AC 10578 - What Is It to Love the Lord?

AC 10578 [3]

. . . it shall be briefly told here what love to the Lord is,
or what it is to love the Lord.
He who believes that he loves the Lord,
and does not live according to His commandments,
is very much mistaken,
for to live according to the Lord’s commandments
is to love Him.
These commandments
are truths which are from the Lord,
thus in which the Lord is;
and therefore insofar as they are loved,
that is, insofar as people live according to them from love,
so far the Lord is loved.
The reason is that the Lord loves a person,
and from love wills that he may be happy forever,
and a person cannot become happy
except by a life according to His commandments,
because by means of these
a person is regenerated and becomes spiritual,
and in this way can be raised into heaven.
But to love the Lord
without a life according to His commandments
is not to love Him,
for then there is not anything with the person
into which the Lord may flow and raise him to Himself;
because he is like an empty vessel;
there being nothing of life in his faith,
and nothing of life in his love.

AC 10577 - Mercy, Grace and Truth

AC 10577 [2, 3]

That “to show grace”
denotes to endow with spiritual truth and good,
and “to show mercy”
to endow with celestial truth and good
is because “grace” is predicated of faith,
and “mercy” of love;
and the good of faith is spiritual good,
and the good of love is celestial good.

As there are two things to which
all things of the church bear relation,
namely, love and faith;
and as mercy belongs to love;
and grace, and also truth, belong to faith,
therefore in the Word it is said “mercy and grace”
when the Lord is implored,
and it is said “mercy and truth”
when the Lord is described . . ..

 

Advent Reading - January 6

And when they were departed,
behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise,
and take the young Child and His mother,
and flee into Egypt,
and be thou there until I bring Thee word:
for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.
When he arose,
he took the young Child and His mother by night,
and departed into Egypt:

And was there until the death of Herod: 
that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son.
Then Herod, when he saw
that he was mocked of the wise men,
was exceeding wroth, and sent forth,
and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under,
according to the time
which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled
that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet,
saying, In Rama was there a voice heard,
lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and would not be comforted, 
because they are not.

But when Herod was dead,
behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother,
and go into the land of Israel:
for they are dead which sought the young Child's life.

And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother,
and came into the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea
in the room of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go thither:
notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream,
he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth:
that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken spoken by the prophets,
He shall be called a Nazarene.
(Matthew 2:13-23) 

AC - A Few Short Quotes

AC 10566

. . . He who worships God merely
on account of miracles,
only worships the name of God,
and not God,
and falls away whenever
he does not obtain his desires.

AC 10568

. . . it is impossible
for any material idea to enter heaven;
it is put off at the first threshold.

AC 10569 [3]

. . . by "eyes," when said of Jehovah,
is meant the Divine presence of the Lord;
and by the "eyes," when said of people
who receive the Divine truth of the Lord, or His light,
is meant faith and an enlightened understanding.

AC 10570 [2]

. . . it is the Divine truths revealed in the Word
which cause worship to be internal,
provided that people know them
and live according to them.
For if a person could
worship God in a holy manner without them,
there would be no need of any doctrine of the church,
nor of any preaching.

Advent Reading - January 5

And when they were come into the house,
they saw the young Child with Mary His mother,
and fell down, and worshiped him:
and when they had opened their treasures,
they presented unto him gifts:
gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream
that they should not return to Herod,
they departed into their own country another way.
(Matthew 2:11-12)

AC 113

Here also “gold” means good;
“frankincense and myrrh” things that are grateful
because from love and faith . . ..  

AC 10559 - Indignation Against God

AC 10559 [1-2]

. . . a person . . . is indignant against God
if he does not obtain his desires.

This is done by all those
who are in external things without what is internal,
for if they reverence and adore God,
and as it were love Him,
it is not for His own sake,
but for the sake of themselves,
because they desire nothing else
than eminence above others
and wealth beyond others,
this being the fire
which excites their reverence and adoration,
and as it were their love.
But if they do not obtain what they desire,
they forsake God.

Advent Reading - January 4

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea
in the days of Herod the king,
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?
for we have seen His star in the east,
and are come to worship Him.

When Herod the king had heard these things,
he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered
all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea:
for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda,
art not the least among the princes of Juda:
for out of thee shall come a Governor,
that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men,
inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said,
Go and search diligently for the young Child;
and when ye have found Him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship Him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed;
and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, 
went before them,
till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
When they saw the star, 
they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
(Matthew 2:1-10)

AC 10528 - To Inquire of the Lord; AC 10551 - To See From Without, To Perceive From Within

AC 10528 [2. 4]

. . . to inquire of the Lord is to consult the Word;
for in the Word the Lord is present,
seeing that the Word is the Divine truth
which is from Him,
and that He is with the angels in His Divine truth,
and also with the people of the church
who receive Him.

To see from the internal
is to see from heaven
from the Lord.

