you' (Luke 1:35).
The reason why we read 'The Holy Spirit was not yet,
because Jesus was not yet glorified' (John 7:39),
although it was said earlier
that the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth (Luke 1:41)
and Zechariah (Luke 1:67),
as well as Simeon (Luke 2:25),
was that it was the spirit of Jehovah the Father
which filled them;
and it was called the Holy Spirit
because the Lord was already at that time in the world.
This is why nowhere in the Old Testament Word
does it say that the Prophets
spoke from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah.
For everywhere we read 'Jehovah spoke to me',
'The Word from Jehovah came to me',
'Jehovah said', 'The saying of Jehovah.'
. . . the Holy Spirit is nowhere named
in the Old Testament Word,
but only 'the Spirit of holiness' in three passages,
one in the Psalms of David (Ps. 51:11),
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy spirit from me.
and two in Isaiah (63:10, 11-12).
Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.
So He turned and became their enemy
and He Himself fought against them.
Then His people recalled the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people --
where is He who brought them through the sea,
withe the shepherd of His flock?
Where is He who set His Holy Spirit among them,
who sent His glorious arm of power
to be at Moses' right hand . . ..
But there are frequent references
in the New Testament Word,
as much in the Gospels
as in the Acts of the Apostles and in their Epistles.
The reason is that the Holy Spirit first existed
when the Lord came into the world,
for it came out of Him from the Father;
for 'the Lord alone is holy' (Rev. 15:4).
For this reason too
the angel Gabriel
speaking to Mary the mother of Jesus said
'the Holy Thing which will be born of you' (Luke 1:35).
The reason why we read 'The Holy Spirit was not yet,
because Jesus was not yet glorified' (John 7:39),
although it was said earlier
that the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth (Luke 1:41)
and Zechariah (Luke 1:67),
as well as Simeon (Luke 2:25),
was that it was the spirit of Jehovah the Father
which filled them;
and it was called the Holy Spirit
because the Lord was already at that time in the world.
This is why nowhere in the Old Testament Word
does it say that the Prophets
spoke from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah.
For everywhere we read 'Jehovah spoke to me',
'The Word from Jehovah came to me',
'Jehovah said', 'The saying of Jehovah.'
~ Daniel Praises the Lord ~
In the second year of his reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;
his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
So the king summoned
the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers
to tell him what he had dreamed.
When they came in and stood before the King,
he said to them,
"I have had a dream that troubles me
and I want to know what it means."
. . . During the night
the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.
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 make known to me what we asked of You,
You have made known to us the dream of the king."
(Daniel @:1-3, 19-23)
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;
his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
So the king summoned
the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers
to tell him what he had dreamed.
When they came in and stood before the King,
he said to them,
"I have had a dream that troubles me
and I want to know what it means."
. . . During the night
the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.
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 make known to me what we asked of You,
You have made known to us the dream of the king."
(Daniel @:1-3, 19-23)
Friday, March 20, 2020
TCR 154 - Angels; TCR 155 - Enlightenment; TCR 156 - A Person's Spirit
TCR 154
All the angels in heaven are filled with the Lord,
for they are in the Lord and the Lord in them;
but nevertheless each speaks and acts
according to the state of his own mind,
some simply, some wisely, thus with infinite variety,
and yet every one speaks (and acts)
of himself from the Lord.
TCR 155
. . . enlightenment, which comes from the Lord,
is changed into varied forms of light and heat
in every individual,
according to the state of his mind.
TCR 156
By a person's spirit, in the strict sense of the term,
is meant simply his mind,
for it is this which lives after death,
and is then called a spirit;
if good, an angelic spirit, and afterwards an angel;
but if evil, a satanic spirit, and afterwards a satan.
The mind of every person is the internal,
or real person, and is within the external person,
which constitutes its body;
therefore, when the body is laid aside at death,
the internal person is in a complete human form.
So they are mistaken who suppose
that a person's mind is only in his head.
All the angels in heaven are filled with the Lord,
for they are in the Lord and the Lord in them;
but nevertheless each speaks and acts
according to the state of his own mind,
some simply, some wisely, thus with infinite variety,
and yet every one speaks (and acts)
of himself from the Lord.
TCR 155
. . . enlightenment, which comes from the Lord,
is changed into varied forms of light and heat
in every individual,
according to the state of his mind.
TCR 156
By a person's spirit, in the strict sense of the term,
is meant simply his mind,
for it is this which lives after death,
and is then called a spirit;
if good, an angelic spirit, and afterwards an angel;
but if evil, a satanic spirit, and afterwards a satan.
The mind of every person is the internal,
or real person, and is within the external person,
which constitutes its body;
therefore, when the body is laid aside at death,
the internal person is in a complete human form.
So they are mistaken who suppose
that a person's mind is only in his head.
~ The Gates of the City ~ Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah ~
"These will be the exits of the city:
Beginning on the north side,
which is 4,500 cubits long,
the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel.
The three gates on the north side will be
the gate of Reuben,
the gate of Judah
and the gate of Levi.
"On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long,
will be three gates:
the gate of Joseph,
the gate of Benjamin
and the gate of Dan.
"On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits,
will be three gates:
the gate of Simeon,
the gate of Issachar
and the gate of Zebulun.
"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long,
will be three gates:
the gate of Gad,
the gate of Asher
and the gate of Naphtali.
"The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
The Lord Is There."
(Ezekiel 48:30-35)
________________________
Among these were some from Judah:
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The chief official gave them new names:
To Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;
to Hananiah, Shadrach;
to Mishael, Meshach;
and to Azariah, Abednego.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in,
the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
The king talked with them,
and he found none equal to
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah;
so they entered the king's service.
In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters
in his whole kingdom.
(Daniel 1:6-7, 18-20)
Beginning on the north side,
which is 4,500 cubits long,
the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel.
The three gates on the north side will be
the gate of Reuben,
the gate of Judah
and the gate of Levi.
"On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long,
will be three gates:
the gate of Joseph,
the gate of Benjamin
and the gate of Dan.
"On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits,
will be three gates:
the gate of Simeon,
the gate of Issachar
and the gate of Zebulun.
"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long,
will be three gates:
the gate of Gad,
the gate of Asher
and the gate of Naphtali.
"The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
The Lord Is There."
(Ezekiel 48:30-35)
________________________
Among these were some from Judah:
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The chief official gave them new names:
To Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;
to Hananiah, Shadrach;
to Mishael, Meshach;
and to Azariah, Abednego.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in,
the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
The king talked with them,
and he found none equal to
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah;
so they entered the king's service.
In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters
in his whole kingdom.
(Daniel 1:6-7, 18-20)
Thursday, March 19, 2020
TCR 142 - Divine Truth from Good; TCR 151 - To Believe On the Lord
TCR 142
By means of Divine truth from good,
that is, by means of faith from charity,
a person is reformed and regenerated;
then renewed, quickened, sanctified and justified;
and according as those virtues progress and develop,
he is also purified from evils:
and purification from these is the remission of sins.
. . . It should be known that the Lord without ceasing
renders effective those saving graces in every person,
for they are the steps to heaven,
and the Lord wills the salvation of all people;
thus the salvation of all is the end He has in view,
and He who wills the end also wills the means.
TCR 151
To believe on the Lord
is not only to acknowledge Him
but also to keep His commandments;
for the mere acknowledgment of Him
is only a matter thought
from some measure of understanding;
while the keeping of His commandments
is also a matter of acknowledgment,
but from the will.
The mind of a person consists of understanding and will,
and it is the part of the understanding to think
and of the will to act.
Therefore, when a person only acknowledges the Lord
from the thought of his understanding,
he approaches the Lord with only half his mind;
but when he keeps His commandments,
he approaches Him with his whole mind,
and this is to believe.
