"当他们走近的时候，他看见城，就为之哭泣，说：'你们若是知道，就连你们自己，尤其是在你们这个时代，属于你们平安的事，也该知道！ '但现在它们却从你们的眼睛里藏起来了。"(路加福音19:41,42 ).

"'耶路撒冷的女儿们，不要为我哭泣，要为你们自己和你们的儿女哭泣...........因为他们若在绿林中行这些事，在枯木中又要作什么呢？"( 路加福音23:28,31).

耶稣为耶路撒冷流泪。 妇人为他而哭，他叫她们为自己和孩子们哭泣。 在胜利的时刻悲痛，在荒凉的时刻悲痛。

棕枝主日的故事是有讽刺意味的，因为在它的欢呼声中，笼罩着背叛、审判和受难的阴影。 愤怒的众人要求他被钉死在十字架上，难道这群愤怒的人，就是五天前称颂他为王的众人吗？ 为什么主明知必将发生的事情，却要凯旋而上？ 祂这样做是为了宣布祂，从神的善中得来的神性真理，将统治万物；给我们一幅图画，让我们看到祂的威严，将永远存在。 然后，客西马尼和髑髅地的事件让我们知道了这威严的性质----他的国度确实不属于这个世界。

我们可以想象一下棕树节的场景吗？ 众人在欢呼雀跃，欢呼雀跃，然后他们看到他们的王在哭泣。 这不是一个短暂的时刻，而是持续的哭泣，使福音书的作者听到了这一幕。 他们的呼喊声在看着祂的悲痛时，他们的呼喊声是否已经平息了，当祂向他们所住的城宣告灭亡的时候，他们是否感到惊奇呢？ "你们的仇敌必在你们周围筑起堤坝，包围你们，把你们四面围住，把你们和你们的儿女们都压在地上；他们不会在你们身上留下一块又一块的石头，因为你们不知道你们的时间，所以不知道你们要来的时候。" 然后，也许是随着他的骑行，欢呼声又恢复了，那些奇怪的话语也就忘记了。

还有另一个讽刺；因为百姓高呼说，和平来了。 "奉耶和华的名来的王有福了! 天上有平安，至高无上的荣耀！" 然而，当耶稣哭泣的时候，他对全城的人说："你们若是知道，就连你们自己，尤其是在你们这个时代，那些使你们得平安的事，也是你们所知道的。 但现在它们都被你们隐藏起来了。"

这宏伟的全景说的是每个人内心的世界。 正是在我们的心中，在道的属灵意义上，耶稣在我们的心目中，在我们的心目中，耶稣得胜了。 当我们看到他的真理的奇妙，感觉到他的大能胜过万物，我们就会赞美他。 棕枝主日的所有事件都告诉我们，当我们承认主，可见的神，通过我们里面的道来统治我们的心智。 这是个大喜乐的时刻。 就像棕枝主日的众人一样，我们感觉到这异象将扫除一切邪恶，主将很容易在我们里面作我们的王和神。

这样的幸福时光确实临到我们，我们可以在其中欢欣鼓舞，欢呼我们的主和王。 "在天上的平安，在最高的荣耀！" 平安是通过与我们所见的主联合而来。启示录解说369:9，11). 然而，主自己也知道，那些不知道平安的人必有争战。 这也是主在他的话语中警告我们的。 在主的时代的自然耶路撒冷，统治者们用虚假来破坏真理，他们给基督徒带来了许多的痛苦。 在我们心目中属灵的耶路撒冷，有一些虚假的价值观，会破坏平安。 在我们到了天堂之前，我们对主的异象和我们的自爱之间将有一场争战，而我们的自爱将滥用真理来使之发生。

所以，主在橄榄山上，在橄榄山上，当他俯视这城的时候，他就在那里哭泣。 祂的哭泣是怜悯的标志，因为祂为我们里面那些会伤害我们的、与我们的平安相对立的状态而悲伤。 (天国的秘密5480; 启示录解释365 [9]；参看： 365:11, 340). 然而，祂的悲痛是一种积极的力量，它是一种怜悯的力量，正在努力消除这些状态。 耶稣应许耶路撒冷将被彻底摧毁----连一块石头都不留。 诚然，自然的耶路撒冷被夷为平地，但这不是祂的意思。 祂应许我们----甚至在祂警告我们即将到来的争战时----祂必得胜，我们的耶路撒冷----我们作恶的借口---将不能成立。 它们将被祂的话语所毁灭。 (参看 阿卡纳-科尔斯蒂亚6588 [5]; 启示录解释365 [9]).

