1. NINE QUESTIONS ON THE TRINITY AND RELATED TOPICS PROPOSED BY THOMAS HARTLEY TO EMANUEL SWEDENBORG WITH HIS ANSWERS

QUESTION 1.

In what sense did the Lord call Himself the Son of Man, if He took only the flesh from the mother and not the rational soul? Does Human Sonship refer only to human flesh?

ANSWER

The Lord called Himself the Son of Man, because He was the Word or Divine Truth as to the Human too; for in the spiritual sense 'Son or Man' means the truth of the church from the Word. The same was meant by 'prophet', because the prophets taught truths from the Word. Therefore the Lord, Who was in the supreme degree a prophet as well as the Word and consequently Divine Truth, called Himself as to the Human, the Son of Man. This is why it is often said in the prophets and in David, in treating of the destruction of truth in the church that the Son of Man dwells there no more. This is also why the prophets themselves were called sons of man, as in Ezekiel 2:3, 6, 8; 3:3-4, 10, 17, 25, and frequently in the following chapters; likewise in Daniel. This has been shown from many passages in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE LORD, which you should consult if available.