By means of Divine truth from good,
that is, by means of faith from charity,
a person is reformed and regenerated;
then renewed, quickened, sanctified and justified;
and according as those virtues progress and develop,
he is also purified from evils:
and purification from these is the remission of sins.
. . . It should be known that the Lord without ceasing
renders effective those saving graces in every person,
for they are the steps to heaven,
and the Lord wills the salvation of all people;
thus the salvation of all is the end He has in view,
and He who wills the end also wills the means.
TCR 151
To believe on the Lord
is not only to acknowledge Him
but also to keep His commandments;
for the mere acknowledgment of Him
is only a matter thought
from some measure of understanding;
while the keeping of His commandments
is also a matter of acknowledgment,
but from the will.
The mind of a person consists of understanding and will,
and it is the part of the understanding to think
and of the will to act.
Therefore, when a person only acknowledges the Lord
from the thought of his understanding,
he approaches the Lord with only half his mind;
but when he keeps His commandments,
he approaches Him with his whole mind,
and this is to believe.
~ Opposite Gates ~
"'When the people of the land
come before the Lord at the appointed feasts,
whoever enters by the north gate to worship
is to go out the south gate;
and whoever enters by the south gate
is to go out the north gate.
No one is to return through the gate by which he entered,
but each is to go out the opposite gate.
(Ezekiel 46:9-10)
come before the Lord at the appointed feasts,
whoever enters by the north gate to worship
is to go out the south gate;
and whoever enters by the south gate
is to go out the north gate.
No one is to return through the gate by which he entered,
but each is to go out the opposite gate.
(Ezekiel 46:9-10)
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
TCR 139, 140 - The Holy Spirit
TCR 139 [1, 3]
The Holy Spirit, strictly speaking,
signifies the Divine Truth, thus also the Word;
and in this sense the Lord Himself is also the Holy Spirit.
. . . the Divine Operation is effected
by means of the Divine Truth,
which proceeds from the Lord;
and that which proceeds
is of one and the same essence
with Him from whom it proceeds;
like these three,
the soul, the body and the proceeding activity,
which together constitute one essence.
With man this is merely human,
but with the Lord it is Divine and at the same time Human,
such a union having been effected after glorification
as exists between what is prior and its posterior,
and between an essence and its form.
Thus the three Essentials,
which are called Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
are one in the Lord.
Since the Lord is Truth itself,
then everything that proceeds from Him is truth,
and this is what is meant by the Comforter,
who is also called the Spirit of Truth and the Holy Spirit.
TCR 140
He breathed on His disciples and said,
Receive the Holy Spirit.
(John 20:22)
The reason why the Lord breathed on the disciples
and said this
was that breathing on was the external sign
standing for inspiration by God;
and inspiration means
being brought into contact with communities of angels.
This will allow the understanding to grasp
what the angel Gabriel said about the Lord's conception:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
so that the holy thing that is born of you
will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit, strictly speaking,
signifies the Divine Truth, thus also the Word;
and in this sense the Lord Himself is also the Holy Spirit.
. . . the Divine Operation is effected
by means of the Divine Truth,
which proceeds from the Lord;
and that which proceeds
is of one and the same essence
with Him from whom it proceeds;
like these three,
the soul, the body and the proceeding activity,
which together constitute one essence.
With man this is merely human,
but with the Lord it is Divine and at the same time Human,
such a union having been effected after glorification
as exists between what is prior and its posterior,
and between an essence and its form.
Thus the three Essentials,
which are called Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
are one in the Lord.
Since the Lord is Truth itself,
then everything that proceeds from Him is truth,
and this is what is meant by the Comforter,
who is also called the Spirit of Truth and the Holy Spirit.
TCR 140
He breathed on His disciples and said,
Receive the Holy Spirit.
(John 20:22)
The reason why the Lord breathed on the disciples
and said this
was that breathing on was the external sign
standing for inspiration by God;
and inspiration means
being brought into contact with communities of angels.
This will allow the understanding to grasp
what the angel Gabriel said about the Lord's conception:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
so that the holy thing that is born of you
will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:35)
~ The Outer Sanctuary Door ~
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 say the glory of the Lord
filling the temple of the Lord,
and I fell face down.
(Ezekiel 44:1-4)
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 say the glory of the Lord
filling the temple of the Lord,
and I fell face down.
(Ezekiel 44:1-4)
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
TCR 136 - The Right Hand of God
TCR 136 [4, 5}
To sit at the right hand
does not mean literally to sit at the right hand,
but it signifies the omnipotence of God
by means of the Human
which He assumed in the world.
By this He is in last things as He is in first;
and by this He entered into,
destroyed and subdued the hells,
and also restored the heavens to order.
Thus He redeemed both men and angels,
and continues to redeem them to eternity.
If you consult the Word,
and are capable of being enlightened,
you will see that by the right hand
is there signified omnipotence . . . :
My hand founded the earth,
and my right hand hammered out the heavens.
(Isaiah 48:13)
God has sworn by his right hand
and by the arm of his strength.
(Isaiah 62:8)
Your right hand sustains me.
(Psalms 18:35)
. . . the right hand of God signifies omnipotence.
To sit at the right hand
does not mean literally to sit at the right hand,
but it signifies the omnipotence of God
by means of the Human
which He assumed in the world.
By this He is in last things as He is in first;
and by this He entered into,
destroyed and subdued the hells,
and also restored the heavens to order.
Thus He redeemed both men and angels,
and continues to redeem them to eternity.
If you consult the Word,
and are capable of being enlightened,
you will see that by the right hand
is there signified omnipotence . . . :
My hand founded the earth,
and my right hand hammered out the heavens.
(Isaiah 48:13)
God has sworn by his right hand
and by the arm of his strength.
(Isaiah 62:8)
Your right hand sustains me.
(Psalms 18:35)
. . . the right hand of God signifies omnipotence.
~ A Bit About the Temple Ezekiel Sees ~
The outer sanctuary, the inner sanctuary
and the portico facing the court,
as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows
and galleries around the three of them --
everything beyond and including the threshold
was covered with wood.
The floor, the wall up to the windows,
and the windows were covered.
In the space above the outside of the entrance
to the inner sanctuary
and on the walls at regular intervals all around
the inner and outer sanctuary
were carved cherubim and palm trees.
Palm trees alternated with cherubim.
Each cherub had two faces:
the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side
and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other.
They were cared all around the whole temple.
From the floor to the area above the entrance,
cherubim and palm trees were carved
on the wall of the outer sanctuary.
. . . 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.
The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen
when He came to destroy the city
and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River,
and I fell facedown.
The glory of the Lord entered the temple
through the gate facing east.
Then the Spirit lifted me up
and brought me into the inner court,
and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
(Ezekiel 41:15.5-20; 43:1-5)
and the portico facing the court,
as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows
and galleries around the three of them --
everything beyond and including the threshold
was covered with wood.
The floor, the wall up to the windows,
and the windows were covered.
In the space above the outside of the entrance
to the inner sanctuary
and on the walls at regular intervals all around
the inner and outer sanctuary
were carved cherubim and palm trees.
Palm trees alternated with cherubim.
Each cherub had two faces:
the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side
and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other.
They were cared all around the whole temple.
From the floor to the area above the entrance,
cherubim and palm trees were carved
on the wall of the outer sanctuary.
. . . 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.
The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen
when He came to destroy the city
and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River,
and I fell facedown.
The glory of the Lord entered the temple
through the gate facing east.
Then the Spirit lifted me up
and brought me into the inner court,
and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
(Ezekiel 41:15.5-20; 43:1-5)
Monday, March 16, 2020
TCR 132, 133 - The Idea of God and Redemption; TCR 135 - How the Lord Works and the Appearances
TCR 132, 133
It is a fundamental error of the Church to believe
that the passion of the cross was redemption itself;
and this error, together with
that concerning three Divine Persons from eternity,
has perverted the whole Church
so that nothing spiritual remains in it.