祂因怜悯而哭泣，祂应许了哭泣的结局，因为 "祂温柔的怜悯胜过了祂的一切作为"。

在耶稣受难日的时候，肯定会有哭泣的理由。 想象一下这个场景。妇人在十字架后面哀叹。 耶稣一定是被鞭打得血流满面，被荆棘王冠所伤。 他被那些喜欢看人死的人包围着。 那些称他为仇人的人，都认为自己赢了。

他的追随者们都很绝望。 他们从来没有想到祂所培养的梦想会以这样的方式结束，也没有想到他们所爱的领袖会受到如此可怕的对待。 他们为他的苦难而感同身受。 他们为他哭泣。

然后，也许侮辱他的人群在他转向哀悼者的时候，被压制住了。 他用他无限的爱说话， "耶路撒冷的女儿们，不要为我哭泣，要为你们自己和你们的孩子们哭泣。" 他没有想到他即将到来的痛苦， 他为他所爱的人悲伤。 祂必得胜。 正是在他们身上，苦难才会降临。我们还有什么比这句话更清楚地描述我们的上帝来到世上的目标呢？ 祂来了，因为邪恶的人和邪恶的感情给祂的儿女带来了苦难。 祂来是为了在他们哭泣之后给他们喜乐，给他们安慰和希望，最后给他们一个肯定，那就是不应该再有死亡，也不应该有悲伤和哭泣。

当时的妇女确实面临着身体上的悲哀。当我们知道基督徒受迫害，想到有人因为敬拜他们的神而被杀，孩子被夺走，善良的人受到那些不懂怜悯的人的怜悯，真是令人心痛。 的确，主说的似乎是对的，如果他们不生孩子，不为自己的信仰受苦，那就更好了。 "因为确实有一天，他们会说：'贫瘠的人有福了，不曾生育的子宫，不曾哺育的乳房，有福了！'"

但是，主来到人间的真正原因是，在肉体的残忍中，有一个更大的伤害。 有很多人在这个世界上行走，他们不会想到要谋杀别人，但却经常喜欢夺走一些更珍贵的东西--他跟随主的能力。

这就是为什么主说这些话的原因："不要为我哭泣，要为你们自己和你们的儿女哭泣。 耶路撒冷的女儿们代表着全世界真诚的人对真理的温柔的爱。 他们的儿女是来自于对真理的爱的慈爱和信心。 这些都是邪恶的牺牲品，尤其是当它侵袭教会的时候。 这些都是引起内心哭泣的东西，是一种因沉默而更具有破坏性的心灵的悲哀。

"耶路撒冷的女儿们，"他叫他们。 我们对真理的纯洁的爱是与我们自私的理由一起成长起来的。 事实上，它是被自私的理由所统治，就像耶路撒冷的女儿们被腐败的教会所统治一样。 当那些妇女们试图脱离犹太教会的时候，她们被迫害。 当我们对真理的纯洁的爱试图引导我们跟随主的时候，我们的灵里就会遭受试探。 地狱升起，用我们曾经有过的所有自私和邪恶的快乐来诱惑我们，我们确实为自己哭泣。

你看，受苦的不是真理本身! "不要为我哭泣，"耶稣说。 真理是全能的。 是我们对真理的爱被试探了。 受苦的是我们的仁爱和我们的信仰--那爱的孩子--。

"因为他们会说，'贫瘠的人有福了，不孕不育的子宫和不育的乳房有福了'。"在我们看来，那些没有真理、没有理想的人不就是幸福的人吗？ 其实这是一个预言，在教会之外，重新找到教会的人，比起那些把生活中的虚伪带入争战的人，他们的日子会更容易。

