By Curtis Childs
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)
705. CHAPTER 12.
1. AND a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
2. And she being with child, cried out, travailing, and in pain to bring forth.
3. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and, behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she had brought forth he might devour her child.
5. And she brought forth a male child, who is to tend all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.
6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.
7. And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.
8. And they prevailed not; and their place was not found any more in heaven.
9. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which seduceth the whole world; he was cast out unto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10. And I heard a great voice saying in heaven, Now is come the salvation and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before God day and night.
11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great anger, knowing that he hath but a short time.
13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast out to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child.
14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, unto her place, where she is nourished a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth, after the woman, water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
16. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17. And the dragon was wroth against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
18. And I stood upon the sand of the sea.
EXPLANATION.
Verses 1, 2. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child, cried out, travailing, and in pain to bring forth.
"And a great sign was seen in heaven," signifies Divine testification concerning the future church, and the reception of its doctrine, and as to those by whom it will be assaulted; "a woman encompassed with the sun," signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in love towards the neighbour; "and the moon under her feet," signifies faith with those who are in charity; ["and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those of that church through doctrinals and the knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word.] 1 "And she being with child," signifies doctrine in its birth from the good of celestial love; "cried out, travailing in birth, and in pain to bring forth," signifies non-reception by those who are in the church, and the resistance of those who are in faith separated from charity.
Footnotes:
1. These words are omitted from the author's MS. in this place, but occur in n. 709, we have, therefore, placed them here in brackets (Tr).
1
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
2
His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3
Jesus answered, "Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.
4
I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.
5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6
When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man's eyes with the mud,
7
and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.
8
The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, "Isn't this he who sat and begged?"
9
Others were saying, "It is he." Still others were saying, "He looks like him." He said, "I am he."
10
They therefore were asking him, "How were your eyes opened?"
11
He answered, "A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.' So I went away and washed, and I received sight."
12
Then they asked him, "Where is he?" He said, "I don't know."
13
They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.
14
It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
15
Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see."
16
Some therefore of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he doesn't keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was division among them.
17
Therefore they asked the blind man again, "What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
18
The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,
19
and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"
20
His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;
21
but how he now sees, we don't know; or who opened his eyes, we don't know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself."
22
His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.
23
Therefore his parents said, "He is of age. Ask him."
24
So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
25
He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see."
26
They said to him again, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
27
He answered them, "I told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don't also want to become his disciples, do you?"
28
They insulted him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
29
We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don't know where he comes from."
30
The man answered them, "How amazing! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.
32
Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.
33
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
34
They answered him, "You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?" They threw him out.
35
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
36
He answered, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?"
37
Jesus said to him, "You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you."
38
He said, "Lord, I believe!" and he worshiped him.
39
Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, that those who don't see may see; and that those who see may become blind."
40
Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?"
41
Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.
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