From this idea concerning God and redemption
all theology, from being spiritual,
has become natural to the lowest degree.
This is the necessary result
of ascribing merely natural properties to God;
and yet on the idea of God,
and on the idea of redemption
which makes one with salvation,
everything of the Church depends.
TCR 135 [4-6]
Now since God the Father in Himself is of such a nature,
He was pleased to assume the Human
and in this to admit men to Himself,
and so hear and talk with them.
It is this Human which is called the Son of God,
and which mediates, intercedes, propitiates and expiates.
I will explain therefore what is signified
by those four terms used
in reference to the Human of God the Father.
Mediation signifies that the Human is a medium
by which a man may come to God the Father,
and God the Father to him,
and so teach and lead him that he may be saved.
Therefore the Son of God,
by whom is meant the Human of God the Father,
is called the Savior,
and on earth Jesus, that is, Salvation.
Intercession signifies perpetual mediation,
for Love itself, to which belong
mercy, pity and grace, perpetually intercedes,
that is, mediates for those who do His commandments,
and whom therefore He loves.
Expiation signifies the removal of sins
in which a man would become immersed
were he to approach Jehovah
not clothed with His Human.
Propitiation signifies the operation of pity and grace,
to prevent a man from bringing himself
into condemnation by sin;
and it likewise signifies protection,
lest he should profane what is holy.
This was the signification of
the mercy-seat over the ark in the tabernacle.
It is well known that God spoke in the Word
according to appearances,
as when it is said that He is angry,
that He avenges, tempts, punishes, casts into hell,
condemns, and even that He does evil;
when yet He shows anger to no one,
never takes revenge, tempts, punishes,
casts into hell, nor does He condemn;
such things are as far removed from God
as hell is from heaven, and infinitely farther.
They are forms of speech then,
used only according to appearances.
Such also in another sense are
expiation, propitiation, intercession and mediation;
for these are forms of speech expressive
of approach to God
and of grace from God through His Human.
Because these have not been understood
men have divided God into three,
and upon these three
have founded the whole doctrine of the Church,
and so have falsified the Word.
Hence has arisen, 'the abomination of desolation'
foretold by the Lord in Daniel, and again in Matthew xxiv.
It is a fundamental error of the Church to believe
that the passion of the cross was redemption itself;
and this error, together with
that concerning three Divine Persons from eternity,
has perverted the whole Church
so that nothing spiritual remains in it.
From this idea concerning God and redemption
all theology, from being spiritual,
has become natural to the lowest degree.
This is the necessary result
of ascribing merely natural properties to God;
and yet on the idea of God,
and on the idea of redemption
which makes one with salvation,
everything of the Church depends.
TCR 135 [4-6]
Now since God the Father in Himself is of such a nature,
He was pleased to assume the Human
and in this to admit men to Himself,
and so hear and talk with them.
It is this Human which is called the Son of God,
and which mediates, intercedes, propitiates and expiates.
I will explain therefore what is signified
by those four terms used
in reference to the Human of God the Father.
Mediation signifies that the Human is a medium
by which a man may come to God the Father,
and God the Father to him,
and so teach and lead him that he may be saved.
Therefore the Son of God,
by whom is meant the Human of God the Father,
is called the Savior,
and on earth Jesus, that is, Salvation.
Intercession signifies perpetual mediation,
for Love itself, to which belong
mercy, pity and grace, perpetually intercedes,
that is, mediates for those who do His commandments,
and whom therefore He loves.
Expiation signifies the removal of sins
in which a man would become immersed
were he to approach Jehovah
not clothed with His Human.
Propitiation signifies the operation of pity and grace,
to prevent a man from bringing himself
into condemnation by sin;
and it likewise signifies protection,
lest he should profane what is holy.
This was the signification of
the mercy-seat over the ark in the tabernacle.
It is well known that God spoke in the Word
according to appearances,
as when it is said that He is angry,
that He avenges, tempts, punishes, casts into hell,
condemns, and even that He does evil;
when yet He shows anger to no one,
never takes revenge, tempts, punishes,
casts into hell, nor does He condemn;
such things are as far removed from God
as hell is from heaven, and infinitely farther.
They are forms of speech then,
used only according to appearances.
Such also in another sense are
expiation, propitiation, intercession and mediation;
for these are forms of speech expressive
of approach to God
and of grace from God through His Human.
Because these have not been understood
men have divided God into three,
and upon these three
have founded the whole doctrine of the Church,
and so have falsified the Word.
Hence has arisen, 'the abomination of desolation'
foretold by the Lord in Daniel, and again in Matthew xxiv.
~ Ezekiel Sees a Man With a Linen Cord and a Measuring Rod ~
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)
Sunday, March 15, 2020
TCR 126 - Our Salvation Required the Redemption and Glorification of His Human; TCR 130 - The Lord as The Prophet and His Passion
TCR 126
There are two things
for which the Lord came into the world,
and by means of which He effected
the salvation of men and angels,
namely, redemption and the glorification of His Human.
These two are distinct from each other,
but yet they make one with regard to salvation.
It has been shown in the preceding articles
that redemption was a combat with the hells,
their subjugation,
and afterwards
the orderly arrangement of the heavens;
but glorification was the uniting
of the Lord's Human with the Divine of His Father,
which was effected gradually,
and fully completed by the passion of the cross.
For every man, on his part,
ought to approach God;
and as man approaches,
so God on His part, enters.
TCR 130 [3]
The Lord as The Prophet represented
the state of the Jewish Church with respect to the Word,
as is evident from the particulars of His passion:
as that He was betrayed by Judas,
and was taken and condemned
by the chief priests and elders;
that they buffeted Him,
smote His head with a reed,
and put on Him a crown of thorns;
that they divided His garments
and cast lots upon His vesture;
that they crucified Him,
gave Him vinegar to drink,
and pierced His side;
that He was buried,
and on the third day rose again.
-- His betrayal by Judas signified
that He was betrayed by the Jewish nation,
which at that time possessed the Word
and which was represented by Judas.
-- His being taken and condemned
by the chief priests and elders signified
that it was done by the whole of that Church.
-- Their buffeting Him, spitting upon His face,
scourging Him, and smiting His head with a reed,
signified that they acted in like manner
toward the Word, with respect to its Divine truths;
-- and their putting a crown of thorns upon Him
signified that they had falsified
and adulterated those truths.
-- Their dividing His garments
and casting lots upon His vesture
signified that they had dissipated
all the truths of the Word,
but had not injured its spiritual sense,
which the Lord's vesture represented.
-- His crucifixion signified
that they had destroyed and profaned the whole Word.
-- Their offering Him vinegar to drink
signified that the truths of the Word
were altogether falsified,
and therefore He did not drink it.
-- Their piercing His side signified
that they had totally extinguished
all the truth and all the good of the Word.
-- His burial signified
the removal of what yet remained from the mother,
-- and His rising again the third day
signified the glorification, or union
of His Human with the Divine of the Father.
So it is clear that to bear iniquities
does not mean to take them away:
it represents the profanation of the truths of the Word.
There are two things
for which the Lord came into the world,
and by means of which He effected
the salvation of men and angels,
namely, redemption and the glorification of His Human.
These two are distinct from each other,
but yet they make one with regard to salvation.
It has been shown in the preceding articles
that redemption was a combat with the hells,
their subjugation,
and afterwards
the orderly arrangement of the heavens;
but glorification was the uniting
of the Lord's Human with the Divine of His Father,
which was effected gradually,
and fully completed by the passion of the cross.
For every man, on his part,
ought to approach God;
and as man approaches,
so God on His part, enters.
TCR 130 [3]
The Lord as The Prophet represented
the state of the Jewish Church with respect to the Word,
as is evident from the particulars of His passion:
as that He was betrayed by Judas,
and was taken and condemned
by the chief priests and elders;
that they buffeted Him,
smote His head with a reed,
and put on Him a crown of thorns;
that they divided His garments
and cast lots upon His vesture;
that they crucified Him,
gave Him vinegar to drink,
and pierced His side;
that He was buried,
and on the third day rose again.