在棕枝主日，当耶稣哭泣时，他说耶路撒冷要被毁灭。 正如我说过的，祂实际上是在应许我们里面的邪恶被毁灭。 在耶稣受难日，他也给出了同样的保证。 "然后他们要开始对山说："落在我们身上！"又要对山丘说："盖住我们！"这些看似严厉的话语是一种安慰，因为它们保证，当主的真理在我们里面得胜时，天国就会越来越近。 当那时候，那些诱惑我们的地狱将无法忍受天堂的存在，会把自己遮盖起来，躲起来。

"因为他们若在绿林中行这些事，在干的时候又要怎样呢？" 听众们知道这句话的意思：如果当祂在他们中间的时候，他们拒绝了祂的真理，那么当对祂的存在和祂的神迹的记忆干涸了，他们又会怎样呢？ 从内在的意义上说，绿木是真理，从对真理的热爱中仍有生命力。 即使我们看到道的理想，也会在试探中挣扎。 但当那木头干枯了，当我们无法感受到真理的生命和力量时，斗争就会变得非常艰难。

在这两个画面中----祂在棕枝主日的哭泣，祂悲哀地警告妇女们为自己和孩子们哭泣，主是在预备我们为我们所信的事而战。祂是如何预备我们的呢？ 不仅仅是向我们保证即将到来的试炼，也是向我们保证，既然祂已经显明了祂的大能，就一定会得胜。 在真正的基督教的宗教中，有这样的奇迹，有这样的盼望，有这样的永恒的幸福。 然而，任何有价值的爱，在面对挑战之前，都不会有值得我们保留的。 必须有哭泣的时候：我们仁慈的主为我们的挣扎而哭泣，并从怜悯中给予我们力量；我们的梦想和希望在害怕失去时哭泣。 通过试炼，我们表达了我们对梦想的承诺，祂将我们交付给我们。

在他被捕前不到二十四小时，主又讲到了哭泣。 在最后的晚餐上，他说："我实在告诉你们，你们要哭泣，要哀叹，但世人要欢喜。" 但祂并没有止步于此"你们必忧伤，但你们的忧伤必转为喜乐。 妇人在生产的时候，有忧愁，因为她的时辰到了；但只要她生下孩子，就不再记念那苦恼，因为有一个人降生到世界上，就有喜乐。 所以你们现在有忧愁；但我必再见到你们，你们的心必欢喜，你们的喜乐没有人夺去。"

当他被钉在十字架上，又复活的时候，他们一定以为他的话已经应验了。 现在他们找到了没有人能够从他们身上夺走的喜乐。 也许当他们在逼迫者的手中受苦，在基督徒同胞中找到了喜乐，他们也是这样想的。 最后，当他们打了自己的私下争战，从他的大能中战胜了里面的仇敌，他们知道了他真正的意思。

"耶稣为城市哭泣" "为你们自己和你们的孩子哭泣" 我们对真理的爱将受到威胁，我们对真正的信仰和真正的慈善的希望也将受到威胁。 正是为了这个目的，祂来到世界上，骑着凯旋而来，喝下了被拒绝和明显的死亡之杯--能够将我们的忧伤转为喜乐。 因此，祂也可以说："在世上你们必有苦难；但你们要喜乐，我已经胜过了世界。"阿门。

(Препратки: 路加福音19:29-44, 23:24-38)

328. For thou wast slain, and didst redeem us to God in Thy blood, signifies the separation of all from the Divine, and the conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of the Lord, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. This is evident from the signification of "being slain," as being, in reference to the Lord, the separation of all from the Divine, for "to be slain" signifies in the Word to be spiritually slain, that is, to perish by evils and falsities (See above, n. 315); and because the Lord with such is not, for He is denied, therefore "being slain" signifies, in reference to the Lord, not acknowledged (as above, n. 315 and also denied; and when the Lord is denied He is as it were slain with such as deny, and by the denial they are separated from the Divine; for such as deny the Lord, that is, His Divine, separate themselves altogether from the Divine. For the Lord is the God of the universe, and He is one with the Father, and the Father is in Him and He in the Father, and no one cometh to the Father but by Him, as the Lord Himself teaches; consequently those in the church who do not acknowledge His Divine, and still more those who in heart deny it, are altogether separated from the Divine.