AC 10551 [2]

It must here be told what it is to see from without,
and what to have perception from within.
Those who when reading the Word
are in enlightenment,
see it from within, for their internal is open,
and when the internal is open it is in the light of heaven.
This light flows in and enlightens,
although the person is unaware of it.
The reason why he is unaware of it,
is that this light flows into the knowledges
that are in the person’s memory,
and these knowledges are in natural light.
And as the person thinks from these knowledges
as from himself,
he cannot perceive the influx,
nevertheless from various indications
he is able to know that he has been in enlightenment.
But yet everyone is deceived
who believes himself to be in enlightenment,
unless he loves to know truth
for the sake of truth
and for the sake of the good of life,
thus unless he loves Divine truth for the sake of life,
because to live
according to Divine truths from the Word
is to love the Lord,
and all enlightenment comes from the Lord
when He is loved.

Advent Reading - January 3

And there was one Anna, a prophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser:
she was of a great age,
and had lived with an husband 
seven years from her virginity;

And she was a widow
of about fourscore and four years,
which departed not from the temple,
but served God
with fastings and prayers night and day.
And she coming in that instant 
gave thanks likewise unto the Lord,
and spoke of Him to all them
that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

And when they had performed all things
according to the law of the Lord,
they returned into Galilee,
to their own city Nazareth.
And the Child grew,
and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom:
and the grace of God was upon Him.
(Luke 2:36-40)
 

AC 10536 - "Garments"; AC 10540 - "Ornaments"

AC 10536

That this is the meaning of “garments” in general,
originates in the representatives in the other life,
where all, both angels and spirits,
appear clothed in garments,
and each one according to his truths.
They who are in genuine Divine truths
appear clothed in white shining garments,
and others in other garments.
Spirits do not know where their garments come from,
but are clothed with them without knowing this.
Moreover, their garments vary according to
the changes of their state in respect to truths.
In a word,
it is their understanding which is presented to view
and represented by their garments,
for each person’s understanding
is formed by means of truths,
and becomes such
as are the truths from which it is formed.
With the angels of heaven
their understanding is in their internal,
and consequently they have white shining garments.
The shining is from Divine good,
and the whiteness is from the light of heaven,
which is Divine truth.

AC 10540 [3, 5]

. . . the internal sense . . . teaches
what thing in the spiritual world
corresponds to each particular;
from which it can be seen that
“broidered work” denotes memory-truth;
“fine linen,” intellectual truth which is from the Divine;
“bracelets,” truths in respect to power;
“a chain,” truth from good in respect to influx,
and the consequent conjunction
of things interior and exterior;
“a nose-jewel,” truth in respect to perception;
and “earrings,” truths in respect to obedience;
“a crown of comeliness,” spiritual good,
which is the good of truth,
a “crown” denoting good,
and “comeliness,” what is spiritual;
“gold and silver,” good and truth in general . . ..

. . . for in the Word nothing is said without a meaning,
not even one syllable.

 

Advent Reading - January 2

AC 2044

And a son of eight days.
(Genesis 17:12)

That this means any beginning of purification whatever,
is evident from the meaning of “the eighth day.”
A “week,” which is seven days,
means an entire period of any state or time,
as of reformation, of regeneration, of temptation,
whether of a person in particular,
or of the church in general;
thus a period is called a “week,”
whether it be one of a thousand years,
of a hundred, of ten, or of as many days,
hours, minutes, and so on . . ..
And as the eighth day is the first day of a new week,
it means any beginning whatever.
This shows also that,
as circumcision was itself
a representative of purification,
so also was the time of it, namely, the eighth day;
not that they then entered into a purer state,
and were purified on that account,
but for the reason that,
as “circumcision” meant purification,
so “the eighth day" meant
that this ought to be effected at all times,
and thus always, as from a new beginning.

AC 8080 [4]

The law regarding
the redemption of the firstborn of man
was laid down to prevent
them from sacrificing their sons,
a practice that had come into use among gentiles
with whom statutes of the Ancient Church -
which was a representative Church -
remained in force,
but in a form that had been completely adulterated
in the course of time.
The consecration of the firstborn to God
was one of those statutes of the Ancient Church;
but by consecration
they began to understand sacrifice.
The descendants of Jacob
leaned likewise towards the same practice,
and therefore that law of redemption
was marked out for them.
And to prevent them from following that practice
the Levites were adopted instead of the firstborn,
as has been stated.
The law was marked out
in keeping with its corresponding meaning
in the spiritual world,
which is that the truths of faith are not holy,
thus that these are not to be
consecrated or ascribed to the Lord
but forms of the good of faith.
Later on that consecration to Him
was taken to mean
that they were to give or present
the firstborn to Jehovah,
and to offer a sacrifice for him,
as the following stated in Luke shows,

When the days of their purification
according to the law of Moses were completed,
they brought Jesus to Jerusalem
to present Him to the Lord
(as it has been written in the Law of the Lord,
that every male opening the womb
should be called holy to the Lord)
and to offer a sacrifice.

(Luke 2:22-24)

 

AC 10528 - Angels

AC 10528

And I will send an angel before you.
(Exodus 33:2)

That this means the Divine of the Lord
from which is the church and its worship,
is evident from the meaning of “an angel,”
as being in the supreme sense
the Lord as to the Divine Human,
and in the relative sense
the Divine of the Lord in heaven with the angels,
as also in the church with people;
and from the meaning of “sending before you,”
as being to prepare.
(That in the supreme sense “an angel”
denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human;
that in the relative sense it denotes
the Divine of the Lord in heaven with the angels.)
From this it follows that “an angel” also means
the Divine of the Lord with the men who receive it;
for people who are in the good of love
and in the truths of faith
in the Lord from the Lord,
after death become angels;
and those who do so are angels inwardly
even while they live in the world.