-- His betrayal by Judas signified
that He was betrayed by the Jewish nation,
which at that time possessed the Word
and which was represented by Judas.
-- His being taken and condemned
by the chief priests and elders signified
that it was done by the whole of that Church.
-- Their buffeting Him, spitting upon His face,
scourging Him, and smiting His head with a reed,
signified that they acted in like manner
toward the Word, with respect to its Divine truths;
-- and their putting a crown of thorns upon Him
signified that they had falsified
and adulterated those truths.
-- Their dividing His garments
and casting lots upon His vesture
signified that they had dissipated
all the truths of the Word,
but had not injured its spiritual sense,
which the Lord's vesture represented.
-- His crucifixion signified
that they had destroyed and profaned the whole Word.
-- Their offering Him vinegar to drink
signified that the truths of the Word
were altogether falsified,
and therefore He did not drink it.
-- Their piercing His side signified
that they had totally extinguished
all the truth and all the good of the Word.
-- His burial signified
the removal of what yet remained from the mother,
-- and His rising again the third day
signified the glorification, or union
of His Human with the Divine of the Father.
So it is clear that to bear iniquities
does not mean to take them away:
it represents the profanation of the truths of the Word.
~ The Lord Warns Gog ~
"'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 spoken of.'"
(Ezekiel 39:7-8)
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 spoken of.'"
(Ezekiel 39:7-8)
Saturday, March 14, 2020
TCR 118 - Short Explanation of Redemption
TCR 118
To redeem means to deliver from condemnation,
to save from eternal death, to rescue from hell,
and to release the captive and the bound
from the power of the devil.
This the Lord did by subduing the hells
and founding a new heaven.
Mankind could not otherwise have been saved,
because the spiritual world
is so connected with the natural
that they cannot be separated.
The connection is primarily with the interiors of men,
called their souls and minds,
those of good men
being connected with the souls and minds of angels,
and those of evil men
with the souls and minds of infernal spirits.
So close is this connection
that if angels and spirits were removed from a man,
he would fall down dead, like a log;
and in the same way they would cease to exist
if men were withdrawn from them.
Hence it is plain why
redemption took place in the spiritual world,
and why heaven and hell
had to be reduced to order
before a Church could be established on earth.
That this is so is very evident
from what is said in the Book of Revelation,
that after the new heaven was formed,
there came down out of that heaven the New Jerusalem,
which is the New Church.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
(Revelation 21:1-2)
To redeem means to deliver from condemnation,
to save from eternal death, to rescue from hell,
and to release the captive and the bound
from the power of the devil.
This the Lord did by subduing the hells
and founding a new heaven.
Mankind could not otherwise have been saved,
because the spiritual world
is so connected with the natural
that they cannot be separated.
The connection is primarily with the interiors of men,
called their souls and minds,
those of good men
being connected with the souls and minds of angels,
and those of evil men
with the souls and minds of infernal spirits.
So close is this connection
that if angels and spirits were removed from a man,
he would fall down dead, like a log;
and in the same way they would cease to exist
if men were withdrawn from them.
Hence it is plain why
redemption took place in the spiritual world,
and why heaven and hell
had to be reduced to order
before a Church could be established on earth.
That this is so is very evident
from what is said in the Book of Revelation,
that after the new heaven was formed,
there came down out of that heaven the New Jerusalem,
which is the New Church.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
(Revelation 21:1-2)
~ "I Will Show Myself Holy" ~
"Therefore say to the house of Israel,
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
It is not for your sake, O house of Israel,
that I am going to do these things,
but for the sake of My holy name,
which you have profaned among the nations
where you have gone.
I will show the holiness of My great name,
which has been profaned among the nations,
the name you have profaned among them.
Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,
declares the Sovereign Lord,
when I show Myself holy
through you before their eyes."
(Ezekiel 36:22-23)
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
It is not for your sake, O house of Israel,
that I am going to do these things,
but for the sake of My holy name,
which you have profaned among the nations
where you have gone.
I will show the holiness of My great name,
which has been profaned among the nations,
the name you have profaned among them.
Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,
declares the Sovereign Lord,
when I show Myself holy
through you before their eyes."
(Ezekiel 36:22-23)
Friday, March 13, 2020
TCR 114 - The Two Offices of the Lord; TCR 118 - By Redemption the Lord Separated the Good and the Evil
TCR 114
It is acknowledged throughout the Church
that to the Lord there pertain two offices,
that of priest and that of king;
but as few persons know in what these offices consist
it shall now be explained.
The Lord, from the office of priest, is called Jesus,
and Christ from the office of king.
In the Word also, from the office of priest,
He is called Jehovah and Lord,
and from the office of king,
God and the Holy One of Israel, as well as King.
These two offices are distinct from each other
like love and wisdom,
or what is the same, like goodness and truth.
Therefore whatever the Lord did,
and whatever function He performed,
from Divine Love or Divine Good,
He did from His priestly office;
but whatever He did from Divine Wisdom or Divine Truth,
He did from His kingly office.
In the Word also
priest and priesthood signify Divine Good,
and king and kingship signify Divine Truth . . ..
Redemption itself was the subjugation of the hells,
the orderly arrangement of the heavens,
and thus the preparation for a New Spiritual Church.
TCR 117
. . . the Lord, by redemption . . .
separated the good from the evil,
and had cast the latter into hell
and taken the former into heaven.
What would become of an empire or kingdom,
if there were no justice and judgment
to remove the evil from among the good,
and to protect the good from molestation,
so that every man might
dwell in the security of his own home,
and, as it is expressed in the Word,
sit in peace under his own vine
and under his own fig-tree?
It is acknowledged throughout the Church
that to the Lord there pertain two offices,
that of priest and that of king;
but as few persons know in what these offices consist
it shall now be explained.
The Lord, from the office of priest, is called Jesus,
and Christ from the office of king.
In the Word also, from the office of priest,
He is called Jehovah and Lord,
and from the office of king,
God and the Holy One of Israel, as well as King.
These two offices are distinct from each other
like love and wisdom,
or what is the same, like goodness and truth.
Therefore whatever the Lord did,
and whatever function He performed,
from Divine Love or Divine Good,
He did from His priestly office;
but whatever He did from Divine Wisdom or Divine Truth,
He did from His kingly office.
In the Word also
priest and priesthood signify Divine Good,
and king and kingship signify Divine Truth . . ..
Redemption itself was the subjugation of the hells,
the orderly arrangement of the heavens,
and thus the preparation for a New Spiritual Church.
TCR 117
. . . the Lord, by redemption . . .
separated the good from the evil,
and had cast the latter into hell
and taken the former into heaven.
What would become of an empire or kingdom,
if there were no justice and judgment
to remove the evil from among the good,
and to protect the good from molestation,
so that every man might
dwell in the security of his own home,
and, as it is expressed in the Word,
sit in peace under his own vine
and under his own fig-tree?
~ The Lord Is Just ~
"Yet your countrymen say,
'The way of the Lord is not just.'
But it is their way that is not just.
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness
and does evil,
he will die for it.
And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness
and does what is just and right,
he will live by doing so.
Yet, O house of Israel, you say,
'The way of the Lord is not just.'
But I will judge each of you
according to his own ways."
(Ezekiel 33:17-20)
'The way of the Lord is not just.'
But it is their way that is not just.
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness
and does evil,
he will die for it.
And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness
and does what is just and right,
he will live by doing so.
Yet, O house of Israel, you say,
'The way of the Lord is not just.'
But I will judge each of you
according to his own ways."
