Commentary

 

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth as a Baby?

By Curtis Childs

This painting by Richard Cook  of the newborn baby Jesus, with Mary and Joseph, evokes the spiritual power of this long-awaited advent.

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.

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

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This video is a product of the Swedenborg Foundation. Follow these links for further information and other videos: www.youtube.com/user/offTheLeftEye and www.swedenborg.com

The Bible

 

Luke 2:8-12

Study

      

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 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.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

      

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #477

Study this Passage

  
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477. But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound. (10:7) This symbolizes the final examination and exposure of the state of the church - that it will perish if the Lord does not establish a new one.

Sounding a trumpet means, symbolically, to examine and expose the state of life of people in the church, thus also the state of the church, as may be seen in no. 397 above. And because there were seven angels who sounded, the sounding of the seventh angel symbolizes the final examination and exposure, showing that the church would perish if the Lord did not establish a new one. That it would perish is meant by the statement that there should be no more time (no. 476); and that the Lord would establish a new one is meant by the statement that follows next.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.