Could there be reasons for the humble, vulnerable beginnings of Jesus’s life?

In this video from his Swedenborg and Life web series, host Curtis Childs and featured guests explore how the Divine design may have been at play from the very beginning of Christ's life.

(Referencias: Apocalypse Explained 706 [12]; Luke 2:8-12; The Word 7; True Christian Religion 89, 90, 96, 766)

764. After This Night Comes the Morning, Which Is the Lord's Coming

Since the successive stages of the church on both a large and a small scale are described in the Word as the four seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) and as the four times of day (morning, afternoon, evening, and night), and since the modern-day church, which is Christianity, is the night, it follows that now the morning is at hand. The morning is the beginning of a new church.

The following passages make it clear that the Word describes the successive stages of the church as the four parts of the day, which are determined by light.

Through the evening and the morning, for two thousand three hundred [days], what is holy will be made just. The vision of the evening and the morning is the truth. (Daniel 8:14, 26)

Someone was crying out to me from Seir, "Watchman, watchman, what of the night?" The watchman replied, "Morning is coming, but so is the night. " (Isaiah 21:11-12)

The end has come. The morning is upon you, O you who dwell in the land. Behold, the day has come; the morning is over. (Ezekiel 7:6-7, 10)

In the morning, in the morning Jehovah will bring his judgment to light; it will not be lacking. (Zephaniah 3:5)

God is in her midst. God will help her when she looks for the morning. (Psalms 46:5)

I have been waiting for Jehovah. My soul waits for the Lord like those who watch for the morning. They watch for the morning because with him there is the most redemption. He will redeem Israel. (Psalms 130:5-8)

[2] In the passages just quoted evening and night mean the time when the church is at an end; morning means the time when the church is just beginning.

The Lord himself is also called the Morning, as we see in the following passages:

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, "He was like the morning light, a morning without clouds. " (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the shining morning star. (Revelation 22:16)

From the womb of your dawn comes the dew of your youth. (Psalms 110:3)

These quotations are about the Lord. Since the Lord is the Morning, he rose from the tomb first thing in the morning, in order to begin a new church (Mark 16:2, 9).

[3] What the Lord says about his Coming makes it obvious that we are to await it:

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him and said, "Tell us what the sign of your Coming and of the close of the age will be. " (Matthew 24:3)

Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Humankind will appear, and they will see the Son of Humankind coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. (Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27)

Like the days of Noah, so will the Coming of the Son of Humankind be. Therefore be prepared, because you do not know at what hour the Son of Humankind will come. (Matthew 24:37, 39, 44)

In Luke:

When the Son of Humankind comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

In John:

Jesus said of John, "If I want him to remain until I come . . . " (John 21:22-23)

[4] In the Acts of the Apostles:

When they saw Jesus taken up into heaven, two men were standing near them in white clothes. They said, "Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way you saw him go up to heaven. " (Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11)

In the Book of Revelation:

The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants what must happen. "Behold, I am coming. Blessed are those who keep the commandments of this book. Behold, I am coming, and my reward is with me, to give to all according to their works. " (Revelation 22:6-7, 12)

And from the same chapter:

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, a shining morning star. The spirit and the bride say, "Come. " And those who hear, say, "Come. " And those who are thirsty, come. Those who wish to, take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)

And again in the same chapter:

He who testifies to these things says, "I am indeed coming. " Amen. Do indeed come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (Revelation 22:20-21)

764. IV. This night is followed by morning, and morning is the Lord's coming.

The succeeding states of the church in general and in particular are described in the Word by the four seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter, and by the four times of day, morning, midday, evening and night. Since the present-day Christian church is in night, it follows that morning is at hand, that is, the first state of a new church. It can be established from the following passages that successive states of the church are described in the Word by the four periods of daylight:

Until the evening and the morning, two thousand three hundred [days], then will the holy place be made holy ¹ . The vision of the evening and the morning is truth, Daniel 8:14, 26.

One is calling to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? The watchman says, The morning is coming, and night again, Isaiah 21:11-12.

The end has come, the morning has come upon you, you that dwell in the land. Look, the day has come, the morning has gone forth, Ezekiel 7:6-7, 10.

Jehovah morning by morning will set His judgment in light, nor will He fail, Zephaniah 3:5. God is in her midst, God will help her when morning breaks, Psalms 46:5.

I have waited for Jehovah, my soul waits for the Lord more than those that watch for the morning, those that watch for the morning. For with Him is a wealth of redemption, and He will redeem Israel, Psalms 130:5-8.

[2] In these passages evening and night mean the final period of the church, morning its first period. The Lord Himself is also called the morning in the following passages:

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel talked to me. He is like the light of morning, a morning without clouds. 2 Samuel 23:3-4.

I am the root and offspring of David, the bright star of morning, Revelation 22:16.

From the womb of the dawn the dew of your youth is on you, Psalms 110:3.

These things are said of the Lord. It was because the Lord is the morning that He also rose from the tomb in the early morning, so as to begin a new church (Mark 16:2, 9).

[3] The Lord's coming is to be awaited, as is plainly established by His prediction of it in Matthew:

When Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him, saying, Tell us, what is the sign of your coming and of the ending of the age? Matthew 24:3.

After the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will the sign of the Son of Man appear, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory, Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27.

As were the days of Noah, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore be ready, for at the time you do not expect, the Son of Man will come, Matthew 24:37, 39, 44, 46.

In Luke:

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith upon the earth? Luke 18:8.

In John:

Jesus said of John, If I want him to stay until I come... John 21:22-23.

[4] In the Acts of the Apostles:

When they saw Jesus lifted up into heaven, two men stood before them in white clothing, and they said, Jesus who has been lifted up from you into heaven, will come like this, as you have seen him going into heaven, Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11.

In Revelation:

The Lord, the God of the holy prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must happen. Behold, I am coming. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy ² of this book. And behold, I am coming, and my reward is with me, so that I may give to each according to what he has done, Revelation 22:6-7, 12.

Further:

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness of these things to you in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright star of the morning. The spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who is thirsty come; and let whoever will, take the water of life without payment. Rev:16-17.

Further:

He who bears witness to these things says, I am coming indeed. Amen, come indeed, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen, Revelation 22:20-21.

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