(Ezekiel 33:17-20)
Thursday, March 12, 2020
TCR 113 - The Visible Divine Human
TCR 113 [6, 8]
"Thereupon we said to them:
'We are from a Society in heaven which is called Michael,
and we have been sent to see you,
and to inquire whether you,
who are assembled in this place,
have any religion or not;
for the idea of God enters into everything of religion,
and by it conjunction is effected,
and by conjunction, salvation.
We in heaven, like men on earth, repeat that prayer daily,
and in doing so we do not think of God the Father,
because He is invisible,
but we think of Him in His Divine Human,
because in this He is visible;
and in this He is by you called Christ,
but by us the Lord,
and thus the Lord to us is the Father in the heavens.
Moreover, the Lord taught us
that He and the Father are one;
that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father;
and that he who sees Him, sees the Father.
He taught also
that no one comes to the Father but by Him;
and that it is the will of the Father
that men should believe on the Son;
and that he that believes not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abides on him.
From these passages it is clear
that the Father is to be approached
through Him and in Him;
and since this is the case,
He also taught that all power
is given Him in heaven and on earth.
It is said in that prayer,
"Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come:"
and we have shown from the Word
that His Divine Human is the Father's name,
and that the Father's kingdom then comes
when the Lord is approached directly,
and not when God the Father is approached directly.
Therefore also the Lord commanded His disciples
to preach the kingdom of God;
and this is the kingdom of God.'
. . . at this day the Lord is establishing a New Church
which is signified by
the New Jerusalem in the Revelation,
in which there will be the worship of the Lord alone,
as in heaven,
and that thus everything contained in the Lord's Prayer
from beginning to end will be fulfilled.
"Thereupon we said to them:
'We are from a Society in heaven which is called Michael,
and we have been sent to see you,
and to inquire whether you,
who are assembled in this place,
have any religion or not;
for the idea of God enters into everything of religion,
and by it conjunction is effected,
and by conjunction, salvation.
We in heaven, like men on earth, repeat that prayer daily,
and in doing so we do not think of God the Father,
because He is invisible,
but we think of Him in His Divine Human,
because in this He is visible;
and in this He is by you called Christ,
but by us the Lord,
and thus the Lord to us is the Father in the heavens.
Moreover, the Lord taught us
that He and the Father are one;
that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father;
and that he who sees Him, sees the Father.
He taught also
that no one comes to the Father but by Him;
and that it is the will of the Father
that men should believe on the Son;
and that he that believes not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abides on him.
From these passages it is clear
that the Father is to be approached
through Him and in Him;
and since this is the case,
He also taught that all power
is given Him in heaven and on earth.
It is said in that prayer,
"Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come:"
and we have shown from the Word
that His Divine Human is the Father's name,
and that the Father's kingdom then comes
when the Lord is approached directly,
and not when God the Father is approached directly.
Therefore also the Lord commanded His disciples
to preach the kingdom of God;
and this is the kingdom of God.'
. . . at this day the Lord is establishing a New Church
which is signified by
the New Jerusalem in the Revelation,
in which there will be the worship of the Lord alone,
as in heaven,
and that thus everything contained in the Lord's Prayer
from beginning to end will be fulfilled.
~ Once A Cedar in Lebanon ~
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 to 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 is 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 the all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.
"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because it towered on high,
lifting its top above the thick foliage,
and because it was proud of its height,
I handed it over to the ruler of the nations,
for him to deal with according to its wickedness.
I cast it aside,
and the most ruthless of foreign nations
cut it down and left it.
Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;
its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land.
All the nations of the earth
came out from under its shade and left it.
All the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree,
and all the beasts of the field
were among its branches.
therefore no other trees by the waters
are ever to tower proudly on high,
lifting their tops above the thick foliage.
No other trees so well-watered
are ever to reach such a height;
they are all destined for death,
for the earth below,
among mortal men,
with those who go down to the pit.'"
(Ezekiel 31:1-14)
the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man,
say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to 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 is 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 the all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.
"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because it towered on high,
lifting its top above the thick foliage,
and because it was proud of its height,
I handed it over to the ruler of the nations,
for him to deal with according to its wickedness.
I cast it aside,
and the most ruthless of foreign nations
cut it down and left it.
Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;
its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land.
All the nations of the earth
came out from under its shade and left it.
All the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree,
and all the beasts of the field
were among its branches.
therefore no other trees by the waters
are ever to tower proudly on high,
lifting their tops above the thick foliage.
No other trees so well-watered
are ever to reach such a height;
they are all destined for death,
for the earth below,
among mortal men,
with those who go down to the pit.'"
(Ezekiel 31:1-14)
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
TCR 92 - The Son Of; TCR 97, 100 - Union
TCR 92
The Lord frequently declared that the Father sent Him,
and that He was sent by the Father . . ..
He speaks thus because by being sent into the world
is meant descending and coming among men;
and this was done by means of the Human
which He assumed through the Virgin Mary.
The Human is also actually the Son of God,
because it was conceived of Jehovah God as Father,
according to Luke 1: 32, 35.
But the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
you have found favor with God.
You will be with Child and give birth to a son,
and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give Him
the throne of His father David,
and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
His kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel,
"since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will over shadow you.
So the holy one to be born
will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:30-35)
He is called the Son of God,
the Son of Man,
and the Son of Mary.
By the Son of God
is meant Jehovah God in His Human,
by the Son of Man
the Lord as to the Word,
and by the Son of Mary
the Human, strictly so-called, which He assumed.
. . . by the Son of Mary is meant merely the Human,
because the soul is from the father
and the body from the mother.
For the soul is in the seed of the father,
and this is clothed with a body in the mother;
or what is the same,
all that is spiritual in man is from the father,
and all that is material is from the mother.
In the case of the Lord,
what was Divine in Him was from Jehovah the Father,
and what was Human was from the mother;
and these two united are the Son of God.
TCR 97
Union was effected by the acts of redemption,
because the Lord performed those by His Human,
and as He did so,
the Divine, by which is meant the Father,
drew nearer, assisted and co-operated;
and at length they were so united
as to be not two but one.
This union is the Glorification . . ..
TCR 100
. . . it is a sure and immutable law
that so far as a person draws near to the Lord,
the Lord draws near to him.
The Lord frequently declared that the Father sent Him,
and that He was sent by the Father . . ..
He speaks thus because by being sent into the world
is meant descending and coming among men;
and this was done by means of the Human
which He assumed through the Virgin Mary.
The Human is also actually the Son of God,
because it was conceived of Jehovah God as Father,
according to Luke 1: 32, 35.
But the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
you have found favor with God.
You will be with Child and give birth to a son,
and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give Him
the throne of His father David,
and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
His kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel,
"since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will over shadow you.
So the holy one to be born
will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:30-35)
He is called the Son of God,
the Son of Man,
and the Son of Mary.
By the Son of God
is meant Jehovah God in His Human,
by the Son of Man
the Lord as to the Word,
and by the Son of Mary
the Human, strictly so-called, which He assumed.
. . . by the Son of Mary is meant merely the Human,
because the soul is from the father
and the body from the mother.
For the soul is in the seed of the father,
and this is clothed with a body in the mother;
or what is the same,
all that is spiritual in man is from the father,
and all that is material is from the mother.
In the case of the Lord,
what was Divine in Him was from Jehovah the Father,
and what was Human was from the mother;
and these two united are the Son of God.
TCR 97
Union was effected by the acts of redemption,
because the Lord performed those by His Human,
and as He did so,
the Divine, by which is meant the Father,
drew nearer, assisted and co-operated;
and at length they were so united
as to be not two but one.
This union is the Glorification . . ..
TCR 100
. . . it is a sure and immutable law
that so far as a person draws near to the Lord,
the Lord draws near to him.
~ Pharaoh Breaks His Arm ~
In the eleventh year,
in the first month on the seventh day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It has not been bound up for healing
or put in a splint
so as to become strong enough to hold a sword.
Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.
