664. "For just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" This symbolically means that everything that emanates from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine goodness itself and Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

Ways symbolize truths that lead to good (no. 176). The title "king" in reference to the Lord symbolizes Divine truth, and "O King of saints" the Divine truth derived from Him in heaven and the church; for saints symbolize people who are governed by Divine truths from the Lord (nos. 173, 586). Consequently "just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" means symbolically that everything emanating from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

The Lord is called a king in reference to His Divine humanity, because this is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ, the Son of God. Messiah in Hebrew is Christ in Greek, and Messiah or Christ is the Son of God, as may be seen in no. 520 above. It is well known that Messiah in Hebrew means both king and anointed.

The Lord as king is the embodiment of Divine truth because that is the symbolic meaning of the title "king" (nos. 20, 483). Kings accordingly symbolize people who possess Divine truths from the Lord (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

It is because of this that heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom, and that His advent into the world is called the gospel of the kingdom.

Heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom in Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; Luke 1:33; 4:43; 8:1, 10; 9:2, 11, 27; 10:11; 16:16; 19:11; 21:31; 22:18; 23:51. And His advent is called the gospel of the kingdom in Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14. ¹

But more on this subject may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord.

[2] That the Lord is called a king is apparent from the following passages:

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 17:14)

(He who sat on the white horse) is called the Word... And... His... name (is) Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 19:13, 16, cf. Daniel 2:47)

Nathanael... said..., ."..You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49)

When the Son of Man comes in His glory..., ...He will sit on the throne of His glory... And the King will say to those on His right hand... (and) to those on the left hand... (Matthew 25:31, 34, 41)

...they cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel! " (John 12:13)

Pilate (asked the Lord:) "Are You a king...?" Jesus answered, ."..I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world...." (John 18:37)

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty... ...Jehovah our King, He will save us. (Isaiah 33:17 , 22)

I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. (Isaiah 43:15)

Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last, and beside Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)

Jehovah shall become King over all the earth. (Zechariah 14:9, cf. Psalms 47:2, 6-8)

Lift up your heads, O you gates..., that the King of glory may come in... Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalms 24:7-10)

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, (who as) a king shall reign... and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. (Jeremiah 23:5, cf. 33:15)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 6:5; 52:7; Jeremiah 10:7, 10; 46:18; Ezekiel 37:22, 24; Zephaniah 3:15; Psalms 20:9; 45:11, 13-14; 68:24; 74:12.

Poznámky pod čarou:

743. 17:14 "These will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings." This symbolizes the Lord's battle with Roman Catholics in France over an acknowledgment of His Divine humanity, because the Lord in that humanity is God of heaven and earth and also the Word.

Their battle with the Lord and of the Lord with them does not mean the kind of battle waged by evil people or with evil people, but the kind waged by and with people who do not yet possess truths concerning the Lord. The Lamb means the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity and also in respect to the Word (nos. 269, 291, 595); and to overcome them means, symbolically, to convince them by means of the Word. "For He is Lord of lords and King of kings" means, symbolically, "for He is God of heaven and earth." It is because of His lordship over all the goods of heaven and the church that He is called Lord of lords, and because of His kingship over all the truths of heaven and the church that He is called King of kings (no. 664).

It is apparent from this that "these will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings," symbolizes the Lord's battle with Roman Catholics in France over an acknowledgment of His Divine humanity, because the Lord in His humanity is God of heaven and earth.

[2] That the Lord is God of heaven and earth is something He Himself in plain words teaches, for He says:

All things that the Father has are Mine. (John 16:15)

The Father... has given all things into (the Son's) hand. (John 3:35, cf. 13:3)

(Father,) You have given (Me) authority over all flesh... All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine... (John 17:2, 10)

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me... He who (knows and) sees Me, (knows and) sees the Father... (For) I am in the Father, and the Father in Me... (John 14:6-11).

The Father and I are one. (John 10:30)

He also says that everyone who believes in the Lord has eternal life, and that whoever does not believe in Him does not see life (John 3:15, 17-18, 36; 6:47; 11:26, and elsewhere).

Who does not know that the Lord was conceived of God as His Father (Luke 1:34-35)? And who does not know therefore that God the Father, who is Jehovah, assumed a humanity in the world, and consequently that the humanity is the humanity of God the Father, thus that God the Father and the Lord are one, as soul and body are one?

Can anyone accordingly turn to a person's soul, and from there descend to his body? Must one not turn to his humanity, and then turn to his soul?

[3] It is by these considerations and others found in the Word that the Lamb will overcome Roman Catholics in France. Therefore, because they have ceased to worship the Pope, let them worship Him from whom the Pope says that he has all authority over the church and heaven. The Pope is a man, and the Lord is God, and God alone is to be turned to, called upon and revered, or in other words, worshiped.

The Lord alone is the Holy One who is to be called upon (Revelation 15:4).

I know that people will think, "How could Jehovah the Father, the creator of the universe, descend and assume a humanity?" But let them think at the same time, "How could a Son from eternity, who is equal to the Father, and is also the creator of the universe, do this?" Is the case not the same?

People speak of a Father and Son from eternity, but there is no Son from eternity. It is the Divine humanity that is called the Son sent into the world (Luke 1:34-35).

But more on this subject may be seen in no. 962 below.