[2] Denying the Divine is here meant by slaying Him with themselves. In the internal sense of the Word the same is meant by "crucifying the Lord" (See above, n. 83, 195); for the Jews, with whom the church then was, denied that he was the Christ, and thereby separated themselves from the Divine and therefore they gave Him up to death, or crucified Him. Moreover, at this day those who deny His Divine do the same; it is therefore frequently said by preachers that those who lead an evil life and blaspheme the Lord crucify Him with themselves. This, therefore, is what is here signified by "Thou wast slain." This is evident also from the signification of "thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood," as being that He conjoined us to the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him; for "to redeem" signifies to liberate from hell, and thereby to appropriate men to Himself, and thus conjoin them to the Divine, as will be seen from the passages in the Word in which "to redeem" and "redemption" are mentioned, which will be quoted below. The "blood of the Lord" signifies Divine truth proceeding from Him; and because man by the reception of Divine truth from the Lord is liberated from hell and conjoined to Him, therefore "Thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood" signifies conjunction with the Divine by the reception of the Divine truth from the Lord.

[3] That this sense lies hidden in these words no one can see who abides in the mere sense of the letter, for in that sense nothing else can be seen except that "Thou wast slain" means that He was crucified and "Thou didst redeem us in Thy blood" means that He has reconciled us to His Father by the passion of the cross. Because this meaning is the meaning of the letter, and because it has hitherto been unknown that in the particulars of the Word there is an internal sense which is spiritual, from that sense, namely, the sense of the letter, it has been made a doctrine of the church that the Divine Itself which they call the Father cast away from Him the whole human race, and that the Lord by the passion of the cross made reconciliation, and that thus those for whom He intercedes are saved. Who that has any illumination of understanding cannot see that this doctrinal is contrary to the Divine Itself? For the Divine Itself never casts away any man from Him for He loves all, and therefore desires the salvation of all. It is also contrary to the Divine Itself to be reconciled by the shedding of blood, and to be brought back to mercy by beholding the passion of the cross which His own Son sustained, and from this to have mercy, and not from Himself. Although this doctrine is so contrary to the Divine essence, yet to believe this is called essential faith or justifying faith.

[4] Again, who can think from enlightened reason that the sins of the whole world were transferred to the Lord, and that the sins of anyone who merely has that faith are thereby taken away? But although this is the doctrine of those who never think beyond the sense of the letter, yet the angels who are with men have no perception of these things according to that sense, but according to the spiritual sense, for they are spiritual and therefore think spiritually and not naturally. To angels, "redeeming man in His blood" means liberating man from hell, and thus claiming and conjoining man to Himself by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. Moreover, the church may know that this is so; for it may know that no one is conjoined to the Divine by blood, but by the reception of the Divine truth, and the application of it to the life.

[5] Liberation from hell by the Lord was accomplished by His assuming the Human, and through it subjugating the hells, and reducing to order all things in the heavens, which could have been done in no way except by the Human; for the Divine operates from firsts through ultimates, thus from Himself through the things that are from Himself in ultimates, which are in the Human. This is the operation of Divine power in heaven and in the world. (On this see some things above, n. 41; also in Heaven and Hell 315; and in Arcana Coelestia 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 8603, 9215, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548.) Liberation from hell by the Lord was also accomplished by His glorifying His Human, that is, making it Divine; for thus and not otherwise could He hold the hells in subjection forever; and as the subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human was accomplished by means of temptations admitted into his Human, His passion of the cross was His last temptation and complete victory. That "He bore the sins of all" signifies that He admitted into Himself all the hells when He was tempted, for from the hells all sins or evils ascend, and enter into man and are in him; therefore the Lord's "bearing sins" signifies that He admitted the hells into Himself when tempted; and His "taking away sins" means that He subjugated the hells, in order that evils may no more rise up from them, with those who acknowledge the Lord and receive Him, that is, who receive in faith and life the Divine truth proceeding from Him, and who are thus conjoined to the Lord.