I will break both his arms,
the good arm as well as the broken one,
and make the sword fall from his hand.
I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon
and put My sword in his hand,
but I will break the arms of Pharaoh,
and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon,
but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp.
Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon
and he brandishes it against Egypt.
I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
Then they will know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 30:20-26)
in the first month on the seventh day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It has not been bound up for healing
or put in a splint
so as to become strong enough to hold a sword.
Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.
I will break both his arms,
the good arm as well as the broken one,
and make the sword fall from his hand.
I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon
and put My sword in his hand,
but I will break the arms of Pharaoh,
and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon,
but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp.
Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon
and he brandishes it against Egypt.
I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
Then they will know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 30:20-26)
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
TCR 109 - Before and After the Coming of the Lord
TCR 109 [1, 3]
All the Churches before the Coming of the Lord
were representative Churches,
which could see Divine truths
only in the shadow of darkness;
but after the Coming of the Lord
into the world a Church was established by Him
which saw Divine truths,
or rather, which could see them, in light.
The difference between those Churches
is all the difference between evening and morning;
the state of the Church before the Coming of the Lord
is also called in the Word evening,
and its state after His Coming, morning.
The Lord, before His Advent into the world,
was indeed present with the men of the Church,
but mediately, through angels who represented Him;
whereas, since His Advent, He is present
with the members of the Church immediately;
for in the world He put on the Divine Natural,
in which He is present with men.
The glorification of the Lord
is the glorification of His Human,
which He assumed in the world,
and the glorified Human of the Lord
is the Divine Natural.
That this is the case is evident from the fact
that the Lord rose from the tomb with His whole body
which He had in the world, leaving nothing behind;
consequently He took with Him from the tomb
the Natural Human itself,
complete from first things to last.
The difference between the state of the Church
before the Lord's Coming and after it
is like the difference seen in reading a paper by one
who reads it at night by the light of the moon and stars,
and by one who reads it in the sunlight.
In the pale light of the moon the eye is liable to error,
but not in the brilliant light of the sun.
All the Churches before the Coming of the Lord
were representative Churches,
which could see Divine truths
only in the shadow of darkness;
but after the Coming of the Lord
into the world a Church was established by Him
which saw Divine truths,
or rather, which could see them, in light.
The difference between those Churches
is all the difference between evening and morning;
the state of the Church before the Coming of the Lord
is also called in the Word evening,
and its state after His Coming, morning.
The Lord, before His Advent into the world,
was indeed present with the men of the Church,
but mediately, through angels who represented Him;
whereas, since His Advent, He is present
with the members of the Church immediately;
for in the world He put on the Divine Natural,
in which He is present with men.
The glorification of the Lord
is the glorification of His Human,
which He assumed in the world,
and the glorified Human of the Lord
is the Divine Natural.
That this is the case is evident from the fact
that the Lord rose from the tomb with His whole body
which He had in the world, leaving nothing behind;
consequently He took with Him from the tomb
the Natural Human itself,
complete from first things to last.
The difference between the state of the Church
before the Lord's Coming and after it
is like the difference seen in reading a paper by one
who reads it at night by the light of the moon and stars,
and by one who reads it in the sunlight.
In the pale light of the moon the eye is liable to error,
but not in the brilliant light of the sun.
~ 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,
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
till 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,
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
till wickedness was found in you.'"
(Ezekiel 28:11-15)
Monday, March 09, 2020
TCR 102 - Thus God Became Man, and Man God, in One Person
TCR 102 [1, 3]
It is believed that the Lord as to His Human
not only was, but also is,
the Son of Mary;
but in this the Christian world is mistaken.
That He was the Son of Mary is true,
but that He still is, is not true;
for by the acts of redemption
He put off the Human derived from the mother
and put on the Human from the Father.
Consequently the Human of the Lord is Divine,
and in Him God is Man, and Man God.
That He put off the Human from the mother,
and put on the Human from the Father,
which is the Divine Human,
is evident from the fact
that He never called Mary His mother.
It was once granted me
to speak with Mary, the mother.
She was then passing by,
and appeared in heaven over my head,
clothed in white raiment like silk.
Pausing for a little
she said that she had been the mother of the Lord,
for He was born of her;
but that He, having become God,
put off all the Human He had from her;
and therefore that she now worships Him as her God,
and is unwilling that any one
should acknowledge Him as her Son,
because the whole Divinity is in Him.
It is believed that the Lord as to His Human
not only was, but also is,
the Son of Mary;
but in this the Christian world is mistaken.
That He was the Son of Mary is true,
but that He still is, is not true;
for by the acts of redemption
He put off the Human derived from the mother
and put on the Human from the Father.
Consequently the Human of the Lord is Divine,
and in Him God is Man, and Man God.
That He put off the Human from the mother,
and put on the Human from the Father,
which is the Divine Human,
is evident from the fact
that He never called Mary His mother.
It was once granted me
to speak with Mary, the mother.
She was then passing by,
and appeared in heaven over my head,
clothed in white raiment like silk.
Pausing for a little
she said that she had been the mother of the Lord,
for He was born of her;
but that He, having become God,
put off all the Human He had from her;
and therefore that she now worships Him as her God,
and is unwilling that any one
should acknowledge Him as her Son,
because the whole Divinity is in Him.
~ The Coastlines Will Tremble ~
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says
to Tyre:
Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall,
when the wounded groan
and the slaughter takes place in you?
Then all the princes of the coast
will step down from their thrones
and lay aside their robes
and take off their embroidered garments.
Clothed with terror,
they will sit on the ground,
trembling every moment,
appalled at you.
Then they will take up a lament
concerning you and say to you:
"'How you are destroyed, O city of renown,
peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
you and your citizens;
you put your terror on all who lived there.
Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea are terrified at your collapse.'"
(Ezekiel 26:15-18)
Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall,
when the wounded groan
and the slaughter takes place in you?
Then all the princes of the coast
will step down from their thrones
and lay aside their robes
and take off their embroidered garments.
Clothed with terror,
they will sit on the ground,
trembling every moment,
appalled at you.
Then they will take up a lament
concerning you and say to you:
"'How you are destroyed, O city of renown,
peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
you and your citizens;
you put your terror on all who lived there.
Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea are terrified at your collapse.'"
(Ezekiel 26:15-18)
Sunday, March 08, 2020
TCR 89 - His Humanity Begun
TCR 89
Now since God came down,
and since He is Order itself . . .
it was necessary,
in order for Him actually to become Man,
that He should be conceived,
carried in the womb,
and be born;
and that He should be educated,
acquiring in due course the knowledge
by which He might attain to intelligence and wisdom.
Therefore as to His Humanity
He was an infant like any other infant,
a boy like any other boy, and so on;
but with this sole difference,
that He passed through
those progressive states sooner,
more fully and more perfectly than others.
That He advanced in this way according to order
is manifest from these words in Luke:
"The child Jesus grew, and waxed strong in spirit;
and increased in wisdom and age (A.V., stature),
and in favor with God and man."
(Luke 2: 40, 52)
That He did so sooner,
more fully and more perfectly than others
appears from the account recorded of Him
in the same Evangelist,
that as a boy, twelve years old,
He sat in the Temple
in the midst of the doctors and taught;
and that all who heard Him were astonished
at His understanding and answers.
(Luke :46, 47; and also 4:6-22, 32)
This was done because the Divine order is
that a man should prepare himself
for the reception of God;
and as he prepares himself
so God enters into him,
as into His own dwelling-place and home.
Such preparation is effected by means of
the knowledge of God
and of the spiritual things belonging to the Church,
and thus by intelligence and wisdom.
For it is a law of order
that so far as a person approaches
and draws near to God,
which he must do entirely as of himself,
so far God approaches and draws near to him,
and interiorly conjoins Himself to him.
