Capítulo 1 (EL CIELO): El Dios del Cielo es el Señor

2. Lo primero será saber quien es el Dios del cielo, puesto que de ello dependen las demás cosas. En el cielo entero sólo el Señor es reconocido por Dios del cielo y ningún otro. Allí dicen, como Él mismo enseñó:

Que Él es uno con el Padre; que el Padre es en Él y Él en el Padre; que quien ve a Él, ve al Padre y que todo lo Santo procede de Él (Juan 10:30, 38; 14:9-11; 16:13-15).

He hablado varias veces con los ángeles sobre este particular, y siempre han dicho, que en el cielo no se puede partir lo Divino en tres, porque saben y sienten que la Divinidad es única, y que es única en el Señor. También han dicho, que los de la iglesia que llegan del mundo, teniendo la idea de tres Divinidades (Divinas Personas), no pueden ser admitidos en el cielo, puesto que su pensamiento pasa continuamente de uno a otro, y allí no es permitido pensar tres y decir uno; porque cada uno en el cielo habla por el pensamiento, siendo así que allí el hablar es pensar, o sea el pensar es hablar, por lo cual los que en el mundo han dividido la Divinidad en tres, formándose separada idea de cada uno, y no habiéndolos reunido y concentrado en el Señor, no pueden ser recibidos, porque en el cielo tiene lugar una comunicación de todo pensamiento; por lo cual si allí entrase alguien que pensara tres y dijera uno, sería en seguida descubierto y rechazado. Pero hay que saber que todos aquellos que no han separado la verdad del bien, o sea la fe del amor, al ser instruidos en la otra vida, reciben el celestial concepto del Señor de que Él es el Dios del universo. Otra cosa sucede con los que han separado la fe de la vida, es decir, los que no han vivido conforme a los preceptos de la verdadera fe.

84. And, behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages. That this signifies life eternal from Him is evident from the signification of being alive, as being to be from eternity, and that in Him alone life is from Himself (concerning which see above, n. 82), but here, it denotes life in others, and His life in others is life eternal; for it is said, just before, that He was dead, by which is signified that He was rejected, because not received in faith and love. By being alive, therefore, is here signified His being received by those who are in His life, which life is in faith and love with man, and that life is life eternal. That unto the ages of the ages signifies to eternity, is clear without explanation.

[2] That the life of the Lord is the life of faith and love to Him, and that this life is eternal, is evident from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have life eternal. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life" (John 3:14, 15, 16, 36).

And again:

"The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life" (4:14):

water is the truth of faith (as may be seen above, n. 71). In the same:

"Every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on him, hath eternal life. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (6:40, 63).

The words which the Lord speaks, are also the truths of faith.

In the same:

"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (11:25, 26).

In the same:

"Labour for the food which endureth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you" (6:27).

The food which the Lord gives, is also the truth and good of faith, because spiritual food is meant (see Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 8562, 9003).

[3] It was said that the life of the Lord is in faith in Him and love to Him with man; the reason is, that the all of faith and love is from Him, and that which is from Him is also Himself; for it is His proceeding Divine, which is called the Spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit; and because the Lord is therein, and it is Himself, therefore it is said that they should abide in the Lord, by which is meant to abide in faith and love to Him, from Him; as He says in John:

"Abide in me, and I in you. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing" (15:4-10).

From these things it may be known what is meant by these words in John:

"Ye see me; because I live ye shall live also" (14:19).

(That to see the Lord is to believe in Him, may be seen above, n. 14, 25, 37; and that to have faith, or to believe in the Lord, is to be in love and charity, see the small work, The Last Judgment 33-39; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 108-122.)