It was said that "Thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood" signifies conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of the Lord, and the reception of Divine truth from Him; and as the church is founded on this, I will state briefly how conjunction is thereby effected.

[6] The primary thing is to acknowledge the Lord, to acknowledge His Divine in the Human, and His omnipotence to save the human race; for by that acknowledgment man is conjoined to the Divine, since there is no Divine except in Him; for the Father is there; for the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches; consequently they who look to another Divine near Him, or at His side, as those are wont to do who pray to the Father to have mercy for the sake of the Son, turn aside from the way and worship a Divine elsewhere than in Him. Moreover, they then give no thought to the Divine of the Lord, but only to the Human, when yet these cannot be separated; for the Divine and the Human are not two, but a single person, conjoined like soul and body, according to the doctrine received by the churches from the Athanasian Creed. Therefore to acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human, or the Divine Human, is the primary thing of the church, by which there is conjunction; and because it is the primary it is also the first thing of the church. It is because this is the first thing of the church, that the Lord, when He was in the world, so often said to those whom He healed, "Believest thou that I can do this?" and when they answered that they believed, He said, "Be it done according to thy faith." This He so often said that they might believe, in the first place, that from His Divine Human He had Divine omnipotence, for without that belief the church could not be begun, and without that belief they could not have been conjoined with the Divine, but must have been separated from it, and thus would not have been able to receive anything good from him.

[7] Afterwards the Lord taught how they were to be saved, namely, by receiving Divine truth from Him; and truth is received when it is applied to the life and implanted in it by doing it; therefore the Lord so often said that they should do His words. From this it can be seen that these two things, namely, believing in the Lord and doing His words, make one, and can by no means be separated; for he who does not do the Lord's words does not believe in Him; so also he who thinks that he believes in Him and does not do His words does not believe in Him, for the Lord is in His words, that is, in His truths, and by them He gives faith to man. From these few things it can be known that conjunction with the Divine is effected through the acknowledgment of the Lord and the reception of Divine truth from Him. This, therefore, is what is signified by "the Lamb redeeming us to God in His blood." That "the Lamb" signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, see above n. 314. (On this more may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297, and in the quotations from Arcana Coelestia, n 300-306, as also at the end of that work, where the Lord is particularly treated of.)

That "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "salvation by His blood" signifies by the reception of Divine truth from Him, will be explained in the following article.

[8] That "to redeem" signifies to deliver and to make free, and, in reference to the Lord, to deliver and free from hell, and thus to set apart and conjoin to Himself, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, walking in the multitude of his power? I that speak in righteousness, great to save. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed hath come. In all their straitness He was in straitness and the angel of His faces saved them; because of His love and His pity He redeemed them; and He took them up and carried them all the days of eternity (Isaiah 63:1, 4, 9).

This treats of the Lord and His temptation-combats, by which He subjugated the hells. "Edom from which He cometh" signifies His Human, so also does "the angel of His faces." His Divine power from which He fought is signified by "walking in the multitude of His power;" the casting down into hell of those who rose up against Him and the elevation of the good into heaven is meant by "righteousness," thus by these words, "I that speak in righteousness, great to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed hath come." His Divine love from which He did these things is described by "In all their straitness He was in straitness, and the angel of His faces saved them; because of His love and His pity He redeemed them; and He took them up and carried them all the days of eternity." From this it is clear that "the redeemed" and "those whom He redeemed" signify those whom He rescued from the fury of those who are from hell, and whom he saved.

[9] In the same:

Thus hath said Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine (Isaiah 43:1).

That "to redeem" signifies to free from hell, and to set apart and conjoin to Himself so that they may be His, is clear, for it is said, "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine;" because this is effected through reformation and regeneration by the Lord, therefore it is said, "Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel." He is called Creator because "to create" in the Word signifies to regenerate (See above, n. 294). "Jacob" and "Israel" signify those who are of the church, and are in truths from good.

