8281. 'Your right hand, O Jehovah, has been made large in strength' means that the Lord's almighty power has been displayed. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's right hand' as almighty power, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'has been magnified with strength' as has been displayed, for Divine power is displayed by the strength magnifying it. The reason why 'Jehovah's right hand' means almighty power is that in the Word 'hand' means power, and so 'right hand' means exceedingly great power. Therefore when the expressions 'hand' or 'right hand' are used in reference to Jehovah, Divine power or almighty power is meant. For the meaning of the expressions 'hand' and 'right hand' as power, see 878, 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, 7518, and as almighty power, when they are used in reference to Jehovah, 3387, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153.

[2] The fact that 'Jehovah's right hand' means Divine power or almighty power is also clear from the following places in the Word: In Matthew,

Jesus said, Hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62.

In Luke,

Hereafter the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Luke 22:69.

Also in David,

Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies as Your foot-stool. You are a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek. The Lord is at Your right hand; He struck kings in the day of [His] anger. Psalms 110:1, 4-5; Matthew 22:43-44.

Anyone who does not know that the expression 'right hand', when used in reference to Jehovah, means almighty power will gather no other idea from these the Lord's words than that the Lord will sit on His Father's right hand and have dominion in the way that one sitting on a king's right hand on earth has. But the internal sense shows what one should understand in those places by 'sitting at the right hand', namely God's almighty power. Hence also the expressions 'sitting at the right hand of power' and 'at the right hand of the power of God'.

[3] The Lord is plainly the One who possesses that almighty power, for the words quoted above refer to the Lord, and 'Lord' in David is used to mean the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, as also is 'Son of Man' in the Gospels, since Divine Truth is that which possesses almighty power, received from Divine Good.

Divine Truth possesses almighty power, see 6948, 8200.

In general power belongs to truth derived from good, 3091, 3563, 4931, 6344, 6423.

'Hand' therefore has reference to truth, 3091, 4931.

'The Son of Man' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, 2159, 2803, 2813, 3704.

[4] Divine power or almighty power is meant by 'right hand' in the following places also: In David,

Now I know that Jehovah saves His anointed. Let Him answer ¹ Him in heaven through the mighty acts of His saving right hand. ² Psalms 20:6.

In the same author,

O Jehovah, look from heaven and see, and visit this vine and the twig which Your right hand has planted, upon the son [whom] You have made strong for Yourself. Psalms 80:14-15

In the same author,

You have an arm with power; strong is Your hand, Your right hand will be lifted up. Psalms 89:13.

In the same author,

My strength and song is Jah; He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of Jehovah has done a mighty deed, the right hand of Jehovah has been exalted, the right hand of Jehovah has done a mighty deed. Psalms 118:14-16.

[5] In these places 'the right hand of Jehovah' stands for almighty power, and in the highest sense for the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. This may be seen more plainly elsewhere in David,

Let Your hand, O Jehovah, be for the man of Your right hand, for the son of man [whom] You have made strong for Yourself. Psalms 80:17.

'The man of Jehovah's right hand' and 'the son of man' stand for the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. In the same author,

You drove out the nations with Your hand. They did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, and their arm did not save them, but Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your face. Psalms 44:2-3.

'The light' of Jehovah's face is Divine Truth derived from Divine Good, so too is His 'right hand' and 'arm'. And in Isaiah,

God ³ has sworn by His right hand, and by His mighty arm. ⁴ Isaiah 62:8.

Here also 'God's right hand' and 'His mighty arm' stand for the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, for Jehovah or the Lord swears by none except Himself, 2842, that is, only by Divine Truth, since He is that Truth because it emanates from Him.

[6] Here is the reason why various places in the Word call the Lord not only 'the right hand of Jehovah' and 'the arm of Jehovah' but also His 'strength' by which He breaks enemies in pieces, and His 'hammer' too, as in Jeremiah 51:19-21, and following verses. The Lord also came into the world, became Divine Truth there, and subsequently became Divine Good from which Divine Truth flowed, in order to shut all falsities and evils up in hell, gather together all forms of good and truths into heaven, and there arrange them into Divine order.

From all this it is now clear that 'the right hand of Jehovah' in the Word means almighty power, which the Divine possesses through Divine Truth. This is where the meaning of 'right hand' as exceedingly great power has its origin; for those in the Grand Man, which is heaven, who correlate with the shoulders, arms, and hands are those who are made powerful by truth springing from good, that is, by faith springing from love, 4931-4937, 7518.