Now since God came down,
and since He is Order itself . . .
it was necessary,
in order for Him actually to become Man,
that He should be conceived,
carried in the womb,
and be born;
and that He should be educated,
acquiring in due course the knowledge
by which He might attain to intelligence and wisdom.
Therefore as to His Humanity
He was an infant like any other infant,
a boy like any other boy, and so on;
but with this sole difference,
that He passed through
those progressive states sooner,
more fully and more perfectly than others.
That He advanced in this way according to order
is manifest from these words in Luke:
"The child Jesus grew, and waxed strong in spirit;
and increased in wisdom and age (A.V., stature),
and in favor with God and man."
(Luke 2: 40, 52)
That He did so sooner,
more fully and more perfectly than others
appears from the account recorded of Him
in the same Evangelist,
that as a boy, twelve years old,
He sat in the Temple
in the midst of the doctors and taught;
and that all who heard Him were astonished
at His understanding and answers.
(Luke :46, 47; and also 4:6-22, 32)
This was done because the Divine order is
that a man should prepare himself
for the reception of God;
and as he prepares himself
so God enters into him,
as into His own dwelling-place and home.
Such preparation is effected by means of
the knowledge of God
and of the spiritual things belonging to the Church,
and thus by intelligence and wisdom.
For it is a law of order
that so far as a person approaches
and draws near to God,
which he must do entirely as of himself,
so far God approaches and draws near to him,
and interiorly conjoins Himself to him.
~ Babylon Lays Siege ~
In the ninth year,
in the tenth month on the tenth day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
record this date, this very date,
because the king of Babylon
has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
(Ezekiel 24:1-2)
in the tenth month on the tenth day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
record this date, this very date,
because the king of Babylon
has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
(Ezekiel 24:1-2)
Saturday, March 07, 2020
TCR 81, 84 - The Lord Redeemer
TCR 81
By the Lord the Redeemer we mean Jehovah in the Human
for it will be shown in the following pages
that Jehovah Himself descended and assumed the Human
in order to effect our redemption.
He is called the Lord and not Jehovah,
because Jehovah in the Old Testament
is called the Lord in the New,
as is evident from the following passages.
In Moses it is said:
"Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
And thou shalt love Jehovah God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul."
(Deuteronomy 6: 4, 5)
But in Mark it is said:
"The Lord our God is one Lord.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul."
(Mark 12: 29, 30)
Then in Isaiah it is said:
"Prepare ye the way of Jehovah,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
(Isaiah 40: 3)
But in Luke it is said:
"Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord
to prepare His ways."
(Luke 1: 76)
. . . since knowledge of the Lord surpasses in excellence
all knowledge in the Church,
and even in heaven,
some revelation of it will now be made
in the following series of articles:
(1) Jehovah the Creator of the universe
descended and assumed the Human,
in order to redeem and save mankind.
(2) He descended as the Divine Truth,
which is the Word;
and yet He did not separate the Divine Good.
(3) He assumed the Human a
according to His own Divine order.
(4) The Human, by which He sent Himself into the world,
is what is called the Son of God.
(5) The Lord, by acts of redemption,
made Himself righteousness.
(6) By the same acts
He united Himself to the Father,
and the Father united Himself to Him,
also according to the Divine order.
(7) Thus God became Man, a
nd Man God, in one Person.
(8) The progress to union was His state of exinanition,*
and the union itself is His state of glorification.
(9) Hereafter no Christian can enter heaven
unless he believes on the Lord God the Savior,
and approaches Him alone.
----------------------------------
* exinanition - a state of humiliation,
during which the maternal heredity was being removed.
----------------------------------
TCR 84
For redemption meant the subjugation of the hells,
the bringing of the heavens into order,
and afterwards the establishment of the Church.
God from His omnipotence
could not accomplish these things
unless by means of the Human,
just as no man can act without an arm;
and indeed His Human is called in the Word
"the arm of JEHOVAH." (Isaiah 60:10; 53:1)
By the Lord the Redeemer we mean Jehovah in the Human
for it will be shown in the following pages
that Jehovah Himself descended and assumed the Human
in order to effect our redemption.
He is called the Lord and not Jehovah,
because Jehovah in the Old Testament
is called the Lord in the New,
as is evident from the following passages.
In Moses it is said:
"Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
And thou shalt love Jehovah God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul."
(Deuteronomy 6: 4, 5)
But in Mark it is said:
"The Lord our God is one Lord.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul."
(Mark 12: 29, 30)
Then in Isaiah it is said:
"Prepare ye the way of Jehovah,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
(Isaiah 40: 3)
But in Luke it is said:
"Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord
to prepare His ways."
(Luke 1: 76)
. . . since knowledge of the Lord surpasses in excellence
all knowledge in the Church,
and even in heaven,
some revelation of it will now be made
in the following series of articles:
(1) Jehovah the Creator of the universe
descended and assumed the Human,
in order to redeem and save mankind.
(2) He descended as the Divine Truth,
which is the Word;
and yet He did not separate the Divine Good.
(3) He assumed the Human a
according to His own Divine order.
(4) The Human, by which He sent Himself into the world,
is what is called the Son of God.
(5) The Lord, by acts of redemption,
made Himself righteousness.
(6) By the same acts
He united Himself to the Father,
and the Father united Himself to Him,
also according to the Divine order.
(7) Thus God became Man, a
nd Man God, in one Person.
(8) The progress to union was His state of exinanition,*
and the union itself is His state of glorification.
(9) Hereafter no Christian can enter heaven
unless he believes on the Lord God the Savior,
and approaches Him alone.
----------------------------------
* exinanition - a state of humiliation,
during which the maternal heredity was being removed.
----------------------------------
TCR 84
For redemption meant the subjugation of the hells,
the bringing of the heavens into order,
and afterwards the establishment of the Church.
God from His omnipotence
could not accomplish these things
unless by means of the Human,
just as no man can act without an arm;
and indeed His Human is called in the Word
"the arm of JEHOVAH." (Isaiah 60:10; 53:1)
~ Two Adulterous Sisters ~
The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, there were two women,
daughters of the same mother.
They became prostitutes in Egypt,
engaging in prostitution from their youth.
In that land their breasts were fondled
and their virgin bosoms caressed.
The older was Oholah,
and her sister was Oholibah.
They were mine
and gave birth to sons and daughters.
Oholah is Samaria,
and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
(Ezekiel 23:1-4)
"Son of man, there were two women,
daughters of the same mother.
They became prostitutes in Egypt,
engaging in prostitution from their youth.
In that land their breasts were fondled
and their virgin bosoms caressed.
The older was Oholah,
and her sister was Oholibah.
They were mine
and gave birth to sons and daughters.
Oholah is Samaria,
and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
(Ezekiel 23:1-4)
Friday, March 06, 2020
TCR 78 - God Is
TCR 78 [3]
God is Love itself and Wisdom itself:
the affections of is Love are infinite,
as are also the perceptions of His Wisdom,
and of these
all things which appear on the earth
are correspondences.
God is Love itself and Wisdom itself:
the affections of is Love are infinite,
as are also the perceptions of His Wisdom,
and of these
all things which appear on the earth
are correspondences.
~ "I Looked for a Man" ~
The people of the land
practice extortion and commit robbery;
they oppress the poor and needy
and mistreat the alien,
denying them justice.
"I looked for a man among them
who would build up the wall
and stand before Me in the gap
on behalf of the land
so I would not have to destroy it,
but I found none.
So I will pour out My wrath on them
and consume them with My fiery anger,
bringing down on their own heads all they have done,
declares the Sovereign Lord."
(Ezekiel 22:29-31)
practice extortion and commit robbery;
they oppress the poor and needy
and mistreat the alien,
denying them justice.
"I looked for a man among them
who would build up the wall
and stand before Me in the gap
on behalf of the land
so I would not have to destroy it,
but I found none.
So I will pour out My wrath on them
and consume them with My fiery anger,
bringing down on their own heads all they have done,
declares the Sovereign Lord."