[10] In the same:

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and the wages of His work are before Him. And they shall call them a people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah (Isaiah 62:11-12).

This also treats of the Lord's coming, and the establishment of a church by Him. "Daughter of Zion" signifies the church which is in love to the Lord; His coming is meant by "Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and the wages of His work are before Him;" those who are reformed and regenerated by Him are meant by "the redeemed of Jehovah."

[11] These are called the "redeemed" because they have been freed from evils by regeneration, and are set apart by the Lord and are conjoined to Him. In the same:

No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein; but the redeemed shall go; and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing, and the gladness of eternity shall be upon their head (Isaiah 35:9-10).

This also treats of the Lord's coming, and the salvation of those who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord. That with such there shall not be falsity destroying truth nor evil destroying good, is signified by "No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein;" that such are delivered from evils and freed from falsities is signified by "the redeemed shall go; so shall the ransomed of Jehovah return;" their eternal happiness is signified by "they shall come to Zion with singing, and the gladness of eternity shall be upon their head," "Zion" meaning the church. What "singing" signifies see just above (n. 326). There are two, words in the original by which "to redeem" is expressed, one signifying deliverance from evils, the other liberation from falsities; these two words are used here; thus it is said, "the redeemed shall go," and "the ransomed of Jehovah shall return." (These two words are also used in Hosea 13:14; and in David, Psalms 69:18; 107:2)

[12] "To redeem" signifies to deliver from evils and to free from falsities, and also to deliver and free from hell, because all evils and falsities with man arise out of hell; and since the Lord removes these by reformation and regeneration, reformation and regeneration also are signified by "to redeem" or "redemption," as in the following passages.

[13] In David:

Rise up as a help to us, and ransom us for Thy mercy's sake (Psalms 44:26);

to "ransom" here meaning to free and to reform. In the same:

God hath ransomed my soul from the hand of hell; and He will accept me (Psalms 49:15).

"To ransom from the hand of hell" means to free; "to accept me" means to set apart and to conjoin to Himself, or to make His own, as servants sold and redeemed. In Hosea:

Out of the hand of hell will I ransom them; I will redeem them from death (Hosea 13:14).

"To redeem" meaning to deliver and free from damnation.

In David:

Bless Jehovah, O my soul, who hath redeemed thy life from the pit (Psalms 103:1, 4).

"To redeem from the pit" means to free from damnation; "the pit" meaning damnation. In the same:

Draw nigh unto my soul, redeem it, and because of my enemies ransom me (Psalms 69:18).

"To draw nigh to the soul" signifies to conjoin it to Himself; "to redeem it" signifies to deliver from evils; "because of my enemies ransom me" signifies to free from falsities, "enemies" meaning falsities. In the same:

Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, whom He hath redeemed out of the hand of the distressing enemy (Psalms 107:2).

"The redeemed of Jehovah" means those who are delivered from evil; "whom He hath redeemed out of the hand of the distressing enemy" means those whom He has freed from falsities. In Jeremiah:

I am with thee, to save thee and to rescue thee; and I will rescue thee out of the hand of the evil, and I will ransom thee out of the hand of the violent (Jeremiah 15:20-21).

"To ransom out of the hand of the violent" means to free from falsities that offer violence to the good of charity; the "violent" signifying such falsities, consequently those also who are in them.

[14] In David:

Let Israel hope in Jehovah, for with Jehovah there is mercy, and in Him is much ransom, and He shall ransom Israel out of all his iniquities (Psalms 130:7-8).

"Ransom" means liberation; "Israel" the church; and to reform those who are of the church and free them from falsities is signified by "He shall ransom Israel out of all his iniquities."

In the same:

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I have waited for thee. Ransom Israel, O God, out of all his distresses (Psalms 25:21-22).

"To ransom Israel out of distresses" means here also to free those who are of the church from falsities, which straiten.