Advent Reading - January 1

And when eight days were accomplished
for the circumcising of the child,
His name was called JESUS,
which was so named of the angel
before He was conceived in the womb.
And when the days of her purification
according to the law of Moses were accomplished,
they brought Him to Jerusalem,
to present Him to the Lord;

(As it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb 
shall be called holy to the Lord;)
And to offer a sacrifice
according to that which is said in the law of the Lord,
A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon;
and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel:
and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost,
that he should not see death, 
before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple:
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him after the custom of the law,
then took he him up in his arms,
and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now let thou Thy servant depart in peace,
according to Thy word:
For my eyes have seen Thy salvation,

Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel.

And Joseph and His mother marvelled at those things
which were spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, 
and said unto Mary His mother,
Behold, this Child is set 
for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;
and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

So that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
And a sword will pierce through thy own soul also.
(Luke 2:21-35)

 

** The Lord Is Good and Faithful **

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
He has compassion on all He has made.
All you have made will praise You, O Lord;
Your saints will extol You.
They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom
and speak of Your might,
so that all men may know of Your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is faithful to all His promises
and loving toward all He has made.
The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down,
The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desires
of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and loving toward all He has made.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise His holy name
for ever and ever.

(Psalm 145:3-21)
 

Advent Reading - December 31

AC 10261 [11]

That the "Mount of Olives"
meant Divine celestial good,
is evident in Zechariah, where it is said:

The feet of Jehovah shall stand
upon the Mount of Olives
which is before the faces of Jerusalem,
and He shall there fight against the nations;
and this mountain shall cleave asunder,
part toward the east,
and toward the sea,
with a great valley;
and part of the mountain shall withdraw
toward the north,
and part toward the south.
(Zechariah 14:4)

There is here described
the state of heaven and the church
when the Lord was in the world,
and fought against the hells and overcame them,
and at the same time
brought back the heavens into order;
the "nations" there against which He fought
denote evils from the hells;
the "Mount of Olives" upon which His feet stood,
denotes the Divine good of the Divine love,
for from this He fought and conquered;
the "cleaving asunder of the mountain
toward the east and toward the sea,
with a great valley,"
means the separation of heaven and hell;
as also does
its "withdrawal toward the north and the south;"
for those are said to be "in the south"
who are in the light of truth;
"in the east," those who are in the love of good;
but "toward the sea," those who are in evils;
and "to the north," those who are in falsities.

AC 10508 - Divine Truth Will Lead

AC 10508

Behold My angel will go before you.
(Exodus 32:34)

That this means that nevertheless Divine truth will lead,
is evident from the meaning of “the angel of Jehovah,”
as being in the supreme sense
the Lord as to the Divine Human,
and in the relative sense
the Divine which is of the Lord
with the angels in the heavens;
and that consequently it signifies Divine truth.
And from the meaning of “going before you,”
as being to lead.

Advent Reading - December 30

AC 4592 [3]

All people whatever are born natural,
with the power of becoming either celestial or spiritual;
but the Lord alone was born spiritual celestial,
and for this reason He was born at Bethlehem,
where is the boundary of the land of Benjamin,
for by “Bethlehem” is meant
the spiritual of the celestial,
and by Benjamin is represented
the spiritual of the celestial.
The reason why the Lord alone
was born spiritual celestial
is that the Divine was in Him.

 

Advent Reading - December 29

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures:
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul:
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
(Psalm 23)

The Inner Meaning of Prophets and Psalms  no. 273

Internal Meaning of Psalm 23:

Concerning the Lord:

He teaches and leads to the truths and goods
of heaven and the church; (verses 1-3)

consequently there will be no fear of the hells,
for He guards, and imparts
good and truth in abundance, (verses 4-5)

in heaven with the Lord to eternity (verse 6)

AC 294

Those are called “sheep”
who are endowed with the good of charity,
that is, with spiritual and natural good,
and consequently the Lord is called
the “Shepherd of the sheep”
and those who are endowed with charity
are called His “sheep” as everybody knows.

 

AC 10495 - His Blessing

AC 10495

That He may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
(Exodus 32:29)

That this means the reception of Divine truth
from the Word and thereby conjunction with the Lord,
is evident from the meaning of “a blessing”
as being in general
that which is given to a person by the Lord;
and as everything the Lord gives bears relation
to the good of love and the truth of faith,
this and everything from this
is what is meant by “blessing;”
here therefore
the reception of Divine truth from the Word
and thereby conjunction with the Lord.

Advent Reading - December 28

AR 809 [2] 

That to praise God means, symbolically,
to worship Him,
and therefore that praise of Him is worship of Him,
is clear from many passages in the Word,
of which we will cite just a few:

Suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men."
(Luke 2:13-4)

And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all the things that they had heard and seen,
as it was told unto them.
(Luke 2:20)

 

AC 10484, 1048 - Come Unto Me

AC 10484

And said, Who is for Jehovah? Come unto me.
(Exodus 32:26)

That this means those
who are in external things from what is internal,
is evident from the representation of Moses,
as being the internal.
And whereas the internal of a person is in heaven,
and his external is in the world;
and heaven enters with person
through the internal into the external,
it is evident that by “those who are for Jehovah”
are meant those
who are in external things from what is internal.
When it is said that heaven enters,
the meaning is that the Lord enters,
because the Divine of the Lord makes heaven.