(Ezekiel 22:29-31)
Thursday, March 05, 2020
TCR 77 - Heavenly or Hellish Affections Correspond
TCR 77 [4]
In heaven are to be seen things magnificent and beautiful,
but in hell things vile and unsightly.
The reason for this difference is
that all in heaven worship God,
but all in hell worship nature;
and the magnificent and beautiful things in heaven
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of good and truth,
and the vile and unsightly things in the hells
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of evil and falsity.
In heaven are to be seen things magnificent and beautiful,
but in hell things vile and unsightly.
The reason for this difference is
that all in heaven worship God,
but all in hell worship nature;
and the magnificent and beautiful things in heaven
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of good and truth,
and the vile and unsightly things in the hells
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of evil and falsity.
~ The Ways of the Lord Are Just ~
"But if a wicked man turns away
from all the sins he has committed
and keeps all My decrees
and does what is just and right,
he will surely live;
he will not die.
None of the offenses he has committed
will be remembered against him.
Because of the righteous things he has done,
he will live.
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Rather, am I not pleased
when they turn from their ways and live?
(Ezekiel 18:21-23)
from all the sins he has committed
and keeps all My decrees
and does what is just and right,
he will surely live;
he will not die.
None of the offenses he has committed
will be remembered against him.
Because of the righteous things he has done,
he will live.
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Rather, am I not pleased
when they turn from their ways and live?
(Ezekiel 18:21-23)
Wednesday, March 04, 2020
TCR 68, 69, 70 - So Far As a Person Lives According to Divine Order
TCR 68
A person has power against evils and falsities
from the Divine omnipotence
so far as he lives according to Divine order,
because no one can resist evils and their falsities
but God alone.
TCR 69
A person is in wisdom concerning good and truth
from the Divine omniscience
as far as he lives according to Divine order,
because all the love of good and all the wisdom of truth,
that is, all the good of love and all the truth of wisdom,
are from God.
TCR 70
A person is in God from the Divine omnipresence
so far as he lives according to order,
because God is omnipresent,
and wherever He is in His own Divine order
there He is,
as it were, in Himself,
because He is order itself . . ..
Since a person was created a form of Divine order,
God is in him;
but so far as a person lives according to order,
God is fully in him.
A person has power against evils and falsities
from the Divine omnipotence
so far as he lives according to Divine order,
because no one can resist evils and their falsities
but God alone.
TCR 69
A person is in wisdom concerning good and truth
from the Divine omniscience
as far as he lives according to Divine order,
because all the love of good and all the wisdom of truth,
that is, all the good of love and all the truth of wisdom,
are from God.
TCR 70
A person is in God from the Divine omnipresence
so far as he lives according to order,
because God is omnipresent,
and wherever He is in His own Divine order
there He is,
as it were, in Himself,
because He is order itself . . ..
Since a person was created a form of Divine order,
God is in him;
but so far as a person lives according to order,
God is fully in him.
~ A Nation (a Church) Looks to the Lord Then Doesn't ~
The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices
and say, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord
says to Jerusalem:
Your ancestry and birth
were in the land of the Canaanites;
your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
On the day you were born your cord was not cut,
nor were you washed with water to make you clean,
nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.
No one looked on you with pity
or had compassion enough
to do any of these things for you.
Rather, you were thrown out into the open field,
for on the day you were born
you were despised.
"'Then I passed by
and saw you kicking about in your blood,
and as you lay there in your blood
I said to you, "Live!"
I made you grow like a plant of the field.
You grew up and developed
and became the most beautiful of jewels.
Your breasts were formed and your hair grew,
you were naked and bare.
"'Later I passed by,
and when I looked at you
and saw that you were old enough for love,
I spread the corner of My garment over you
and covered your nakedness.
I gave you My solemn oath
and entered into a covenant with you,
declares the Sovereign Lord,
and you became Mine.
"'I bathed you with water
and washed the blood from you
and put ointments on you.
I clothed you with an embroidered dress
and put leather sandals on you.
I dressed you in fine linen
and covered you with costly garments.
I adorned you with jewelry:
I put bracelets on your arms
and a necklace around your neck,
and I put a ring on your nose,
earrings on your ears
and a beautiful crown on your head.
So you were adorned with gold and silver;
your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric
and embroidered cloth.
Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil.
You became very beautiful
and rose to be a queen.
And your fame spread among the nations
on account of your beauty,
because the splendor I had given you
made your beauty perfect,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
"'But you trusted in your beauty
and used your fame to become a prostitute.'"
''' . . . Your mother was a Hittite
and your father an Amorite.
Your older sister was Samaria,
who lived to the north of you with her daughters;
and your younger sister,
who lived to the south of you with her daughters,
was Sodom.
You not only walked in their ways
and copied their detestable practices,
but in all your ways
you soon became more depraved than they.
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,
your sister Sodom and her daughters
never did what you and your daughters have done.
"'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:
She and her daughters were arrogant,
over fed and unconcerned;
they did not help the poor and needy.
they were haughty and did detestable things before Me.
Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
Samaria did not commit half the sins you did.
You have done more detestable things than they,
and have made your sisters seem righteous
by all these things you have done.
Bear your disgrace,
for you have furnished some justification for your sisters.
Because your sins were more vile than theirs,
they appear more righteous than you.
So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace,
for you have made your sisters appear righteous.'"
(Ezekiel 16:1-15, 45.5-52)
"Son of man,
confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices
and say, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord
says to Jerusalem:
Your ancestry and birth
were in the land of the Canaanites;
your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
On the day you were born your cord was not cut,
nor were you washed with water to make you clean,
nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.
No one looked on you with pity
or had compassion enough
to do any of these things for you.
Rather, you were thrown out into the open field,
for on the day you were born
you were despised.
"'Then I passed by
and saw you kicking about in your blood,
and as you lay there in your blood
I said to you, "Live!"
I made you grow like a plant of the field.
You grew up and developed
and became the most beautiful of jewels.
Your breasts were formed and your hair grew,
you were naked and bare.
"'Later I passed by,
and when I looked at you
and saw that you were old enough for love,
I spread the corner of My garment over you
and covered your nakedness.
I gave you My solemn oath
and entered into a covenant with you,
declares the Sovereign Lord,
and you became Mine.
"'I bathed you with water
and washed the blood from you
and put ointments on you.
I clothed you with an embroidered dress
and put leather sandals on you.
I dressed you in fine linen
and covered you with costly garments.
I adorned you with jewelry:
I put bracelets on your arms
and a necklace around your neck,
and I put a ring on your nose,
earrings on your ears
and a beautiful crown on your head.
So you were adorned with gold and silver;
your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric
and embroidered cloth.
Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil.
You became very beautiful
and rose to be a queen.
And your fame spread among the nations
on account of your beauty,
because the splendor I had given you
made your beauty perfect,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
"'But you trusted in your beauty
and used your fame to become a prostitute.'"
''' . . . Your mother was a Hittite
and your father an Amorite.
Your older sister was Samaria,
who lived to the north of you with her daughters;
and your younger sister,
who lived to the south of you with her daughters,
was Sodom.
You not only walked in their ways
and copied their detestable practices,
but in all your ways
you soon became more depraved than they.
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,
your sister Sodom and her daughters
never did what you and your daughters have done.
"'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:
She and her daughters were arrogant,
over fed and unconcerned;
they did not help the poor and needy.
they were haughty and did detestable things before Me.
Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
Samaria did not commit half the sins you did.
You have done more detestable things than they,
and have made your sisters seem righteous
by all these things you have done.
Bear your disgrace,
for you have furnished some justification for your sisters.
Because your sins were more vile than theirs,
they appear more righteous than you.
So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace,
for you have made your sisters appear righteous.'"
(Ezekiel 16:1-15, 45.5-52)
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