In Isaiah:

Is My hand shortened, that there is no ransoming? or is there no power in Me to rescue? (Isaiah 50:2).

That "ransoming" means liberation is evident, for it is said also, "Is My hand shortened, or is there no power in Me to rescue." In David:

God shall hear my voice; He shall ransom my soul in peace (Psalms 55:17-18);

"to ransom" here means to free.

In the same:

Unto Thee will I sing psalms with the harp, Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall praise; and my soul, which Thou hast ransomed (Psalms 71:22-23).

"To ransom the soul" means to free from falsities; for "soul" in the Word signifies the life of faith, and "heart" the life of love; therefore "to ransom the soul" signifies to free from falsities and to give the life of faith.

[15] In the same:

Ransom me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Thy precepts (Psalms 119:134).

"To ransom from the oppression of man" signifies to free from the falsities of evil, for "man" signifies the spiritual affection of truth and wisdom therefrom, and in the contrary sense, as here, the lust of falsity and insanity therefrom; the "oppression of man" signifies the destruction of truth by falsities.

In the same:

Into Thine hand I will commend my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O Jehovah, God of truth (Psalms 31:5);

"to ransom" means to free from falsities and to reform by means of truths; and because this is signified by "ransom" it is said, "O Jehovah, God of truth." In the same:

Crime is in the hands of sinners, and their right hand is full of a bribe. But as for me, I walk in mine integrity; ransom me, and be merciful unto me (Psalms 26:10-11);

"to ransom" meaning to free from falsities and to reform. In the same:

He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence; and precious shall their blood be in His eyes. And he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba; and He shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless them (Psalms 72:14-15).

The "needy" are here treated of, by whom those are signified who desire truths from spiritual affection; of these it is said that "He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence," which signifies liberation from falsities and evils that destroy the goods of love and the truths of faith; the reception of Divine truth by them is signified by "precious shall their blood be in His eyes;" their reformation is described "he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba; and He shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless him;" "the gold of Sheba" is the good of charity; "to pray for him continually" signifies that they shall constantly be withheld from falsities and kept in truths; and "all the day shall He bless him" signifies that they shall constantly be in the good of charity and faith, for this is a Divine benediction; while to withhold from falsities and to keep in truths is "to pray for him continually."

[16] In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah, For nought ye have been sold, and not by silver shall ye be redeemed. My people went down into Egypt to sojourn there, but Assyria oppressed them for nought (Isaiah 52:3-4).

This treats of the desolation of truths by knowledges and by the reasonings of the natural man from them; for "My people went down into Egypt to sojourn there" signifies the instruction of the natural man in knowledges and cognitions of truth; "Egypt" signifies knowledges and also cognitions, but such as are from the sense of the letter of the Word; and "to sojourn" signifies to be instructed; "Assyria oppressed them for nought" signifies the falsification of knowledges by the reasonings of the natural man; "Assyria" signifying reasonings, and "to oppress for nought" falsifications, for falsities are nought because there is nothing of truth in them. Knowledges are thus falsified when the natural man separate from the spiritual forms conclusions; this is why it is said, "For nought ye have been sold, and not by silver shall ye be redeemed;" "for nought to be sold" signifies from self or from the selfhood to alienate oneself from falsities and renounce them; and "not by silver to be redeemed" signifies that one cannot be delivered by means of truth from the falsities of evil; "silver" signifying truth, and "to be redeemed" signifying to be delivered from the falsities of evil and to be reformed.

[17] In Zechariah:

I will bring them together, because I will ransom them; and then shall they be multiplied; I will sow them among the peoples; and I will bring them back out of the land, and will bring them together out of Assyria; and I will lead them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon (Zechariah 10:8-10).

This treats of the restoration of the church, and reformation by means of truth from good; and "I will bring them together, because I will ransom them" signifies the dispersion of falsities and reformation by means of truths; therefore it is said, "they shall be multiplied, and I will sow them among the peoples," which signifies the multiplication and insemination of truth from good; "to bring them back out of the land of Egypt, and to bring them together out of Assyria" signifies (as above) to withdraw them from the falsifying of truth that they are in by their reasonings from knowledges; "to lead them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon" signifies to the good of the church, which is the good of charity, and to the good and truth of faith; the former is "the land of Gilead" and the latter "Lebanon. "

[18] From this it can be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by Jehovah's "leading the people out of Egypt" and "ransoming them," as in Moses:

I will rescue you from bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments (Exodus 6:6).