AC 10488

Indeed truth without good is not truth,
for it is only memory-knowledge devoid of life;
consequently truth without good has no power.
By truth from good is meant a life according to truth,
for good is of the life.

Advent Reading - December 27

AC 2921 [6]

That the Lord was Jehovah
is also meant by the angel's words to the shepherds,

To you is born this day a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2:11)

'Christ' is used instead
of 'Messiah', 'Anointed One', and 'King',
'the Lord, instead of 'Jehovah' -
'Christ' having regard to truth,
'the Lord' to good.
Anyone who does not examine the Word carefully
cannot know this,
for he believes that our Savior was called Lord
because this was an everyday expression
that was used to offer respect to Him, as to others,
when in reality He was so called
by virtue of His being Jehovah.

 

AC 10468 , 10471 - The External and Internal of the Word

AC 10468

The reason why 'Moses' here represents the internal
is that he is talking to Aaron,
who represents the external.
Here it makes no difference whether you say
the internal and the external sides of the Word
or simply the internal and the external.
For the Word is Divine Truth,
the source of perception that a person has . . ..
It should be remembered
that all perception regarding what is external
comes from what is internal.
For things present on an external level
are visible from an internal level;
but they are not visible
from the external level on which they are present,
and those present on the internal level
are even less visible from there.
This explains why those whose interest lies
in external things and not in what is internal
do not acknowledge internal things,
because they do not discern and see them
with their bodily senses,
and also why some deny the existence of those things,
and everything heavenly and Divine along with them.

AC 10471

Moses is here called “my lord” by Aaron,  (Exodus 32:22)
because relatively the internal is a lord,
and the external is a servant;
for the internal with a person is in heaven,
and consequently when it is open it is the person’s heaven;
while the external with him is in the world, thus is his world;
and the world was made to serve heaven
as a servant his lord.
It is similar with the external of worship,
and likewise with the external of the church,
and also of the Word,
relatively to their internal.   

Advent Reading - December 26

AR 255 [3] - Manger

The manger in the stable . . .
means spiritual instruction for the understanding;
this is the meaning of a manger,
and the same is meant by the manger
in which the Lord lay when an infant,
because a horse, which eats therefrom,
means the understanding of the Word.

Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 40 - Swaddling Cloths

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 correspondences,
they are the receptacles and abodes of genuine truth.
They are like vessels which enclose and contain,
as a crystal cup holds noble 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 person,
which comprises the perceptions and affections of truth
of the spiritual person.
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.  

Advent Reading - December 25

And it came to pass in those days,
that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made
when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, 
out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judaea, unto the city of David, 
which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David.)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, 
being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, 
and laid Him in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country 
shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,
"Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
You shall find the Babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, 
good will toward men."

And it came to pass,
as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another,
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass,
which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found
Mary, and Joseph,
and the Babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it,
they made known abroad the saying
which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things
which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things,
and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things
that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
(Luke 2:1-20)

AC 10452 - The Lord, His Word

AC 10452 [2-3]

As the conjunction of the Lord with the human race
by means of the Word is spoken of here,
or that of heaven with the world,
it must be told how the case is with regard to this.
Those who do not know the nature of the Word,
cannot possibly believe
that by means of it
there is a conjunction of the Lord with the human race,
and of heaven with the world;
and still less those who despise the Word,
or make no account of it.
But let them know
that the heavens subsist by means of Divine truth,
and that without it there would be no heavens,
and that the human race subsists
by means of heaven;
for unless heaven flowed in with a person,
the person would not be able to think at all,
thus not to will anything rationally.
In order therefore that heaven may subsist,
and the human race by conjunction with it,
the Word has been provided by the Lord,
wherein is Divine truth for angels and for people,
the Word in its spiritual and celestial sense
being of such a nature as to contain within it
angelic wisdom itself
in so surpassing a degree
that it is scarcely possible for a person to form
any conception of its excellence,
although in the letter
it appears very simple and unpolished.

From this it is evident
that heaven is in its wisdom from the Word
when it is being read by a person,
and then at the same time
the person is in conjunction with heaven.
To this end has such a Word been given to people.

** Give Thanks, Sing, and Glory in His Holy Name **

Give thanks to the Lord,
call on His name;
make known among the nations
what He has done.
Sing to Him,
sing praise to Him;
tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength;
seek His face always.

He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.

(Psalm 105:1-4, 7)

Advent Reading - December 24

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by Him;
and without Him 
was not any thing made that was made.
In Him was life;
and the life was the Light of men.

And the light shines in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God,
whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, 
to bear witness of the Light,
that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light,
which lights every man that comes into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world was made by Him,
and the world knew Him not.

He came unto His own,
and His own received Him not.
But as many as received Him,
to them gave He power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on His name:

Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.
And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the one only of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-14)

AC 5057

. . . all Divine truth in general is called the “Word,”
and the Lord Himself,
from whom comes all Divine truth,
is in the supreme sense the “Word”.