Poznámky pod čarou:

2813. 'He bound Isaac his son' means the state of the Divine rational which, in this condition as regards truth, was about to undergo the last degrees of temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'binding', and also of 'Isaac his son' - of 'binding' as the assuming of a state for undergoing the last degrees of temptation, as may become clear from the consideration that anyone in a state of temptation is altogether like one who has been bound or fettered; and from the meaning of 'Isaac his son' as the Lord's Divine Rational, here as regards truth, see 2802, 2803. The whole genuine rational part of the mind consists of good and of truth. The Lord's Divine Rational as regards good could not suffer, nor undergo temptations, for no genius or spirit initiating temptations is able to get near Divine good, as this stands above their every endeavour to tempt. But Divine truth once it had been bound was that which could be tempted, for illusions, and still more falsities, are what invade it and so tempt it. Indeed some idea of Divine truth can be formed, but not of Divine good except by beings who have perception and are celestial angels. It was Divine truth that people no longer acknowledged at the time of the Lord's Coming into the world, and therefore it was Divine truth from which the Lord underwent and suffered temptations. Divine truth within the Lord is that which is called the Son of Man, whereas Divine good within Him is that which is called the Son of God. Speaking of the Son of Man the Lord many times says that He is to suffer, but He never says this when He refers to the Son of God. The fact that He speaks of the Son of Man, or Divine truth, having to suffer, is clear in Matthew,

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him and deliver Him to the gentiles to mock and scourge Him, and to crucify [Him]. Matthew 20:18-19.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said to His disciples, Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners. Matthew 26:45.

In Mark,

Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, but after three days rise again. Mark 8:31.

In the same gospel,

It is written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt. And the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men who will kill Him; but when He has been killed He will rise again on the third day. Mark 9:12, 31.

In the same gospel,

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes who will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the heathens. They will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; but on the third day He will rise again. Mark 10:33-34.

In the same gospel,

The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners. Mark 14:41.

In Luke,

The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again. Luke 9:22, 44.

In the same gospel,

We are going up to Jerusalem where everything will be accomplished that has been written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. He will be delivered to the gentiles, and will be mocked, and suffer insults, and be spat upon. And they will scourge and kill Him, but on the third day He will rise again. Luke 18:31-33.

In the same gospel,

The angel said to the women, Remember what He told you while He was still in Galilee, saving that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. Luke 24:6-7.

[2] In all these places 'the Son of Man' is used to mean the Lord as regards Divine truth - that is, as regards the Word in its internal sense - which was to be rejected by the chief priests and the scribes, suffer insults, be scourged, spat on, and crucified. This is made quite clear by the fact that the Jews took every single thing literally, applying and misappropriating it to themselves, and had no wish to know anything whatever about the spiritual sense of the Word and about a heavenly kingdom. They believed, as they do even today, that when He came the Messiah would raise up their kingdom above all the kingdoms of the earth. From this it is evident that it was Divine truth which was rejected, insulted, scourged, and crucified by them. Whether you speak of Divine truth or of the Lord as regards Divine truth it amounts to the same, for the Lord is Truth itself just as He is the Word itself, 2011, 2016, 2533 (end).

[3] Also implied in the Lord's rising again on the third day is the fact that Divine truth, or the Word as to its internal sense - as it was understood in the Ancient Church - will be brought back to life again at the close of the age, which also is 'the third day', 1825, 2788. And this is the reason why it is said that the Son of Man, that is, Divine truth, will appear at that time, Matthew 24:30, 37, 39, 44; Mark 13:26; Luke 17:22, 24-26, 30; 21:27, 36.

[4] The fact that the Son of Man is the Lord as regards Divine truth is clear from the places quoted already and further still from the following: In Matthew,

He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world. At the close of the age the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all offences. Matthew 13:37, 41-42.

Here 'the good seed' means truth, 'the world' men, 'he who sows it' the Son of Man, and 'offences' falsities. In John,

The crowd said, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. Why therefore do you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus answered them, The Light is with you for a brief while. Walk, as long as you have the Light, lest the darkness overtakes you, for he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. As long as you have the Light believe in the Light, that you may be sons of the Light. John 12:34-36.

Here, when the crowd ask, 'Who is the Son of Man?' Jesus speaks in His reply about the Light, which is truth, and says that He Himself is the Light or Truth in which they ought to believe. Regarding the Light which comes from the Lord, and which is Divine Truth, see 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 1619-1632.

[5] But as for the truth that the Son of God, or the Lord as to the Good within His Divine human, could not be tempted, as stated above, this is evident also from the Lord's reply to the tempter, in the gospels,

The tempter said, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written, He will give His angels charge regarding you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Matthew 4:6-7; Luke 4:9-12.