383. Since our discernment corresponds to our lungs, and our thinking therefore to their breathing, "soul" and "spirit" in the Word mean discernment, as in "you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul" (Matthew 22:35 [22:37]), or "God will give a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezekiel 36:26; Psalms 51:12-13 [51:10]). I have already explained [378-381] that the heart means the love of our volition, so soul and spirit mean the wisdom of our discernment.

You may see in Teachings for the New Jerusalem on the Lord 50-51 that the spirit of God, also called the Holy Spirit, means divine wisdom and therefore divine truth, the means of our enlightenment.

This is why "the Lord breathed on the disciples and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22). This is also why it says, "Jehovah God breathed the breath of life into Adam's nostrils, and he became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7), and why God said to the prophet, "Prophesy over the spirit and say to the wind, 'Come, spirit, from the four winds and breathe upon these who have been slain, so that they may live'" (Ezekiel 37:9). There are similar statements elsewhere as well. It is why the Lord is called the spirit of the nostrils and also the breath of life.

Since our breathing comes through our nostrils, they are used to mean perception. An intelligent person is referred to as "keen-scented," and a dense person as "dull-scented." This is also why in Hebrew and in some other languages, "spirit" and "wind" are expressed by the same word. In fact, the word "spirit" is derived from [a root that means] breathing; so when people die we speak of their "breathing their last." This is also why people believe that a spirit is a wind or something airy, like the breath that issues from our lungs, and believe the same of the soul as well.

We can tell from this that "loving God with the whole heart and with the whole soul" means with all our love and all our discernment, and that "giving a new heart and a new spirit" means a new volition and a new discernment.

It is because the spirit means discernment that it says of Bezaleel that "he was filled with the spirit of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge" (Exodus 31:3) and of Joshua that "he was filled with the spirit of wisdom" (Deuteronomy 34:9), and that Nebuchadnezzar said of Daniel that "a superlative spirit, one of knowledge and intelligence and wisdom was in him" (Daniel 6:5 [5:11-12, 14]), and why it says in Isaiah that "those who are wandering in spirit will know intelligence" (Isaiah 29:24). Similar statements may be found in many other places.

51. Whenever the term spirit is applied to the Lord, it means in particular the life of His wisdom, which is Divine truth:

...I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you. (John 16:7)

...when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; ...He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears He will speak. (John 16:13)

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:14-15)

I will ask the Father to give you another Counselor..., the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.... ...you will see Me. (John 14:16-19, cf. 14:26, 28)

...when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth..., He will testify of Me. (John 15:26)

...Jesus...cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” This He said concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; ...the Holy Spirit did not yet exist, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

(Jesus) breathed on (His disciples) and said..., “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

[2] By the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord meant Himself, and this is apparent from the Lord’s saying that the world did not yet know the Counselor or Spirit of truth; for people did not as yet know the Lord. Moreover, when He said that He would send Him, He added, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you, “ and “you will see Me” (John 14:16-19, 26, 28). At another time, too, He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And when Thomas said, “We do not know where You are going, ” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth” (John 14:5-6).

[3] Because the Spirit of truth, or Holy Spirit, is the same as the Lord, who is truth itself, therefore we are also told, “The Holy Spirit did not yet exist, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). For after the Lord’s glorification or complete union with the Father, which was achieved by His suffering of the cross, the Lord was then Divine wisdom itself and Divine truth itself, thus the Holy Spirit.

The Lord breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit, ” because respiration in heaven is dependent wholly on the Lord. For angels breathe and their hearts beat just as in the case of people. Their respiration accords with their reception of Divine wisdom from the Lord, and the beating of their hearts or pulse accords with their reception of Divine love from the Lord. The reality of this will be seen in its own place.

[4] That the Holy Spirit is Divine truth received from the Lord is still more apparent from the following passages:

When they deliver you to the synagogues..., do not worry about...what you will say. ...the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say. (Luke 12:11-12, cf. 21:14, Mark 13:11, 12)

...said Jehovah, “...My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth....” (Isaiah 59:21)

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse.... He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the spirit [i.e., breath ] of His lips He shall slay the impious. Truth shall be the girdle of His loins.... (Isaiah 11:1, 4-5)

...with His mouth He commanded, and His Spirit gathered them. (Isaiah 34:16)

...those who worship (God) must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and...life. (John 6:63)

(John said,) “I...baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me...will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11, cf. Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16)

To baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire means to regenerate by means of the Divine truth that is a property of faith and the Divine goodness that is a property of love.

When (Jesus) was baptized..., the heavens were opened..., and He saw the (Holy) Spirit...descending like a dove.... (Matthew 3:16, cf. Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33)

The dove represents purification and regeneration by means of Divine truth.

[5] Since the Holy Spirit, when applied to the Lord, means His Divine life, thus Himself, and in particular the life of His wisdom, which we call Divine truth, therefore the spirit spoken of by the Prophets — which is also called the Holy Spirit — means Divine truth received from the Lord. Such is the case in the following passages:

...the Spirit said to the churches.... (Revelation 2:7, 11, 29, 3:1, 3, 6, 13, 22)

...(the) seven lamps of fire burning before the throne...are the seven spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5)

...in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing..., having...seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)

The lamps of fire and the Lord’s eyes symbolize Divine truths, and the number seven symbolizes holiness.

...said the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors....” (Revelation 14:13)

The spirit and the bride say, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17)

They made their hearts adamant, so as not to hear the law or the words which Jehovah...sent by His Spirit through the...prophets. (Zechariah 7:12)

The spirit of Elijah came over Elisha. (2 Kings 2:15)

(John went) before...in the spirit and power of Elijah.... (Luke 1:17)

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (and prophesied). (Luke 1:41-45)

Zacharias...was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.... (Luke 1:67)

...David...said by the Holy Spirit: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right....’ ” (Mark 12:36)

...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10)

Now because the Holy Spirit in particular means the Lord in relation to Divine wisdom, and so in relation to Divine truth, it is apparent why it is said of the Holy Spirit that it enlightens, teaches, and inspires.