AC 3195 [3]

As regards the very origin of light,
this has been from eternity from the Lord alone;
for Divine good itself and Divine truth,
from which light comes,
is the Lord.
The Divine Human, which was from eternity,
was this light itself.
And whereas this light could no longer
affect the human race,
which had removed itself so far from good and truth,
thus from light,
and had cast itself into darkness,
therefore the Lord willed to put on by birth
the human itself;
for in this way He could illumine
not only the rational
but also the natural things of a person;
for He made both the rational and the natural
in Himself Divine,
in order that He might also be a light
to those who were in such gross darkness.

 

AC 10449 - The Word Was Let Down from Heaven

 AC 10449

And Moses looked back,
and came down from the mountain,
and the two tables of the Testimony were in his hand;
the tables were written on the two crossings,
hereupon and hereupon were they written.
And the tables were the work of God,
and the writing was the writing of God,
graven upon the tables.
(Exodus 32:15-16)

“And Moses looked back
and came down from the mountain,”
means the Word let down from heaven;
“and the two tables of the Testimony were in his hand,”
means the Word of the Lord in special and in general;
“the tables were written on the two crossings,
hereupon and hereupon were they written,”
means by which there is
the conjunction of the Lord with the human race,
or of heaven with the world;
“and the tables were the work of God,
and the writing was the writing of God,
graven upon the tables,”
means that the external and the internal
sense of the Word were from the Divine,
and are Divine truth . . ..

Advent Reading - December 23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph,
but before they came together,
she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man
and did not want to expose her to public disgrace,
he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a Son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because He will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel" -
which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up,
he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his wife.
But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.
And he gave him the name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25)  

AC 10436 - Worship and the Church

AC 10436 [2, 3]

Be it known that the church is not the church
from external worship,
but from internal worship;
for external worship is of the body,
but internal worship is of the soul.
Consequently external worship without internal
is of the outward act only,
thus is worship without life from the Divine.
Through the interior things of worship
the person of the church
communicates with the heavens,
to which the external serves as a plane
upon which the interior things may subsist,
as a house upon its foundations;
and when it so subsists it is complete and firm,
and the whole person is directed by the Divine.

. . . the end of all worship
is communication with heaven,
and thereby the conjunction of the Lord with a person.

 

Advent Reading - December 22

AC 2906 [6]

Behold I send My angel,
and he shall prepare the way before Me;
and the Lord whom ye seek
shall suddenly come to His temple,
even the angel of the covenant
whom ye desire;
behold He comes, said Jehovah Zebaoth;
and who may endure the day of His coming?
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasant unto Jehovah,
according to the days of an age,
and according to the ancient years.
(Malachai 3:1-2, 4)

AC 2906 [6]

. . . where the advent of the Lord is treated of;
the “days of an age” denote the Most Ancient Church;
“ancient years,” the Ancient Church;
the “offering of Judah,” worship from celestial love;
and the “offering of Jerusalem,”
worship from spiritual love;
that Judah is not meant here, nor Jerusalem, is plain.

AC 10431 - The Lord Is Not Always What He Seems

AC 10431

In many passages of the Word it is said of Jehovah
that He burns with anger and is wroth (angry),
and also that He consumes and destroys.
But it is so said because it so appears to the person
who turns himself away from the Lord,
as is the case when he does evil;
and as then he is not heard, and is even punished,
he believes that the Lord is in anger against him;
although the Lord is never angry, and never consumes,
for He is mercy itself and good itself.
From this it is evident what is
the nature of the Word as to the letter, namely,
that it is according to the appearance with a person.
In like manner it is said
that “Jehovah repents,” as in what follows,
when yet Jehovah never repents,
for He foresees all things from eternity;
from which it can be seen
into how many errors those fall
who when reading the Word do not think
beyond the sense of the letter,
thus who read it without doctrine from the Word
to teach them how the case really is.
For those who read the Word
in accordance with doctrine
know that Jehovah is mercy itself and good itself,
and that it cannot possibly be said
of infinite mercy and infinite good
that it burns with anger and consumes.

Advent Reading - December 21

Shout for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion;
behold I come that I may dwell in the midst of you.
Then many nations shall cleave to Jehovah.
(Zechariah 2:10,11)

Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion;
resound, O daughter of Jerusalem;
behold, your King comes to you, just.
(Zechariah 9:9)

AC 2362

There are two affections, namely, of good and of truth.
The former, or the affection of good,
constitutes the celestial church,
and is called in the Word the “daughter of Zion,”
and also the “virgin daughter of Zion;”
but the latter, or the affection of truth,
constitutes the spiritual church,
and is called in the Word the “daughter of Jerusalem.”

 

AC 10422 - The Way

AC 10422 [2]

That “way” denotes truth
is from the appearance in the spiritual world,
where also there are ways and paths;
and in the cities, there appear streets and avenues,
and spirits go nowhere else than to those
with whom they are consociated by love.
From this it is that the quality of the spirits there
in regard to truth
is known from the way in which they go;
for all truth leads to its own love,
because that is called truth
which confirms what is loved.
From this it is
that in common human speech “way” denotes truth;
for the speech of man has derived this,
like many other things,
from the spiritual world.