I led you out of Egypt with a stretched-out arm, and I ransomed you out of the house of bondmen (Deuteronomy 7:8; 9:26-29; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18).

Thou in Thy mercy hast led Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in the strength of Thy hand to the habitation of Thy holiness (Exodus 15:13).

And in Micah:

I made thee to go up out of the land of Egypt, and ransomed thee out of the house of bondage (Micah 6:4).

This means in the sense of the letter that they were led by the Divine power out of Egypt, where they had been made bondmen; but in the internal or spiritual sense no such thing is meant, but it means that those who are of the church, that is, those that are reformed by the Lord by means of truths and a life according to them, are delivered and freed from evils and from the falsities thence, for these are the things that make man a bondsman; this is the spiritual sense of these words, and in this sense are the angels when man is in the sense of the letter.

[19] Moreover, by "redemption" the angels understand deliverance from evils and liberation from falsities in the following passages. In Moses:

I will put a ransom between My people and Pharaoh's people (Exodus 8:23).

In David:

He hath sent a ransom unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and fearful is His name (Psalms 111:9).

In Matthew:

What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, but shall cause the loss of his soul? or what price shall a man give sufficient for the redemption of his soul? (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36-37);

"redemption" here meaning deliverance from damnation.

[20] From this it can be seen what the Lord's redeeming mankind signifies, namely, that He delivered and freed them from hell and from the evils and falsities that continually rise up therefrom and bring man into condemnation, and that He continually delivers them and frees them. This deliverance and liberation was effected by His subjugating the hells; and the continual deliverance and liberation by His glorifying His Human, that is, making it Divine, for thereby He keeps the hells continually subjugated; this, therefore is what is signified by His redeeming man, and by His being called in the Word "Redeemer," as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, and ye mortals of Israel; I am He that helpeth thee, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14).

Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, because of Jehovah who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee (Isaiah 49:7).

Our Redeemer is Jehovah of Hosts, His name the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 47:4).

Thus said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 43:14).

That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 49:26).

That thou mayest know that I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 60:16).

By the "Holy One of Israel," and the "Mighty One of Jacob," who is here called "Redeemer," is meant the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, and by "Jehovah" is meant His Divine Itself. The Lord in respect to His Divine Human is called "the Holy One of Israel," and "the Mighty One of Jacob," and the "Strong One of Jacob," because "Israel" and "Jacob" signify the church, thus those who are regenerated and reformed, that is, redeemed by the Lord, for these alone are of the church, that is, constitute the church of the Lord.

[21] That the Lord's Divine Human is what is called "the Holy One" is evident in Luke:

The angel said unto Mary, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; therefore the Holy Thing born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).

And that the Lord in respect to the Divine Human is "the Strong One of Jacob," and the "Mighty One of Jacob;" in the same:

The angel said unto Mary, Behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and bring forth a Son. He shall be great, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:30-33).

"The house of Jacob" evidently means the Lord's church, not the Jewish nation.

[22] Because the Lord's Human was equally Divine with His Divine Itself that took on the Human, Jehovah is called "the Redeemer" in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God (Isaiah 48:17).

Jehovah of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isaiah 54:5).

In David:

O Jehovah, my ¹ Rock and my Redeemer (Psalms 19:14).

In Jeremiah:

Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of Hosts is His name (Jeremiah 50:34).

In Isaiah:

Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer; from everlasting is Thy ² name (Isaiah 63:16).

From this it can now be seen how this saying of the Lord is to be understood:

The Son of man came to give His soul a redemption for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45);

namely, that they might be delivered and freed from hell; for the passion of the cross was the last combat and complete victory by which He subjugated the hells, and by which He glorified His Human (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297, 300-306).