Arcana Coelestia # 9987
9987. 'And this is the word which you shall do to them' means a law of order. This is clear from the meaning of 'the word' as Divine Truth, and consequently a law of order, dealt with below. The ordinary meaning of 'word' is an expression spoken by the mouth, or utterance; and since utterance is thought taking place in the mind which is expressed by means of vocal sounds, 'word' also means a thing that is being thought about. This explains why in the original language whatever comes into actual being and is indeed something is called 'a word'. But a grander meaning of 'word' is Divine Truth, because the source of all that comes into being and is indeed something is Divine Truth. This accounts for the statement in David,
By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all their host by the Spirit of His mouth. Psalms 33:6.
Here 'the Word of Jehovah' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord; 'the Spirit of Jehovah's mouth' is the life brought by His Truth; and 'the heavens' made by His Word, also 'all their host', are angels, to the extent that they are recipients of Divine Truth. The reason why angels are meant by 'the heavens' is that they constitute heaven. Furthermore, since angels are recipients of Divine Truth, Divine Truths coming from the Lord are meant by them in the abstract sense, see 8192; and in that same sense 'the host of the heavens' means Divine Truths, 3448, 7236, 7988.
[2] From this it becomes clear what 'the Word' means in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory. John 1:1, 3, 14.
Here it is self-evident that the Word is used to mean the Lord, for it says that the Word became flesh. The Lord is the Word because while He was in the world the Lord was Divine Truth itself; and since His departure from the world Divine Truth has emanated from Him, see the places referred to in 9199 (end), 9315 (end).
[3] In the highest sense the Word is the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, or what amounts to the same thing, the Word is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. This is clear from very many places, for example in David,
They cried out to Jehovah, and He sent His Word and healed them. Psalms 107:19-20.
In John,
You do not have the Father's word abiding in you, because the One whom He has sent, Him you do not believe; nor are you willing to come to Me that you may have life. John 5:38, 40.
In the same gospel,
I have given them Your word; therefore the world hates them. Sanctify them in Your truth; Your word is truth. John 17:14, 17.
And in the Book of Revelation,
The One seated on the white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And on His garment and on His thigh He had a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:13, 16.
From these and many other places it is clear that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord is meant by 'the Word', and in the highest sense the Lord in respect of Divine Truth; for it says that the name of the One seated on the white horse is The Word of God, and that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. And since the Word is Divine Truth it says that He was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, for 'garment' means truth, 9952, and 'blood' truth from good, 9393. For a fuller explanation of these things, see 2760-2762.
[4] This now explains why every truth that comes from God is called His word, as in Joel,
Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, His camp is exceedingly great; for those who execute His word are uncountable. Joel 2:11.
'The voice' which Jehovah utters is the truth from God, 9926, Jehovah's 'camp' is heaven, 4236, 8193, 8196, from which it is evident that 'those who execute His word are uncountable' means those who do God's truth. In Matthew,
[As for the one] who hears the word of the kingdom and does not give heed to it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. [The one] who has been sown on stony ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root. [The one] who is sown among thorns is he who hears the word but the cares of this world 1 and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. [The one] who is sown in good soil is he who hears the word and gives heed to it, and consequently bears fruit. Matthew 13:19-23.
It is evident without explanation that 'the word' here is God's truth. The expression 'the word of the kingdom' is used because it is the truth that is heaven and the Church's; for 'the kingdom' means heaven and the Church.
[5] From all this it becomes clear that 'words' means Divine Truths that come from the Lord, as in John,
The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.
Therefore also the ten commandments are called Ten Words in Exodus 34:28. The reason why 'the word' is a law of order is that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord brings order to the heavens, to such an extent that it constitutes order there. Consequently the laws of heavenly order consist of Divine Truths, see 1728, 1919, 2258, 2447, 4839, 5703, 7995, 8513, 8700, 8988. The law of order meant by 'the word' in this chapter is the manner in which the Lord glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine. This is the subject here in the internal sense, the subject in the relative sense consequently being human regeneration, since human regeneration is an image of the glorification of the Lord, 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 4402, 5688. The reason why this in particular is a law of order is that the Lord's Divine Human constitutes order in the heavens and everyone who is being regenerated is being remade to conform to that order. Those therefore with whom that order exists abide in the Lord.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, the age
Matthew 12
1
At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."
3
But he said to them, "Haven't you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;
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how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5
Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?
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But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
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But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.
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For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
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He departed there, and went into their synagogue.
10
And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" that they might accuse him.
11
He said to them, "What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he grab on to it, and lift it out?
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Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day."
13
Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
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But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
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Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
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and commanded them that they should not make him known:
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that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
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"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
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He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
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He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
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In his name, the nations will hope."
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Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
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All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?"
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But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."
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Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
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If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
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If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
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But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
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Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
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"He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn't gather with me, scatters.
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Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
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Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.
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"Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.
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You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
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The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
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I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
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For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
38
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
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But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
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For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
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The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
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But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn't find it.
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Then he says, 'I will return into my house from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
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Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."
46
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
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One said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you."
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But he answered him who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
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He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!
50
For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