 

Advent Reading - December 20

The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together.
(Isaiah 40:5)

AC 9429

That the interior things of the Word are called “glory”
is because the Divine truth
proceeding from the Lord as a sun
is the light in heaven which gives sight
to the angels there,
and at the same time intelligence and wisdom.
From this Divine light is all the glory in heaven,
which is such as to surpass all human apprehension.
From this it is plain why
the internal sense of the Word is meant by “glory;”
for the internal sense of the Word
is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord in heaven,
thus is the light from which is all the glory there.

AC 10409 - Worldly Blessings vs. Eternal Blessings

AC 10409 [3-4]

. . . the goods, the satisfactions, and the happiness
that are given and provided for a person by the Divine
are eternal and have no end;
and consequently these are true blessings.
What is temporary bears no ratio to what is eternal;
as what is finite in time
bears no ratio to the infinite of time.
What endures to eternity, this is;
but what has an end, this relatively is not.
That which is, the Divine provides;
but not that which is not,
except insofar as it conduces to that which is;
for Jehovah, which is the Divine Itself, is,
and that which is from Him also is.
From this it is evident what is the quality
of that which is given
and provided for a person by the Divine,
and what is the quality of that
which a person himself procures for himself.

Moreover, every person is led by the Divine
by means of his understanding;
if he were not led thereby,
no person could be saved;
and from this it is that the Divine
leaves this with a person in its freedom,
and does not check it.
From this cause it comes to pass
that the machinations and cunning devices of the evil
(which are from their understanding) succeed;
but the favorable results thus obtained
come to an end together with their life in the world,
and become unfavorable;
whereas those things
which are provided by the Divine for the good
have no end,
and become favorable and happy to eternity.

 

Advent Reading - December 19

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham begat Isaac;
and Isaac begat Jacob;
and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar;
and Phares begat Esrom;
and Esrom begat Aram;

And Aram begat Aminadab;
and Aminadab begat Naasson;
and Naasson begat Salmon;
and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab;
and Booz begat Obed of Ruth;
and Obed begat Jesse;

And Jesse begat David the king;
and David the king begat Solomon
of her that had been the wife of Urias;
and Solomon begat Roboam;
and Roboam begat Abia;
and Abia begat Asa;

And Asa begat Josaphat;
and Josaphat begat Joram;
and Joram begat Ozias;
and Ozias begat Joatham;
and Joatham begat Achaz;
and Achaz begat Ezekias;

And Ezekias begat Manasses;
and Manasses begat Amon;
and Amon begat Josias;
and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren,
about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

And after they were brought to Babylon,
Jechonias begat Salathiel;
and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
and Zorobabel begat Abiud;
and Abiud begat Eliakim;
and Eliakim begat Azor;

And Azor begat Sadoc;
and Sadoc begat Achim;
and Achim begat Eliud;
and Eliud begat Eleazar;
and Eleazar begat Matthan;
and Matthan begat Jacob;

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David
are fourteen generations;
and from David until the carrying away into Babylon
are fourteen generations;
and from the carrying away into Babylon
unto Christ are fourteen generations.
(Matthew 1:16)

AC 2009 [9]
In heaven it is solely by the quality
that anyone is known from another;
and in the sense of the letter
this is expressed by the name,
as everyone can see from the consideration
that on earth whoever is named
is presented in the listener’s idea
in accordance with his quality,
and it is by this idea
that he is known and distinguished from others.
In the other life the ideas remain,
but the names perish;
and this is still more the case among the angels.
So it is that in the internal sense
the “name” is the quality, or to know the quality.

AC 10406 - "Graven Images" and "Molten Images"

AC 10406 [2]

In the Word throughout mention is made of
“graven images” and “molten images.”
Those who apprehend the Word
merely according to the letter
suppose that idols only are meant by these images.
Nevertheless idols are not meant,
but false doctrinal things of the church,
such as are formed by a person himself
under the guidance of some love of his.
The forming of these falsities to cohere,
and to appear as if they were truths,
is meant by a “graven image.”
The joining of them together to favor external loves,
so that evils may appear as goods,
is meant by a “molten image.”
As both are meant by the “golden calf,”
therefore it is here said that Aaron
“formed it with a graving tool,”
by which is meant the forming of falsities
so as to appear as if they were truths;
and by its being said
that he “made the gold a molten calf.”
And afterward that he
“cast it into the fire, and it came forth a calf”,
means the joining together to favor external loves
so that evils may appear as goods.
Moreover such is the case with all doctrine
that is made from a person,
and not from the Lord;
and it is made from a person
when he has as his end
his own glory or his own profit;
but it is from the Lord
when the good of the neighbor
and the good of the Lord’s kingdom
are regarded as the end.

Advent Reading - December 18

And in mercy shall the throne be established:
and He shall sit upon it in truth
in the tabernacle of David,
judging, and seeking judgment,
and hasting righteousness.
(Isaiah 16:5)

AC 9857 [2 3]

That “judgment” denotes Divine truth
and the intelligence derived from it,
consequently that it denotes doctrine
and life according to doctrine . . ..

. . . speaking of the coming of the Lord,
“the throne upon which He was to sit”
denotes the Divine truth proceeding from Him,
and so the spiritual kingdom;
“to judge judgment” denotes to teach Divine truth,
and “to seek judgment” denotes
its reception with a person.

 

** "Among the Gods There Is None like You, O Lord" **

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to You.
Here my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
In the day of my trouble I will call to You,
for You will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with Yours.
All the nations You have made
will come and worship before You, O Lord;
they will bring glory to Your name.
For You are great and do marvelous deeds;
You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in Your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear Your name.
I will praise You, O lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify Your name forever.

(Psalm 53:5-12)

AC 10381 - An Act of Angelic Charity

AC 10381

. . . it is not angelic to seek for the evils with a person
unless we at the same time seek for the goods.

Advent Reading - December 17

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered;
and she brought forth a son.
And her neighbors and her cousins heard
how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her;
and they rejoiced with her.

And it came to pass,
that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child;
and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
And his mother answered and said,
Not so; but he shall be called John.

And they said unto her,
There is none of your kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father,
how he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying,
His name is John.
And they all marveled.
And his mouth was opened immediately,
and his tongue loosed,
and he spake, and praised God.

And fear came on all that lived round about them:
and all these sayings were noised abroad
throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
And all they that heard them
laid them up in their hearts, saying,
What manner of child shall this be!
And the hand of the Lord was with him.

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit,
and prophesied, saying,
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
for He has visited and redeemed His people,

And has raised up an horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David;
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember His holy covenant;

The oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
That he would grant unto us,
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him,
all the days of our life.

And you, child, shalt be called
the prophet of the Highest:
for you shalt go before the face of the Lord
to prepare His ways;
to give knowledge of salvation unto His people
by the remission of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God;
whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
(Luke 1:57-80)

 

AC 10367 - The State of 'The Sabbath'

AC 10367 [6-7]

From all this it may now be seen
what the joining together of goodness and truth,
meant by 'the sabbath', is.
This joining together is called the sabbath
on account of the rest it brings,
for the sabbath consists in rest.
During the first state,
that is, while being led by truths towards good,
a person is engaged in conflicts against
the evils and falsities present with him.
By means of these conflicts,
which are temptations,
evils and accompanying falsities
are dispelled and separated,
from which there is no rest
until goodness and truth have been joined together.
At this point the person has rest,
and so does the Lord . . ..

The reason why in the highest sense
'the sabbath' means the Lord's Divine Human
is that when the Lord was in the world,
from His Human
He fought against and overcame all the hells,
and at the same time restored the heavens to order,
after which labors
He united His Human to the Divine,
making it Divine Good as well.
Consequently at this point He had rest,
for the hells cannot lift a finger against Divine Good.

 

Advent Reading - December 16

And Mary arose in those days,
and went into the hill country with haste,
into a city of Judah;
And entered into the house of Zacharias,
and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that,
when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb;
and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said,
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

And why am I so favored,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation
sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed:
for there shall be a performance of those things
which were told her from the Lord. 

And Mary said,

"My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior,
for He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.

For He that is mighty hath done to me great things;
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is on them that fear Him
from generation to generation. 

He hath shewed strength with His arm;
He hath scattered the proud
in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree. 

He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy;
as He spake to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."

And Mary abode with her about three months,
and returned to her own house. 

(Luke 1:39-56)

AC 10360 - The Sabbath and the Divine Human of the Lord

AC 10360 [1-3, 6, 8]

And you shall keep the Sabbath.
(Exodus 31:13)

That this means that the Divine Human of the Lord
is to be worshiped,
is evident from the meaning of “keeping,”
when said of the Divine, as being to worship;
and from the meaning of “the Sabbath,”
as being in the supreme sense
the union of the Divine which is called the “Father”
and of the Divine Human which is called the “Son,”
thus the Divine Human in which is this union.
This union is signified by “the Sabbath,”
because by the six days of labor
which precede the seventh
is meant every state of combat;
for in the spiritual sense “labor”
does not mean such labor as there is in the world,
but such as those who are in the church endure
before they enter the church
and become the church,
which labor is combat against evils and falsities of evil.
A like “labor” (in the spiritual sense)
was endured by the Lord
when He was in the world;
for He then fought against the hells,
and reduced them and likewise the heavens into order,
and at the same time He glorified His Human,
that is, He united it to the Divine Itself
which He had from conception.

The time and state when the Lord was in combats
is meant by the six days of labor,
but the state when the union had been effected
is meant by the seventh day,
which is called “the Sabbath,”
from “rest,” because the Lord then had rest.
Consequently by “the Sabbath” is meant also
the conjunction of the Lord with heaven,
with the church, with an angel of heaven,
and with a person of the church.
The reason is that all who are to come into heaven
must first be in combats
against evils and the falsities of evil,
and when these have been separated
they enter heaven and are conjoined with the Lord,
and then they have rest.
It is similar with people in the world.
It is known that these must be in combats,
that is, that they must undergo temptations,
before the good and truth which make the church
have been implanted in them;
thus before they have been conjoined with the Lord,
consequently before they have rest.
From this it is evident where it is from
that a state of combat is meant by the six days of labor,
while rest and also conjunction
are meant by the seventh day or the Sabbath.

That the conjunction of good and truth also,
is meant by “the Sabbath,”
is because when a person is in combats
he is in truths;
but when truths have been conjoined with good,
thus when the person is in good,
he then has rest;
in like manner as the Lord,
when He was in the world,
and fought with the hells,
was in respect to His Human Divine truth;
and when He had united
His Human to the Divine Itself,
He then, even in respect to His Human,
became the Divine good, or Jehovah.

. . . that those who reverently worship
the Divine Human of the Lord
shall be in the Divine truths
of heaven and of the church . . ..

And therefore when the Lord was in the world,
and united His Human to the Divine Itself,
He abrogated the Sabbath
in respect to representative worship,
or in respect to its worship
such as was with the Israelitish people;
and made the Sabbath day a day of instruction
in the doctrine of faith and of love.

 

Advent Reading - December 15

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God
unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
to a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said,
Hail, thou that art highly favored,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him,
she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS.

He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of His father David:
And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth,
she hath also conceived a son in her old age:
and this is the sixth month with her,
who was called barren.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her.

(Luke 1:26-38)

 

AC 10355 - When Not Even Natural Good Remained

AC 10355 [5]

But when not even natural good remained
with the people of the church,
the Lord came into the world
and reduced into order
all things in the heavens and in the hells,
to the end that a person may receive influx from Him
out of heaven and be enlightened;
and that the hells should not be able to hinder,
and infuse thick darkness.
Then a fourth church began,
which is called the Christian Church
In this church
their information about heavenly things,
or about those of eternal life,
is effected solely by means of the Word.
Thereby a person has influx and enlightenment;
for the Word has been written
by means of mere correspondences,
and by means of mere representatives,
which signify (mean) heavenly things.
Into these come the angels of heaven
when the person of the church reads the Word;
consequently there is effected through the Word
the conjunction of heaven with the church,
or of the angels of heaven
with the people of the church;
but only with those therein
who are in the good of love and of charity.

Advent Reading - December 14

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
(Isaiah 40:3-5)

There was in the days of Herod,
the king of Judaea,
a certain priest named Zacharias,
of the course of Abia:
and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elisabeth.
And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

And they had no child,
because that Elisabeth was barren,
and they both were now well stricken in years.
And it came to pass,
that while he executed the priest's office
before God in the order of his course,

According to the custom of the priest's office,
his lot was to burn incense
when he went into the temple of the Lord.
And the whole multitude of the people
were praying without at the time of incense.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled,
and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias:
for your prayer is heard;
and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John.
And you shall have joy and gladness;
and many shall rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,
even from his mother's womb.
And many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before Him
in the spirit and power of Elias,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just;
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
And Zacharias said unto the angel,
Whereby shall I know this?
for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And the angel answering said unto him,
I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God;
and am sent to speak unto you,
and to show you these glad tidings.
And, behold, you shall be dumb,
and not able to speak,
until the day that these things shall be performed,
because you believed not my words,
which shall be fulfilled in their season.

And the people waited for Zacharias,
and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
And when he came out,
he could not speak unto them:
and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple:
for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless.

And it came to pass, that, as soon
as the days of his ministration were accomplished,
he departed to his own house.
And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived,
and hid herself five months, saying,

Thus has the Lord dealt with me
in the days wherein He looked on me,
to take away my reproach among men.

(Matthew 1:5-25)

** Yet I Am Always With You **

When my heart as grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before You.

Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from You will perish;
You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me,
it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all Your deeds.

(Psalm 73:21-28)

Advent Reading - December 13

Behold, I send My angel,
who shall prepare the way before Me;
and the Lord whom you seek
shall suddenly come to His temple,
and the Angel of the covenant whom you desire,
behold, He shall come.

(Malachi 3:1)

AC 10331 - Wisdom, Intelligence, knowledge, Work

AC 10331 [2-3]

. . . he is wise who does truths from love;
he is intelligent who does them from faith;
he has knowledge who does them from knowledge;
and “work” denotes that which is done from all these;
thus “work” denotes their effect
in which they conjoin themselves together.

Wherefore in the genuine sense
no one can be called wise,
nor intelligent,
nor as possessing knowledge,
who does not do these things.
For wisdom and intelligence and knowledge
are all of life,
and not of doctrine without life;
for the life is the end for the sake of which these are.
Such therefore as is the end,
such are the wisdom,
the intelligence,
and the knowledge.
If the end is genuine good,
which is the good of love to the Lord
and of charity toward the neighbor,
then there are wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge
in their proper sense;
for then they are with the person from the Lord.

 

Advent Reading - December 12

Shout for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion;
behold I come
that I may dwell in the midst of you.
Then many nations shall cleave to Jehovah.
(Zechariah 2:10, 11)

AC 2362

. . . a heavenly religion
(or the Lord's heavenly kingdom)
is called the daughter of Zion
because of a desire for goodness,
or in other words, love for the Lord himself . . ..

 

 

AC 10318 - The Word: A Revelation From the Divine

AC 10318

Without a revelation from the Divine,
a person cannot know anything about eternal life,
nor indeed anything about God,
and still less about love to Him and faith in Him.
For a person is born into mere ignorance,
and afterward has all things to learn
from what is of the world,
from which he must form his understanding.
He is also born hereditarily into all evil
that belongs to the love of self
and the love of the world.
The delights from these loves reign continually,
and prompt to such things
as are diametrically contrary to the Divine.
From this then it is that from himself
a person knows nothing about eternal life;
and therefore there must needs be a revelation
from which he may know this.

Advent Reading - December 11

 Then the Lord replied (to Habakkuk):

"Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets,
so that he may run who reads it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger,
wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay."
(Habakkuk: 2:2-3)